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Within the first couple seconds, I knew Hourou Musuko would be unlike anything I had ever watched before. For those who are too lazy to look above, Hourou Musuko is the story of two friends: a boy (Shūichi Nitori) who wants to be a girl and a girl (Yoshino Takatsuki) who wants to be a boy. As one can infer, the anime has a lot of themes relating to sexuality (cross-dressing, gender identity, puberty, etc.) That being said, it is definitely not for everyone, like if you have a problem with gays, lesbians, cross-dressers, etc. or if you don't like to think too hard about ... your anime. But for the rest of us, Horou Musuko may very well be one of the best anime out there.

Story: 9
And you thought being a teenager was awkward for you...
To put it simply, Hourou Musuko shows the everyday trials and tribulations of middle schoolers, straight, cross-dressing, gay, whatever. The themes of sexuality are a big part of this so this makes it especially good for those of us who are or know someone who is LGBT. While I, myself, am not LGBT, many of my close friends and family are. This anime really accuratley portrayed the struggles of sexuality and finding one's self. The story is really (for lack of better terms) refreshing and wonderful however it can be somewhat confusing, especially in the first episode. Those who have read the manga say that it doesn't make much sense to those who haven't read it but I (having not read the manga) was able to make sense of it. A suggestion to those who are planning to watch: have a list of characters so you can match up faces with names. It really does help. But the story, to put it another way, is simply beautiful.

Art: 10
When watching Hourou Musuko, one might compare it to walking through a watercolor painting. The art is lovely and evokes just the right amount of nostalgia. The art style is not the anime stereotype with large eyes and a rainbow of hair colors. It's fittingly realistic and the animation is right on.

Sound: 9
In keeping with the theme, the music and acting in Hourou Musuko is really something. Simple yet tender piano melodies make up most of the score while there are some pieces that fit right in with comic scenes. The voice actors do their jobs and do them well. The cast has many new faces (er, well, voices) like Asami Seto who debuts as Takatsuki. They really give the anime that feeling of reality and make it seem plausible. Thumbs up for newbies!

Character: 10
Although it's hard to keep track of who's who (especially in the first episode), all the characters are really unique and unforgettable. Their feelings really come across and not in an overly dramatic way, either. No one's the bad guy and there are no losers; rather, everyone is able to tell their side of the story and justify their actions. The relationships are remarkably real and really do stir up that feeling of nostalgia (first love, friendships lost, etc.)

Overall: 9
Really, it's a high nine so more like 9.7 or something (I'm very hesitant to give out 10s!)
So, in conclusion, Hourou Musuko is an amazingly realistic story that is somewhat sad and definitely will leave you feeling nostalgic. The art and music are both gorgeous and add to the overall feeling of the story. The voices actors are effective in their parts in getting the characters' feelings across and the characters themselves are each unique. Their awkward teenage relationships make the story something that I (and hopefully you) won't forget anytime soon.

So here we are, already at season 2. It seems like just yesterday, I was reading chapter 0 of the manga.
Anyways, just me sounding like an old grandma.
So if you didn't watch the first season, I would because A) it's awesone and B) if you try to watch the second season without the first one, you're going to be seriously confused. But if you didn't watch the first season, it's basically an amazingly cute romantic-school comedy. Yes, it doesn't sound very compelling at first, but it really does become addictive.

Story: 9
For those that don't know, Kimi Ni Todoke is about the story of the budding ... relationship between a shy, scary-looking girl (Sawako) who everyone is afraid of and the super popular but super nice boy in her class (Kazehaya). I'll admit, at first I was kinda skeptical on the story because it sounded like it was going to be like every other romantic school comedy but I was pleasantly surprised. The story is (for lack of a better term) refreshing and absolutely adorable.

Art: 7
I'm not a huge fan of the art style for the eyes in the anime but everything else is great. The animation is very precise and detailed and backrounds are intricate. The coloring is also good and evokes a kind of nostagic feeling.

Sound: 9
Just looking at the list of voice actors in Kimi Ni Todoke will make any anime fan excited (Daisuke Namakawa, anyone?!?). And as they should, they do a great job expressing the characters' feelings. As for music, the OP and ED are fittingly adorable (I'm literally counting down the days until they are released) and the insert music is fitting and nice sounding.

Character: 8
One of the really great parts about Kimi Ni Todoke is the characters. Sawako is as cute as a fluffy puppy with rainbow sparkles, Kazehaya is the ideal boy (at least to me) and Chizu and Ayane (Sawako's other friends for those people who missed out on the first season) are the perfect friends. They make me laugh, cry and go "AWWWWWWWW" really loudly. Realistic? Not really. But hey, its anime.

Final Score: 9
So what have we learned? Kimi Ni Todoke 2nd Season is the continuation of the totally amazing first season and can be summed up in two words, "absolutely adorable". The story and characters, while not realistic, are absolutely charming. The sound and art, are both great although the art was a bit lacking in the faces. But all in all? A solid anime that is (I'll say it once again), absolutely adorable.

