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If you've ever heard someone say that Beauty is in Simplicity, Kimi to Boku is a perfect example of that.

The story is barely a story but in fact just every day life for 4... i mean 5 high school boys. Any romances are left in the background of the show (at least for now) and if there are any conflicts, they are dealt with swiftly. Kimi to Boku is a light hearted show about their interactions with each other, both in the present and the past.

when watching this on many occasions i related to each of the characters thinking, "i've done that," or, "hey i've thought about that too!" Kimi to boku brings out nostalgia, and that is the hook in this show. Everything is ordinary and only brings out fond memories of your past with a few laughs in between. Each character is realistic and well rounded. They are introduced as particular stereotypes but quickly develop past those boundaries. This is a show where I simply could not be bored watching even when what is going on is so boring.

Although this was an outstanding anime, for the same reason why it is great i am stuck giving it an 8 out of 10. There was no real plot and despite it being able to take a special place in my heart, it self was not particularly special. read more

Endless Eight Arc - Enough Said?

The entirety of the season can be summed up almost in much the same way as the first season, so i am going to focus my attention on the Endless Eight arc of this season. This arc seems to be the part most mentioned in reviews and in most cases negatively so. It is also the most prominent memory we have of the season when you mention the 2nd season.

Eight episodes of the same events, over, and over again. Everyone can agree that this was not a cheap measure to save money. since the animation, clothing, and scene of every event were unique to each of the eight episodes. But hatred still seems to fill the hearts of the viewers about this arc.

Indeed it is long and boring over time. But like how FLCL must be completely confusing to get it's point across, so must this be the way of Endless Eight. This arc is the lead up to the movie "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya" For those of you who've read the novels or have done your research you should already know this, but if not well now you know. This arc was intended to bore bore you. it was designed to make you angry. But what can you do? you are only the viewer of this show. you can only sit there and hope the next episode will advance the plot. sounding familiar?

if you have not guessed already the main character of this arc is not actually Kyon. Although the show is told through him It's Yuki we should be paying attention to. Ms. Nagato, the alien computer interface placed on earth as an observation tool unaffected by time loops or altered realities. she has the omnipotent power to know all and to do all, the only catch? she cannot do anything. her job is simply to observe and assist when absolutely necessary.

now in order for us to fully understand this we'll also need to understand the philosophy behind Artificial intelligence and how it works. but to keep it simple, intelligence is intelligence. Be it natural or artificial it will learn and develop things called emotions. we are not born with emotions. they are learned, just like data being collected, compiled and processed. It is inappropriate even to call it "excess" data build up. For us humans the compilation of data for emotions happens between age 8 and 18 this is when we try to establish what everything is to us. Yuki has entered as an AI into this stage of her life. and it is a confusing and frustrating time.

now you're angry having to sit through this 8 times. each time is ~25 minutes for us. Now then, lets do the math shall we?(sort of, not really) those 25 minutes each represent in that universe 14 days, an entire 2 weeks. Those two weeks have repeated, in one of the episodes the number was, 15,521 times. Yuki has sat through not only 15,521 episodes, rather she has sat through that many iterations of a 14 day cycle. Imagine how frustrated and angry she must be.

looking at it from the point of view that this is the lead up to the disappearance arc, it is an amazingly well done and high risk choice made by the director which i feel worked perfectly. Not only did he anger the fans, it was his exact intention to do so. the same effect cannot have been achieved with 3 or even 5 episodes. If this arc did not completely piss you off it would have failed to deliver the emotions of the characters in the story. Tatsuya Ishihara, i salute you for this bold move. read more

There are many shows out there which piss people off. FLCL is one of them. some shows do it by being slow, or repetitive in it's events. some shows simply are completely insane. FLCL does not fit in with any of these camps. (well perhaps kind of in the latter) However there is an order to it's insanity here. most don't see it, and nor are they supposed to. no one is supposed to see the order in this show.

