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Ok so I was staying in a hotel through work, it was late, I wanted an easy film to watch so I picked this that had been on my list for ages. Setting the music to one side, this film is garbage.

Firstly, I watched the English dub version, which has songs like Them Bones and Ultra on it. I'm a big fan of AiC and KMFDM so anything that is in that vein for 90s related I'm a sucker for. I won't be saying it's the best I've ever heard, it's just a collection of songs I like put other anime. The music certainly does ... suite the action, especially the Chun Li Vs Vaga. But I can't really give it more than a 7/10 and I feel that's generous.

Animation wise I'm a little confused. Its really terrible. The excuse of it being a 90s anime can't be used here. Comparing to Akira for example, which is from 88, it looks terrible. Ghost in a Shell came out a year after this movie and it looks like it's from a different time. Considering how much Capcom was riding high from the success of SF2, SSF2, SF2 Champ Edition, you would have thought the animation was top notch. It has no business being this bad. The characters, look like the characters yes, but over than likeness, it's really poor. 3/10

Story, well, nothing to report here. Its boring, unexciting and turns into a bit of a slog to get through after about 10 mins. The only thing that kept me interested was wondering which great tune will appear next. There is no rewatching potential here. It barely has the potential for it to be consumed once, let alone multiple times. Story I would give it also a 4/10

This gives us an average of 4/10. Not recommended, I shall say no more.

OK so Deadmount Death Play is OK, there is something however lacking from it that means it will never hit any lofty heights. Its funny, in particular when The Phantom Solitaire takes over the show, but all in all is a little disjointed and needs more thought for it to be a great as it could have been.

The animation is great. This is probably the part in which it shines the most. It isn't getting into the 9s or 10s but it's definitely solid. Frustratingly, the opening sequences animation is superb. The battle this is taking place looks fantastic and ... you feel it is setting the scene for a show that is going to be incredible. Once this opening scene is finished however, and you see where this story is going, you know it will never hit the same level throughout the show. You will see when you watch it. Throughout the animation is still good, but below the standard set in the opening sequence. The colours remain great through regardless and I would still give this an 8/10

Story is reasonably interesting. It progresses quite nicely though and keeps your attention. I do feel like it suffers slightly however by the poor balance between its characters screen times. You feel that you know who the main protagonist is, and yet he remains the main protagonist, you get lost in the other characters taking the screen time which results in a bit of an odd balance. Thought I wont complain about the screen time of Phantom Solitaire, as he is the best character in my opinion, it resulted in feeling like you were watching two different shows. 6/10

Music is an average fair. Couple of decent moments but average at best. 5/10

Its OK but doent really excite me. This is a mixed feeling one for me.

Perfect Blue is a very intricately written film. This show focuses on a battle between what is reality and what isn't, which interestingly you ask yourself multiple times when watching. You consistently question whether what you are seeing is the depiction of reality or not. This keeps you engaged all the way to the end and really does keep you on your toes.

I'll start with what I believe to be the worst element of the show and that is the animation. For 1998, it's not the best to be honest. Looks akin to early 90s or even the late 80s. It still does what required ... though and despite being simple in it's execution, depicts the descent into madness rather well. The designs of the characters are good and the colours are reasonably varied without feeling dull or muted like some of the golden era anime suffer from. All in all I would give this a 7/10 for it's animation

The music was great. Though I don't really have too much to say about it. It fit the film very well. One thing that I do want to comment on is the elevator scene. The use of music here is phenomenal. There is a moment in the car park prior to the elevators opening where tension is created with nice sounding J-Pop. The is a feeling of unease created, then, the elevator opens to a low budget hi-fi, volume up and distorted creating pure drama. It is excellent. The rest of the show is standard fair. 7/10

Now then, this story. Out of the films I have seen in anime, this is definitely one of the most well written and attention demanding I have ever seen. I was constantly questioning what was real and what wasn't. There are twists and turns that keep you guessing all the way to the very end, and I mean the very end. There is still something incredibly subtle in the final moment in a car before the credits. It really is a phenomenal story told so expertly. I have only seen two Satoshi Kon films, this and Paprika, despite the story being good in Paprika, Perfect Blue is superb. I won't say too much more about the story so I won't give any spoilers, all I will say is expect the unexpected. Story 10/10.

