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The story of a boy's mind stuck in the body of a girl and a spell transformed him from an energetic little boy to the most wonderful woman in the world. He has but one dream, to become the most manly man that ever lived, even if he has to live out this dream as a woman. In his/her search for the book that might return her manhood she goes to a normal high school and makes an entourage of male friends of all shapes sizes and... colorful personalities. In the countless battles and other experiences she has with her new friends she begins to better understand what it means to be a great man and a great woman.

Story:
At first I wasn't that impressed, there are plenty of other "gender bending" plots out there that have been better done (ranma comes to mind). The "message" behind the story is too repetitive for 20 volumes and not all that impressive, and the conclusion of the story was a bit of a let down... BUT it is a plot that grows on you. Some of the arcs are pretty well done and emotional or intense, but almost every arc ends with pointless brawls, the protagonist looking cool, and the protagonist's love interest boasting his own "way of the man." Probably would have been a more effective story if it was a few less volumes.

Art:
I almost dropped this manga at the first chapter because I was petrified by the horrible quality of the art. After the first few volumes though the artist shapes up and it is acceptable, at least not painful on the eyes. The battle art isn't all that original though which is kind of a shame since they fight so much in this series.

Character:
The characters, while not too deep, original, or developed, were interesting enough. The main character Megumi, does undergo alot of changes in the series (though I don't want to give away too much.) Personally I felt that Genzou (The stupid love struck punk) and Hitomonji (the serious Samurai) were the jewel characters of the series. There is a large cast of side characters that are relatively memorable as well, so where the story fails the characters make up for a little bit.

Enjoyment/Overall:
While not the best comedy, or best romance, or fantasy, this series had its good points and was a decent read to cure the summer boredom blues, but don't read it with very high expectations. read more

Since the anime is coming out soon I felt the manga deserves a review of some sort, I will put aside my fan girl heart and attempt to give my unbias impressions of this series.

Story: The story essentially follows the history of the world... I'm afraid to say that if you've ever picked up a history book the series is already spoiled for youxD Ok... Not exactly. There are actually alot of Historical elements as the back bone of the story, Primarily the early 1900's during WWI and later, but for the most part the real "story" lies in the character interaction like a slice of life/comedy anime... Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, Seto no Hanayome give off similar feelings. The story isn't really the main focus of the series rather than just random gags... Most of Hetalia is written in 4 panel (give or take a few) strips.

Character: The main interest of the series is the characters and the relationships they have with each otherxD Each character is an extreme Stereotype of the country they represent... making characters like France a big pervert, England "Tsundere," And America an egotistical Idiotic "HERO." There are TONS of characters in this series... Over 20 at least... so It can be a bit difficult to remember them all, but I actually think this series would be very useful as an educational tool... Putting a face and personality behind each country makes them alot easier to remember on Geography testsxD The only point I took off is because there's so many characters a few of their personalities don't see that original, But the Primary characters are very entertaining. My favorite part is the relationships between them, how they beat the crap out of each other during warsxD But sleep with them when they're allies...

Art: To be COMPLETELY fair and honest... the artwork for this series is far from top notch. Some of the chapters look like scribbles on a napkin or something. There are some REALLY nice looking chapters as well, but the quality is not consistent. Because there are so many characters it frequently becomes difficult to tell them apart because of the quality of the work. You eventually become "used to it," and may find the scribbles cute, especially if its a "chibi" character they're focusing on, but I can't help but feel that it is lacking is some aspects.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I LOVE this series... This is mostly a gag manga... but the character relationships and past can get pretty deep. The comedy and randomness of other moments had me on the verge of tears. If anything this is just a series that puts a smile on your face.

I have heard some complaints about the Country stereotypes... and how they find them offensive, but this series isn't supposed to be taken to heart. It COULD be very dark because of history... but that Author for the most part keeps the story very soft... The only slightly disturbing parts I've found are Russia's relationship with the Baltic countries, but I can overlook to some extent.

