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Don't let the reverse harem concept and all the bishonen put you off. Once it takes off, this show is smart and entertaining. I'm up to episode 23 and loving it. It starts off on the flimsy premise of an ultra wealthy father presenting his naive teenage daughter with a slate of potential husband candidates but, for me, about half way through, that became incidental to the relatively accurate portrayal of the machinations of global mega corporations, religion, international policy, and corrupt politics. If you are the least bit aware of current events, it is clear that the names and places ... have been changed to protect the guilty. Even if you aren't interested in the deeper aspects of the story, I'm sure you will be engaged by the international intrigue, action, adventure, and jet set romance. And the pretty boys. Lots of pretty boys.

It's not Shonen-ai. It's not a romance. It's not action. There is no magic or monsters. What it is, is a quasi-historical drama/mystery/Bishonen-fest in the requisite elite prep academy in the fictional Kingdom called Kuchen.

Meine Liebe Wieder continues where Mein Liebe left off, manages to be a bit better but still fails to live up to its tremendous potential. None the less, I liked it. There is a certain seriousness about it and it poses some deeper questions arising from the clash and a blending of traditional and modernist views of society, social rank, pride, and ... honor prevalent in post WWI and pre-WWII Europe. . . . . if you take it with several very large grains of salt, that is. It is Anime after all. Clothing styles are more late 1800's but the mixing of horse drawn vehicles, automobiles and zeppelins, and absence of electricity, is actually fairly believable. There is angst aplenty, conspiracy, dirty politics, double dealing, power plays, and more, while the beautiful young men work to keep one member of the group from being expelled, another from being taken to task for something far worse, and well, generally saving the kingdom as a whole.

The sound track for MLW was, thankfully, better than the first but still far from good. The OP and ED, although better than the first, still fails to match the mood of the story.

The settings are beautiful. A moody pallet sets an atmosphere for mystery, the character designs are great, and the story is fast paced. The characters behave in a solemn, aristocratic manner appropriate to the time and place. There is verbal fencing as well as that with swords. As stated before, I liked it but, as enjoyable as it was, it left something on the table that I think was plot and character development. I give it an 8 because it is better than a seven.

Gallery Fake is a a perfect example of the seinen genre. It is sophisticated, realistic, and logical . . . and yes, it does have its light hearted moments. Each episode features a "mystery of the week" but what sets it apart and makes it so intriguing for me is an amazingly accurate look at the intricate workings of the art world. I have a deep love of Art History and this series touches on one great master in many episodes. It also explores other things that are art as well; things like antique watches, photo-journalism, and Pre-Columbian civilization and artifacts. ... It is very much like the live BBC series Lovejoy, a long running story about a brilliant but slightly shady antiques dealer.

It is not surprising that because the series is about art, the look of the anime itself is top notch and I love the sound track, especially the opening song. Awesome, upbeat jazz with a vintage feel.

If you are looking for something different, give this one a try.

I have to agree with the previous reviewer and give it an overall it gets a 10.