Fushigi Yuugi

The most redeeming part of this story is that it does not end with the realization of the protagonists' love of each other. Miaka and Tamahome become involved in a relationship and continue to evolve in that relationship over time. The concept that all interesting life experiences don’t end with falling in love is clearly presented and that is a worthy message.

While this may have been an early form of the 'priestess stolen from another world to save an ancient city' theme, it was by no means the best I have seen. The characters were interesting and had potential, however, the ... main character was clothed in piety in order to hide that she was truly ignorant and selfish. She cried a lot about how people around her got hurt and how she wasn't any good at doing things and then would run off alone, forcing her companions into danger and giving them all kinds of needless obstacles in protecting her. Then, when they acted in a similar fashion she was hurt and confused. If the point is that sacrificing yourself to alleviate your own feelings of guilt and fear is counterproductive and only gets people hurt, then this is a good lesson. But Miaka is only seen as more loving and benevolent after these choices and continues to make them throughout the series. And Miaka’s friends continue to take the brunt of her poor choices.

Yui’s reaction to her struggles was unbelievable. She and Miaka had known each other since kindergarten and still, when it came to believing Miaka, Yui blindly takes the word of a stranger she had known for only a few months? This is instigated because when Yui is taken into the book, she is attacked. She knows how little knowledge and ability that Miaka has and in all the times Miaka was attacked Yui was powerless to help her. Yet, because Miaka didn’t magically come when Yui called her Yui hates Miaka for it. Then, Yui blames Miaka for having people to save her when she entered the world, but the only thing difference between their experiences was that Miaka protected herself against the thugs before she was saved by Tamahome, whereas Yui did not protect herself before Nakago came. Beyond that Nakago never hid is cruelty or manipulation of others from her, so he was obviously not the good guy type. It would have been more believable if they had claimed Yui had been envious of Miaka from the start of their friendship. Either way, the character reactions to almost everything were over dramatized and unrealistic.

Ultimately this anime tried hard, but falls short of anything beyond mediocre entertainment. It reinforces a lot of poor judgments and makes unrealistic conclusions about consequences. But it was not all bad so I gave it a grade of average.

First off, I'm going to start with the fact that I finished this anime, all 52 episodes and I'm still not sure why. I couldn't stand most of the characters, the art is outdated, the story is decent but there are so many stupid tropes and situations that I stopped watching it several times throughout the series.

But I returned to finish it. Why? Because despite the annoying characters, painful voice acting, and dumb tropes, it has a weird sort of charm. Maybe I'm just nostalgic for shows I watched in my childhood (mainly Inuyasha, actually) but I actually enjoyed it.

So i started watching this anime and at first i thought "what an interesting show!" i like the story line and season one was pretty decent despite some dragging bits. After season two i almost killed myself, the main characters who seemed to have so much power in the first season suddenly are at the mercy of the over-powerful baddies. The love story really f'd up too they really just needed one reason to not be together instead of all sorts of useless side reasons that are solved so quick. I also hate how one sequence, going from spot A to B takes 4 ... pointless travel episodes with a crap load of foreshadowing and flashbacks, just show me the damn fight!

Despite all this i really invested myself in the show 52 f'ing episodes does that, and i really liked a few characters but of course they aren't in the second season as much and suddenly there is no comedy left! As much frustration as i had while watching ie. yelling at the computer, flipping off the douche bags, and skipping to the good parts. I did enjoy the anime enough to finish all the OVA’s which were better than the whole series!!

You'll notice I rated this anime a 6/10 which I know is lower than what most other people rated it, but that's only because I don't think Fushigi Yuugi is that special of an anime. The story isn't original, the characters are simple, and by the end I was bored of watching.

Story: Miaka was just an ordinary girl until she got sucked into a book and became the priestess of the beast-god Suzaku. Now, in order to fulfill the prophecy, she has to gather the seven warriors of Suzaku in order to save the world and "make all her dreams come true." So the ... anime's driving force is Miaka trying to summon Suzaku, but she can't do it without the seven warriors. When I read the summary of Fushigi Yuugi I thought to myself "finding the seven warriors is probably going to span the entire anime", but actually Miaka finds the warriors surprisingly quick, she finds one right after the other with no filler in between.