Others might be turned off to their constant references to Rape (*cough FRANCE), and Random guys running all over Europe Naked... but personally I found this to be one of the best aspect of the seriesxD And I think this a series that girls/guys can equally enjoy.

Overall if You want a good laugh and don't mind senseless randomness this is a good series for you^.^ read more

This movie was like a very violent Disney film... It reminds me alot of Bambi for some reason... accept Bambi doesn't go around killing people after his mom dies.

Story:
A young lamb's mother is killed by a wolf. The Lamb leaves determined to become stronger and ends up becoming an apprentice of the very wolf who killed his mother in the first place. You see the transformation of the innocent child become a disturbed killer. The moral of the story is actual very deep for something that should be viewed as a child's movie.

Overall this anime hasn't claimed a spot in the hall of Origenal movies~ But it was ok.
A bit depressing though despite being about baby lambsXD read more

Shakugan no shana... An anime with alot of potential that overall felt like alot of regurgitated shounen/romance anime was a bit of a let down. The predictable uninspired story line, repetitiveness, cheesy humor, and mediocre character development left alot to be desired and is far from a masterpiece that is popularity would make you believe it is.

Story line:
The initial introduction of the story really got my hopes up; basically about a normal boy who gets pulled into a bizarre battle only to find after words he no longer really exists, and that his entire being will slowly fade away and be forgotten by all of his loved ones. While discovering mysterious powers of his own he is emersed into into the world of magic and battles along with the cute but stubborn Red haired girl Shana who fights off those that threaten humanity.

Despite having an interesting few episodes the plot it stale. It moves very slowly and is predictable for the most part. The anime could have easily been done in half the episodes they took. The battles slowly become tedious along with the story. Also the cheesy romance that develops made it almost unbearable to watch after a certain point. If I were to describe the enjoyment of the story line most of the middle episodes drop down to a 4-5 nearly killing the series...

Art:
It was... acceptable. As far as most main stream shows go the art was OK... but it was overall mediocre. It also feels very deceiving that the advertisements and Opening theme for the series has such beautiful animation because its really not that great overall. Some of the battle scenes were well done though.
Character animation wise the most attention is given to Shana; and they do a very good job with her. The rest of the characters on the other hand are uncreative and boring. The main character specifically lacks any real attracting traits that would set him apart from a side character...

Sound:
Opening and ending songs are pretty good, I especially enjoyed the first ending theme Yowake Umare Kuru Shoujo. The music in show overall was acceptable, but nothing really stands out about it.

Character:
The two main characters... try imagining Saber and Shirou from fate/stay night as middle schoolers and that should give you an idea; Although Shana is much more vocally stubborn that Saber ever was.
Shana is the predictable Tsundere character~ The stubborn easily ticked, but deep down shy emotional girl. Her character development is interesting since she doesn't really understand basic human interaction very well...
Yuji also is the predictable week but good hearted normal kid, who grows up to be more dependable courageous guy.
Perhaps what killed the character development was when they attempted to throw in romance... its just didn't work for this plot because of their age... and it split what the story really should have focused on.
There are actually alot of other characters in the story... but their development is mediocre or nonexistent...

Enjoyment/Overall
I don't really have much else to say about this series other than It was actually painful to put myself through the torture of watching this entire series; and I think anime fans that are looking for something deep, a moving story line, and/or epic battles will be very disappointed unless they have very low standards.

The reason its gets overall higher scores is because it was made for a large viewing audience~ incorporating humor, action, Romance, magical/fantasy and slice of life. They say the Jack of all trades is master of none, and this anime proves this point. read more

Nodame Cantabile is an anime I truly love, but my honest opinion is it does not deserve a 10/10 despite how enjoyable it was.

Story: 7/10

Main story is about the egotistical Chiaki who is a master at both the Violin and Piono, but he is going to music school with the dream of one day becoming a famous conductor. His only problem is he feels the only way to achieve that dream is to study in Europe, but unfortunately he is phobic of both air travel and sea travel keeping him land locked in Japan. One day he depressingly gets wasted and passes out outside of his neighbor Nodame's apparent... he wakes up in a filthy unorganized house, but being charmed by the beautiful music she is playing~ The emotion she puts in her music changes him forever. Despite Chiaki's cruel character and Nodame's Eccentricities they become good friends and work to improve their music together.

