Anime of the Year 2005-IV Fall - Shakugan no Shana

Shakugan no Shana deserves a honorary mention.

1. Mushishi Mushi-Shi 蟲師 [Artland] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Historical, Iyashikei Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Slice of Life, Supernatural "Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows. This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on Mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence. So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a "Mushishi," Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world's hierarchy of life. Ginko chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to Mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer. It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself. Tried it several times, but this slow-paced bore about spirits can only help fall asleep, as for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10

2. Shakugan no Shana Shakugan no Shana: Season I 灼眼のシャナ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 24/24) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, School Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance The world has become a slaughtering ground for the Crimson Denizens, mysterious beings from a parallel universe who thrive on the life energy of humans. These merciless murderers only leave behind scant remainders of souls called "Torches," which are mere residues that will eventually be destroyed, along with the very fact of the victims' existence from the minds of the living. In an ambitious endeavor to put an end to this invisible, hungry massacre, warriors called Flame Hazes relentlessly fight these monsters. One fateful day, Yuuji Sakai ceases to be a regular high schooler—he becomes trapped in a crevice of time and is suddenly attacked by a Denizen. Coming to his rescue just in the nick of time is a nameless hunter who seems no different from an ordinary young girl except for her blazing eyes and burning crimson hair. However, before Yuuji can learn anything more about his situation, he discovers that he has already been reduced to a Torch—merely a scrap of memory waiting to be extinguished. It was definitely a hit when it came out, but nowadays can only give it honorary masterpiece as it falls short in comparison with modern anime even though Shana as character still stands out well.   Overall Rating: 7/10

3. Blood+ ブラッドプラス [Production I.G] (Finished 4/50) Tags: Gore, Military, Vampire Action, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Saya Otonashi is a seemingly ordinary girl living a mundane life with her adoptive family in Okinawa City. In fact, her only peculiarities are suffering from anemia and being unable to remember any of her life beyond the previous year. However, Saya's forgotten past quickly comes back to haunt her—one night, she is attacked at school by a creature that feeds on human blood. Just when all hope seems lost, a mysterious man named Haji appears and fends off the creature temporarily. But when her rescuer forces her to drink his blood, Saya suddenly enters a trance and slays the monster with ease, using her own blood as a catalyst. Saya then learns of an organization named Red Shield, founded for the sole purpose of defeating the hellish beasts. Now Saya and Haji must work together with Red Shield to fight these fearsome monsters and unlock the secrets to the girl's past. We've seen Blood in its prime in the movie, and series is a very slow prequel, and by the end of the 4th episode even prologue is not finished yet, and no real interest to watch it further.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. Jigoku Shoujo Hell Girl 地獄少女 [Studio Deen] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Psychological Horror, Mystery, Supernatural  It is said that if someone seeks revenge, they should dig two graves—and this is especially true of those who use the Hell Correspondence website. At the stroke of midnight, this ominous web domain becomes accessible, and whoever inputs the name of their grudge will get a visit from Ai Enma, the Hell Girl. Ai explains that she will send the target's soul to hell, but the requester will also end up in hell when they die. For some, that price is far too steep; for others, where they will spend their afterlife has no bearing on their current, day-to-day hell. But one thing is certain: the Hell Girl will always be available to those in need of revenge, while she stoically performs her duty of ferrying souls into the darkness. Again, a combination of things I dislike. Just immature revenge stories, as for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10

5. Black Cat (TV) ブラックキャット [Gonzo] (Finished 3/23) Tags: Shounen Super Power Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Completing every job with ruthless accuracy, Train Heartnet is an infamous assassin with no regard for human life. Donning the moniker "Black Cat" in the underground world, the elite killer works for the powerful secret organization known only as Chronos. One gloomy night, the blasé gunman stumbles upon Saya Minatsuki, an enigmatic bounty hunter, and soon develops an odd friendship with her. Influenced by Saya's positive outlook on life, Train begins to rethink his life. Deciding to abandon his role as the Black Cat, he instead opts to head down a virtuous path as an honest bounty hunter. However, Chronos—and particularly Creed Diskenth, Train's possessive underling—is not impressed with Train's sudden change of heart and vows to resort to extreme measures in order to bring back the emissary of bad luck. This assassin turned "stray cat" can only wander so far before the deafening sound of gunfire rings out. A normal bounty hunter story, not particularly interesting though. It's time to move away from episodic stuff to actual stories already.   Overall Rating: 6/10

