Anime of the Year 2006-III Summer - NHK ni Youkoso!

NHK ni Youkoso! is a genius title. Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society is still nice.

1. Zero no Tsukaima ゼロの使い魔 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Harem, Isekai, School Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Ecchi Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière is a self-absorbed mage in a world of wands, cloaks, and royalty. Although she studies at Tristain Academy, a prestigious school for magicians, she has a major problem: Louise is unable to cast magic properly, earning her the nickname of "Louise the Zero" from her classmates. When the first year students are required to perform a summoning ritual, Louise's summoning results in a catastrophic explosion! Everyone deems this to be yet another failure, but when the smoke clears, a boy named Saito Hiraga appears. Now Louise's familiar, Saito is treated as a slave, forced to clean her clothes and eat off the ground. But when an unfamiliar brand is found etched on Saito's hand from the summoning ritual, it is believed to be the mark of a powerful familiar named Gandalfr. Wild, adventurous, and explosive, Zero no Tsukaima follows Saito as he comes to terms with his new life and as Louise proves that there is more to her than her nickname suggests. Of course I watched it before. I'm grateful for popularization of tsundere archetype that I'm still not tired of, but I can't treat this story seriously. After first several episodes it starts to repeat more and more. For me it's only decent and can be skipped without regrets.   Overall Rating: 6/10

2. NHK ni Youkoso! Welcome to the N.H.K. N・H・Kにようこそ！ [Gonzo] (Finished 24/24) Tags: Otaku Culture, Psychological Comedy, Drama, Romance Twenty-two-year-old college dropout Tatsuhiro Satou has been a hikikomori for almost four years now. In his isolation, he has come to believe in many obscure conspiracy theories, but there is one in particular which he holds unshakable faith in: the theory that the evil conspirator behind his shut-in NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) status is the Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai (NHK)—an evil and secret organization dedicated to fostering the spread of hikikomori culture. NHK ni Youkoso! is a psychological dramedy that follows Tatsuhiro as he strives to escape from the NHK's wicked machinations and the disease of self-wrought isolation, while struggling to even just leave his apartment and find a job. His unexpected encounter with the mysterious Misaki Nakahara might signal a reversal of fortune for Tatsuhiro, but with this meeting comes the inevitable cost of having to face his greatest fear—society. It was always one of my most loved anime on par with Ergo Proxy, but it has a lot of stuff suitable for rebellious youth and I was afraid that in older age I would not be able to appreciate it fully anymore. I happened to forget how many different concepts and themes this anime contains, but it sure is genius without any reservation.   Overall Rating: 10/10

3. Bokura ga Ita 僕等がいた [Artland] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shoujo Love Polygon Drama, Romance Going into her first year of high school, Nanami Takahashi is filled with the hope of making many new friends. After meeting the shy Yuri Yamamoto, she hears about a popular boy in their class: Yano Motoharu. Yuri cares little for Yano because of his past relationship with her older sister Nana, and at first, Nanami doesn't like his attitude either. However, Nanami soon begins to warm up to Yano and takes a liking to him. The two spend more of their time together and eventually decide to start dating. But their love is not without challenges; Yano has trouble opening up to Nanami, since his first girlfriend, Nana, died in a car accident the year before, and she had been with one of her ex-boyfriends at the time. Finding themselves living in the shadow of Yano's relationship with Nana, Nanami and Yano struggle to keep their relationship afloat amid misunderstandings and heartache with the certainty of their love for each other. Not bad romance shoujo, but level of complexity and seriousness does not live up to His and Her circumstances, and everything worse can't be treated highly.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. Hachimitsu to Clover II Honey and Clover II ハチミツとクローバー II [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Josei Adult Cast, Love Polygon, Visual Arts Drama, Romance Back from his journey across Japan, Yuuta Takemoto reminisces about his college life so far. He has matured significantly since his second year and is motivated to move forward. Feeling more confident than ever before, he finally confesses to Hagumi Hanamoto, the girl he has been in love with since their first encounter. However, Hagumi has been confused by her attempts to understand the mysterious Shinobu Morita. Hiding behind a playful demeanor, Morita may be the most burdened by his own potential. Meanwhile, Takumi Mayama has become a full-fledged working adult and has landed Ayumi Yamada several pottery orders through his company in an act of friendship. The five youths continue to face individual hardships in academics, work, love, and friendship as they push each other toward the paths that they are destined to walk. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

