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New Game - "Developing games is just as fun as playing them!" . . . That is, if everything goes well, and if the environment is friendly, and if the stars align.
The story revolves around a fresh high school graduate that wants to make her mark in the gaming industry. She happens to join in the company that's making the third installment of the game that inspired her to be a game creator. --The plot is there, and there's not much conflict, but it still goes. The story isn't that "strong" considering that this is a slice of life anime show. Also, this is very ... unrealistic in most aspects (e.g., How convenient it is to get in a huge company and get major work; how easy it is to learn to make 3D graphics; How a detailed report can be made by “newbie” debugger; etc). However, it's very fun to watch if you don’t really pay that much attention to those kinds of technical details. Also, there are surprising moments that will definitely please its audience, considering that this anime belongs to the Seinen genre (target audience is mainly adolescent boys).
The characters are interesting and distinct; each of them has their own type of personality that makes them stand-out in the show. With that being said, you can consider everyone as legit main characters. Although all the characters are females--and this made the show gain a tinge of yuri and eventually turned into yuri--it didn't seem like it was lacking in diversity. What's more amazing are their character designs that are so adorable and very difficult to resist. Just a quick note: The design is somewhat childlike (chibi) so some, if not all, do not look like adults. Aside from that note, I think that the art and animation was flawless. It never became sloppy in any episode--it's just my type of animation. The art is nowhere near "breathtaking," but it's still looked great to me.
For the sound aspect, they gave extra effort in producing some of the soundtracks. There’s nothing out of the normal except for the extra soundtrack, and mix of a number of known and unknown voice actors.

Rating:
Story 5/10 2
Characters 8/10 2
Art 8/10 1.6
Sound 8/10 1.2
Overall Rating 6.8/10 ~> 7

Worth a watch if you just want to pass time and have a few laughs, when you least expect it, there would be enough fan-service from these cute girls to keep your eyes wanting more. While you're at it, you get to take a peek at the developing side of the gaming industry! (Keep in mind that it will be very different compared to the real life... What I meant by “taking a peek” is how people might get a gist of what the developing team does while working on a game, but not what actually happens in game developing companies.)
Just a quick warning to those who actually know how this industry works, you might get furious with the inconsistency this show has compared to the “actual” world.

Nana - a relatively old, fun to watch, series that involves punk band(music), drama, and romance.
The story in itself is very solid. There may be a few hiccups and a number of debatable aspects, but I still believe that it has a good foundation. Although I say this, the first few episodes were really slow for me. Contained in 47 episodes (along with three recaps) is the joy of viewing something relatively old that still has an edge over recent series with regard to actual content.
Like I said earlier, the start of this anime is slow and somewhat misleading. One thing is for sure ... though, every episode was worth it and has it's own purpose. I believe that this is one of the few shows that actually focus on character development and is still enjoyable. Unlike other anime shows, the beginning of this series introduces most of the characters, and tells us about their circumstances. Also, you can pretty much relate to the circumstances of one of the main characters, despite the fact that it is highly unlikely to happen in our lives.
Character designs are acceptable, considering that the most of the main cast belong to a band and that this is a shoujo anime. However, their personalities can be questionable and very annoying at times, so you should keep that in mind. It's very difficult to understand the characters' thought process, so be prepared to get infuriated at least once in almost all episodes.
The difficult thing to swallow is the artwork, because, aside from the fact that this has been released earlier, this series is basically a shoujo/josei anime, which explains the difference in art. With that being said, other than the characters, the art is similar to those in mainstream (usual) shows. So that's less one thing to worry about.
I kind of liked the sound aspect of this show, but I can't say that I loved it. More or less it's pretty normal except for the actual singing and “engrish” (English in a Japanese accent)—nothing noteworthy in particular.
I had fun watching the goofy moments; I almost had tears in the sad moments. As soon as the plot and pacing went up a notch, I didn't want to stop watching as I was looking forward to the next episode. The plot may not seem plausible in real life, but the interpersonal relationships of these characters seem quite realistic.
Rating:
Story 8/10 (3.2)
Characters 8/10 (2)
Art 7/10 (1.4)
Sound 7/10 (1.05)
Overall Rating: 7.65/10 ~> 8
Definitely worth the watch if you're looking for drama, but it's a no-go if you're looking for great music. Just keep in mind that this is a gloomy anime especially when each episode ends!

