Anime of the Year 2003-III Summer - Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu

Can't call anything masterpiece again. Let's point out Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu , maybe. 

1. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu フルメタル・パニック? ふもっふ [Kyoto Animation] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Gag Humor, School Action, Comedy Sergeant Sousuke Sagara returns to Jindai High School to protect the precious war asset, Kaname Chidori, from any threat. However, his lack of social skills and real-life experience result in comical yet dangerous situations, endangering the peaceful school life Kaname longs for. As Sousuke continues to bring a wide range of weapons to school as a means to solve threats—real or fake—Kaname struggles to fulfill her duty as the student council vice president all while keeping him in check. To ensure a successful mission, Sousuke is occasionally forced to use the costume of a famous amusement park mascot called Bonta-kun. With his technical expertise, he eventually transforms the exuberant uniform into a cutting-edge exoskeleton that has only one dysfunction: the voice translator can only produce the sound "mofu." Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu depicts the adventures of Kaname and Sousuke as they try to live their normal school lives despite the chaos they inadvertently cause. A living proof that mecha anime feels much better with mecha itself taken out. Jokes aside, I liked it quite a lot when first watched it, but still never considered a masterpiece. With time this idea only strengthened. Kyoto Animation squeezed maximum from this stale concept, but conceptual flaws aren't easily overrriden.   Overall Rating: 6/10

2. Ikkitousen Ikki Tousen: Battle Vixens 一騎当千 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Martial Arts, School, Super Power Ecchi In the Kanto region, seven high schools fight to the death for absolute power. Each fighter is the reincarnation of a glorious warrior from the Three Kingdoms period, placing them in a perilous endeavor to overcome their often cruel destinies. Among them is the airheaded Hakufu Sonsaku, a student at Nanyou Academy who—despite possessing brilliant martial art abilities—is deemed to be killed at a young age by the ruthless Ukitsu. However, her fellow classmate Koukin Shuuyu is tasked by Hakufu's mother to protect his cousin from this grim fate. To add to his burden, Hakufu is subject to sudden bursts of anger, where she loses consciousness and unleashes a destructive power that threatens her own life. Together with Nanyou's "Big Four," Hakufu and Shuuyu will have to foil the plans of their main rival schools and uncover the true nature of Hakufu's powers before it is too late. Ecchi fighting that's not too bad as it has enough drama and bloody scenes to make up for all lighthearted fanservice humor.   Overall Rating: 6/10

3. Green Green グリーングリーン [Studio Matrix] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Kanenone Gakuen is an all-male boarding school located in the countryside of Japan. Although an all-male school is nothing new, life can become quite difficult when there are no female students for miles around. In order to help the psychological health of everyone involved, the school board has decided to try and merge with the nearest all-girl boarding school in order to become co-ed. The boys of Kanenone are more than thrilled at the prospect, and the girls are curious as to how interesting school life might become if there were more boys around. Before any serious decisions are made, the girls have been invited to stay at Kanenone for one month as a test. Green Green follows Yuusuke Takazaki and his naughty room mates called the Baka (Idiot) Trio, and their ability to talk to the girls without making complete fools of themselves. But as soon as the school bus with the girls arrives, things become weird, hormonal, and hysterical. In particular, a girl named Midori Chitose leaps off the bus and immediately embraces a very confused Yuusuke. Is he a natural ladies' man, or do the two of them have a shared history that he is not aware of? First Green Green looked rather sincere, but it never rose above ecchi youth romcom. Still finished it in the past, so it had its amusing moments.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. Onegai☆Twins Please Twins! おねがい☆ツインズ [Daume] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Maiku Kamishiro's past has always been somewhat of a mystery to him. The only clue he has to who his family might be is an old photograph showing two young children, a boy and a girl, playing in a small pool outside of a blue house. In an attempt to find his family, he moves to this blue house and begins working as a programmer. He's living a comfortable life until the day two very different girls show up at his door, both in possession of the same photograph, and both claiming to be his twin. With no way to prove who is a relative and who is a stranger, Maiku allows both girls to move in with him until they know for sure. Never expected to see spin-off of Onegai Sensei. Everything was typical and expected, thus the score.   Overall Rating: 5/10

