Anime of the Year 2006-IV Fall - Death Note

Death Note as new title takes the upper hand over sequel Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage . But I can also name a number of minor masterpieces - Hataraki Man , Genshiken OVA , Paprika

1. Death Note デスノート  [Madhouse] (Finished 37/37) Tags: Shounen Detective, Psychological Supernatural, Suspense Brutal murders, petty thefts, and senseless violence pollute the human world. In contrast, the realm of death gods is a humdrum, unchanging gambling den. The ingenious 17-year-old Japanese student Light Yagami and sadistic god of death Ryuk share one belief: their worlds are rotten. For his own amusement, Ryuk drops his Death Note into the human world. Light stumbles upon it, deeming the first of its rules ridiculous: the human whose name is written in this note shall die. However, the temptation is too great, and Light experiments by writing a felon's name, which disturbingly enacts his first murder. Aware of the terrifying godlike power that has fallen into his hands, Light—under the alias Kira—follows his wicked sense of justice with the ultimate goal of cleansing the world of all evil-doers. The meticulous mastermind detective L is already on his trail, but as Light's brilliance rivals L's, the grand chase for Kira turns into an intense battle of wits that can only end when one of them is dead. Probably the most known anime, but it was always passable for me and definitely not a good entry point into anime in contrast to many such suggestions. Despite mind games being in focus, can't rate it a 9 since it's not the title that I'd want to ever rewatch as it's dark and unpleasant, and once plot is known, there's nothing to do here anymore.   Overall Rating: 8/10

2. Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ [Sunrise] (Finished 25/25) Tags: Mecha, Military, School, Super Power Action, Award Winning, Drama, Sci-Fi  In the year 2010, the Holy Empire of Britannia is establishing itself as a dominant military nation, starting with the conquest of Japan. Renamed to Area 11 after its swift defeat, Japan has seen significant resistance against these tyrants in an attempt to regain independence. Lelouch Lamperouge, a Britannian student, unfortunately finds himself caught in a crossfire between the Britannian and the Area 11 rebel armed forces. He is able to escape, however, thanks to the timely appearance of a mysterious girl named C.C., who bestows upon him Geass, the "Power of Kings." Realizing the vast potential of his newfound "power of absolute obedience," Lelouch embarks upon a perilous journey as the masked vigilante known as Zero, leading a merciless onslaught against Britannia in order to get revenge once and for all. Another well known anime. First time I watched it, I actually liked it despite some really poor twists and unbelievable behavior. But afterwards only read bad stuff about it. Overall, I don't believe that Sunrise can pull out original scenarios well. They end up amateurish or disintegrated or straight up boring. I see Code Geass as an attempt to make action with twists that could not be called boring. But the other flaws remained intact. First season is basically Death Note copycat and thus bears some value. Second season only lingers on desire to just learn how it ends as it's straight bad. I've got a huge number of complaints against Code Geass from plot holes to treating females like furniture, but there must be all kind of analysis already on the matter. It's controversial Deus Ex Machina and not a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10

