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Inu X Boku Secret Service was a show that I was not originally interested in seeing. In fact, I only did stumble upon it after trying to decide what show I should watch next. The art seemed pretty enticing at the time and the bio put this show out to be a short but enjoyable watch; ranging at only 12 episodes. In the end, i'm really glad I did pick this up because I can safely say that even though it's nothing really worth talking about; the quirky characters, comedy, drama, and even moments of action kept me well invested in the 4 hour run ... time it presented me. This is an over the top comedy with plenty of Heartfelt scenes. If this is your cup of tea, then i'm sure that your experience with this show will no less be as enjoyable as it was with mine!

Story:
Inu X Boku SS follows the life of female protagonist Ririchiyo, Shirakiin. As we see her move to this new Hotel/Apartment complex called, "Ayakashi Kan," we meet her undying servant, Soushi Miketsukami who is obsessed in pleasing Ririchiryo to her greatest satisfaction. Aside from some added fantasy elements and exposition that bind all the residents of Ayakashi Kan together, majority of the show is dedicated towards the growing relationship between Ririchiryo, Miketsukami and all the fellow tenants that reside in Ayakashi Kan. What makes this such a fun setup to watch however is thanks to the interactions between all the characters and the wacky events that happen. Starting with the main driving force of the series: the relationship between Ririchiyo and Miketsukami is a comedic yet palpable one. Both characters receive much development and grows at a smooth pace, making almost all their actions seem reasonable and in context to the character. It was fun to see Miketsukami start off as a self depreciative, over-obedient servant into a more laid back, but still caring individual by the end of it. However, it does not stop there, and half of the spotlight is also given to the other members living in Ayakashi Kan. Despite being one dimension and even remaining mostly static throughout the series, the residents all have a certain quirk to them that will no doubt harbor favorites. Whether it's the silent-but adorable Karuta (my personal favorite!), the mindless Tsundere Watanuki, or the simply strange Natsume, each character is uniquely different and is what really gives the show the charm it deserves. Despite this however, the show does nothing to break any boundaries and remains nothing more than a good time. In addition, since most of the episodes each have their own scenario with the relationship between Ririchiyo and Miketsukami really the one thing that connects the episodes together, the pacing can sometimes be all over the place. This ranges from fun episodes that have a fast and wacky pace, to the next episode potentially being slow and dramatic. At times it can somewhat jarring, but nonetheless it did nothing to ruin my experience.
7/10

Art:
The animation was produced by the company simply known as, "David Production" whose other works include: Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (2012) and Level E. The overall art in Inu X Boku SS was once again nicely detailed and well animated, but nothing of a master stroke. The character designs on the other hand were greatly distinctive, making each character easily stand out to suit their personality.
7/10

Sound:
A major fault on my part is to recognize an OST during a show, as I hardly notice it due to my one sided attention being on the dialogue and events on the screen. Therefore, for an OST to really stand out as "Good" for me, it has to make it self heard by highly enhancing the mood at the particular moment or simply just having a good and solid beat that I can even listen to without any context. Sadly, Inu x Boku never had any of that for me. The OP Nirvana (no, not the english band Nirvana) by MUCC (No, also not the band english MUSE) provided a good rock piece, and the End Credits featured a variety of character themed ending animations plus songs. While the themes fit the characters themselves, none of them particularly grabbed my interest and I unfortunately skipped them.
5/10

Character:
In my humble opinion, the best thing about Inu x Boku SS was indeed the characters. As previously mentioned, most of the cast each had their distinctive character trait that can make you absolutely love or hate them, but in the end; the show really needed to make likable characters for their two mains: Ririchiyo and Miketsukami. Thankfully, Inu X Boku does well for these two as even though Ririchiyo may not be liked by everyone due to her Tsunshun personality (A new character archetype created in the show where she would act cold towards someone but get depressed afterwards due to regret), she well makes up for it due to her naivety and some-what laid back personality that makes characters sympathize (and laugh at) with, but also allows her to not be completely helpless. Miketsukami also shows high appeal as throughout most of the show he is covered in mystery, but also has this overly obedient side that is used to great comedic effect. No doubt however that he will/did definitely appeal to many Josei fans as his never ending will to please Ririchiyo seems like the ideal butler.. Kinda like another well loved Butler (Cough cough).
8/10

