Anime of the Year 2002-I Winter - Palme no Ki

No masterpieces as usual, personally enjoyed Palme no Ki more than others.

1. Full Metal Panic! フルメタル・パニック！  [Gonzo] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Mithril, a covert military institution using state-of-the-art technology to combat terrorist operations, assigns a specialized team to a sensitive mission. Under the command of superior officer Melissa Mao, sergeants Sousuke Sagara and Kurz Weber must secretly protect Kaname Chidori—a teenage girl who unconsciously holds breakthrough scientific knowledge and is considered a "Whispered"—from intelligence agencies and other organizations pursuing her abilities. While Kurz and Melissa are to assist him remotely, Sousuke enrolls at Kaname's high school as one of her classmates to closely monitor her. However, his militaristic upbringing and poor social skills lead to a difficult adjustment to civilian life. Not only does he attract unnecessary attention, but his actions frequently make Kaname suspicious of him. Despite the earnest attempts to fulfill his duty, a terrorist ambush further complicates Sousuke's task. Recognizing the vicious mastermind behind the assault, Sousuke abandons his orders to ensure Kaname's safety. Watched it all in the past. but did not expect it to be so old. And even at that time it lost its charm by some 9th episode and started to be a drag. It never felt like mecha to me, more like romcom with rather flat humor. Today it looks even worse as the number of cliché characters and situations outrages even though it might not be the case back then.   Overall Rating: 5/10

2. Onegai☆Teacher Please Teacher! おねがい☆ティーチャー [Daume] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi  One day, Kei Kusanagi notices a strange glowing woman by the lake. He discovers that the woman is actually an alien officer from the Galaxy Federation named Mizuho Kazami, and even more shocking—she's also his teacher! In spite of this setback, he and his teacher gradually get to know each other and a romance blossoms between them. However, soon enough, the principal of the school finds out about their relationship. The solution? Get married! Together, the newlyweds must keep their marriage a secret, not only from Kei's high school friends, but also the Galaxy Federation. Onegai☆Teacher is the fragile but comedic love story of an alien and her student. Another familiar title that looked fine and even interesting in the past. Today I'd say its best advantage is adequate length as alien female interfering into everyday life is nothing new, and romance is rather strange and forced. Humor is average at best. It aged too much.   Overall Rating: 5/10

3. RahXephon ラーゼフォン [Bones] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Music, Psychological Action, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi The ordinary life of high school student Ayato Kamina is turned upside down when Tokyo is suddenly invaded by futuristic fighter jets. Amidst the chaos, he encounters a woman called Haruka Shitow who claims to be from a government organization called TERRA. She reveals that he has been living in a time bubble named "Tokyo Jupiter" that was put in place by the Mulians—humanoids from another dimension—in an attempt to isolate and take over Tokyo. TERRA has been trying to break through the barrier surrounding the city ever since. Unable to process the revelation, Ayato panics and flees. He runs into his classmate Reika Mishima who leads him to a place called "The Shrine of Xephon" where a large egg slumbers. She starts to sing and an unknown power awakens within Ayato, connecting him to a being called RahXephon that breaks out of the egg. Shortly after, Haruka finds him again and tries to make him join her cause of fighting against the Mulians. Caught between the crosshairs of the Mulians and TERRA, Ayato begins to question his purpose, navigating altered memories and ultimately his very identity in this chaotic new world. Another overextended show, and moreover with singing mecha. It starts rather chaotically and no explanations ever follow. Guess some explanations will only occur after the filler-filled middle, so I'd prefer to wait for the movie to see if it makes any sense at all.   Overall Rating: 5/10

4. Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 Beyblade V-Force 爆転シュート　ベイブレード2002 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports The Bladebreakers have to join forces once again because a mysterious group under the lead of Oozuma has defeated them, but the real enemy is not Oozuma. The real threath is formed by a group of people who use cyber-BitBeasts to capture the original ones from the Bladebreakers. I don't remember prequel , because it was properly marked as material for kids. Brief sampling is enough to prove the same about sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

5. Kanon カノン [Toei Animation] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Drama, Romance, Supernatural  It’s been 7 years since Yuuichi Aizawa visited his aunt Akiko, but now that his parents have gone to Africa to pursue their careers, he is finally back in the little northern town. Yuuichi is not really overjoyed with the prospect of living here though, because all of his memories of this place and the people living in it have mysteriously vanished. His cute cousin Nayuki seems like a stranger as well, even though he used to play with her all the time when they were younger. On the day of moving into his new home, Yuuichi starts unpacking the boxes and stumbles upon a red headband that no one seems to recognize. This is one of the first clues that will make Yuuichi take a stroll through the snow-covered town and make him start recalling fragments of his past, broken promises and buried secrets. Yuuichi soon realizes that there is something supernatural going on, and all of his new female acquaintances seem to have links to his forgotten past. It felt quite fresh back then. Today it's still interesting, because it's based on a lot of material from the game and thus does not repeat or have any fillers. There is some humor and cuteness, plus a lot of conversations are lively. But the whole stage of boring MC with amnesia or something returning to home town and by huge consequent strokes of luck making a harem from girls is more interesting from writer's viewpoint than from viewers'.   Overall Rating: 6/10

