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THE REAL PREMISE:
In a world where oceans are made of sand, and beastmen have rule over humans, a woman seeks to unlock the secrets of the "destruct code" in order to destroy the world. Her motivation: her brother was killed by beastmen. She involves 2 others who engage in some antics until episode 9, when they finally start to unravel the truth behind the "destruct code."

THE GOOD:
- The standard action/adventure plot has a nice twist at the end.
- The characters are likeable, though not immediately so (it took me 8 episodes to warm up to them).

THE BAD:
- The character designs for beastmen are a bit silly. Humans with animal ears? Really? A man with a crocodile's head named Dr. Crocodile? Really?
- Episodes 1 - 8 don't further the plot very much.

CONCLUSION:
Most of the anime is your standard adventure story. There's a twist at the end, but even then, it won't be anything you've never seen before. Also, episodes 1-8 don't advance the plot very much; so, I suggest watching the first episode, and asking yourself, "Do I like these characters enough to stick around until episode 9?" Once you get that far, the anime actually gets really good. read more

THE REAL PREMISE:
- 2 socially distraught boys connect with each other, and find peace therein.

THE GOOD:
- Unique plot. This is not your typical ninja anime.
- Plot twists keep the story engaging.

THE BAD:
- The last 5 episodes don't do the rest of the anime justice.
- The relationship between the two boys becomes tedious. Yeah...they really like each other...we get it.

CONCLUSION:
- If you're looking for a fighting anime, this isn't it. This is not one of those "let's get stronger so that we can beat the boss" types of anime. What this anime really focuses on is human emotion. So, if the dynamics of trust, loyalty, and friendship is your cup o' tea, then I highly recommend Nabari No Ou. read more

The Good:
- Very intense storytelling, similar to Death Note; but at a slower pace.
- Unique art style.

The Bad:
- Progression is interesting, but slow (especially the 2nd half). This is because so much time is spent in internal dialogue.
- It's a bit depressing. Don't expect a lot of victories.

Conclusion:
If you liked Death Note, you should give this one a try. Though not as good as Death Note, it's definitely worthwhile.

The Good:
- It was a joy to see many of the characters is a more casual setting.
- Production quality was retained.
- Rail Tracer!

The Bad:
- The eccentric nature of the new antagonist is tiresome, especially compared to Ladd.
- There's really no story; just more insight into the lives of some of the characters.
- A good portion of the characters had only minor roles.
- The ending.

Conclusion:
I gave Baccano (the series) an 8, and it just wouldn't be fair to give the OVA the same score because the series was so much better. If you loved Baccano, however, the OVA is a must-see.

The Good:
- Persona 3 fanservice (it features one of the characters from the video game midway through the series)
- Great soundtrack
- Beautiful art style

The Bad:
- Convoluted plot
- Seriously...what's up with the whale feathers?
- Can be too emo at times
- Episodes never start exactly where the last episode left off. Annoying.

Conclusion:
Persona tries to draw you into their world, and into the dark histories of its characters, but only partially succeeds. Fans of the video game will surely find reason to like this anime. Those who have never played the game, however, will probably find it average at the least.

The Good:
- Plot progression is fast.
- Action scenes are old-fashioned, but still fun to watch.
- Characters are likeable.

The Bad:
- Plot is very simple (which can also be a good thing).
- Can be ridiculous at times.

Conclusion:
This one's a bit over the top, which means if you want to enjoy it, you'll have to put your brain aside. If you just sit back and enjoy the super robot kicks, the laughable drama, the ignorant human-centric logic, and the brief nudity, you'll have a great ride.

The Good:
- Great art style.
- The cell shading is some of the best I've seen in a tv series.
- A wide variety of mecha designs kept the series interesting.
- Battles between cell-shaded mechas = awesome.

The Bad:
- Plot progression is very slow. It was a struggle to watch more than 2 episodes in one sitting.
- Most of the series was devoted to presenting background stories of various mecha pilots/translators. Unfortunately, the lives of the these pilots and translators were boring. The fact that these flashbacks were presented DURING the mecha battles made things even worse.

Conclusion:
This would have been a great series had it been condensed to fewer episodes. They went through great lengths to familiarize the viewers with the pilots of every single mecha; but there was just too many characters. As a result, I found it hard to sympathize with any of them (with the exception of the Japanese and Chinese crew). Cut the flashbacks in half and add more mecha airtime and this series would've been ten times more entertaining. read more

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE WATCHING THIS ANIME:
1. It's a very serious anime. No jokes, all business.
2. There is brief full-frontal female nudity in almost every episode. Sex scenes are brief, and are presented much like a slideshow of dim, still images.

STRENGTHS:
1. Production value is obviously very high.
2. Story is solid as long as you watch the entire series within a relatively short span of time. If you leave too much time between episodes, the story will be harder to follow.
3. If you're in the mood for an intense, violent, and gory samurai anime, this is definitely the one for you.

WHAT KEPT IT FROM GETTING A HIGHER SCORE:
I would have given it an 8 if it had a little bit of lightheartedness. A hint of humor would have made the characters more likeable. It would have made the story more interesting too. I mean, c'mon, even the most serious of movies had a bit of comedy in them.

I would have given it an 9 if the pacing had been a little faster. The anime drags at times; especially since the director tried to make EVERY scene intense. The minimalism of the soundtrack exacerbates the sluggishness sometimes.

I would have given it a 10 if the story was exceptional, which it was not. It ended up being a story of pride and revenge, which most people have seen before. Still a pretty solid plot though.

Recommended if you're in the mood for something really really serious.
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This is such a nice break from epic fighting or sci-fi anime. This is just a short and sweet look at the life of an ordinary student with an extraordinary ability.

STRENGTHS:
1. Unique. How many other anime out there feature a kid at an agricultural college who can see microbes?
2. Interesting Characters. All of the main characters are interestingly eccentric, but not annoying, tiresome, or too over-the-top.
3. A nice, fun, sweet little story. It's not the funniest comedy out there, but it had enough laughs in it to make every episode a relaxed, enjoyable experience.
4. Ecchi-esque, but not ecchi at all. You'll just have to watch it to understand.

WEAKNESSES:
1. Minor plot points. For example, the plot twist involving the main character's best friend came out of nowhere and didn't seem to fit in. Also, some relationships didn't have enough time to develop as much as I'd hoped.
2. Too short. I would have loved to see another 12 episodes or so. read more

To those of you who have yet to see this anime, please allow me to make one thing clear: Sky Girls is not a mecha fighting anime. Yes, there are mecha, and yes, there is fighting; but those things are not the primary focus.

STRENGTHS:
1. Sky Girls is a character-driven anime. If you don't find the characters interesting, then you should consider dropping it. I say this because the first half of the series is focused on character development, which can be quite excruciating if you find the characters annoying or uninteresting. I, personally, found the girls cute enough to keep watching.

2. The second half of the series focuses on furthering the plot, which is well worth seeing.

3. Fan service. Crotch shots and bath scenes where only the area above the nipples are exposed. Very minimal, but adds a bit of spice (especially to male viewers).

WEAKNESSES:
1. You might find the girls a bit annoying or stereotypical. The way they act does tend get old in the latter half of the series.

2. Filler episodes. It's sad when a 26-episode anime has fillers. I recommend fast-forwarding through them. They really don't add much to the experience.

3. It drags at times, especially in the first 12 episodes. The only thing that got me through the first half of the anime was the fact that I was strangely intrigued by the girls.

CONCLUSION:
Try it out and see if you like the girls; because that's really the only way you can enjoy this series. Otherwise, don't bother. read more