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What is Figure 17? That's exactly my question when I first heard about it. I asked everyone I knew, and found only one other person who knew about it. No one seems to know about this obscure yet I first found it while browsing through Saimoe 2002. The first thing that interested me about Figure 17 was how cute the characters in the show are. However, as I watch on, not expecting anything great, Figure 17 somehow evolved into one of my favorite anime of all time.

I see Figure 17 was having two separate stories. One part of Figure 17, the "main plot," was the story of Tsubasa Shiina's encounter with the aliens at a UFO landing site and her attempts to help destroy the Maguars (alien creatures). The other part is Tsubasa's friendship with Hikaru and their daily lives, either studying/playing in school or helping out their neighbors. It is the second part of Figure 17, the slice-of-life-like adventures and the subtle development of Tsubasa, that is where the series shine most. Eventually, the two stories would combine into an amazing finish.

Story: 5/10

Most of what Figure 17 is character development, and it excelled at it. However, the alien plot was a bit...bad. Well, it wasn't bad, but it was cliché and uninteresting. In short, characters can use these hourglass devices to transform into a figure, which gets boosted abilities. Tsubasa's case was a bit difference since her figure did not revert back to the hourglass device but into a duplicate of her with her memories. (Don't worry all of this is in the first episode so you are not getting majorly spoiled.) Along with D.D., the alien trying to defeat all the Maguars, Tsubasa and Hikaru would "merge" into Figure 17 to dispatch these creatures.

The action was actually pretty good, but the figure designs (are they naked?) were quite bad, the Maguars had little new moves, but worst of all, the figures had no new moves. In fact, the action was so repetitive (except for the last episode) that the "main plot" seems distracting. I would rather watch Tsubasa and Hikaru spend time with their friends. Taking all things into consideration, the alien plot was definitely necessary for the ending, but they could have reduced the repetition or introduce something new in both sides' attacks.

Art: 7/10

For an anime that was made in 2001, the art was pretty good. The character designs were exceptionally good...except for the designs of the figures and Maguars. When D.D. first transformed, I expected something more exciting than the silver surfer. Other than that, the animation was solid and every scene was animation well, even the action scenes. In fact, it was just short of amazing, but nothing amazing when it comes to the designs for the "main plot."

Sound: 8/10

The repeating theme song of the series was undoubtedly catchy and encouraging as well. I'm not a big fan of the OP and the ED was about romance (?) which does not really fit the series at all. However, I liked how background music was used in a series. Have you ever watched an anime and realized that without the background music, the show would not be as good? This was the case. It was beyond "just there" and very noticeable as an important part of the series.

Character: 9/10

I have touched on the amazing character development that took place in this series and now I will expand on it (with minimal spoilers). Tsubasa starts out as a new student in class who just moved into town. She is exceptionally shy, to the point of mild annoyance, not sociable with her classmates which leads to some bullying. Even when some of her classmates try to talk to her, she would not reply and isolate herself even more. Of course, this would all change when Hikaru, her duplicate, transferred into her class.

Of course all of this sounds very corny at this point because it is obvious that somehow Hikaru will help Tsubasa overcome her shyness or something. But it's not really just that simple. Tsubasa's transformation is subtle and gradual. It is not where this event happens which led to Tsubasa being this much braver. In the later half of the series, Tsubasa will undergo some of this transformation on her own and in many ways surprised me quite a bit. What I thought to be just some corny story became a very interesting journey. Someone once said that Figure 17 was like breathing life into its characters. I wholeheartedly agree.

Enjoyment: 8

For the most part the alien plot was boring, but I already said so many bad things about it anyways. Episode 1 was actually quite annoying at how Tsubasa was so emo in school (and even at home). Episodes 2-4 were slow but nice to watch, since character development don't happen overnight. Starting from episode 5, an episode mostly dedicated to Tsubasa and Hikari helping out at her father's workplace, the stories revolving around Tsubasa's daily life became amazing. Episode 7 was surely relaxing and nice development, and episodes 9-11 will be some that I will definitely remember.

Figure 17 definitely had its share of sad moments, and anyone who have seen it will not disagree. One thing about Figure 17 is how realistic it is, despite its alien plot. I have watched many anime which had something along the lines of what episodes 9 and 10 showed, but nothing was overdone. At one point, I wanted to scream out, "This is what anime should be," because it took something not original and perfected its presentation. That is truly the magic of Figure 17. Through the sad times and through the fun times, through the tough times and through the relaxing times, Figure 17 is impeccable in its portrayal of human emotions and that is why I enjoyed Figure 17 so much.

