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No action... No blood... No ecchi or fanservice... No politics... No mystery... How could this anime expect to get anywhere? What could it possibly offer? Mark it as a huge failure and move on right?

If anyone reading this were to do that you would be making a huge mistake. All this anime needs is the smile of a heartbroken child to wholly capture you and take you on an amazing journey. I don't care how bloody or epic you like your average anime to be, if you are honest to yourself, and at least partially human, you will be touched by Aishiteruze Baby. Give it ... a chance.

Story - 10

From the first episode it is clear exactly how the story is meant to play out, and true to your hopes, it does. A sweet and touching story that grabs a hold of your heartstrings from the first time you see Yuzuyu, and doesn't let them go until long after you've finished the anime. It deals in some pretty mature themes, with stalkers, abusers, and the emotional traumas faced by an innocent and charming child abandoned by her mother. Don't expect anything to get your adrenaline pumping from sheer awesomeness. It isn't that kind of story. It's strength is subtle.

Art - 8

Unsurprisingly, the art isn't the strong point of Aishiteruze Baby. The style of character art is great, Kokoro being one of the most attractive females I've ever seen in an anime. The fact that a lot of the characters look markedly similar, maybe even to the point of confusion, brings its grade down.

Sound - 8

The OP is beautiful, and character voices are great. Little if any sound effects but this isn't really an anime that needs them. Yuzuyu's voice in particular is often extremely cute and not in an annoying fashion, but there are some rare instances where it sounds false.

Character - 10

Aishiteruze Baby's strongest point are the characters in it. You will believe that each character is based off of someone in real life, there isn't one cookie cutter character in the entire lot. Yuzuyu is the cutest toddler ever, Kippei is the kind of guy that most men would want to be like. Kokoro is in a league of her own. I have seen well over a hundred animes by now and Kokoro is the only character i've fallen in love with. Of course this particular opinion is definately preference based. Some guys might find the silent, outwardly strong, but inwardly wanting protection characteristics of Kokoro to be unattractive. There are some weird people out there...

Enjoyment - 10

Well the happy glow that comes with a good story and great characters is definately here. Smile, wipe away the few soft tears that sneak out, and imagine for a little while the way the rest of the story could have played out. Ah yes that was good.


Overall - 10

Fruits Basket is an anime that sets a mood at the start and follows that mood til the end.

Story - 7

Definately dialogue driven rather then plot driven, Fruits Basket doesn't start you in one place and end in another, it simply delivers a message. With a mildly unrealistic female main character, helping a slew of male characters to overcome problems based on social interaction, the material seems almost redundant by the time you finish the show. True the message delivered is quite potent and subtly monumental, but the presentation and delivery of it would have been much better if it were more raw (less overworked). ... Don't look for action here, nor knee-slapping comedy, but expect to be slightly heart-warmed. I wouldn't recommend watching it all in one sitting as the pace can be slow, spacing it out will make it a much more enjoyable watch.

Art - 7

Certainly not the shows strong point, every character having the same sharp pointy nose, the same big eyes and the same shaped face. Eye color, and hair are the only defining features really, with no heavy people, no exceptionally short or tall people (save adults versus children), and little if any varied skin color. The environments were well done with great forest shots. A very pastel springlike feel to most of the artwork.

Sound - 8

The sounds of Fruits Basket have a pleasant feel to them, not very loud, or distracting, harmoniously catching your emotions and delivering them to wherever the show intends for you to be. The sounds work perfectly in performing their function, but on their own I think they would merely be acceptable, not being strong enough to be a focus.

Character - 7

Pretty standard character forms but most of them do well. The main character is unrealistically upbeat, and Yuki (her classmate) is a little weak in development only performing a story role, but the rest of the characters are pretty solid. I especially liked the trio of Yuki fans, and their interactions with Tohru's friend Hanajima. Mitsuru and her strange family are pretty unique as well.

Enjoyment - 7

I didn't feel like there was enough material to Fruits Basket, it felt a little too fluffy like cotton candy but not as sweet. There was the same feel to almost every episode, with little or no change of pace, and several redundancies. Overall it had a pleasant and fuzzy atmosphere with a few dark moments to add some flavor. A good watch for anyone who wants to see something with a strong heartwarming feel to it. Otherwise it might be kind of slow.

