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One Off is one of those Anime that is ideal if someone has an hour of free time on their hands and is in the mood for a slow paced slice of life storyline that goes at a slower pace then some of the other slow paced storylines out there. The charm of this Anime is in the basic, simple nature of the animation and music that allows the viewer to feel relaxed while watching. Some of the down sides though is the plot isn't as fleshed out as it could be as well as the characters, but then this was an OVA designed for advertisement purposes so this is rather expected. read more

The Anime has nothing going for it. There is practically no action even when the big climax comes about. The interactions of the characters aren't there either and even a small amount of romantic inclinations between the main character and one of the girls would have spiced things up nicely to pull this Anime out of the doldrums it tanked out with. There was also way to much pandering the concept of a bread that makes everyone happy no matter what. Really? The only good thing about this Anime is the beautiful art work.

I am reminded of the Anime called “Asura Cryin'”. The first season came out in April of 2009 and the second came out in October of 2009. The first season of the Anime actually shares a lot of the problems that “Hiiro No Kakera” happens to have. One of the problems happens to be the fact there were signs that the series had potential but the whole first season falls flat.

However, the second season ended up giving those of us who gave it a chance a pleasant surprise. Similarly “Hiiro No Kakera” has the same potential to possibly wow people with the second season that is supposed to come in October. Of course, it also has the chance of falling flat. Even if the second season turns out to be a pleasant surprise the question of whether or not watching the first season just to watch the second is going to come up.

The unfortunate fact is, while “Hiirro No Kakera” shares a lot of the same problems, the problems are more evident then they were in “Asura Cryin”. First, “Hiirro No Kakera” has only two episodes (the first and the last) that draw the viewer in without the use of bishonen to drool over. The rest of the episodes fall flat in their story telling. There was a lot of material that could have easily been condensed and the story line would have still not had a rushed feeling to it.

Second, in the first episode you are introduced to a heroine who is mistaken for being clumsy but really isn't. She's weak, but that is because she's never had training for her abilities like the five males. One would think there would be great potential but what I was looking for didn't show up until the last episode. Instead, we were treated to episode after episode of her having angst fits about how she can't do anything.

Honestly, don't be surprised to see this heroine compared to Bella Swan even if the second season is well done. Some people may call her out for having a fake fatal flaw of clumsiness because she is called out for being clumsy in the first episode. This is despite the fact she really did simply misstep like many other people would have done. And lets not forget the constant angst we got from this character and the fact she's likely to be paired with the bad boy of the group. Yup... she may be called a Mary Sue even though she may not be one.

I'm honestly holding out until second season before I judge her on this regard... if there is a second season. I'm not saying I don't want a second season here, I don't like it when series are stopped in the middle and big plot holes are left. Thankfully too it seems they have the other episodes done already. However, I'm also not sure how well this Anime is going to go over. They can always change their mind if they don't make a profit off of the first seasons DVD sales to recoup the cost for creating the DVDs.

As for the sound, the music is beautiful. The voice acting... not so much. It also grated on my nerves at times. Even if these voice actors have good roles, this just isn't their best. Far from it. Hands down, for those who have NOT picked up the first season yet, I suggest waiting at least until the second season comes out and reading some of the reviews for that, that of course don't gush about the bishonen. Even then... you may want to consider using a wiki to get the information necessary from the first season to watch the second. This was rather painful to watch, and I say this having enjoyed the first and last episodes. read more

Story:

I couldn't watch past the second episode of this Anime. The story has a major problem in the “willing suspense of disbelief” department. The idea of the soccer players having super powers just didn't sit well with me as I was watching this. Now, I'm not saying you can't add the fantastical element of super powers to an Anime, but this Anime honestly took things too far. You're given a bunch of really cool “super power moves” in the second episode and there is no build up to the idea. I also know that this is supposed to be a little kids show and I can see why it would appeal to the intended audience. However, I also dislike the idea of treating kids like they are simple minded and couldn't grasp a more complex series.

Art:

The art in my opinion is horrible. When people read this part, they may very well think I am refering to the style that is used for this Anime. I actually have seen other Anime shows that share similar elements to Inazuma Eleven and I have to say they are better animated and far less jarring then what I saw here. It was almost as if the person who came up with the character designs really didn't try. There is no consistency in the style either and it is all over the place. There is nothing appealing about the art work except for the characters there is more focus on.

Sound:

Inazuma Eleven's strong point is the sound and that isn't saying much. I absolutely love the opening line of the opening lyrics. And then there is nothing else that is memorable. Actually, I kind of wanted the umph for that opening line to run through the entire Anime, but it simply didn't.

Characters:

The characters are horrible. I know I've only watched two episodes and people will likely tell me it is to early to judge. The truth is though, the characters are really obnoxious Gary Stues. I felt like I was reading a bad fanfic for one of the better soccer Anime out there rather then a show that could stand on its own. I mean, its even got your pre-teen/teenager angst which is so annoying in fanfiction because it is just not at all realistic.

