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First off, I'd like to say that any CLAMP lover would surely love this. As would (I'm sure) someone who is a bit new to anime, as the typical scenario of a male surrounded by females would not seem as overdone to them. But unfortunately I've seen it so much that it started, for me, on a wrong note.

The characters are a typical setup, which you will quickly notice. Not all anime can have unqiue and well thought out characters, I know, it's just unfortunate. The actual designs are quite appealing in some cases, as far as visuals are concerned. I really liked Chi's overall look, in fact, all the persocoms had quite nice designs. Again though, I felt the personality really lacked.

Story starts out simple but we know there is something bigger, or some kind of secret behind why Chi was thrown away. I'll admit a few things, there were some nice plot twists, even though a lot were predictable. And I'll also admit there were some lovely, almost magical scenes in the anime, often involving Chi. The anime is surprisingly pleasing to the eye (considering I personally hate CLAMP's art style, this is a big one for me), and the point of humanxmachine romance is oddly interesting. But I never really felt like there was much more, even with the story, something about it was just weak. Whether it was the typical ecchi/harem setup I mentioned before, the fairly predictable story, or the boring and overused personalities, it simply did not come across as much more than a visual pleaser with some romance. And for me, that's what let it down.

Don't get me wrong though, it's definitely good for a light romance with an actual plot leading it on, I just wouldn't personally call it anything of a masterpiece. Nor would I suggest it to anyone watching for the story instead of the romance. It's quite simply, a very typical anime. read more

I'm only part way through, not even half way. But I tell you, the only thing that has kept me going is the fact that I was finding it so darn hilarious. I know that's not what they were aiming for either, but the problem with this manga is fairly simple, and I will explain it.

--Story: 5 --
This is a drama romance, so as far as stories go I guess it isn't too bad. A girl with a hidden past who falls in love with the 'bad boy'. Turns out he is involved with her trauma's, however.

--Art: 5--
I don't want to be too harsh. It's done with fairly average quality, I just dislike the style. Even if it is a bit old (as an excuse). There are often no backgrounds, either.

--Characters: 2--
Nothing original. The girl is such a whimp, she cries and screams "NO! Don't touch me!" whenever a guy simply touches her arm - just because she is in a 'rougher' part of town. And she cries a lot... And the guy pretends he isn't interested in her to be cool. And there is an antagonist who smiles evilly a lot, a protective brother, a mother who can't make up her mind on whether her daughter should be allowed near her father or not (which is just stupid and annoying. I felt it was just to allow certain plot twists to run more smoothly rather than give her any sort of characteristic), and the friend who only shows up when the 'plot' needs pushing and nobody else is there to do it.

--Enjoyment: 4--
Since the actual story did nothing, this is just me finding it way too funny.

--Overall: 3--
The main problem is how the story is presented. It felt too fast or rushed, with holes, and such a desperate attempt to make it dramatic that the whole thing was just laughable. Also, I never really felt that any of it was even remotely believable, including their relationship, which seemed to have developed to 'love' without much happening between them at all. read more

The story of Bakuman is pretty obvious really... It's a story of two manga lovers trying to make their own anime. But it has a nice twist, or many twists even. With a variety of colourful characters, and a bit of (somewhat strange) romance, Bakuman still manages to stand out.

--Story: 6--
As stated before, the main story is fairly obvious. And in my view, it is not the most enjoyable part of the manga. Even so, many manga readers can relate to the situation the characters are in, which will definitely draw some aspiring mangaka in.

--Art: 10--
The style of art in this manga is very distinctive, fans of other manga such as Death Note would (or should) immediately recognise it as familiar. Each panel is very expressive and dynamic, to the point where it could almost be passed off as an action series.

--Character: 9--
The characters are what really stand out to me. Even though we have fairly typical leads, it's still fun to watch them develop and grow closer to their dream. There are also some very eccentric supporting characters who make up for anyone else seeming a bit typical, their rival Nizuma Eiji is an obvious example. Being hailed as a young genius of the manga world, his actions are quite exaggerated, such as the way he makes sound effects while drawing his manga.

--Enjoyment: 9--
Bakuman is a simple story done in such an exciting way it's hard to overlook. I happily await the updates (yes, online...). Not only enjoying the story and characters develop, but also just looking at the detail of the art. read more

While browsing through an anime mag I noticed a little article on the manga of Ray, and I found the synopsis interesting. When I discovered there was anime, I was also pleased, and (being unable to find manga) I watched it.

