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The story of "The Count of Monte Cristo" has always been one of my favorites. So, I went into this anime with just a little bit of trepidation. I wondered if I should watch it, because I had heard that it veered so much from the original story. But, because of my love for the story, I had to try. And I was very pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it.

Story: Yes, it is an "adaptation." It strays way, far away from the original work. But the basic premises remains the same. Friendship. Love. Betrayal. Revenge. Hope. Everything you loved about the original Count of Monte Cristo is still there; but with a futuristic twist. In my opinion, they left in the best of the best.

Art: For me, this was the only thing that brought my score down. As someone else had mentioned, the character designs were dull. The over-the-top backgrounds and unique way of animating the clothing and hair of the characters really took a lot of getting used to. Half-way through the series, it was still uncomfortable for me, but it did grow on me. The only reason, for me, that it brings the anime down at all, is because it is so distracting. I found myself concentrating on the patterns of the clothing and sometimes forgot to listen to what the characters were saying.

Sound: Beautiful OP. Absolutely gorgeous. Among my favorites. The ED was good, but for me, nothing mind-blowing. Overall with the opening, the beautiful operatic scenes as well as Eugenia's piano playing made the sound of this series "pop" to me and capture me more, I think than any other series.

Character: The character development in this series, for me, was outstanding. To watch Albert grow from the sniveling naive young boy at the beginning of the series, to the mature young man by the end (although he was still sniveling) made the series worthwhile. I also loved how they advanced his realization of his feelings for Eugenie. And Franz, probably my favorite character, gave me probably some of my favorite moments of the series. His love (whether it be a friendship type love or the romantic love that was hinted at through the entire series) for Albert pulled at my heartstrings every time.

Enjoyment: As a fan of the original work, I surprisingly found myself really enjoying this adaptation. And I couldn't wait, episode to episode, to see how they were going to "change" or "keep" certain aspects of the story. It was difficult for me to take breaks between episodes.

Overall: Almost a masterpiece. This part probably would have rated a perfect 10 from me, as would have the series, if I wasn't so uncomfortable with the art style. Fair? Maybe not. But this is my review and my opinion. I honestly do think I would have enjoyed it more, if they would have concentrated more on the character design and less on the flashy animation of the backgrounds and the clothing. But it was not enough of a let-down or a distraction from enjoying the truly unique telling of this story and the fantastic character development. So overall, this series gets a 9/10 from me. read more

"Mushishi" is an episodic anime that has only one main character~ Ginko. Ginko's purpose is to travel from town to town, researching a phenomenon called "mushi" and their effects on humanity. He also helps the different villages deal with any mushi "problems" they may encounter.

Story:
This is the SINGLE MOST beautiful and original story I have ever seen, both inside and outside the anime community. The concept of "mushi"~ an entity that is neither human, plant, or animal, that affects the daily lives of humans is intelligent and thought-provoking. How Ginko deals with these phenomenon, whether he is just researching or "treating" them is even more compelling. Mushishi's stories have great life lessons hidden within them, and they are brought to life beautifully.

Art:
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Breath-taking. What else is there to say? The scenery art for this series is some of the best I have ever seen. My only complaints about the artwork in this series, is the character art (other than Ginko's). The different characters who appear episode after episode seem to be drawn identically, but just with new clothes and a name tacked on to differentiate them from the last episode. However, this is easily over-looked because of the characters themselves (which will be discussed later.)

Sound:
Well, I'm afraid my review will fall short here. I'm afraid sound is not usually something I really pay attention to, typically. I will say, however, that the OP song is one of my favorites (if not my favorite) among all anime I have seen. Yes, it may be my age saying this, but it is reminiscent of the old 70's folk music that I love so much. It really is a beautiful song. I'm giving the sound a 10, though, based on this song, and the music I did notice through the series, which was quite appropriate for the scenes.

Character:
Aaaaaahhhh... the BEST part of the series. Ginko... Ginko... well, he's just awesome. Sometimes he may come across as one of your old "monotone" teachers/professors, but you get the feeling that he truly LOVES what he does, and the interest he has in researching the mushi is undeniable. The way he sees mushi as neither "evil or good" ... they "just exist, like we do" is a testament to his character. Another great thing about this series is the episodic characters. Other than Ginko (and a doctor that shows up in 3 episodes), all characters are only present for 1 episode. But as someone states in the forums, you come to care MORE about some of these 1 episode characters than you do for some recurring characters in other 26+ epi series.