Overall: 7/10

Figure 17 may have been spot on in one aspect but that doesn't mean the entire series was perfect. The one indication of something usual about this series is that the "main plot" was often pushed aside for the slice-of-life aspects of the show, and frankly, it was the less enjoyable portion of the series. It seems like the series wanted to explore Tsubasa's development but chose a terrible medium (alien transformation) to show the development. To me, it felt like the action aspect of the show got half-assed.

But the real question is, "Does it matter?" From a technical point of view, the series is not perfect hence the 7 score. However, this would be the series that I would recommend to everyone. It can be relaxing and it is also emotional. And don't forget that Tsubasa and Hikaru and very cute. It is probably enjoyable by a large audience since there is pretty much something for everyone. Why am I reviewing this series? Because this is a series that is memorable. There a many series that delivered the "wow" factor but then become forgettable. But Figure 17 is one that had a lasting impact, and for that I will praise it.

"You can keep dreaming, but this love can never be put into words." read more

This one episode Clannad OVA is to me one that is filled with emotions. Aside from that, it manages to do three things to the Clannad series: One, it provides the romance that was mostly minimal in Clannad. Two, it provides the drama that gradually fell from the plot after Fuko and and Kotomi's arc. And three, it allows satisfaction to Tomoyo supporters, since not everyone was a Nagisa fan. Many people expected Clannad to be a series with significant romantic struggles and a high level of drama, but it instead turned into a slice-of-life comedy after the first one or two arcs. But with this OVA, many will finally find what they have been searching for.*

Story: 10/10

It should be first clarified that this is an alternative world to the Clannad series; it's not a continuation of Clannad. Although it is only one episode, it manages to drive the plot very well without pacing issues. Except for the first few minutes where I needed to "adjust" to the situation, I was never lost or confused. Some wanted this to be two or three episodes, but I must admit that I rather like the one episode presentation, mostly because I cannot see how this OVA could improve. The suspense was always there, just right, and dragging out the story might lessen the impact that the OVA had on me, and possibly for many others as well.

Story-wise, it was excellent, and I repeat: I am not a Tomoyo fanboy. The mood in the beginning was awkward at first because I just simply didn't expect what was happening, but the relationship that Tomoyo and Tomoya have until she was made president is very romantic without ever going over the top. The story then progresses to an internal struggle in both Tomoyo and Tomoya - the struggle betwen affection and ambition. As both strive for their similar goals, they realize how much of an influence they have on each other, even after they both said their good-byes. For some reason, I was very touched by this, and every scene portraying their internal struggle and external façade was completely believable. I felt as if I was one of the two, facing the exact same pain. This is to me a sign of excellent scripting and directing, and for that, the adaptation and story gets a ten from me. The episode succeeded brilliantly at conveying the message of how love cannot be simply replaced by something else because love cannot be easily sacrificed and forgotten.

Art: 9/10

I must admit that there were several noticeable inconsistencies about animation, which makes me think that Kyoto Animation did not try very hard animating this OVA. However, that's comparing the OVA to Kyoto Animation standards. To the casual viewer, this episode would be beautiful from Tomoyo's expressions, which is very unlike her usual "tough" expressions, to the scenery of the snow falling in the background. I don't want to over-criticize an episode served mostly as a promotion to remind us of Clannad for After Story, so I will give this category a solid nine.

Sound: 8/10

Well I wasn't really impressed by the score of this episode, but then again, I'm never really satisfied. An eight means that I most did not notice the background music due to it being not exceptionally engaging but also not bad enough to be annoying. But then, there's "Ana," the Engrish song at the end of the series which was very hard to listen to. To be honest, the melody of the song was perfect for the scene, but since English is my main language, I tried to comprehend the words of the song, which did not work very well. However, I will still give this category an eight because I will give this OVA the benefit of the doubt that a Japanese viewer would not be distracted by this song. It was really hard watching a serious scene while trying not to laugh at how bad the lyrics are.

Character: 10/10

As I mentioned before, not only was I absorbed into the episode, I felt the emotions of the characters. Tomoya and Tomoyo seemed to real, and everything was clicking into place - the background, the scenes, the dialogs. What I love best was how Youhei was handled. Even in such a serious episode as this, he still gave the viewers a few laughs like he did in the Clannad series, but not enough to distract from the mood. I think that the strongest aspect of the series is how the characters were portrayed.