Enjoyment/Overall:
The time I spent at Ayakashi San was definitely a satisfying one. I easily grew attached with all the characters, and I effortlessly devoured the episodes more faster than you can say your favorite long running Shounen series. Though it wasn't anything groundbreaking, this was a show that flew under the radar and definitely deserves all the attention it can get. If you're looking for a good comedy and want or don't mind a bit of substance to it then the only thing I have left to say is: Enjoy your stay at Ayakashi Kan!
7/10

Mirai Nikki is the type of show where it just seemed to get better the more it progressed. Each episode just seemed to build off each other and had a constant rate of intensity to it. Its dark humor, heart wrenching Action and killer Suspense made this one hell of an entertaining show!

Story:
The Story Of Mirai Nikki is your typical Survival Game/ Battle Royale/ Hunger Games show: A series of Contestants fight to the death in attempt to win something Grand or not get killed. In this case, it's the opportunity to be God of Space and Time. What makes this story stick out ... from the rest however is the depth the creators add to it. Usually in these survival game shows, you'll have some characters that are just expendable and there to be brutally murdered of some sort. Here it's different. Each Contestant is relevant and are given their time to shine, making it much more meaningful or impacting when you see a character that you now understand and relate with fight to the death. To say that this is just another Survival Game show is only half the truth, which leads me to another point on what Mirai Nikki does right: the Execution. Mirai Nikki could have easily been a, "Fight an opponent, win, move on, rinse and repeat" situation and while it does do that especially in the first half of the show, they really took advantage of the Romance element present between the two main characters. You see, there is an overarching mystery between the female lead, Yuno Gasai and the creators really used this situation to stray away from the usual fight to fight plot line and allowed the two main characters to get the development and dramatic reveals they needed in order to make the viewers constantly devoted to the two characters. By the end of the show I was in total shock at where each character ended up! This makes the series less a Mindless Horror flick and more of an on your feet, Fist Clenching thrill ride that will keep you guessing all the way until the end. One thing I will say about Mirai Nikki that slightly hampers the show is that there are plot holes that deep observers of the show will notice since it does get a bit convoluted near the final episodes. However, the whole concept of time and alteration is always a hard subject to tackle without creating any plot holes or loops, but here they do a pretty good job.
9/10

Art:
The Art of Mirai Nikki is immaculate (If you're into gore, and over the top violence). I felt as if every scene fit the tone it was trying to present. It was Dark and Gritty at it's more serious moments and had its funny character animations and lighter art styles at its comedic times. Another great thing I liked about the art was that they held no bars back. It wasn't shy to show its gratuitous fan service or hold back on the violence and for that I have to give it props. It gives the viewers what they came to see and to show no restriction just further shows how dedicated this anime really is.
10/10

Sound:
Once again, the sound of Mirai Nikki summed up is: Fitting. The opening themes conveyed the fast pace that took place during it's ridiculous action scenes with it's symphonic rock and the ending themes really capture the desperation and struggle the characters face with it's slow rock. Aside from that, the background music is there really to help build tension or add to the overall atmosphere. I found myself hardly ever noticing the background themes though since I was too engrossed in the dialogue which is a bit of a shame.
9/10

Character:
As I see it, the characters are really the main factor that makes or breaks many people and I can understand why. The Male Protagonist can be a bit of baby at first; breaking away from the Stoic hero cliche, and the Female lead is a total Psycho path Yandere who will literally make your jaw drop on several occasions. These two are not the most common people that many viewers are accustomed to seeing but really I wouldn't say that it's the characters themselves that can totally ruin or make you love the show, it's really your opinion. You see, I would say that when looking at the characters it's all relevant on why they act the way they are. Each character has a reason for acting the way they are instead of simply acting a certain way to advance the plot. Some characters may change at a twist that may actually purposefully cause distaste in the viewers and to be able to put that much detail and to be able to play with the watchers emotions is definitely a huge plus to the show.
10/10

