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I've been putting off watching "Akatsuki no Yona" since I first saw a review for it. It looked like your typical plot-ridden Shonen ai with a helpless Princess in distress who can't think for herself and is surrounded by hot guys fighting over each other and her. I've never been happier to be wrong. The show takes not only that stereotype but also the wonderful peace-loving king stereotype and gives the viewer a insanely realistic rendition of the same adventure story that's been told for years. I don't usually go for realistic shows, but this one is grounded in a fantasy adventure story which makes ... it fun even if it is realistic. There are plenty of times when you can't help but laugh however it was the moments of seriously disheartening facts were revealed that I fell in love with this show. Not sad but disheartening, the scenes that reflect the world you live in almost shoving depression in your face. It doesn't stop there but those moments give the show it's brilliance especially from a literary perspective.

The story is very hard to tell without giving spoilers, but i'll try. It focuses on Princess Yona who is completely pampered and self-centered. Due to various events she ends up traveling the country for four warriors with dragon blood with her body guard, Hak, in hopes that they will follow her and offer protection for her and the bodyguard. There are love conflicts and hot boys that seem interested in each other as well as Yona, but there are realistic reasons as to why they happen. The anime ends when all the dragon blood warriors are found, and I'm desperately hoping they continue with another season.

The art is pretty good. The animations for the fighting and pretty much everything else are wonderfully smooth without any of the sloppy frames one expects from a shonen ai. Each of the characters ave a distinct style that sometimes extend to the way their faces are shaped. The colors are BRIGHT and there is a broad scheme used. The music is beautiful with an excellent opening and ending that changes halfway through the first season to fit the change in the characters. The show has more of a Chinese feel to it or maybe a really early Japanese feel. I must add that the visuals are just gorgeous with awesome clothe designs and surrounding landscapes.

The characters are what sells the show though. It gives the characters incredible depth and makes them grow in a realistic way too. There are several and each has their own complicated pasts and motivations. Like really, super, mind-bending complicated. It is easy to empathize with every single one of them which makes it hard to choose a side just like the way a real conflict has valid reasons on both sides. The dragon blood boys are not just pretty faces or poor kids with tragic backstories. They have just as much influence with how they grew up as the people who cared for them. An then there's Yona. She changes to an unbelievable extent that makes perfect sense. She doesn't go from self-centered idiot to rock hard killer, rather she changes the way a woman really does: with hard work, sacrifice, and huge amounts of guilt. She never loses her femininity or her royalty yet becomes almost an entirely different person.

I had to give the show a 10/10. It was refreshing to watch and analyze because of its complex nature. Even though it is complex, it conveys the points in a way that are understandable. For someone who basically lives off fantasy books and anime, this show is a refreshingly honest portrayal of the same themes and events one sees in the fantasy genre. The show is mature, but it is presented in a way that makes a child able to watch and enjoy the story. I preferred the sub over the dub. I highly suggest this show to all fantasy lovers of any ages, shonen ai lovers, and literary people. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a second season.

I was pretty well prepared for Samurai Champloo because I have watched Cowboy Bebop which was directed by the same guy. It is different and yet has the same style. It is better and worse though that opinion is mostly due to personal taste and time of exposure. I liked it mostly for the same reasons I liked Bebop.

The story starts by introducing Mugen, Jin, and Fuu, members of the Edo period. Fuu enlists the help of the two boys in order to find the samurai that smells of sunflower. She does not explain why she wants to find him or who he is and ... is only able to keep the boys with her due to saving their lives. The anime basically follows their journey to its end. This includes lots of searching/ stealing/ working for food, fights over food/ money/ work, helping random people and of course a lot of killing/ battles. The show is very episodic with only two or three 2 episode sequences before the end. It deals with a lot of realistic logistical problems with a LOT of modern additions to the time period including drugs/ hippies, modern painting and much other modern art references including graffiti, hip hop, zombies, and baseball (which by the way is the best episode of the whole thing). The feel and style almost a direct match with Bebop. The end will either leave you growling or extremely fulfilled because it's one of a kind.

The art is different. It took me a while to get used to it, and I still don't like it. The color scheme is a gorgeous, slightly faded rainbow that gives it the distinct look of parchment or old paper. It looks a lot like the old Chinese landscape paintings. The lines are what put me off. They are thick like in Bebop, but there's a lot of sharp angles. The characters all look ridiculously skinny with large, long muscles giving it a drumstick-of-a-chicken look. I don't really know how else to describe it. However, the story is worth the weird art. The sound is a nice relaxing beat with a few traditional songs that I totally loved. I listened to the intro every time because the art and the music work together perfectly. The music's mostly subtle in its affect, but it gives the show its feel.