6. Paradise Kiss  [Madhouse] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Josei School, Visual Arts Drama, Romance On her way home from school, Yukari Hayasaka is approached by a weird-looking guy who starts looking at her body intently. He's got blond spiky hair, a spiked choker, and multiple piercings on his ears and face. She wants nothing to do with him, and runs away, only to bump into a very tall and beautiful purple-haired woman with a flower pattern around her eye. Yukari faints from shock and wakes up later in a strange place called the Atelier. It turns out that these strangers are fashion designers who attend the most famous art school around, Yazawa Art Academy, and their group wants Yukari to model for their brand in Yazawa Academy's upcoming show. Yukari turns down their offer and escapes the Atelier, but unknowingly leaves her school ID behind. George Koizumi, the head designer, later sees it and immediately knows she would be the perfect model for them and will not stop until he gets what he wants—and he wants her. Yukari had never considered something as frivolous as modeling before, but could life among these eccentric designers actually prove to be fun? Or will Yukari lose herself in this world of art and passion? Can't stand shoujo about fashion, but for those who like Nana it should be a natural choice.   Overall Rating: 5/10

7. Karin かりん [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shounen School, Vampire Comedy, Romance, Supernatural Vampires—supernatural beings that feed on the life essence of the unsuspecting at night—have been around for centuries. However, high schooler Karin Maaka is unusual, even among her own kind. Unlike her vampire family, ever since she was a child, Karin has suffered from polycythemia: a rare disorder which causes her to periodically produce excessive amounts of blood. And the more blood she produces, the more anemic and lightheaded she gets, ultimately leading to frequent nosebleeds. Her only solution? Force her excess blood onto random strangers, which surprisingly causes these "victims" to become livelier and happier than before. With her siblings—Anju, her reserved yet affectionate younger sister, and Ren, her womanizing elder brother—helping her abilities remain a secret by altering the affected humans' memories, no one is the wiser. That is, until Karin's newly transferred classmate, Kenta Usui, finds her behavior suspicious. And to make matters even more complicated, Karin feels her blood reacting unusually to Kenta's presence. Slow-paced comedy about vampire girl nosebleed. No essence or good story, as usual - only setting exploration.   Overall Rating: 6/10

8. Aria the Animation  [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shounen Iyashikei Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life Drift peacefully into Neo Venezia, a city on the planet Aqua (formerly known as Mars). By the 24th century, humans have found a way to colonize the previously uninhabitable planet. As futuristic as that sounds, Neo Venezia is still teeming with rustic beauty; gondolas on wide canals and waterways are the main mode of transportation. The city itself is a faithful replication of Manhome's (the planet formerly known as Earth) Venice. To make sure that residents and tourists alike get the most from Neo Venezia's many wonders, companies offering guided tours via gondola were formed, one of which is named Aria Company. This is the workplace of Akari Mizunashi, a free spirited teenager from Manhome who is now a novice Undine (the title given to tour guides). Join Akari as she becomes intimately acquainted with other Undine, tourists, Neo Venezia's residents, and even the city itself, learning many valuable life lessons along the way, such as the wonderful truth that there are such things as manmade miracles. The fact that it's based on a simulation game does not leave much room for experiment - just some similar girls look to become best undines and build and cook stuff better. Whatever.   Overall Rating: 5/10