5. D.C.: Da Capo D.C.~Da Capo~ D.C.～ダ・カーポ～ [feel., Zexcs] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Harem Drama, Romance Hatsunejima abounds in mysteries—one of which is the town's unwithering cherry trees that are said to grant the most genuine wishes. There are also rumors of people possessing supernatural powers, like Junichi Asakura, who can see other people's dreams and create sweets out of nothing. Alongside his sister Nemu, he enjoys living in peace with his friends at Kazami Academy but chooses to shroud his identity in secrecy. His tranquil school life comes to a halt when he finds out that his childhood friend Sakura Yoshino has returned from America after six years. She is there for one purpose: to fulfill the promises she made long ago with Junichi. Little does anyone know, however, that Sakura's appearance is bound to change everyone's lives—for better or worse. For me it's the barebones of school romance without anything to like at all.   Overall Rating: 5/10

6. Narutaru: Mukuro Naru Hoshi Tama Taru Ko Shadow Star Narutaru なるたる ～骸なる星・珠たる子～ [Planet] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Seinen Drama, Suspense During her summer holiday at her grandparents house Tamai Shiina, a young and cheerful schoolgirl, meets a strange looking creature. They befriend each other and Shiina names it "Hoshimaru: The Round Star." When Shiina returns home after the summer to go back to school, she starts meeting other kids that also have befriended a strange creature like Hoshimaru. But she soon finds out that not all these creatures and their masters are as friendly as Hoshimaru. After mildly intriguing episode 2 and 3 decided to watch how it ends, but the whole middle felt like a horrible waste of time. Basically, things spice up only in the very last episode, and it's still really bad. Terrible execution.   Overall Rating: 5/10

7. Popotan ぽぽたん [Shaft] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Time Travel Comedy, Drama, Supernatural, Ecchi Beautiful sisters Ai, Mai, Mii, their android maid Mea and slippery pet ferret Unagi make an amazing journey together through time and space without ever leaving their beloved mansion behind! Following the clues of the strange dandelion-like "Popotan," the girls are theoretically seeking the person who has the answers to their most personal questions, but they seem to have more than enough time to take side trips, meet new friends, visit hot springs and occasionally operate the X-mas shop they keep in the house along the way! Yet, the girls' ultimate destiny holds more than a few surprises of its own, and not every moment is filled with hilarity, as moving through time means having to leave friends behind as well. Cute enough, but eventless and boring. I hoped that there won't be Popotan nakedness, but alas.   Overall Rating: 5/10

8. Happy☆Lesson Advance  [Studio Hibari] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Harem Comedy, Romance Hitotose Chitose is now living together with his 5 teachers as his mothers when a mysterious girl appears and becomes their neighbor which turns out that that person is Nagatsuki Kuron who wants Mu-chan to be her mother so another sibling rivalry ensues as to who would end up as Mu-chan's child. Need to like either original series or OVA.   Overall Rating: 5/10

9. Divergence Eve ダイバージェンス・イヴ [Radix] (Finished 4/13) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi  In the 24th Century, Intergalactic Space Travel has become a reality. One of the first outposts in the far reaches of space is WATCHER'S NEST - an inflation hole drive portal - which has recently come under attack by a mysterious force known simply as GHOUL... A group of young female cadets assigned to the portal are unexpectedly thrown into a hornet's nest of trouble as they finalize their training to become an elite pilot in the Seraphim Squadron. A very strange experience, but a poor one. Lots of confusion, strange ecchi, serious though boring development and no foreseeable aim. It's definitely watchable, but episodes have no clear beginning or ending, so it's tasteless something that wastes time here and now while other purposes are unclear.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. Cinderella Boy シンデレラボーイ [Magic Bus] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Seinen Magical Sex Shift Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery Ranma and his partner Rera run a detective agency in Giraffe City. An arranged accident leaves Rera and Ranma in an unfortunate state where the two detectives swap bodies at the stroke of midnight. With Ranma dissapearing and the beautiful Rera appearing. Action detective with familiar Ranma spice.   Overall Rating: 5/10