Overall/Enjoyment:
Mirai Nikki knows full and well what it is and excels at it. It doesn't try to appeal to everyone and instead goes beyond what it originally intends: A bloody good time. Everything feels important and relevant thanks to its attention to detail and is also wildly entertaining. It was the type of show where I can just sit back after a hard day and watch people fight to the death, get brutally back stabbed (Literally and metaphorically) and keep my eyes constantly glued to the screen. So with the future constantly changing, what are you waiting for?
-DEAD END-
9/10

Unoriginal, Safe and linear compared to the first season are all true when talking about Arakawa Under The Bridge x Bridge. But WAIT! Before you instantly disregard this sequel you MUST know that in many ways Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge is better that it's predecessor and if you loved the first season, than I guarantee you that you will definitely love this season. You may be treading some familiar ground, but hey, who said that more of the same is a bad thing? Welcome back to the crazy, yet humbling place that is, Arakawa Under the Bridge!

Story:
(+) For starters, this is indeed ... a straight up sequel to the original, Arakawa Under the Bridge. This means that if you haven't seen that yet than I urge you to go back and watch that first before coming here; since there will be plenty of references to it's original that might strike you as odd rather than hilarious. For those who of you that have seen it, the story's no different: a story about the daily lives of all the people under the Arakawa Bridge doing more wacky endeavors, with a few new added characters to rattle up the bunch! What makes the story different however is that this series wanted to focus more on the relationship aspect between Ko and Nino since you didn't get a lot of that in the last season. Because of this, there is a more centered and focused story line between the two. This can make for some nice emotional scenes, and great Character development centered around our main lovers. It was very heartwarming when you can see the two characters grow because of each other. Furthermore, we definitely can't forget about the comedy. As a matter of fact, I would go as far as to say that there was even MORE over the top comedy present here than the first season. Since Ko is now use to life under the bridge, he gets involved in even more crazy events which can honestly make some of the most hilarious scenes throughout the show. Another nice feature was to include comedic references to pop culture. Even though some might be unfamiliar, the way they handled it was comedy gold. GO KAMEARI!

(-) As previously mentioned, this show can outright be unoriginal, safe, and linear and sadly most of these faults come from the story. as I stated, the creators of this show decided to go for a more linear over-arcing plot featuring our main characters. This turns the show from a show about acceptance into a more romance based series. Although it may be a nice addition to some, it loses the charm that it's predecessor had. I found the series had less hidden morals that people can really understand and relate with, and instead I found a show ONLY about the two characters. Another thing I should note was that this show remained constant throughout the series. There wasn't any situations where I truly felt any emotion for the characters, since all sub plot lines were able to conclude by the end of the episode. Therefore, I enjoyed the episodes as a whole, but wasn't urging to watch the next one like it's first season was so masterfully able to do. Another thing I should mention is the ending itself. Even though the ending finished on a nice and subtle note, by the end of the series there are still so many questions left unanswered and the big thing that has been leading up to the conclusion just never got fulfilled, making the closing as a whole anticlimactic. For a series that's not known for it's story, it's really saddening when they do try to include a solid plot but then don't faithfully end it the way it's led to be.
7/10

Art:
(+) Once again Shaft was able to re-create the whole surrounding of silliness perfectly through its art. Everything you loved about the art is still there, right down to the colorful opening theme to the live action segments at the end (Now even more present!).

(-) Since everything is the same in terms of art, you don't see any upgrade or further development because of it. The character designs still look the same and the Arakawa Bridge is definitely the same one you saw the last time. No extra detail was added and if you're not a fan of the silly art style then this is no different.
8/10

Sound:
(+) Continuing from the first season, all the sound effects are carried on here, and are ever so present now. Another worthy thing I should note is the opening, "COSOMOS VS ALIEN" and the ending, "Akai Coat." Keeping it in the same tradition of the first season, the opening theme acts to show the whole over the top vibe that Bridge X Bridge has, while the ending theme gives the slow and emotionally serious tone that this sequel may drop on you time to time (Go Suneohair!). Oh and once again, Losers Wail makes it comedic return and might even make you chant it time to time! "Himo Hi-"
9/10

Character:
(+) The quirky comedic characters of the Arakawa Bridge are back and better than ever! Everything you loved (or hated) about the character are present and are once again reprising they're loved (or hated) roles. But now they're even more over the top! Since they are doing more extreme miscellaneous things, I would say that all the characters are even more energetic and crazy than they once were! Whether it's trying to bunk together for a week or all going on a diet to lose wait, the interactions between each character are still ever so comedically funny and can make up for some serious laughs. Second, the series even added more characters to this larger than life cast. An Amazoness and battle star defender (who's not really a space defender) are introduced and even though they have the least screen time, they still left an impression on me and I was laughing every minute they were on screen.

