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91 days is a gem in the rough.

Story = 10: Compelling and riveting storyline that captures your attention from the start. Intense action and unexpected plot twists continued to keep me intrigued.

Art = 10: I really like the unique setting and the rough but illustrious art. No detail was exaggerated (i.e. no unnecessary fan service), and the sketch, colors, lighting, animation were all executed beautifully.

Sound = 9: Some characters (in particular Nero Vanetti's voice) didn't appeal to me as much. But all the other voices fit the characters perfectly.

Character = 8: Characters were not endearing but that wasn't needed for this anime.

Overall ... thoroughly enjoyed this series. After dropping tens to hundreds of mediocre anime, was pleasantly surprised by discovering 91 days. Sad to end this enjoyment at only 13 episodes It's unheard of for me to enjoy every MINUTE of a show, but heck, 91 days was a great viewing experience.

Here's a quick breakdown of my rating: Story = 4; Art = 7; Sound = 8; Character = 4; Enjoyment = 4.

There are so many things wrong with this anime but in this review I'll only touch on the most obvious criticisms:

1) The ridiculous amount of fan service in this anime is nauseating. I admit that the characters and their very hot bodies were initially a treat to the eyes, but even sweet things taste bitter if you overindulge. Seriously was it really necessary to give flashes of abs, deltoids, triceps, and the V line every 5-10 minutes? At this point the guys should've ... just gone full on naked and even then I bet the viewers wouldn't be the slightest bit shocked or impressed. The writers and the producers of Free! deserve a huge slap in the face. These high school boys are swimmers NOT strippers!!!

2) There is ZERO knowledge about the sport of competitive swimming in this anime. Lets get this straight, freestyle is a type of swimming stroke NOT a type of swimming style. In other words, a swimmer can incorporate certain techniques with strokes to achieve a type or "style" of swimming, but the strokes in themselves don't describe a swimming style. It really frustrated me that the writers didn't understand this basic concept. Like in episode 3 when Rey Ryugazaki confessed "I want that kind of freedom" and Haruka Nanase responded "It's not freedom. It's freestyle." I wanted to smack my head on the table until it bled of 'cuz of the sheer stupidity and cheesiness of that line. Also in every team relay one swimmer MUST swim freestyle so the fact that the MC, Nanase, refuses to swim in relays because he "only swims freestyle" MAKES NO FREAKIN' SENSE WHATSOEVER!!!

3) Now let's talk about content. Oh wait, what content? There was NO content worthy of discussion in this anime. It's a shame because speaking from prior experience competitive swimming is a brutal yet fascinating sport. There are so many intricacies involved in competitive swimming (like learning how to hold your breath for an extended period, mastering flip turns, cutting down time, toning your muscles, swimming long distance vs. short distance) that could've have been incorporated in this anime. If the writers focused on the actual sport of competitive swimming Free! could've been a great shonen anime, but for some reason the writers chose to focus on the aesthetics and lame high school drama. Yeah, the writers and producers really deserve a slap in the face for wasting the anime's potential.

Story - 6/10: The anime does introduce the viewers to a unique and beautiful Sea World but there is very little revealed about how the Sea World came to be. I still don't understand how people of the Sea Village can cook, eat, and conduct normal routine while underwater but hey, since when did things in anime actually make sense? But while I was a bit mesmerized by the fantastical underwater life, I was disappointed that the story line was mostly focused on the lives of a group of students and ended up being more of a slice of life rather than fantasy anime.

Art ... - 5/10: While the setting of the Sea World was beautifully drawn the characters all looked identical with the same eye shape, eye color, facial features, etc.

Character - 5/10: No particularly interesting character was introduced in this series so yeah...

Enjoyment - 5/10: I didn't have the patience to watch all the episodes because after the first 6-10 episodes the plot dragged and the entire series became too boring to continue.

Overall, I'd say this anime was a HUGE disappointment. I really wish the writer(s) paid more attention to world building because the story was based on an interesting premise that was not properly developed nor utilized to the fullest.

