First of all, this anime is, without *any* reservation whatsoever, the best anime I have ever seen. The storyline is engrossing, the character development surpasses anything I have ever seen before (although, admittedly, I don't watch many pure dramas), the animation flows true and clear even through the most active fight scenes, and the sound is perfect.
The anime begins with this immature kid we see expressing his 'modest' dreams to be a great reffer (air surfer) like a great hero of his. Then as we follow this kid through the story, we see his development into a far more mature and responsible person. Similarly, we are introduced early on to a pretty little female character, looking for the world as the stereotypical innocent maiden. But again, as we go on, we learn that (surprise) she actually has a past, and a good story to tell about herself! Character depth is increased incredibly throughout the show!
As for animation, as I stated before, its smooth and clear. I really like how this anime refuses to do the whole 'rinse and repeat' cycle with its scenes. We rarely see repetition, unless actually needed by the story.
I'll finish this off now with a comment about the ending: It is one of the best endings I have ever seen in my life. I can say this openly; this is the *only* other anime aside from the Chrno Crusade that has ever made me cry. Trust me, I don't do that easily.
This is a wonderful show. It has singlehandedly made a spot for itself on my list. After watching this, I moved every single other anime aside from Chrno Crusade down a point because it had set a new standard for quality.
