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Note: 7 = Good; 6 = Fair

Since I couldn't convince myself to put this anime under the category of "Good," I had to give it a "Fair" rating; which I think is more accurate.

The Good:
Great production value and art style. The best thing about this anime is the last 4 episodes, which I would rate at 9/10 by themselves.

The Bad:
Unfortunately, the rest of the series is a bit of a bore. The social interactions are cliche, the humor misses the mark, the characters are generic, and the plot is not engaging. Even though every episode ended in a cliffhanger, I never wanted to see more than 1 episode at a time.

Conclusion:
Bad points aside, this anime really is refreshing. It's not set in Japan, and it's not infested with ecchi. One of the reasons I stuck with this one is because it had such a unique feel. That, however, could not mask the bad progression of the story. read more

What it's really about:
A big-chested clumsy knight gets involved with a demon problem, as well as handsome blacksmith and his mysterious past.

The Good:
- Excellent production value
- The relationship between the blacksmith and the knight is cute
- The episodes that don't directly further the plot are still very interesting
- The setting has an intriguing history

The Bad:
- The knight can be viewed by many as "annoying."
- Those expecting a Lord of the Rings experience will be sorely disappointed.

Conclusion:
I think the reason this anime got so many below average reviews is because of the reviewers' preconceptions of what the anime should have been. If you can manage to dispel any preconceived notions you have about this anime, then you're in for a very nice treat. Just enjoy it for what it is. read more

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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