The characters are excellent, but it's hard to like them in a fangirl way. They all have their backstories though it doesn't show much of them, and they each have a distinct perspective. But, they're not really nice people more like scum of the earth types. They also don't go through a lot of character growth. The only thing that changes about them is how they see each other, and that's where the shows genius lies.

I really wanted to give it a 9 like Bebop, but overall my score is 8/10. I didn't like the art; and, even though the story is better than Bebop's, I saw the idea in Bebop first. Both the sub and the dub are good, but I suggest the dub because it fits the style better. I loved the end both because it didn't follow the norm and because it felt okay that it didn't. The show teaches a lesson that is difficult to accept but absolutely crucial to understand. If you liked Cowboy Bebop, you will like this. If you haven't seen Cowboy Bebop and don't like slow, daily life anime, you probably won't like it; but, as I always say, give it a try before you judge.

I was really looking forward to watching this show because of the art is just my type. It wasn't what I was expecting. It's dark in an off yet predictable way, but you can't help falling in love with the animation.

The story centers around brainwashed assassins, and what one would expect to see realistically in a situation involving them. It was entirely predictable which come as a surprise because it has more story twists than any other anime I've watched. Despite its complexity, I thought it left something to be desired. It gave the viewer a real look at how things play out in ... an AWOL assassin situation where the twists are even realistic. But the predictability is due to even more than reality.

The art is the key to knowing what's going to happen. I am highly sensitive to facial expressions and what they mean, and the art is exceptional in showing those expressions. Every face is beautifully drawn, and every emotion as readable as if you were looking at a real person. As if that wasn't enough, the animation is to die for. The action sequences had me drooling with it's realistic movements and insane speed. The choices made in the movements aids the viewer in understanding the characters almost more than the story. It's definitely some of the best work I've seen.

The characters themselves are a bit lackluster and extremely cliche. I found it difficult to like any of them let alone empathize with any one. While the viewer gets the information he needs and there is obvious character development, I found it hard to care (With the exception of the very last minute of the show).

The music is pumped and quite enjoyable. It introduces a lot of different sound but generally stays in the synthy Europe music realm. There are a few moments of bad music mixing, but it keeps to a pretty basic standard. I especially enjoyed the opening of the first half and the ending of the second half. The sound mixing is pretty good with one of the best interludes I've seen/heard.

Overall I gave this an 8/10 thanks to the animation and sound. You should definitely watch it dubbed though. Most of it takes place in America and you won't hear the exquisite voices and accents if you watch it subbed. It's like watching Black Lagoon subbed. :P It feels very slow at times, but it's worth the end, the art, and the action scenes.

I don't think "Texhnolyze" really counts as an anime; I prefer to think of it as an incredible idea that happens to be animated. I admit this is because I don't want all of my favorites anime to be replaced because it's just that good. I need to mention right up front that this is a highly dark anime that will make any watcher depressed or frustrated, and by the end you WILL be in tears no matter who you are. It's painfully slow and nearly every episode is full of faded,drab colors and endless conversation; but, if you're the type who can stand to ... listen closely, your patience will be richly rewarded. There is absolutely no waste in the show. Every word, color, emotion, and especially sound has an important part in getting the show's message across. This results in a highly dense anime that you will probably have to see at least twice just to understand everything that happens in the complex world.

The art is just my personal taste (more rounded and soft) with excellent movement and color that supports the story. The sound is incredible. It is so believable that I felt a sense of nostalgia by the end of the first episode and felt comfortable in the story's world by the third episode. The sound alone pulls the watcher into a total submersion because everything you hear coincides perfectly with what you'd expect to hear in a specific scene down to the annoying grate of a slow moving ceiling fan.This submersion means that the watcher will be subject to horrifyingly real screams as well as ambient mundane sounds, but it's there for a reason: the watcher feels like he knows the world almost as if he or she had lived there at some point.

The characters are vast, complex, and, best of all, adaptable. The viewer sees every character reacting to the events of the story in their own unique ways changing the way humans really do. I believe that any person could find a character they can empathize with. Personally, I found bits of myself in nearly all of the characters and felt an extremely strong connection with several of them.

I gave enjoyment a 7/10 because this is an anime that cannot truly be enjoyed. I would rather say that I am in awe of it. It's brutal to watch and definitely depressing, and by the end you will either have felt a piece of you die, found redemption, or be crushed by both. It a good pain though the kind that makes you appreciate life.

Before I forget, I must warn potential watchers the first episode is purely to introduce you to the world and begin the immersion process. As such, it is a total trip that is very difficult to get through. PLEASE DON'T SKIP IT! In fact, I suggest watching it at least twice before moving on because it's more informative and dense that any other episode. The rest of the episodes follow what you expect in anime as far as speech to action ratio.

For my own peace of mind, I give it its own pedestal at 11/10. Be wary though it is not for every one. People tend to love it to death or hate it with a passion.