This is your typical shoujo anime so there's nothing particularly unique about the story line. However, I must say there were many ridiculous WTF how did that just happen, cheesy, and overly dramatic moments in this series, especially in the beginning. I was actually very tempted to drop the anime after 3 episodes but if you bear with the terrible opening episodes you'll come to enjoy the rest of the series. I didn't really like the MC's Futaba Yohioka or Kou Tanaka/Mabuchi but I liked their budding chemistry and enjoyed their subtle romantic moments. Oh but I thought the third wheel Makita Yuri was EXTREMELY ... ANNOYING. I hated how she acts cute and pretends to be innocent while lusting after Kou. She really just needs to get over herself and accept the fact that someone else deserves her crush better than her. Also, I hated Kou's lethargic voice because I thought it was overdone, but then later discovered that the seiyuu for Kou also voiced Kenma from Haikyuu! which changed my disposition. I freakin love Haikyuu so the fact that Kou's seiyuu also voiced a character from my favorite anime made Kou's boring voice more bearable to listen to~ :D hehe. ... But overall this was a charming shoujo anime. If you're looking to watch a short anime filled with sweet moments, then I recommend checking out Ao Haru Ride.

Warning: You are about to read a long review because there is so much to say about this extraordinary anime.

Story = 10: Geez oh peez, from the get go this anime grabs the viewer's attention with a refreshing and unique start. The MC, Sakamichi Onada, is a border line otaku who is completely inept at sports but somehow ends up joining his high school's Bicycle Club. What's different about Yowamushi Pedal is that unlike other shonen & sports anime the story is not centered on the MC but rather on the team as a whole. In fact, the MC is not even the most ... important character nor is he the strongest member of his team. However, Onada's personal development is particularly enjoyable to watch because he had such a humble beginning. Moreover, unlike the majority of MC's in sports anime, Onada remains comparatively weak until the end and loses many of his battles. But he is able to use his fierce passion for biking to overcome obstacles and beat strong opponents with a bit of help and support from his teammates. "If you can't overcome the obstacle in front of you, there is no future." Lastly, another interesting feature of the story line is that the Inter High tournament for cycling is three days long. Anything can happen within that time span and unexpected battles occur during every stage of this competition.

Art = 9: When I first saw the MAL profile photo for Yowamushi Pedal I was turned off by the childish/cartoonish art style which is why I've put this anime on hold for so long. But upon starting the series I've come to realize how exceptional the art is. Incredible care and attention has been put into drawing the characters so that no two look the same and each has their unique features. From the dorky glasses and the pathetic maroon tracker's pants that Onada wears when cycling, to Makashima's ridiculously long green hair (which is totally unsuitable for biking at high speeds), and that one buff guy with girly eyelashes who named his pecs Andy and Frank, Watanabe Wataru has truly outdone himself in creating quirky, one-of-a-kind characters. Although some may criticize this anime's aesthetics, I personally believe that art is magnificent if it is able to leave an impression rather than merely fascinate viewers. I've watched many beautiful anime and have seen many more characters with stunning visuals, but few were memorable. Although none of the characters in Yowamushi Pedal are attractive, many are unforgettable because of their creative and unusual characteristics.

Characters = 10: In my opinion the characters are the most important component of an anime. Many of the characters in Yowamushi Pedal are a breath of fresh air. For starters, Onada is not your typical MC. The writer couldn't have come up with a character who is more unlikely to become a bad-ass cyclist. Onada is a clumsy and pathetic guy whose obsession with anime is quite hilarious and endearing at the same time. As the story progresses Onada develops a fierce passion for road racing and his weak/pathetic nature is forgotten as he learns to face challenges and gradually overcome his limits. Prior to watching Yowamushi Pedal I've never really liked any of the MC's but Onada took me by surprise, and before I knew it this shy, hardworking otaku had taken a permanent spot in my heart. My favorite character in this anime, however, is Yuusuke Makishima. I love eccentric characters and there is nothing ordinary/normal about Makishima. His appearance is highly unusual (i.e. Makishima looks like a drag queen with his long, lush green hair and his disturbing moles) and he has this weird but wicked cycling technique called "Peak Spider." Not only that, Makishima comes off as a creep due to his awkward and unsociable personality. However appearances aren't everything and the viewers will soon adore the person Makishima is within.