The main theme of this show is growing up and decision making. but none of those decisions really matter, because none of your decisions will have much effect on it's outcome. You are stuck on this path you don't want to travel on and you're going at light speed. FLCL's main character Naota is someone who has yet to come to terms with this. or rather he's the type of person who can't just go with the flow of things. But despite his attempts at being the mature one in every situation he is pulled along with his father, some large organization, the medical machina, and of course Haruhara Haruka's scheme. It isn't about the choice you make, it's whether or not you make the choice at all. The difference between having made the decision your self or had it decided for you by someone else, is what is important.

Most people you ask will complain that the show makes absolutely no sense, and that they hate it or don't like it because of that. But like certain other shows i've encountered, it must be this way. It must be incomprehensibly confusing otherwise it cannot get the point across. This story is told through the eyes of a 12 year old boy at a time in his transitional point in his life where he's changing from child to adult, and during this time he is trying to make responsible decisions and act with maturity amongst immature peers and even authority figures. Life is confusing for someone during those years and even more so under those circumstances. growing up is a confusing thing.

overall the art and animation is good, though from time to time in the show they choose to switch styles into a completely screwed up scribbly art style. at some point they even changed to south park.

The sound track is by The Pillows, whose music fits the mood of the show perfectly. be it crazy and confusing, or full of hope for a better tomorrow. When the characters are looking for a silver lining in the clouds, the pillows deliver the mood with their sound.

all in all FLCL is a fantastic show in my opinion. It has a solid story, though delivered in a completely butchered way and flipped upside down and turned inside out. However you will come to understand and sympathize with parts of the cast, while the rest are there entirely to throw off the balance of the show, Naota and Mamimi are characters you will understand, both of whom most of us will be able to relate to. read more

review written after viewing episodes 1 and 2

I will assume that if you are reading this review you've already read the synopsis and know a little about the plot, so i will start with the technical aspects.

I never underestimate the abilities of Productions IG in terms of animation and direction, however they have in this case far surpassed anything i have seen from them before. Surely one cannot dismiss as well the fact that IG also puts a lot of thought into the characters' thought process and tactics, never once leaving a military fan boy such as myself dissatisfied. They certainly have a talent for plots which dive you into a sea of hopelessness only to fish you out at the last possible moment with the perfect plan that only just comes together. The art is of course without a doubt beautiful.

The BGM was instantly recognizable to me as the genius work of Hiroyuki Sawano. The man behind the stirring soundtrack of Gundam UC. Coupled with the directing of Tetsuro Araki (Highschool Of The Dead), every cut, scene transition, and pan sent my heart rate soaring through the sky.

There isn't much for me to say about the plot so far. It starts quite stereotypically with a protagonist who is sort of antisocial and just wants to live life as the gray man, who stumbles his way into a situation where he discovers the true hideousness of life and is forced by his circumstances to do something about it. In this case the accidental activation of a biological weapon which merges with the body of the user. I foresee political turmoil and the fighting against a corrupt government system.

I feel this is a must see for this season. for me personally this merges my two most favorite things into one. the music and styling of Gundam, with the directing and tactical detail of Ghost in the Shell. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of this series. read more

No.6 asks us a very simple question, what are we? The simple and short answer is of course, Human.

My answer is living creatures, animals, just like the dogs and the rats. Just like the dogs and rats, we scurry about seeking what is necessary for us to continue living, survival. The value of life is simply continuing to have it. Nezumi or "Rat" agrees. Life has no further value than that, and is it ever so glorious to have just that. Survival of the fittest and he is perhaps the fittest.

If that is the case then what No.6 is really asking, and exploring, is the value of life. What is your life or the life of another worth to one who lives inside a utopia? What is the value of life to someone who has never seen disease or famine outside of the classroom? On the other hand what is the value of life to someone who has been treated like a lab rat? To someone who's been living off scraps and fighting for his life everyday? Sion and Nezumi are exactly these examples. Polar opposites in the lifestyles they've lived.

On one hand we have No.6, a utopia where no one goes hungry, no aging elder left unattended, and no dissatisfaction. The only catch: You live inside these walls and wear this bracelet. We will be watching you. Never question our authority and never utter a word against us. To live easy you give up freedom, which if you were born here, never even knew you had. How do they live like this you say? Well on the other hand we have what's left of the world, destroyed by perhaps centuries of pollution. Slums only managing to exist with the scraps which seep through the cracks in the walls of the great cities. Yet they are rejected by the city, taking up the wastes excreted by the city. The left over world that is exploited by No.6 so that all it's inhabitants can enjoy luxuries inside, while all those locked outside suffer. Where indeed would your values lie?