However, the biggest problem I have with this anime is all the attention on romance. A lot of the problems the characters face in the anime are solved not with fighting and violence, but with the power of true love. There is some action in the anime, but always the problem they face is ultimately solved with love as in all the characters crying, hugging, and the music getting all soft. Even after the fight is over, Miaka says "I was so worried about you" and then more hugging.

Furthermore, I was shocked how long this anime is, I mean after the main story is over it has three OVA's that total 13 extra episodes! Also, just when I thought Miaka had everything she needed to summon Suzaku, Miaka finds out that she still needs to do something else!

Characters: If you're the kind of person that likes relationships then you'll love this: Miaka loves Tomahome, but their love is forbidden; Hotohori also loves Miaka, but Nuriko loves Hotohori and Nuriko is gay, but Hothori isn't; Yui loves Nakago, but Nakago is just using Yui; Soi also loves Nakago, but Nakago doesn't love her. Do you think you can follow all these love-triangles? Miaka never stops talking about Tomahome, I actually counted once and she said his name almost 30 times in one episode! "I love Tomahome", "I'm worried about Tomahome", "I miss Tomahome." I'm so sick of romance >:(

Furthermore, some of these characters have such flat personalities. Chiriko and Mitsukake barely say anything, the writers basically erased Hotohori, and Miaka has to constantly be rescued. You see in anime's picture Miaka's holding that sword, that sword actually belongs to Hotohori and Miaka doesn't even know how to use it so she's useless in a fight.

Also, it's so obvious that Nakago is just using Yui so whenever Yui talks about destroying Miaka I just scream "Miaka never did anything bad to you, you have no reason to want to destroy her, stop acting crazy!" Seriously, how is that these characters can't tell Nakago is evil, he is pure evil and Yui doesn't seem to notice!

Overall: This anime is for people that like love stories and soap operas, not people like me who like action and adventure. Only watch this anime if you're a big fan romance and if you aren't then don't torture yourself by watching this anime.

Review in English and then in Spanish....


Introduction

This time and seeing that I had time on my schedule. I chose to return about 25 years in the industry to observe some of the work of the Pierrot study back then, and I found it striking not only because of its synopsis and genres it covers, but also the good overall average score that “MAL” leaves us. " But let us not go any further and enter fully into the analysis.

Story: (5/10)

(SPOILERS)
This section tells us the adventures of how 2 friends find a strange book in a library and are taken inside it to another world from ... the ancient Chinese era, where the protagonist Miaka ends up being a priestess who is in charge of gathering her guardians to invoke to the spirit of Suzaku and thus be able to fulfill his desire to return his life to normality.
In the course of the trip we have observed many adversities or situations that are presented to our cast of protagonists and they are drawing successfully and eloquently for the plot during its first half of the series, or rather until chapter 30. Since then You can see a change in the rhythm and considerable development seeing that the emission limit that would be 52 episodes was approaching, they had to search and force some facts in the story, this was when the quality of the show began to decline, being very summarized and Obtaining a certain "script" from the management with very convenient situations in certain sections of the history of our protagonists, which unfortunately lasted until the end of its broadcast.
Despite this, it should be noted that regardless of how, this adaptation achieves a starting and finishing point that is truly important, but in a way it hurts to see how that solid series that was in the beginning gradually faded away.


Art: (8.5 / 10)


Honestly, it is difficult for me to catalog or criticize this point, since I do not consider myself too expert in the subject and the truth is even more complicated when you analyze an Anime from 25 years ago, but from what was my point of appreciation, I consider that it has had a performance according to what it deserved with a fluid animation and beautiful designs for the time the show was held.


Sound: (7.5 / 10)

In particular I like it, although it did not get more than one OP / ED throughout its 52 chapters, I liked the 2 songs and that caused the essence of the adaptation to be impregnated in its melodies that was recorded in my mind by a good time, positive point.


Characters: (5.5 / 10)

(SPOILERS)
Here we enter a dilemma as in the case of "history". The cast itself that we are introduced to during the adventures is considerably interesting, but only a few characters at the end of the day receive the treatment they deserve in good depth and developed from it, and I mean some like the same Miaka and Tamahome who are the main ones and would summarize Nuriko and Hotohori as outstanding, although already with a more relegated role and with fewer minutes on stage (somewhat understandable). The rest of the guardians of Suzaku pass without penalty or glory, they receive some introductory chapter at the time but once inside the main cast they become part of the environment that does not contribute much in itself. Which generates a certain point in obtaining a "Death Flag" and transmits as much empathy as it should to the viewer.