9. Rozen Maiden: Träumend ローゼンメイデン トロイメント [Nomad] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Seinen Action, Comedy, Drama As the story of Rozen Maiden closes, a new chapter begins in Rozen Maiden: Träumend. Shinku and the other sentient dolls of the Rozen Maiden collection are living life as usual at Jun Sakurada's house. Having settled into his role as Shinku's partner in the deadly Alice Game, Jun overcomes his former fears and prepares to return to school. And although Shinku and the other dolls idly pass the days by in the comfort of Jun's home, dark times lie ahead as a new foe presents herself: Barasuishou, the seventh Rozen Maiden. But Barasuishou is a mystery even to her sisters, none of whom have ever laid eyes on her until now. Shinku considers this a sign that the Alice Game is coming to an end, meaning the dolls will soon be forced to fight one another. Haunted by the upcoming battle and nightmares concerning another doll, Shinku begins distancing herself from the others. If she wishes to claim victory, it will come at a high cost—the lives of her sisters. Nothing to do here without liking the prequel. The flow is more or less the same, plus more focus on battles between dolls.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. Touhai Densetsu Akagi: Yami ni Maiorita Tensai Akagi 闘牌伝説アカギ　闇に舞い降りた天才 [Madhouse] (Finished 17/26) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, High Stakes Game, Organized Crime, Psychological, Strategy Game Suspense While mahjong is a game that is often played with family and friends, it is also a game that is played in the darkest corners of society. Nangou is a compulsive gambler who has accumulated debt over three million yen. In a last ditch attempt to clear his record, he decides to wager his life on a game of mahjong with the mafia. Unfortunately, as the game progresses, Nangou only moves further from the prize and closer to death. When all hope seems lost, the game parlor is suddenly intruded upon by Shigeru Akagi, a young boy on the run from the police. Desperate to turn the game around, Nangou hands the game over to Akagi after teaching him a few of the rules. The mafia can only smirk as Akagi sits down to play. However, they soon come to learn that Akagi is a natural-born gambler. An imposing figure who does not fear death. One who is destined to become a legend. Kaiji had a great impression on me when I first watched it, but Akagi is all about mahjong which is alien to me. The tension is there, but target audience seems to be narrow.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Noein: Mou Hitori no Kimi e Noein: to your other self ノエイン もうひとりの君へ [Satelight] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi  During their last summer of elementary school, four friends decide to undertake a test of courage at their local graveyard. Before the test begins, Haruka Kaminogi makes a last effort to pull Yuu Gotou away from his controlling mother. While doing so, Haruka suddenly has a strange vision of blue snow followed by the appearance of an imposing silver-haired man. Later, a similar vision occurs at the graveyard to both Haruka and her friends before they try to escape what they assume are ghosts. Unbeknownst to the children, the people who appeared before them are Dragon Soldiers: an elite military group from a dimension known as La'cryma. The soldiers have traveled to this dimension to secure the "Dragon Torque"—an entity they believe to be their last hope for survival. However, both the Dragon Soldiers and Haruka are shocked to learn that the Dragon Torque is Haruka herself. She attempts to escape from the Dragon Soldiers as she finds her own last ray of hope—the strange silver-haired man who claims to be another version of Yuu himself. Time loop, quantum mechanics, Schrodinger cat are referenced here for the first time in anime, at least with such depth, but with lousy execution. Pace is very slow. It's mostly SOL with occasional battles. Art and characters are unimpressive. So it all depends on whether you watched Steins Gate and similar works before or not, because comparison is not in favor of Noein.   Overall Rating: 6/10

12. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's 魔法少女リリカルなのは エース [Seven Arcs] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Super Power Action, Comedy, Drama After solving the incident of the scattered Jewel Seeds, Nanoha Takamachi happily returns to her everyday life, though now with added magic practice in the morning. Exchanging video messages with Fate Testarossa and the crew of the Arthra, Nanoha eagerly awaits the chance to speak with them in person again. But while studying in her room one day, Raising Heart suddenly calls out to Nanoha and warns her of an incoming attack! The attacker is a young girl named Vita, who calls herself a Belka Knight. She proves her strength by using an intelligent device with a mysterious cartridge system to quickly overwhelm Nanoha. Luckily, the Space-Time Administration Bureau is able to step in before she is completely crushed. Vita and her fellow knights Shamal, Signum, and Zafila are on a mission to steal magical power from mages in order to complete the Book of Darkness, one of the Lost Logia. For what sinister purpose are the knights after this Book of Darkness? Decent battle mahou shoujo, but obviosly need to finish original to appreciate sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