Every time I see the new anime season chart with all the shows on it, I always tell myself that I'm not going to watch another one of those unoriginal and boring school romantic-comedies. But yet again, I find myself adding another to my "watching list". This time, it would be Starry☆Sky.

Story: 4
The story is both romantic and somewhat comedic but not in an enjoyable way. Rather, the plot is cheesy and has just about every shojo cliché known to mankind. However, there are plenty of shows out there that use these clichés but are still amusing. Starry☆Sky uses them in every predictable way ... possible, making the plot terribly boring. Everytime one of the characters says something cheesy, I find myself cringing. And besides that, it's totally unrealistic. Come on, a whole school full of pretty boys and just one girl? That study astronomy and mythology all day? My favorite shows have a dose of realism in it, which Starry☆Sky has no of. But if you do find a school like there, please tell me! I wouldn't mind going there (:

Art: 8
The art was one of the only things I found good about this show. As can be deducted from the production art, the characters are all bishies except for the one main character. I'm going to be honest here; those boys are pretty dang attractive. In addition, the school uniforms are absolutely adorable and the backgrounds (buildings, etc.) are also nicely done.

Sound: 6
I had no problems with the sound in this show. The voice actors do their jobs just fine and the music is also fine. However, fine is not remarkable and there is nothing new or interesting about it. Also, there isn't really and opening or closing theme. But there are these weird 5-second long instrumentals at the beginning and ending. Is that supposed to count?

Character: 4
As keeping with the typical shojo school rom-coms, the characters suck. I may sound overly harsh but they are just plain annoying. Even though the boys are incredibly attractive, they are so unrealistically perfect that they just become irritating. Just about every word out of their mouths are about how wonderful the main female character is. While on the subject of the main female character (she's so boring, I can't even remember her name!), she's your typical shojo heroine: kind, caring, pretty and pure to a T. It's just amazing how bad it is.

Overall: 5
So, what have I learned about Starry☆Sky from watching the first two episodes? A. It sucks. and B. It sucks. The plethora of shojo clichés makes the plot worn out and boring, the characters are giant cheeseballs with no souls and the two combined make for an incredibly boring experience. However, the art is about the only good thing about the series. So, if you're in to school romantic-comedies with pretty boys and no orginality, then this might be for you! If not, look elsewhere because this will definitely not be your cup of tea.

Many people would say, "Romeo and Juliet? Seriously?" But yes, believe it (no I'm trying to be Naruto). I have to admit I was skeptical when I first saw it but I finally decided to watch a few months later after seeing the trailer (which is seriously epic. Probably the best trailer for anything I've ever seen). That, was an excellent decision.
STORY:
Not the well known Shakespeare story. No useless battles, idiotic butlers and no hormonal teenagers (Well, actually, no. They're the main characters. But they're a lot less hormonal.) If you didn't take the time to read the summary above, I suggest you do. Both ... happy and sad (Yeah, I cried), the story really is great. Rating: 9/10
ART:
The art is actually pretty good. Neo Verona is beautiful (I kinda want to move there) and the people are all animated quite well. If you're a fan of Gonzo's other work, you'll like this one. Rating: 9/10
SOUND:
The music isn't a masterpiece but it does just fine. The real "WOW!" comes from the voices. This is one of those rare occasions I actually like the English dub cast better than the original Japanese. Juliet is played amazingly by Brina Palencia (Hell Girl, One Piece, Evaneglion) and Romeo is played by the not very well known Chris Burnett (Bamboo Blade, Big Windup!, Itsudatte My Santa!) This was the first role I ever heard him in and I absolutely fell in love with his voice. It's amazing. The supporting roles are also played well. William (J. Micheal Tatum) and Benvolio (Sean Micheal Teague) are played perfectly. Also, the script was really good. They could be a little more creative than the Japanese version with fitting in Shakespeare quotes. Rating: 9/10
CHARACTER:
I really like the characters, especially Juliet. She's really strong and independent without coming off as a tsundere character. Romeo is equally good, being sensitive and naive but strong at the same time. The supporting characters are also really great and add a lot to the story. (I absolutely love the little Curio x Francisco x Juliet backstory!) Rating: 10/10
OVERALL:
A really enjoyable series, especially for Shakespeare and history fans. But overall, an AMAZING show! Overall Rating: 10/10

Although a not very well known manga, I can say it's the best I've read.
STORY:
The story is original, heartwarming and sad, without being cheesy and stupid. It's so touching and exhibits human nature in a mature and interesting way. Very well put together. Rating: 10/10
ART:
In many mangas, the story is raelly great but the art lacks or vice versa. Not in this one. The art is more realistic than most but I think it just contributes to the brute reality of the piece. All round, really beautiful, especially the cover. Rating: 10/10
CHARACTER:
Yay! No Mary Sue characters here. Juri is both real and fresh. She's ... able to teach Yuu important lessons without annoying the reader with her goodness. Yuu is also really nice because he's a criminal but the reader feels sorry for him because of the circumstances presented in the story. Rating: 9/10
OVERALL:
A great story with amazing art, themes and characters. My new favorite manga! I would recommend to anyone, especially seinen fans.
OVERALL RATING: 10/10