Enjoy: (7.5 / 10)

(Spoilers)
Last aspect and as always I mention the most relevant to my criteria.
Personally, I felt very happy with the Anime in the beginning, since at all times it showed what I was looking for, that mixture of romance, action and drama in good quantity and quality. But as I already mentioned, the emotion began to drop as we got to the middle of the show and the plot began to fall apart, since truly to create an anime that would last through the ages, it had to obtain at least 100 chapters for Doing everything to the letter, including the final battle, leaves little to be desired in the little that was developed and the way in which it takes place. Now, what really pays off at the end of the anime is that epilogue "surprise" that leaves us with the revelation that the guy with glasses that appears at the end is Tamahome's "reincarnation" in a way, which leaves me a very gratifying final smile.


General: (6,8 / 10)

I recommend this adaptation for people who love the gender / Romance / Shoujo / Action combination, as is my case, but be careful, it is not a series that I consider to be fundamental in these sections, because it does not comply in some points, which could be expected more, but if you are like I am a fan of this anime stereotype and you have seen everything potentially interesting today. It would not be a bad idea to take a look at this title.


-----------------------

Introducción

En esta ocasión y viendo que tenía tiempo en mi cronograma. opte por regresar unos 25 años en la industria para observar unos de los trabajos del estudio Pierrot en el aquel entonces, y me pareció llamativo no solo por su sinopsis e géneros que abarca, sino también el buen promedio general de puntuación que nos deja “MAL”. Pero no a larguemos más y entremos de lleno en el análisis.

Historia: (5 / 10)

(SPOILERS)
Este apartado nos cuenta las aventuras de como 2 amigas encuentran un libro extraño en una biblioteca y son llevadas dentro del mismo hacia otro mundo de la era china antigua, donde la protagonista Miaka acaba siendo una sacerdotisa que está encargada de reunir a sus guardianes para invocar al espíritu de Suzaku y así poder cumplir su deseo de regresar su vida a la normalidad..
En el transcurso del viaje hemos observado muchas adversidades o situaciones que se le presentan a nuestro elenco de protagonistas y van sorteando de forma acertada y elocuente para la trama durante su primera mitad de la serie, o mejor dicho hasta el capítulo 30. Ya que luego se nota un cambio en el ritmo y desarrollo considerable viendo que se les acercaba el límite de emisión que serían 52 episodios, tuvieron que rebuscar y forzar algunos hechos en la historia eh aquí fue cuando empezó a decaer la calidad del espectáculo, siendo muy resumido e obteniendo cierto “guionazo” por parte de la dirección con situaciones muy convenientes en ciertos tramos de la historia de nuestros protagonistas que perduro hasta el fin de su emisión desgraciadamente.
A pesar de esto queda destacar que sin importar tanto el cómo, esta adaptación logra un punto de partida y llegada que es lo verdaderamente importante, pero cierto forma duele ver como esa serie sólida que fue en el comienzo se fue desvaneciendo poco a poco.


Arte: (8,5 / 10)


Sinceramente me es difícil catalogar o criticar este punto, ya que no me considero demasiado experto en el tema y la verdad es aún más complicado cuando analizas un Anime de hace 25 años, pero desde lo que fue mi punto de apreciación, considero que a tenido una performance acorde a lo que ameritaba con una animación fluida y bellos diseños para la época en la que transcurrió el show.


Sonido: (7,5 / 10)

En lo particular me agrado, si bien no obtuvo más de un OP/ED en lo largo de sus 52 capítulos, me agradaron los 2 temas y eso causo que quedara impregnada la esencia de la adaptación en sus melodías que quedara grabada en mi mente por un buen tiempo, punto positivo.


Personajes: (5,5 / 10)

(SPOILERS)
Aquí entramos en una disyuntiva como en el caso de la “historia”. El elenco en sí que nos presentan durante las aventuras es considerablemente interesante, pero solo unos pocos personajes al final del día reciben el trato que se merecen con una buena profundidad e desarrolló del mismo, y me refiero algunos como los mismo Miaka y Tamahome que son los principales y sumaria como destacables a Nuriko y Hotohori aunque ya con un papel más relegados y con menos minutos en escena (algo entendible). El resto de los guardianes de Suzaku pasan sin pena ni gloria, reciben en su momento algún cierto capitulo introductivo pero una vez dentro del elenco principal pasan a ser parte del entorno que no aportan demasiado en si. Lo que genera en cierto punto un vacío a la hora de obtener sus “Death Flag” y nos transmiten tanta empatía como debería al espectador.