Enjoyment: 10/10

If enjoyment means sitting through the episode feeling as if you have never even taken one breath, then yes, it was very enjoyable. Analysis aside, this is one of the few series that gave me a "wow" feeling after watching it without doing any extra thinking. In short, it was just a good experience sitting through the episode, and at the end, I started thinking that I was definitely glad to be able to see this OVA.

Overall: 9/10

Because this is still a typical romance/drama, a nine is the highest I can give it. However, I will say that it did impact me quite a lot. I see Tomoya and Tomoyo as two people I should look up to, two people I should strive to be. They have their ambitions, and even though their obstacles were each other, they managed to overcome that obstacle to achieve their goal. What I learned from this series is that I have to also strive for what I believe in, because who knows? Maybe what I left behind will return to me later on.

*Just for clarification, I do not dislike the Clannad series. read more

Moetan is one of those series that is memorable in one way or another. It is truly unique, being able to make its viewers react in ways one would not usually react. To me, it has the most brilliant form of parody - it parodies itself. For any parody, one of the main concerns is whether or not the viewers will "get" the references thrown at them, but in Moetan, that isn't the case. What you see on the screen will be the main subject for amusement, not obscure references that leave half of the viewers in the dark. And that is the really the main reason why Moetan is considered to be an excellent series to me. You don't have a be an otaku or long time anime watcher to enjoy Moetan. All you need is a sense of humor.

Story: 8/10

This is interesting, because how does one rate the story or plot of a parody/comedy series? To be straight to the point, Moetan has little plot, none of it relevant in any way to enjoyment. The real "plot" here is for that Arks and Karks have been banished from their world to the human world and they, with the help of magical girls that they choose (Ink and Sumi), will have to collect good deeds in order to return to their world. However, the real story here is the complete parody of the magical girl genre, especially the transformation sequences, along with the parody of Engrish, ambiguous age of students in anime, flat chests, fanservice, tentacles, Bandai Visual...you name it. The most spot-on moments of Moetan includes a serious/touching/fanservice moment that just makes you laugh. There are many panty shots and more explicit near-nudity scenes, but they are presented in a way to be absolutely hilarious.

Art: 9/10

The art is nothing to complain about. In fact, the characters are cutely drawn and the transformation sequences have...lots of good detail. It doesn't get a ten because those are reserved to truly animation masterpieces, but for the purposes of this series, the animation was perfect. There are little things that I personally like, such as the simple ending sequences featuring looking at a window with a character looking out at different phases of the day/season. It's very calm, contrasting the upbeat ending music yet presenting a great mix. And the character/background switches every episode so it's also an extra look into the characters' daily life. The final ending sequence for Moetan in episode 13 was just amazing, featuring sketch-like still drawings of Moetan characters, very pretty yet fitting.

Sound: 8/10

To be honest, I did not pay attention to the background music, which means that it's at least mediocre enough to not be out of place but not impressive enough to be noticeable. However, I will comment on the opening and ending songs, which in my opinion are wonderful. The OP is fun to watch, and the more you watch Moetan, the more you laugh at its hidden messages. The ED is catchy and cute, in a way where it's too cute that it feels weird to listen to, exactly how I would feel if someone sees me watching the series. One noticeable moment in music is in episode 13 where the special OVA OP is played near the ending, and it was just very fitting with the battle scene.

Character: 8/10

Once again, it's a parody, so aside from the witty motifs and dark, adult themes, there's literally no character development. Like slice of life series, you get the gist of the "story" plus some defining characteristics and personalities of each character, and the comedy builds on them. What I will say though is that the gags and jokes are not overused and the series always find some new way to make you laugh.

Enjoyment: 10/10

And here is the main reason why Moetan is one of my favorite series - it is entertainment near its best. I can go on and on about analyzing every single detail of an anime, but it all comes down to whether or not I enjoyed that anime, and for Moetan, every minute is worth it. There's really nothing else I can say, since you have to watch it to know what I mean. What I will say is that I spent lots of time laughing along with the characters, and it is one of the few series where I can keep a smile from the beginning of an episode to the end.

Overall: 9/10

I have a very strict rating system, and to earn a 9 overall rating, the anime has to impact me in some way...until I watched Moetan that is. Rarely has enjoyment alone been so strong that I am obligated to give the series higher than a 7, but that is exactly the case with this series. The kinds of anime I like are meaningful series that is deep, but Moetan alone proved that I don't need complex plots or drama to be entertained. Moetan was way outside my comfort side, but somehow it hit at all the right spots. This is a series I will recommend to everyone (who feels comfortable laughing at semi-nudity scenes), because if it can make a tough analyst like me wholeheartedly enjoy it, then it can probably do the same for you too. read more

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! This anime features wonderful creativity and enjoyment to the maximum, while not being bogged down with heavy clichés. I will not hesitate to say that it is probably my favorite slice-of-life series and probably one of the most touching series I have ever watched.

