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[REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILERS]
Noein, the almost-impossible anime to describe without spoilers. But a promise is a promise, so here you go, no spoilers ahead.
* ART: 8
The art is very good in this anime. Not at masterpiece level but it does well its job. There are some CGI scenes that are so and so, but for 99% of the time animation is nice, using a clean and bright style, and with some good changes of palette and stroke, also given the... "strange" different settings it has to deal with. If you have access to the specials (for instance a DVD), don't miss the nice art special, which ... will show you the real places that are then depicted in the anime.
* SOUND: 9
The main epic piece, which defines the topical moments, of the story, will stay impressed in your head, nice job.
* CHARACTERS: 9
This is hard to describe, because the main character here is quite... special, and has various facets. Characters are well defined, they grow on you, especially of course the main character, Noein, which has after all a complex personality, masked under an apparently simple attitude.
* STORY: 10
Do you want something original? Do you like plots that are not the classic and boring storylines, where you know the ending as soon as a story starts? Here you go, welcome! Since the very beginning, you will be transported into a roller-coaster, a complex and intriguing storyline mixing science-fiction with thriller and emotions. The story is here the main attraction point of the anime, which carries on all the weight, and succeeds from the very beginning to suck you in.
* ENJOYNMENT and OVERALL: 9
Noein is a special anime, because it tries to play high with the story, using innovation to keep your attention up. In this, it largely succeeds, being interesting, challenging, and intriguing at the same time. If you are looking for a plain, turn-off-your-brain plot, this is not the anime for you. If instead you want good science-fiction, together with innovation, mystery and more, you just cannot miss this gem.

[REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILERS]
Oh boy, hard to do a review without spoilers of this beautiful anime. Because it's for some specific points that this show reaches greatness. Anyway, let's try:
** THE VERY GOOD POINTS:
* STORY: 8
The story is very good, as it mixes classic combat situation with school/training. It may not be so original, but frankly, where are the original stories nowadays? Storylines are good, there is thought and strategy, and from the first moment you are hooked in, and want to know what happens next.
* ART: 9
The art is very nice and enjoyable, plus it makes a great effort to strike what is the essential ... factor of this anime: diversity of characters. In particular, one character, the real jewel of the show...
* SOUND: 9
The soundtrack is very nice, always on spot, catchy, and perfectly suits the story moments.
** THE OUTSTANDING POINTS:
* CHARACTERS and ENJOYMENT: 10
Really, this is an anime about character, spirit, feelings and emotions. Don't think you are going to find the classic "hero" traits here, because what makes this series so special, and intriguing, is how it redefines the same concept of hero. Which is not an easy and straightforward concept. What is a hero? That's the constant mantra of this anime, and the greatness is in how this question is answered. Because the truth is that it's not so easy at all, to define what a hero is. And as soon as the show progresses, many answers are given, and also many new questions come up.
On top of this, the enjoyment factor. Because yes, we can split votes into story music art and so on, but what really matters in an anime is: how much does it catch you? How much do you feel involved? How much do you ENJOY it? This show catches the emotions of the viewer, and never let them go. It is just pure enjoyment from start to end, touching your inner feelings, making you think, laugh, enjoy, question, participate.
Summing up, this is a top-class anime, well worth staying in the classics of animation. Watch it and just let it go, let it touch you deep inside, and above all, let it find the true hero within you.

[REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILERS]

Full Metal Panic! is a particular anime in every aspect.
Is it a robot/mecha anime? I expected so, after all there is a "Full Metal" right in the title, cover images show you those robots, so it has to be a mecha title.
Well, yes and no.
Mecha's are present and are a good part of the action, you will find battles and strategies and more. Yet, that is not the primary focus of the anime.
What is it about then?
It's really all about the final part, "Panic!": mind the exclamation mark ("!"), because that's the most important part. Let's see better.

THE FULL METAL: STORY, ART, SOUND ... (8)
The story is rather interesting, although it is not particularly complex. It flows well, there are good and evil ones, battles and more, but don't expect particular twists or surprises. Art is also good, with very nice drawing and an entertaining color palette: this is a nice anime to watch. The soundtrack does its job: it has a set number of themes that are repeated on and on, but they are spot on and nicely shape the atmosphere.