Overall - 7

Story - 9

Mai-HiME has a great story with elements of fantasy, mecha, mythology, and high school drama. There is even some extremely predictable mystery but mystery none the less. These elements were combined with great effect in Mai-HiME, creating an epic and tantalizing feel to every episode. If there is one thing I would change about the story in Mai-HiME it would be making certain twists less predictable. There were no real surprises in this although the attempts were made. Simply changing the artwork of one "male" character just a tad, removing one shadow that is evident throughout the story would have made it so ... i wasn't expecting something to happen from episode one til near the end. Story would have easily been a ten with just a bit more surpise.

Art - 9

The mecha in this anime are awesome, and unlike the traditional giant humanoid robots, they take the form of fantastical beasts like the Phoenix or Behemoth. Combined with absolutely beautiful effects during battle scenes, and well drawn characters, the artwork is a visual feast. The only thing this anime lacks in the art department is environmental in nature, having few if any remarkable landscapes.

Sound - 7

The music and sound effects are this anime's achilles heal, with a bland soundtrack (save for the little tune right before the ending of each episode, which is the best sound in the anime). Sound effects are there, but little in the way of environmental noise (birds, wind, rustling leaves, student mumbles, etc. are nonexistant).

Characters - 9

Quite a number of characters in this anime, all with fairly unique problems, and plenty of drama. True the depth doesn't necessarily strike too many strong emotions but there is enough to keep you interested in all of the various character interactions.

Enjoyment - 9

From who loves who, to epic battles, sadness from loss, investigations into the past, forbidden loves, this anime has a little bit of everything. A nonstop marathon for me and the lingering desire to watch more but already having finished it. A great watch for fans of other animes such as 'Fate/Stay Night', or 'Busou Renkin'.

Overall - 9

In short, watch it!

When I started this anime I expected sweet mecha battle action, maybe a little bit of drama, and an epic ending to wrap it up. I recieved none of the above.

Story 2

I kept watching this anime for and only for the awesomeness of the mecha's. I've heard that if you watch the movies the story for this anime makes more sense... Would you take the chocolate chips out of a cookie, to eat the cookie first and then eat the chips last? No, you would naturally eat the thing as a whole. Back to the anime, there is no explanation, no decisive battle between good ... and evil, no chocolate chips at all, just a terrible attempt at a psychological battle within a character who has the whiniest, most annoying and difficult to comprehend personalities in any protagonist ever. -EPIC FAILURE-


Art 6

The mecha's were amazing for their time, the characters and their piloting outfits all looked sweet. Its too bad the focus of the anime is psychological and not action. There are a lot of good art sequences during the battles but the flashes of random garish colors and etc. that make up psychological segments are absolutely dreadful. About 20 percent of the anime consists of sweet mechaness. 60 percent is decent everyday life art, and the last 20 is the often annoying and senseless art thats suppossed to overwhelm your sense logic.


Sound 5

Nothing to get excited over, the sound gets an average score of 6. It would of scored higher except there were far too many alarms, and annoying beeps, even police or ambulance sirens completely randomly and pointless in the middle of the night in a high tech city.


Character 7

The characters were generally as bad as the rest of the criteria, there were a few saving graces. The main character was too flawed to be anything more then annoying especially during the 2 episode psychological trip. Rei and Misato were definately interesting though, as well as some of the side characters.


Enjoyment 3

The battles were the only thing worth watching. Luckily enough for the first half of the anime the battles were frequent. Don't get me wrong the drama could have been okay but the resolution and delivery of it all was an epic failure.


Overall 5

Most definately a love it or hate it anime. The scores represented here are all over the place as you can see. I tried to evaluate it solely with the criteria in mind but the ending average looks higher to me then i feel it should be. Watching this anime was such a disapointment to me. Ah well.

Angelic Layer is an anime for a younger crowd, with enough in it to keep the little ones happy, but not enough to be satisfactory to those that have become adults.

Story 4/10

Aside from a brilliant setup, the plot of Angelic Layer is a failure. The concept is plausible, clever and very interesting in theory. The delivery however, left me extremely disappointed. The main emotion wrench in this anime is caused by such a stupid reason, I felt scorn and disbelief when i was supposed to be happy and cornily crying. I really don't mind corny moments that make sense, but to have a corny ... moment when id rather throttle the perpetrator and scream sense at them... aside from that huge failure, the fighting scenes were fairly bland, with no techniques or skills to the battles, just long dialogues and short fist fights. There were several intriguing side plots, but all too quickly the anime returns to the main and boring core. Story for Angelic Layer is a 4.

Art 6/10

The art in Angelic Layer is nothing to get excited about, with a few interesting battle sequences. It is to be noted that the angels themselves are pretty cute, and there is a wallpaper worthy image at the very end with Hikaru and Athena.
Art gets a fair score of 6.