13. Mai-Otome My-Otome 舞-乙HiME [Sunrise] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy  Arika Yumemiya has traveled far in search of her goal: the prestigious Gualderobe Academy. This is the school where young girls are trained to become Otomes, protectors of royal leaders throughout the lands. Here, Arika makes plenty of friends, but some enemies know something about her past that she does not. Nevertheless, her spirit and determination will keep pushing her forward. Adapted from its predecessor, Mai-HiME, this series is not a direct sequel, but an alternate universe setting featuring some of the Mai-HiME cast (though with different personalities). Just wow. Absolutely needless and useless spin-off. Generic private Academy story with battles has become even more bland with this iteration.   Overall Rating: 5/10

14. Ginban Kaleidoscope Skating Rink Kaleidoscope 銀盤カレイドスコープ [Karaku] (Finished 8/12) Tags: Performing Arts Drama, Romance, Sports, Supernatural Figure skater Tazusa Sakurano is on the fast track to the Olympics. As a top contender, her chances rest on a single competition in Canada. However, during her program, she falls and hits her head on the ice, knocking her unconscious. At the same time, Canadian stunt pilot Pete Pumps goes down in a fiery blaze. After her devastating failure, Tazusa returns home to Japan, but she starts hearing a voice in her head. In reality, when Pete had arrived at the gates of heaven, he was denied access for his sins. Instead, he was told to wait 100 days and is now trapped in Tazusa's body! Unwilling to let this interrupt her life—even if her body is a bit crowded—Tazusa moves forward with skating, all while a pesky voice may just be able to help her achieve her dream. Ice skating shoujo, feels quite similar to that theater anime. A decent one and even with some psychology, but not my plate.   Overall Rating: 6/10

15. Lamune ラムネ [Trinet Entertainment, Picture Magic] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Drama, Romance Lamune tells the story of a boy named Kenji and his childhood friend Nanami. Although, everyone seems to know that they have a relationship, neither are determined to push it anymore than close friends. The story goes through flashbacks, explaining why they are such close friends and any action doesn't seem to push them apart, but draw them closer. Super clutz is super irritating. Too many cheezy situations for one anime.   Overall Rating: 5/10

16. Solty Rei ソルティレイ [Gonzo, AIC] (Finished 10/24) Tags: Super Power Action, Sci-Fi In a future-based disaster-ridden city with an enormous gap between the rich and the poor, it is hard to tell which humans are walking around with cybernetic body parts. This makes Roy Revant's job as a renegade bounty hunter/bodyguard-for-hire even more difficult. When a young girl with unbeliveable strength rescues him from a particularly dangerous criminal, Roy realizes that perhaps help can be found in the strangest of places. Joining together with a few others, they engage in a battle to find out the truth behind the giant conglomerates that are supposedly serving mankind and making life better. Solty, an android who has lost her memory, has escaped and is being hunted by the RUC Security Bureau. She encounters the bounty hunter Roy and he adopts her as his daughter after being hired as a bodygaurd for Miranda. The reality is that it's super slow paced bore with no real plot even started by the middle. It's mostly SOL about unusual girl. Another filler series with actual story enough only for OVA while stretched to 26 episodes.   Overall Rating: 6/10

17. Canvas 2: Nijiiro no Sketch Canvas 2: Rainbow Colored Sketch Canvas2 ～虹色のスケッチ～ [Zexcs] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Visual Arts Comedy, Drama, Romance Kamikura Hiroki is an art student at the local school Nadesico Academy (High School and college level) whom intends to be an art teacher in the future. He is also the advisor to the high school arts society where his cousin, Housen Elis, attends. While Elis is a painter like Hiroki, Hiroki seems to have given up on his dreams and no longer paints. There appears to be some mysterious trauma in the both of their pasts which may have changed them. Meanwhile, the high school hires a new PE teacher, Kikyo Kiri. On the first day, she bumps into Hiroki and is stunned. Here is the boy she confessed to and he refused her... The curse of early visual novels is here through and through. Cheezy comedy, irritating characters, blank protagonist and constant flashes don't leave many opportunities to get interested, at least for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10