--Story: 3--
Sadly the anime resembles a boring soap opera with an anime twist. Though I did watch the entire series, I was not very impressed. No plot twist was unexpected, and none of the scenes/scenario's really stuck out as interesting, apart from one aspect: Ray's past. This was what drew me to the series in the first place, but unfortunately it doesn't play a very interesting role, which is mainly due to the fact that everything from that point on was easily predicted and had little impact.

--Art: 5--
The style is quite nice, though not spectacular. And the animation is fairly standard, or even a little below.

--Sound: 5--
Again, nothing really stuck out, but it did the job.

--Character: 3--
Excluding minor appearances from Black Jack, the series was filled with pretty dull characters. Their designs were nothing special either - though that can arguably be a good thing. I did like Ray's design though. But apart from that I didn't really sense all that much development, and could not relate to any of them.

--Enjoyment: 4--
Though there wasn't much special in my view about this anime, I still enjoyed it a little. Only a little though. As explained earlier, Ray's strange past was the only part that interested me, the rest was a disappointment. read more

--Story: 9--
The story of a girl searching for "A samurai who smells of sunflowers" sounds terribly simple. Which is fair, that's what it is. But considering what the series aims to give, it's quite suitable. So instead I've based the 'story' on the average rating I'd give each episodes story line. Samurai Champloo often has a different plot/story for each episode, the story spanning over 2 episodes max. Though this may not be suitable for someone interested in a story intense anime, it allows the creators to fill it with much action, humour, and entertainment. Even with the somewhat cliche stories used, they were done in such a way that I was completely drawn in each time

--Art: 10--
I absolutely loved the art and animation. The character designs were unique (while still making them fit in with the era). I personally found the art style one of the best I've seen. As were the designs, it was unique, and expressive, but still very much anime. The animation as well was brilliant, the fight scenes were smoothly animated, and the simpler scenes were done just as well. Easily a 10.

--Sound: 9--
I'm not a big fan of hip hop, so my opinion here may be a little bias, or I'd have thought so. Even with a strange music choice, it seems to blend in with the mood of the series perfectly. It just depends if you like it.

--Character: 9--
At first glance the characters seem overused, and basic. Fuu, a young cheerful girl who often gets herself kidnapped. Jin, a very traditional and silent samurai. And Mugen, Jin's completer opposite, a self taught fighter who acts before he thinks and seems to have no concern for those around him (unless it's a beautiful woman). And in a way, I suppose that's exactly what they are. But they're perfectly suited for the mood the series wishes, and succeeds to portray. Not only that, but I felt all three characters did have their own little quirks which separate them from the typical characters they seem to mimic.

--Enjoyment: 10--
I was especially fond of the mixture of moods through Samurai Champloo, some episodes are quite melancholy, tragic even. Usually the longer stories. While others are, to simply put it, strange. The humour in the series meant it could be enjoyed in more than one way.

--Overall: 9--
At first glance Samurai Champloo seems full of cliche's, with a pretty basic setup. But this series isn't about intense story or character development, it's about action and entertainment. And on that level, I feel it succeeded, or even surpassed what I had hoped for. read more

I watched this anime a while ago, but I remember how I felt about it.

--Story: 5--
Was there one? As from wiki "King of Bandits Jing is a series of short, usually disconnected stories starring the young boy who calls himself Jing, the Bandit King. Although Jing's reputation seems to extend throughout the universe of the series, many enemies underestimate him, not expecting the "great" King of Bandits to be a "little kid"."
Quite accurate, a different story each episode. I admit, a few episodes did have a bit of charm to them, and the short romances that Jing experiences in the series were somewhat cute, but that's all the series gives. A light story, that allowed the creators to put little thought into the series. It can work, and I've seen it work, but Jing does not pull it off in a way I found satisfactory.

--Art: 6--
Though art, as is most things, is down to the viewers taste, I don't have much complaints about it. It's wasn't great, but I was happy with it. I'll leave it at that.

--Sound: 5--
I found the music, the opening especially, to be very standard. Nothing stuck out all that well to me, and I was happy to skip it while watching. Overall, I don't particularly remember any of the music, nor am I bothered by this.