No.6, like many other shows this season, is very slow paced. This may be a crappy season for some but i'd say it is an amazing one. If you have the patience for and enjoy a good slow paced and philosophical show, this is just your cup of tea. For those who feel queasy around homosexual content, get over it. The relationships between the characters is what drives this show and it's going that --> way. read more

This is definitely a slice of life anime, yet something is different about it. The style both in the art and story telling is breathtakingly simple. It is the story of a 30 year old man who takes on the task of raising a child. A 6 year old girl no less. The child of his grandfather, his illegitimate child.

Usagi drop presents us with a very simple yet complicated issue which plagues society daily. How does one deal with a child? How would you raise her and what do you teach her? How do you share memories without stirring her own? Children are smart, they can make a connection if you mention the simplest things, and there is nothing you can hide from them. How do you calm her heart, when she notices that her life is different from her peers? What can you do? This show does not answer these questions, rather it explores them. The simple story is sweet and heart felt with every event. One can relate to this child as we've all felt the same way when we were children. Will he really be back to pick me up? will i just be abandoned (in this case, again)? What is death? Just like anyone else in the world but a child's especially, trust must be earned and this is made more complicated in a society where it has become customary to trust no one.

The art style is simple again just like the story and fits the feel of the show perfectly. The section before the opening theme in every episode is done in a way that feels as though the line art was handed to a child to fill in the colors with her marker set, giving that section a very strong reminiscent feeling.

The music, consisting primarily of piano solos sometimes accompanied by strings, kicks in at the perfect times fading in and out seamlessly. They are not grand scores but are beautiful none the less. At key moments the director sometimes chooses to have the music go silent, leaving only the key background noises and the voices of the characters, and he uses this to great effect. It can be said the music is as light as a child's emotions, void of the heavy ideals of a grown up, easily carried away by the breeze of the moment.

Over all this is a very sentimental show, and completely character driven. By it's nature it is very VERY slow paced, however it would not have the same effect otherwise and i would not have it any other way. As long as you do not mind a slow paced show i recommend this to anyone who likes emotional ones. read more

Review as of episode 1, will update as the series progresses and finishes.

Starts off feeling rather bland and generic with monologue from a lonely teenage boy comparing life to some other subject. In this case the pixels on a computer monitor or TV screen. After the Opening theme he continues this monologue noting how he is fine being a lone single pixel. Fairly standard, "I dont want to be a part of anything and live a normal life." type main character.

Now right off the bat we can see the Art is going to be good. The back grounds are detailed and we do not have grey blob back ground people. But as the opening sequence began I knew the directing was going to be fabulously done. Good song, very well done visuals all around. As for the show in general the standard does not waver, serious attention was given to lighting and other details. As standard all characters are colored with solid colors, but anything that could be considered an inanimate object in the scene had a beautiful and realistically done texture to it's surface.

Back ground music was excellent and played well into each scene.

the story as for all i can see now is a week to week individual case type of detective show, sort of like CSI or Bones. However with setup and the serious nature the first case, and the amount of connections Alice has(each of which are not just boring one time use characters, they seem like they will have plot significance later on). i would suspect it will develop into a more serious situation later on. And how can we simply not love the scene where Narumi opens the door and is run down by a giant teddy bear followed by a crying Alice?!

some might argue that Alice cant be a NEET being a detective and all, however we must remember she is not "employed" as a detective. One could say she does this out interest or as a hobby. Just the same as a NEET who's an Otaku. Thus by definition of "No Employment Education or Training" she is a NEET.

i enjoyed the first episode and think it is worth checking out if you like mysteries, techies, and lolis. Although it says 25 minutes per episode Ep 1 was 48 minutes long read more

Life, we all live it, and some day we'll all lose it. But how do we deal with a situation where someone close to you dies before you do? It has been said that a love that is lost when it is at it's height will never fade. It will haunt you forever. What do you regret doing to that person? What do you regret not having said to that person when you had the chance? What do you do if no matter what you do you are no competition against someone who is already dead, when even their death does not destroy the source of your jealousy? AnoHana is all about just that.

