Back to showandAG's Profile showandAG's Profile

Cowboy Bebop... widely considered as a masterpiece. I personally thought it was good, but I would have trouble placing it at masterpiece status.

I decided to watch Cowboy Bebop because it was done by Shinichiro Watanabe, who also did Samurai Champloo, which is one of my all time favorites. If you watched Champloo, Bebop is similar in that both follow an episodic format, where there is some kind of a story or plot, but the story itself is not as important as the journey. In Champloo, this was the search for the sunflower samurai. I guess in Bebop the main plot focus could be considered Spikes ... backstory and the whole situation with Julia.

Cowboy Bebop is about bounty hunters Spike and Jet and there adventures as bounty hunters and the other bounty hunters, Faye and Edward who they meet along their journey.

Story 8/10

Art 8/10

Sound 8/10

Characters 9/10

I think the most interesting part of Cowboy Bebop is I guess the main protagonist, Spike Spiegel. Although I do not necessarily the episodic format to be a bad thing, I feel that it sometimes took away what was the most interesting part of the show, which for me was Spike's backstory. Spike is a very interesting character - he is very mysterious, not to mention that he is very skilled at his job.

Enjoyment 8/10

Overall 8/10

Had some moments which where interesting/entertaining, however I have trouble recommending Cowboy Bebop as a masterpiece as some people do. Still a show worth watching if you enjoy the genre.

Note - This review may be a little biased.

I will start off by saying that Zoids was a big part of my childhood. I grew with this as my favorite TV show, played Zoids Battle Legends for the GameCube, and even had a toy Redhorn (my brother had a toy Liger, he somehow convinced me to get a stupid Redhorn). All of this being said, my review may be somewhat biased.

Story 9/10

Zoids (Chaotic Century/Gaurdian Force are the two halves that make up this series of zoids) takes place on planet Zi, where large robot animals called zoids, which are generally used for combat by humans ... live. It follows Van, who dreams of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a legendary zoid pilot. He discovers the organoid who he names Zeke, and the girl Fiona, and he sets out with Fiona to help her uncover her past and find the mysterious Zoid Eve. Zoid meets Irvine and Moonbay who accompany him on most of his journey as they overcome various pitfalls on the way to learning about Fiona's past.

Art 8/10

I thought the art/character designs were well done. I think the biggest issue that many people will have with zoids is the mediocre CG used in the fight sequences with the zoids. Because I grew up watching this as a kid I was used to this and always thought it was the coolest thing, but to a person seeing it for the first time today, they probably would think its pretty terrible at some points.

Sound 8/10

The dub themes are pretty bad in my opinion, the original themes are decent. The soundtrack is solid and does a good job setting the mood.

Characters 9/10

Van is a pretty typical character - he starts out weak, but determined, and he eventually becomes great. Fiona is quirky. I found the characters of zoids to be quite enjoyable.

Enjoyment 9/10

I always loved zoids since I was a kid and even in re-watching this series again this year I was still able to enjoy it.

Overall 9/10

If you are into mecha anime, Zoids is definitely worth a try.

"A brat who is afraid to be hurt isn't qualified to love someone." - Eikichi Onizuka

Going into this I was a little unsure of what to expect. I was looking for something funny to watch, and the synopsis of GTO as well as the MAL score caught my attention.

GTO did not disappoint.

It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but nonetheless I was so glad I found Great Teacher Onizuka.

By the way, this reviiew is for the dub, which I think was very well done.

After watching the first episode, I was immediately hooked. It was very funny, but it also brought me to realize ... that the show wasn't going to just be some comedy.

Great Teacher Onizuka is more than just a comedy, it is a story about life, growing up and maturing as a person among other things.

Eikichi Onizuka is 'reformed' biker gang member who has had the lifelong dream of becoming a teacher - he says so he can pick up high school babes. But we find that to Eikichi being a teacher is about more than just the hot girls who are supposed to come with the job.

While Eikichi is a sex crazed freak (who is actually a virgin), he also is a very genuine person who cares deeply for his students and the people close to him in his life.

Story 10/10

Art 9/10

The anime is from 1999 or 2000 so obviously the art/animation are dated but I still think it is very well done. I personally really liked all of the character designs. Not to mention some of the best facial expressions in all of anime.

Sound 9/10

The openings and endings are really neat and fit the show really well (the animation of them as well). The soundtrack is solid as well.

Characters 11.5/10

Eikichi Onizuka is my new all time favorite character in anime. He is the funniest, most genuine, incredible person. All of the other characters in the anime are very good as well. You will learn all of the backstories of the students, who are all great characters. None of the characters are forgettable, they all have meaning and substance to them.