5. Kemonozume ケモノヅメ [Madhouse] (Finished 3/13) Tags:  Mythology Action, Horror, Romance, Supernatural Creatures known as Shokujinki have been secretly living alongside humans for hundreds of years. Though they may look like humans, Shokujinki are able to transform into uncontrollable beasts with gigantic claws and consume humans to survive. The equally secretive Kifuuken dojo specializes in killing Shokujinki by cutting off their arms, and is the only force preventing unchecked Shokujinki domination. Toshihiko Momota, the son of the leader of the Kifuuken, is instantly charmed by a mysterious woman named Yuka Kamitsuki. Their relationship is complicated, however, because unbeknownst to them both, Yuka is a Shokujinki and Toshihiko is sworn to kill her. Meanwhile, the Kifuuken is having a crisis of confidence as Toshihiko's brother Kazuma pushes against tradition and tries to modernize the Kifuuken. As emotions are strained and the secrets of both the past and present are revealed, who will live, and who will be eaten? Drawing is deliberately primitive and ugly. Story can be crafty at times, but nothing really great.   Overall Rating: 6/10

6. Le Chevalier D'Eon シュヴァリエ Le Chevalier D'Eon [Production I.G] (Finished 5/24) Tags: Historical Mystery, Supernatural In 18th century Paris, a coffin is found floating down the Seine River. It carries the corpse of noblewoman Lia de Beaumont: a spy of King Louis XV, and whose younger brother Charles d'Eon has just been knighted. When several disappearances occur throughout Paris, the young knight believes that they are somehow connected to his sister's death. Hoping to find her killers, d'Eon joins the secret police to investigate the incidents. Following the clues, they piece together that a conspiracy between members of the French and Russian nobility, spurred on by a cult, may be behind the disappearances. D'Eon concludes that Lia may have uncovered the truth while on a mission and was killed as a result. That night, the secret police are to arrest the Duke of Orléans on suspicion of being the mastermind. One of their own transforms into a demon called a Gargoyle and massacres the group. D'Eon attempts to rescue the sole survivor, only to find that he too has been transformed. During the ensuing battle, d'Eon is possessed by Lia's vengeful soul, who takes command of his body and slays the Gargoyle herself. In the aftermath, d'Eon must gather allies to discover the depth of this supernatural conspiracy. Mystery is not my genre, to put it mildly. Historical mystery does not make it much better. And it tries to be pseudo-complicated, so it wastes a lot of time on not too significant events, thus feeling boring most of the time.   Overall Rating: 6/10

7. Tonagura! となグラ！ [Daume] (Finished 3/13) Tags: School Comedy, Drama, Romance, Ecchi Kazuki has been awaiting 10 years for the day when her neighbours moved back to their old house. She has a crush on Yuuji, whom she considers as her first love but to whom she never managed to express her feelings for him before they moved out. Yuuji often comes over to play with Kazuki, Kazuki's older sister Hatsune and Yuuji's sister Marie when they were kids. Her ideal depiction of Yuuji was soon shattered when he turned out more than she had expected, him acting all ecchi during their reunion. With their parents off in South America, both families must learn to live with each other and rekindle the childhood feelings they shared together. Things get even more crazy as they attend the same school. Quite an ordinary ecchi comedy that has typical characters and gathers a collection of all kinds of tropes.   Overall Rating: 5/10

8. Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z Powerpuff Girls Z 出ましたっ！パワパフガールズZ [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Shoujo School, Super Power Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life Based on the American cartoon, "The Powerpuff Girls." Professor Utonium and his son Ken are studying the strange Chemical X. When a mochi cake falls into the formula, it changes into Chemical Z. Ken fires a ray of Chemical Z at a glacier in Tokyo Bay, however that causes strange black and white lights to scatter. The black lights turn its victims into monsters, with emphasis on a black light hitting a zoo monkey and transforming him into Mojo Jojo. The white lights, however, aim at three normal girls, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru. This gives them the power to transform into superheroes, the Powerpuff Girls Z! This is clearly childish and should be marked properly as for kids.   Overall Rating: 5/10

9. Night Head Genesis NIGHT HEAD GENESIS (ナイト ヘッド ジェネシス)  [Bee Media] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Psychological Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Supernatural  Following a 15-year long seclusion in a research facility, brothers Naoto and Naoya Kirihara finally escape after the psychic barrier separating them from the outside world collapses. Abandoned by their parents, who feared their supernatural powers, the siblings now strive for a normal life. However, the two are soon forced to use their talents to save lives as the "minus energy" begins to engulf the world and crimes involving psychic abilities gradually multiply. Learning to control their capabilities and using them for the sake of others will prove challenging, for Naoya is traumatized by his psychic abilities that allow him to read people's minds; while Naoto has hurt many close ones due to his unstable psychokinetic powers. With the help of the mysterious Shouko Futami, who can see into the future, the Kirihara brothers must find a way to foil the plans of an organization that seems to be linked to the harmful events related to gifted individuals. Espers. Mystery. Violence. Confusion. Boredom. Insanity. Horror. If you don't like these, best not start.   Overall Rating: 5/10

10. Innocent Venus イノセント・ヴィーナス [Brain's Base] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Mecha, Military Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi In the year 2010 AD, Hyper Hurricanes born concurrently all over the world caused severe damage. Five billion people lost their lives, decreasing the world's population to 3 billion. Existing economies and military were wiped out. Countries were frozen under solid ice, plains sank beneath seas, the world was changed dramatically. Human civilization enters a chaotic era. Poverty flourished outside of these economic zones and slums were widespread. The ruling class called themselves Logos and maintained their position by force of arms. They call the poor Revenus, who are exiled to live outside the special economic areas. Time has passed since then. Katsuragi Jo and Tsurasawa Jin, escape from Phantom, a force organized to watch Revenus and to suppress renegade elements of the Logos, taking with them a mysterious girl, Nobuto Sana. There are many who are interested in her, all with their own reasons. I actually liked characters, setting and plot. But main negative factor for me is frequent mecha battles that are done in 3D, also after intriguing beginning pace settles down and communication also becomes ordinary. The ending does not impress. Overall, it does not feel like a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Mamotte! Lollipop Save Me! Lollipop まもって！ロリポップ [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Comedy, Romance Nina, thinking it was a lolly, swallows an object called "Crystal Pearl". But the candy turns out to be a test for the magicians. To retrieve the crystal, a special medicine has to be made so now Zero and Ichii, the magicians, have to protect her from others while waiting for the medicine to be completed. It's nonsense comedy with specific random humor, so it's hit or miss, but even in hit case it's far from great.   Overall Rating: 5/10

12. Binbou Shimai Monogatari 貧乏姉妹物語 [Toei Animation] (Finished 2/10) Tags: Seinen Iyashikei Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life Without the presence of both their deceased mother and their debt-ridden father, sisters Kyou and Asu Yamada are forced to fend for themselves. Thankfully, they at least have a roof over their heads: a small room in an old apartment spacious enough to fit both of them. However, to make ends meet, the older sister Kyou strives to juggle various part-time jobs—all while making sure that she and her younger sister can continue studying. Despite these hardships, they are not alone. Seemingly blessed with good and kind people around them, Kyou and Asu's lives are far from miserable. Above all else, the two sisters share a precious bond that, no matter what pain, trials, or quarrels may come their way, will always remain unbreakable. There's a high competition among episodic SOL anime without distinctive plot, so only the best like Maruko-chan or Minami-ke remain in memory. I doubt I'll ever remember Binbou Shimai Monogatari, because it does not stand out even though it's good enough while it lasts. And constant fixation on money is rather irritating. It's deliberately tearjerker situation, but it's also artificially stretched to aggravate even more making most of it forced.   Overall Rating: 6/10