Enjoyment:

I did not enjoy this Anime at all. I might come back and give it a second chance later on, but the honest truth is I was rather disgusted with what I saw in this Anime's first two episodes. I'd rather go and pick up a different sports Anime because this really doesn't cut it.

Overall:

I suggest not picking this up. The first two episodes were boring and had indicators that the show was overly repetitive. read more

The high hopes I had for this series were dashed after the first few minutes. The storyline felt like someone decided to animate a fanfic for a much better series. There were these honest traces of something better in the storyline. It fell flat because of the cliches within the series and because of how much of a Mary Sue the main character is.

In the first episode I was left asking why Hibiki was so special compared to all the other people who exist in this world. She's not special because she has any sort of talent, something she constantly admits. Her childhood is bland and uneventful, yet Kanade sings her Swan song in the first episode sacrificing herself just so Hibiki can live despite the fact it doesn't feel as if Kanade needed to sing her Swan song to save Hibiki's life. Instead, Kanade's death is simply a tool the writer used to give Hibiki her amazing powers so that she can be the heroine of the series.

The theme of sacrifice is another place where this series falls flat. At the beginning of the series it is played up as being a very important theme but by the end it honestly feels like a joke. It is instead replaced by the theme that everyone can get along by everyone talking things out. Everyone else has a mind frame that violence will solve everything, but Hibiki is difference because Hibiki is so innocent and naïve that she honestly believes there is a better way when people are human. In the long run, it is Hibiki's character that destroys the storyline.

Of course, Hibiki does have a few flaws up her sleeves to make the viewers not think she is a Mary Sue. She is at the beginning of the series horribly klutzy and she can't do anything right. This is fine when she first gains her powers because she has problems in her first fight. However, after this she receives no training from the government so she can fight the noise, she is allowed to run around on her own letting her klutziness in the way.

Added to this, Tsubasa wants nothing to do with her because Hibiki reminds her too much about Kanade, and yet it would make more sense for Tsubasa to protect the one thing of Kanade she has left. Many of the characters don't get fleshed out and the way Hibiki gets over her flaw is just ridiculous. Her naivity also isn't played up as a flaw either, but it is actually her strong point as it allows her an innocent outlook on life that is willing to accept everyone who is human with no qualms what-so-ever.

The art is really good and the sound is good at points, but they also like to play the main characters songs as being more special then anyone elses, including the other students from a music academy of all things. read more

I honestly like the concept of an elementary school student who looks like a high school student while his sister looks like an elementary school student. The first few episodes were cute, but then it started becoming cliché. I also don't understand how the adults could be so stupid. They notice Atsushi when he interacts with his young female friend but fail to notice that he takes the same route with him? No one tells anyone that he is a big boy? Despite having interesting art and sound, it fell short towards the end. On the plus side, it is a quick watch. Thus why I am having such a short review this time around. read more

Saizo is an assassin who runs into a young girl by the name of Isanami. Her bubbly personality along with her cute charm annoys him simply because he's always been under the impression protecting someone will weaken his fighting ability. She also annoys him by doing things like crawling in bed with him and tripping over things. This honestly would be considered an endearing part to Isanami's character if she were five to six years of age, but instead it becomes part of the annoyance that occurs to the watcher of this Anime because Isanami is actually a lot older then this, old enough to be in a romantic relationship with most of the male characters of Brave 10.

On top of this Isanami is a Mary Sue. The easiest traits that can be found are the fact she has godlike powers and the fact everybody likes her and wants her including the enemies. On top of the fact she can't get on anyone's bad side, she also has no fatal flaws. She is shown to be clumsy, but that only crops up when it can land her in the guys arms. The Anime talks about how she's always causing trouble but in reality she isn't causing the trouble because of her actions, the trouble occurs because everybody wants her. She also angst horribly over how she is weak, but it is revealed early on in the series that she has the strongest power of anybody. Might I add the fact she is supposed to be naive about the world, but it comes across more along the lines of her being mentally handicapped. I doubt that is what the creator of her character intended.

One of the reasons I stuck with the Anime is because despite the fact Isanami is so obnoxious most of the good guys from Brave 10 are actually interesting characters. The exception to the rule is the wind user. Despite the fact he is obnoxious, he at least isn't a Gary Stu. Despite the fact the other characters are interesting, their characterization and character development tends to fall apart when Isanami is around. Which adds to another Mary Sue trait about her, the fact none of the main good guys don' always act like themselves around her.

