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Darker Than BLACK is an anime which came to my attention as I was scouring through the works of the Studio Bones. Since I liked stuff from Bones I decided to give it a whirl and here I am. Let's Begin.

Story – 7.3

The story of DTB centres on the actions of Hei, our “protagonist” and I use the word centres very loosely. This is because of the story telling narrative that DTB employs, as each arc is told from the perspective of usually someone other than our MC. Furthermore each arc is told over the course of 2 episodes rather than one, which allows for ... far more character development and depth of storytelling within each arc. This is a unique feature and it works very effectively as it draws your further into this mysterious world.

But therein lies the problem; Most of it remains a mystery. Hardly anything is actually explained within the course of the anime which leaves the viewer without a sense of closure, which for an anime such as this one, is key. This feeling of dissociation can reduce the immersion and therefore reduce the enjoyment one can get from this anime. However these negatives are outweighed by the interesting premise and the unique execution of story-telling narrative of the anime.

Art – 9.2

The animation for DTB was done by Studio Bones and like most of their mid-2000s stuff is of a high quality. The movement is fluid, the character designs are detailed and I can’t seem to remember any point where there was a drop in animation quality. The background too is very interesting as it uses a colour pallet which creates both an aura of darkness but, more importantly, it alludes to the idea that there is a great deal that we don’t know about this universe and all that it entails. However the quality of the action sequences would’ve sold the whole anime to me without anything else. Each one is brilliantly executed with such style that I found it hard not to just sit back and admire it. Also the character designs were all very interesting as they reflected the type of character that each person was. Overall the animation is brilliant with the quintessential style that Bones can bring to the table.

Sound – 8.65 (OST – 9.2 and VA – 8.1)

The sound for this anime is absolutely brilliant. It is both able to capture the mood of the scene when necessary but also be able to reduce the dark nature of some scenes too and show it in a new light. The perfect examples are some of the chase scenes where zany music is played and, contrary to initial thought, it works to a tee as it makes the chase feel more exciting. On the whole it is an excellent soundtrack with memorable pieces dotted about here and there. Also a special mention to the first opening, TM Revolution I love your voice.

The voice acting is very good throughout the anime and the voice actors deliver lines brilliantly at times. However the problem that arises with this dub is the script itself and even with the actors’ best efforts it still shows some weaknesses here and there. Overall it’s a very good dub which is very occasionally let down by some flaws in the script.

Characters – 8.0

The characters in DTB are a key reason for why the deep, dark nature of the anime never became overwhelming. There was a massive pallet of Characters within this show and allow for the different personalities to shine in their own given moments. This could vary from down to Earth and very human to superbly eccentric and out there. This variety allowed for the anime to never become stale. I also really enjoyed the fact that there was never a main antagonist of sorts, which allowed for clashes of ideals to occur rather than a fight between good and evil. This factor also added to the dark nature of the anime as our “protagonists” were never pure at nature and did delve into some morally questionable activities.

However I did feel there were certain things that could have been executed better. For example most of the character development was left until the latter stages of the anime to occur. This did cause me to become a little disinterested with the characters and their actions. Furthermore some of the characters did feel as if they were surplus to necessity. On the whole it was good cast of characters portrayed in interesting ways and moral dilemmas which develop the characters.

Enjoyment – 8.2

I really did enjoy watching this series and it had a brilliant blend of action and exposition. Though the lack of explanation of some finer details and the delay character development did irk me a bit it never detracted massively from the action and the unique story-telling narrative. Overall it was highly enjoyable series to watch.

Overall – 8.27

On the whole this was a very good anime to watch. It excelled in the OST and Art departments being highly stylish in both whilst creating a good plot, albeit a little thin at times, and solid cast of varied and vibrant characters. I would recommend this anime to anyone who is a fan of Studio Bones and/or a fan of action.

I hope that you found the review helpful and any feedback would be greatly appreciated =D

Steins;Gate is an anime that was recommended to me by a friend telling me that it was a brilliant Sci-fi anime with a thrilling plot. So I decided to give it a try and see what happens. This was one experience that I feel I will never have again.

