Anime of the Year 2001-II Spring - Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu

Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu is unrivalled champion in Spring 2001. 

1. Digimon Tamers デジモンテイマーズ  [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy Digimon Tamers takes place in a world where the popular Digimon franchise is all the rage, consisting of a cartoon, video games, and the trading card game. Takato Matsuda is a huge Digimon fan that's particularly obsessed with the card game, and constantly daydreams about the universe therein. One day, he finds a mysterious blue card, which he slides through a scanner toy to use in the popular battle game. His toy suddenly glows and transforms into a Digivice, and Takato's fan-made design, Guilmon, materialises in front of him. Thrilled by the prospect of having a real-life Digimon, Takato embraces his new partner, and his adventures as a Digimon Tamer begin. Takato quickly discovers that being a Digimon Tamer is not all fun and games—in reality, it's much more dangerous than the card games he's accustomed to. Wild Digimon have begun to appear all across Japan, causing rampages that result in chaos and mayhem. Armed with his Digivice, which can scan trading cards to strengthen Guilmon, Takato and his new partner set out to combat the rogue Digimon. They are tasked with protecting the world from Digimon attacks, whilst a mysterious organization determined to eliminate all Digimon and their Tamers lurks in the shadows... Guess why I missed Digimon Adventure in 1999. Because it's marked as kids show. And introductory episode of tamers did not convince me otherwise, so I'll gladly skip it entirely.   Overall Rating: 5/10

2. Noir ノワール  [Bee Train] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Action, Drama, Mystery  On a sunny afternoon in her Paris apartment, assassin-for-hire Mireille Bouquet receives a strange email from Kirika Yuumura, a young student from Japan, inviting her to "make a pilgrimage to the past" together. Initially thinking the email is nonsense, she changes her mind when it begins playing a song that she recognizes from her youth. Upon first meeting each other in person, the two are suddenly ambushed by gun-wielding men. While Mireille is capable of fending off the assault, she discovers that Kirika is quite adept in combat situations after she takes out several gunmen on her own. Despite her proficiency at killing, Kirika laments her inability to feel remorse for her victims. In addition, Kirika apparently has no memory of how she came to acquire the skills she possesses or even of her real identity. Sensing shared history between them, Mireille agrees to team up with Kirika, and together, they embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of their pasts. Operating under the codename "Noir," the duo's fragile alliance is tested as they begin accepting jobs, each one bringing them closer to the truth of who they really are. As for me, it's difficult to make an interesting assassin story, though not impossible as first Gunslinger girls proved. Noir does not put much effort into it, just like Golgo 13 before. Each episode is a new similar case with a baddie , and there may be some flashbacks that keep suspense and supposedly approach us to resolution. Without a good story characters are the only driving force here, and this resource is far from infinite .   Overall Rating: 6/10

3. Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear Prétear: The New Legend of Snow White 新白雪姫伝説プリーティア [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Reverse Harem, Super Power Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Due to her father's remarriage, robust 16-year-old Himeno Awayuki moves into a large mansion with a beautiful garden—the quintessential dream house for any girl her age. However, much to Himeno's disappointment, her new stepfamily doesn't really seem to like her, as her stepmother often occupies herself with her father, her younger stepsister Mawata ignores her, and her other stepsister—the equally aged Mayune—tries to prank her at every opportunity. But Himeno doesn't have time to dwell into thoughts of hopelessness—her new life has now become involved with a group of seven magical boys known as the Leafe Knights, after they ask her to become a magical princess who can borrow their powers! Although Himeno accepts their request and becomes the Prétear, she feels doubtful in her abilities to protect the world and its Leafe, the source of energy for all life. Will Himeno be able to find happiness among her new family and also save the Earth from the enemy, the Princess of Disaster? Reverse harem is somewhat fresh, and this anime tries to pose some questions in the right direction about the cost of power, consequences and aftermath, but with rather obnoxious main heroine and lots of cliché it fails to keep interest even with short format of 13 episodes.   Overall Rating: 5/10

4. Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer Battle Doll Angelic Layer 機動天使エンジェリックレイヤ  [Bones] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Sports 12-year-old Misaki Suzuhara has just gotten involved in Angelic Layer, a battling game using electronic dolls called angels. Even as a newbie, Misaki shows advanced skills as she meets new friends and enters Angelic Layer tournaments to fight the greatest Angelic Layer champions of the nation. It's real pity that old anime did not care much about story, only about stage where things would settle somehow on its own. Basically, I see Angelic Layer as an attempt to make Hajime no Ippo for girls , but keeping battles cute and remote rather than brutal. Add many interesting adversaries with a bit of background , and that's more than enough for children. Sorry, but that's not storytelling , and it can satisfy only simple needs.   Overall Rating: 6/10

5. Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu Haré+Guu ジャングルはいつもハレのちグゥ [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor, School Comedy, Slice of Life Haré was a happy boy living out his days in the jungle with his mother, but then one day Guu showed up and became a member of their household. Throughout the series he faces many hardships as he tries to keep Guu out of trouble in the jungle. It happens to hold middle ground in absurdity, so I was able to enjoy and even finish it in over a decade ago. I find it more enjoyable that Ping-Pong club and thus it deserves the highest reserved score for comedies. I especially like it that there aren't irritating characters here and that development does not get stale and there are even some slightly more serious plot episodes. A truly unique and entertaining comedy.   Overall Rating: 8/10

6. Hanaukyou Maid-tai 花右京メイド隊  [Daume] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen Harem Comedy, Romance, Ecchi After losing his mother, 14-year-old Taro journeys to Tokyo to live with his grandfather. But he gets the biggest surprise when he discovers that his grandfather's home is a huge mansion with hundreds of beautiful maids ready to serve him. Making matters worse (at least for Taro, but not for our viewing) is that not only does he inherit the Hanaukyo mansion, he gets the services of all of the maids 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Boring ecchi premise, boring development. Haven't seen such unfunny comedy in a while.   Overall Rating: 5/10

7. Galaxy Angel ギャラクシーエンジェル [Madhouse] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  The Angel Brigade, an elite branch of the Transbaal Empire military, are assigned to search for The Lost Technology, mysterious items from the past that hold unknown powers. Led by the soon to retire Colonel Volcott O' Huey, the Angel Brigade travel to different planets using their specially designed Emblem Frame ships to search for Lost Technology. Unfortunately, they usually mess up somehow and end up getting into all kinds of weird and troublesome situations. Never fancied the game. So it's angel brigade that embarks on most pathetic and trifle missions possible. Humor is rather average too...   Overall Rating: 5/10

8. The SoulTaker: Tamashii-gari SoulTaker The SoulTaker～魂狩～ [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mythology Horror, Supernatural  Kyousuke Date comes home one night and finds his mother dying in a pool of her own blood. In her final moments, she stabs him in the chest. After a swift recovery, Kyousuke searches for answers regarding his mother's motives, but finds more than he bargained for when he is attacked by two rival organizations: the Hospital and the Kirihara Group. Kyousuke is surprised to discover that he has a twin sister named Runa, and both groups try to coerce information out of him about her despite his ignorance to her existence. As their assault continues, Kyousuke soon makes another discovery—he has the ability to transform into a terrifying mutant called SoulTaker. With these newfound powers, Kyousuke resolves to crush both organizations, uncover the truth behind his mother's actions, and protect Runa. So you need to get through all the avant garde horrible graphics and torn directorship just to receive an average action story as a result. Not cool. Not cool at all.   Overall Rating: 4/10

9. Sister Princess シスター・プリンセス  [Zexcs] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Harem Comedy, Drama, Romance Wataru Minakami is a top student who failed his high school entrance exam because of a computer glitch. He later discovered that he was accepted to Stargazer Hill Academy, which is located at a mysterious place called Promised Island. At the request of his father, Wataru is whisked away to the island, and before he can settle in, a dozen of cute and charming girls start to flock him and claim to be his younger sisters. As Wataru gets closer to his newfound siblings, a deeper mystery as to why they were sent to the island comes to play. Wow, never thought it'd be possible to provide nothing at all except many cute sisters and rest on laurels. Thus it has only one trick to captivate viewer - by character personalities. And if it misses, there's nothing to see here.   Overall Rating: 5/10