(-) I think this is the one time I would probably say that Character Development would be a negative. Since as mentioned before, the series went for a more solid story line focusing on Nino and Ko. But that's really most of all we get. Sure they get TONS of character development, but in return most of the side characters lose screen time. You might get a little development from a few side characters, but most of the time, they're hardly the center of attention. In some ways this is a bit of a wasted opportunity since all these characters are interesting in their own rights and each deserved the attention. There was even more hints to future character development that ended up never getting it, particularly to The Amazoness. Stella is probably one of my favorite characters in the show, and her personality hardly ever shines off throughout the show!
8/10

Overall/Enjoyment:
When I look back on Arakawa Under the Bridge, I remember the first season for it's charm and the second for its comedy. Dropping such relatable themes and forgetting some of the side characters really puts this season a step back from it's original. It's also more of the same so if you seen the first season and you absolutely hated it, than this is not the right place to change your mind. Still, the enjoyment I had for this season is IMMENSE and was easily worth the time I spent with such amusing personalities. So, with one recommendation and one question I ask you, Will you come to Venus?
8/10

If you've been into anime for a span of a day to many years now, then there's no doubt that you've heard of the name Hayao Miyazaki and his reputation of making the most beautifully animated films ever. Knowing this, you may be a bit in a awe by the score I gave one of his most beloved works. First, I want to say that Princess Mononoke was GREAT; no doubt about it. Even after Sixteen years from it's debut, this movie still holds up as being an enjoyable film to watch with messages being something that many of us still need to consider today. ... However, reputations aside, after watching the film from a critical standpoint there are flaws that definitely hamper the experience and may generate disinterest, especially to new coming viewers. There is certainly more good than bad; but in the end, I walked out of this experience satisfied, but not in awe as many claim it to be. This is: Princess Mononoke!

Story:
When looking at the story, I considered this movie to be split into two different scenarios rather than one. (Two for the Price of one, Yay! xD) The first scenario dealt with a prince who had been bestowed by a curse and must travel the mountains to find a cure by a Spirit God. The second scenario dealt with the animals living in the mountains waging war against the humans who constantly destroy their forests as well as hunt for the Spirit God. In the end, the two scenarios merge and conclude together. To start off, the themes of this story are powerful morals which are displayed wonderfully and provokes discussion way after the credits roll. The first half of the film dealt with the pursuit of Peace and to abolish all hate for one another since the curse fed off the people's hatred. The last half of the film focused more on trying to save the environment and wildlife; as well as to live in harmony with one another. The actions in the story show strong symbolism that's easily understandable and may change the way you look at forests differently. This is for sure a movie that both kids and adults can enjoy!

The negatives I had with the show lie more on technical and execution issues. The first problem being the pacing. The first half of the film had a dramatically slow pace; as we saw our hero travel to different lands, showcasing his journey to get to the forest. We see our hero converse with others in wonderful dialogue; but I never truly got that feeling of urgency that the protagonist might be in any danger because of his curse, since he would occasionally stop to help out injured people. I could tell that Miyazaki tried spending the first half showcasing the setting our hero would be involved in, but even still, this movie took quite some time to get going. The second half of the film is where we see the action begin to pick up as war is broken loose between the animals and humans. The pacing of this segment does pick up, but like the first half, I never felt any urgency when we would see the two sides waging war or experience the impact when a person or an animal would die. This is all due to the fact that the second half is based on several different point of views. Because of this, I found the story to be convoluted as it would jump to various battles; making me confused time to time as to what each person's specific goal was. Another issue I had was the ending. By the conclusion of the film, all the situations were settled but I never truly felt resolution between the two opposing sides; even though the actions of the movie made me think other wise. Looking from it at a realistic stand point, the ending truly is fitting but because of this, it kind of contradicts the whole set up of the second half of the film.
7/10

