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Like many anime fans that started young and grew up watching anime DBZ was always a favorite of mine. Had this review been written when I was 13 I probably would have given it 10s across the board. However I am not 13 anymore and my tastes in anime have matured over the years. Thus this review is written in the context of a 21 year old near college graduate and one that has a vastly larger collection than my formative years.

Story - 7
Dragon Ball Z follows off years after the end of the Dragon Ball series. As the characters have aged so have their battles. The scale of the battles have moved on from world threatening disaster to universal destruction. Unfortunately while the story starts strong in the Saiyan Saga the following Sagas continually get more and more drawn out. Like a developing method favoring commercial time than development as popularity of the series increased, each episode tells less and less story and become more and more fillers. Characters powering up turns from a 30 second awe inspiring moment to a 20 minute "ok-get-over-yourself" scene. And it only gets worse throughout the series. Repetitious plot turns also take a couple points off of this score. How many times does it take for a villian to die in DBZ? Essentially no less than 10 times and a good 20-30 episodes. None-the-less the story is indeed epic and is definitely addictive for a good crowd.

Art - 8
In the context of the time that DBZ was drawn the art was very good. Akira has a very distinct style that is easily recognizable and is exceptional. The only thing that brings down this score is repetitious use of particular cells and awkward proportions on the characters during particular scenes.

Sounds - 6
The voice talent for both languages is rough, but not horrible. Nothing about the voices or music will turn you away from the series but nothing will attract you to them.

Character - 8
This score seems to vary greatly on the particular character you are referring to. For example I believe that Goku's growth as a character fits well with the story. Gohan also develops especially well as he learns to cope with his own powers and responsibility to protect his family, friends, and the universe at large. Piccolo's fatherly affections for Gohan reveals the light inside and otherwise corrupted soul. Then there are weak characters, chiefly in Vegeta. Vegeta's character in my opinion does not grow or develop at all. He's a prick from the time he unnecessarily kills one of three of the last Saiyans in existence and he's a prick when he lets every bad guy escape so that they can come back and kick the crap out of him. He gets beaten so badly so often because of his own actions that I would have expected his character to give up fighting forever somewhere mid series. Most supporting characters don't grow at all from the previous episode they are seen in despite sometimes years passing.

Enjoyment - 9
DBZ is a guilty pleasure. Despite the many flaws in the series there is no doubting the enjoyment of the series. I was down right obsessed for a good 2 years of my life and I don't regret. Sometimes I still go back to watch my favorite episodes with a cold beer. You will fall in love with at least one character for whatever reason. Krillin was my hero.

Overall - 7
No doubt about the influence that DBZ has had on the industry. I doubt that series such as Naruto or Bleach would have had a shot without the success of the Dragon Ball series to finance their endless productions.

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Elfen Lied is something else. Just watching the first 10 minutes of the first episode and one can understand that this is not your typical anime. A series modeled, in many ways, after the tragedies of Shakespeare and Ancient Greece, Elfen Lied is not something that you want to enjoy a sunny day with. The seemingly grotuetist violence and nudity may put some people off of this series, but I have to say that the story would not have the same impact without it.

Story: 10 - Elfen Lied boasts one of the most intense and intriguing plot lines that I have ever experienced in anime. It must be known that the central themes to Elfen Lied are hate, anger, and inhumanity. Every darkness of the human soul is represented in this 13 episode series.

Animation: 8 - Not much to say here. The animation is very good, but nothing really stands out. I do really like the opening that shows a style adapted from the famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt

Sound: 10 - The music really sets the tone for the series. I love the opening song "Lilium" by Kumiko Noma.

Character: 9 - Elfen Lied has the best in depth characters i've seen since Neon Genesis Evangelion. The characters are real, with both light and darkness in their souls. Unlike most anime, the distinction between good and evil is not so clear. Can Lucy/Nyu be considered a good character when she has the capacity to harm so many?

Enjoyment: 10 - This rating is the most subjective of all. I enjoyed the series, especially because I enjoy both dark and lighter anime series.

Overall: 10 - You just can't find many anime series that took the risk that Elfen Lied did. Sure you can watch Tenchi, Love Hina, or even Ranma 1/2 and get the same decently good anime over and over again. Elfen Lied, is something that just doesn't come around that often. read more