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Ok, so . . . I watched this on a sheer whim after seeing it on someone's "Do Not Watch" list on youtube and I thought "What could be so bad about this?" So I decided to watch it.

Unfortunately, I can sort of see where that list was coming from.

In the interests of fairness, I actually watched all twelve episodes and really, I don't think they're absolutely damn terrible. But I will admit to being thoroughly creeped out by some of the characters.

The artwork is actually pretty good. It's in a 'pretty' sort of style and the characters' appearances and some backgrounds have a fair ... amount of detail. Their personalities are also fairly well shown, considering each boy has only about three minutes of screen time (except for the first; Merry features in both episodes 1 and 12). If I had to pick a favourite, it would have to be either Eiji or Ryuushi.

But some of them are downright creepy. Those twins in episode 10(?) are outright scary; I'm pretty sure if that whole scenario had actually happened, then I'd have thrown them out the window from either mortification or anger. One or two of the other scenarios presented are also . . . a little less than fluffy. The result is that this series is more often than not downright cringe-worthy.

The premise is an interesting one, and I probably will go back to it if I'm feeling really, really, REALLY down, but all in all it's not that well-executed. Heck, the violinist is playing NO music! At least they could have included that surely! Oh, and on that note, other than the opening credits (I've not seen any end credits) there is no music. Or, really, any other sounds at all other than the males talking.

All in all . . . not really one to recommend but hey; to each their own right?

I read this on a whim when i found it using a site's "surprise me" button. It's only one volume, so if you're looking to occupy yourself for a while then you may want to consider other manga, but if you don't mind short stories then this could be one for you.

The volume is broken up into six individual stories, each having something to do with romance and/or the supernatural. One or two are a bit shorter than i'd have liked and don't really fully explain anything with regard to the plot or characters, however the rest are all in some way very sweet.

With each ... story being so short, there isn't a lot of time to develop the characters, so you're introduced to them in one fell swoop and get to see how one event affects their personalities. Despite this, i found that for the most part the characters were very enjoyable and each is likable in some way; many are characters that you can easily relate to.

The artwork in the actual panels of the manga isn't as pretty or as detailed as that of the cover, but this isn't really an issue, firstly because a manga uses the cover as a lure anyway and second because the artwork inside is still of a good quality. Besides how many manga actually have the same level of artwork inside and out? Not many that i've seen anyway.

Overall i rated this a seven. I think some more stories would be a good idea, and perhaps one or two coud have been better written, but for the most part it was an enjoyable read that i would read again in the future.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, or Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, is one of the greatest anime series i have as yet encountered. The plot is simply amazing, the soundtrack is mesmerising, the characters so easy to relate to that it is just phenominal.

But that's not all, because this series takes everything you ever thought you knew about the magical girl genre and gives it to you, then turns your coach into a rotten pumpkin.

The theme of this series is desires, dreams and wishes. Not only how we think we want something, but also how far we're willing to go for that wish, what we're willing ... to do for it, and the consequences behind being given what we want.

Kyuubei, the wish-granter, is one of the most chilling characters i have ever met in the world of fantasy. And you end up empathising completely with Madoka and the other girls as their characters are so wonderfully developed within the series. The artwork is a mixture of cute-ish style and just plain wacked (you have to wonder how exactly some of these artists came up with them) and the soundtrack completes the mood so perfectlythat it all ultimately helps create an endearing and heartbreaking anime series. I've actually downloaded the entire soundtrack i thought it was so cool!

The basic idea is simple; everyone has a desire within their hearts, be it for themselves or another. What this series does is turn the whole concept of this idea and the magical girl genre on its head like you're watching a dark fairytale that you didn't even realise was actually a nightmare until it was too late to turn back.

I fullly recommend this to anybody, because this is not your average run of the mill magical girl series, and it reveals that behind the cutesy-fluff of the genre there is a whole other side to it that no one ever wanted to believe existed. If watching this series doesn't make you shed a tear or get even vaguely watery eyes, then i don't know what will.

A truely enchanting and heartbreaking series that everyone should watch.

There is one major downside to this film which i will point out before anything else is said; it is confusing. Whereas the TV series was quite easy to follow, this is not so easy to follow, unless you understand that the entire film is one large, unending metaphore filled with smaller metaphores. even then it can be confusing at times, with confusion on the part of the audience as to why certain scenes and elements were included. It is for this reason that i have ot marked it as highly as i otherwise might have done. However multiple viewings of this series-turned-film can reduce ... the level of confusion and produce, not only an understanding of the concepts being portrayed, but also a deeper insight into what we are really seeing.

That being said, this film is still very good viewing, with all the elements we loved in the series, such as the characters, music, artwork and animation, still very much present and accounted for. The soundtrack is amazing and all the characters are present, though one or two are only seen through brief cameos.