Enjoyment = 10: One of the main reasons why I gave Yowamushi Pedal a nearly perfect score was because of the director's ability to keep me watching until the end. It should be noted that most shonen/sports anime have a predictable plot which inevitably end ups becoming repetitive and boring to watch towards the middle or end of of the series. In addition, anime of the shonen genre have an annoying tendency to introduce ridiculous deus ex machina plot twists to superpower its MC and allow him/her to overcome insurmountable obstacles, which takes away from the overall enjoyment. However, Yowamushi Pedal avoids these (traps) by keeping the viewer continuously delighted and entertained throughout the series without having to introduce never before seen powers. This anime's pacing was marvelously executed and it effectively incorporated creative plot twists. There was never a dull moment in Yowamushi Pedal; in fact this will be the third time I've completed an anime from start to finish without skipping any episodes. I thought Haikyuu! would forever be my all-time favorite sports anime but Yowamushi Pedal has now taken the #1 spot.

Story = 5. To begin, despite the fact that this anime is about magicians, I think this anime can be categorized as slice of life and shoujo with hints of shonen. The setting of the story is based on a modern era with our protagonists attending a school for magic users. I liked how the school had a social hierarchy because that diversified the story plot and made for interesting conflicts. However, I really wished the anime incorporated more epic magic battle scenes rather than centering its focus on the school/personal lives of the characters.

Art = 7: OMG the school uniforms were BEAUTIFULLY designed. ... I especially liked how the girls wore ties and unique see-through capes which were ornamented with symbols of the individual's power capabilities. The anime's overall color palette was also nicely chosen with none of the colors being too bright. The reason why I didn't give the art a higher score was because of the aesthetics of the characters. All the characters were indeed pleasant to look at but that's precisely why no particular character stood out. They all just looked pretty and that was about it.

Sound = 9: I was surprised at how much I liked the voices of the characters. It's actually very rare for me to not be turned off by the annoying childish voices of the female cast but surprisingly I thought many of the female characters, including Miyuki and Mayumi (the school president), had elegant, graceful voices.

Character = 5: Like many others I did not like Tatsuya not because he was "too perfect" but rather because he was such a static and boring character. I've seen other anime, like Prince of Tennis, where the main protagonist was exceedingly strong from the beginning, so it didn't bother me too much that Tatsuya also had little room for development. That didn't make him any less interesting but the fact that he had such a flat, egotistical personality, and an unchanging demeanor made him an unattractive main protagonist. As for the sister, Miyuki, I really thought she was annoying. The only reason I found her to be tolerable was because of her pleasant voice. But other than that, I thought her obsession with her brother was distracting to the story plot and found her to be nothing more than pathetic.

Enjoyment = 4: For a society filled with magic users I was shocked by how boring the fight scenes were. I actually thought the taijitsu fights/street fights (w/o magic powers) were more interesting than the ones with use of powers. I also think that the story line was littered with too little action and too much dialogue. It really takes away the adrenaline once you spend 5-10 minutes explaining the details of a fight, rather than transitioning from one fight to another.

Overall, I found this anime to be very lacking and actually think the magic powers incorporated in the setting can be misleading. If you're looking for some entertaining action, look somewhere else. But if you're looking for a pretty anime about school life, then this anime might be for you.

I've tried completing this series multiple times but could not endure watching more than 4 episodes. The biggest flaw of this anime is the poor animation directing. There were numerous scenes where characters were talking extensively in a still shot or where the full shot was motionless with minimal repetitive movements such as the movement of the characters' mouths. I also thought the random ecchi scenes were distracting and entirely unnecessary. I did not find this type of directing innovative and think the experimental directing and art style failed to entertain its audience because the viewers were stuck with experiencing an entirely 2 dimensional world. ...

Also as far as the characters go, I found Senjougahara to be super annoying. How can any person be so egotistical yet extremely self conscious at the same time?