THE PANIC!: CHARACTERS and ENJOYMENT (10)
That's what makes this anime special and different from the many others: the characters, and the enjoyment level they bring in. This is really an anime about people and their reactions. Sure, sometimes it's exaggerated. Sure, sometimes it is strange. But oh well, it is just pure fun. It takes people (like the two main characters) and sets the stage for a human comedy. A comedy of fun, passions, thoughts, social interactions. It fills your heart and your soul, and succeeds in what an excellent anime should do: make you wonder what happens next. Not so much for the mecha's and the battles, for the technologies or the mysteries: the plot line is just the background behind, because it's the actors that fill the stage. This anime is addictive, and grows within you. It's like an exclamation mark after a word: it's not just words that matter, but how you say them.

And so at the end of the ride you will be left with those sensations that only the best anime leave: enjoyment for the show, and sadness because it's ended. Until the moment you go on with the sequel, that is, when that ride of emotions will start again to roller-coaster, and capture again your heart.
Always with an exclamation mark!

[REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILERS]
A very good movie for an epic saga

Premise: I watched this movie with the intention of starting the Captain Harlock's series (never seen before), so this review values the individual movie, and also its value if you are interested to give Captain Harlock a try.

STORY: 9/10
As a newcomer to the Harlock's saga, I have to say the plot was rather intriguing. Seeing the young captain, and how his adventure started, was quite entertaining. The whole movie is well written, and provides for a very good sense of suspence, plot progression, and final climax.
There are some dialogues that, for today's taste, may sound a ... bit too emphatic/rethoric, but they anyway fit well within the epic setting that the plot builds. And of course, you also have to remember this is an eighties movie, so the "heroic" mood has to be understood and appreciated within its historical context.

SOUND: 7/10
The sound was good and appropriate. Nothing exceptional, but it does its job well. If you have a subwoofer in your home theater, don't play this movie at late night, the basses of those spaceship engines will rock your house ;)

ART: 9/10
I really liked the art part of the movie. My edition was blu-ray, so maybe this also contributed to the higher enjoyment, but anyway the art is very good, the color palette is vibrant but never too cheesy, the artistic choices (character drawing, spaceships and so on) really top class: for being a movie done in the eighties, this is really a feast for the eyes.

CHARACTERS: 8/10
All characters have something to say, and they manage to stand out and provide solid contributions to the plot. Sure, this is "just" a single movie, but the long duration (2 hours!) makes for a satisfying development, allowing each character to leave its unique emotional mark.

OVERALL: 8/10
I really liked this movie, so much that it gave me impulse to proceed with the rest of the Harlock saga.
Even if you are not interested in going on with the other Harlock series, this movie is self-independent, and as said is a very nice and entertaining single epic view, which manages to get together a very good plot with high artistic values, and which should not be missed by anime fans.

[REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILERS]
Cowboy Bebop, a true classic with some so-so's.

THE GOOD'S:
* SOUND: 12/10. Really, can you only give 10 out of 10 for the music here? In Cowboy Bebop, it's the music that takes the stage, and sets the atmosphere of the anime. Music sets the environment, the mood, the spirit, and really makes the anime oozing class. Remember this name: Yoko Kanno, the true musical genius behind. Many times, before or after an episode, I just left the dvd menu on to listen to one of the many terrific tracks. This is really the number one anime of all time as far as soundtrack ... is concerned, period.
* ART: 9/10. The art is very nice and enjoyable, and marries well with the soundtrack. Consider it is a '98-'99 series, and you see right away how the art is even more remarkable given the time. In any case, even today, it stands very well and helps a lot to define the atmosphere of the series.

THE SO-SO's:
* CHARACTER development and STORY, 6 to 7 on average, more on single episodes.
Some characters are somehow well defined, others are less defined, and this is not helped at all by the story development, which is hardly sufficient.
The plot goes on using single episodes, self-contained stories: while this helps the casual viewer, and makes for some epic single episodes, it doesn't provide a sufficiently deep storyline, which is a pity given the other merits of this anime. The same ending is rather disappointing, showing that the story writers somehow "had to" finish the show, while it absolutely deserved better. It left me a bitter aftertaste, for all the potential not fullfilled.

OVERALL: With its good's and so-so's, this is anyway a classic, must-watch for everyone interested in anime. Sure, it could have been even better, but even with its pitfalls it is a beautiful and innovative series, worth staying in the top's of anime history, and that didn't age.
Watch it and, even more, listen!