The themes of Adolescence of Utena speak for themselves in the title; this is all about growing up, and the struggle during the transition from chidhood into reality. We can see these themes more strongly in the artwork than in almost anything else, as we go from the romanticised and almost fairytale-like academy into the harder, crueler and much less pretty real world. We watch as Utena and Anthy recognise their beloved academy for what it is, an illusion built for the sake of protection, and travel with them as they leave behind both the past and the ideals of childhood and princes for the world of aduthood. Once we understand this concept, then the film becomes a whole lot less confusing.

This theme is, perhaps, best summed up by some of the last lines of the film, wherein one character points out that where the two are headed there are no roads, and another points out that new ones can aways be built.

There are some scenes of fan-service, and the sexual themes barely touched upon in the series are more pronounced in this film. While this may make some viewers uncomfortable it is important to remember what point this film is making and that in turn makes these scenes almost normal. You could also say that the confusion of metaphores is a methapore in itself of the confusing emotions and events connected to growing up.

Despite some confusing imagery, this film is actually very moving in its own way as it tries to make sense of that time we call puberty and growing up, as at some point or other every single one of us has gone through these confusing trials.

I would recommend it to most people, but those who are offended easily by nudity or overt sexuality would probaby be best to steer clear of this challenging and provoking animated film.

I was recommended this anime by a friend but had only recently gotten around to watching the series myself within the last couple of days of writing this review. I managed to watch all 25 episodes within this time frame and so they are all very fresh in my mind.

The series is split into a series of story arcs, or "case files", which makes it interesting in itself. Each of these files is between 1 and 4 episodes long, which alows plenty of time to develop the plot of that story, the charactrers involved and the atmosphere. This means that by the final episode the ... characters are very well developed, with new aspects of their beings revealed in almost every episode.

I have found both the characters themselves and the stories within the episodes very easy to relate to and believable. We follow Mai on her journey from mere observer to active participant in this strange new world and along the way are introduced to a veriety of colourful personalities that are both engaging and endearing. The fact that each comes from a different walk of life is also a point of interest; we have an Australian Catholic Father who is ony 19, a Shinto Priestess from a wealthy family, a Buddhist monk who gave up his vocation for music, a celebrity medium, an onmyoji, a paranormal researcher and two highschool students, one of whom is a psychic with a broad spectrum of talents. It seems like a recipie for either disaster or humour, and the latter can most certainly be true, but rather than disaster it is nice to see all these different beliefs pull together and work through their differences rather than be at odds with one another as can often be the case.

The stories themselves are likewise as engaging as the characters who act them out. All are typical ghost stories that you might read about, such as the spirits of murder victims returning to haunt the place in which they died, but because almost every "file" takes up multiple episodes the individual stories are allowed time to fully develop. We are given the full story as opposed to an edited version and follow the team from S.P.R. as they investigate each case as though we are also a member of that team.

Given this time to develop, the atmosphere also takes a life of its own, becoming suitably creepy or sad as required. This is helped by the soundtrack, the characters' reactions and the flashbacks we witness as the audience. The stories range from tragic and sad to shocking and sometimes downright horrifying, though there are also one or two more amusing ghostly antics too such as episode 11, a one-episode case file, and you fully empathise with the characters involved. I didn't once feel bored as i have with other series. The animation is also very well done and presented and the English dub (which i watched) doesn't sound as bad as other dubbed series i have also seen; in fact i'd say it's one of the best ones i have watched.

The information within the series itself i have found to be accurate so far as the studies of parapsychology and their terminology, and you feel as though you yourself are a part of the investigations conducted by Shibuya Psychic Research (S.P.R.), the group the series revolves around.

As with anything there is always room for improvement, and with only 25 episodes so far i would very much like to see these developments continue with further case files, but it is a very enjoyable series as it already stands and the feeling of it being unfinished does not spoil it.

All in all this is a terrific series that i would recommend to anybody, particularly if someone has an interest in this sort of genre or in the supernatural at all.

I watched this anime on a recommnedation from a friend and, truth be told, in the English dubb mainly as opposed to the original Japanese. The storyline didn't immediately grab me, as it is one done in many different anime and manga; a special group of schoolkids and the antics they get up to. However as the story progressed i found it to be be both interesting and entertaining, and there were so many moments where i found myself cringing for characters' embarrasssment, laughing at their pranks or face-planting my desk because of characters' blindness (Tamaki in particular) made it truely worthwhile.

The storyline draws you ... in and you relate to the characters because of their faults than because of anything else. The twins, for example, have only had each other all their lives and find it difficult to let others in, and yet with barely any effort Haruhi can not only tell them apart, but enter their world. This, of course, poses some problems, particularly when Hikaru develops a crush on her without realising it and becomes very jealous of other guys she smiles for. These faults can only endear these characters to the reader/watcher and you end up laughing and smiling along with them.

I have some qualms about exactly how many episodes i have watched, mainly because the site i watched them on seemed to have a broken link or two where two episodes apparently repeated themselves, like the 25th, so although i made it through the list of 26 episodes, i only count it as having seen 24, but i look forward to changing that soon enough and would recommend this anime to anybody as a bit of light-hearted fun.