Art:
The art of Princess Mononoke is standard level for a Miyazaki film: BEAUTIFUL! Since most of the film is in the wild life, the scenery of these forests are well done: full of lush greenery and very detailed animal drawings. Blood from a wolf or guck from a Boars mouth are very descriptive and for an action movie, the swings from a sword or a shot from an arro feels very realistic since time to time, body parts will get severed at a graphically gruesome rate. This is for sure one of Miyazaki's more mature styled films. The art of Princess Mononoke is something that tells a story on it's own and can even hold up with some of today's work in terms of detail.
10/10

Sound:
The sound of Princess Mononoke is probably one of the more disappointing aspects of the film, as I tend to even notice or remember any pieces from the movie. Instead I can only remember the noise that the Wild Life would make or sound effects such as the splashing made when walking in water. To me, I found the sound of Princess Mononoke was only there to compliment rather than generate any emotion than what it's future successors would do later.
6/10

Characters:
The characters in Princess Mononoke are interesting. To begin, you have your normal protagonists, Ashitaka and later, San. What makes this story interesting though was no side is truly evil. Along the way Ashitaka will encounter different people that you will later see again but as he converses with these people, you can tell that each one of them doesn't have a very deep negative intention. However, I think that many will side with the Animals when watching since they are mostly the underdogs (No Pun intended) and they simply wish to preserve their land. This is in comparisons to the humans who more or less want to destroy the entire forest near the end. This was a very original approach since in life, people are almost never laid out as: good or bad, and instead it's all on how we perceive it to be.

On the other hand, lack of a clear villain can also be considered a flaw to the movie. It can be difficult to invest yourself with the characters since you don't know which one to root for. Because of this, it may take you out of the experience. Character development was another problem I had. Ashitaka encounters plenty of people along his journey, but I never saw him or anybody else grow because of these encounters. Also, I never saw San, our female protagonist as a vital part to the film. To me she was only there to provide a love interest with our main character, Ashitaka and unfortunately, needless to say: she too also didn't get any development and in the end she remained almost as the same person we were introduced to as.
7/10

Overall/Enjoyment:
In the end, Princess Mononoke is not the best Ghibli movie out there. Pacing issues, lack of a grounded OST, and weak character development prevent this movie from being a classic Ghibli film that can easily earn my first recommendation. I found myself currently being pulled out of the experience and checking my watch time to time with the slow movement this film had. Still, looking at the film as a whole, I had an immense amount of fun while watching it! This animation just overflowed with it's strong life lessons that doesn't take an expert to figure out. This was also accompanied by daring original concepts the movie challenged itself with and has been defined in its age as being one of the best! In the end you won't be in an urge to check your "Ecological footprint" but I guarantee that this is an anime, you won't wanna miss!
7/10

Charming. This is what I constantly thought of when watching Arakawa Under The Bridge. Despite the insane plot and the ridiculous characters, this show was full of charm. Whether there was a hint of deeper meanings between it's comedic outtakes, or its abundance of heartwarming scenes, there never once was a dull moment during my time at under the Arakawa Bridge!


Story:
The story of Arakawa Under The Bridge is something that tends to turn many people off due to it's nonlinear approach. The story goes as follows; a guy who believes in never owing anybody anything gets his life saved after falling off a bridge by ... a strange girl. This creates a debt the size of well, his life! In order to repay this girl, he must show her what it means to love thus making him her lover. This sudden turn of events begins as he lives with the girl under the bridge where she and a bunch of other strange folk coincidentally happens to live! Sounds a lot to swallow? Don't worry, the story is way easier to grasp than what it seems.You see, to show someone what it means to love is such a universal topic that the entire series tends to be just about the guy and all the residents of Arakawa Bridge doing miscellaneous things each episodes. The series is jam packed with tons of comedy but also without realizing it, full of many other things. This leads me back to what I previously said; this show is FULL of charm. What Arakawa does best is to add heavy themes such as Acceptance, Regret, or being yourself while still keeping things to a lighthearted, comedic level. I loved when a funny situation would occur but at that exact same time, the main protagonist may learn something new about himself, or slowly, the girl would realize bit by bit what it truly means to love. Because of this, swallowing the insanity surrounding the show is much less a chore and much more a joy!