Moving onto the art work, I have to say the art work in Brave 10 is horrible. The character designs are clumsy and chunky in places most of the characters shouldn't be chunky. The movement of the characters lacks any dynamic and is stiff. As for the elemental powers that the braves use, they don't really mimic well the traits that go with their elements and they look unrealistic. This I think extends to the bad buys. Some people might say right about here, but the art work is beautifully designed and the costumes are elaborate. Unfortunately, about half way through the show, I realized that the reason all the outfits were intricately designed is to actually hide the flaws in the character design. And might I add that some of the flaws are glaring. I remember one scene where Benmaru is a head taller then he should be.

The sound is also something that is very beautiful. However, the music doesn't match the storyline of the Anime at all, which ruins the wonderful opening and closing scenes. Actually, these scenes also have the best animation. The sad thing about Brave 10 was I had high expectations of the show and expected to enjoy a nice historical fantasy. Instead I ended up with a bunch of pretty boy wish fulfillment and the reasons I enjoyed the Anime wasn't because it was amazing. It was because it was so badly done, it was laughable. read more

This Anime is a major disappointment. First off, when I picked up this Anime I simply expected it to be simply slice of life but in the very first episode you have the added twist that two new girls in the group are an alien and someone else with a big secret. The Anime doesn't really flesh that out. In fact, it really doesn't focus on them making the film but instead focuses on the relationships between the characters. Some of the moments were great and enjoyable but other times it felt like I was hitting my head against a brick wall.

Then there is the matter of the art work. In the first few episodes the animation was stiff and not very good. Not to mention the character designs weren't strong either when it came to the main characters. I know the two main characters are supposed to be geeky, but the way they were drawn honestly clashed with the designs of all the other characters who had more details and more realism put into their designs. The sound was all right, but nothing that stood out for me.

The characters are very likable and this is the shows strong point, but it is also why this show is such a major disappointment. We have these wonderful characters with wonderful personalities that just aren't allowed to be themselves. There are times they are stiff and at times the show is over wordy, not to mention painful to watch. Some of the interactions are also just not believable and feel forced. I'll state again, this Anime is a major disappointment for me. read more

Wow. The ending for Another blew me away simply because it wasn't what I was suspecting? One of the first things I have to say is, if you are tempted to do an internet search to find out who the dead person is before you finish watching the series, seriously don't. Think knowing before hand could very well take away some of the enjoyment you might have. The ending is actually that good and that unexpected.

The second thing I want to say is, I had high expectations of the series when it first started and it honestly dropped later on in the series because some of the logic just wasn't adding up and the storyline seemed to become rather cliché. The reason thought the logic wasn't adding up was simply because I wasn't thinking in the right direction in my personal deductions of who the dead person could be. When I found who it was all of it finally added up.

The art work for Another is beautifully done. It is highly detailed, not to mention also colorful. The characters movements is realistic. Then again so are the deaths, so if you are squeamish I highly suggest avoiding this Anime entirely. But if you can stomach a bit of gore and enjoy a good mystery... the kind you find in Higurashi and other such Anime, you will enjoy this. The sound is actually excellent and I enjoyed the overall plot line.

The characters are well rounded and well thought out. The interconnections between the each character is dynamic and as each piece of the puzzle is unraveled you pick up some more things one doesn't expect. I can't go into much detail though, because that would honestly contain major spoilers for this series.

Let's just say my enjoyment for this series was very good. So much so I wish to pick up the Light Novel and Manga if possible and I am also looking forward to the live action movie that is going to be coming out to get subtitled. Not many series make me want to pick up all media for it, particularly the horror genre. read more

Chibi Devi is a cute show that can be enjoyed if a person is willing to really suspend willing suspense of disbelief. I honestly know that this show is geared towards a younger audience, but did the subject matter really have to be sugar coated as much as it was? I felt the story line touched way too little on the downs of having a baby to take care of and way too much on the ups. I've read picture books geared towards this age group which covers the ups and downs in a better balanced manner.

This story is really about how cute it is to have the baby and how much fun everybody gets to have. Babies aren't dolls, you have to take care of them the same way you do a pet. You also can't go asking mom and dad for a baby sister simply because you think it will be a lot of fun, particularly since they'll be doing all the work. Very few problems that come from raising an infant come up in this Anime, and some of the things mentioned are a tad silly, like it is the memories that they make that matters. Last time I checked, babies of this age don't retain their memories from this time period when they get older.

The characterization is what I expect of most shows for younger age range. It is simple and straight forward, using stereotypes and the characters lack any fatal flaws. Again, this is going to cause a major need to really suspend willing suspense of disbelief. That said, the characters can really grate on a persons nerves, particularly since I honestly don't expect any middle school student to act the way they do in this series. Aka... everything is based off stereotypes.

The shows strong point happens to be its art work and music. The opening theme song is catchy and memorable. The art work is crisp and fluid, not to mention cute. While the characterization grates on ones nerves, the voices do not. Anyways, pick this series up with caution. It will honestly be a quick watch, forty-five minutes, but not everyone will have the patience to finish. read more