5 words review: Deep, touching, fun, cute, epic.

Story: 10/10

The story is amazingly simplistic yet its plot is complex. In fact, this whole series is about the student council and the Seioh School Fair with absolutely no action or romance. There's not a lot of comedy, and it is basically a slice-of-life drama (weird, I know). Manabi Straight uses the school fair to explore the true meaning of friendship, endeavours, and dreams as Manabi, Mika, Mei, Mutsuki, and Momo go through trials of hardship to find their courage and understand the bonds that they share. I love it for its ability to turn something so simple into a beautiful work of art.

Art: 9/10

For some series I often notice weird character facial expressions, awkward animation sequences, or lazy screen shaking/panning/scrolling, but for this series the art is really excellent. Of course, it is nothing that makes you say "wow," but there's just no flaw. It is a solid series with good enough animation to capture the vast range of emotions the series portray. What I love best was the opening sequence that made so sense. Aside from being one of the most artistic and best animated opening sequence ever, it is very "cool," matching the energy of Manabi and other student council members.

Sound: 9/10

Once again I would like to point out that the opening sequence was excellent, and it had an extremely catchy song to go along with it. Other than that, the background music was excellent and nothing seems out of place. It should be noted that Yui Horie voices Manabi, and she sings the Seioh school anthem, a pretty song, in many occasions throughout the series. Insert songs, especially good ones, are always a plus.

Character: 8/10

As well as this series convey feelings and emotions, nothing is really known of the characters outside of school. Manabi Straight is strictly about school and rarely do the characters go outside of school, and even so, it would be for a school activity. Manabi and Mika's out of school life is pretty much most explored, but for Mutsuki, Mei, and Momo, no one really knows anything about them. However, their personality and and actions are quite unique and noticeable, which gives them character, unlike other shows with three girls that are just too similar. Oh, and did I mention? The characters are way too cute (this is a good thing), even though they're in high school. It adds an interesting element to the plot, as well as showing the difference of experience between high school students. For example Takako, Aikoh's student council president, is shown to be taller and about high school age, and she is usually more mature and organized.

It should also be noted that a very widely known voice acting cast is used for Manabi Straight, including Yui Horie and Aya Hirano. The results are generally positive.

Enjoyment: 10/10

This category is very important, because Manabi Straight is often a "hit of miss" anime for many people! This means that there's one group that finds it extremely good while there's another group that finds it pointless. Since this series really have no meaningful story, it could be understood why some would hate it. The meaningful part of Manabi Straight is the bond of friendship, and while people prefer action and romance to create drama, I personally find friendship a very unique yet powerful source for drama. I often forget how important the bond of friendship is, and this series did well to remind me of it.

Overall: 9/10

I consider the series excellent, and even though it has lots of valuable messages, its best points were being enjoyable and "cool." I love how this series does comedy. It's definitely not overdone to take over the drama, but it is there enough to release tension. There are also some interesting additions, such as how the girls blush when they hold hands or are talked to, but I assume that this goes nowhere and that it's just there for fun. But overall, it is a series not to be missed, especially if you're taking a break for romance/drama or just trying to find something unique and interesting. I am personally impressed at how much a series like this could impress me. Don't miss it! read more

This review is from my personal assessment of episodes 1 to 135, inclusive, of the Naruto series. I will try to do something interesting in this review, and that is to review the anime at the time it was aired and touch on its impact on me at the time it was aired. If there were ever a series that had vastly extreme views, it would have to be this one. And thus, this is why I had to review it, to contribute my thoughts into this sensitive subject.

What is Naruto? It is an action series that appeared out of nowhere that, in my opinion, along with Bleach, defined the action/adventure/drama genre. By saying that a series defined a genre, it does not mean that series is the best from that genre. It merely means that the series, at that time, came out and boosted the enjoyment and popularity of that genre, also becoming one of the most popular of that genre. That series will be compared to when people talk of the genre, and newer series of the same genre will aim to surpass it. That is, by my definition, what is means to define a genre.

Story: 7/10

From the moment it came out I was hooked. The story was catchy, and the action was already present in the first episode. What really impressed me was the second episode, which introduced a very common sub-genre into the action genre, and that is comedy. The pacing of the series was good, the suspense was there, the comedy was there, and there was this yearning to find out more about all the other ninjutsu and fighting styles that were also there.