Enjoyment 12/10

As I said earlier this may be my new all time favorite anime. After finishing all 43 episodes I was so sad it was finished. GTO flew by for me and I found myself wishing for more.

Overall 12/10

A true masterpiece - please, if for some reason you are unsure about this, give it a try, you won't regret it.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR R2 AS WELL.

I've heard Code Geass compared to Death Note many times. I agree with this comparison for the most part for the following reasons:

-The main character is an absolute genius
-The main character will go to drastic measure to make sure his goal is achieved
-His goal is ultimately to make the world a better place

In these ways the stories of Lelouch and Light Yagami are clearly very similar. However I cannot agree to say that Lelouch and Light are essentially the same character. Death Note made me really sad because I felt that Light essentially corrupted himself and by the ... end of Death Note I felt he was just a psycho and felt it was time for him to die. I feel as if Light Yagami ultimately was consumed by a lust for power and reaching the status of a god. When I watched Code Geass I did not feel this way about Lelouch. While there were times where it seemed as if he may have gone to far I was able to root for him the whole way.

Story 10/10

The story is set in a futuristic world where the oppressive Britannian Empire controls much of the world. Lelouch is a brilliant high school student with an unknown past. The adventure begins when he meets the mysterious CC. Lelouch sets out to make the world a better place for his sister Nunally.

Art 7/10

The art was fine but I am not a huge fan of the Clamp style artwork with the triangle faces and pointy chins. The animation as good.

Sound 9/10

Some of the Opening songs really got me pumped up. I know that some of the Code Geass songs have mixed reviews but I personally thought they were good and grew on me. As for the soundtrack, I thought it was really good, it fit the show quite well and did a good job setting the moods.

Characters 10/10

Probably the best part of the show, mainly Lelouch. Lelouch is one of my favorite all time characters. There may be times in the show where you want to give up on him, but ultimately he will not dissapoint you.

Enjoyment 10/10

I thought Code Geass was incredible. It easily makes my top 5 list. Lots of drama and cliffhangers, great action sequences, great characters, lots of emotion. I thought Code Geass had possibly the best ending of any show I have seen.

Overall 10/10

Very well done. A masterpiece and an all-time great.

I assume anyone planning to watch this has seen Clannad so I won't bother describing the characters, art, sound, things you wouldn't already know about.

The plot of this is essentially a love triangle between Ryou, Kyou, and Tomoya. Not much more I can say without spoiling since its just one episode.

If you watched Clannad and are looking for more Clannad then go ahead and watch it, I thought it was well done.

I assume anyone planning to watch this has seen Clannad so I won't bother describing the characters, art, sound, things you wouldn't already know about.

The story is set in an alternate universe where Tomoya is dating Tomoyo. If you liked Clannad you will probably like this. Basically the point is just another perspective of what could have happened if Tomoya dated Tomoyo. I won't bother describing the plot...

If you watched Clannad and are looking for more Clannad then go ahead and watch it, I thought it was well done.

Definitely the most touching thing I have ever experienced. If someone told me I would cry watching an anime a year ago I would have told them they were crazy. Since I started watching anime I have only seen a select few which made me experience such emotion.

Spice and Wolf almost made me cry one tear.

Air almost made me cry one tear.

FMA Brotherhood made me cry one manly tear.

Kanon (2006) made me cry one manly tear.

... Guilty Crown made me shed one manly tear.

Code Geass made me cry one or two manly tears.

I guess at this point the tears stop being manly.

Clannad: Afterstory made me cry at least SIX tears, four of which came simultaneously.

If that doesn't say enough about Clannad Afterstory, then here's the actual review:

WARNING: SPOILER FOR FIRST SEASON OF CLANNAD

Story 10/10

The story follows the life of Tomoya after he graduates and is in a relationship with Nagisa. I am not sure how to describe much more of the story without giving spoilers because we already know who the characters are from watching the first part.

Art 9/10

Sound 10/10

Sound done by Jun Maeda/KEY Sounds Label, very well done... The opening song is incredible and very emotional. The Dango Family song... just watch the show and yeah. The ending song: I actually think the ending song is quite good... HOWEVER BE WARNED: it is extremely upbeat and when it plays after a certain episode you may be tempted to punch the computer/TV screen or shut off the volume immediately.

Characters 10/10

The characters are all so loveable. You will always be rooting for them, part of the reason why this anime is so heartbreaking.

Enjoyment 10/10

Easily one of the greatest anime of all time, definitely deserves the MAL score of over 9.