This is a really good film. Its unfortunate that the animation and sound arnt better. I would give this film as a whole an 8/10. The quality of this story though deserves a better score. Definitely recommended.

Oh how I love the world of Bebop. I honestly have no idea why I waited so long to watch this. Who doesn't love a good space opera? One thing is for certain, this is better than good.

The animation is chef's kiss good and for 2001 it's excellent. It has the elegance of the 90s with the fluidity and smoothness of the modern era. Its pretty much the pinnacle of 90s animation. As always the characters designs are great and out main antagonist is absolutely spot on. There really is something special about our protagonists; Spike, Jet, Faye and Edward. Just seeing them again, for ... one last time, hits you with a kick of nostalgia you didn't know you needed. There is a special place is a lot of people's heart for Bebop and for those who are yet to watch this film, and are a Bebop fan, you'll likely feel the same nostalgia as I did. The animated hand to hand combat in this is excellent, with the final fight sequence being a highlight. The train sequence is probably my highlight to be honest. It has everything an action sequence needs and was animated flawlessly. 10/10

As far as music is concerned, it's Bebop, is it going to be anything else other than brilliant? We are back with live musicians creating the music. It just oozes cool. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't hit the heights of the show, but then again, nothing much comes close to this. Nevertheless, it elevates perfectly the moments when it choses to grace us. No other place is the more perfect than the train scene. The performers and composer knew exactly what was required to elevate this sequence which for me, is the best moment of the film as the story finds it center here which is displayed through excellent animation and music. 9/10

Story wise, it's in a similar vein to the sound. Its not the best Bebop has, but is still excellent. Though it is unfair to compare the story of this to the show, but if anything could be compared, this is it. As I said above, the moment the story sets itself is the train scene. The antagonists portrays his real danger and the Spike understands the risks of this protagonist, sadly, a little too well. This then gives us an exhilerating later half that would be a 10/10 any day. The first half is where it doesn't shine so bright. Again, it's still very good but is a little slow compared to the latter half. The writing is still great throughout, the characters have zero development but we don't need that from Bebop, got that with the series. For me the story is 9/10.

In summary, obviously I'm going to recommend this. Though it is better enjoyed having watched the show first. Its a great film and deserves a strong 9/10.

Have to be honest here, some people may call me crazy, but this is one of the best written stories in anime. Its up there with FMA:B and Steins;Gate for me. I had no expectation it was going to take me on the journey so captivatingly. I also watched this directly after watching Hell's Paradise so I was on a high from positivity. Little did I know how good this was going to be.

First of all the animation is as solid as you like. The character designs are great, the designs of the environments are spot on and there is a variance of light and ... dark that prevent it from being this dimly lit piece of work that is all one dimensional. There isn't much more to say on this to be honest, it's a thriller/mob anime that doesn't need mega flashy animation. It needed enough to support the tone and context to this excellent story. 9/10

Secondly is the music. Its perfect. It is literally everything you would want a show about mob families to be. It conveys the emotion of the scenes with easy. Adding a stunning layer to story telling to the already excellent story. I wasn't a fan of the opening theme but the closing theme was very fitting. I felt the opening didn't really fit the show at all but I'm not factoring this into my score as I think most opening scenes for anime are garbage anyway. For me, this score is 10/10.

Finally on to the story. This tale of
revenge is excellent. It also gets better and better with every passing episode. There are many twists and turns, none of which are expected, all of which, leave you a little taken aback. Its interesting that I've read one reviewer mention that their attention was caught from the outside yet was lost only a few episodes in. For me it was the opposite. Yes, I liked the characters from the outset, but I wasting invested in them. This show is like a small snowball running down a snowy mountain, as the journey progresses, the ball gets bigger and bigger until it reaches the bottom, and as the size of this ball through the journey has developed so much, by the time it smashes into something at the bottom, so many pieces are flown everywhere. That's how I feel this show plays about. The story, by the end, has you bought into every character which I do t often experience from many anime. The story is an easy 10/10

This is a perfect revenge story that has you surprised at what happens next literally until the credits roll on the final episode. I genuinely stand by this as one of the greatest animes of all time, if this is too bold for some, it's definitely the greatest underrated anime of all time. For me, this show is 10/10.