The plot, in itself, was pretty bad and didn't make a lot of sense to me. Basically, each ninja is supposed to find "their way of being a ninja" and by doing so, many of them broke the rules for being a ninja. By being a ninja, one has to put their mission above all of their emotions, but the series is completely based on themes of loneliness, sadness, friendship, and all this stuff that's about emotions. However, this was what I analyzed after looking back at the series. Back then, the plot was good enough for me to keep my interest in it; therefore, I gave it an overall seven.

Art: 8/10

The action scenes are quite cool back then since it was really some of the most impressive action sequences that I have ever seen. The art, not animation, was just mediocre. Nothing really stands out, and while the ninjas "teleporting" from place to place looks cool, it is really just easier to animate. I will argue that the lack of artistic involvement does not affect my enjoyment of the series significant, and from a director's point of view, a long series such as this cannot afford to spent much more time on art.

Sound: 10/10

The background music was what blew me away. Sometimes it is soothing and sad, other times it is cheery, and during action scenes, it is catchy and fun. Without Naruto's famous background music scores, the quality of the series would really go down drastically, since hearing is one of the senses that is necessary to draw someone completely into a series. Naruto did just that, so I will give Toshiro Masuda, the composer for the Naruto scores, my highest regards.

Character: 7/10

Looking at each character at a time, they all have great development. Of course, everyone's favorite is Haku, and it is for a very good reason. I still think that Haku's "arc" is the best arc of Naruto, simply because of the huge amount of emotions that the arc conveys. Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara all have their own sad pasts, and it is common for the characters' actions to be driven by events that happened to them in the past. This, in a sense, unifies the plot and shows mastery of character development. After all, the past, present, and future plays a huge role of "their way of ninja." There is one flaw when you look at the overall picture, however. All of the main characters seem to suffer from the same sad and bitter past, which gets repetitive after a while.

Enjoyment: 10/10

After all of this criticism, I just plainly and inexplicably enjoyed the series. Naruto is one series where equations don't work out and analyses fail. I can find so many flaws about it, but yet, it is just so damn enjoyable. There were many memorable scenes, such as Haku's loyalty and Sakura's feelings. Anime can be watched, enjoyed, and tossed away, but the ones that create vivid memories are the ones that you enjoy the most.

Overall: 7/10

Remember that I am only reviewing this anime up to episode 135, so fillers are not included. I personally think that the fillers ruined the anime, and they were such a drastic failure that we forgot about the time when Naruto was enjoyable. Yes, I think that Naruto is just a mediocre series now and not as good as it used to be. However, I will never forget the amount of enjoyment this series have given me, and I will give it a fair rating on how much it meant to me. Naruto was part of my early anime experience, and it was one of the reasons why I am such an anime fan today. I owe a lot to this series, and even though it might not be great now, it is a series I will always remember. read more

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is one of the anime that I know is not perfect, but I can't find any category to deduct points on. Thus, I had to hurt the enjoyment score. In short, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien bridged the connection between drama and anime. Structure-wise, it is probably one of the best drama anime, due to its non-stop, suspenseful, concise storytelling in only 14 episodes. The mistake of many drama series is to drag out the same dramatic plot for 24 episodes, but Kimi ga Nozomu Eien knows when to stop so the drama doesn't grow tedious. There's no fillers, guest appearances, or any of the sort. From the beginning to end, nothing was left out, and nothing was excessive.

Disclaimer: It is impossible to completely review this anime without giving up some minor spoilers. If the above paragraph convinced you to watch the anime, then please do so without reading on. If it did not, then you can read on; no major spoilers are present.

Story: 10/10

If I had to pick the anime with the best plot, it would have to be Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. Not only does the plot draw you in captures your attention, it is also unique in many ways: It takes on life during and after a relationship, not so much two people trying to convince themselves that they like each other for 20 episodes. In this way, the audience does not need to any unnecessary funny introductions or excessive blushing, but rather, the first episode sufficiently provides all the information needed to move on.

Just when the anime was starting so look like a typical high school romance, disaster strikes, deeply affecting the four friends. This is when Kimi ga Nozomu Eien enters a three year time skip, frequently revealing what happened during that time through short flashbacks. The plot from here on is very unsettling and highly subjective, exploring many major themes such as friendship, betrayal, love, aspirations, endeavors, and escaping from reality. All of this comes together at once, consistently driving the story forward to the very end.

Art: 9/10, Sound: 10/10

Although the art was decent, the 9 rating goes to the portrayal of human emotions. As you can expect for a drama series, this aspect is very important and crucial to complementing the dramatic plot. All of this was done brilliantly in accompany with great background music. I can relive, in my head, half of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien's final episode because the series integrates the aspects of art and sound so well that the series becomes memorable.