13. Chocotto Sister ちょこッとSister [Nomad] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Ecchi  Haruma Kawagoe is an only child. A long time ago, at Christmas time, his mother miscarried the child that was to have been his baby sister. That night, young Haruma knelt down and offered up an earnest prayer: "Please make my mother well again, and please give me a little sister." Years have passed, and Haruma has nearly forgotten his prayer. But Santa hasn't.... one Christmas, when Haruma is least expecting it, he gets an unusual present - his sister. Our old acquaintance setting of sudden cohabitation with a girl is back. And of course girl does not know about this world much. Needless to say, it loses to Chobits in every element.   Overall Rating: 6/10

14. Coyote Ragtime Show コヨーテ ラグタイムショー [ufotable] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Mister is a "coyote" or space faring outlaw who has been sitting in prison for a year for a traffic offense. Ten days from release, he breaks out with the help of his old partners Bishop and Katana. He then seeks out Franka who has been left in his care by her dead father and takes her on a journey to find her father's treasure. On their heels are the federal investigators Angelica and Chelsea as well as the android assassins of the Criminal Guild, Madame Marciano's Twelve Sisters. Legendary treasure, pursuits and space pirates. Outstanding characters and some twists are required for such concept to work, And Coyote Ragtime Show does not boast of innovation elements and  easily falls into some musical that stirps it of all leftover seriousness.   Overall Rating: 6/10

15. Muteki Kanban Musume Ramen Fighter Miki 無敵看板娘 [Telecom Animation Film] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Parody, Workplace Action, Comedy Miki Onimaru is a poster girl that works at her mother's Chinese ramen restaurant. She appears to be a normal girl, but she can become very violent if provoked. She picks a fight with her mother and accquaintances as a result on an almost daily basis, causing a series of troubling mishaps in their otherwise normal lives. Parody slapstick nonsense comedy. Not to my taste, but tastes differ.   Overall Rating: 6/10

16. Tsuyokiss つよきす [Trinet Entertainment, Studio Hibari] (Finished 3/12) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life Sunao Konoe starts her first day at a new school and is surprised to find that there is no drama club. So, she decides to make one of her own. But between a childhood friend showing up, the crazy student body, and the arrogant student council president blocking her at every turn, it seems that actually creating the club is going to be more difficult than she thought. Tsuyokiss has always been a light-hearted ecchi averageness. Can't stop getting surprised of how talentless and vulgar it can be at times.   Overall Rating: 5/10

17. Otogi Juushi Akazukin Fairy Musketeers おとぎ銃士 赤ずきん [Madhouse] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Long, long ago, there existed a world of magic and science. God, afraid of man's potential, split the world in to the world of science, Elde, and the world of magic, Fandavale. One day in Fandavale, a terrible witch named Cendrillon (Cinderella) revives. Cendrillon plots to rule both worlds, and searches for the "key" which holds tremendous power. A young boy from Elde by the name of Sōta meets a mysterious girl from Fandavale, Akazukin, and her talking wolf companion, Val. Sōta learns that he is the key Cendrillon is searching for. Now it is up to Akazukin, Val, and the other Fairy Musketeers to protect Sōta from Cendrillon and her Nightmarelians who wish to obtain the power he mysteriously possesses. With chibi cute designs, kid protagonist and fairy-tale covering it's supposed to be for kids, but it manages to stay perfectly serious and all age. I still consider this shallow concept to be a waste of time for adults, but it's only the second child title after Blue Blink that I would actually recommend children to watch, and that means a lot already.      Overall Rating: 6/10