10. Mahou Senshi Louie Rune Soldier 魔法戦士リウイ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 24/24) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Louie, a brawny student at the mage's guild, is reluctantly accepted by three girls (Merrill-thief, Genie-fighter, and Melissa-priestess) as a companion for their adventuring party. As the foursome explore ruins, battle dark creatures, and make new friends, they also uncover a sinister plot within the kingdom. I'm a sucker for adventurer parties. Strangely enough, Rune Soldier feels surprisingly modern as such anime with upgraded visuals could easily show up today. I'm very sad to admit that after first several dungeons there are no more dungeons and it becomes more and more of a lousy comedy, and no real story shows up. I really wanted to call it a masterpiece, but not with this resolution and not with relatively big format of 24 episodes.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Super GALS! Kotobuki Ran Super GALS! 超GALS! 寿蘭 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Slice of Life  Sporting designer clothes, make-up, and nails, Ran Kotobuki is the very picture of a trendy, young Shibuya girl, but don't let that fool you. This girl comes from a family of cops, and she’s ready to lay you out flat if you even think about causing trouble in her town! At least, she will... when she’s not distracted with karaoke, shopping, and dodging her homework. Join Ran and her friends as they defend the streets of Shibuya and attempt to shop their way into the history books as the most famous Gals ever! What... why... I mean, it's a rather narrow niche even inside Shoujo. I refuse to acknowledge this "culture" in general and this anime in particular as first three episodes have not provided anything resembling believable drama or funny humor let alone real story.   Overall Rating: 5/10

12. Comic Party こみっくパーティー [OLM] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Otaku Culture Comedy, Drama  Destiny or delusion? It's a hilarious rollercoaster of laughter and confusion when Taishi, the ultimate otaku, drags his friend Kazuki into the swirling world of ambition, hatred, and love—the world of fan comics! Poor clueless Kazuki must sink or swim when he's dumped straight into the middle of a massive comic convention. Lost amidst hoards of buyers, sellers, and cosplayers, Kazuki is about to be baptized by fire, all in order to lead him toward his true calling: to take over the world through fan comics! Meanwhile, Kazuki's childhood friend Mizuki isn't about to let him be dragged from his normal life without a fight! But will she be able to stop the addictive draw of the new world that lies before Kazuki? Little by little, Kazuki is slipping down the path towards destiny—and Taishi is shoving him every step of the way! I usually like anime about production, but this is just the barebones of doujinshi and cosplay. And the whole approach is rather discouraging as protagonist has to spend lots of time with sleep deprivation and money on utensils and printing and registry fee and he's already some 10k yen in the red. And since it's rather difficult to sell 20 copies of doujinshi, he needs to work at part-time job to get money for new participation, and the cycle of misery goes on and on. I remember game being a sim mostly about getting to the green balance, but such mechanistic approach overshadows the actual art and culture. Characters are mostly nice, but show up occasionally without much screen time.   Overall Rating: 6/10

13. Geneshaft ジーンシャフト [Satelight] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Mecha, Space Adventure, Sci-Fi In the 21st century mankind was on the brink of destruction. Through genetic engineering however they eradicated such feelings as love and the desire for power. Since women are naturally less agressive than men, women to man ratio was set to 9:1. Now people are engineered to have skills that others view as being necessary. There is a giant ring that now orbits the earth, that sits there and relays information back to an alien race that sent it. Now a team of five women will try to eradicate the alien threat. Pace is so slow and story so vague that I could not make up my mind on it and had to watch in full. The result is that is that it's mostly about inner squabbles with a bit of everything else on the side including mecha and comedy. It's all a huge mess with humanity survival at stake. I'm pretty sure that Gal Force was the main inspiration for this anime, but I liked every single part of Gal Force more, at the very least those were short and specific, not chasing some weird spirits across lifeless planets.   Overall Rating: 5/10

14. Project ARMS プロジェクトアームズ  [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 8/26) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Super Power Action A boy gets involved in an accident when in kindergarten, horribly damaging his arm, but the doctors somehow manage to save it. Now, several years later, his arm seems to be becoming the focus of strange events as it turns out to be more than a normal arm. Meanwhile, a secret organization is out to get hold of him and the power he possess. A fine serious action about transforming arms with own conscience. Nice to see a team of protagonists and some kind of teamplay. But is it interesting? As a story not really as it's just running away from organization and getting attacked. But if you liked Guyver, you'll probably like this one as action is satisfactory and characters aren't irritating.   Overall Rating: 6/10