Disfrute: (7,5 / 10)

(Spoilers)
Último aspecto y como siempre menciono el más relevante a mi criterio.
En lo personal me sentí muy conforme con el Anime en el comienzo ya que en todo momento demostró lo que venía a buscar esa mezcla de romance, acción y drama en buena cantidad y calidad. Pero como ya mencione la emoción comenzó a bajar a medida que llegábamos a la mitad del espectáculo y la trama comenzó a caer en pedazos, ya que verdaderamente para crear un anime que perdurara por los tiempos de los tiempos debió obtener al menos unos 100 capítulos para hacer todo al pie de la letra, inclusive la batalla final deja que desear en lo poco que se desarrolló y la manera en que se da. Ahora, lo que verdaderamente vale la pena al final del anime es esa “sorpresa” de epilogo que nos dejan con la revelación de que el tipo con lentes que aparece al final es la “reencarnación” de Tamahome en cierto modo, lo que me deja una sonrisa final muy gratificante.


General: (6,8 / 10)

Recomiendo esta adaptación para gente amante de la combinación genero Romance/Shoujo/Accion como es mi caso pero atención, tampoco es una serie que considere que fundamental en estos apartados, por que incumple en algunos puntos que se podría esperar más, pero si eres como yo fanático de este estereotipo de animes y has visto todo lo potencialmente interesante de la actualidad no sería mala idea que le hechos una mirada a este título.

Brought to us by the same guy who made Ayashi no Ceres, and basically following the same formula to the point I will reuse text from the review I made for it. It another one of those sappy melodramatic shows that made some impression at their time but were otherwise forgotten fast after several other better shows came about.

Romance is a very specific genre. There is not much variation to how “boy and girl meet” and usually everyone expects the exact same thing to happen in the conclusion. That is why to spice things up, the conditions under which the boy and the girl meet ... or the ordeals they are going through need to be different each time, in order to at least make the world around the otherwise one-track romance to appear interesting.

Take this series for example. We have quite the usual fuss. Naive good girl meets mysterious pretty bad boy and falls in love with it 0.13 seconds after they first meet. Why? Well, she is naive, he is a boy, he is pretty, and apparently being bad is quite fascinating if you spent your life pampered and see this as a way to get wild before you grow old and wither away in boredom with some fat, bald poor business man who cares more about football than you. Ok, I understand; it’s been like that in most corny shoujo and it still sells today no matter the stupidity of the whole deal. For more information, check out the success of frakking Twilight .

STORY SECTION: 6/10
Analysis: Premise 2/2, Pacing 1/2, Complexity 1/2, Plausibility 0/2, Conclusion 2/2

But that is now and this is, what, twenty years ago; a time when romances were to the most part not happening in space, in the past, or in magic fairylands. Very common today, very rare back then. This anime did not receive its fame because of its romance, which to be honest is following the book of corny romances to the letter. It is about the world around that romance.
-Let’s have the girl being the reincarnation of a celestial maiden, whose mystical powers can control the forces of the world.
-Let’s have her knight in shining armor be a super warrior in a magical land and part of her elite followers.
-Let’s have her best friend tuning out to be her worst rival, because fate requests it and because the villain in the show exploits her emotions.
-Let’s add a hundred other people trying to exploit, survive or just have fun with all that.
-Let’s add flashy superpowers. Lots of them.
-And tears. Lots of tears.
-And let’s always end the most important episodes with a cliffhanger.
Yeah, sounds great already.
So I’m not going to lie, the premise of this anime is amazing, despite being so old. You can focus on different aspects to it instead of just seeing it as yet another corny romance (which it is by the way).

But let’s try to see a bit deeper than that and check out some things most fangirls … err… viewers don’t notice. The pacing for example has always been the most overlooked aspect of most stories, being left alone to read books home while bijinism and extravagant are out partying like crazy all night with naivety and suspended disbelief. If this poor champ would be noticed for some weird to imagine reason, he would tell you that this series (as well as most others for the same matter) is suffering from tuberculosis. It has a very formulaic way to present its story, some parts are damn boring, some others are hardly affecting the overall, and the finale is a five year old writing Tolkien fanfiction on a napkin… with its mother’s crayon.