Despite this: although I found the story one of the greatest aspects of the show, the opposite can be said for some. For starters, as previously said, this story is non linear to a tee. There is no single episode dedicated to, "What it means to love." Instead the story is really told through the character's every day encounters and actions with the members of the Arakawa River. While I found it interesting, this in turn can make people not want to watch the show if they were looking for a more direct plot. Furthermore, when the story did try to create a straightforward scenario near the last quarter of the series, I found that to be the weakest part of the series and I was anxiously waiting when that encounter can be settled and got back to more random tasks with the residents. Also, the outrageous surrounding of the show is of course not for everyone. This is indeed a WAAY over the top comedy, with no bars held back and if that's not your cup of tea, than this show won't change your mind otherwise.
9/10

Art:
The Art of the show in general would be classed as standard fair for the anime at that time. However, since "Shaft" were the developers for this show, (Madoka Magica, Bakemonogatari) you can expect to get some eye popping, over the top art work. the opening theme is especially easy to notice; full of vivid colors and beautiful scenery. Overall, the outrageous art of the show only added to fit the whole tone the show was trying to portray. Quickly though, the live action segments with the Kappa at the end of each episode is probably some of the most hilarious scenes I have ever seen. PERIOD.
9/10

Sound:
The sound of Arakawa under the bridge is not anything spectacular. There were no background music that particulary stood out to me, and instead I found myself simply engrossed in the dialogue to even notice. The opening and endings on the other hand is definitely worth mentioning. The opening theme of the show, Venus To Jesus is a light, moderate pace tune which is easily a good listen and can be enjoyed without any context. It definitely fits the lightheartedness of the show. The ending, Sakasama Bridge is a personal favorite. this once again, is a light, moderate paced song, but the melancholic feeling it gives off, really helps to describe the feel of those more heartfelt scenes in the show. Plus it's by Suneohair, whose also done works in shows such as, Honey and Clover! Last, without spoiling anything, there's a song titled, "Losers Wail" and if the title alone doesn't convince you how funny it is, than prepare to wail yourself if you do get the chance to listen to it!
9/10

Characters:
Talking about the characters in Arakawa under the bridge is difficult. You see, each resident of the Arakawa River is strange in it's own way, but only adds to the charm. For instance, you have a a Church Sister (who's not really a sister) that came from the military and acts like the Terminator, but with more dialogue. Not satisfied? You also have a Rock Star with a Star for a head, as well as Kappa (A frog like person). At first, these different personalities might be unsettling, but really, these Character really help to bring this story to life. You see, one of the main themes that Arakawa Under The Bridge tries to tell is acceptance no matter who you are. Despite these crazy appearances, I found myself genuinely liking these characters because of just how well the chemistry these social misfits had with one another. Whether they had a comedic relationship or a serious one, I enjoyed each one of them.

A flaw to these characters however is that they're really isn't that much character development. Aside from our main lovers, Ko and Nino; despite how much screen time the rest of the cast received, they remained static from start to beginning. You may get a bit of story from the individual characters, but they don't really grow as a person. If there was a particular person you might not have liked then unfortunately they will most likely stay that way until it's comedic conclusion.
8/10

Overall/Enjoyment:
Arakawa Under the Bridge is INSANE! (In the good way of course!) Going into the show, I was a bit skeptical due to the amount of pure outragousness it posed. While it was still there, everything seemed bearable and in fact, better than what I expected it to be. I was also anxious to figure out what the crazy people of under the Arakawa Bridge would do next, and even though it's not genre breaking, it's originality and heart should be something that grabs viewers and drops them into unfamiliar, but wonderful territory! Welcome to Arakawa Under the Bridge!
9/10

If I can sum up Another in one word it would be, "fun." (Of Course if you're into horror/Suspense/Thrillers) Another is a show that's not the best of it's kind, or not the greatest in it's execution but for what it's worth, nonetheless I had a GREAT time! There's was enough suspense at the end each episode that left me wanting more and even if I fully didn't understand what was going on, the events that were shown on screen were still highly enjoyable to watch!