15. Figure 17: Tsubasa & Hikaru フィギュア17 つばさ&ヒカル [OLM] (Finished 4/13) Tags: Sci-Fi, Slice of Life  Tsubasa Shiina is a 10-year-old girl who recently moved to Hokkaido to live with her father. In school, she is very quiet and unsociable with her classmates. Then one night, she witnesses a UFO crash in the forest near her home. She rushes to the scene and finds the pilot, codenamed "D.D.", in a barely stable condition. Also in the scene is a Maguar, a hideous alien that hatched aboard D.D.'s ship. As the Maguar is close to taking Tsubasa's life, an alien lifeform fuses with her body to form the Riberus battle armor Figure 17, which shortly destroys the alien threat. The life form takes the name Hikaru and turns into an identical twin of Tsubasa. As time passes, Tsubasa becomes more open to everyone around her, thanks to her new twin sister Hikaru. However, with Maguar eggs scattered all over Hokkaido, their ability to form Figure 17 is needed to eliminate all hatched Maguars until backup from D.D.'s home planet arrives on Earth. Are you interested in school and sports SOL of 10 year old girls? That's the core question for this show, because it takes the most time and because aliens sub-plot is rather sour and short. I'm probably too old to enjoy a friendship and socialization story about four-graders. With episodes twice longer than usual all that naïve childish SOL inevitably bores.   Overall Rating: 6/10

16. Star Ocean EX スターオーシャンEX [Studio Deen] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Claude C. Kenni, a crewmember on the spaceship Calnus and son of the commander of the ship, is transported to Expel, a backwards planet with swords and magic. He teams up with Rena Lanford, who thinks he is the legendary Warrior of Light, and other characters to investigate the Sorcery Globe, a meteorite that has been causing problems all over the world. RPG adaptation, and again in 26 episodes, so pacing is not going to be fast. In 6th episode full party gathers and only by 23rd episode they come to Sorcery Globe that they go to from first episode. Feels a lot like dragon quest anime with older characters and some sci-fi. As usual for RPG adaptations, not bad, but overextended and often simplified .   Overall Rating: 6/10

17. Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi 2 Steel Angel Kurumi 2 鋼鉄天使くるみ2式 [OLM] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Shounen Mecha Comedy, Girls Love, Romance, Sci-Fi Taking place 75 years after the first series, Steel Angel Kurumi 2 brings the Steel Angels in a new mis-adventure. High school student and aspiring cellist Nako Kagura accidentally discovers and kisses Kurumi Mk. II at her home, thus making her Kurumi's master. But things go awry as Nako's best friend Uruka gets jealous and tries anything - including her father's army of top-secret mecha - to destroy Kurumi and win back Nako. Things get more out of control when Saki Mk. II is awakened by Uruka, and Karinka Mk. II joins in to steal Nako away from Kurumi. It's not the first season, so should be clear.   Overall Rating: 5/10

18. Zone of the Enders: Dolores, I Zone of the Enders: Dolores  [Sunrise] (Finished 5/26) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi 49-year-old James Lynx was an officer (LEV pilot) in the United Nations global army, one day he received notification that his wife—a Martian scientist—was killed during a lab experiment. Hateful and resentful for letting her go, his children blamed him and cast him aside, depressed and in despair, James quit the military and took up a job as a transporter between Earth and Mars, he had some slight hope of his wife still being alive and to find her he wanted to be out there. After a few years, he seemed to have given up all hope and turned to drinking, until one day he receives an orbital frame by the name of "Dolores," sent by his dead wife. Once again, he dares to hope and sets off on a wild and wacky adventure to find the truth and to reunite his family. Game adaptation, and with prequel movie launched before I expected more. I did not see much story. It is probably pushed to the end, but why extend to 26 episodes at all then. Lots of filler scenes and torn directorship. It's rare to see mecha with humor, but humor here is also not satisfactory.   Overall Rating: 6/10

19. Taiho Shichau zo: Second Season You're Under Arrest: Fast & Furious 逮捕しちゃうぞ SECOND SEASON [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Adult Cast, Detective, Workplace Action, Comedy AA! Megami Sama creator, Kosuke Fujishima, is back with the second season of Taiho Schihauzo (You're Under Arrest). Same characters, two policewomen, the gentle Miyuki and the wild Natsumi teamed up together in Bokuto police station`s traffic division. Other characters including Kenichi, the motorcycle cop who has a feeling for Miyuki; Yoriko with her gossip and Aoi, a transvestite. They all ready to take on harmless criminals and costumed weirdos... You think you can have a better police station? I had a small hope that direction of previous movie rather than series would be taken now. But of course it's again just traffic police on trivial cases and with goofy humor.   Overall Rating: 6/10

