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Chances are, last Spring when you where watching the likes of Lucky Star and Gurren Lagann you were not watching this little gem. Hitohira slipped under the radar and went for the most part unnoticed. Although Hitohira shares the school drama format of many shows from the time, it puts an original spin on it, ensuring viewer attention.

Hitohira's storyline is an interesting subject, parts of it are dazzlingly original while other parts are downright generic and predictable. Whilst the basis of the school drama genre is all too familiar, what actuals happens in Hitohira is a refreshing change, albeit a change still confined by the shackles of the genre. The series explores the theme of self-confidence to marvellous effect. The series has a unique pace to it, most easily identified by the event that usually ends this kind of show not actually being the end of the series. There are a few good twists in the storyline but the main problem is that they're way too predictable, and easily seen coming by anyone paying attention. Nevertheless the storyline progresses nicely and matches the episode count.

The animation is of the usual standard for anime these days, adequate but not pushing any boundaries. The character designs really stand out, they're imaginative, cute and just plain likeable. The backgrounds are somewhat mediocre though. The animation style works really well with the series.

Hitohira is one of the anime audio experiences, the soundtrack is superb, full of well composed and arranged piano and woodwind pieces, it suits the series incredibly. The opening theme "Yume, Hitohira" by Yuuko Asami is beautiful and credit to the series, the ending theme "Smile" by Mai Mizuhashi whilst not as good is still certainly worthwhile. Perhaps its to be expected from a series about a drama club but the voice acting mind blowing. With Kimoto Orie in particular standing out as lead character Asai Mugi, she portrays Asai's shy nature perfectly and expresses her true voice just as well. The other seiyuu's represent their characters brilliantly too but Kimoto steals the limelight.

The characters are the other exceptional aspect of Hitohira, they've got interesting personalities and are genuinely likeable as a consequence, which allows the dramatic side of the series to have a much greater impact on the viewer. Hitohira is a masterclass in character development, best shown through the development of main character Asai Mugi, the changes to her personality are clearly noticeable after she overcomes each obstacle in the series and the series ends with an Asai almost unrecognisable when compared to the one at the start. The other characters aren't left out, they get their own storylines which are fully developed in a way that captivates the viewer.

Hitohira is very enjoyable experience, there's plenty of gripping drama and enough comic relief to prevent the viewer being bogged down by it all. An original and imaginative little gem taht certainly justifies a watch through read more

Yumeria should come with the subtitle "an adventure in mediocrity", when it comes to games NAMCO (usually) try and to do something different or at least attempt to put an original spin on a tried and tested formula (see the Tales series), but with regards to Yumeria, there's doing things by the book and then there's copying the book word for word. Whilst it manages to avoid some of the major harem clichés, it falls slap bang on to every one for the action/magical girl genre like a combine harvester in a minefield.

The story is too poor to analyse in any real detail, just some lame protagonist and his magical girl friends save the world whilst ignoring a lacklustre love interest sub-plot that never develops. The harem parts of the series aren't littered with fanservice, so at least that's something. That's pretty much all there is to the plot, what little there is incredibly generic and if you can't see the plot twists coming, maybe it's time to stop wearing pants on your head. Despite this it's pretty well paced, episodes don't get ahead of themselves and the series ends when it should.

The animation is of the modern anime standard; it gets the job done but hardly leaves the viewer drooling. The dream world where much of the series takes place is pretty bland as well as having a hint of "The World" from .hack about it. The real world is nothing to rave about either. The special attacks are pleasing to the eye, well at least they are for the first ten times. Characters designs are solid for the most part if lacking in the imagination department. A special mention is needed for the Faydoom, the enemies of in the show. The are possibly the least threatening looking enemies in anything ever, they're literally oversized pieces of Lego that shoot lasers.

Soundtrack was surprisingly good, background music really suited the series and certainly added to the situation. The opening theme "24 Jikan Aishiteru" by Moyu Arishima & Tamaki Nakanishi is decent despite some ghastly animation during it, the ending theme "precious treasure" by Masumi Asano is real treat though. Voice acting is good enough although 'Mone' can getting a little irritating after the first one hundred times.