Music alone deserves a special mention. For the first and second episodes of the anime, there were no opening sequences. That doesn't mean that the anime did not have an opening. The opening starts out with a scene with Mitsuki swimming and Haruki watching, Takayuki and Shinji talking under a tree, and all of this was accompanied with soft, soothing music. The ending for the first episode was nothing except Mitsuki silently listening to the Haruka's voice on the answering machine as the credits roll by. In fact, it wasn't until the second episode that there was an ending. This ending sequence, called Rumbling Hearts, is the second best ending sequence I have ever seen; it continues the story from the second episode in an amazing way. The best, however, is Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, the ending for the 14th episode. It is an emotional sequence, summarizing the entire series with the lyrics of a song. In my opinion there could not have been a better way to end the series, and the conclusion of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is probably the reason why the series is still my number one favorite.

Character: 10/10

Three of the four original high school students were presented with the utmost detail. The fourth, however, was not. While some people did not like this, I am very comfortable it. Even though the story is technically about the four high school students, the plot was only between three, so the (dis)appearance of Shinji for some time was understandable. He did play a very big role later on in the plot, although it did not explore much more about him that we couldn't already assume in the first two episodes. I agree with this decision to turn Shinji into a supporting character because it clarifies the plot without leading it into confusing territories.

With this anime specifically, supporting characters are one of its most important elements, maybe even more so than the main characters. It was the main characters' actions that created the plot, but it was Akane, Shinji, Fumio, and others that actually drive the plot forward. And then there's Ayu and Mayu, the well-needed comic relief of the series. The balance of character development in Kimi ga Nozomu Eien was perfect down to the very last character, neither too excessive or lacking.

Enjoyment: 7/10

The first time around this series will be excrutingly painful. No matter which female lead you like, there will be moments where you feel very sad and sorry for a character, and it is just not a story you will want to sit through and enjoy. Even though I'm a pretty tough guy, I was teary for certain scenes of the final episode. It doesn't really have a great re-watching value either, but one time watching through it is all you need. You will end up watching specific scenes over and over again though, so you can be prepared for that. It is enjoyable once it's over, but it might not while you're watching it.

Overall: 10/10

All that aside, it is an excellent series that you have to watch and experience. It is not for everyone; people who haven't watched a drama or romance series should not start with Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. There are several memorable moments, such as the train station in episode two, Haruka telling the story of the fairy in episode fourteen, and Akane reading Haruka's story in episode fourteen. If you are looking for a deep yet concise drama/romance that doesn't drag on endlessly, then Kimi ga Nozomu Eien for you. I highly recommend it to all who can stand a little bit of drama.

Akane: "Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho. This is how Haru found the real treasure."

Hontou no Takaramono (The True Treasure)
-Murakami Haruka read more

Cardcaptor Sakura is a classic. It is one of those anime that everyone could enjoy, regardless of age and gender. While being a typical magical girl anime, the plot is actually intertwined with lots of comedy and romance. There's not a lot of drama (yet), except maybe recurring goofs and difficulties that each characters face. However, that is the true magic of Cardcaptor Sakura. It has such a high enjoyment value that you will often forget that you are watching someone capturing cards, but rather, live through the experiences of a not-so-typical elementary girl whose live was changed in many ways by the cards she will make her own.

Story: 9/10

The first and second season, in my opinion, is not most impressive plot-wise. It is pretty much very episodic, with recurring goofs such as Sakura's battle costumes, Tomoyo with her camcorder, Toya always showing up at the right (or wrong) times, Sakura trying to win over Yukito, Kero looking up at the sky saying "Yue" like he's heartbroken, and Syaoran once again tries to compete with Sakura. The impressive part of the first season is its comedy and action, because it was just amazing. For a magical girl anime, the action was just there. Every scene, suspense, effort, luck, desperation, success, it was there. When Sakura is not capturing cards (she approximately captures one per episode), she enters an environment with heartfelt friendship and goes through life very joyfully and often humorously. Even though the only plot is to "capture them all," Cardcaptor Sakura such a variety of enjoyment that you will find yourself staying glued to the screen.

The season offers a change of pace as Sakura embarks on a brand new adventure, meeting a mysterious new rival. This is where the plot starts to change, as the cards are no longer the main emphasis of the plot. It is clear that while the cards changed her destiny (in capturing the cards), it also affected her daily life as well. The third season explores how the cards created a new path for Sakura in friendship and romance. This part of the plot is present in the first two seasons, but it became the main focus of season three. Personally, this is when Cardcaptor Sakura won me over. Until then it was just a very addicting and enjoyable show. Season three gave meaning to the cards and provides a few dramatic moments that fortifies the underlying themes and symbolisms the series tries to convey.