Story- 8.9

Steins;Gate initially centres around the idea of time travel and the effects of the time travel and the way in which the machine works. Within the inner workings of the machine and we see the “science” behind how it works. All of this is very believable as it all seems rather plausible due to its lack ... of flamboyance and its grounded roots in reality. However this scenario does not last for the entirety of the anime as the latter half shifts into thriller with time travel twist added in. In this latter half the anime becomes plot driven rather than being driven by the sci-fi elements that we were presented with in the first half of the anime and the pacing picks up to high pitch fervour which keeps you on the edge of your seat.

But throughout the anime the sci-fi elements are rarely the focal point of the show and it gives great emphasis on the character interactions and how they develop. This is where Steins;Gate becomes brilliant since it puts so much focus on these interactions it greatly increases our immersion into the fictional world. However there are some minor grievances that I have with plot of this anime is a couple of episodes in the second half of the series which focuses on two of the supporting characters detract from the overall immersion I had with this series. Also the pacing at the start of the anime can be seen as quite slow but I feel that it is necessary as it builds up lot character interactions which only add the immersion. Overall the story of Steins;Gate is original and quite brilliant with some minor hiccups along the way.

Art- 9.1

The animation for Steins;Gate is done the studio White Fox and I have to say that they have done magnificently well. The character movements are very well catered for as they are fluid and crisp and there is no moment where the quality drops. This is also true for the background and it recreates the vibrant atmosphere of Akihabara quite nicely. The animation style is quite unique in this day and age as all the characters have quite realistic facial proportions. However on some occasions they use zany animation styles and it is very effective as it perfectly coincides with the heightened sense of danger or urgency of the scene. On the whole the character designs are new and refreshing but there are a couple of instances where they do seem a bit bland and unoriginal. Also when the slow motions scenes take place the animation does feel a bit choppy. However these are minor flaws among what is an excellent visual display.

Sound- 8.65 (OST -8.1 Voice Acting-9.2)

The Soundtrack for S;G is very minimalistic and relies on ambient noises rather than musical tracks to create the atmosphere. This approach can lead to the lack of any atmosphere being created but in the case of Steins;Gate it is rather effective and suits the overall feel of the anime. However that is not to say that musical tracks are not utilised and when they are utilised they are very effective in setting the mood. Unfortunately none of the tracks are so good that they are memorable apart from one very special exception: The OP. The OP for this anime is truly brilliant and makes me want to watch the whole anime again just so that I can listen to it in all its glory. So overall it’s a very good OST with, at least for me, one very special track.

Fortunately I have had the pleasure of watching this anime both subbed and dubbed and while I can’t really comment on the voice acting of the Japanese, I can say that it does sound as if it has been acted with a great amount of passion and feels as if the whole cast had a blast whilst doing it.

The Dub is an entirely different matter. After watching the sub I can say that I was rather cautious when approaching the dub but all those feelings of scepticism that I had were left behind in the depths of the oceans as soon as I watched the first episode. The voice acting for this anime was brilliant from start to finish with each voice actor perfectly portraying each character that they voiced. Each emotion, ranging from exasperation to sorrow, was felt when they spoke and it was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. The only slight negative I could see was the script on one occasion did feel a bit iffy but apart from that it is truly excellent performance from everyone involved.

Characters- 9.2

The characters in Steins;Gate are what I feel are the highlight of the whole show and without them this how would have landed flat on its face. To me, even though each character fits into some type of stereotype they never feel confined to that and expand and develop beyond those boundaries. Our MC, Okabe Rintarou, is quite a unique character and is possibly one of the most enjoyable characters that I have ever watched in anime. His quirks and ramblings are wonderfully entertaining but it is his interactions with our lead female, Makise Kirisu, which creates for some of the best moments in this anime. It is mainly my connection with these two characters that immersed me within this world and kept glued to my laptop for hours on end yearning for the best possible outcome. My only gripe is that a couple of the characters feel like an added accessory to the already very good cast but apart from that it is a very good showing in general.