Of course, nobody ever listens to poor old pacing as the fang… fans of such shows are too busy yelling “Kyaaa, Tamahome is so dreamyyyyy!” This example can expand to pretty much any romance by the way, with the only difference being the name yelled. But in some alternative reality of the multiverse where his voice is heard, everyone would agree that the way the story unravels is far from “as dreamy as Tamahome”.
-Most side stories are hardly affecting the overall plot and yet they are there to slow the pacing. Just imagine four teams of warriors, each one having seven members and yet only one or two in each one matter. And the way the fated couple keeps copping with their ordeals looks too silly at best.

But it’s not like the story is complete boinkers either. Its main idea expands further beyond the main duo and shows how circumstances can turn an average person to a savior and charismatic leaders being manipulated by shady people to do things they never intended. It is also full of emo characters with colorful personalities and sappy personal drama along with supernatural fights in the likes of Naruto or Bleach. And to its core, it is still a romance, ideal and corny enough to follow with your ears gone out of order because of the constant screams of those fang… fans of romances.

Bottom line, it is a good story with a messy presentation. It may sound epic at first but it plays out like a soap opera with magic, slapstick humor and mediocre fan service. I consider this anime the forefather of The Twelve Kingdoms, which a decade later managed to gain far more fans by having far more mature presentation (it is was sadly left incomplete).

ART SECTION: 5/10
Analysis: General Artwork 1/2, Character Figures 1/2, Backgrounds 1/2, Animation 1/2, Visual Effects 1/2

Yup, the visuals are as weak as a harem lead next to a pair of panties. All the attempts at showing cinematics seem poor even considering the age they were made. And the character figures have quite simplistic anatomy and facial structure, being separated only by their hair color or clothes. Of course, this being a romance most will probably only care about how pretty the guys and the gals look (or better say the same guy and gal with different wig and uniform) and won’t give a frakk about the awful way they move… or don’t move at all and stay frozen with a flapping mouth. The manga version could get away with its fluent lining and rather stiff body positions but the anime version is guilty as charged.

SOUND SECTION: 7/10
Analysis: Voice Acting 2/3, Music Themes 3/4, Sound Effects 2/3

This part is rather ok. Voice acting is fine (considering how annoyingly sappy the characters are meant to sound) and the songs are ok to listen to many times without feeling fed up with them. At the same time, there is nothing amazing about it either.

CHARACTER SECTION: 7/10
Analysis: Presence 1/2, Personality 1/2, Backdrop 1/2, Development 2/2, Catharsis 2/2

The cast is actually quite interesting on paper as there is a plethora of different people with different goals and demeanors and most of them do change or mature or simply get killed. As far as variety goes, there is lots of it and their behaviors are very well excused through their backdrop stories.

What ruins it is the way they mature / develop, etc. It feels generic in the least and eventually it is all about following what the priestess said. A monologue by some good guy is enough to change one’s worldview immediately while inhuman villains try to look sympathetic to us ten minutes before they kick the bucket. I’m sorry; it’s too sudden to mean anything. As it is with all those characters who seem to matter for one or two episodes and afterwards become nothing but stunts in the team and stall time in the battles.

Some minor bickering can be said about the main characters as well for being to the most part irritating stereotypes. They do eventually develop of course but considering the amount of air time they get, it feels slow and vein popping to the most part.
-Miaka for example has nothing special to remember her about. She is aloof and frail when it comes to some hunk near her. She either gets saved by pretty boys or gets super powerful when they are not around; so she survives no matter what happens. She also has a real problem in staying dressed or not being chased around by rapists every ten minutes. And lol at her superpowers going away if she is no longer a virgin; this alone guarantees her purity remaining intact for the whole show.
-Tamahome is to the most part the stereotypical hunk the heroine is after from the first second they met. He is simply so blunt in whatever he is doing and even most of that has to do with running after Miaka or desperately trying not to deflower her although he really digs her ass.
-Yui is basically the evil side of Miaka, manipulated by the villain who is basically an evil Tamahome. That’s right, the main antagonists are the dark counterparts of the heroes. What, you expected something more? Anyways, Yui is also a blockhead for becoming her best friend’s nemesis for something she never did. Furthermore, how much of an idiot can you be for not knowing if you got raped or not?