Art: 10/10

If you are new to Cardcaptor Sakura, then you might not realize that it was made in 1998. For its time, the art was amazingly amazing. From the opening sequence, you can point out minor details such as the movement of Sakura's costume in the wind and the animation of her hair was just so realistic. Voice acting was awesome (and cute), and facial expressions were especially awesome. And then, there are the action scenes themselves. When the cards are released/captured, there's a "wow" moment that you don't expect to see in a typical magical girl series. Even though the action isn't very technical with cool names and gadgets, it features everything from flying, sword fighting, evocations of the elements, and last but not least, Sakura. One thing that cannot be expressed enough is how cute Sakura is portrayed. That may sound stupid, but it's one of the main attractions of the show.

Sound: 10/10

Not only are the opening and ending sequences catchy, the background music was incredible, simply incredible. From the opening scene featuring Sakura on top of a tower, the music was engaging in every aspect. Then it smoothly makes a transition to everyday music when Sakura introduces herself, and finally to the suspenseful and catchy battle theme that everyone loves. One of the main complains about the dub (Cardcaptors) was that the music was changed. The original music was excellent, and it fits the situation it is for very well.

Character: 9/10

For an anime like this it's tough to be perfect character-wise, but which anime masters character portrayal, right? The anime focuses the most on Sakura, Kero, Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Meilin, as expected, since they're the main characters. Of course Toya and some other characters I don't want to spoil have their roles also, but mostly it centers on the elementary students (and Kero). While a good deal of the supporting characters were developed, it is done mostly through inferences and vague symbolism. In a way this is good, because it gives Cardcaptor Sakura a deeper meaning if you see it, but if you don't, it's still a very enjoyable anime with minor plot holes. So in short, Cardcaptor Sakura is mainly an anime of character development and emotional maturation, and it mostly succeeded, for the main characters only.

Enjoyment: 10/10

From what I said above, this category would definitely have to be a 10/10. In fact, it has one of the best re-watching values of all the anime I've watched. The first time you go through the anime, it's just plain enjoyable. The second time, you tend to pick up symbolism and motifs from here and there. That "ah hah" moment where everything clicks makes the series even more enjoyable, because it connects its episodic attribute to the main plot more closely. Cardcaptor Sakura just enjoyable no matter how you look at it.

An interesting character in Cardcaptor Sakura is Meilin. She is a filler character, meaning, she is not in the original manga. However, her roles are clearly defined and becomes one of the major plot-driven characters at the end of the anime, as well as being a very consistent character. One example is how I regard an episode that dedicated to her as one of the best, even though it is a filler. The addition of Meilin is not for the detriment of the plot, and I applaud the excellent direction it took to incorporate such a character.

Another factor that might affect some viewers is how everything is in rōmaji or English. At the opening sequence, Sakura's name tag says SAKURA, the cards are in English, even how Sakura says them is in English. There's just a lot of convenient things here for English watchers, something curious but gladly accepted.

Controversies:

If you watch this anime, then watch out for some controversial topics. The first one is homosexuality, which is present plainly in one relationship, and very vaguely implied in a couple of others. It would certainly bring up some questions for younger viewers, but in the end, the anime explains it in a very fitting and safe way. Still, it could be a concern but it shouldn't stop you from watching it. It's safe to say that yuri/yaoi isn't a main component of the plot.

Another controversy is incest, the legal kind (in Japan). While a non-Japanese audience might be a bit uncomfortable of a first cousins relationship, it is best to keep in mind that in Japan, it is completely normal. There's no weird things like brother/sister, mother/son, or stuff like that, so don't worry.

And there's a third kind of relationship explored in the anime, which is an innocent student-teacher crush. The anime never really goes anywhere with it, but it's nice just to mention that it's there. The one important thing to keep in mind is that all these three types of relationships do not affect the enjoyment of the series in any way. Relationships, after all, are part of the main plot, and they should be treated in an adult manner.

Lastly, although it's something that not many cares, there is death. Throughout the series, no one really died, but the motif of death, angels, and the afterlife appears frequently. It's listed as a controversy due to the assumed target audience (young females), but in the end, death is one of the aspects that gives more meaning to the plot.