11. Takahashi Rumiko Gekijou Rumiko Takahashi Anthology 高橋留美子劇場 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural Shelter. Employment. Companionship. Rumiko Takahashi explores the stress that can befall people when these basic necessities become endangered. From penguins to wedding chapels and to amnesiac husbands, each episode explores supposedly normal people under extreme situations with all of the dramatic skill and warped comedy that you expect from the world-famous creator of InuYasha, Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura! Being anthology and comedy, it's not great.   Overall Rating: 6/10

12. Sumeba Miyako no Cosmos-sou Suttoko Taisen Dokkoida Dokkoida?! 住めば都のコスモス荘 すっとこ大戦ドッコイダー [ufotable] (Finished 5/12) Tags: Shounen Parody Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi The Galaxy Federation Police (GFP) desperately wants to cover-up its personnel shortage with new mechanized power-suits. Suzuo, 19-years old, desperately needs a job. Tampopo needs an earthling to fit the prototype of her company's suit and declares Suzuo the perfect candidate! Strong competitors and the wacky A-class criminals fight against our hero in diapers, but they must not recognize each other out of costume or the test results will be a failure- but it's OK if they all live in the same apartment building to save money, right? Nonsense comedy, so need to like specific humor and antics to go on. I did not.   Overall Rating: 5/10

13. Massugu ni Ikou. まっすぐにいこう。 [Yumeta Company] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Josei Pets Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life A talking dog is a beautiful story that you should have dreamt of as a child. But if you have forgotten about it, this is a reminder of that fable story. This is the story of a dog that talks, but ordinary people cannot hear his voice. The main character, Mametaro, is an adventurous crossbreed dog. He loves his owner, Iku-chan and his girlfriend Hanako-chan very much. However, he just cannot stand Iku-chan's friend, Akiyoshi. During this story, which will be told from Mametaro's point of view, the warm days of spring are finally here. The school and the riverbank, which is actually just an ordinary neighborhood for people, seems like a mysterious world that extends infinitely to little Mametaro and his friends. Need to either own a dog or like dogs, plus it's Josei. I'm not target audience, so it does not look cute or funny to me.   Overall Rating: 5/10

14. Nezha Chuanqi The Legend of Nezha 哪吒传奇 [-] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Adventure  The Legend of Nezha narrative The story of Natra, the heavenly boy who was born bare, very mischievous, but the temperament, the mentality of goodness, always towards the righteous. With powerful martial arts and magic, he tried to save the evil to bring peaceful life for people in the time of raging love. Not translated. Some basic shounen based on China mythology.   Overall Rating: 5/10

15. Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever とらいあんぐるハート -Sweet Songs Forever- [Seven Arcs] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Adventure, Romance  Fiasse is a world-renowned singer. She is now the headmistress of a special Singing School who does a Charity World Tour every year. Her mother left behind a inheritance for her after she died and some shady people are after Fiasse and the inheritance. Bring in Ellis, and two siblings who are master of the swords to protect Fiasse. The World Tour is coming up and Fiasse will continue the show. Ellis, Kyoya, Miyuki and company must protect their childhood friend at all costs. Bodyguard stories are nothing new for visual novels. I remember triangle heart trilogy being not possible to hook, so good to know how it looks in its prime.   Overall Rating: 5/10

16. True Love Story True Love Story Summer Days, and yet...  [Picture Magic, A-Line] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Romance Picture Magic, A-Line When Morisaki Yuuta ran into a girl in the school hallway that day, he had no idea his life would change forever. As a member of the photography club and a fledgling to the world of women, Yuuta's life has been turned upside down by the entrance of not one, but several women into his life! From old friends to new acquaintances, it will be tough figuring out who to choose! It is based on the latest installment of the True Love Story series of dating sims. PS dating sims aren't exciting enough to adapt them in anime in first place...   Overall Rating: 5/10

