Telepathy Shoujo Ran

Story: So the story is mostly solving mysteries with the help of the psychic powers the girls have- specifically supernatural mysteries seek out our main character Ran through telepathy so they get caught up in it. Some of the stories involve ghosts, murders, myths, animals, etc. There is a diversity of mysteries that aren't very predictable. I would rank it higher except it was pretty repetitive. Almost every episode (some of them were a bit longer lasting 2-3 eps) was them solving some form of mystery one way or another. There was obviously character building and interactions as well but yeah. Also the ending two ... episodes got pretty wacky. I won't go into detail but I think they should've just ended it on a more casual note with the same pace and stakes as the rest of the anime but instead they wanted to go out with a bang and created this enormous situation that seemed way to grand and out of place. Still had a cute ending though.
Art: Basic. Nothing bad or great about it really. The quality was consistent and there was no 'same face syndrome' which is all I ask for in an anime to be honest. The character designs were good too and it is nice to have an anime that doesn't give crazy hair and eye colors. But there were no scenes that were absolutely gorgeous or anything like that.
Sound: I liked having a main character with a kansai accent- that is not very common. The voice acting was good, though Rui really didn't have many changes in the pitch of his voice. I wouldn't be able to differentiate his serious voice from his happy voice etc. But he was a pretty mellow character so it might've been done one purpose. The OST was very well done as well.
Character: I loved the characters! They worked well together and each character had a very different personality. There really wasn't much background or character growth though, except for Midori. That isn't necessarily bad though, but for a 26 episode series they could've had a few episodes that focused less on the mysteries and more on the characters. For example: we almost never see them interacting with their classmates- only with characters involved in mysteries.
Overall: I think this is a hidden gem anime that everyone should give a chance and I think it is age appropriate for everyone!

Telepathy Shoujo Ran is a series that had intrigued me for a while but I had always made excuses not to start it. Because of my interest in it, I did come in with a certain level of expectation and while it certainly is on a whole a pretty solid show the ride was a bit uneven.

The overall story in Telepathy is both the best and worst part of the series. While there really isn’t an overriding plot, the general theme is pretty interesting and in many ways unique from most anime of this kind. The story centers on Ran, a seemingly ... normal middle school student who suddenly finds herself able to read minds and possessing other strange powers. In a turn that is a bit different from most series, the plot focuses more on the feelings of fear and isolation of being different from everyone else and how people's impressions of you would change if they found out. While the story is generally light-hearted and upbeat, this theme permeates the entire anime and is the basis for most of the stories. At times the drama is pretty intense, particularly when it comes to Ran's friend Midori who shares her powers. The conflict between the two of them and the development of their characters (particularly Midori) as the series progresses is without a doubt the best part of the entire show.

However it’s not all good. As I mentioned, the series is uneven and that is due mostly to the story. While the beginning portions of the show are extremely interesting as well as portions later on that have to do with Midori's character development, too much of it feels a bit too much like mindless fluffy filler. Many of the stories are monster/freak of the week fare and the only thing that makes them interesting at all is Midori's antics. Though of all the series faults the one that annoyed me the most was the eco-rant and violence in the last story arc of the series. While I have no problem with message stories, this came across as a lecture and really was inappropriate. Though the overall ending seemed to tie things together, I really hate feeling like I am being preached to.

By far, the characters make this series worth watching. As a lead, Ran is pretty typical. She is an earnest and idealistic girl we are used to seeing in anime. She is a bit vanilla but despite that she is going to be the one most people will be able to relate to. Shockingly she is surprisingly normal (despite her telepathic powers) and unlike a lot of anime characters she actually has a normal home life free of perverted brothers and fathers or dead or missing parents completely. It's kind of a shame that I seem to have to point out normalcy when it actually occurs in anime given how rare normal is. But I think it’s refreshing to see a family like this instead of using it for cheap laughs or tired drama plot devices.

Midori however really steals the show overall. While she starts off as a villainess her growing friendship with Ran and their personality conflicts really sets her apart. Her personality could best be described as a closet tsundere. While she puts up a facade of being the demure and elegant rich girl while in reality she is a crabby, foul mouthed glutton. Her crush on Ran's older brother Rin is also quite amusing. However it is the deep emotional scars under the surface and the development of her character over the series that really sets her apart. Midori's experiences is in many ways is what Ran herself feared the most. The rejection of Midori by her mother when she found out about her powers shaped her whole outlook on life but through her friendship with Ran and helping others she is able to come to grips with her powers and her mother.

Rui rounds out the rest of the main cast. He is also the least interesting to me. He is your typical effeminate anime male who mostly comes across as an emotionless robot. I suppose you could call him Ran's boyfriend and while you can certainly tell that he cares and likes Ran a lot there is little change in how he appears to feel about anything really from the first episode to the last.

The supporting cast is pretty solid. Ran's family is refreshingly normal but because of this they aren’t particularly interesting either nor do they really appear much either. The only exception would be her brother Rin, who has the most screen time. They provide bits of levity and comic relief, though perhaps ultimately end up rehabilitating Midori the most from her emotional scars. Since a lot of the stories are a bit standalone most characters appear once and don’t return again.

Artistically, Telepathy is good though not spectacular. The characters are suitably proportioned for their age groups and realistic. That being said it does feel a bit plain and bland. This is not really a bad thing, as I kind of liked the more down to earth and realistic style but given how flashy a lot of series are some people may find it visually dull. Vocalist Chara does an excellent performance with the OP to the anime which I felt fit the show wonderfully. The ending is less spectacular. Overall the voice acting is solid and there is little to complain about, or compliment either for that matter.

I find myself feeling both rewarded and disappointed with this show in the end. I think it had potential to be much better but at the same time it is never bad either. The repetitive stories and environmental raving at the end is a definite negative however this is offset by the great leading cast. It’s a pretty safe series in that it is unlikely to be hated by anyone but equally unlikely to be loved either.

This is an entirely watchable anime. That's why I'm watching it. My enthusiasm is fading slightly as the show goes on.

The cute heroine looks like the heroine of Ghost Hunt, and she's psychic, and she goes on adventures not unlike the adventures from Ghost Hunt.

Mostly the show reminds me that I would have liked Ghost Hunt more if it had featured more psionic stuff.

Obviously, the show includes telepathy. Additionally it has some unrealistic telekinesis, ghosts, some non-human spirits, etc. The paranormal elements seem more realistic than some of the plot contrivances.

I love the characters. That doesn't mean they're very ... well-written or well-directed. The character Naha Midori is perhaps the most interesting character, but she is pretty maladjusted, and somehow her conflicting emotions don't get portrayed convincingly. One minute she's secretive and sinister, the next minute she's aggressive and aggravating, the next minute she's into some entirely new pose. Yes, maladjusted people can be mercurial like that, but it feels forced. This is a shame, because the other characters are pretty two-dimensional.

I've been known to enjoy some shows that were intended for young girls, such as "Ultra Maniac," and some shows with appeal for young viewers of both sexes. Heck, I even watched more "Sugar Sugar Rune" than I care to admit. So far, "Telepathy Shoujo Ran" doesn't have the style and polish that sets some shows apart. I'm hoping that it gets better.