Enjoyment- 9.5

I loved Steins;Gate from Start to finish. The earlier episodes may have been slow but they were still very enjoyable to watch especially the comedic moments and when the anime shifted to a more serious tone it kept at the edge of my seat for as long as I can remember. The time travel was still far enough out there to be sci-fi but close enough to home so that I could grasp the general idea that they were laying down in front of me. The characters literally sold me the show as it was my connection to most of them which was very enjoyable to have and therefore made the anime glorious to watch.

Overall- 9.07

Steins;Gate is a different outlook on the time travel “genre” and gives an new breath of fresh air into what, at times, is a rather stale premise. The it builds upon this premise to give us a unique experience which relies on its characters rather than the plot to immerse you in its world.

Thanks for reading this I hope that this review has been helpful. And, as always, any feedback is greatly appreciated =D

*Re-upload as the first review was pretty bad to be honest*
*This is just a review of Clannad and does not take into account any of the events which occur in After Story*

Clannad is a series that I never believed that I would watch due to my particular tendency to watch more action orientated anime. So when a friend of mine forced me to watch it I wasn't expecting to continue it. So lo and behold I am here having watched the whole series within the space of three days, something I thought I would never do, writing this review. So without further ado let us ... commence.

Story- 7.0

The story of Clannad revolves around a slacker by the name of Tomoya Okazaki and his interactions with multiple girls within his high school. There are several arcs, each of which focuses on one of the girls but the overall story focuses on the rebuilding of the discontinued drama club. The overall plot of the show is somewhat forgettable but the arcs themselves are good. In particular the first arc was brilliant, mixing comedy with emotion to the point where I was laughing in one scene and tearing up in the next. Subsequent arcs stuck to the same formula but did not reach the heights of the first arc but were good none the less. Also the pacing can be quite slow at some points and is definitely off-putting. Overall the story was enjoyable to watch and is very good at points but is nothing tremendously special.

Art- 9

Kyoto Animation really knows their strengths when it comes to animation. Get a bunch of cute girls, give them eyes the size of half of their face to make them cuter and Walla we have ourselves a money making machine.

Anyway back to the animation. The quality, as per usual, is very high and remains in accordance with the high production values of Kyoto Ani. The characters movements are fluid and the colours and backgrounds are vivid and bright. The character details are great but it is the character designs themselves which is the thing I have a problem with. This is due to there being three characters with a different shade of purple differing them and another 2 characters having slightly different facial features that differ between them. This is more a problem due to source material rather than the animators themselves but come on you can do better Kyoto Ani.

So they did. All throughout Clannad there are scenes from a different dimension. These scenes are some of the best that I have ever seen. They were beautifully executed; the character movements were almost life like, the detail put into each scene is extraordinary and the ambient lighting always fits the mood exquisitely.


Sound 7.35 (Soundtrack-8.7 and Voice Acting-6.2)

The soundtrack in this anime will have you reminiscing about the scenes that certain tracks accompany. The tracks are very well composed and match the scenes, moods and atmosphere exquisitely. Also the ending is very cute and catchy and plays a major role in After Story. The gripes I have with this soundtrack is that, for all the very good pieces there are, there is no piece that I have found to be special.

This is one of the few anime that I have watched in both English Dub and the original Japanese. Overall I cannot comment on the Japanese as I do not understand the language (unfortunately) but I can feel the emotion which is put into the voices of each character.

The English Dub, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter on its own. When I watched the first episode of the English Dub I felt that it was quite a jarring experience. However, by the end of episode 3 I had become accustomed to English voices and by episode 7 I had become reasonably attached to them. The quality of acting throughout was good and I felt the emotion pouring through the characters.In particular praise should be given to David Matranga and Andrew Love who voiced Tomoya and Akio respectively. It was mainly due to the way in which these two characters were portrayed that I liked them so much. However even with the quality of the voices the script produced for this anime was far inferior to the original Japanese Dub. On the whole it was only a couple of voices that irked me but nothing major and it was quite enjoyable to listen to, albeit with some shoddy writing at times.