18. Project BLUE Chikyuu SOS Project Blue Earth SOS Project BLUE 地球SOS [A.C.G.T.] (Finished 2/6) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi  In this exhilarating series paying homage to classic 50s era science fiction, the disappearance of revolutionary G-Reaction engines is but the beginning of the ghastly end for mankind. While deranged alien forces prepare a fleet of flying saucers to the invasion of all invasions, teenage geniuses Penny Carter and Billy Kimura join forces with a clandestine secret alliance to save humanity from the extra-terrestrial helmet worms and their tentacles of doom! Avoiding alien attacks and dodging disintegration rays won't be easy, but these courageous kids will have help from above as Ace pilot James and his mentor Cpt. Clayton enter the fray to stave off a threat incomprehensible to mere mortals! Original dates back to some 1950, and this retrofuturism is everywhere. And it all is alien to me as I don't feel any affinity to such retro settings.   Overall Rating: 6/10

19. Naikaku Kenryoku Hanzai Kyousei Torishimarikan Zaizen Joutarou Government Crime Investigation Agent Zaizen Jotaro 内閣権力犯罪強制取締官・財前丈太郎 [Trans Arts] (Finished 3/11) Tags: Seinen Detective Action, Drama Based on Ken Kitashiba & Yasuhiro Watanabe's political intrigue detective manga. The close relationship between political and business circles doesn't die; politicians and government officers line their pockets taking advantage of their positions. Zaizen Jotaro is an investigator who is allowed to use extralegal methods to crack down these power abusing criminals. Detective investigation action is all that I needed to know, basically. It's not bad, but for a narrow niche as I don't feel anything watching corrupted Japanese businessmen and politicians.   Overall Rating: 5/10

20. Hoshizora Kiseki 星空キセキ [CoMix Wave Films] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Romance, Sci-Fi  Kozue is a girl who loves astronomy, particularly the stars. One night, on an excursion to witness a meteorite, she meets Ginga, a boy who is able to help scientists discover more information about the stars through a mysterious ability of his. However, he is forced to stay in a protective suit in order to carry out his mission. Because of this, Kozue decides to convince Ginga to make his own decisions & to take off the suit using his own will. 25 minutes to tell an indistinct floaty story.   Overall Rating: 5/10

21. Biohazard 4: Incubate バイオハザード4 Incubate [Capcom] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Detective, Military, Mythology Action, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense After the Playstation port of Resident Evil 4 hit the stores Capcom released a new 97 minute DVD some time later which intended to summarize the whole story of Resident Evil 4. It's played on English audio with Japanese subtitles. It also included a little book which explains the life on El Pueblo before and the arrival of Osmund Saddler. It also solved some plot holes like the whereabouts of the children. It contains many of the scenes original to Resident Evil 4. I only watched let's play of Resident Evil 4 and did not remember much from it, so anime was entertaining enough for me, yet not great, especially because it's game engine machinima.   Overall Rating: 6/10

22. Kikoushi Enma Demon Prince Enma 鬼公子　炎魔 [Brain's Base] (Finished 2/4) Tags: Seinen Mythology Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural Enma is a character created by the genius manga artist Go Nagai. Now, the popular character makes his appearance in an alluring Japanese horror anime for adults. It's a hair-raising erotic suspense in which Enma takes on complicated and gruesome incidents caused by demons who lurk in the darkness. But humans have lit up the darkness of the night with neon lights and turned their world into one that never sleeps, so demons now lurk in the "darkness of the human heart." Unfulfilled hearts, suppressed hearts, despair,...such darkness of the heart is the place they lurk. Enma is the Demon Prince of the Underworld, a demon "Born of Fire." His mission is to take back or destroy demons that have escaped to the human world from the Underworld. Along with his partner, Princess Yukihime, "Born of Ice," and the monster, Kapaeru, Enma sets up "Enma's Detective Agency." Tonight, like any other night, they will roam the sleepless city. Horrific incidents that could not possibly be human acts occur one after another. The stench of evil lingers at the scene... Enma's fire rips through the darkness! Serious version of Enma, but the gist remains the same - hunting demons and monsters.   Overall Rating: 6/10

23. Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams the Story Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams 新 鬼武者 DAWN OF DREAMS THE STORY [Capcom] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical, Martial Arts, Mythology, Samurai Action Set fifteen years after the fall of Oda Nobunaga. After the fall of this evil warlord, in the late sixteenth century, it appears as though evil times are ahead as his successor, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, has decided to call upon the Genma forces and once again place Japan under their demonic shadow. A strong warrior Soki who possesses the dark power of the Oni. Having learned about Hideyoshi's insidious scheme, he sets out on a journey to burn the Genma trees and defeat the Genma running rampant across the land. Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams the Story is a compilation of cut-scenes from the game by the same title. It has been released on DVD separately from the game. Never played the game, but this alternative Warring States period story does not fit movie shape as we get klutz girl protagonist, dozens of characters and a series of battles without much buildup. It becomes a tedious enterprise.   Overall Rating: 5/10

24. Ged Senki Tales from Earthsea ゲド戦記 [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  Calamities are plaguing the land of Earthsea and dragons have been seen fighting above the clouds—something which has never happened before. Sparrowhawk, a powerful Archmage, sets out to uncover the mystery behind these concerning events and meets Prince Arren along the way. Arren is the fugitive heir to the Kingdom of Enlad and a seemingly quiet and distressed lad. Wandering aimlessly in an attempt to escape the dark presence haunting him, he decides to tag along Sparrowhawk on his journey. However, their arrival in the seaside settlement of Hort Town is met with unexpected trouble—Lord Cob, a powerful evil wizard obsessed with eternal life, stands in their way. Forced to confront him, the pair joins forces with Tenar—an old friend of Sparrowhawk—and Therru, the ill-fated orphan girl she took in. But the enemy's cunning hobby of manipulating emotions may just prove to be catastrophic for the young prince. Set in a magical world, Ged Senki goes beyond the classical battle between the forces of good and evil, as it explores the inner battles of the heart. Plot turns out to be too simple and too stretched, and it all feels really boring.   Overall Rating: 5/10

25. Eien no Hou The Laws of Eternity 永遠の法 [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy, Sci-Fi  Ryuta and his friends from the science club visit a museum exhibit on Thomas Edison and it's there they learn about one of his proposed inventions called the "spirit phone" which would enable communication with the deceased. Later that day, they bump into a shaman who claims she has a message from Edison. In an instant Ryuta is given the necessary knowledge he needs to construct the device and decides to go for it, so beginning a spiritual adventure. Ah, it's from the series of Happy Science Movie.  All of them are trash, at least the ones I've seen so far.   Overall Rating: 4/10

26. Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society 攻殻機動隊 STAND ALONE COMPLEX Solid State Society [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Detective, Mecha, Military Award Winning, Mystery, Sci-Fi A.D. 2034. It has been two years since Motoko Kusanagi left Section 9. Togusa is now the new leader of the team, that has considerably increased its appointed personnel. The expanded new Section 9 confronts a rash of complicated incidents, and investigations reveal that an ultra-wizard hacker named the Puppeteer is behind the entire series of events. In the midst of all, Batou, who was stalking the case on a separate track, encounters Motoko. She goes away after saying, "Stay away from the Solid State Society." Batou is left with a doubt in his mind. Could Motoko be the Puppeteer? The series of intriguing incidents that Section 9 faces gradually link together almost artistically. Who is the Puppeteer? What will happen to Batou's relationship with Motoko? What is the full truth behind this carefully planned perfect crime? And what will the outcome be? Mysteries surround the Solid State Society... Solid State Society always felt rather plain to me compared to previous iterations, but it's a serious slow afterstory with familiar characters, so it's good, anyway .   Overall Rating: 8/10