18. Capeta カペタ [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Shounen Racing Sports After losing his mother at a very young age, elementary school student Capeta Taira is forced to become more independent to avoid his father worrying for him. Working in a paving company, his father is often busy and has to work overtime to make ends meet. However, no matter how tough he acts in front of his father, Capeta is ultimately just a lonely kid with a rough life. In addition to his typical house duties, he has to deal with the bully Nobu Andou which makes him feel worse, despite support from his classmate, Monami Suzuki. One day, Capeta's father sees young go-kart drivers racing at high speeds and gets inspired by the scene. He then decides to collect scrapped parts available on the track and begins working on a gift for his son. Meanwhile, Capeta and Monami sneak into his workplace, suspecting that his father is up to something. Much to their surprise, they see a go-kart built from discarded parts—with Capeta's name attached to it! Although it lacks an engine and looks worn out, the kart is mostly complete and functional. Despite the heavy rain, Capeta cannot resist the urge to try out this new machinery. As he drives the kart downhill on a wet road, an incident that is almost a dangerous accident instead becomes a thrilling obsession. No longer bored with life, the engine of Capeta's heart is ignited with a new passion as he journeys into the world of racing. A lively racing spokon, but protagonist is too young to make it serious.   Overall Rating: 6/10

19. To Heart 2 トゥハート2 [OLM] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Drama, Romance Following her graduation from middle school, Konomi Yuzuhara enters the same high school as Takaaki Kono, her childhood friend. As the new school year begins, they meet their childhood friend Tamaki Kosaka, as well as many new accquaintances. Unbeknownst to the group, their encounters with each other will soon lead to many memorable adventures. Compared to good romance anime To Heart 2 does not stretch beyond averageness.   Overall Rating: 5/10

20. IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (2005) IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix [Production I.G] (Finished 3/13) Tags:  Mecha, Racing Action, Drama, Sci-Fi In the year 2048, people are raving about a fighting race called “Immortal Grand Prix”, or IGPX in short, which is faster and more exciting than any of the existing motor sports. The phenomenon is so big that an entire city was built for the racing industry where competitions take place on a huge track. In the “Immortal Grand Prix,” two teams of three IG machines, high-tech humanoid mechs driven by humans, race at speeds greater than 400km/h. The teams make three laps of a 60 km course while intercepting the opponent as they vie for a first place finish. The best machine performance, the best pilots and the best teamwork are the only factors that can make them the winners. I doubt anything about SPEED can ever raise my interest.   Overall Rating: 5/10

21. Idaten Jump 韋駄天翔(ジャンプ) [Trans Arts] (Finished 1/52) Tags: School, Strategy Game Sports During a race, mountain bike (MTB) enthusiast Shou Yamato is mysteriously dragged into another world alongside his friends, Kakeru and Makoto. Soon, the group discovers that this world known as "X-Zone" revolves around Idaten battles—MTB races characterized by special courses, rules, and hidden powers lying dormant within the bikes. The only way to return home is to win and obtain the MTB emblems from the defeated challengers. Despite being perplexed and terrified of the bizarre world, Shou is surprisingly excited. He has the opportunity to compete with fellow MTB riders, make new friends and rivals, and also unearth the X-Zone's hidden truths that may dramatically change his fate. Shou and his friends must make it through an arduous journey, one rife with conspiracies against them, in order to safely return home together. Childish races.   Overall Rating: 5/10

22. Angel Heart エンジェル・ハート [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Seinen Action, Drama, Mystery, Romance A young Taiwanese assassin codenamed "Glass Heart" committed suicide by jumping off a building, and her heart was pierced by metal fence. Miraculously, her life was saved by heart transplantation. During her recovery she began to experience strange dreams, which lead her to Japan looking for the donor of her heart, who happens to be Kaori Makimura, former partner of City Hunter Ryo Saeba. The author mentioned in the first tankoubon volume that Angel Heart only shares the same characters of City Hunter but not its continuation. The events are all parallel universe, therefore it has nothing to do with City Hunter. City hunter was not good enough for side-tracking it in a parallel universe let alone for 50 episodes without presenting a thrilling story.   Overall Rating: 6/10