17. Submarine 707R サブマリン707R [Group TAC] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi In order to keep ocean peace, PKN was organized. It consisted of the state-of-the-art battle ships of various countries. However, they were raided during the foundation ceremony by the unidentified organization, USR, which plotted to conquer the world. They couldn’t be much for the submarine UX which was operated by Admiral Red of USR. But an old Japanese submarine, the 707 saved them, which was operated Captain Hayami at the risk of his life. One year later, succeeding to the 707, which had been ruined during the former fight, newly developed submarine, the 707 II, went for a sail. Among the crews, there were boys, such as Kenji, Goro, and Senta, who had been trainees. PKN formed a fleet led by the Great Guardian, which was the latest battle ship of the United States. However, the attacks of Submarine U were very server, and the fleet was defeated. Then, the 707 arrived. As soon as Red noticed the 707, he was glad to reunion with his rival and began to fight. Escaping from the submarine attack, they hid the 707 in the valley. But Red tried to destroy the valley in order to put the 707 into the torrents of mud. The 707 nearly escaped from it and got in the crater. However it was the pure water layer where the submarine couldn’t float up. At the moment, numerous torpedoes launched to the 707. Nice little OVA with just one big fight and mostly full of SOL.   Overall Rating: 6/10

18. Wonderful Days Sky Blue 원더풀 데이즈 [Tin House] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Love Polygon Action, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Set in 2142, Wonderful Days depicts a world that has been nearly destroyed by environmental pollution. Human life as we know it is almost extinct, and only a few were able to pull through the collapse of Earth's ecosystem. In order to deal with the chaos, a city named Ecoban was created. The city uses the very pollution that caused the disaster as an energy source. However, although the initial plan was successful to an extent, it didn't just create a new source of energy, but also an elite group of people. This prestigious faction believes that they are above the system, and are not willing to accept survivors from outside the city unless they are put to work as laborers. Among the people living in the wasteland outside Ecoban is a young man named Shua. He leads a very difficult life, but tries to make the most of it through the love that he feels for his childhood friend Jay. Unfortunately, Jay may be more interested in her security commander Cade than in Shua, and thus a love triangle is formed. Not only does Shua have to deal with the heartbreak, but he must also find a new way to survive in the crumbles left from the once-beautiful planet Earth. The first decent Korean anime, beautiful and even 3D is used well. Story and execution are horrible, though. Super slow pace, lots of needless shots. We don't get familiar with the characters, and after some confusion it's already time to finish.   Overall Rating: 6/10

19. Nasu: Andalusia no Natsu Nasu: Summer in Andalusia 茄子 アンダルシアの夏 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Racing Sports Pepe is a Spanish cyclist competing in an multi-stage Iberian cycling race similar to the Tour de France. He is a support rider for one of the teams competing in the race, and his role is to assist the team's top rider in winning the overall race. As the story unfolds, the racers are set to ride through Pepe's home town in Andalusia on the same day as the wedding of his elder brother Angel to his former girlfriend Carmen. Their relationship was a factor in his decision to leave the town to pursue professional cycling, and the wedding is a frustrating reminder that his career hasn't turned out as he would have liked. Now, with the sponsor planning to drop him from the team and his family and friends cheering him on, Pepe abandons his assigned role and strives for glory. Not the worst short spokon that I watched, but all the deus ex machina factors involved make it not worth watching.   Overall Rating: 5/10

20. Momoko, Kaeru no Uta ga Kikoeru yo. もも子、かえるの歌がきこえるよ。 [Magic Bus] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School Drama, Slice of Life Momoko, who attends a special school, is both mentally and physically disabled. Every morning she becomes peevish because she can't go to the ordinary school with her twin brother Riki. Her family soothes Momoko by singing her favorite song "The Song of Frogs." One day, Momoko shouts encouragement to Riki who's playing dodgeball at an open classroom day and Riki's team wins the game. Ryuji, whose team lost the game, is not impressed and demands that Riki stop bringing his 'idiot sister' to school. Riki totally loses control and hits Ryuji with all his might. The following year, an experiment in integrated education is implemented and Momoko begins to attend Riki's school. Unfortunately, her physical condition takes a turn for the worse and she's sent to a hospital. Riki and all her classmates want to cheer her up and they set a goal of winning a relay race so that they would be able to tell Momoko the good news. Meanwhile, the fastest sprinter, Ryuichi, insists that he won't be taking part in the race. I seriously dislike scoring on disabled people. Have not seen such evident tearjerkers in a while if ever.   Overall Rating: 6/10