20. Shin Chou Kyou Ryo: Condor Hero Legend of the Condor Hero 神鵰侠侶 コンドルヒーロー [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama, Romance Youka is a young 13-year-old boy. One day, his Uncle, Kakusei, has him follow in his steps of martial arts and has him study the art of Zenshinkyou. After being mistreated, Youka runs away Zenshinkyou. He stumbles on a Forbidden Tomb where he finds a beautiful young woman, by the name of Shouryuujo. After a short time, Youka is eventually accepted by Shouryuujo to study the techniques of the Koboha under her, and thus begins their adventure through martial arts and love. There's only Chinese and English dub versions available, that's already alerting and disappointing. Contents is indeed travelling across ancient China and martial arts with some romance. It looks very random, and I'm definitely not going to watch 78 episodes of three paired seasons to see where it all is going if I don't enjoy the flow in the least .   Overall Rating: 5/10

21. Gakuen Senki Muryou Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars 学園戦記ムリョウ [Madhouse] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Supernatural The world is about to be turned upside down for Hajime Murata. First, a strange alien ship appears over Tokyo, and then a mysterious new transfer student arrives at his school wearing an ancient school uniform. His name is Muryou, and with his arrival, everything begins to change. Students suddenly begin to display amazing psychic powers, a giant white guardian keeps appearing in the skies over the city to fight off gigantic alien creatures, and men with threatening weapons are haunting the shadows of the school grounds. With all these strange events taking place around him, Hajime is determined to figure out the truth about a world he thought he already knew. This is his story: a tale of aliens and humans, starships and spies, and friends who are often more than they appear. Join Hajime as he uncovers the mystery of Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars! Decent school SOL. Decent action. It's slow pace, relaxing and easy to watch. Even psychic powers and mecha feel surprisingly fine here. Is it interesting? Probably, but not for me since it's just another stage with episodic attacks and unveiling the mystery of psychic users through characters blah-blah-blah. Basically, I just prefer modern anime where story is in the center and events are so concentrated and fast-paced that characters develop through interesting events rather than through just talks. There's no excitement here for me. I ask myself why I should care and there's no good answer I can find .   Overall Rating: 6/10

22. Chance Triangle Session Chance Pop Session チャンス　トライアングルセッション [Madhouse] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Idols (Female), Music Drama, Slice of Life This anime is based on a 1999 radio drama about three very different girls: Akari, Yuki and Nozomi; going to see the concert of top pop idol Reika and by going to see this concert their lives are greatly influenced by it. Akari was raised in a very religious background, she is bright and cheerful and a big Reika fan. Yuki is an independent girl who ran away from her home in Hakodate. She is working in the concert hall of Reika's performance. Nozomi is the daughter from a wealthy family in Kobe. She's got one of the VIP seats at the concert. The three girls are so inspired by Reika's performance, that they all enroll in the Akiba music school and endeavor to become pop idols themselves. It's the barebones of pop idol training show - rather simple and predictable. From the show about entertainment I don't even expect entertainment, but please make sure to provide something memorable, And there's nothing I can remember it by.   Overall Rating: 5/10

23. Dr. Rin ni Kiitemite! Dr.リンにきいてみて！ [Studio Comet] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shoujo School Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Kanzaki Meirin, a junior high school student, posseses fusui power which can drive away evil spirits away whenever they appeared. She is in fact, the fortune teller Dr. Rin. She is in love with her best friend, soccer club member, Yuuki Asuka. However, Yuuki does not like fortune-telling and superstitious things. Mahou shoujo... without actual magic and transformation scene... without transformation. It's rather simple and episodic. Airing such concept for a whole year takes a lot of confidence. It's easygoing and occasionally funny ... and has a funny pet monkey, but that's not enough, as for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10

24. Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san☆ Cosmic Baton Girl コメットさん☆ Cosmic Baton Girl コメットさん☆ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/43) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi  Comet (12 years old in human years) is the princess of the Harmonica Star country and was to meet the prince of the Tambourine Star country at a ball where he'd pick a bride. But he isn't there and so Comet is sent to Earth to find him. He'll be known by the starlight in his eyes. She finds the Earth and she loves the people she meets there. Meanwhile, Princess Meteor of the Castanet Star country also arrives on Earth in search of the prince. Comet's companion is a little puppy with a star at the end of his tail named Rubba Ball. Of course, Comet was not the first to visit the Earth and love it, another before her did as well and married. Her pet (a white cat with bunny ears and a tiny heart on her tail named Bunny) continued life as a kind of fairy in the forest. Comet's power is drawn from the stars of her home and is channeled through her baton; she also wears a special pendant from where Rubba Ball immerges, and with which she can detect and find the prince. Concept instantly reminded me the first mahou shoujo from 1960s like Sally the Witch, so it was cool to find out that Comet-chan origins lie in the 1960s as well. It's a funny energetic show for children, but it's childish and episodic - total miss for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10