23. Ginga Densetsu Weed 銀牙伝説ウィード [Studio Deen] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Seinen Anthropomorphic Adventure, Drama A dog named Weed happens to hear that he is the son of Gin, the great leader of Ohu who lead the dogs of Ohu to victory in a fight against monsterous bear, Akakabuto. Weed wants to find his father no matter what. On a journey to find his father Weed meets many friends and enemies. Dogs/Wolfs constantly fight in the wild, and it has some traits of samurai series. Personally, I can't take it all seriously, especially because there's a lot of shounen naivete.   Overall Rating: 6/10

24. Cluster Edge CLUSTER EDGE（クラスターエッジ） [Sunrise] (Finished 5/25) Tags: Military Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Cluster Edge Academy isn't just any school; it's THE school, where the offspring of the elite come together to prepare for their roles running a world where artificial soldiers and religious sects are major factors in the battle for total control. Which may be part of why new transfer student Agate Fluorite doesn't quite seem to fit in. It's not just that Agate's enthusiastic attitude stands out among the somber, brooding balance of the student body. There's something about him that demands notice, even from jaded honors students like Beryl Jasper, and from the moment of arrival he's been at the center of a series of mysteries that not even Agate understands. Because Agate's not just another student, he's part of a something so momentous, and dangerous, that the world that built Cluster Edge may not survive its passing. Super boring Sunrise fraud, not sure if this pseudo-SOL is even going anywhere.   Overall Rating: 5/10

25. Rockman.EXE Beast ロックマン エグゼ ＢＥＡＳＴ [Xebec] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Strategy Game Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Trill, a mysterious navi said to have originated from the world of Beyondard, is discovered. And new beast-type enemies, the Zoanoroids, want him for his special power. Netto Hikari and Rockman must protect their new friend while they try to figure out what Trill is really and his connection to the two legendary cyber beasts, Grega and Faltzer. Kids stuff.   Overall Rating: 5/10

26. Bouken Ou Beet Excellion Beet the Vandel Buster Excellion 冒険王ビィト エクセリオン [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural It is the dark century and the people are suffering under the rule of the devil, Vandel, who is able to manipulate monsters. The Vandel Busters are a group of people who hunt these devils, and among them, the Zenon Squad is known to be the strongest busters on the continent. A young boy, Beet, dreams of joining the Zenon Squad. However, one day, as a result of Beet's fault, the Zenon squad was defeated by the devil, Beltose. The five dying busters sacrificed their life power into their five weapons, Saiga. After giving their weapons to Beet, they passed away. Years have passed since then and the young Vandel Buster, Beet, begins his adventure to carry out the Zenon Squad's will to put an end to the dark century. Original had uniqueness from the start, but guess it's more or less lost, and now it's just your average shounen.   Overall Rating: 5/10

27. Kakutou Bijin Wulong Fighting Beauty Wulong 格闘美神 武龍 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Martial Arts Action, Ecchi At first glance, Mao Ran is a normal cute girl, but she is a master of a martial arts handed down by Mao family. One day, she is tricked by her grandfather, and forced to take part in the fighting match, "Prime Mat". First, she is reluctant to fight, but fighting against the rivals, she is gradually fascinated by the "fighting". It's all in the title, and nothing can justify this bore.   Overall Rating: 5/10

28. Happy Seven: The TV Manga はっぴぃセブン ～ざ・テレビまんが～ [Studio Hibari] (Finished 4/13) Tags: School Comedy, Fantasy Amano Sakogami is a girl who has an unnatural amount of bad luck. One day, she stumbles into the clubroom of the Better Fortune Research Organization, which consists of a boy and seven other girls who secretly use the power of the luck deities to fight against the Magatsugami, monsters who can affect a person's luck & well-being. Amano soon becomes the club's manager, and joins the club in their fight against the Magatsugami and their controller, Kukitomoe. Majority of time is occupied by nonsensical school comedy of generic nature, and no characters really stand out.   Overall Rating: 5/10