6. Kinnikuman II Sei Ultimate Muscle キン肉マンII世 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports, Martial Arts Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports Kinnikuman II Sei takes place several years after the events of the original Kinnikuman. Mantarou Kinniku is the 59th prince of Planet Kinniku and son of the renowned wrestler, King Suguru. Lazy, immature, and cowardly, Mantarou seems to have little in common with his heroic father. When a powerful group calling themselves the dMP threatens the Earth, only someone as powerful as Kinnikuman stands a chance against them. Not knowing the current whereabouts of the King, a plan is formed to have his son Mantarou take up the mantle. The idea of fighting super villains does not sit well with Mantarou, who initially runs away from his duty. He flees to Earth where he encounters Meat, his father’s old trainer. Despite Mantarou's shortcomings, Meat sees King Suguru in him, and believes he can set the prince on the right path. Thus begins Mantarou's journey to better himself and save the world. I've lost count of Kinnikuman iterations by now and - frankly - I'm sick of it and its unfunny humor. The changes in allies are actually welcome , but this series is long beyond redemption.   Overall Rating: 5/10

7. Ojamajo Doremi Dokkaan! おジャ魔女どれみドッカ〜ン！ [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shoujo Comedy  Hana now becomes a peer of the Ojamajo. When Majotourbillon's spirit revives, the witches now have to break her curse. From the help from Pao-chan, Doremi, Hana, and the other witches are able to defeat the curses. Did not expect it to last for four huge seasons. Flow is still nice, and kid with body of pupil provides ample humor opportunities.   Overall Rating: 6/10

8. Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution アクエリアンエイジ Sign for Evolution [Madhouse] (Finished 6/13) Tags: Music, Super Power Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Five supernatural factions have been fighting against each other for who knows how many centuries, with the beginning of Aquarian Age always in mind. Kyouta, soon begins to see visions of mystical girls fighting, except they do exist. Soon he and his girlfriend Yoriko become involved and the battle for Earth and Aquarian Age lies in their hands. What intrigued me the most is the fact of five factions - why would so many be needed? And the answer to this question is basically just because there are five girls in semi-romantic relations with MC, and at emotional states they have spiritual power outbursts. It's all really super confusing and it's probably leading to some resolution, but it's very poorly done and absolutely sour.   Overall Rating: 5/10

9. Galaxy Angel Z ギャラクシーエンジェルＺ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/9) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi In the far future, the human race advanced to space, and prospered. However, Jikushin ( earthquake of time and space ) which occurred suddenly intercepted all networks, and all the civilizations were reset. However, the human race begins to revive, and enters the prosperity age of The Second by the Transvaal imperial country which rises at the center of the galactic system. The science and technology before the civilization was reset, that is, "Lost Technology" was considered to be god`s task. And, it came to be worshiped by the priest who was called "Tsuki no miko". On the other hand, a certain guard fleet was stationed in the frontier of the galactic system. Though it was the seemingly perfectly ordinary army, the team composed only of the woman called "Angel Corps" existed in this army. They controlled the spaceship which was called "Angel Frame" which was the relic of Lost Technology. And, they collected the lost technology by using the angel frame, and carried out the duties to manage them. They were not the elite pilots, but Angel Corps was rather an eccentric person`s group. Arms mania`s Forte, costume player`s Mint, taciturn Vanilla, showy Ranpha and Milfeulle who likes cooking ... Every time, they cause a big trouble in the mission. More of aimless trifle adventures, but humor has improved, so for those who don't care about actual plot it may be even decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. Patapata Hikousen no Bouken The Secret of Cerulean Sand パタパタ飛行船の冒険 [Telecom Animation Film] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi  Jane's mother dies when she is born, and her father, a rich English aristocrat, soon remarries to a woman with a son, William, who despises his new father and brother. George and Jane grow up with a dream to make a flying machine. George believes the distant Asian sands hold a secret: a mysterious cerulean sand which can make machines fly. He goes on an expedition to find it, and soon is reported executed for treason. William disappears too. After she recieves an unsigned letter holding a handful of pale-blue sand which floats in the air, Jane is sure her brother is alive and leaves to the East to find him and prove him innocent. There are many mysteries to unravel in store for Jane and her new friends on her journey. But perhaps a mystery should forever remain a mystery... It's similar to Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water in most aspects. I often complain about confusing narration, but this is the opposite case - everything is explained instantly and thoroughly, as many as three episodes are given for introduction, and we even know the antagonist by the end of this period. So what's left is action adventure to lead to antagonist and return the good name and goods. Basically, it becomes too simple and not interesting enough, as for me, but it's a decent anime for family watch or for younger auditory.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Shichinin no Nana 七人のナナ [A.C.G.T.] (Finished 3/25) Tags: School Adventure, Comedy, Romance On the last Valentine's Day before her high school entrance exams, Nana Suzuki tries to build up the courage to confess to her longtime crush. However, when her chocolates are accidentally ruined, she rushes back to her house to make more—not realizing that the microwave has been turned into a strange invention by her grandfather. Suddenly, six additional copies of Nana appear, each possessing their own extreme personality and a crystal that grants them magic powers! With her plans ruined, Nana vows to confess to her crush in her first year of high school. The only problem is that her crush is top student Yuuichi Kamichika, and following him to his elite high school will mean that she has to hit the books. With six new allies to help her, Nana begins to prepare for anything that the exam season might throw at her. Cute little shoujo comedy that satisfies the need of synchronized actions as if it's a constant idol gig. It's rather silly, so just can't take it seriously.   Overall Rating: 6/10