Sound 5/10

Again nothing to get excited over the sound for Angelic Layer is hardly worth mentioning save for the extremely grating voice of the main character Hikaru which pulls the score down from fair to a tolerable 5.

Character 7/10

The characters in Angelic Layer are pretty hard to judge. It ranges from extremely interesting characters like Tamayo, Sai and Mr. Icchan, bland characters like Hatoko and Kotaro, and a complete -fail- character Misaki's mother Shuu. A score of 7 seems to fit the characters.

Enjoyment 6/10

This anime was interesting enough to watch til the end but only just so. I don't think I would be able to sit through it again however. The fights were always tantalizingly close to being cool but weren't. The character interactions were also a tease in this regard, with only small dives towards complexity that are swiftly diverted or solved without much detail. I wouldn't recommend this anime to an older audience, as there is no grit or grime to it (at least none that makes sense to wiser and more mature people). Enjoyment gets a score of 7

Overall 6/10

Angelic Layer earns a solid 6 overall. It's weakest point is the delivery of the story with a major flaw in the backbone of its core. (Seriously the resolution to the only mystery completely destroyed any hope the anime's story had.) It's strongest point is definately the characters, the antics of Mr. Icchan and rough love of Tamoyo are -winners-.

Story - 6

Hellsing could have done so much more with the material it was working with. Not to say that the story was bad, far from it, but it failed to elaborate and strengthen its plotline enough to really be immersed into it. There was even a setup for a huge conflict between the vatican and the Hellsing corp., that was reduced to almost nothing. I suppose with only 13 episodes you can only expect so much. The story score for Hellsing is a 6.

Art - 8

The art in hellsing is just dark enough just red enough to give it a very vampiric feel. Considering ... this is an anime about vampires I'd say thats a good thing. The characters have been drawn well enough to match their personalitlies as well. You could tell that the character would act the way they do almost on appearance. While this might come across as being cookie cutter to some, I think it is an important aspect. The artwork for Hellsing is an 8

Sound - 6

I did not like either the opening nor the ending themes for Hellsing. While the opening might fit the mood of the anime for some, the ending totally fails. It doesn't fit the anime either in lyrics or sound at all. Rest of the soundtrack was nothing to get excited over.

Character - 7

There are a few very cool characters in this anime. Alucard is pretty much the trump of the anime being by far the most interesting character. More interesting in fact then the main character who is nothing but dull. Actually almost all the side characters are more interesting then her... Maybe im being a bit too harsh but she never once in the anime does anything that is deserving of the role of main character.

Enjoyment - 7

Short but interesting, I was able to make it through the whole anime even without an adequate plotline. It had enough action and blood to keep my eyes fixed and even a certain amount of mystery to toy with my brain a little, but still far from the best level.

Overall - 7

I tried not to give this rating based on length, but it is pretty hard not to. Hellsing left too much uncovered, no room for a decent plot, characters that hardly developed, and frankly satisfied only the need to see a little blood and action. There's no better anime out there for people who want to spend a mere 5 hours finishing an anime, and just want to get right to the blood and sweat.

Story - 9

I've never really been a person to watch sports, or game animes. Why watch a game when you can go out there and play it? But wow... Hikaru no Go captured my attention in a way that I would not have thought possible. Every part of the storyline had me watching until I could no longer keep my eyes open. Believably intense and even inspiring, Hikaru no Go is an anime, that will have its place in my library of goodies. Story for Hikaru no Go gets a 9.

Art - 7

The art is nothing spectacular and yet nothing could I imagine changing ... too much. Just your average anime here. There was one segment that I liked tremendously, where the Go stones left a trail of light in their wake, but unfortunately it was never used again. Also the blurring of the hands to show motion was well done. So the art gets an average score of 7.

Sound - 8

Sound seems to be a very heavy influence in Hikaru no Go, with a soundtrack that plays matching the mood of the current events. The soundtrack was not bad at all, with an opening and an ending theme that have found their way into my list of random anime music. The sound of the Go stone hitting the wood of the board could not have been cooler. It was extremely fitting and almost looked forward to, especially in the intense game sequences.

Characters - 10

The characters in Hikaru no Go are definately the strongest point. You will find yourself completely in synch with Shindou's reactions to other people, (unless its a storyline mechanic) and even then you completely understand Shindou's reasons. The characters in Hikaru no Go are as real in my mind as it is possible for any anime character to be. Well deserved score of 10.

Enjoyment - 9

Throughout this anime series I have laughed, cried, cheered, and gotten downright disheartened. I admire any animes that can control my emotions that much. I watched this 75 episode anime in 2 days with 2 eight hour work shifts. I would say that I enjoyed this anime alot.