Your Name - a short, simple, and fun way to experience a roller coaster of emotions.

Compared to "The Garden of Words" and "5 centimeters per second"--two popular movies that were also directed by Makoto Shinkai--"Your Name" is somewhat less serious and a tad bit fun. Still, this doesn't mean that this has less drama, because for some, it would still bring in some tears. Although, generally speaking, the flow of the story tends to lead us toward the happy route.

Speaking of the story, I appreciated the way it was written. Seemingly confusing and extremely cheerful at first, so I can't believe what followed each chapter ... of the movie. Like I said earlier, this film will make you feel all sorts of emotions; joy, sorrow, anxiety, uneasiness, excitement, fear, relief, disbelief, awe, and whatever you can think of. The transitions of the story from one point to the other were perfect. What I did not appreciate was how "cliche" the characters were, to a certain extent. I can't say that I disliked the character designs and personalities, but I did not dig into the idea that those characters were such persons that were so determined and engrossed in their feelings that they will go to such lengths just to enforce their actions. The jubilant and somewhat supportive tone was supposed to make me feel good about the story and the characters, not make me think how they could've done better with some scenes (not that I'm good at anything, but you can just guess how I feel). Either way, I liked the plot as a whole. I'm not a fan of the supernatural genre, but this one is pretty good.

The art and animation were just astounding even when watched in "potato quality," as expected from a film by Makoto Shinkai. I can see people such as myself saving several panels to be used as wallpapers and things of the sort. The animation was flawless and I didn't notice anything unusual. If there were any, I was too busy paying attention to the 99% good part instead of the 1% bad part.

And finally, let's talk about the sound aspect of the film. The soundtracks used in the whole film were definitely appropriate. Each soundtrack per scene added more feeling to what was being shown, especially those moments when there were insert songs made by RADWIMPS. I never heard of the artists prior to viewing this movie, but I really liked those songs because they made the scenes more emotional. For other sound aspects such as voice acting and sound effects, I have nothing to mention.

Rating:
Story 7/10
Characters 8/10
Art 10/10
Sound 10/10
Overall rating 8.3/10

Not a great score if I may say. This score is not something you'd expect out of a Shinkai film however, I will definitely watch this again some time soon because this film is worth the watch!

Love Live! School Idol Movie: The moment when these girls, the U's, went out with a bang.

Setting aside the obvious question of "Why did they not think that they are popular already before the tour overseas," and how convenient things are for these girls and other side characters--I think I have no complaints about this movie (speaking plot-wise). The story has this feeling that their time as a school idol group (and also the time for the series) is coming to an end. Conflicted with the dilemma of going to continue as a group, or reforming the group, or just putting it to an end; ... the main characters are having difficulties with finding the "right" answer. The movie's plot revolves around that idea alone (and of course, along with the plot is the situational Music Videos and frequent comedy scenes).

Compared to the prequels to this movie, I find that this had better animation, and better combination with the "usual art" and the CG animation. They blended these two kinds of animations beautifully. But then again, you can't help but think of their faces and body proportions and motions as something weird when compared to their "usual state" when they are drawn by hand instead of being a computer-generated art.

With regard to the characters in the movie... There really isn't much to work with the characters. Given that there are already two seasons completed before they released the movie, it is very difficult to introduce additional characters that will contribute to the plot and plot progression of the film. I find it to be "okay" when they inserted an additional character that will help Honoka find a resolution for the group as the leader of U's. But the rest was just "same old, same old . . ."

For the final aspect, I find the sound very appropriate and fitting (regardless of a few bumps every now and then). As expected, I've given it a full score for it.

Rating:
story 7/10
art & animation 9/10
character 8/10
sound 10/10
(Rewatch score) Overall 8/10;
I found it to be enjoyable and quite good as a sequel to the two seasons, nothing serious and nothing to be missed, but it's a good ending for the Love Live! School Idol Project series.

It has been quite a while since I've watched a full series that I enjoyed, and Zankyou no Terror broke that predicament (curse?) for me. The series isn't one of the best out there that has a crime-terrorism-"anti-hero"-thriller aspect, but this is definitely something you can check out. I just stumbled upon this anime and had no idea what this is show is about, but I should say that both of the tags indicated in MAL are most accurate. It's a thriller/psychological anime alright.