VALUE SECTION: 3/10
Analysis: Historical Value 1/3, Rewatchability 1/3, Memorability 1/4

Um, not much. It is ok the first time you watch it, with those cliffhangers constantly making you yearn for more. But the second time you will most likely skip most of it, since to the most part it plays out as a corny shoujo with corny shounen action. And the premise in general has been used numerous times in later shows with better animation; so tough luck even there.

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 1/10
Analysis: Art 0/1, Sound 0/2, Story 1/3, Characters 0/4

Good concept, bad pacing, bad animation, irritating personalities. Gets 1 out of 4. But if you are one of those Banshees, you will like it a looooooot more.
“Tamahomeeee!”

VERDICT: 5/10

SUGGESTION LIST
The Twelve Kingdoms
Vision of Escaflowne

Fushigi Yugi's considered the most famous of Yu Watase's works. Considering I got a good amount of enjoyment out of her later work Ayashi no Ceres, I decided to give Fushigi Yugi a shot. However, the series proved to be rather underwhelming with me considering the number of cliches common in a shoujo anime that this series gives off.

This series is loaded with plenty of melodrama revolving around the romantic developments with Miaka and Tamahome, the tensions between Miaka and best friend Yui and the ongoing conflict between the Seiryu Seven and Suzaku Seven as they try obtaining the means they need to summon their ... country's respective beast spirit. Attempting to exaggerate the issues faced by the characters also come along with their state of mind not making much sense at many points. Characters are shown rather frequently to make foolish decisions to put themselves at risk despite knowing the dangers they get caught up in, this predicament regularly happening to Miaka and needing Tamahome to save her from any sort of danger. This problem also arises with characters who become aware of obvious facts with the questionable moral issues of the side they take up and not questioning whether they made the right choices, this regularly shown with Yui's hostility towards Miaka for her assumed suffering despite knowing of facts concerning the nature of the book she is whisked into and the questionable morality of many of Nakago's actions. The show's efforts at also having you feel for the personal losses of major characters (shown prominently throughout the show's second half) also suffers to an extent due either to sloppy writing in the logic of events or limited depth on said prominent characters. If you're not a fan of melodrama, this series will regularly push your buttons throughout its run.

Outside of the melodrama, Fushigi Yugi also carries a number of the cliches common in a shoujo anime with Miaka pretty much put in a reverse harem scenario with the multiple bishounen that make up the Seiryu Seven, several of whom develop romantic interest in her and fall under different character types. The show makes attempts to toss in comedy to relieve the title's more serious moments, but these attempts mostly fall flat. The series also tends to get in a bad habit at many points of having the old "conveniently saved in the nick of time" cliche come up whenever a character is in a life-threatening situation. Also, it appeared the series had quite the limited budget for its visuals considering the choppy frame rate for animation, washed out backgrounds and occasions of off-model character designs.

Despite my constant complaining though, the series does do some things right. The characters that are reasonably developed enough get enough background where you do care for what happens to them and are rather likeable, despite the show's melodramatics making their serious moments look silly at a number of points. Also, the world of the book that is a regular setting in the series is based on actual mythology and elements of astronomy followed by the Chinese such as the Four Symbols and 28 Mansions, that make for interesting study and comparison to those interested in learning more about Eastern cultures.

Overall though, I feel rather indifferent towards Fushigi Yugi compared to Watase's later work on Ceres. The series dips into too much cliches and melodrama common in shoujo anime for me to get seriously invested into the title's plot and characters, as well as having moments of sloppy narration and writing as a result of said melodrama. Unless you're a big shoujo fan, I think Fushigi Yugi may be getting more praise than deserved from older fans.

I watched an episode of this a week when I was in college with a group of girls in our dorm rooms, and every week, we were amply entertained by the insanity of the story. The story is so wild, the characters so over the top, everything just so outrageous, that So Bad It's Good and Go Big or Go Home both equally describe this anime.

I assume it was pretty groundbreaking and unusual at the time of it's creation and inspired many anime's after it, so for that reason alone, it's worth checking out. But the balls to the wall story is honestly another great ... reason to watch as well.

No, I would not say this is a well-written anime. But boy was it a lot of fun.

Honestly, this is the anime that started it all for me. Although I believe the first anime I've seen has to be Pokemon. This was the first title I've actually seen through to the end (and 3 OVAs after). I really should have rated it higher, but as of now, that I'm reviewing it from memory, it would have probably been a disservice or filled with Nostalgia Points.

