Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu is revolutionary anime in several ways, so for me it has the upper hand over Black Lagoon which is also a great masterpiece, but in more mundane , complex and adult way. Lots of titles in Spring season, but I can't vouch for the rest.
1. Ouran Koukou Host Club Ouran High School Host Club 桜蘭高校ホスト部 [Bones] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shoujo Crossdressing, Reverse Harem, School Comedy, Romance Haruhi Fujioka is a studious girl who has recently enrolled at the prestigious Ouran Academy. One day, while looking for a quiet and peaceful place to study, she stumbles across a seemingly unused music room. Upon entering, Haruhi is welcomed by the members of the well-known Host Club: a club in which attractive boys amuse girls from across the entire school. However, when Tamaki Suou—the founder and president of the club—startles the bright scholarship student, she accidentally breaks an expensive vase. With repayment looking difficult for Haruhi, the Host Club members come up with the perfect solution to the girl's problem: work for the club and ultimately become a Host herself! Mistaken for a boy by her peers, Haruhi has to entertain various female students while coping with her fellow Hosts' extravagant personalities. I've understood recently that Reverse Harem is the tag that I should block as there is not a single such work that I like. As far as I understand, this is one of the most popular representatives, and that's more than enough for me to know. Not finding it funny or entertaining or valuable in any way. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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2. Gintama 銀魂 [Sunrise] (Finished 204/204) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor, Historical, Parody, Samurai Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Edo is a city that was home to the vigor and ambition of samurai across the country. However, following feudal Japan's surrender to powerful aliens known as the "Amanto," those aspirations now seem unachievable. With the once-influential shogunate rebuilt as a puppet government, a new law is passed that promptly prohibits all swords in public. Enter Gintoki Sakata, an eccentric silver-haired man who always carries around a wooden sword and maintains his stature as a samurai despite the ban. As the founder of Yorozuya, a small business for odd jobs, Gintoki often embarks on endeavors to help other people—though usually in rather strange and unforeseen ways. Assisted by Shinpachi Shimura, a boy with glasses supposedly learning the way of the samurai; Kagura, a tomboyish girl with superhuman strength and an endless appetite; and Sadaharu, their giant pet dog who loves biting on people's heads, the Yorozuya encounter anything from alien royalty to scuffles with local gangs in the ever-changing world of Edo. I've watched everything from Gintama, at least everything to my awareness. And I liked less than 10% out of it all, mainly some plot advancing episodes and rare comedy episodes. I the end I only consider some Gintama movies to be worthy. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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3. Black Lagoon [Madhouse (Finished 12/12) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Organized Crime Salaryman Rokurou Okajima spends his days trying to climb his company's corporate ladder, until one day when a business negotiation in Thailand goes awry. During the botched deal, he falls hostage to the Lagoon Company—a band of ruthless pirate mercenaries. Left to the whims of his captors after his managers refuse to pay his ransom, Rokurou does the unthinkable: instead of begging for his life, he joins the very crew who kidnapped him. Now a member of the group, Rokurou must adjust to his new residence in the dissolute hellscape known as Roanapur, a city where corruption and crime run rampant, and even the smallest slipup could cost him his life. If not for one of the many crime syndicates on the island, Rokurou also constantly finds himself at odds with his brash, gunslinging colleague, Revy. As Rokurou struggles to abandon his past—and with more than just the profits from the Lagoon Company's illegal trading on the line—he must quickly find the resolve to make tough decisions in high-stress situations while keeping his humanity intact. Always loved Black Lagoon - it's seinen, thought provoking and cool. Can't call it perfect or having an integral interesting story, though. Overall Rating: 9/10 |
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4. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu 涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱 [Kyoto Animation] (Finished 14/14) Tags: School Award Winning, Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life If a survey were conducted to see if people believed in aliens, time travelers, or maybe espers, most would say they do not; average high school student Kyon considers himself among the non-believers. However, on his first day of school, he meets a girl who soon turns his world upside down. During class introductions, the beautiful Haruhi Suzumiya boldly announces her boredom with "normal" people and her intention of meeting supernatural beings. Dumbfounded, Kyon learns of her frustration with the lack of paranormal-focused clubs at their school and unwittingly inspires her to start her own club. She creates the Spreading Fun all Over the World with Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade, otherwise known as the SOS Brigade. Following the SOS Brigade's founding, Haruhi manages to recruit Kyon and three other members: quiet bookworm Yuki Nagato, shy upperclassman Mikuru Asahina, and perpetually positive Itsuki Koizumi. Despite their normal appearance, the new members of the SOS Brigade each carry their own secrets related to Haruhi. Caught up in the mystery surrounding the eccentric club leader, Kyon is whisked away on a series of misadventures by Haruhi and the SOS Brigade, each one bringing him closer to the truth about who and what she is. Again, can't call Haruhi perfect, but it's definitely something unique and intelligent. Overall Rating: 9/10 |
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5. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni ひぐらしのなく頃に [Studio Deen] (Finished 6/26) Tags: Gore, Psychological Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense Keiichi Maebara has just moved to the quiet little village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983, and quickly becomes inseparable friends with schoolmates Rena Ryuuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Houjou, and Rika Furude. However, darkness lurks underneath the seemingly idyllic life they lead. As the village prepares for its annual festival, Keiichi learns about the local legends surrounding it. To his horror, he discovers that there have been several murders and disappearances in the village in the recent years, and that they all seem to be connected to the festival and the village's patron god, Oyashiro. Keiichi tries to ask his new friends about these incidents, but they are suspiciously silent and refuse to give him the answers he needs. As more and more bizarre events occur, he wonders just what else his friends might be keeping from him, and if he can even trust them at all. When madness and paranoia begin taking root in Keiichi's heart, he will stumble straight into the mysteries at work in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, a story that is told across multiple arcs. I tried Higurashi a lot of times, but inevitably fell asleep out of boredom and confusion. And since it does not provide a normal story while substituting it with constant time resets, I'm absolutely not interested in this writer's self-satisfaction. Lazy concept. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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6. Nana NANA [ナナ] [Madhouse] (Finished 2/47) Tags: Shoujo Adult Cast, Love Polygon, Music Drama, Romance Departing from their respective hometowns, two young women with identical names are brought together in their pursuit of new beginnings. With their hearts set on going to Tokyo, Nana Komatsu dreams about blissful love, while Nana Osaki aims for a successful music career. The former has a cheerful and friendly nature, but her naivety has steered her romantic life astray until she meets her dependable boyfriend—Shouji Endo. Without letting herself be dismayed by Shouji's decision to study in Tokyo, Nana works hard to earn enough money and follow him there. Meanwhile, her namesake is a solitary punk vocalist whose impassioned romance with her band's bassist, Ren Honjou, comes to a sudden end. Though heartbroken, Nana bravely looks forward and travels to the capital with the ambition of becoming a recognized artist. Shortly after they arrive in Tokyo, the girls cross paths again due to an unexpected coincidence that ultimately leads them to live under the same roof. As they grow closer, the two strive to support one another amid their struggles to forge a future for themselves. I understand that it's popular, but I can't stand the visuals and the personalities here. Not sure I'd tolerate this kind of naivete and flow of thoughts even if it was redrawn . Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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7. Air Gear エア・ギア [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Shounen Action, Ecchi Air Trecks, also known as AT, are motorized and futuristic inline skates that are the new craze taking the nation by storm. Although each AT comes with a speed limiter, a community of daredevils known as the "Storm Riders" are brave enough to tamper with the device. Utilizing AT's in underground battles, individual teams wager valuable AT parts or team emblems—their symbol of pride—to dominate the streets. Living in this era is Itsuki Minami, a middle school student notorious for engaging in street fights. Always wanting to reach heights no one else is able to, the reckless punk will break through any obstacle that stands in his way, alongside his best friends Kazuma Mikura and Onigiri. However, it is when he discovers a pair of Air Trecks in his house that the path to his true desire finally opens: to rule the skies. Such a barebones cheeky shounen that I've no idea how it can attract anyone. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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8. xxxHOLiC ×××HOLiC（ホリック） [Production I.G] (Finished 6/24) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Supernatural Kimihiro Watanuki can see spirits and other assorted supernatural creatures, which is quite a bothersome ability he strongly dislikes. On the way home one day, while plagued by some spirits, he is inexplicably compelled to enter a strange house. There, he encounters Yuuko, a mysterious woman who claims to be able to rid him of the ability to see and attract the troublesome creatures—for a price. She demands that he work at her "store" that grants wishes to people, and thus begins Watanuki's adventures through weird and wonderful events. Internet obsession episode put the last nail to this coffin. It's not interesting and situations are just ridiculously silly. There's no even story, just episodic cases with some random weird humor. And I dislike all the characters with their gimmicks. It's just bad. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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9. Utawarerumono うたわれるもの [OLM] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi An injured man is found in the woods by a girl named Eruruu, and everything about him is mysterious. Without knowledge of his past nor even his own name, he is welcomed to Eruruu's home and is given the name Hakuoro by her grandmother, and younger sister, Aruruu. While the inhabitants of the village have large ears and tails, Hakuoro's defining physical trait is quite different as he has neither ears nor tail, but only a mask that he cannot remove. Soon after he becomes a part of the villagers' lives, a revolution against the tyrannical emperor of the land begins, and the conflict finds its way to his new home. Hakuoro must do whatever he can to save the people and the village that he has come to love, all while uncovering the mysteries that shroud his past. Original game was super boring except for deus ex machina in the finale, and mechanics were just trash. Sadly, anime is same horrible - very long and muddy development, slightly changed ending and zero good traits as I don't like characters, and story can be easily skipped. There's no way I can recommend this. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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10. School Rumble Ni Gakki School Rumble: 2nd Semester スクールランブル 二学期 [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor, Love Polygon, School Comedy, Romance We still have no idea what's really going on with this show, beyond the fact that the weirdness is piling up! Curry-fiend Karasama remains oblivious to Tenma's crush, and Harima still hasn't confessed his true feelings to Tenma. But hey, the thug's got an excuse since he's caught up with his comic career and knee-deep in a blizzard of deadlines! Meanwhile, the love triangles are ever-shifting thanks to wannabe cupids and runaway brides. Even when you throw in a bit of cyborg love, a shipwreck, and a fugitive red panda–seriously, that ain't even scratching the surface. You are encouraged to scratch the pig, though. He likes it! And something rumbles in the next to last episode, no matter what I say next. School Rumble–The absolutely funniest show you’ll ever see that's not about anything that rumbles... Ever! Sequel with lots of specific humor which is not to my taste. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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11. Strawberry Panic ストロベリー・パニック [Madhouse] (Finished 1/26) Tags: School Drama, Girls Love, Romance Nagisa Aoi begins her new school life as a transfer student at St. Miator’s Girls Academy, one of three prestigious all-girls institutions atop Astraea Hill. Getting lost on her first day, Nagisa encounters a mysterious student whose elegance and charm is so bewitching, she ends up in the infirmary. There to greet her when she awakens is Tamao Suzumi, her roommate, who enthusiastically introduces Nagisa to the daily life and social structure on campus. Most notably, Tamao informs her of the existence of an exceptional student representative among all three schools—the Etoile, or "star." Eager to meet this person, Nagisa learns that the ethereal beauty she met earlier, Shizuma Hanazono, is the one and only Etoile herself! Not only that, Shizuma seems openly interested in Nagisa! Her interactions with Shizuma naturally make her a hot topic on campus; yet despite being so captivated, Nagisa can’t help but wonder if something is off. Strawberry Panic! follows the everyday routines of Nagisa, Shizuma, and her friends at St. Miator’s, St. Spica, and St. Lulim as they navigate through the challenge of relationships while confronting hidden feelings, lingering regrets, and new possibilities. As expected, can't appreciate serious Girls Love without comedy. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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12. Tsubasa Chronicle 2nd Season Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE Season Two ツバサ・クロニクル 第2シリーズ [Bee Train] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Syaoran, Sakura, Kurogane, Fai and Mokona's journey through to different world's continue as they search for Sakura's feathers. The fated journey slowly becomes more complicated for our travelers, as they find themselves diving deeper into more dangerous worlds. Takes place immediately after the first season. Based on the manga by CLAMP. Did not like original, did not like xxxHOLiC, do not feel like gathering some feathers with this poor cast. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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13. Witchblade ウィッチブレイド [Gonzo] (Finished 5/24) Tags: Super Power Action, Sci-Fi Masane Amaha and her daughter Rihoko are on the run from a government child welfare agency that wants to take Rihoko away from her mother. They are caught and Rihoko is taken away. Meanwhile, Masane is attacked by an advanced weapon that can disguise itself as a human being. When faced with the danger, a strange light emits from her wrist and she transforms into a powerful being. She destroys the weapon and consequently becomes involved in a power struggle between powerful organizations, with her at the center of their attention. Because she holds the greatest power of them all, the legendary Witchblade. Gonzo usually guarantees high visual quality, including this case. And I don't care if it's fanservice'ish provided that story is good. And what I see is just working for some organization and investigating new cases after acquiring superpower. What I get is another monster of the week story without any exceptional traits, and thus it can't be recommended. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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14. Saiunkoku Monogatari The Story of Saiunkoku 彩雲国物語 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Reverse Harem Adventure, Fantasy, Romance Shuurei Kou, the daughter of a noble yet impoverished family, is a clever young lady who dreams of becoming a government official and contributing toward her country. However, her dream is out of her reach as such a position is forbidden to women. While her father works a low wage job as an archivist at the palace, Shuurei has to juggle odd jobs to make ends meet. Then, one day, an unexpected visit changes her life. Shuurei is called to assist Ryuuki Shi, the new emperor who is known for slacking on his duties and preferring the company of men. Tempted by the generous compensation, she readily accepts the chance to become the young emperor's consort for six months. Luckily, she is not alone as Seiran Shi, her trusty friend, joins her as Ryuuki's bodyguard. While tasked with transforming the new emperor into a responsible ruler, court life and politics prove troublesome as Shuurei faces the challenges of her new life. Set in a fictional country, Saiunkoku Monogatari centers on the idea of meaningful leadership, its adversities and the rewards that come alongside a prospering nation. This is definitely last season when reverse harem is included by me. Setting is ridiculous and convenient, as usual for this genre. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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15. Digimon Savers Digimon Data Squad デジモンセイバーズ [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/48) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy Upon meeting for the first time, undefeated street fighter Daimon, Masaru and renegade Digimon Agumon become friends in the most natural way possible for the knuckleheaded duo—by fighting their hearts out. The self-proclaimed "ultimate team" are recruited by a secret government organization called the Digimon Data Squad, or DATS, who had witnessed an unbelievable human fighting blow for blow with a Digimon. Their primary objective is investigating mysterious problems caused by Digimon entering the real world, and the world is currently in the midst of a crisis with Digimon appearing at an unprecedented rate. Embarking on various missions with DATS, Daimon and Agumon become colleagues with adolescent genius Touma Norstein and his Digimon partner Gaoman, along with the kind-hearted Yoshino "Yoshi" Fujeda and her Digimon partner Lalamon. As the group continues to investigate the rapid increase of Digimon in their world, a darker truth begins to surface, and it is up to Daimon, Agumon, and their friends to get to the bottom of things. I want to unsee this first episode. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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16. Kiba 牙-KIBA- [Madhouse] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Isekai Adventure, Fantasy In a dystopian future, two friends dream of freedom... and gain more than they bargain for! Hothead Zed is on the run from the authorities, while his brainy pal Noah struggles with his own battered body. Both find a magical world that seems to offer escape and power undreamed of. Join Zed and his powerful, rebellious spirit Amir Gaul on their search for the ultimate power. It's a force that can save the world—or destroy life as we know it. This is the world of KIBA! Where you must harness the power within and fight with all you got! As I see it, the main problem here is 51 episode length. All people who like it say that show changes drastically for the last 15 episodes and becomes more serious and dramatic compared to boring core. I'd watch some recap or cut into 12 episode version, but in this state it's a too tedious and dualistic shounen to follow. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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17. Aria the Natural [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shounen Iyashikei Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life Akari Mizunashi continues her training to become a Prima Undine (a professional tour guide gondolier) along with her friends Aika and Alice in the peaceful city of Neo Venezia. Despite the fact that these three girls are from competing companies, they are constantly together, learning more about how to become better tour guides and more about the mysteries of Neo Venezia. As the group continues to meet interesting and unforgettable people through their daily routines, they will also come closer to the secrets that make the enigmatic and ever beautiful city of Neo Venezia so warm and alive. Welcome back to Neo Venezia: the city where miracles can be created by hand. Sequel. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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18. .hack//Roots [Bee Train] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Video Game Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi After the termination of the incredibly popular virtual reality MMORPG "The World," a new version of the game—The World R:2—is brought online. On his first day in the game, newcomer Haseo thinks he has made some friends to quest with. However, as if mocking his sentiments, they kill his character just for fun. Luckily, he is saved by a mysterious, one-armed player named Ovan who offers to show him around The World. Alongside Ovan and his cleric friend Shino, Haseo enjoys a wonderful first year in the game. But this peaceful life is shattered when Shino's character is killed by a familiar figure notoriously known as Tri-Edge, whose victims have all fallen into comas in the real world. In a fit of rage, Haseo vows to find the elusive Tri-Edge and kill him. Taking place during Haseo's first year in The World, .hack//Roots explores the friendships Haseo built in the game before Tri-Edge ripped them away. I find anime about MMORPG difficult to fail, and because of that every case of failure is especially painful. First such case was with hack//Sign and now we have its sequel. Just as then it tediously follows some not really interesting story without focus on characters or world. And the result is that it's full of fillers and just not engaging overall. I still find it watchable, but just as Sign it's not memorable and is totally ok to skip. And it's one of those rare cases when I actually pay attention to music just because of how inappropriately it's used . Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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19. Juu Ou Sei Jyu-Oh-Sei: Planet of the Beast King 獣王星 [Bones] (Finished 3/11) Tags: Shoujo Survival Action, Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi After the murder of their parents, 11-year-old twin brothers Thor and Rai Klein are sent away from their home planet. They find themselves awakening on the terraformed planet of Chimaera, where carnivorous plants dominate and the few humans who live there are divided into four groups known as "Rings." Soon after, they meet a young man by the name of Zagi, and the twins learn that only the "Jyu Oh Sei"—the one who conquers these four Rings—is allowed to leave the planet. Driven by the desire to return home and discover the truth behind the death of his parents, Thor resolves to survive in the harsh, merciless environment of Chimaera. However, he quickly learns there is more than meets the eye in this strange ecosystem. As Thor is swept up in the politics that entangle the Rings, he uncovers more about his parents' murder, and ultimately, humanity's fate as a whole. I despise sandboxes, and this anime reminds one as it's battle royale between four artificially divided factions. To watch it just for action is not worth it, and all the other elements don't feel any good at all. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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20. Inukami! いぬかみっ! [Seven Arcs] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Supernatural, Ecchi Kawahira Keita is a descendant of a historic Inukami tamer family; however, because he lacked in its ability, he was forsaken by the family. One day, an Inukami named Youko came. She looked graceful, obedient, above all, beautiful. Soon he contracted with her, and she paid homage to him. However, she was a problematic Inukami that no one had been able to control. This is a slap stick comedy of an Inukami Tamer, Keita and an Inukami, Youko. Keita is a man of worldly passions, and he likes money and girls very much. On the other hand, Youko likes to destroy things and is very jealous. Saying it's bad is praising in this case. Ecchi hunting for spirits is lame as a concept, and realization is even worse than it sounds. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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21. Aa! Megami-sama! Sorezore no Tsubasa Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy ああっ女神さまっ それぞれの翼 [AIC] (Finished 1/22) Tags: Seinen Harem Comedy, Romance, Supernatural One year after goddess Belldandy emerged from Keiichi Morisato's mirror and promised to stay with him forever, a new threat to their happiness emerges, one that could end the contract between Belldandy and Keiichi. Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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22. Princess Princess プリンセス・プリンセス [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Shoujo Crossdressing, School Comedy, Drama Tooru Kouno's attractive appearance draws unexpected attention on his first day at an all-boys school. Having to transfer to a school without girls has been bad enough, but adding to his list of frustrations are boys staring at him all day long. However, he hopes that there may be girls around, since he ran into a lovely pink-haired girl on campus earlier that day. After being escorted to his dorm by his classmate, Yuujirou Shihoudani, he meets a student named Mikoto Yutaka, who looks eerily similar to the girl he saw previously. To his shock, he realizes Mikoto is the girl and confronts him about this revelation. Yuujirou divulges that he and Mikoto crossdress as part of their job: a school tradition in which attractive first years are chosen as idols called "Princesses" in order to boost the morale of the students—and because of his looks, Tooru has been chosen by the student council as their third Princess! How the hell is this shoujo if first male teacher hits on male transfer student, then everybody in boys school falls in love with him.... it's definitely boys love genre . Overall Rating: 4/10 |
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23. Kamisama Kazoku 神様家族 [Toei Animation] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Samatarou is not just an average high-school boy, the truth is that he is the son of a god, his mother is a goddess and his sisters are candidates to become goddesses. They are living in the human world, because they want their boy to learn about the human customs and the habits of the creatures that they are protecting, so that in this way Samatarou will become a better god. Tenko is a angel assigned to look after Samatarou. She's born the same day, same year as Samatarou and have been close friends ever since. Life seems normal but things start to change with the appearance of a transfer student named Kumiko. Samatarou falls in love with her and from now on, things will be a lot more different for him. His decision of making her fall in love with him without using his powers will put him in trouble. Quite a typical romcom about a company of gods deciding to live among humans. Can't find anything to cling to here, to be honest. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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24. Shinigami no Ballad. Momo, Girl God of Death しにがみのバラッド。 [Group TAC, Ginga Ya] (Finished 2/6) Tags: Psychological Drama, Fantasy, Supernatural A girl wrapped in white, her name is Momo...in her hand lies a blunt yet shiny scythe. By her side is a winged black cat by the name of Daniel. Carrying the souls of humans, the girl's existence parallels to that of a "Death God" or "Shinigami". At the instant when this white Death God touches the hearts of humans, the world is filled with kindness and grief... Just random stories about shinigami, seriously? It lacks pretty much everything. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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25. Tokkou Tokko TOKKÔ[特公] [AIC Spirits, Group TAC] (Finished 5/13) Tags: Seinen Detective Action, Comedy, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural "Shindou Ranmaru has just graduated from police academy and assigned to Tokko: Special Mobile Investigation Force. On the day of his graduation, he meets the half-naked girl he has been seeing in his dreams. Her name is Rokujo Sakura and she works for a secret group within Tokki, known as Tokko: Special Public Safety Task Force. Shindou ends up joining Tokko to avenge his parents' death, and solve the mysterious mass murder of residents in his hometown of Machida. Meanwhile, bottomless pits begin appearing around Japan, and mysterious creatures emerge from them. Could these events be linked to Machida Massacre?" Ghouls start to kill and possess people, special girl team opposes them, and main character happens to be nearby as investigator, and he just learns more and more about these creatures and murders. Action is good, but overall it fails to involve and get interesting. Watch it or don't, it does not matter as nothing of it will stay in memory for any significant amount of time. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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26. Makai Senki Disgaea Disgaea 魔界戦記ディスガイア [OLM] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Mythology Action, Comedy, Fantasy An angel arrives in Hell! A demon lord is awakened! There are penguins everywhere! What’s going on here? Angel assassin-in-training Flonne is on a quest to destroy the demon Overlord. Instead of accomplishing her mission, the ditzy Flonne manages to wake Laharl, the demon lord and heir to the throne, from his two year slumber. Now the pair, along with Laharl’s not-so-faithful vassal Etna and her army of explosive souls in penguin costumes, must restore order to the crumbling Netherworld. Based on the events of the game Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Makai Senki Disgaea follows Laharl’s journey to squash the demon rebellion, reclaim the throne, and destroy anyone who stands in his path. Or, you know, let them join him on his travels if they really want. Just remember: Laharl is a demon lord. There’s no way he’ll ever show kindness, compassion, or love... right? Disgaea games had too poor mechanics for me, and plot feels like a bad unfunny parody that has nothing to enjoy. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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27. Simoun シムーン [Studio Deen] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Military Drama, Fantasy, Girls Love, Romance In the peaceful theocracy of Simulicram, everyone is born female. At age 17, each maiden undergoes a special ceremony where she chooses her sex. However, only Pairs of maiden priestesses can synchronize with the ancient flying ships known as Simoun needed to defend Simulicram. These Pairs refrain from undergoing the ceremony as long as they wish to keep piloting their Simoun. Aer is recruited to be a Simoun pilot after a terrifying attack by an enemy nation decimates the squadron known as Chor Tempest. To earn her wings she needs to find her way into the heart of Neviril, Regina of Chor Tempest. But Neviril's heart still belongs to her previous Pair, lost in the battle when she attempted a forbidden Simoun maneuver. It is one of favorite works of my Taiwanese acquaintance, so after couple failed attempts to finish it in the past it's time to make that effort now. And I can understand the appeal as it's about pure priest maidens who start ship engine with a kiss and thus need to travel in pairs, plus to attack by writing figures in the sky they need as many as two ships and thus four girls. Girls are from different backgrounds and with very different personalities. Plus, there is not much in the story or action department, so majority of time is devoted to dialogues that help to flesh out images even better. Due to such non-cliche variety even I could find someone to root for. But it does not mean I find this anime interesting as story itself is lacking, and aesthetical enjoyment is not a solid ground for an 8-hour long show. A must have for girls love enthusiasts as all those constant private academy settings don't stand even close. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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28. Joshikousei: Girl's High High School Girls 女子高生 GIRL'S HIGH [Arms] (Finished 3/12) Tags: School Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life, Ecchi Eriko and her friends Yuma and Ayano are excited about entering high school. Their excitement leads to their breaking of the rules when they toured the school before the opening ceremony. They find out their preconceptions about the all female school may not be as true as they had first thought. Despite that, Eriko and her friends are joined by new friends. They aim to get through high school life together. Comedy is actually not bad, but situations are rather silly and typical from joshikousei life. And since I'm not gaining anything from it and not enjoying it, no sense to go on. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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29. Kishin Houkou Demonbane (TV) 機神咆吼デモンベイン [View Works] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Harem, Mecha Action, Romance, Ecchi Kurou Daijuuji is a poor detective living in Arkham City. One day, he was requested by Ruri Hado of Hado Financial Group, to search for a magic book. While he initially refused, Ruri offered him a large sum of money upon completion of her request, in which bribed Kuro to accept. As Kurou searches for the book, he unexpectedly runs into Al, a pretty girl that is actually a powerful grimoire. They forge a contract with each other, bestowing Kuro with powerful magic. Soon afterwards, Al also activates Demonbane, a deus machina owned by the Hado Financial Group, to combat the mechanical menace from the Black Lodge. With this, the war between the Hado Financial Group and the Black Lodge begins.... Only played first game, but not the sequel as genre switched to action. Having watched anime now, I'm absolutely shocked of how low quality essenceless mess it is. 95% of it is action fights, often poorly 3D rendered. Nothing is ever explained or concluded properly. Just watch an endless spree of fights with laughable villains and try to make sense out of it , then wait for Deus Ex Machina in the end and be happy about it. It's worse than bad. It's tasteless. It managed to deteriorate even further from first horrible visual novel that at least had three quite nice action segments. Visual novel would have dialogues between these fights and some character focus, but with this kind of "story" I'd not recommend anyone touching this substance either. Overall Rating: 4/10 |