27. Brave Story ブレイブ・ストーリー  [Gonzo] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Isekai Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural When 11-year-old Wataru's father leaves home and his mother is taken ill to the hospital, he decides to change his fate by traveling through the door shown to him by his friend Mitsuru. In a land of magic and monsters, Wataru must summon all his courage and embark on a journey with several comrades to meet the Goddess of Destiny and change this "mistaken fate." It feels more Ghibli than actual Ghibli movies. Protagonist is horrible and too young, the whole gathering of many gems concept does not add interest. Basically, it feels moderately childish and not enough isekai-like to matter. I'm not enjoying it, but for younger audience it should be a hit.   Overall Rating: 6/10

28. Lily to Kaeru to (Otouto) Lily, Frogs, and Little Brother. リリとカエルと(弟) [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural  Lily went to an amusement park using the frog as its symbol character with her parents. At the Frog Castle of the park, she happened to draw a sword. It was said that the Frog King would grant any wish if one beat the big snake with the sword. When Lily beat the snake, she went to the Frog Land and met the Frog King. The king said she would become a frog if she couldn't open the Gate of Hope until a child would hatch from the roe in front of her. Suddenly, a man in suits appeared. His name was Knodo, and he was supposed to become her little brother. Lily thought it strange, and she ran away from him. He chased her. Then, they fell over into the water head over heels. A short and actually cute and funny enough parody.   Overall Rating: 6/10

29. Taiyou no Mokushiroku: A Spirit of the Sun 太陽の黙示録 A Spirit of the Sun [Madhouse] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Drama, Sci-Fi On August 10 2002, the eruption of Mount Fuji, as well as a series of large-scale earthquakes tsunamis inflict tremendous damage to Japan, sending the country into a state of emergency. Furthermore, another massive earthquake hit Japan on August 15, splitting the country into two. While Japanese refugees were taken in by various countries, the Japanese government accepted aid from China and the United States, which eventually caused China to govern the North, and the USA to govern the South. 15 years later, the Japanese refugees residing in Taiwan and the Taiwanese citizens find themselves clashing with one another, due to job competition and the unimproving conditions of the Japanese refugees. Genichiro Ryu is a survivor of the catastrophic events that took place in Japan, but was raised in Taiwan by a couple who adopted him. He gets himself involved in the situation between the Taiwanese and the Japanese, hoping that the two parties will be able to coexist with one another. One movie is similar to Tokyo Magnitude 8, the other deals with taking Taiwanese civilians into refuge to uncover terrorist group despite all the arising troubles and incidents. It's realistic, but nor particularly interesting.   Overall Rating: 6/10

30. Jiok The Hell (Two Kinds of Life) 지옥 두개 의 삶 [Studio Dadashow] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Horror  Jae-young, an ordinary woman in her mid-20s is sentenced to death by an angel, and ascends to Heaven. Going to Heaven means nothing to her because she assumes Heaven is devoid of reason and humanity. But she accepts her fate and proceeds to bid farewell to her mother and friend. During her farewells, the desire for life starts to torture her. Too much ultraviolence and no sense in all that.   Overall Rating: 4/10

31. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 時をかける少女 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School, Time Travel Award Winning, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi  Makoto Konno is in her last year of high school, but is having a hard time deciding what to do with her future. In between enduring the pressure of her teachers and killing time with her best friends, Makoto's life suddenly changes when she accidentally discovers that she is capable of literally leaping through time. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo follows Makoto as she plays around with her newfound power. However, she soon learns the hard way that every choice has a consequence, and time is a lot more complicated than it may seem. I actually used to think it was from Ghibli. By now we've seen so many time loops and travels that only outstanding titles become paragons and others fade away as lacking. And this is exactly such second case.   Overall Rating: 6/10

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