3. D.Gray-man ディー・グレイマン [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 5/103) Tags: Shounen Mythology, Super Power Action, Adventure, Comedy Losing a loved one is so painful that one may sometimes wish to be able to resurrect them—a weakness that the enigmatic Millennium Earl exploits. To make his mechanical weapons known as "Akuma," he uses the souls of the dead that are called back. Once a soul is placed in an Akuma, it is trapped forever, and the only way to save them is to exorcise them from their vessel using the Anti-Akuma weapon, "Innocence." After spending three years as the disciple of General Cross, Allen Walker is sent to the Black Order—an organization comprised of those willing to fight Akuma and the Millennium Earl—to become an official Exorcist. With an arm as his Innocence and a cursed eye that can see the suffering souls within an Akuma, it's up to Allen and his fellow Exorcists to stop the Millennium Earl's ultimate plot: one that can lead to the destruction of the world. I'm shocked with the low quality of this anime. No depth, no exposition, no composition of episodes - only same chewing gum of something actiony. And I've got a friend who was very enthusiastic about it and watched all seasons of D.Gray-man only to find that story is not finished and deteriorated greatly by the end. I'd personally call it an ordinary shounen.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Reborn! 家庭教師ヒットマンREBORN! [Artland] (Finished 3/203) Tags: Shounen Organized Crime, Super Power Action, Comedy There is no putting it lightly—Tsunayoshi Sawada is just no good. He is clumsy, talentless, and desperately in love with the school idol Kyouko Sasagawa, a girl so completely out of his league. Dubbed "Loser Tsuna" by his classmates, he seems to be the very personification of failure in the guise of a middle-schooler. Tsuna's boring life takes an extraordinary twist when he encounters the mysterious Reborn, who happens to be a hitman... and shockingly, a baby! Sent from the strongest Mafia family in Italy, Reborn is assigned the daunting mission of preparing the dull middle schooler to succeed the ninth boss of the notorious Vongola family, who is on the brink of retirement. The dull boy has a grueling road ahead, but with the help of his new criminal affiliates and his peculiar home tutor, perhaps even Loser Tsuna can achieve greatness. Tried watching it in the past, of course, but first episodes never broke out of averageness, and I fail to understand why ordinary school comedy with superpowers should be stretched to 16 seasons. Of course with such length some arcs can be crafty and inventive, but this anime does not even provide worthy characters to go on.   Overall Rating: 5/10

5. Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage  [Madhouse] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Organized Crime Action Rokurou "Rock" Okajima has joined the Lagoon Company, a pirate mercenary group which operates out of Roanapur, Thailand. Despite his initial protests, this filthy slum of depraved souls and merciless criminals now serves as the former salaryman's home. Stranded, with nothing left of his past life but the clothes on his back and his inner morality, Rock is forced to perform jobs alongside the other members of the Lagoon crew. Berated for his lack of spine as he wades through the underbelly of society, he must decide whether to continue on amidst the gunfire and ruthlessness or risk everything he has in an attempt to be free. Whether he chooses the comfort of a familiar land or the freedom of being an outlaw, his decision will have lasting consequences on the crew who gave him a home. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 8/10

6. Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi KenIchi: The Mightiest Disciple 史上最強の弟子 ケンイチ [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 4/50) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, School Action, Comedy Whenever he is not getting pummeled in the karate club after school, high schooler Kenichi Shirahama can be found with his head buried in one of the many self-help books he carries with him every day. One day, on the way to school, Kenichi accidentally frightens the new student in his class, leading her to throw him down onto the ground. After apologizing for her violent reflexes, she introduces herself as Miu Furinji and asks Kenichi to be her friend. Later that day, after karate club practice, Kenichi is given an ultimatum by one of the other club members: they will fight next week and the loser has to quit the club permanently. While lamenting his imminent defeat in the upcoming fight, Kenichi witnesses Miu fend off three thugs easily. Fed up with being perpetually bullied by those more powerful than him, he asks Miu for tips on how to become a better fighter. She directs Kenichi to her grandfather's dojo, Ryouzanpaku, where several skilled—albeit strange—masters of extreme martial arts have gathered to hone their abilities. Miu promises that Kenichi will become significantly stronger, but only if he manages to stay alive. With those ominous words looming in his mind and the appearance of a criminal martial arts gang known as "Ragnarok" threatening the safety of those around him, Kenichi takes the first step on his journey to become a world-class fighter and a defender of the defenseless. Male version of Fighting Beauty Wulong or something. It's stunningly bad in everything - humor, characters, story. It tries to be Hajime no Ippo of martial arts, but I'm actually ashamed of even putting those two titles alongside.   Overall Rating: 5/10