As far as the story goes it was primarily centered on the character's development and practicing their music. Most of the series there was no real "Goal" accept they wanted to get better and the Protagonist Chiaki one day wanted to study abroad. The lack of much plot development gives this story only a 7/10, but there was alot of comedy and the music is a very nice touch.

Art: 7/10

The art was a little off. It reminded me of that "water color" look from other anime like honey and clover, but it kind of detracted from the overall look of the anime since during the music scenes all you can really do is look and listen. It wasn't devastatingly bad, but it was distracting at parts.

Sound: 10/10

The sound is what made this anime truly amazing. Every episode they play classical music that really makes you appreciate it in a way you may not have before.

Character: 8/10

The main characters were developed very nicely and had many original character attributes; especially Nodame. The side characters lacked enough development, but it didn't matter that much in the end since the two main characters were sufficient. The only real problem with the characters is the confusing unjustified development at the very end... There just wasn't enough in the story to support the character emotions.

Overall: 8/10

There were some flaws, but it was truly enjoyable to watch, lots of Lulz and great music. Great characters as well. While it hasn't revolutionized the Shoujo genre it was very nice to watch and not too fluffy. read more

This anime is considered by many fans as the best anime of 2006; while it is a good anime its popularity is often over hyped and most ignored the major flaws of the series that kept it from being a masterpiece.

The basic plot is about Shirou; a high School boy with a very righteous kind heart but has a weak character and knows little magic. By fate he falls into an epic battle over the holy grail taking on the powerful Hero Summon "Saber" as his servant. The Servants do battle with one another till only one is left then taking the Holy grail to make a wish, but this battle devastates Shirou's life and opens up the secrets to traumatic events that happened in his past. The plot primarily is action/shounen/Drama... They attempt some Romance as well~ but its a little awkward.

Story: The story is one of the main flaws of this series; it becomes clear very early that this anime is based off of a "Visual Novel" due to its linear plot~ the goal is known right away and the development is predictable. There are some shocking moments towards the end, but that doesn't make up for the rest.

Perhaps the most stifling thing about the story is it hints about Saber's and other's pasts... but in never divulged any information. While sometimes its excusable to keep a mysterious story, in the case of this anime it felt vital to the plot, and rather than add to the mood of urgency it felt more like they were trying to rush parts of the series far too much... much of the events make no sense unless you play the visual novels or look up the background info online.

On the good side the plot is fast enough to enjoy after the first few episodes, Has alot of interesting battles and antagonists, and has an interesting back story if you watch untill the end.

Art: The art is ok; the characters are well done, especially most of the servants. Overall I have no bones to pick with the animation; it just wasn't that original and the main protagonist had not impressive characteristics to make him stand out. The battle art was very good though; especially their final attacks.

Sound: The sound, like the art was acceptable. The opening and ending themes were very good and the OST was great. There was no real "Epic Battle" music that lived up to some of the great battles, but it was still good.

Characters: This was the big downfall for the series... Most of the characters are very superficial, unoriginal, and predictable. The biggest let down in Saber and several other servants; because the story focuses on the character development of the masters for the most part most of the servants pasts are never explained in any detail... so it makes it very hard to understand their development or motivation. Saber's is insinuated at the very end, but the story rushes so much it makes it impossible to truly understand the depth of her character.

Overall: This in another "Good" anime~
Its worth watching despite its unoriginality~ But don't expect a masterpiece. read more

I felt it was necessary to write a review thats not blinded from fan bias of the entire series. If you've seen the first season you already know the main plot, spunky school girl has a mysterious power and is being protected by a secret military organization; specifically by the 16 year old Serious Military Nut, Sousuke Sagara.