Character- 7.5

This is the main driving force behind Clannad and if this had failed the whole anime would be worthless. Thankfully they did not fail and became the pillars that the series relies upon. All the characters fit into a stereotype and many fit into one, *cough* moe *cough*, but all of them undergo character development to some extent. It is the attention to detail that I like watching in this anime as no one character is ignored. Each character, apart from Ryou, has a depth and a personality about them which makes the viewing experience more enjoyable.This is especially present in Tomoya. His is a character which is similar to many other characters in anime but I feel that he stands out among the crowd for being eerily relate-able. My qualms come in the form of the main female lead Nagisa who I felt was kind of un-interesting in comparison with some of the other female characters such as Kyou, Kotomi and Tomoyo. But on the whole there is not a whole lot to complain about and the characters are nicely fleshed out and developed, albeit a little bland at times

Enjoyment-6.6

I did like the series as a whole and was an enjoyable experience but it was mainly the melodrama throughout the series which kept nagging at me and reduce the overall immersion that I had. At times it enthralled me but other times I found it to be quite boring and it was this inconsistency which drops my enjoyment down quite a lot.

Overall- 7.49

This is a very good anime on the whole, excelling in the animation and soundtrack elements and has some very good characters, albeit a bit bland at times. If you like a romantic anime with some slight harem influences then this will fit you fine however be warned that the anime is rather slow at points and does rely on some melodrama from time to time to try and stimulate your tear ducts.

Like I said at the top none of this review takes into consideration any of the events of After Story.

I hope that you found the review helpful and any feedback would be greatly appreciated =D

Unlike most I came into Neon Genesis Evangelion without getting caught up in lots of hype so certain aspects this anime were not ruined and therefore more shocking. Since then I've come to know that the anime fans are divided between praise and hatred of this anime due its nature. Anyway let’s gets this review underway.

Story- 8.1

The story revolves around the trials and tribulations of 14 year old boy by the name of Shinji Ikari and his massive mech, known as EVA Unit-1,who fight for NERV, a human organisation, in order to prevent the end of the world occurring in an event known as the ... ‘Third Impact’. For most of the episodes he and his "friends",piloting other EVAs, fight weird and wonderful creatures called, somewhat ironically, "Angles". However, there is more here than meets the eye initially. As you peel back the layers of Evangelion you see that there is a conspiracy of biblical proportions, unveiled slowly with the degeneration of Shinji's psyche, and a deconstruction of the mech genre. But with all these elements and ideas being converged the plot itself loses some of the brilliant substance it began with and begins to derail, culminating at the ending.

This is where many fans of the original anime were divided. Some saw it is a very good psycho-analysis of Shinji, whilst most saw it as a massive departure of tone from what the anime was originally built on and what made in their eye enthralling. I can respect the earlier view, but I find myself wishing that they had done it in less radical method. On the whole the story and plot was very good and highly enthralling at times but the story took blow due to the ending and the number of layers which were attempted to be implemented within it.

Art- 6.9

The animation for Eva was done by Studio Gainax. The animation quality does not really hold up with anything recently but for things made in the 1995 it is very good. However the throughout the anime we can see evidence of the tight animation budget that Gainax had. On occasions the level of detail dropped and the fluidity of the movements becomes fragmented. At other times all things in the anime stop moving for minutes at a time. But the worst offender is the last two episodes which we lose all sense of the word animation and turn into lines scribbled across a page. Even with all these flaws and idiosyncrasies the animation for the whole series was good with the battle scenes being executed very well.

Sound- 8.5(Soundtrack-9.1 and Voice Acting-7.9)

The OST for Eva is very good with each track more than adequately, in some cases exquisitely, fitting the mood and the setting which is on screen. The OP and ED are brilliant, even if the ED is cover, and are extremely memorable. If there is any qualms that I have with the OST it is the there is slight repetition in the usage of each track but on the whole it is a quite excellent OST.