Jintan, Menma, Yukiatsu, Anaru, Tsurumi, and Popo. a group of young friends that banded together to fight the imaginary evils of the world from their secret base and create fun for all. A bright group where every member seemed like they had a strong future. Now they are all grown up, separated, depressed. Jintan our main character a shut in who blames himself, once was the great leader of the group. One day at the club house Anaru asked, "Jintan, are you in love with Menma?" his response being an embarrassed child was of course, "NO, hell no! not with that ugly hag!" But of course he was. He was in love with her and as he turned to see that all Menma could do was put on a strained smile he knew he had hurt her. He ran, ran as fast as he could. He would apologize tomorrow, he would tell them how he really felt tomorrow. That day, at some point while chasing Jintan, Menma fell into the river and died.

This is a show i would recommend if you were into philosophical and emotional shows. A show where you learn about people or makes you think about yourself. This series is not quite over yet, but i love it. I found sympathy for Jintan as i thought about how i would react if the person i loved had passed away, and how much more it would hurt if there was something you needed to say to them, or something you needed to apologize for. The amount of anguish is unimaginable, and this allowed me to really understand each of the characters, how they've changed, and why. The bright and cheerful Menma is the only constant in the show, and she is the constant which everything else revolves around.

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episode 10 had a moment i was sure had to happen at some point when i started watching, the reenactment of the day Menma passed away. Everybody present at the clubhouse knew that that was what needed to be done. This was his one regret, Jintan had to say it, he had to say it properly this time what he couldn't say on that day. read more

I said i hated the first seed, but that had a few points which were bearable as a Gundam fan. To speak of it simply this is a show you would buy on DVD just so you can have the pleasure of stomping it into a million pieces then watch it burn in a fire.

there is nothing to speak of in terms of characters and story. Going straight into one of the worst things they could have done to Gundam as a franchise (despite it's popularity amongst stupid teenagers) are the flashy war machines which seem to work on magic and pixy dust. In any of the older gundams everything felt mechanical and at some points in the show they show the inner workings. (the 8th MS team being a good example for when Shiro was doing a field repair on his RX-79's feet) Now uber pwnage machines are not an issue with me, the only problem is how much. In any other mecha show and the rest of the gundam series, a super powerful machine has draw backs and are usually very difficult to operate. When we see the gundams in Seed Destiny it's simply unfair to everyone else in the show. If we were to throw Shiro Amada, and Kamil into a MS fighting wring against Kira and Athrun sporting good old standard Zaku2s it is fairly obvious which side would win.

a terrible terrible show you should simply not watch if you have any form of respect for mecha anime of any kind. Go watch Macross instead, at least the ridiculous things in that show are funny. read more

Just another Gundam this may be, but there are a few major differences between this gundam and the other gundams.

The plot and character setup is typical of any gundam, a regular civilian teenager thrust into war due to some fairly wacky circumstances. Now that would be perfectly ok if the entire story was not a complete ripoff of the original Mobile Suit Gundam. From a Char Aznabel knock off, to an impenetrable fortress in space which is destroyed completely cause the guys on sentry were asleep, to the interrupted re-entry which lands them in the middle of a desert dead in the middle of enemy territory. The Story of Gundam Seed is scene for scene a copy of the original gundam. And lets not forget the Gins which are simply defective Zakus that ZEON pulled off the assembly line and auctioned off to the nearest sucker.

The characters are horrendously bad. Emo teenagers were the norm but in any other Gundam the Emo kids manned up and said "F*** it i'm in a war now...LETS DO THIS!!!!! IT'S GOOO TIIIIIME!!!!" Kira, Athrun, everyone else, they just stayed Emo, very very emo. Cagali being Kira's sister twist was horribly written and the fall of ORB just illogical. As history has clearly pointed out, a neutral nation can only exist because it has the biggest guns.

i refuse to use more than 13 words to mention the romance roulette wheel. read more