Story:
The Story of Another is pretty simple enough; A class has a curse and the characters spend the series trying ... to find ways to break it. What I thought the series done really well was to slowly provide small amounts of information on the curse as possible, building tension and leaving the viewers continually invested in the world that these characters were in. The atmosphere of the series was also a high point, showcasing sceneries that were downright creepy (I'm looking at you doll house/museum!) and enough suspense that demands you to marathon the entire series!

What lacks in Another however is the pacing and organization this series had. For the first two episodes we see a SLOW development in the plot. It's at the end of episode three where things start to pick up. Even still however, I found the series constantly slowing down for more dialogue heavy moments. I found this rather frustrating especially if it came after a drastic death scene. The plot can also be convoluted at times. Because of this it can be hard to follow the plot due to all the sudden back stories and similar names (Seriously, how many misakis are there?!?) Another point I have are the deaths themselves! To me personally, I found some of these natural occurring deaths to be too bizarre! None of the deaths had no purpose and they all seemed to be either too scripted, or too random that I actually found it comedic at times! Honestly, who didn't find that death hilarious when that guy was randomly crushed by a pillar in episode 11
8/10

Art:
The art of Another is a strong point of the series. Even though the animation can be considered standard fair of today's current gen anime, what differs the series is the detail put in each animation. what really stuck out to me was how well the dolls were drawn (Even if I despise them!) as well as how visually detailed and gruesome the death scenes looked. some deaths are certainly cringe worthy, especially to the lighthearted!
9/10

Sound:
The Sound of Another is at times eerie, yet only adds to the mystery surrounding this whole entire series. I enjoyed the upbeat opening theme, which suits the tone of the gruesome and fast paced final third of the series. Another piece that stuck out was the piece titled, "The Mystery Of Yomi Yama" that played frequently throughout the series in different renditions.

What did not fit however, was the ending theme. It was a slow piece that might have fitted a drama better, but after a suspenseful episode, it was especially hard on the ears! I came to watch high school students get massacred, not Les Mis 2.0 Japanese Edition!
8/10

Characters:
The Characters in Another are sadly the weakest part of this blood fest. Aside from lead female Misaki Mei, I found myself uninterested and not invested with the characters. This is also due to lack of Character development. We don't get to know much of anyone and therefore, it's hard to feel any sympathy when a character would die. Because of this, once I got to the ending, I was shocked, but not as surprised as I could have been, due to lack of interest in the characters. In turn, the characters are simply there to advance the plot or showcase the most intense ways of dying.
6/10

Overall/Enjoyment:
Don't mistake this anime for just "ANOTHER" cliched horror title (see what I did there?) xD. What you get is an interesting plot that's enjoyable as well as enough death scenes that can either make you gag, laugh or even make you say, "whhaaattt!!?!?!" It's definitely a fun watch and a big recommendation!
8/10

5 Centimeters per second is a story that tells an emotional heartbreaking tale, that perfectly represents a visual depiction for the feeling of heartache. As sincere as remembering a Bittersweet memory, 5 Centimeters per second is something that will truly grab you from the start and continue to stay with you even after it's rough, but truthful conclusion.

Story:
In regards to story, i'm glad that the film was split into three different scenarios as it was able to fully flesh out and capture the theme of "distance." Whether it be a distance of Physical length in "The Tales Of The Cherry Blossoms" or a distance ... of feelings in "Cosmonaut," I came into this film only believing it was about a boy and a girl who loved each other but the distance between them was the one thing that stopped them. Instead, what I got was only 1/3 of this emotional packed roller coaster! Additionally, The presentation and execution was amazing thanks to the phenomenal works of Makoto Shinkai. I felt as if each scene carried a deeper meaning and required you to think critically to fully understand just how the Characters felt at each moment.