25. Parappa the Rapper パラッパラッパー [J.C.Staff, Production I.G] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy Parappa is just your ordinary talking dog; he enjoys spending time with his friends, listening to music, and going on adventures. Together with his friends, Parappa gets into many strange situations, all the while learning to navigate through life, get along with his friends, and pine for the girl of his dreams, Sunny Funny. Based on an equally quirky rhythm game, Parappa the Rapper boasts a unique flat style, blasts of color, and a string of strange but charming characters. Among Parappa’s friends are an anthropomorphized blue cat, lamb, and even a flower. Parappa's adventures range from the ordinary to the bizarre. He crosses paths with mischievous baddies, helps resolve questions of friendship and love, and even goes on trips through time itself. Nothing can change Parappa's positive outlook on life. A senseless kid game turned into a senseless anime. It hurts.   Overall Rating: 5/10

26. Offside (TV) オフサイド [Ashi Productions] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Team Sports Action, Drama, Sports  Goro Kumagaya is an established, tall middle-school goalkeeper who wanted to enter Yokonan high-school that is considered to be among the elites in terms of its football club, only to fail and end up in the lowly-ranked school opposite to Yokonan because of an accident. However, he met Shingo, Hideki and Kazuhito Oda who are all skillful footballers there and together in the Kawasaki High School football club, they challenge Yokonan and any other schools that they have to face in order to improve and become the champions. Any setbacks that they face would instead be an opportunity for a better improvement; one of which was the discovery of Goro's natural talent as an ace striker. Not translated into English even though showed in many other languages. All football anime look the same to me, apart of small details. Goalkeeper viewpoint is unexpected, but now it's great goalkeeper and totally lousy team who only scores with faraway goalkeeper throws. And let's leave it at that for spokon fans.   Overall Rating: 5/10

27. Haja Kyosei G Dangaiou 破邪巨星Gダンガイオ [AIC] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi A mysterious explosion on Futagami Island begins a new chapter in the Dangaioh mythos! Led by the evil Professor Katou, a band of warriors calling themselves the "Tartarus Knights" have begun their campaign to lay waste to the world by way of a small research station on Futagami Island. Katou's victory seems almost certain until he encounters an advanced fortress guarding the island. From it, a group of three humanoid robots are launched—Dangaioh! I rated prequel from 1980s as 3/10 , and since psychics seem to be gone it deserves a promotion.   Overall Rating: 4/10

28. Dennou Boukenki Webdiver Brain Adventure Record Webdiver 電脳冒険記ウェブダイバー [Radix] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shounen Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi Set in the year 2100 where the world is tied together by a computer network. The children of the world become Web Divers, adapting their consciousnesses into data, and love to play together in the cyber park called Magical Gate. However, a mysterious computer virus appears beginning to destroy Magical Gate from the inside out. In cyberspace, programs called Web Knights have been created to protect the children. But, the computer virus has turned all the Web Knights against the children. The only Web Knight to escape the "brainwashing" is Gladion. Gladion seeks the help of Kaito Yuki, a Web Diver who is in the fourth grade. Another simple and repetitive mecha that does not try to have big plot, so need to like the flow itself.   Overall Rating: 5/10

29. Run=Dim RUN=DIM (ランディム) [Idea Factory] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi In the year 2050 A.D, approximately 1/10th of Japan is now under water due to the global warming effect. The city of Tokyo was no exception. The economy of Japan is crippled from this disaster and the government is willing for anything to help revive the country. As a result, the Japanese government forms "JESAS", a military foundation that has evil intentions of controlling Japan's future. JESAS handles the dumping of nuclear wastes into outer space. To insure their protection from other countries, JESAS has developed "R.B." Robotic Weaponry, which is controlled by pilots with "A.I. (Accurate Intuition)". On the opposite side of the law is the "Green Frontier", a united protection agency that was formed by countries sharing the same beliefs, to save the Earth. Featuring JESAS pilots Kanna and Kazuto and Green Frontier's Doota Kang and Mira Yu, these four youngsters will decide the fate of the Earth through love, friendship and the passion for their duty. It's all ugly early CGI with horrible actions animation. Basically, it tries to play in Gundam as there are two big factions with different reasoning who use giant mecha to fight. Guess need to really like politics here or be mecha enthusiast to go on.   Overall Rating: 4/10