Overall - 9

A great storyline, with near-perfect characters to enact it, and a soundtrack that is in synch and catchy, makes for an anime worth watching.

Story - 7

Serial Experiments Lain is easily one of the most mind-bending anime I have seen to date. Do not watch Serial Experiments Lain if you need everything to make sense. From episode one all the way to the end you feel as if you are wading through a fog alongside the main character searching for it's meaning. It does progress and hopefully you'll be able to pick out enough information from the events that take place to continually take the next step forward, as the completion of this anime is, though complicated, extremely rewarding to those with enough of an open mind. The amount ... of confusion versus the amount of story progression teetered on a delicate balance for the first couple episodes which brings the score down a fair amount, but I will reassure you that the story truly is a unique and worthwhile experience if you are willing to take a journey through murky fog to find the light at the other side.

Art - 7

The artwork in Serial Experiments Lain at first seemed simple (almost bad) using color schemes that were pale (like pastels) and garish (lots of one color and the focus being almost completely opposite). But after a while you'll realize that the color schemes in this anime are totally appropriate for the entire mood and vibe of the anime. Again, do not watch this anime if you don't have an open mind. The artwork is not nearly as shiny and fresh as most animes out there. So keeping in mind that the artwork is nothing exciting and almost drab, save for a few intense sequences, but does a marvelous job of conveying the vibe of the story I will give it a score of 7.

Sound - 8

Another well used tool of conveying a particular mood, the sounds in Serial Experiments Lain are just as mysterious and haunting as the rest of the anime. White noise type sounds are raised to a pitch that you definately notice, and convey a sense of connection to the world being shown to you. And the opening them fits perfectly and is a real good listen. Good enough in fact that a full version of the song is in my library and plays randomly. The noises can be somewhat distracting in their own way and take a little too much of your attention then they should so the sound score loses 2 points for a score of 8

Character - 6

It is kinda hard for me to come up with an accurate score of the characters which brings the score down a few points alone. The characters not being solid enough to get a clear feeling of is deserving of a few point penalty. Even though I was quite attached to Lain and Arisu almost all the other characters showed little to no development from their initial appearance. Score for the characters is only a 6.

Enjoyment - 9

Mysterious, thought provoking, and strangely fascinating, despite several flaws, makes this a very enjoyable assuming you are in the right mood. My thoughts were to give this anime a full 10 when i finished it but it takes a penalty just for having as many other penalties as it already does.

Overall - 8

I truly liked this anime a bit more then the score represents, but this anime takes a hit or two due to its extremely unique and confusing nature. But I do completely and totally recommend watching this anime to anyone with a tolerance for mind bending sequences.

Story - 8

Hitman Reborn is a pretty unique anime in my opinion. There is one major flaw in the story that prevents me from giving it a full 10. The first 20 episodes or so have no real story arc. While each episode is interesting and helps develop the characters it takes way too long for the story to truly begin. But I will say this. The story arc in this anime is top notch. Once you get to episode 20+ you will be watching the episodes one after another after another. I am anxiously biting my fingernails waiting for the next episodes to be ... subbed!

Art - 8

The artwork in Hitman Reborn is decent. The lame underwear morph on every episode for a while is what brings the grade down a bit, but Tsuna begins to look awesome about 25 episodes in, when the underwear morph becomes not so common and is replaced by something else. The other characters are also drawn very well.

Sound - 9

The soundtrack for Hitman Reborn is awesome both opening and ending songs. The japanese voices all fit the characters as well. The only reason sound isn't a 10 is because of Tsuna's voice in underwear mode. It gets so annoying during the few long sequences.

Characters - 10

The Characters are all unique, with a wide range of personalities all following an unlikely protagonist. Quite frankly i'm jealous of Tsuna. Hes got the perfect range of friends all with flaws that fit the characters as well as strong loyalty to him. The characters couldn't be more enjoyalble. (Save for Tsuna in underwear mode) (Lets face it Underwear mode sucks >.> Thankfully it practically disappears entirely once the true story arc starts.)

Enjoyment - 8

Unfortunately Hitman Reborn loses 2 points here because of how long it takes to get rolling. It seriously has much too long of an introduction phase. If I were to rewatch Hitman Reborn I would start around episode 15 or so. That way you can get a memory of the characters before the story starts. You wont miss practically anything and you'll be loving Hitman Reborn from the start.

Overall - 9

Overall Hitman Reborn gets a 9. It truly is an awesome anime that will keep you hungering for more once it gets rolling.