Ironically however, what may turn off many people is indeed the different scenarios, as the situations the characters are placed in are not considered original. Physical Distance between two lovers can be found in your typical romance movie, or suffering from unrequited love is almost frequent in your Slice Of Life/Drama anime. As well, the last story can be considered more of an epilogue to the film which doesn't have much of a plot line in it. The pacing of the film also slows down in the second part and abruptly concludes at the end. Even though it does fit the whole tone of the film, it's a bit anticlimactic and leaves you wanting more. Because of this, it leaves a bad impression on the viewer; questioning their enjoyment of the film. Still, I believe for what the universe Makoto Shinkai was trying to portray these characters in, it was very fitting and great for what it set out to be.
8/10

Art:
Anyone who knows who Makoto Shinkai is will know that he has a reputation of creating the most beautiful animations in his films and OVA. In 5 Centimeters Per Second, once again Makoto Shinkai creates set pieces and scenes that are immaculate and can even be considered works of art. Attention to detail was indeed present as even simple things like a person's shadow was amazingly well crafted. For an anime that released six years ago, it still competes with anime titles released even today.

A slight flaw I found with the animation was in some scenes, a person's face would be completely blank which may take you out of the experience a bit, but it's still not enough to degrade the art style at all.
10/10

Sound:
The Sound of 5 Centimeters per Second, helps immerse you in the emotion that surrounds the film. The sounds of Cicadas in the summer or the crunch of footsteps in the snow are present which helps further brings alive the environment. As for the the background music for 5 Centimeters Per Second, it is mostly just different, slower and instrumental renditions of the ending theme, One More Time, One More Chance which is a beautifully nostalgic piece that fits the melancholic mood perfectly. Even though it is really only one track, this song literally fit every scene it played in.

As of this moment, I have only seen the english RE-dub of the film which I can say the voice actors played their roles extremely well! Johnny Yong Bosch (Lelouch, Vash, Koizumi) played our main character, Takaki Tohno which I believed gave the greatest preformance! I could easily feel Takaki's emotions through his narrations. This is easily in my opinion, one of Johnny Yong Bosch's greatest performances! Tara Platt and Serena Varghese also gave phenomenal performances as Akari Shinohara and Kanae Sumida!
10/10

Characters:
The thing about Makoto Shinkai's work is that, he likes to to create his stories based on a specific moment in his character's life and just drop you right in the middle of it and build off from there. No more is it present in 5 Centimeters per second. Makoto Shinkai once again gives you the smallest knowledge of who each character is and their relation to each other, yet as the story progresses their emotions are able to reach easily with the audience. This is due to the amazing narrations and dialogue that literally have the words hit hard. The Characters in my opinion are what truly makes this film the Masterpiece that it is. They're relatable, and you truly feel heartbroken for these characters when they're put in such dire situations. Even though some moments seemed predictable, I still hoped that the characters would end up for the best. Despite a lack of Character development due to great time jumps between scenarios, i'm still shocked that even in a one hour short featuring three different stories that I found myself incredibly invested with each character it focused on.
10/10

Overall/Enjoyment:
If you've been reading up thus far (Which i'm honestly shocked!) then you must know that I highly enjoyed the heck out of this show! I've been giving nothing but praise for this show, and for good reason! On an emotional stand point, it raises the bar. With characters so amazing, artwork so fantastically crafted, topped off with a fitting ending song (Which will indeed be making it's way to the most played on my itunes soon!) i'm sure that this film will be remembered even after another six years from now plus more! True, the different plot points might be cliche, the pacing might be a bit off and the ending might not be for everyone, but it's the characters that well make up for it and makes you forget about the negatives since you're constantly eager to see what will happen to these characters next. Of course, 5 Centimeters per Second isn't for everyone. It's not nothing that's revolutionary or ground breaking, and if you're not into slowish paced, Slice of Lifes, than this won't change your opinion on the genre. However, even not, I think everyone should give this anime a try, for this anime centrals around distance and the struggles of being apart from something close to you, which I believe is a universal topic encountered by almost everyone, myself included!
10/10

So that's the end of the review! Thank you so much for checking out my review, as this is my first one! Let me know what you guys think and also maybe how I can do better in my reviews next time! xD Also, if you seen 5 Centimeters per second! Let me know what you guys thought of the film! I would love what to hear what you guys liked/Disliked about it! Ja ne!