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I am so completely and utterly biased towards this anime that I can't even be sure that I'm fairly rating it. I have re-watched the episodes so often and so frequently that I have memorized the dialogue. This anime defined my childhood, like it did to many other people raised in the 90s and the early 2000s, and to this day I can't help but get giddy whenever I hear the opening song or re-watch the episodes. I have come to slowly understand over the years that just because DBZ is my favorite anime it doesn't mean that it is anywhere near perfect. I love this show with all my heart but looking at it objectively I have to point out the mistakes that ruin this series.

Story: The story only gets more interesting as the show progresses, gradually becoming better and better every arc. The peak of the series is the android/cell arc which, according to me anyway, is the best part of the series. This is also the point where the series should have ended in my eyes and where I always stop when I finish another marathon. The part that will turn many people away from this series is the extremely long and tedious filler arcs and the terrible pacing. DBZ is renowned for its heavy reliance on filler, used even during crucial fights to drag it out. The most infamous example being the goku vs. frieza fight.

Art: For its time the art really is some of the best. It may not hold up to the art from this generation that is very fluid and pretty but honestly this show wouldn't be the same without this art style and the fight scenes wouldn't be nearly as fun.

Sound: Well, now that I am older and, while I do love the dub very much, the voice acting isn't exactly the best. There are moments where the speech sounds odd and there are many lines that were ad-libbed. None of this detracted from my enjoyment as a kid or even now but it could turn away new fans so if you really can't stand the acting I would recommend watching the DBZkai version or watching the original japanese version(goku's voice takes some getting used to but once you get passed that its fantastic). The soundtrack is amazing for all of the versions so it really is up to whatever your preference may be.

Character: Other than the saiyans and piccolo on occasion, the other characters get left behind in terms of power and character development. In dragonball we were introduced to all of these amazing characters that were strong, rivaling goku throughout the series, that had all of these fantastic quirks to them. In DBZ they were tossed into the background without a second thought. While there are a lot of defining moments, rarely any of them are for the human members of the Z warrior gang which is very unfortunate.

Enjoyment: I have never enjoyed a show more. Probably because of all of the nostalgia but it really did have a huge impact in my childhood.

TL;DR DBZ is just fun to watch. The action scenes are amazing, and really, that is what made DBZ the legend it is today. It has terrible pacing, the plot gets repetitive after a while and there are so many plot holes that it stops making sense after a while. I can't say that everyone will like it because I know plenty of people who don't. This show is for people who love to watch super powered action scenes for fun. If you're looking for more than a fun ride with this series than I am sorry to disappoint. read more

I have mixed feelings reviewing this show. On the one hand it is hands down one of my absolute favorites. On the other hand it really isn't what I would call amazing. Initially when I first started watching it, I was bored half to death and dropped it after two or so episodes. I got back into it after encountering a few reviews praising it, so I decided to give it another shot. After making it past the first grueling 20 episodes, the plot went into high gear and sucked me in like a kid discovering candy for the first time. For many years I praised it as my favorite anime, and while I still love it, I can't fairly give it a score higher than 8.

Story: The story is very intriguing and very unique which is why I give it so much credit. The problem with katekyo hitman reborn, or KHR for short, is the execution. Up until the third major arc, there weren't many things that I could complain about. The ending to the third arc is where my problem with this series begins. The whole ending sequence, leading up to the fourth arc but that isn't covered in the anime, is nothing short of a deus ex machina. It really rubbed me the wrong way and while I still harbor lots of love for this series I couldn't forgive it. The plot is clever at some points, although the later plot holes counteract the good parts about it.

Not regarding the story but the show's pacing, there were times when the pacing was rocky, some parts seeming too short and others entirely too long (i.e the first 20 episodes) some arcs being comprised entirely of fillers(more towards halfway through the series and it seems very oddly placed and very easy to identify even without prior knowledge from the manga) and while I know this is because of the anime catching up to the manga it really doesn't excuse it for the bad quality pacing.