29. Gaiking: Legend of Daiku-Maryu ガイキング Legend of Daiku-Maryu [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi A boy, Tsuwabaki Daiya found a black fire in an ocean when he and his father were in a small boat. A big monster came out of the fire, and the father and the crews were disappeared into the sea. When he was about to become the next victim, a large mecka dragon appeared and saved him. 5 years later since then, Daiya becomes a junior high school student. A big monster reappear, and he meets the mecha dragon,"Daiku Maryu". The head of the dragon separates from the body, and it turns into the body of a super robot, Gaiking. He gets in Gaiking, fights against the monster, and beats it. He learns that there is an enemy that plots to conquer the world, and he leaves for another world, Darius, to stop the plot. Childish mecha is back for those who still care.   Overall Rating: 5/10

30. Gunparade Orchestra ガンパレード・オーケストラ [Brain's Base] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Mecha, Military Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi he story focuses and revolves around the 108th Guard Squad, stationed in Aomori. A poorly equipped unit with very little military standing, it is often viewed as a 'reject camp' for pilots not making the grade for the elite units based in Hokkaido. The apparent helpless nature of this force is hardly a deterrent for the encroaching enemy armies, ever closing in on both the 108th and the rest of the empire. The young pilots of the 108th, who had dreamed on returning home, are plunged forcefully and unwillingly into a war. Just a more irritating generic mecha than usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10

31. Dae Jang Geum: Jang Geum's Dream 少女チャングムの夢 [Heewon Entertainment] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical Adventure, Comedy, Gourmet Story is about the girl Jang Geum who wants to be a cook. She gets accepted as a palace servant. Clever and cheerful Jang Geum quickly finds friends. But all to soon she encounters intrigue and corruption. If I wanted to see how a child is treated poorly by some rich, I'd watch some World Drama Theater series. There's also superability elements here, so I'd call it another immature attempt to play in national anime.   Overall Rating: 5/10

32. Animal Yokochou Animal Lane アニマル横町 [Gallop] (Finished 2/51) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy On the first day her family moved to their new house, 5-year-old Ami-chan made friends with three talking animals who came out of a door in her bedroom floor, which she finds out leads to Animal Yokocho, another world. The three are Issa, an overly innocent, soft-spoken panda, Kenta, a highly strung, red-scarf-loving bear who puts on an almost constant tough-guy act, and Iyo, a rabbit who usually holds her own well-being and enjoyment over the happiness (and safety) of her friends. Even at only 5 years old, Ami-chan is easily the most rational of the group, and she's a little wary at first, but she eventually comes around and starts spending her free time with them. A typical day involves Ami-chan and the three doing different things to pass the time, often playing a seemingly innocent game, but in AniYoko style. Unfortunately for Ami-chan, the AniYoko version usually turns out to be drastically different, much less logical, and usually more dangerous than the ordinary version. It's just nonsense as stuff animals fool around beside a girl, waste of time as humor is not to my taste.   Overall Rating: 6/10

33. Rean no Tsubasa The Wings of Rean リーンの翼 [Sunrise] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mecha Award Winning, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Because his friends fired a rocket into the US Army camp, Suzuki was wanted by the US Army and the police. While he was running away the sea surface suddenly rose, and when a brilliant light appeared he saw a strange looking battleship flying in the air. He was dumped into the sea and when he crawled onto the battleship there was a beautiful girl standing there. She said her name was Lyx, the princess of another world, and added, "My Father is Japanese, Shinjiro Sakomizu. Please help me, Suzuki." I endured it somehow, but it's nothing but dumb.   Overall Rating: 5/10

34. Pale Cocoon ペイル・コクーン [Studio Rikka] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Sci-Fi A future where the continuity of history has broken off, a world of enormous ruins that continues endlessly. Oceans and continents have vanished, existing only within the archives brought up from the remains. Ura works in the Archive Excavation Department, which restores and analyzes the data left behind. One day, he finds a disturbing visual record... Super short, and without even a deep thought intended.   Overall Rating: 5/10

35. Arashi no Yoru ni あらしのよるに [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Anthropomorphic Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy A story about a goat and a wolf who become friends on a stormy night, and how they overcome differences and hardships. It tries to be drama, but still feels childish.   Overall Rating: 6/10

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