30. Genei Toushi Bastof Lemon BASToF Syndrome 幻影闘士バストフレモン [Dongwoo A&E] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi The story takes place in the year 2097 and in the city of Xenon. An ultimate cyber game, where players fight as bio-mechanical cyber robots, has been developed. However, there's something wrong. The game's cyberspace and the real world are linked. The damage that occurs in the game's cyberspace creates destruction in the city of Xenon. This all started when players heard a painful scream, saw a ghostly face, and a powerful scent of lemon overcame them. To solve this mystery, the creator of the game assembles a "Dream Team," which is the top three gamers in all of Xenon. The team is composed of rebellious and arrogant teens, who, have to overcome their attitudes and fears to find the answers, answers to the mystery that are much bigger than just the game. It's in Korean, so of course it's about virtual reality or games, and now also mecha... And basically Korean anime is still too simple and imitational, it just can't let fantasy fly or produce something remotely serious yet.   Overall Rating: 5/10

31. Pachislo Kizoku Gin パチスロ貴族 銀 [Fuji TV] (Finished 3/23) Tags: High Stakes Game, Strategy Game Action Ginya Otonashi is a college dropout who works part-time for a pachislot publishing company while aspiring to become a novelist. One day, Ginya comes across a secret organization and gets pulled into a competition to become #1 in "Pachi Battle," which is all a part of the Slotseum, a pachislot competition. Anime about... slot machines... wow. There are all kinds of competitions and power groups in the underground casino. Basically, it's better than expected due to fine execution and some attention to characters, but concept is too stupid for something decent.   Overall Rating: 5/10

32. Go! Go! Itsutsugo Land ゴーゴー五つ子ら・ん・ど  [Eiken] (Finished 1/50) Tags: School  The series is about five quintuplets, Kabuto, Hinoki, Arashi, Kinoko and Kodama Morino, who have all kinds of adventures together. Each has their own talent and personality. Not translated. Characters have only started elementary school and behave like kindergarten kids and have corresponding "adventures". Comedy for kids.   Overall Rating: 5/10

33. Gyouten Ningen Batsealer Captain Fatz and the Seamorphs 仰天人間バトシーラー [Group TAC] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy With the ability to transcend time, Captain Fatz and comrades embarked on a journey of battle and adventure to gather the eight scattered stone pieces (namely Light, Darkness, Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Wood & Metal) which was granulated by the lord of destruction, in order to restore the chaotic world back to peace. Not translated. And another kids anime not marked properly. Feels a lot like One Piece imitation.   Overall Rating: 5/10

34. Ajimu: Kaigan Monogatari あじむ ～海岸物語～ [Actas] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Music, School Comedy, Drama, Romance Seventeen year old Nakaido Hirosuke is just your average high school student. One morning as he arrives at the train station on his way to school, he catches sight of a beautiful girl, Ajimu Yasuna, and immediately falls for her. The two of them get to know each other and become friends, but he can't confess his feelings and she is unsure of hers. As events and other people present obstacles for the potential couple to clear, their relationship begins to develop and their feelings become clear. A very awkward romance, both in wording and situations. Generic and predictable to the point of nausea .   Overall Rating: 5/10

35. R.O.D: Read or Die R.O.D - Read or Die R.O.D リード・オア・ダイ [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adult Cast, Historical Action, Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi Yomiko Readman is a lovable, near-sighted bibliomaniac working as a substitute teacher at a Japanese high school. Her real identity, however, is that of a secret agent for the British Library Special Operations Division. Her codename: "The Paper." The moniker denotes her supernatural ability to freely manipulate paper into any object she can imagine, including tools and weapons in her fight against the powerful and self-serving IJIN (Great Historical Figure) Army! Along with her partner, the enigmatic "Ms. Deep," Yomiko travels across the world in attempt to solve the mystery behind the reincarnation of historical figures and their attempt to control the world. In a mess of a stage like this books are just a pretext to introduce lots of silly super-agent action with books transforming into weapons. But there are a lot of even more absurd elements, and it's the kind of full absurdity that I can't stand.   Overall Rating: 5/10