The Dub, in the other hand, is a completely different matter altogether. Initially a lot of the lines feel very forced and the cast seem to struggle to fit into their characters roles. This uneasiness fades away the further that we go into the anime. Eventually the cast fit their roles very well and deliver their lines to great amounts of effect. However it is the initial harshness that detracts from the overall quality of the acting.

Character- 9.4

This is where Eva comes into its own. The characters are what set this anime apart from all of the “copycats” that have come out after its release. I have heard many people complain about the about this aspect of Eva but this is where the most of my enjoyment comes from. Each decision, each reaction, each emotion and each interaction reeks of reality which creates a cast of characters who are human to their very core. Yes, like most, I wish Shinji would grow a backbone every once in a while but does this mean I hate him, maybe, but, for me, it creates a very interesting character who can be looked into and analysed with great depth. And the thing is you could do this with every character in Eva as they all have their own psychological issues ranging from parental issues to isolation to love, or lack of it. It is this great depth and variety that interests me and makes me love watching Eva and greatly immerses me in this fictional world.

Enjoyment- 9.3

I loved watching nearly every minute of Eva, notice the “nearly”. The action sequences were entertaining and the plot was interesting, albeit a bit convoluted. However, as mentioned above, it is the characters that really sold Eva to me and made my enjoyment the level that it is. The only part of this anime that detracts from my enjoyment is the final two episodes, which greatly reduced my immersion. Nonetheless this is a series that I had no regrets in watching.

Overall- 8.44

Eva is a series of many layers and does require some heavy concentration at some points. But the satisfaction that one should get out of this series, in most cases, is diminished by the execution of the final two episodes. However if you are looking for an anime which has great psychoanalysis of characters I will tell you to look no further than Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Thank you for reading my review and I hope it was Helpful. Also any feedback would be greatly appreciated =D

So after the debacle which was the endless eight I came into The Disappearance of Hrauhi Suzumiya with just as much scepticism as when I first entered the franchise. This time, however, I was overwhelmed with surprises.

Story- 8.8

Unlike the series the movie is very much plot driven rather than being the episodic and sporadic. Also it takes on a much more serious feel to it which is alien to the series and could have gone terribly wrong, but gladly they succeeded magnificently. Although it is mostly predictable it still manages to keep your attention throughout its long run time, 2 hours and 43 mins to ... be exact, and keeps you entertained. Some of the scenes are so brilliantly executed that it blew my brain. However there are two minor gripes that I have with this movie, and I really mean minor, is that the start is bit drawn out and can leave you slightly bored and there are certain plot points which are not fully explained at the end but I guess for the latter point that they will probably be explained in the light novels and in later movie or season.

Art- 9.5

The animation was already of a very high quality for the original series so with budget of 14 episode series for one movie Kyoto Animation took it to a new level for this series. The character movements are crisper and more fluid, the designs themselves have remained the same but there is now more detail put into the character's facial features and the backgrounds are more detailed as well. The art was pleasant on the eye, now it is breathtakingly gorgeous and there is no place throughout the movie where there is any drop in quality.

Sound- 9.0 (Soundtrack-8.8 and Voice Acting - 9.2)

The soundtrack was truly amped up a notch, yet again, for the movie as the sound track includes more melodic and classical music which corresponded nicely with the more serious tone of the movie and was far more memorable. However I could not find one piece that stood. Nevertheless this was an excellent OST which was beautiful from start to finish.

Yet again I have only watched the Dub (Sub lovers don't kill me please) and I can say that it is wonderfully acted from start to finish with highlights being the performances by both Crispin Freeman and Michelle Ruff who portray Kyon and Yuki Nagato respectively. Michelle Ruff portrays the change in Yuki's character near perfectly using the new found emotion in her voice, due the character change, to startle me in the most pleasant of manners. However Crispin Freeman made the movie for me. His portrayal of Kyon was simply outstanding and this is seen in the quite beautifully written monologues and in the variety of emotions that Kyon is put through in the course of this movie.