Considering the majority of the cast is female, it speaks volumes that the only likeable characters are the two male ones, one of which is the class teacher, a minor support character who brings some good laughs to the series. The female cast play their stereotypes well, whilst being as generic as possible. If the plot wasn't so predictable, the characters are still so dull its hard to sympathise with them all.

Yumeria isn't the most enjoyable of series, it's a struggle to get through some episodes, there are few good comedy scenes and few decent fight scenes, but the shows eagerness to show the same transformation scenes and special attacks can get really annoying. Overall it does just enough to keep the viewer interested, despite being generic, predictable and nothing already in many other shows, deserving of a 5.5 really. read more

It would appear GONZO seem to think they can use their unique release format to gloss over the fact this series is riddled with flaws. There are three experiences to be had from Druaga, a hilarious comedy one, a somewhat below average action one and a dire fantasy one. It is literally a lottery as to which genre will be dominant in each episode.

The storyline couldn't possibly be any more generic; explore dungeon, defeat evil boss, find legendary treasure etc., its not even well executed. When its not being generic, it's being downright predictable, major plot points are seen coming a mile off. The pacing is atrocious, the characters will spend multiple episodes in floors relatively close to each other then magically be much further in the dungeon just so the series can finish within the episode count. Much of which is taken up by almost filler like pointless episodes that do nothing to progress what little plot there is (episode 6 in particular). GONZO have tried to justify this shambles by confirming a second series to continue the storyline, but such a weak reason doesn't excuse this mess. A real shame after a genuinely fantastic opening episode, that made it look like the series wiould break a lot of these clichés, sadly it fails. If the storyline can't even meet its own expectations, what chance does the viewer have?

Animation is top notch, nice to see GONZO are still capable of doing something right. Very impressive scenery and backgrounds throughout the series, with some solid, likeable character designs. The enemies are also (for the most part) very well designed.

The audio is another highlight, very nice opening and ending themes that fit the series well enough. The background music is good enough and usually appropriate to whatever is going on. Voice acting is another strong point, with an impressive display from the seiyuu's.

Character wise, Druaga once again fails to live up to its own expectations, the cast is initially nothing short of excellent; likeable characters with interesting personalities, unfortunately there is next to no character development in he entire series, kind of to be expected when there are more characters than episodes though. Once again the excuse "it'll be fixed in the next series" isn't valid in an analysis of this series. As a result of little character development, it is hard for the viewer to get attached to the characters and the dramatic scenes lose much of their impact.

Druaga remains an enjoyable enough experience despite these flaws, thanks mostly to comedy episodes, but it can be a genuine atruggle to get through some of other episodes. The comedy episodes if reviewed individually would get nines and tens, whilst the rest of the series would get between four and seven. It keeps the viewers attention with the promise of better future episodes, which is sort of admirable. It'd be a lot better if it were a 26 episode series, that'd allow fleshing of the plot and characters as well as removing the rushed feel to the series. Worth a watch regardless. read more

Moyashimon is a textbook example of a show not living up to potential. A highly original concept and a very strong cast of characters ultimately let down by a poor plot and a crushing lack of urgency. It does get major plus points for having the balls to do something different, especially considering the anime environment at the time, rich in shonen action and school life shows.

There is no denying Moyashimon is a highly original concept, the story follows Tadayasu Sawaki who has the ability to see microbes with the naked eye, as he enrolls at an agricultural university. One of the key theme of the storyline is manipulation as many of the characters only take interest in him because of his ability. Unfortunately this promising concept is let down by a shoddy plot, that is paced terribly. Over a quarter of the series is taken up by the Spring Festival arc that does next to nothing to progress the story. As a result of this, the series has to conclude everything and come up with a worthwhile ending in the last three episodes. Something that fails miserably, characters are given their own storylines but there are no serious attempts to conclude any of them.