36. Alien 9 エイリアン9 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Psychological, School Horror, Sci-Fi  Soon after entering middle school, Yuri Otani is coerced into joining the "Alien Party," a single-minded group with one goal: capture any alien attempting to enter school grounds. Terrified of aliens her entire life, Otani is anything but thrilled, and to make matters worse, her kit includes a "Borg"—an alien-like creature tasked with ensuring her safety. Despite this, she finds solace in her two partners: the independent and reliable Kumi Kawamura, and the smart and energetic Kasumi Tomine. As the Alien Party works to fend off extraterrestrial threats, will their roller blades and lacrosse sticks be enough to overcome the dire challenges ahead, or will they succumb to fear and suffer the grim consequences of defeat? Well, it's exactly the shoujo with a twist that I did not expect before Madoka. But Alien 9 deliberately tries to bluntly shock and things get really ugly occasionally. The problem is that it does not give much in return and it's even not cute. It's fresh and solid and has enough complexity with interesting thoughts, but it gives a sour aftertaste and no memorable impressions, so I would not want to highlight it.   Overall Rating: 6/10

37. Malice@Doll Malice@doll マリスドール [Soeishinsha] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Psychological Horror, Sci-Fi Malice, a sex robot living in an abandoned human city, is assaulted and violated by a mysterious creature. Upon awakening, Malice finds out that she has become human and can pass on her humanity to her fellow machines. However, her gift soon becomes a curse when her fellow robots rage out of control after being exposed to the pleasures of life. First CGI movie that I can promote from not recommended to average as it's not repulsive, just uninteresting, short, poorly done and directed, although with claims of a serious AI self-consciousness work. Basically, it tells that author did Lain Experiments before as it's similar mess.   Overall Rating: 5/10

38. Medaka no Gakkou めだかの学校 [Office AO] (Finished 0/5) Tags: Comedy Medaka is a high school student. She wants to be a doctor, and she’s just transferred to Tanaka Private School on the recommendation of her parents. But she finds that his school looks a bit strange. For example, Pochi is such a smart student who always gets full marks, but he is a dog. And there are other classmates: Nekoko, a cat, who thinks of Pochi as a rival, Misa, a five-years-old girl. Of course, her home room teacher, Mr. Tanaka, is not normal. His face is ... A fish?! Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

39. Metropolis メトロポリス [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Detective Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi In the great city of Metropolis, severe community structures and prejudice dominate a world where humans and robots live together. Unrest and violence increase with each new day. Searching for the scientist Dr. Laughton, suspected to violate human rights by trading organs, the Japanese detective Shunsaku Ban and his nephew Kenichi arrive at Metropolis. In the scientist's laboratory, Kenichi discovers a girl without any memory of her past life. He decides to help her, so they run away together. His uncle follows him and penetrates the dark secrets of the city to find Duke Red, the man ruling from the shadows. Meanwhile, Kenichi desperately tries to protect the mysterious girl from the people hunting her. However, Duke Red and his adoptive son have their own deep reasons for chasing the girl. These reasons are connected to her true identity and the struggle for the domination of Metropolis... It's a beautiful action adventure in a a dystopian city, but at the same time story develops just through chaotic events and lacks substance. It's rather decent than average, and I remember I enjoyed it a bit when watched for the first time, now circumstances have changed.   Overall Rating: 6/10

40. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 09: Arashi wo Yobu Mouretsu! Otona Teikoku no Gyakushuu 映画　クレヨンしんちゃん　嵐を呼ぶモーレツ！オトナ帝国の逆襲 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Sci-Fi  Adult people all over Japan had been captivated by 20th Century Expo, theme parks that reenacted good old days of the 1970s (the last days of Japan's high economic growth). One day the adults disappeared into the theme parks, leaving their children abandoned. That was a plot by "Yesterday Once More," an organization who despises the 21st century and tries to bring Japan back to the 20th century with the dreams and hopes. Shinnosuke and his parents, Hiroshi and Misae, fight against the plot of "Yesterday Once More" in order to live together with family in the 21st century. Guess can call it being on the better end of the movies. Big tilt into parodies at beginning feels nice. Infantile middle is fun. Another crazy organization confrontation is better than usual. Still can't say I'm impressed enough.   Overall Rating: 6/10

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