Character- 9.3

Now this is where I got the biggest suprise from this movie. As many many people have pointed out, the characters of the Haruhi series have not developed which is true. However that trend is well and truly broken within this movie as the characters show true features of development rather than the little snippets we got through the series. This development is seen mostly in our narrator Kyon who has to deal with many conflicting emotions through the course of the movie from false happiness to desperation to relief to uplifting joy We also see a development in the relationships between him and some of the other members of the S.O.S Brigade such as Nagato and Haruhi and how much he is willing to give up in order to be able to keep them and how much they mean to him. However if there is any flaws with the characters is that for some of the main cast they only get minor development but is still far more than the series.

Enjoyment- 9.9

Unlike the series, where I feel guilty for enjoying it, I have no such qualms for this movie as it has easily placed itself among favourite movies of all time rubbing shoulders with the Godfather in terms of enjoyment. This movie has done what very few TV shows, anime and films have done; it made me feel as if I was there right with Kyon. It grasped me by the hand and fully immersed me in the world of Haruhi and I don't regret a second of it.

Overall- 9.3

I would recommend this to anyone. Yes I do mean anyone and everyone in fact as I believe that it is a spectacle that cannot be missed and the only slightly major downside is that it is attached to the Haruhi franchise itself which can put many people off of the film. However I firmly believe that if the franchise can continue by producing more very good pieces of work such as this it is promising future for all anime fans.

p.s It is advisable to have watched the two seasons of Haruhi first

This is only my second review so any kind of feedback would be greatly appreciated (especially from you people who didn't find it helpful).

I was very skeptical going into the The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya especially after watching Gigguk's review on the series but I still watched it even with all the skepticism. Therefore I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

The Story-6

To be honest there is not a whole load of story within this series due to its rather episodic nature. However having said that there are certain arcs that were very interesting and fun to watch such as the first arc. Even then there are individual episodes that are very good such as the gaming episode, the baseball episode and the concert episodes but these ... are far and few in between. Also the pacing of the episodes and series in general is very strange and can be off putting as it moves from being very slow to very fast at a drop of the hat similar to the titular character.

The Art-8

As per usual with Kyoto Animation the quality of the animation is very high for most of the series. The character movements are fluid and crisp and the overall art style of the anime is pleasant on the eye. However there are certain parts of the anime where the quality drops and the detail of the facial feature and the faces themselves do drop at certain points.

Sound-7

The sound was nothing to boast about but at the same time not bad. Throughout the anime the music is appropriate for the setting and the mood but not very memorable. The only two tracks worth of any mention are the OP and the ED which are very catch, fits the anime to a T and brilliantly choreographed. As I've only watched the dub I can't comment on the quality of the original voice acting but as for the English Dub I can say that the show is stolen (yet again) by Crispin Freeman who voices Kyon portrays his laid back attitude perfectly.

Character-6.5

Now this is the section of this anime which comes under the most flak as people see the characters as just certain stereotypes and I can see where they are coming from. This is because all the characters do fit into stereotypes but they way in which they are portrayed is unique, especially Kyon, the narrator and the main character within the anime. His personality is laid back, skeptical and sarcastic which make him a likeable character amongst a hyperactive girl, an emotionless doll, a cutesy moe fan-service girl and a goody-two-shoes. However none of the characters really develop through the series which is a gripe that I have with but on the whole the characters are enjoyable to watch but nothing spectacular.

Enjoyment-9.5

Now this is the pleasant surprise that I mentioned at the start, that is if you made it this far, is that I really enjoyed the show and I felt guilty for doing so. I don't understand why but this show brought a smile to my face and kept it there for almost the entirety of the show and even with its many flaws.

Overall the show is 7.4 out of 10 and I would recommend this to anyone who can turn off their perceptive sense and just smile throughout most of its entirety. Also the first episode can be off putting but trust me watch till the end of the episode and you should be fine.

I hope you enjoyed the review or found it helpful. This is my first review so any feedback would be much appreciated =D