7. Kanon (2006) Kanon カノン (2006) [Kyoto Animation] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Drama, Romance, Supernatural  As a young child, Aizawa Yuuichi had often visited his cousin in the city; however, something drastic happened to keep him away for seven long years. Now, Yuuichi returns, his memories of those days are simply gone. Settling into the wintry town, Yuuichi comes across several young girls, all of whom are connected to his past. As he befriends them and continues to interact with them, the long forgotten memories from his childhood begin to resurface... Freaking remake to help remake of the game sell better to help original game sell better to help anime of the original game sell better, because no amount of milking is enough for key industry milkman. It must the first case in anime history when remake is made not because original got technologically old, but ... just out of egoism as original is perfectly fine.   Overall Rating: 4/10

8. Ghost Hunt ゴーストハント [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural  While at school, Mai Taniyama and her friends like to exchange ghost stories. Apparently, there is an abandoned school building on their campus that is the center of many ghost stories. During the story, they are interrupted by a mysterious male figure. The person turns out to be Kazuya Shibuya, a 17-year-old who is president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. He was called by the principal to investigate the stories surrounding the abandoned school building. The next day, on the way to school, Mai passes the school building in question. While examining a strange camera she spotted inside, she gets surprised by Kazuya's assistant. Unknowingly interfering with the investigation, Mai breaks the camera and Kazuya's assistant gets injured. Kazuya forcefully hires Mai in order to pay for the camera and replace his injured assistant. From that point on, Mai begins to learn about the paranormal world and the profession of ghost hunting. Ghost hunt is one of my most hated concepts. And this particular title is just weirdos playing in occult detectives.   Overall Rating: 5/10

9. Busou Renkin Buso Renkin 武装錬金 [Xebec] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen School Action, Fantasy, Supernatural The story begins when high school student Kazuki Muto is killed one night saving a mysterious girl from a monster, only to wake up in his school dorm, believing it to have been a dream; however, he soon finds out that dream wasn't a dream at all when a giant serpentine monster attacks him and his sister. Tokiko Tsumura, the girl he saved, explains that the monster is a homunculus. Kazuki had been attacked and killed by it when he was rescuing her; however, she, feeling responsible for him, revived him by placing a Kakugane medallion in his chest, serving as a replacement heart. The Kakugane, as Tokiko explains, is an alchemical device that, when activated, takes a certain form based on the Kakugane's user, forming a unique Buso Renkin. The Buso Renkin is the only thing that can destroy a homunculus monster. Using this, Kazuki creates his own Buso Renkin (the "Sunlight Heart," a huge lance). Along with Tokiko and her own Buso Renkin (the "Valkyrie Skirt," an execution scythe), Kazuki joins the fight against the homunculi and their master. Quite a typical action shounen, but at least with an ok protagonist. Story and humor are pretty bad, though. So while show's no good, it still manages to be better than majority of shounens.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori Hell Girl: Two Mirrors 地獄少女 二籠 [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Psychological Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Ai Enma and her companions continue to offer their service of revenge against those who have wronged others, and the price is as steep as ever—for damning the offender to hell, the person exacting vengeance is sent to the abyss as well. As they cast soul after soul into the darkness, a new sinister force is watching them: a little girl named Kikuri. While Ai continues her duties, she meets a boy named Takuma Kurebayashi, known as the "Devil's Child" because of the horrific events that occur around him. Unfortunately, Takuma's reputation leads the townspeople to use him as a scapegoat for those who have been ferried off to hell. When things quickly spiral out of control, Ai must find a way to bring an end to this senseless violence, as it poses a threat to her very existence. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Kekkaishi 結界師 [Sunrise] (Finished 2/52) Tags: Shounen Mythology Action, Adventure, Supernatural  Yoshimura Sumimura comes from a long line of "Kekkaishi," individuals who have supernatural abilities and are able to destroy evil creatures called Ayakashi that venture into the human realm from time to time. The Ayakashi are demons that look to feast on the power emanating from the land of Karasumori, which also happens to be where Yoshimura's high school is located. Now, Yoshimura must fight to protect his beloved school and hometown. Although, if it were up to him, he would rather be baking cakes than fighting off the ugly characters that show up at night. Thankfully, Yoshimura isn't the only one helping to keep the baddies at bay. His childhood friend and neighbor, Tokine Yukimura, joins him in this righteous battle. Despite the fact that they are from rival clans, these two make a fantastic team. And teamwork is something vital to fighting the evil that is closing in, as the Ayakashi attack in waves, looking to claim the land as their own, and a shadowy organization looks on, ready to pounce when the time is right... Another ghost/demon hunting story, and this time can't find anything that could pull it out of averageness.   Overall Rating: 5/10