Overall 10/10

One of my all time favorites. Just don't let anyone tell you to skip Clannad and go straight for Afterstory.

AFTERSTORY NOT INCLUDED IN REVIEW...

This review is solely for the first part of Clannad.

Story 9/10

The story is about Okazaki Tomoya and his friend Sunohara who are both high school delinquents. Tomoya meets various girls during his senior year of high school and he learns about their lives and pasts, all while figuring out his own life...(if you have seen any other KEY works like Kanon and Air, then this is basically the same thing). The story basically serves to build up the characters and your feelings for them for Afterstory.

Art 9/10

Some people don't like the art style with the big eyes but it doesn't ... bother me. Overall I think the art/animation is well done.

Sound 10/10

Done by Jun Maeda/KEY Sounds Label. Very well done, as is all of there work. I enjoyed the opening. At first I thought the ending was dumb and annoying and I always skipped it. After you watch Afterstory your opinion regarding the ending will drastically change, I would listen to it a few times at least to get it ingrained in your head.

Characters 9/10

There characters are all really good. Just as in Kanon and Air you learn a lot about the characters and their pasts as the story progresses and you learn to love them more and more.

Enjoyment 9/10

I had a lot of good laughs watching Clannad. Tomoya is a smartass, a lot like Yuuichi in Kanon, and it is fun watching the hit counter when Sunohara gets beaten up by girls. The first season had sad moments but it wasn't that sad. I really enjoyed the first season of Clannad getting to know the characters.

Overall 9/10

If anyone tells you that the first half sucks and to just watch Afterstory, don't listen to them. Clannad doesn't suck, its funny and it builds up the characters for Afterstory-- I can't imagine really being able to enjoy Afterstory if it had not been for watching the character buildup in Clannad first. Highly recommended.

When I watched this anime I kept getting reminded of Kaze no Stigma. I personally enjoyed Kaze no Stigma, but I know not all people share my sentiments.

I felt that both KnS and CSR were both good but not amazing, I would give them both 8's across the board in all categories.

Some other reasons why I was reminded of KnS
-Very overpowered MC
-Producer died, leaving the show somewhat incomplete

I've heard some way that the anime adaptation of CSR felt complete at the end, but I felt like there could have been more. My friend who ... read the manga said that the anime does not encompass the entire manga. I would have liked to see more, but I don't think there is any hope for this anime to be continued, so if you finish the show wanting more, then you have to switch to the manga.

Story 8/10

The story follows Layfan, the MC, and his new group of friends who are a team of fighters, who do sorts of combat competitions, but this is not the main focus of the story. The story takes place in a post apocolyptic environment where people live in cities encapsulated in moving domes (think Ergo Proxy if you have seen that). It is unsafe to go outside the domes because the atmostphere is unsafe and there are violent creatures called insectisoids that are very dangerous.

Art 8/10

Pretty good, the combat animation is exciting.

Sound 8/10

I liked the opening, and the sountrack is also decent.

Characters 8/10

I liked all the characters, but I will only really talk about the main character. Layfan is really OP, but unlike lots of OP characters, he does not wish to use his fighting capabilities, he was to become a scholar of sorts. He is coerced into fighting again although fighting is what he ran away from in the first place. Layfan starts out pretty much already developed. We see how he progressed as a person through various flashbacks throughout the show.

Enjoyment 8/10

I found the action sequences exciting, the interactions between the characters interesting. I wouldn't really say that it had slow parts.

Overall 8/10

I would recommend watching this!

5 Centimeters Per Second is essentially a three episode/chapter movie which follows the relationship between a boy and girl as the are dragged away from each other and life but still try to keep in touch.

Story 6/10

I think the story had potential to be good but at times I found it confusing and I felt that there wasn't really enough substance to it.

Art 10/10

I was very impressed by the art/animation when I saw this about a month ago. When I realized it was made in 2007 I was even more impressed. I can't express how incredible this art is, especially for the time it was ... made. Some of the best art/animation I have ever seen. If I had to guess, the art is what accounts for the MAL score of over 8.

Sound 8/10

Honestly I don't remember it very well, but I don't remember it standing out that much.

Characters 7/10

I have trouble giving a high score for characters for the reason that you don't really have enough time to get to know them. At one point during a transition during chapters I lost track of which female character was which, which I think says a lot.

Enjoyment 6/10

I felt like it was just so slowly paced it was hard to keep my attention. The only thing I really enjoyed was the art.

Overall 7/10

I wouldn't really recommend watching this. I would only watch this if you want to see some really incredible art.