12. Kakutou Ryouri Densetsu Bistro Recipe Fighting Foodons 格闘料理伝説ビストロレシピ  [Group TAC] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shounen Strategy Game Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Gourmet An 11-year old boy named Zen bands together with his younger sister, Karen, and a young boy who has a large appetite, Pitan, to battle an evil empire by using their "Foodons"; strange monsters that are created from various foods. Dub only. Did not expect a cooking show to be a show for kids, but it's more fighting action than cooking anime, just fights participants are... cooked dishes... Probably resembles Pokemon the most.   Overall Rating: 5/10

13. Genma Taisen: Shinwa Zenya no Shou Genma Wars 幻魔大戦－神話前夜の章 [E&G Films] (Finished 6/13) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural In the distant future, monsters and inhumans roam the land, and the ruling Evil King seeks a human woman to bear him powerful, force-adept heirs. Non offers herself to the Evil King in order to save her village from Ape Clan raiders, and gives him twin sons, Loof and Jin. She and her sons are exiled by the ungrateful villagers, however, and Non's companion Nue (a Demon Clan member changed into a wolf for disobedience) takes Loof to be raised by his father, the Evil King. The Evil One's Queen Parome despises humans, however, and her malevolence towards Loof deepens... Manga is from 60s, so character designs are corresponding. Genma Taisen movie from 80s had a different plot about psychics and robots war. This one is more like fantasy with psychic powers. Actually, I remember a very similar fantasy anime movie with two brothers with similar names separated in the childhood and one getting brought up as hero and the other as villain, but could not find that movie. Feels too morally old already.   Overall Rating: 5/10

14. Kick Off 2002 Kick Off (2002) キックオフ２００２ [-] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Team Sports A soccer animation produced for the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan. The main characters are two young men, a Japanese playmaker and a Korean striker. Friendship with teammates, their growth as soccer players, etc. are drawn. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

15. Hoshi no Koe Voices of a Distant Star ほしのこえ [CoMix Wave Films] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Space Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi It is the year 2046, Noboru Terao and Mikako Nagamine are close friends who will soon be graduating junior high school. But after an alien attack on humanity, Mikako is selected for the UN military space expedition set to retaliate against the aliens. Separated, Noboru and Mikako attempt to keep in touch by sending emails to each other with their cell phones. Yet as the expedition journeys farther from Earth, the time it takes for them to transmit and receive each other's messages increases substantially. Hoshi no Koe revolves around the relationship between this couple as they try to stay connected despite the growing distance between them. Slightly over 20 minutes, seriously? I have not watched much from Makoto Shinkai , but his style is guessed instantly It's a too short work to seriously discuss.   Overall Rating: 6/10

16. Arcade Gamer Fubuki アーケードゲーマーふぶき [Shaft] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Parody, Super Power, Video Game Action, Comedy, Sports, Ecchi Fubuki Sakuragasaki is a powerful gamer who, with the power of her Passion Panties, climbs up the ranks of the BAG (Best of Arcade Gamer) tournament to become the greatest Arcade Gamer in the world. However, the evil Gulasic Group is out to conquer the world through said tournament, and their gaming skills will prove to be a challenge. Fubuki must team up with the legendary Mr. Mystery to combat the four Gods of Gaming and make the world of arcade gaming safe for all. It's a ridiculous fanservice superpower parody comedy... at least I could not come with a better definition for all that mess. It's a weird mix, but it does not feel good, even humor is so-so.   Overall Rating: 5/10