Up until watching Hell's Paradise I was yet to see a bad MAPPA anime. After watching, I still haven't seen a bad show they have put out. Dororo, Dorohedoro, Jujutsu Kaisen etc, my personal underated gem is Inuyashiki. The worst they have done, that I've seen anyway, is God of High School and despite it being a 6, this was due to its story rather than the superb animation. Anyway, let's talk about Hell's Paradise.

First off story wise, it's really riveting. From the moment the characters are introduced, they are likeable. The comedy moments are also well written, and written in such a way that ... it doesn't detrimentally impact our main protagonist, which for Hell's Paradise, is Gabimaru. This guy is great. He demeanour reminds me somewhat of Shikamaru, things are just 'such a drag' for him. The main thing that is great about this story though is how it progresses and how new characters are introduced. New elements that are added to to the story come as a suprise and arn't obvious and which this, comes new characters that add more dynamic to the show. The antagonists are a nice touch too. They are really OP but it doesn't feel lazy or forced or a 'drag'. Everything is well written and ensures your attention throughout. 9/10

Animation wise it's solid. Character designers are great, the world they are in looks great and the action sequences have more than sufficient levels of polish. There is quite a lot of action in this short season but it still manages to deliver great quality, varying animations and supports the story well. The animations on the main protagonists are great too and add rather nicely to their OP nature. 8/10.

Music and sound I also feel is a strong 8/10. I really do appreciate when an anime utilises strings well, seems to have a well thought score, is enough to convey the tone, story and emotion correctly and when the music by itself is also great. This is what you are getting with Hell's Paradise.

This is a really strong anime. It has everything you want from the genre of show all at a really high quality. All in all, it's a very high 8/10, but as we can't give decimals, it has to be 8/10. Great show.

I really enjoyed this film. End to end it kept me engaged in story whilst the animation continued to be stunning throughout.

Animation wise, this reminded me a lot of the style from Porco Rosso. Its like it has hints of Disney whilst rooted in Japanese animation. This films animation is stunning. Everything moves fluidly, the characters, I feel anyway, are nicely designed and have their own originality. As we journey through the film we are treated to variety. The environments vary in a nicely contrasting way, the above ground segments looks vibrant and full of life and the below ground environment look dull and devoid ... of life, not physically but spiritually. The animation does a really good job of painting the picture this story is trying to convey and is honestly one of the most classy looking anime films I have every seen. I'd give the animation a strong 9. Ifs funny because I watched this straight after finishing Sigurui which is, in my opinion, one of the worst animations shows Madhouse has ever done, which is rather contrary to Metropolis.

Music wise, I feel is rather strong. It takes a nice detour away from what we are used to from anime. We go from swing, to orchestral, to jazz, to just straight smooth and gorgeous tunes. Honestly one of the finest, best fitting soundtracks I have heard in a film. Its such a stylish OST and still manages to be coherent and fits the film perfectly. I is quite evident that just as much time was put into this soundtrack as was put into the animation. Though I'll be honest, I feel the music tops the animation by just a little which means I'm giving the score a 10/10.

On to the story now, which I think is it's weakest point. Don't get me wrong, this film still kept me thoroughly engaged throughout, but I felt this was more down to it's stunning animation and the perfect soundtrack. The story doesn't have a whole lot of weight to it. Its still tells a great tale for sure, it just lacks much dynamic. There isn't many soring highs or heartbreaking lows, it's all just a little flat. The characters are well written but do little beyond what they deliver upon their Introductions. This film still has a story worth watching, it's just not hitting the levels it needs to be among the great stories of anime. For me it's a low 7/10 on the story front.

All in all this brings us to an average of 8.6 but I never round up. So this is getting an 8/10 which is help up by the great animation and sublime soundtrack. Its still a film worth watching, it's just unlikely to be in most people top films/shows of anime.

Right, ill cut to the chase, this show isn't good at all. Its trying really hard to depict a brutal time in Japans history and trying way to hard. This anime has a lot of horrible scenes. So if you are a little sensitive to extreme violence or sexual assault, some of which is at the same time then for a start this isn't for you. Equally, if you like shows with great animation and great story telling coupled with great character development, this show also isn't for you.