--Character: 3--
I actually found the characters really boring, Jing was a 'cool' young dude who didn't say much, somewhat carefree even. But nothing original really made me interested in his character. As for that stupid bird that followed him, all I could think of was that annoying parrot from 'Aladdin'. Minor characters that Jing ran into in the series did have a bit of appeal, but again, nothing really interested me or stuck out as original. I didn't even find them to be well done cliche's.

--Enjoyment: 3--
Some episodes entertained me, strangely enough one would be the episode with the Ghost Ship. I have been complaining about cliche's but sometimes they can appeal. A little, anyway.

--Overall: 4--
Each episode left me with a feeling of disappointment, and sometimes confusion. I had no idea where the series was headed, and the 'ending' if you call it that was completely unimpressive. If you want a light-hearted series that doesn't demand much attention, however, then perhaps you should try it out. I'd imagine it may also very suitable for younger viewers, but it's nothing special. read more

Watched as a young teen: Loved it
Rewatch as an older teen: Hated it
(somewhat harsh review? please don't be offended)

Sure, when I first watched it I was caught up in the love story, and the humour of the series. I admit it, I was originally a fan! But recently I went back to rewatch what I had once found so brilliant, and I noticed something... I found it 'dreadful'.

It's a shoujo anime. Yes, it has a twist (or perhaps twists?), and a calming sort of mood to it, but almost everything is predictable, and there is certainly nothing appealing (to me) about most of the characters. Actually, the only I found tolerable (upon second viewing) was Haru, even then he wasn't exactly unique. Even Tohru's best friends were overused in the world of anime. An ex gang member, and a paranormal/psychic girl? Overused in shoujo, it seems... Though weren't be heart warmed when we discover how loyal they are to their friend Tohru who accepted them regardless of their quirks? Sure... If this is your first anime, maybe.

However, as far as entertainment goes, the series is very appealing to types who can stand the mary-sue infested reverse harem, such as this. In fact, for those types, this could very well be their favourite anime, and I can see why. It just isn't for me, and I'm sure anyone with any longing for character originality or story would agree. Though I understand the occasional desire to watch this sort of thing, it doesn't excuse the overall unbearable feeling it brings.

Still, a good watch for the younger romantic, or younger romantic at heart? read more

I was quite excited Code Geass, which was strange as I'm not usually interested in the sort of "Giant Robot" genre. And I'm certainly no fan of Clamp's designs/art either. I watched, regardless, as there had been a lot of hype surrounding it, and I was quite interested in it based on what I had seen.

Code Geass is a series which left me confused about ow I should feel towards it. On one hand I had just viewed a wonderfully animated, well developed story with nice character designs and some plot twists which drew me in intensely. On the other, I had just viewed an anime with grossly styled art, fairly typical character personalities, and an abundance of scenes that tried to hard to shock, and succeeded - for all the wrong reasons.

I'm not sure what else to say. But I feel Code Geass is an anime you'll either love or hate, it's probably best to give it a go and make your mind up yourself, but I seriously warn anyone who has heard all the hype - it's not THAT good. read more

An anime that tackles discrimination, and humanity's fear of what's different with a lot of violence along the way.

The series had a creative new breed of human, called diclonius (consisting of horns and invisible arms that seem to destroy whatever they touch), which I felt to be quite a good design for the purpose of the discrimination, and violence. A good design also if you're into cat ears on anime girls... Though they aren't to be mistaken as such. There was one aspect of the anime which I found very nice: The music. The opening song was eerie and set an excellent tone for the series I thought I'd be watching, and was enough to convince me to try the series out.

However, I was greatly disappointed by the series. It's a harem, hardly anything more. With it's lack of direction, and typical characters, the actual story doesn't really seem develop. I feel like they focused on the main character too much - considering his complete lack of purpose in the series. I know, he had some involvement with the situation as a child, but it never felt believable to me.
I don't wish to waste much time on this review, but my overall feeling was disappointment. Considering how much potential this series had, it was let down by it's boring characters (e.g. Nyu's personality has been done, and it wasn't good the first time), and it's harem-like focus.


However, if you're a fan of cute and somewhat indestructible girls in a mixture of blood/guts and hilarious ecchi scenes and over the top/rushed drama, then sure, watch it. read more