The animation is also not particularly solid, the series cant decide if it wants a realistic look or a comedic one. This is shown best by the character designs, some characters lkike Sawaki and Harsegawa would fit into any realistic anime whilst others, Itsuki, Kawahama and Misato in particular are hard to even take seriously, the fact Moiyashimon is a comedy is no excuse for such extremities in character design. The backgrounds and environments are decent enough, but much like NHK, there's nothing to stand out from the crowd.

Moyashimon is an easily forgettable audio experience, the background music is bland for the most part and does nothing to evoke the viewer. The opening theme "Curriculum (カリキュラム)" by Sarasa Ifu is a nice piece that suits the series well, unlike the ending theme "Rocket" by POLYSICS which is just a mess really. The voice acting rescues the audio experience with excellent performances from all the seiyuu's.

One of Moyashimon's strongest points is it's cast, almost entirely on the grounds of character personality and not their lame storylines. A lot of the character's personalities clash in a way that ensures maximum comedic effect, Sawaki and Hassegawa in particular. Above the characters are funny, interesting and just plain likable. A special mention is in order for the microbes, they really make the show.

Moyashimon is a really enjoyable show, but entirely from a comedic point of view, there is an abundance of laughs and its unusual nature gives a charm that keeps the viewer's attention 'til the end. Be warned though, trying to take it seriously will just get you lost in scientific jargon and be left confused. The episode count doesn't do the show justice, it should have been longer to make the character's storylines worthwhile, that or it should just be eleven episodes of all out comedy
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The best way to describe this movie is as an enhanced recap, its summarises the events of the first Shana novel/ the manga/ the first of arc of the anime with a few extras added here and there.

The story of Shana is a beacon of originality in a sea of cliches and genericness that make up the majority of the action genre. It explores coming to terms with the unimaginable and the value of human life. This freshness of the plot grabs the viewer's attention and the removal of the somewhat lame love interest in the anime only improves the experience. The story moves quickly and is very well paced, the film's eighty seven minute lifespan flies by as a consequence.

As expected from Shana, the animation is really top notch, beautiful backgrounds, awesome effects during the fighting scenes and excellent character designs from Noizi Ito. It'd be nice to see some of the other characters from the series make an appearance (characters who were clearly present at this point in the overall story) but it cant be helped due to the restrictions of the movie format and in fairness the characters are who are present, are done so majestically. It's also good to see the movie having superior animation to the TV series, unlike other movie adaptations such as Azumanga Daioh and Clannad.

The audio experience is also of the highest quality, as to be be expected of Shana, with none other than Ko Otani (provider of the music for the Shadow of the Colossus videogame) providing the musical score here, the music is dramatic and really helps to build up an atmosphere. The use of the insert song "Akai Namida" (performed by Mami Kawada) is a masterstroke and it really lets the viewer sypathize with the situation. The ending theme "Tenjou wo Kakeru Monotachi" by Love Planet Five showcases the talents of the members of I've Sound who are so often providing for the Shana franchise. It's a real treat as the credits roll. Voice acting is very solid, each character retains their seiyuu from the anime, giving the same high quality delivery of lines.

The characters in the movie are something of a double edged sword, the mains Shana and Yuji remain pretty much the same as their anime incarnations, not a bad thing at all. Friagne gets a LOT added to his character, he's represented as a genuine threat rather than an eccentric who is soon overshadowed and forgotton due to other villains. His character is really fleshed out and he's a lot more likeable as a character than his incarnation in the anime series. Unfortunately some of the other characters are completely unnecessary, Yoshida Kazumi and Margery Daw in particular, the movie format doesnt allow Kazumi's storyline to develop and Margery comes across a lot weaker than she is in the anime, plus her personality has been changed somewhat.

Nevertheless, this a very enjoyable movie, the unique concept of the plot keeps viewer interest then treats them to some awe-inspring fight scenes, with a particularly impressive final battle. Certainly one of the better recap films out there, though it is adviseable you try and watch it before checking out the anime/managa/novel because prior knowledge makes it a tad predictable. read more