This series takes place between "Full Metal Panic" and "Full Metal Panic: The second Raid." If you have watched the first season you recognize the plot progression was an awkward mix of Comedy and action~ with the occasional dash of drama/romance.... this is where Fumoffu makes a huge drift from the first season.

Story: As if to spare fans the mediocre mix of Action/Comedy Fumoffu has no real action what so ever; It seems that the Action element of this series was saved for the 3rd installment "The second Raid" Which I highly recommend.

Without action the story focuses on cliche comedy that for the most part was already touched on in the first season. I have nothing against comedy, and one or two episodes were truly humorous, but in comparison to other series Fumoffu is below average in originality and it ignores the real plot. If anything this entire season feels like one long filler... there are 1-2 events that roll over to the next season... but they are clearly explained and insinuated so you could skip all 12 episodes and still make sense of the Second raid. (I accidentally watched them out of order myself... the title "The second raid" was misleading)

Art: The first seasons was mediocre and it seems they made no effort to increase the quality in Fumoffu.
Sound: It had a cute opening, and nothing was wrong with OST... there's was nothing outstanding about it though.

Character: They kept the same characteristics... no important new characters and very little development besides Teresa; who had stayed a mysterious character in most of the first season.

Enjoyment: 90% of Fumoffu made me cringe; it was just so cheesy in the worst ways, it had not real point, there was no drama or action. This season is the manifestation of everything that was wrong with the first season and more.
Do not let Fumoffu scare you from "The second Raid" though~ it is nearly a Masterpiece; what the first season had the potential to be times 2... but Fumoffu probably was just used as a cash cow in between... read more

Hundred stories, More commonly known as "Requiem From the Darkness" is a horror anime like no other. 13 episodes of the most disturbing and gory stories you'll ever witness. The basic plot of the story is about a young man who is an author journeying to lands where there are mysterious rumors in order to write a book of 100 Japanese horror stories. Every time he encounters the supernatural though he runs into a group of the "Exorcists" traveling Japan to destroy the darkness in people's hearts.

Story: Each episode is a separate story in another village, but even though its "Episodic" the relationship between main characters is still developing. Most episodes start with a very disturbing scene, usually a brutal murder that hints at the "Darkness" behind the episode~ it really pulls you in from episode one~ The first half is setting the stage and characters for the story and how the main character the author meets them. The second half of the episode is discovering the malignant evil in the perpetrator~ catching him commit his crime, and then the exorcists killing him in some manner.

What really sets this apart from other anime is the length it went to in shock value; most episodes revolve around the murder, rape, and or plain torture of women and small children...And the story is played out in a way you never see it coming~ Be warned that this is Rated R for these reasons... if you have a weak constitution to gore or horror in general I wouldn't advise you watch this series. No matter how much you think "They're not going to show it... they're going to pane away..." they do show it... generally in the most gruesome manner and in slow motion.

Art: The art is very... "Original" I guess~ It is not Standard animation which gives it a nice flair sometimes~ But on some occasions the animation is just so overdone in its unique style that it doesn't look nice on the eyes, or you don't even know whats happening.

Sound: The opening and ending are nice, I don't know if they really match with the feeling of the anime, but they're ok; the ending is very calming... which may be something you need to hear after some of the crazy conclusions to episodes. The OST music didn't stick out very much, but it wasn't poorly done at least and it effectively portrayed the mood.

Character: The main character balance is a little off; they were original I suppose, but the story almost flows without their presence since each episode is about the episodic characters than the main characters usually (Similar to Jigoku Shoujo).

Enjoyment: 95% of the episodes were original and had me on the edge of my seat. They broke so many expectation barriers on Gore... and even more socially taboo things which I will leave as teasers for people who haven't seen the show. If you're more of a fluffy luv luv anime lover, or want some luls... this definitely is not the anime for you~ But if you're thirsting blood and hellish plot twists this anime is right up your alley.