21. Elysium 엘리시움 [Toei Animation, OLM Digital] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi In In the year 2113 A.D., a team of scientists is dispatched to Antarctica to investigate the region's abnormal seismic activity. Near the epicenter of the activity, the expedition discovers vast land markings akin to the Nazca paleoglyphs drawn in the Peruvian desert. Stranger still is the presence of an enormous underground cavern below these symbols. At the bottom of the chasm, a portion of a tremendous tower juts from the ground. Armed with ultra-digital cameras, the scientific team transmits their findings to the Command Center. One explorer traces the image of a star chart engraved on the tower's exterior. The tower begins to emit a sinister howling as if possessed by demonic forces. One by one, the members of the expedition writhe in pain and die. Those observing the scene at the Command Center watch helplessly. As the high-frequency noise suffuses their headquarters, they too succumb and die in agony. When the waves of the frequency are analyzed, they are discovered to be a beacon directed at the planet Elysium, which lies beyond Earth's solar system. Van, the reluctant hero of the story, is an 18-year-old pizza delivery boy in Manhattan. He competes in the most popular sport of the 22nd century -- turbo jai alai racing. These races are fast paced and deadly affairs that integrate virtual reality into the competition. He's deeply in love with Lydia, a talented ballerina. In the chaotic futuristic metropolis, they only have each other and their dreams. Van and Lydia desperately want the chance to escape the polluted city-scape. Despite the dangers, Van enters a turbo jai alai race in the hopes of winning first prize -- two tickets to a galactic resort where Lydia can audition for the Jupiter Ballet. Meanwhile, earth's deep space observation vessel, the Odyssey, patrols the planet's orbital perimeter. The Odyssey is confronted by an armada of sophisticated alien spacecraft from Elysium. The awed human crew prepares to receive the Elysian ambassador, Yaspe. Without warning, the Odyssey loses control of its weapons, fires on the ambassador's vessel and destroys it. This tragic misunderstanding results in brutal retaliation by the Elysian fleet, culminating in the destruction of the Odyssey and a full-scale attack on Earth. Van's deadly sport of choice turns deadlier when the stadium he is competing in comes under fire from the Elysian barrage. Van struggles through the chaos on his turbo-cycle to rescue Lydia from the collapsing stands. The indiscriminate Elysian onslaught scorches cities worldwide. Van and Lydia flee through the burning streets of Manhattan seeking safety. After a series of harrowing escapes, they find refuge in a claustrophobic fall-out shelter. Cringy 3D is back. Animations are so laughable that it's impossible to take anything seriously here. Story is torn and nothing to be missed.   Overall Rating: 5/10

22. Ryoukan-san 良寛さん [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical  An animated motion picture about a real-life Buddhist monk and renowned poet, Ryoukan who lived in 18th century Japan, during the Edo Period. Though born to a wealthy family in Izumozaki, Ryoukan chooses to abandon the easy life he would have inherited in order to understand the true meaning of life through the teachings of Buddhism. From his early adulthood, he undergoes a series of harsh training that demands a solitary and meager lifestyle. Throughout it all, he remains an extremely modest and humble person, a true humanitarian who accepts every individual for who they are while rejecting all worldly fame and wealth. Ryoukan found true peace in life through nature and spending time with children. His pure mind and affable personality have captivated many, and his legacy and the wisdom of his teachings live on today. Just an eccentric monk life with real video shots of the places he inhabited. More an educational/cultural//touristic video that a piece of entertainment for those who never heard of this Ryoukan before.   Overall Rating: 6/10

23. on-chan, Yume Power Daibouken! On-chan, Dream Power Big Adventure! onちゃん夢パワー大冒険！ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy  on-chan and his friends from the universe's Parade Star, for some reason meets the brother and sister, Kenta and Haruka, who is moving from Tokyo to Sapporo along the way, in the middle of a meadow. The two of them travel to get back to their new home in Sapporo. For on-chan and the other's though, they encounter all sorts of trouble. At first, Kenta was opposing on-chan's dream power but before he knew it, he was also under its influence... Not translated. Just needed to confirm that it's a kid's work.   Overall Rating: 5/10

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