Enjoyment:
Well, if it isn't obvious by now, I enjoyed/am enjoying this series immensely. I was not sure if I could enjoy an episodic anime with new characters introduced each episode, but I was pleasantly surprised. This series has become quite endearing to me, and has taken it's spot as my #1 favorite series of all time. All of the different aspects of this series, good as they are, individually, combine to make one hell of an awesome and original series.

Overall:
The verdict... (as if it wasn't obvious)... 10/10. This is definitely a series worth watching, and definitely one of THE MOST UNDERRATED anime series out there. Please enjoy it, soon... and let's all spread the Mushishi <3. :3 read more

What a waste of time. I picked up this anime because I had read most of the manga, and was interested in seeing the characters of the manga brought to life. However, the anime did NOT bring the manga to life... it killed it.

This anime is best left on the shelf in the store, unless all you want to see is big boobs and panty shots, because, basically, that's what the anime comes down to. The story and plot are all over the place and does NOT follow the manga at all. There is no resolution, and you're left at the end of the series with just a "WTF??!!!??" type of feeling.

The only thing I did like about this anime was the opening song. Other than that, it's not worth it. I honestly wish I could have the time back I spent watching this rubble. Read the manga... avoid the anime. That is all I can say. read more

Ghost Hunt is one of those rare gems that I accidentally stumbled across, and I'm so thankful that I did.

The greatest asset of this series is the characters. Their personalities are rich and engaging, and their memorable interactions with one another is one of the greatest selling points of this series. It is one of the main aspects that makes you want to keep watching episode to episode.

Yes, the storyline is superb, and the arcs are usually kept to 3 to 4 episodes. This keeps the series watchable without frustrating the viewer, waiting for an arc or storyline to end.

This series is not scary at all, but can be quite suspenseful at times. It keeps the "creepiness" to a minimum, but at times, you still find yourself walking around the house to turn on all the lights. It's purpose is not to scare you, but to keep you glued to your screen, which it does beautifully.

For me, the humor in this series is also one of the most enjoyable aspects. There are moments when my family would literally bust out laughing, to the point of cackling. The relationship between Naru-chan and Mai, or Bou-san and Ayako will keep you in stitches.

I cannot recommend this series enough, and I'm attempting to get as many Ghost Hunt converts as I can!

Watch this series!! You will not be disappointed! read more

What do you say about an anime that is just about a traveler, journeying to different countries on the back of her talking motorcycle. Sounds boring, right? WRONG!!! This episodic anime, through odd little stories and dialogue, actually explores different aspects of human nature, in one of the most unique ways I have ever seen.
There is little to no character development, but in this kind of story, there is no need. There is one episode that gives the back story to Kino, and that was enough.
The different countries Kino visits, and the people Kino encounters will make you cry, will enrage you, and at times disgust you. But, while it's making you run the gammit of emotions, it will make you stop and ask "What if?" The episodes each have great lessons to teach, without throwing propoganda in your face or preaching to you.
The animation is clean and beautiful. The colors are not bright and vibrant, but to me, it makes this anime seem a little more realistic. The music is beautiful, and at different times, enhances the emotions of this beautiful anime. I adored this anime, and I'm looking forward to watching the movie. Definitely one for the "slice of life" anime lovers. ^_^ read more

Saiyuki is one of those animes that just grabs you from the very first episode, and won't let you go, even though, it is an episodic anime. Most of the storylines only take 1 to 2 episodes to tell, as you follow these 4 travelers, sent by the gods, to prevent the reawakening of an old, extremely dangerous demon.
My only complaint about this anime would be the animation. There are a lot of "still shots" used during the battle scenes, but you can overlook that. The animation is also not as clean as I would like to be, but I think, maybe, it was intended that way, to go along with the story.
The characters are PERFECT. They don't get any better than this. Sanzo, the 'renegade priest' who swears, smokes, drinks, weilds a banishing gun, and has a tongue sharp as a razor. Goku, the lovable little monkey king, who is always hungry, and whiny, but kicks butt during the battles. Hakkai, the soft-spoken, sympathetic demon, with a heart of gold, and a tragic past. Finally, my personal favorite, Gojyo, the drinking, gambling, swearing, skirt-chasing pervert of a water sprite, who just makes you laugh out loud almost everytime he opens his mouth.
All of the characters have a tragic past (with Hakkai's probably being the worst), that is revisited from time to time to help you understand why they are the way the are.
The music in this anime is great, especially the OP songs. I would actually buy the OST if I could find it.
Even though the goal of the entire series is to prevent the resurrection of the old demon, and the entire series works towards that goal, this is basically an episodic anime. Enjoy!! ^_^ read more