17. Koukou Tekken-den Tough Shootfighter Tekken 高校鉄拳伝　タフ [AIC] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action Years ago there was an underground match between Pro Wrestling and Nanshin Shadow Stlye (a secret and deadly form of martial arts) to see which form of martial arts was dominant, The Nanshin Shadow style came out victorious in the battle. Now in the present, the man who was defending Pro-Wrestling is back and is out to destroy Nanshin Shadow style in any way he can; however, it is now up to Kiichi, the son of the previous victor to defend the name of Nanshin Shadow style and it is his job to keep it from being completely erased from existance. The most manly writer ever is back with most manly manliness in every scene. For those who did not like Riki-Oh best not even start. Contents is rather stupid as it's another Bruce Lee story variation , but may be worth a laugh.   Overall Rating: 5/10

18. Sweat Punch スウェットパンチ [Studio 4°C] (Finished 3/5) Tags: Historical, Mecha Action, Fantasy Sweat Punch is a series of five Studio 4°C shorts collected as a direct-to-DVD package film entitled Deep Imagination. Absurdity rules the show during short episodic stories, so it's alien to me.   Overall Rating: 5/10

19. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Ajisai Yumegatari 遙かなる時空の中で 〜紫陽花ゆめ語り〜  [Zexcs] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Isekai, Mythology, Time Travel Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural Whisked away to the land of Kyou, Akane learns that she is the Ryuujin no Miko, and meets the Hachiyou, her protectors. They must defeat Akuram, a demon who wants to destroy Kyou using the power of Azusa, a woman who has the power to absorb human energy. If Akane and the Hachiyou cannot defeat Akuram and bring peace to Kyou, Azusa'a power will destroy the humans. Again shoujo with a harem of bishounen protectors. Only rushed concept explanation and some action fit into those 50 minutes.   Overall Rating: 5/10

20. WXIII Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor WXIII 機動警察パトレイバー [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Detective, Mecha Sci-Fi When the level of Labor accidents begin to escalate around Tokyo Bay, police detectives Kusumi and Hata are assigned to investigate. What they discover leads to a series of government cover-ups, conspiracy concerning a new biological weapon entitled WXIII-Wasted Thirteen and a tragic, personal connection to Hata. The only hope to stop this threat is to cooperate with the military and lead WXIII into a showdown with the Labors of Special Vehicle Division 2. Patlabor was never a great franchise for me, but this is just a different show made by different director. It's detective mystery with two detective protagonists vs monsters, and mecha are only flashed in the end. I think that story came first and then it was put into the most fitting franchise, so some more characters and mecha from original got added. Movie is a good enough gig, but calling it an enjoyable masterpiece would be an overkill.   Overall Rating: 6/10

21. Palme no Ki A Tree of Palme パルムの樹 [Palm Studio] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance  Palme is a puppet created by a man to care for his sickly wife. After her death Palme becomes paralyzed with sorrow, that is, until a woman being pursed happens to cross paths with Palme and his creator and ask them to deliver something precious to a sacred place called Tama. Palme, mistaking her for his masters late wife, accepts the request. This becomes his first step to becoming more human in order to understand his own feelings. A new take on Pinocchio. It's confusing, slow, and over 2 hours long. Childish character designs don't fit the excessively complicated plot and disturbing themes. It provides some fresh imagery and moves, but I ask myself whether I'll remember it in a month , and answer is that probably not.   Overall Rating: 6/10

22. Turn A Gundam I Movie: Earth Light ∀ Gundam I: Earth Light 劇場版∀ガンダムI 地球光 [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi A movie retelling of the first half of the Turn A Gundam series. Did not expect that much SOL. Hope it all leads somewhere.   Overall Rating: 5/10

23. Turn A Gundam II Movie: Moonlight Butterfly 劇場版∀ガンダムII 月光蝶 [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi The movie retelling of the final half of the Turn A Gundam series. I'd lie if I said that I understood much of it. Gundam series have this unique trait to make me not care about characters or politics completely. Some lousy sci-fi with sky high ambitions.   Overall Rating: 5/10

24. Mari Iyagi 마리 이야기 [ADV Films] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life  When office worker Nam-woo receives a package from childhood friend Jun-ho it transports him back to their last summer together. Back to their hometown in a small fishing village it the last few days before Jun-ho left for boarding school in Seoul. When a marble and an abandoned lighthouse had the power to transport him to a fantastic world where a mysterious flying girl named Mari lived. Guess it's important for Korean animation as it's the first serious story if we count out historical pieces, but on the objective side after gorgeous intro it's visually minimalistic 3D. Contents-wise it's imitation of Only Yesterday, just with more chaos, confusion and fantastic elements.   Overall Rating: 5/10

25. Ecchan no Sensou えっちゃんのせんそう  [Mushi Production] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Historical Drama Based on a children's novel by Etsuko Kishikawa. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

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