Story-wise, it really was unlike anything else my young impressionable self has seen. But it also probably geared me away from harems in general. Whenever I look back on it now, I just realize how messed up ... it kind of is. But that's not for this review to disclose. It's a wild ride, definitely, so you better get settled in. The characters are unforgettable. Years and years after watching this, the characters are going to be what sticks with you. Their quirks, their personas, really. More than just the lead couple themselves. If you're new to anime or if you're a young viewer, they should serve as your primers to the different archetypes you'll be dealing with in other anime shows. Other characters from different shows might not be as vibrant or as exaggerated though.

Of course, the sound, too. It was distinct enough that whenever I hear of the OP and ED, or even anything that sounds remotely like it, I just start thinking back to those days where I watch and rewatch and obsess over this show. They're really great.

I am unsure whether I will enjoy this series as much as I did back then when I was still new to the whole anime scene. But for the nostalgia factor alone, I rated it with 8 points for enjoyment. It definitely has the comedy down pat.

Maybe I should give it a rewatch and revisit/revise this review when I have the time?

I went into this anime not expecting much and I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. If I had to sum it up; if this seems like the type of anime that you would dislike, then you will dislike it. If it seems like the type of anime you will enjoy then you won't necessarily enjoy it.

STORY- 6

It's a very typical story for this kind of show and it doesn't really do anything outstanding. One thing that really spiked my enjoyment for this show is how it handled it's cliff hangers. I think they were timed perfectly, I just had to watch ... the next episode, despite it not really being that mindblowing.

However! What the show does, it does well. It's satisfying to watch and I personally never really felt like it was wasting all that much time. Although the middle was a bit more boring than the rest of the show, the show never really gets back to square one, nor does it have any arcs that don't have anything to do with the main plot.

One thing that was almost funny was the show's fanservice. Sex is very much a thing in this show and it is discussed at length, (it can be a bit insensitive at times for today's standards) with one of the plot points being the main character's virginity status. But this definitively isn't a hentai or even an ecchi really, it truly is fanservice for its target audience: young teenage girls.

ART- 4

The weakest part of the show. But, to be perfectly honest with you, sometimes I just want to have something on while doing other stuff. so the lack of pretty visuals REALLY didn't bother me... This was the perfect show to just have on in the background, look at the screen once in a while, while doing homework and other tasks.

If anything, it is refreshing to watch an older show once in a while, if just for a change of pace.

The art isn't good. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

SOUND- 7

I actually liked the soundtrack. Again, it might just be the change of pace with this being an older show, but the opening and ending are enjoyable to listen to and I never really felt the need to skip them. The show has a tendency to play character songs, which you know.... It never really does make the sad moments sadder.

I will listen to the soundtrack later on youtube to see if I like it separately, but it again is nothing special.

CHARACTERS- 5

Here we get to the part that might be a deal-breaker to many people. Miaka, the main character, she is, well... annoying. I personally did not find her that annoying, but I know that is how many people describe this type of character. The closest comparison would be Usagi (or Serena, whatever floats your boat) from sailor moon. I think those two even share a voice actor, that's how archetype-y Miaka is.

She is a glutton, lazy, dumb and a damsel in distress, who just needs to help out despite not being able to contribute, because damnit, we need to further the plot somehow!! But she has a heart of gold and always does her best to do the right thing. Yeah... that kind of character.

I personally don't find this type of character to be that annoying, because... yeah, I am like that too lol. And I really don't think she is the worst that this archetype has to offer, but you should stay away if this kind of thing bothers you.

I think that Yui Hongo is WAAYYY worse of a character than Miaka, but I'd have to go into spoilers as to why. Let's just say that the story doesn't do her any favours; she isn't allowed much room in the role the story assigned her and it makes her actions seem unreasonable.

The villain was mediocre.

The best characters were definitively Miaka's brother and his best friend, they were pretty funny.

All the other characters are OK I guess, no favourites here. (Although Hotohori is definitively better than Tamahome, just saying)

ENJOYMENT & OVERALL- 7 & 6

Enjoyable is the best way to describe this show. I enjoyed it, it was nice to have on in the background, but it is not really a favourite nor is it good enough that I would go out of my way to recommend it to people. I think you definitely need to have a taste for this kind of show to enjoy it and if you don't think you are that type of person, then I would stay away.