Ill start with the only positive and to be fair, its still not great. ... The music is minimal here and attempts to provide tension and a sense of foreboding. Instead you just get bored of hearing it. It may be hindered by the fact that what is accompanying the music is mindnumbingly uninteresting, but still, its gets really boring. Don't get me wrong, i appreciate what it is trying to do, and in some circumstances do a good job with the atmosphere. Sadly, its more of a miss than than a hit. 5/10

Animation is a shocker from Madhouse, which i never thought i would say. Every scene is always really close to the characters. This provides little context to the visual element of story telling in anime. Further, most of this is inside dark rooms with absolutely zero character. Sadly, even if there is the possibility of some textural character, you can barely see it due to how close the characters appear to the 'camera'. A lot of the time scenes go by without even seeing the characters full face. I am assuming this too is to create tension in the dialogue or the story but its just really irritating for me. Moving on to the violence etc, its just unnecessary. I have no issue with depicting such things providing they serve a purpose either for the narrative of the tone of the show, here it really doesn't and comes across as trying way to hard at the cost of a controlling the tone and atmosphere of the show. 3/10

Moving on the the story...its just really boring. I didn't care about the characters, all of which are unlikable. No attempt was made to get you invested in any character and i get it, its trying so so hard to depict the times of the shows setting, its just really boring. I haven't been as bored watching an anime in a while.

Overall, I thought this was rubbish. Definitely not the worst i have seen, but not too far off. Its baffling to me how the aggregated score is so high. Clearly my feelings towards this are closer to the minority.

I thoroughly enjoyed this 2 part show. Yes it's short and yes there isn't much to the show but despite this, its still really enjoyable. There isn't too much to say about the show if i'm going to be honest but i'll give it a go.

Animation wise it really rather strong. Despite not much happening, the animation assists the comedy well. I would go as far to say that without the strength in animation, it wouldn't be anywhere near as funny. The character design is pretty standard for the time and there aren't many characters to focus on. Then ... again, not sure this really is a valid negative considering there are only 2 episodes lasting no more than 21 mins each of actual show. That being said, I believe the animation deserves a 7/10

I normally touch on music in my reviews, but there isn't much of it and with such little run time I'm not going include the quality of the music as part of the overall score I'giving it. Not really sure it needed much music at all to be honest. There is the standard buzzing cricket sounds on the 90's present and not too much else.

I was really happy with the story here. It genuinely is very funny, mainly due to how ridiculous it is. I guess there could be a message here about judging books by their covers and the negative connotations this can have for the one judging, put setting anything deep to one side, its just silly fun to be honest. The fact that our protagonist is simply trying to carry out a caring task and the remaining cast are impacted in the most extreme and contrary way doesn't get old for me. I would also give the story a strong 7/10

This show isn't long, even if i thought it weren't great I would still recommend it as its hardly a burden of an investment. I do however feel that most will like this show and won't come away feeling like they have wasted their time. Its a 7/10 from me

This is a great film. One that keeps you engaged throughout. It has everyone you need for a good solid film. Its not perfect by any means but looks, sounds and is worth your time.

Firstly the animation is lovely. I'm a sucker for 90s animation so maybe I am a little biased here, but nevertheless, it's stunning. The characters all look great and you can tell significant attention was paid to all of them. In scenes with many characters, even thr characters in the background have been realistically animation, not just the ones in the forefront. No more is this on display that the opening ... scene. The characters look fluid and, as much as animation can be, look realistic. This is something I feel is missing from modern animation. In the 90s, there was a realism to the characters, nowadays, the animation is incredible yes, but the realism element is sacrificed. Here, the realism is on full display.

The music here is properly cinematic. Its not outstanding so still does a solid job. The particular high point for me, which is most certainly not normally the case, is the closing credits. What plays after the rather sad ending is absolutely perfect for summing up the emotions on display. Throughout the film, the music does what it needs to do. It is a proper film score, rather than a selection of songs, and it give great service to the story being told and the atmosphere the film carries.

The story is great. Makes a refreshing change for me to watch something that could happen in real life. Recently I have been watching a lot of sci-fi stuff so a touch of realism helped here. However, I can't use this biased to up my rating. Setting aside this, there is a riveting story here. It has it moments of losing momentum towards to middle but still grabs yours attention for the moments that count. I often find love depicted in a little bit of a cliché way in anime, but it's delivered in a sort of believable way here, though still not realistic. Despite this, the culmination of this story, is satisfactory due to the love formed between two characters thus showing I could feel it meant something.

This is definitely a story worth investing time in. It has it's ups and downs but does a great job at keeping your attention just enough, and delivers a satisfying conclusion, that you won't feel like you wasted your time at all.