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30. Zegapain ゼーガペイン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Romance, Sci-Fi Average high school student Kyou Sogoru is an avid swimmer living in beautiful Maihama City. He spends his days hanging out with friends, swimming, and playing video games. However, his normal life turns upside down when a beautiful and mysterious girl named Shizuno Misaki approaches him with a strange request—jump into their school's pool together. This fateful leap transports Kyou into a war-torn world where humans pilot impressive humanoid robots known as Zegas to fight against malicious aliens known as Gards-Orm. To spearhead this endeavor, humans have formed Cerebrum, a rebel organization working to prevent the Gards-Orm from eradicating humankind. As Kyou participates in combat operations, meets his fellow Zega pilots, and witnesses countless deaths, he begins to question the true nature of this world as well as his own life. Sunrise mecha... of course I'm biased as no such previous attempt was worthy. And this time it's even more lazy than usual as it's partly school SOL and partially teleportation to another world to fight in mecha and teleporting back. Still, duality of worlds is not the worst idea they could have come up with, and second half can actually add something meaningful while first half is traditionally mostly waste of time since Sunrise stubbornly refuses to fit their shallow original stories in one season as they deserve. After three episodes can say that execution is rather poor. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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31. Renkin San-kyuu Magical? Pokaan 錬金3級 まじかる?ぽか〜ん [Remic] (Finished 3/12) Tags: CGDCT, Gag Humor, Parody, Vampire Comedy, Ecchi Renkin San-kyuu Magical? Pokaan follows the daily lives of four young girls. There is just one catch: they are anything but normal. This group of friends—the energetic werewolf Liru, the joyful witch-in-training Uma, the motherly android Aiko, and the seductive vampire Pachira—are actually princesses from the netherworld who have traveled to the human world in search of a new home. Unfortunately, their naivety and severe lack of knowledge make living peacefully among earthlings much more difficult than they imagined. As they attempt to adapt to their brand new lifestyle, they cause all sorts of trouble, and end up attracting the unwanted attention of a woman by the name of Dr. K-Ko. The scientist believes that these new residents of Earth are up to no good and attempts to capture the girls to prove the existence of the supernatural and gain credibility with the scientific community. Every day brings a new adventure as the girls deal with the insanity of her antics and all that the human realm has to offer. Each episode consists of two shorter humorous stories. I don't like such episodic format, and humor here is not quite to my taste, so can't really praise it. But feel free to see for yourself, a lot of people seem to fit here just fine. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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32. Kirarin☆Revolution Kirarin Revolution きらりん☆レボリューション [SynergySP, G&G Entertainment] (Finished 1/153) Tags: Shoujo Showbiz Comedy, Drama, Romance Kirari Tsukishima, a gluttonous 14-year-old beauty, is a girl who does not care about idols and the entertainment world because her mind is occupied by food. Her obsession with food only causes her to be clueless about love. One day, after saving a turtle that is stranded in a tree, Kirari meets with a handsome and gentle boy named Seiji, who gives her ticket to a SHIPS (a popular idol group) concert to show his gratitude for her saving his pet. Kirari then storms off to the concert and runs into another boy, who tears up her ticket and warns her to stay away from Seiji because she and Seiji live in different worlds. The outraged Kirari then sneaks into the concert, only to discover that Seiji and the boy who tore her ticket, named Hiroto, are actually members of SHIPS. Finally understanding the meaning of "different worlds" (Seiji is a popular idol while she is an average middle school student), Kirari refuses to give up. Filled with determination to be with Seiji, she declares that she will also become an idol. Feels like a typical romance shoujo without anything to give additional score for. But I'm not willing to investigate it beyond pilot episode. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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33. Himawari! ひまわりっ! [Arms] (Finished 2/13)  Tags: Martial Arts Adventure, Comedy Himawari Hinata recently transfered to Shinobi Gakuen to train to become the best kunoichi she can be. She wanted to be a ninja ever since she was saved by one when she was little. On her first day, she meets Hayato Madenokoji (a new transfer teacher) who saves her life. Hayato does not possess any ninja skills or traits, he is teaching the ninjas about normal society to pay off his debt. However, Himawari notices that Hayato bares the same mark on his neck as the ninja who saved her when she was young. I have slight prejudice against ninja, so I'm not enjoying another anime about ninja at school, but with ninja affinity it should be a blast. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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34. Soul Link [Picture Magic] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Military, Space Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Aizawa Ryota was in the 3rd grade of the preparatory course of Central Military Academy. AD 2045, he went to a space station, Aries, for the training with his classmates including Nagase Saka and Nittak Kazuhiko. However, the station was attacked by a terrorist group, Hallarax. Now they must find a way back to earth. What a tedious undertaking. This is what happens when stage substitutes story. Ever 17 was at least created by a talented writer and was one of the first to present a stage instead of story. But Soul Link is not even talented. Of course I can name even worse representatives of such concept, but that does not make Soul Link any better than average. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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35. The Third: Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo ザ・サード 蒼い瞳の少女 [Xebec] (Finished 10/24) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi In the distant future, because of an interplanetary war that had continued on for centuries, civilizations were ruined. Human beings have lost everything, and only 1/5th of the population survived. A strange breed of humans, ''The Third'' is said to have appeared just after the war. They possess a third eye, as their name suggests, that appear as oval-shaped red pupils called "space eyes'' over their conventional two eyes. Using them, they can control computer systems and so on, and as such, rule the world by their superior power over technology. In this world, there is a young woman named Honoka; she is a "jack-of-all-trades" sellsword, and she accepts any job except murder. One day, she happens to find and rescue a young man named Ikus in the desert. Entering his world, and accepting a job from him, the adventure begins for Honoka and Ikus. We've seen enough episodic anime about bounty hunters... well, this is another one. And there are no worthy characters to save it either. Overall, neither good, nor bad anime. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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36. Nishi no Yoki Majo: Astraea Testament The Good Witch Of The West 西の善き魔女 Astraea Testament [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance On Filiel's 15th birthday, she received her mother's necklace as a memento from her obstinate astronomer father. Her common and tedious life was turned into a life of conspiracies. With her new life, many adventures await. I can't say after single episode if it's reverse harem or not, but it totally feels like one with protagonist as princess and all kinds of bishounens hitting on her. This is as far as I'm willing to follow it. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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37. Ray The Animation [OLM] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Medical Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi If you have enough money, you can buy anything. So why wait for an organ you need to become available? Raised to be harvested for parts, Ray had already lost her eyes when renegade surgeon Black Jack rescued her. Now, ten years later, she has grown up to be a surgeon herself. And thanks to the unique artificial eyes she received as replacements, she has a reputation for performing incredible medical operations that no one else could even attempt. But unknown to any but a select few, her surgical endeavors are only part of a greater mission: to discover what happened to the other children she was raised with, and to find the men who stole the eyes she was born with and to bring them to justice. Come on, miraculous eyes is even worse than original Black Jack concept... Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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38. Black Jack 21 ブラック・ジャック21 [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 1/17) Tags: Shounen Medical Action, Drama No direct-relation sequel to original Black Jack. Black Jack attempts to find out the conspiracy, of why he was involved in the bombfield accident that killed his mother, while he uncovers secrets of Organization and Project "Noir", which, his father and other famous doctors were involved in... It's still medical action, just with more detective mystery now involved... can't watch that either... Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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39. Glass no Kantai: La Legende du Vent de l'Univers Glass Fleet ガラスの艦隊～La legende du vent de l'univers～ [Gonzo, Satelight] (Finished 4/24) Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi The People's Army led by Michel stands against Vetti's newly founded empire. Upon seeing how strong the Glass Battleship is, Michel tries to get Cleo, the captain of the Glass Battleship, to help People's Army overthrow Vetti's empire. And together they fight against Vetti's empire. The space battle aspect is laughable, even worse than stratagems of Legend of the Galactic Heroes. There's more focus on small battles while on foot, yet can't call it outstanding either. The way story is told is deliberately simplified, even that pales in comparison with deliberate complexity in the Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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40. IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (2005) 2nd Season IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix Season 2 [Production I.G] (Finished 1/13)  Tags: Mecha, Racing Action, Sci-Fi Team Satomi has just been deemed as the winners for the IG-2 lower league and now join the top IG-1 competition. But it's not going to be easy. Young pilots Takeshi, Liz, Amy, and River are going to have to be a team to be number 1, however one thing leads to another with these four. Most important of all, their opponents overwhelm Team Satomi in every aspect, including strategy and skill, as well as funding. One thing is for sure, this is not going to be an easy year for "Team Satomi." Sequel. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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41. Spider Riders: Oracle no Yuusha-tachi Spider Riders スパイダーライダーズ ～オラクルの勇者たち～ [Bee Train] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure Underneath the surface of the Earth lies the Inner World, a realm where a war rages on between intelligent spiders and the invading humanoid insects known as Insectors. However, the spiders are not alone, as "Spider Riders"—humans from the Outer World, known as Earthens in the Inner World, that are chosen by the Oracle—fight alongside them. Filled with wondrous tales of a mysterious pyramid and entrusted with his grandfather's journal, a young boy called Hunter Steele sets out on an exploration. There, his destined meeting with the Oracle occurs, and he is transported into the Inner World as a Spider Rider. Finding himself lost and confused in the middle of a forest, Hunter crosses paths with a giant spider named Shadow. Although reluctant, Shadow agrees to fight by his side. He then meets Corona—a skilled Spider Hunter and kind girl with a penchant for normal life. She shows him the ropes of being a Spider Rider, and educates him about the fate of the Inner World if the Insectors continue their tyrannical reign. Thus begins the story of Hunter Steele, a heedless young boy on a quest to save the Inner World. But his task of retrieving the four Oracle Keys holding the Oracle's true power will lead him to an ultimate clash against Mantid, leader of the Insectors. It has such primitive dialogues and characters that it must be made for kids only. Can't take it seriously at all. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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42. Yume Tsukai 夢使い [Madhouse] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life When people dream, they express their utmost desires and emotions within the confines of their mind; but when their strong emotions cross the border into reality, the dream can turn into an uncontrollable nightmare. Touko and Rinko are sisters known as "yume tsukai" (dream users), and their job is to take care of these nightmares. Using toys as weapons, the girls must both destroy the nightmare and return the dream to its rightful owner before the nightmare does any sort of serious damage. Have no fear, Touko and Rinko are here! Episodic stories about unusual ghosts. Lighthearted and moderately amusing, but it will wear off memory same easy as it comes and flows. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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43. Love Get Chu [Radix] (Finished 11/25) Tags: Showbiz Comedy, Romance Five girls came to a training school to become voice actresses holding each thought in her mind. Momoko - she wanted to be a voice actress to meet her favorite voice actor. Rinka - she is an armature voice actress, but she didn't have special purpose to become voice actress. Yurika - she likes anime very much. Tsubasa - she was a girl in love, and acted only as a boy. Amane - she found a deadlock as a actress and tried to find another way. They managed to get over the difficulty to become voice actress although they couldn't perform as main characters yet. There is a love romance with a boy works for an anime company, and you can catch a glimpse of situations of anime industries. I was actually interested enough to go on, and the main problem here is length as there is not enough content for 25 episodes, and more and more ridiculous stories start to get inserted. It's actually masterpiece series with fillers and weird genre transformation, so feel free to try it. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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44. Sasami: Mahou Shoujo Club Sasami Magical Girls Club 砂沙美 -魔法少女クラブ- [AIC Spirits] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, School Fantasy In this world lives a group of people who call themselves "Majo" or "Magical Girls." They hide their powers so as to assimilate into society. They have been living together in harmony with humans for many years, as had their predecessors long before them. Sasami has had magical powers since her birth. However, at the age of three, she was told by her parents never to use her innate powers, and from then on, she kept them secret. On the first day of a new school term, newly transferred teacher Wajuu arrives, and from then on, Sasami's life begins to change tremendously. I see it as Sasami plus Tenchi. First episodes were slow and tedious, and I don't see the core here. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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45. Gun-dou Musashi Gun Samurai GUN道 MUSASHI [ACC Production] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Samurai Adventure, Fantasy The war over control of a unified Japan, the Sengoku Era, is over and the Toyotomi army has won. Toyotomi has allowed his rival, Tokugawa, to live but since that final battle an evil ayakashi named Yasha reveals to Tokugawa that history says that he should have won the war instead of Toyotomi. Tokugawa agrees to the evil ayakashi power Yasha offers him, and the only person who can stop Tokugawa from ruling Japan and killing Princess Kaguya, who is the link to this alternate present, is Musashi Miyamoto, a young and brash man who follows the way of "Gun-do", which mixes together swordfighting with gunplay. Partially translated. Dueling on guns used as melee weapons is weird. Story is not going anywhere. Fighting action comes up constantly with no reason. It feels like a weird parody, but not a really a funny one. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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46. Rockman.EXE Beast+ ロックマンエグゼビースト+（プラス） [Xebec] (Finished 1/26)  Tags: Shounen Mecha, Strategy Game Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Beast+ continues from where Beast left off, though it is marketed as a stand-alone series. Episodes are reduced to approximately ten minutes in length, airing in the thirty minute time-slot Oha Coliseum alongside the Saru Getchu anime. Beast+ consists of a string of arcs beginning with the appearance of the Professor and Zero (both from Mega Man Network Transmission). Sure, why even bother making an opening for this crap already. Overall Rating: 4/10 |
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47. Fushigiboshi no☆Futagohime Gyu! ふしぎ星の☆ふたご姫 [J.C.Staff, Hal Film Maker] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Comedy, Fantasy Fine and Rein are sent to the Royal Wonder Academy on the Royal Wonder Planet in order to study to become better princesses. They plan to make many friends, but unfortunately, the competition and cold nature of the students and teachers make things impossible. The twins also become Universal Princesses when touching the legendary Soleil Bell, releasing two angels named Pyupyu and Kyukyu to help aid them. Unfortunately, an evil force manifested in a painting doesn't seem to be satisfied about the Universal Princesses... Sequel. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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48. Onegai My Melody: Kurukuru Shuffle! おねがいマイメロディ くるくるシャッフル！ [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy A continuation of Onegai My Melody. Sequel. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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49. Yoshinaga-sanchi no Gargoyle Gargoyle of Yoshinaga House 吉永さん家のガーゴイル [Studio Hibari] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy, Slice of Life When Yoshinaga Futaba wins the first prize in a lottery, the prize turns out to be a stone gargoyle. More surprising yet, the gargoyle turns out to be alive. A decent nonsense comedy... with non-moving gargoyle statue as protagonist... It's random, but not excessively so even I can tolerate it, but not finding it super interesting as it's not funny, it's more like episodic jokes during some finished story inside episode where gargoyle usually fights some baddie. Just not to my taste. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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50. Iron Kid Eon Kid 아이언 키드 [Daewon Media] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi In a futuristic world, young Marty stumbles upon a bionic arm which endows him with superhuman powers and put him at the centre of a centuries-old struggle between good and evil. His teenager heart will now begin a long-way training together with two loyal friends: Buttons, his robo-puppy, and the brave Ally. Korean childish action, now ugly 3D edition. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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51. Kakutou Bijin Wulong: Rebirth 格闘美神 武龍[ウーロン] REBIRTH [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/25)  Tags: Seinen Martial Arts, School Action, Comedy Mao Lan continues growing into her path in life through what she learns while fighting. Her grandfather thinks that she has grown complacent and decides to train an adversary for her next Prime Mat appearance. Training with her friends and companions Mao Lan slowly advances through life. Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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52. Bakegyamon 妖逆門 [Radix] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shounen Isekai, Mythology, Strategy Game Action, Fantasy Sanshirou's chances of having an adventure are slim to none in his tiny island hometown, until the day a mysterious stranger invites him to play a game... Without warning, Sanshirou is taken to a backwards universe to play BakéGyamon—a game pitting monsters against monsters. Along the way he meets other players who have a particular reason for being there—to obtain the wish that is granted to the winner. But how far can Sanshirou get when the monsters he's been paired with are a bunch of little mud balls?! Childish imitation of Yu-Gi-Oh monster duels. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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53. Himesama Goyoujin 姫様ご用心 [Bandai Visual] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Comedy Nomad Himeko is supposed to be a common high school student... until she happens to obtain a crown and she becomes a princess. Since then, Nana, the true princess, follows her around to take the crown back. In addition, Leslie and Caren, the thieves, appear to rob her of the crown, and her peaceful life turns into turmoil. Another random nonsense comedy, but again keeping inside some acceptable boundaries. I don't like humor here, but it's not the worst comedy to run at background. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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54. Ring ni Kakero 1: Nichibei Kessen-hen Ring ni Kakero 1 Episode: The Pacific War リングにかけろ1 日米決戦編 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Shounen Action, Sports Immediately after Ryuuji Takane won the Champion Carnival, the U.S. Junior Champion Black Shaft appeared, and challenged the best Japan has to offer, just before the World Tournament is about to happen. Now Ryuuji, Takeshi Kawai, Kazuki Shinatora, Ishimatsu Katori, and Superstar Jun Kenzaki have to prove to not only Black Shaft, but the world, that they are truly world-class boxers before the World Tournament starts. But Shaft is not recruiting boxers for his challenge, but instead gets a life-timer criminal from Death Row, the leader of the Great Angels, one of the toughest gangs in America, a mysterious woman, and the "Dark Emperor of the South". Also, Shaft negotiates with Don Juliano, the Italian Junior Champion, just in case... Sequel. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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55. Himitsukessha Taka no Tsume Eagle Talon 秘密結社 鷹の爪 [DLE] (Finished 0/11) Tags: Parody, Super Power Comedy Eagle Talon is a secret society based in Kojimachi, Tokyo. With plans for world domination, their attempts are continually foiled by Deluxe Fighter, the superhero who always manages to save the day. This comedy of their frivolous lives is definitely not to be missed! Not found. Overall Rating: 0/10 |
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56. Yoshimune 吉宗 [AIC Spirits, Ginga Ya, Gonzino] (Finished 3/24)  Tags: Historical Comedy Akubi-chan is a cute magical girl. She is good at magic, she can turn into any form by tapping a tambourine, and she can grant any dream or wishes. Usually, Akubi-chan is in a vase, but when Ruru-chan, the owner of the vase, yarns (akubi), Akubi-chan pops out of the vase. Ruru-chan is in the 1st grade in elementary school, but she is little precocious and loves secretly her classmate Itoshi-kun living next-door. Akubi-chan uses various magic to make them good friends, but she always fails. However, for her best friend Ruru-chan, Akubi-chan gets out of the vase and taps the tambaine to play Cupid. This one is actually more frivolous and random than I hoped it to be, so closer to average. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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57. Flag FLAG（フラッグ） [The Answer Studio] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Mecha, Military In 20xx, a civil war broke out in a small country in Asia in spite of the dispatch of UN forces. But a picture taken by accident in the battlefield accelerates the peace process: a photograph of a flag, which became the symbol of peace. However, just before the peace agreement is finalized, the flag is stolen by an armed extremist group in order to obstruct the truce. To rescue the flag, the UN sends the Special Development Command (SDC, which is armed with the High Agility Versatile Weapon Carrier (HAVWC)), along with an embedded photojournalist to record their activities. That photojournalist is Saeko Shirasu—the young camerawoman who took the picture of the flag. I refuse to call it animation and thus I've invented a new term for it - abruptation. There are a lot of still images with camera a bit shaking to imitate movement, there are also a load of photos made of absolutely everything so that for few seconds there was only still image. Add the fact that 3D is also used occasionally. Finally, even in rare moments of actual animation it's done through tiny window of camera with a lot of UI on top of it. The plot is journalist recording everything she sees... that's it. And it's not that it's something really interesting. I can understand the appeal of aesthetics and occasionally crafty dialogues and some social confrontation context, but that's not nearly enough, and visually it's a pure pain to watch. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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58. Hana no Kage Shadow of the Cherry Blossoms 花の翳 [-] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Historical, Mythology Drama, Romance In ancient Japan, a princess and her lover run away from their pursuers. When it became apparent that they would be caught, they vowed to commit suicide rather than have the princess return to her former life. Both of them took their blades to end their lives but something went wrong. Now one of them seeks revenge for being abandoned. Short simple Heian story with some horror element, nothing to brag about. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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59. Mitsu x Mitsu Drops Honey x Honey Drops 蜜×蜜ドロップス [Radix] (Finished 1/2) Tags: Shoujo School Drama, Romance Students at the Houjou academy are perfectly normal—except for those who take the Kuge course. This special course is reserved only for elite and rich students and their "honeys." Hagino Yuzuru enrolls in the course through Kai Renge, and she quickly regrets it. To become a honey, a student must get someone already in the Kuge course to sponsor her. Kai becomes Hagino's sponsor, getting her into the course and paying the price to cover it. But in return, Hagino must submit to him as her master, catering to his every whim. Hagino may have gotten herself into something she can't handle. But if she pulls out now, she gets expelled from the school. Can she make things work with Kai, or will she call it quits before he does something she'll regret? Naïve shoujo girl and weird cruel bishounens - everything is as I like it to such extent that won't even bother wasting time on second episode. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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60. Aachi wa Ssipak Aachi and Ssipak 아치와 씨팍 [Flatiron Film Company] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Action, Comedy After the world ran out of all traditional energy sources, only one remained—human excrement. To encourage citizens to produce as much waste as possible, the government implants a chip in the anus at birth, which provides citizens with "juicybars" every time it detects defecation. Juicybars are highly addictive narcotics that sometimes transform their users into mutant blue dwarfs with extreme constipation. These mutant addicts make up the "Diaper Gang," those who live underground and are focused on trying to obtain juicybars. Aachi and Ssipak are two small-time crooks who steal and sell juicybars to make it on the streets. When they meet a beautiful woman who has the anal chips of every Diaper Gang member implanted in her, producing dozens of juicybars with every dump, Aachi and Ssipak strike it rich. However, with both the government and the Diaper Gang on their tails, the two struggle to protect their newfound riches. My first impression - disgusting. It's basically collection of ultraviolence and SM "humor" with some dwelling into other fetish territories. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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61. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 14: Densetsu wo Yobu Odore! Amigo! 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん 伝説を呼ぶ 踊れ！アミーゴ！ [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Seinen School Comedy, Slice of Life, Ecchi An action comedy film based on the "duplicating humans' invasion" setting derived from Jack Finney's Sci-Fi novel "The Body Snatchers", combining Sci-Fi horror-like story and dance (samba). An authority on biotechnology and a developer of "konjaclone" technology, Amigo Suzuki carries out "Transformation Plans for Samba World", in which he makes human clones using konjac as a material and makes them dance a samba. In Kasukabe city, people switch places with false ones who look just like the real persons. The Nohara family and the members of Kasukabe Defense Forces try to escape from Kasukabe with the help of a mystery beautiful girl Jacqueline Feeney (Jackie). There was already Shin-chan movie about impostors. This one is a more advanced version, plus there's this weird samba sidetracking, but it's not good enough. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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62. Hanare Toride no Yonna Yonna in the Solitary Fortress はなれ砦のヨナ [CoMix Wave Films] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Adventure, Fantasy Yonna and Stan, brother and sister, live in isolation because of their special powers. There are enigmatic people who plot to use their power, in conflict with the king`s government, which is also planning to draw them onto their side. Intrigue surrounds Yonna, and now a new agent comes to see her. Character designs are unusual, and not in a good way. 3D is mostly ok. Whole movie is basically confrontation of two mages, so no good story either. Girl's personality is quite horrible. There aren't really good sides here. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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63. Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru: Fantasy Railroad in the Stars 銀河鉄道の夜 -Fantasy Railroad in the Stars- [ KAGAYA Studio] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery The Celestial Railroad is a fantastic journey of a boy, Giovanni, in a dreamscape created into a colorful full-dome CG animation picture with inspiring background music. Based on a story written in the early 20th century, KAGAYA, a digital fine artist, has breathed new life into the unique imaginary world using creativity and precise astronomical knowledge. The starry sky is depicted as the Celestial Field made up of a river, a field of silver grasses, flowers, birds, survey towers, railway signals and more. Across this amazing beautiful scenery, the Celestial Railroad runs along the Milky Way. Abstract random 3D is not the best way to tell a fairy tale story... 1985 version is still better. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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64. Tachiguishi Retsuden 立喰師列伝 [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Comedy, Gourmet Immediately following the end of the World War II, Tokyo was trying to emerge from the rubble. In a corner of the black market stood a flimsy soba (buckwheat noodle) eatery. It was a delicate time just before the closing. A man appeared at the threshold. "One moongaze (raw egg). With soba." This was none other than the legendary Fast Food Grifter known as Moongaze Ginji. His relentless scam quietly initiates. The time changes. In the midst of the first anti Japan-US Security Treaty movement (1960), the streets rumored about Foxy Croquette O-Gin, a beautiful lady Fast Food Grifter, who disappeared all of a sudden. Wandering the alleys in the years of the economic miracle was Crying Inumaru, the loser. Then came Cold Badger Masa, whose scandalous death made people aware of the presence of Fast Food Grifters within the Japanese society. Beefbowl Ushigoro put an end to a major gyudon (beef and rice bowl) restaurant chain. And it is not possible not to mention Hamburger Tetsu, who shocked the entire fast food industry. Fast Food Grifters are the phantoms that rise and fall with the shifting diet-styles. They are the dissenting heroes who carved their names on the dark side of dietary culture with their glare. Now their legend revives, strong as ever... First of all, it's not animation as real faces and often also bodies are used. Next, it's mostly black and white.... And if you read the synopsis, it gets obvious that comedy is not the strong side here. And since I don't see any strong sides here at all, it does not stand out for anything good. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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