BEAUTIFUL anime with interesting characters, unique world building but a very poor story line. This may be due in part to the budget and the short length of the series, but I am disappointed by how this anime threw away its enormous potential by limiting the much needed character development of its protagonists. I was attracted to Mikoto but did not know enough about him to actually fall in love. :( Such a shame because Mikoto had all the personality traits to drive a girl like me crazy (i.e. good looking, bad-ass aura, reserved, caring, and powerful) but too little was revealed about him to ... leave a lasting impression.

This anime is solely eye candy. If you want an interesting plot look somewhere else. Also

I am a very picky and impatient anime viewer so it is extremely rare for me to complete any series without skipping any episodes, but I have watched and re-watched Haikyuu! and can say with certainty that I have have yet to find any shounen/action/sports anime series as addicting as Haikyuu! If you are looking for some fast-paced, entertaining anime series under 30 episodes, then I highly recommend checking out Haikyuu!

Too many shounen anime series suffer from one or more of the following pitfalls: 1) After 50+ episodes the plot drags and the series becomes too boring to continue watching; 2) Action scenes become ... repetitive; or 3) Too much dialogue and time is spent on world building. However, much to my wonder and amazement Haikyuu! does not suffer from any these anime maladies. Rather, Haikyuu is filled with hilarious and loveable characters, entertaining action scenes, and heartwarming/inspiring moments.

I did not think I could ever be so captivated by a sports anime, but I am completely in love with Haikyuu! This anime made me venture into the sports genre and I've watched almost all of the other popular sports anime like Prince of Tennis, Kuroko no Basket, etc. but have not found myself attached to any of the other series. I'm not sure I can accurately describe what makes Haikyuu! such an addicting and entertaining series, but one thing the anime does with marvelous perfection is to introduce unique characters who undergo developments that are not cheesy/melodramatic and who possess hilarious/awesome traits that make the viewers fall in love with each and every one of the characters.

I breezed through the first two seasons, re-watched all episodes for like the 5th time, and am eagerly awaiting for the third season. I've actually had to resort to reading the manga but much to my despair found out much too late that the manga is an ongoing series. I ABSOLUTELY HATE waiting for episodes/chapters to be released so I have given up keeping up with the manga until I know that the series has been completed.

Anyway, if you want a more in-depth review of Haikyuu! go check some of the other reviews left by other MAL users. However, I really do not think you need to hesitate any longer before starting Haikyuu! I promise you, this will be an enjoyable ride. :D

(*Yes a 7 isn't that high of a rating but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Gamaran to all manga fanatics!)

Oh God where do I even begin?! Gamaran is a shounen manga on STEROIDS. Seriously every single chapter is jam-packed with action. The author takes no bullshit whatsover and doesn't waste a single page with unnecessary fillers or pathetic love/romance plots. If I had to describe Gamaran to readers I guess I'd liken it as the kick-ass version of Sword Art Online & Naruto with hints of Rurouni Kenshin's awesome-ness. Unlike Sword Art Online and Naruto, however, Gamaran isn't PG so you can expect to see alot ... of blood, gore, and EPIC fights with brutal death scenes. In fact, we are introduced to our 15-year old MC, Gamaran, as he effortlessly slices a man in half. HYPEHYPEHYPEEE!!!

As far as the story goes, I'd give it a 7 because not too much time is put into world building. But the author compensates any lack of background material with full-throttle action scenes. From the get-go the manga's protagonists are thrown into an epic battle of the strongest to win the title of legendary swordsman. Yet the plot takes a twist and our main protagonists meet their biggest challenge yet, and will have to hone their will and skills and become stronger than ever before in order to meet the obstacle(s) ahead.

As with the mediocre story line I'd also rate the manga's characters a 6. Although many interesting and bad-ass figures are introduced, the characters lack depth for the readers don't really get a chance to learn about their background/history. All we see are the MC's motivation to become the strongest warrior. But hey, I'd take 100 chapters of awesome action over 200 chapters of boring background stories any day.

One of the manga's main weak point is the art. I rated it a 5 because the art was rudimentary and frankly very poorly done. Nevertheless the action scenes were good enough for me to overlook this critical flaw.

For those of you who thirst for some good, entertaining action I'd recommend you check out Gamaran. I was able to fly through 100 chapters in one sitting without ever getting bored. Also, if you like stories centered around the Edo period than this manga is a must-read!