Rating: 8/10 read more

Endless Waltz is a sequal OVA concluding the "Gundam Wing" series. It takes place a year or so after the event of Gundam wing and shows how the stability of the world has changed and how the main characters have grown and done with their lives after their roles as gundam pilots are over. But even though things seem to be going in the right direction of peace a new military organization rears their ugly head and want to mess things up.

Story: It still holds onto that Gundam wing feeling, but with a faster sense of pace and scale. The reintroduction of the characters~ and transition between plots and battle are flawless. There is a higher feeling of "emotion" and drama than was in the original series~ possibly because the stakes feel alot higher.

While there are still politics, because ova's are shorter they thankfully lessened its role in the story~ though there are several speeches it doesn't mess up the pace of the story as much. The epic battles and character development are the high points of this series.

Art: It was improved greatly from the original series. The character designs and gundams feel much more crisp and detailed. Some of the gundams actually have additional accessories... while I don't see much of a point of them Having "REAL" wings with feathers, and A cape... it does make them look really awesome=D

Sound: The sound still caries that "90's" anime feel...but it was toned down a little. Both the opening and OST were superior to the series.

Character: Well... they're the same old characters=D
There's not much more that can be said about them if you've already seen the series, and I don't recommend you watch the OVA's before the series. But the only reason Gundam Wing is as popular as it is, is because the characters are very unique, fun, and developed. The OVA does show more into each of the characters past, and in the case of Trow~ his entire history is finally revealed.

Enjoyment: I remember watching this series for the first time on the edge of my seat through all 3 OVA's. It just such an epic feeling for me, at that time this movie was just more astounding than watching Goku from DBZ go super saiyan for the first time (I was very young when I first saw gundam wing). Watching it again as an adult~ the enjoyment has not gone down after time. Its animation and story is not dated~ and it is far superior in plot, character, and battles of its predecessor Gundam Seed. (IMHO)

Overall:
I'm a very picky grader~ but there is hardly any argument I can make against this OVA.

9/10



read more

If you just found out about this anime are are thinking: "OMG!!! Final fantasy anime~ this must be the best thing in existence!111!!!11" Think again.... Besides references to a few summons and other final fantasy lore~ the story feels like nothing resembling final fantasy at all. Its not a sequel or connected to any other fantasy universes in any way~ If anything it just felt like a diabolical anime company decided to add "final Fantasy" to the title to brainwash fans of the franchise to buy their series... a very inhumane marketing tactic indeed...

Story: Kids from the "real world" looking for their lost parents in a "fantasy world"... run into trouble because they have no powers to protect themselves from the crazy monsters running about. They are saved by a few people in the world who decide to help them find their parents.

The flow of the story is VERY VERY slow...Alot of cheesy jokes and talking that no one really cares about. The fighting scenes are not the best, but because the Fighting Protagonist "Kaze" is just so awesome, and the rest of the plot is so slow, you just pray a fighting scene will come soon to save you from misery. ohhh... and the fighting relies on summoned beast fired from guns... Some sword action would have been nice.

Art: Its not a masterpiece or anything~ but for the time it was rather good. Kaze and his main antagonist have a very unique presence that makes them shine compared to the rest of the cast.

Sound: Nothing stands out about the sound for the most part, it wasn't very memorable. One of the endings was very upbeat and nice, I still listen to it occasionally.

Characters: Nearly all character attributes are stereotypical shounen roles... Nothing stands out barely at all. The two siblings Ai and Yu were supposed to be the main characters, but they're just so boring and predictable its not even fun.

Kaze, the "fighting protaganist" was the only real reason I could even bare the show~ and even then he's the stereotypical "Silent hero" type, and gets little to no attention unless its a battle. If not for Kaze and his antagonist my rating would have been a 4 overall...

Enjoyment: I honestly felt betrayed watching this series. If Final fantasy has made alot of mistakes on its path to glory... but this series takes the cake. When the show was over I wished I had a time machine to go back and delete this series off my hard drive before I had the opportunity to waste a good 7-8 hours of my life on this show.

Rating: 6/10
The only thing you'll get from watching this series is bragging rights that you didn't commit suicide in the watching of this series. read more