Honestly speaking though, I feel that Zankyou no Terror has plot-holes all over the place. However, I found the whole experience--the gist ... of the story, the pacing of scenes, and other aspects--to be quite enjoyable. Characters aren't very unique, but some of them are somewhat likable. The artworks were nicely done, and the sound effects used were also appropriate. I also appreciate the sound tracks (BGM) in this series; they either symbolized something or amplified the current situation.

Either way, if you decide to not watch this anime, I wouldn't say that you'll be missing out on anything great. Still, in my opinion, it's a good anime overall.

An entertaining series to watch, considering that the usual “alternative-world” is the theme of this anime. Unlike most main characters, our "hero" fully recognizes his situation and is therefore ready to adjust to his new life in this world that he is unfamiliar with. There is only one problem: his party—all members are useless, awkward and weird (in more ways than one), and have little effectiveness in actual combat. These character traits are definitely non-cliché and relatively new, making the show very amusing.

I would recommend this anime because of its entertainment value. Similar anime shows are Log Horizon and SAO, but this anime mainly focuses ... on the comedy genre instead of the gaming and/or adventure genre. Please note that this has no ultimate plot (as far as the anime is concerned). The pacing revolves on the daily life of Kazuma as an adventurer, which makes the pace very slow. And also, get ready for the eye candy even if the art and animation is a bit different compared to the usual art that is popular today.

This anime was great overall; however, the repetitive animations and explanations regarding tennis were a bit too much. I found myself skipping every few seconds especially when the explanations have already been said previously. The plot had a nice direction however I feel that two seasons are not enough for the whole story of the main character’s journey as a fresh tennis player. Romance arc is fine and you can want to look for more romance-focused-episodes, but this anime revolves more on the main story than the romance for the two main characters.
A great watch to learn a bit more about tennis, ... but it will leave you wanting more by the end of the second season.
Note before watching this anime: This work is a bit of an old one, so do not expect to be sucked in by the visual animations and artworks. Instead, watch the series for the plot and character development and skills progress, it would be much more fulfilling that way.

This anime is fun to watch and is very amusing. All the episodes have their own kind of feel, and the jokes never run out. The main character, Sakamoto, is “overpowered” in a different sense. I would recommend this to you if you want to find something absurdly hilarious. If it turns out that you love this anime, you should also try watching Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou.
A word of notice, the ending of this series brings up a lot of questions and speculations. Being overly keen and observant will not give you any clear answers. Reading the manga does ... not help either. Be ready for a shocker when you watch the season finale.

This is another anime that I have stumbled upon, and it was very fulfilling to watch. As the characters continue to grow, it is definitely refreshing to see an anime in this genre that focuses on character development. Keep in mind that this show has no comedy value in it. However, it compensates greatly on the psychological aspect. Each episode has its own deep meaning and conveys the feeling of each character to the viewer. The creators remind us that, regardless of the characters’ predicament of being thrown into a new world (without knowing how and why), they are not ... perfect and cannot easily cope with the rules of this universe. To have a wonderful time watching, pay attention to every detail and make sure that you understand the role of each character.
Another notable aspect to this anime is the artwork and soundtracks. I have read that producers have paid much attention in getting the team that handled the music in this series. The background music in most scenes was definitely supportive—they amplify the mood of what is being portrayed in each scene. Also, the artwork was breathtaking. My words cannot express how hauntingly beautiful the art was.

Although Log Horizon is produced earlier than the “famous Sword Art Online,” in some sense, this anime has way better in the plot and has better content—though there is less fan service—while having the same genre. Revolves around the virtual world and gaming; so if you are not playing MMORPGs or other online games, or if you aren’t into gaming in general, I think that it might take you longer to catch up with what is going on in this anime. However, it does not mean that you would not be able to enjoy it. This anime contains bits of romance, ... tons of comedy, and a lot of adventure; so it would be fit for any anime viewer that has an open mind and a general view about the anime world. When you finish this anime, you’ll want to watch more and learn about its story after the ending.
The story mainly revolves around the fact that the main characters perform a great job while being in a different world. Shiroe, the main character, is someone that is very cunning, strong-willed and is also a great strategist-characteristics fit for a leader especially in MMORPGs. Despite his “class” in the game, he leads his people (other players closely-related to him) to achieve great things.
The hook in this anime is that the characters are stuck in a game without any way to get out of it. Shiro makes the world interesting by bringing back the players into the mood of being able to “live normal” again. (Watched early 2015)