Sound: The voice acting was great all around, the voices very distinctive and easy to identify. They all showed their character's quirks very well and I can't really think of a single person who didn't stand out when they were on screen.

Art: The art starts off lackluster, not very good but not very bad, and in some parts absolutely terrible, but the gradual increase of quality is very evident as the show goes on. By the end of the series I thought it to be some of the cleanest art I had seen in a while. The only gripe I have with it is that many of the female characters look way too similar to each other.

Character: This is the category in which KHR shines. The characters are lovable, fun, and more importantly, well done. Even the villains have a certain quality to them that made it impossible for me to hate them. This can also cause a problem because I could never truly feel hatred towards the villains. Despite not getting too much information on a lot of the characters, you still feel like you know them well and hardly any of their actions come as a surprise. There is one major flaw in the characterizations. The way women are portrayed, although not all of them, makes them seem pretty useless. While I didn't have any problem with this at first since I mostly focused on the guys anyway, it became really apparent later on in the series. I know for all intensive purposes that they were never the focus of the story but I would have preferred it if they didn't have the girls around whatsoever instead of having them there as liabilities. Chrome is the prime example, whom somehow manages to get herself in dangerous situations and always has to be saved. For this reason I can't give this category a higher score.

Enjoyment: I really enjoyed this show, having watched it at least three times in a few years time which is almost unheard of from me. It was always fun to watch it back then and it still is, even if I don't take it as seriously as I once did.

KHR is one of those few rare series that can capture your heart despite all of its imperfections. It isn't a show to be taken too seriously, even if it has its serious moments it doesn't feel as threatening and dangerous as shows with a much darker mood, but it doesn't detract anything from the enjoyment. If anything I would say it is a series to be watched for the sheer fun of it and not for the plot. If you're looking for a show with action, comedy, crazy characters, and something that's just all around fun, then this is something you should definitely watch. Otherwise you might not enjoy this much. It's best to watch this anime without thinking too deeply into it or you may find yourself raging a bit at the ending.
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Skip beat! is one of those stories that just grabs you from the get-go. I originally read it on a whim, I had finished catching up to all of the manga I was reading and had enough time left to read for at least one more hour, when I happened to stumble upon it. At first I wasn't too intrigued by it, the plot sounding pretty typical for a shoujo, but then I reached the end of chapter one and could not wait to read the next. I spent all of my free time after that night catching up with all of the available chapters, waiting patiently for the next one to come out every few weeks. Before I knew it seven years passed and I'm still as much in love with this series as I was the first time I read it.

Story: Skip Beat! is very well paced, allowing the characters to develop without it seeming awkward. I always feel excited after every story arc, knowing that the next one will be better and more exciting than the last. The humor doesn't feel forced, like it does in many other shoujo, and has its moments where I will literally laugh out loud from the sheer ridiculousness. it is over the top yet subtle at the same time, and even when they add humor to the more serious moments it doesn't seem off putting or out of place. The only gripe I have with the story is the way it lags in-between chapter updates, which is understandable.

Art: Truth be told I wasn't exactly a huge fan of the art style when I first started reading, and in a way it still bothers me at times, but it grew on me and honestly I can't imagine the style being any different. The expressions are handled really well and its easy to tell how a character feels without them having to speak.

Character: The characters in This manga are what really surprised me, being so lively and colorful and unique. Every character, no matter how short their appearance, leaves a big impact. There is plenty of character development, always a big plus in any series, and despite kyoko being the main character the side characters are never forgotten, even if they do tend to disappear for certain amounts of time.

Enjoyment: One of the few shoujo that I can say has captured my heart, skip beat! has everything I wanted and more. I'm not a huge fan of the shoujo genre, mainly because the plots are so over-used and cliche lately, but this has remained consistently surprising in a way I didn't think was possible.

Overall: There isn't much about this series that I can say I have an issue with, just a few things here and there but that's being nitpicky. Any person, whether they like shoujo or not, should give this series a chance because, hey, you never know, it could be an instant hit. read more