Cardcaptors:

As much as I don't want to bash Cardcaptors, I feel that it is relevant. If you watch Cardcaptors, then my ratings do not apply. These ratings only apply to the Japanese subbed version, as well as what I think is the best version. Get this one if you can!

Overall: 9/10

I can't bring myself to give this anime a ten just because it carries no major revelations or any of the sort. You can argue that the ending is pretty dramatic, kind of, but the main purpose of the anime is to let the audience sit back, relax, and enjoy. Of course I am being harsh because I want something out of every anime I watch, but for Cardcaptor Sakura, enjoyment alone is enough to get it to a 9. Once in a while, it's good to just watch a series and and enjoy it wholeheartedly. read more

Elfen Lied is one of those anime that are both enjoyable and meaningful. There are many anime that takes you on a confusing roller coaster ride then clicked at the very end, and also there are many anime that while having no deep meanings, they are just pure enjoyable. However, Elfen Lied was outstanding because it successfully combine these two types of anime to create a brilliant masterpiece.

Apart from being enjoyable enough to almost guarantee multiple re-watch's in the future, it seems that every time you re-watch Elfen Lied something else clicks. The characters are better understood, and the story is filled with subtle symbolism and allusions such that it is not just merely an anime, but rather a story that parallels the real world. This doesn't mean that the first watch will be confusing, but rather, Elfen Lied will gradually undergo the transition of being purely enjoyable to becoming meaningful, deep, and very emotional.

Story: 10/10

The story begins with ten minutes of a suspenseful bloodbath between a mysterious, nude female beneath a helmet and a neverending flow of soldiers. However, the first ten minutes of the anime is also the bloodiest ten minutes; in short, it won't get as bloody again. Then, the scene switches to a beautiful summer day with numerous sakura petals floating in the wind. Just like the setting, the (female) protagonist of this series is Lucy/Nyuu, a serial killer and cute girl who only knows how to say one word, "Nyuu." The story revolves around the relationships of Kouta/Yuka/Nyuu, Nyuu's other personality, and how they affected the lives of the people they met.


Even though it sounds simple, the plot has many interweaving subplots that connects together to form a perplexing yet straightforward story. Lucy's past and present is still there, and it becomes the main drive of the plot as more is revealed about her history. The series takes a step further, using Lucy's story as an allusion to society itself, as an explanation for violence and crime and raises the question of who is responsible. The world of Elfen Lied is fictional yet real, captivating yet melancholy, bloody yet beautiful. It explores all our emotions with a wonderful mixture of different genres yet efforlessly and impeccably delivers the plot until the very end.

Art: 9/10

The art was brilliant. The transition from violence to peaceful scenery above that I mentioned was one beautiful, and it shows flexibility of the animator's ability. It ranges from cute characters such as Nyuu and Mayu to fast-paced action scenes of Nana, Lucy, and Mariko. The only noticeable flaw was some of the voice acting, which sometimes seems somewhat bland and forced. After a couple of episodes, this was taken care of, and the rest of the series was done very well.

Sound: 10/10

Some people want to take off points for the lively ending song, but I think it serves its purpose well. It sometimes does not fit the dark mood portrayed throughout the series, but in my opinion, it's there to remind us of the funny and cheerful side of Nyuu; what she really wants to say but cannot is conveyed through that song. Otherwise, the opening song was special and mysterious, yet it is used for the symbolic music box, which carries a sad yet beautiful tune. The background music was not overdone but suspenseful or emotional all the same, when needed.

Character: 9/10

Elfen Lied is best classified as a character development anime, and from the beginning to end it was done well. However, the irony is that the plot was best suit for hints and mysterious, so we have to make predictions about several events earlier on. While this is effective for the plot itself, because of its short amount of episodes, some of the characters feel like their screen time was cut for the plot. It's not very noticeable because you will be immersed in the drama anyways but at the end, several questions will be raised about some of the characters.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Simply put this was marathoned. You cannot stop after one episode without thinking all day long what will happen to the next, and time will pass by very quickly without you noticing. It's also very re-watchable, even though it's quite sad at times, which actually quite a surprise.

Overall: 9/10

This is one of the series where I can say that it is almost perfect. To me, Elfen Lied is valuable because it can provide realism in a fictional world. It is one of the anime where it were as if it was not only watched for purposes of entertainment, but rather, I learned something from it. The only major flaw that I can see is the excessive fanservice of Nyuu (not nudity as a whole). While it brings up lightheartedness to the plot, I believe that it is too much over the top and distracts from the plot, although it is not that big of a deal. I would recommend this anime to everyone (that can watch R+ anime), because it is not just an anime. read more