12. Black Blood Brothers ブラック・ブラッド・ブラザーズ [Group TAC] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Vampire Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural Black Bloods and Red Bloods, vampires and humans. Despite their differences, these two races once fought together in a crusade against a formidable foe. A decade later, the vampire war hero Jirou Mochizuki, known as the "Silver Blade," travels with his younger brother Kotarou to the Special Zone—a safe haven where vampires and humans live in harmony. However, their journey is suddenly faced with danger when a conflict erupts between vampire migrants and human forces from the Special Zone. With the rise of a developing conspiracy from an old enemy, Jirou will need the help of his new ally, Mimiko "Compromiser" Katsuragi, as well as the power of his ancient bloodline to protect what he treasures the most. It's not Hellsing, but action is decent, occasionally to the similar extent. Other elements are not as good, so it's only advisable for vampire action enthusiasts.   Overall Rating: 6/10

13. Negima!? Negima!? Magister Negi Magi ネギま!? [Shaft, GANSIS] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Harem, School Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Ecchi A remake of the Negima anime with its own original story. Wizard Negi Springfield may be a boy, but he has a man-sized job to do! Fresh from the Academy of Magic, Negi continues his training as an instructor at Mahora Academy in Japan. But before he can get his Masters in magic, the 31 schoolgirls of Class 3-A are gonna keep him up all night cramming for a final exam in will power. Temptation aside, Negi has more on his syllabus than flirting and spells. Darkness is closing in, and Negi is gonna need help from his lovely student bodies to drive the ghouls from their school. These girls want to prove that they're the best in class, and extra credit is available to the cuties that aren't afraid of after-hours phantom fighting! Not distinguishing it from Mahou Sensei Negima Overall Rating: 6/10

14. Bartender バーテンダー [Palm Studio] (Finished 3/11) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Workplace Drama, Gourmet Hidden in the backstreets of the Ginza district is Eden Hall, a lone bar operated by Ryuu Sasakura, the prodigy bartender who is said to mix the most incredible cocktails anyone has ever tasted. However, not just anyone can find Eden Hall; rather, it is Eden Hall that must find you. Customers of varying backgrounds, each plagued with their own troubles, wander into this bar. Nevertheless, Ryuu always knows the ideal cocktail to console and guide each distraught soul. Tried it earlier as it is Seinen, but it's only episodic stories in the end.   Overall Rating: 6/10

15. Sumomomo Momomo: Chijou Saikyou no Yome すもももももも〜地上最強のヨメ〜 [Studio Hibari] (Finished 3/22) Tags: Seinen Martial Arts Action, Comedy, Romance Koushi Inuzuka is a smart high school student who aims to become a public prosecutor. Unfortunately for our good guy, he was born into a martial arts family whose head (ie his father) only knows one language: violence. When Koushi was still a baby, his father made a pact with his biggest rival to marry Koushi to his opponent-turned-friend's daughter. The union of the two blood lines is supposed to bring forth Earth's strongest martial arts clan. Skip forward: Koushi is in high school, oblivious to the marriage arranged for him at his birth. Enter Momoko Kuzuryuu: sugar bomb, airhead, loli martial arts artist and Koushi's self-proclaimed bride (the strongest on Earth, no less). Her wish for sexual intercourse meets with Koushi's square refusal as he has absolutely no desire to get it on with someone who looks like she could be his little sister, not to mention that he doesn't have the foggiest idea who she actually is. Meanwhile, a war has broken out between the martial arts families. For Koushi, this means that numerous fighters are out to challenge/assassinate him. As if that weren't bad enough, our protagonist also has a fight phobia due to a traumatic incident that took place in his childhood. Now it's up to Momoko and her superhuman fighting skills to protect her "husband." Will the two sweethearts survive the trials and tribulations ahead of them? More importantly, will Momoko get her way receiving a baby from Koushi? An irritating ordinary comedy with ridiculous plot and a bit of action.   Overall Rating: 5/10

16. Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru Otoboku: Maidens are Falling for Me! 乙女は僕に恋してる [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Mythology Action, Fantasy, Supernatural Masahiro is the grandson of the great onmyouji, Abe no Seimei. However, he lost his sixth sense that enables him to see supernatural beings, which is very important for an onmyouji. Thus, he is left with no choice but to try and pick a different career. But one day, a strange mononoke appears, which he names Mokkun, who shows him his true potential powers after fighting a demon. With the assistance of Mokkun, his quest to become the greatest onmyouji begins. Otoboku is the first thing on mind when remembering cross-dressing, and it's usually love or hate relationship.   Overall Rating: 5/10

17. Shounen Onmyouji Shonen Onmyoji 少年陰陽師 [Studio Deen] (Finished 5/26) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Mythology Action, Fantasy, Supernatural Masahiro is the grandson of the great onmyouji, Abe no Seimei. However, he lost his sixth sense that enables him to see supernatural beings, which is very important for an onmyouji. Thus, he is left with no choice but to try and pick a different career. But one day, a strange mononoke appears, which he names Mokkun, who shows him his true potential powers after fighting a demon. With the assistance of Mokkun, his quest to become the greatest onmyouji begins. Heian hunting for demons is a boring concept for me on its own, and realization disappointed as primitive. And since protagonists possess mass destruction magic, only minibosses battles matter.   Overall Rating: 6/10

18. Oban Star-Racers オーバン・スターレーサーズ [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Racing Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Eva's birthday has just passed, and she hasn't heard from her father. Despising the Boarding School she attends, she escapes using her Rocket Bike that she just completed. Taking on the alias "Molly," Eva sneaks with the Earth team to Alwas for the Great Race because the winner of the race gets any one wish granted. Little does the Earth Team know what danger awaits them... Space racing... wohoo...   Overall Rating: 5/10

19. Red Garden レッド ガーデン [Gonzo] (Finished 6/22) Tags: Drama, Mystery  Strange suicides have been taking place in New York. One day, four girls from the same high school wake up in the morning feeling tired and dizzy and not being able to remember anything about the previous night. In school, they find out that one of their classmates has committed suicide. School is canceled for the rest of the day, but instead of going home, the girls are drawn to a park by butterflies only they can see. Suddenly a man and a woman approach the girls, telling them that they all died the previous night. It's basically life stories of four girls who died and now in zombie world finally have time to deal with their violence and psychological problems while slowly trying to perceive the world. And that means we're in for a lot of screams, violence and hysteria behavior. It's a fresh concept, but fresh does not mean good. I could not tolerate that absolutely irrational behavior and torture of screams for long.   Overall Rating: 6/10

20. Pumpkin Scissors パンプキン・シザーズ [Gonzo, AIC] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shounen Military Action, Comedy, Drama  Three years ago, the long war between the Royal Empire and the Republic of Frost came to an end. With both nations a long way from recovery, a passionate young woman named Alice L. Malvin leads the Pumpkin Scissors, a unit of the imperial army specializing in war relief. During a mission to assist a village occupied by renegade soldiers, Alice meets Randal Oland, a scarred former soldier with a sordid past and kind heart. Encouraged by the efforts of the Pumpkin Scissors, he joins the team on their mission. During the assault, however, Randal enters a trance-like state prompted by a mysterious blue lantern. As a result, he acquires monstrous strength and decimates the enemy forces. Despite having witnessed Randal's disturbing transformation, Alice invites him to join her squandrant, confident that his gentle nature will prevail and make him a perfect fit for the Pumpkin Scissors. Sadly there's little for the story, only setting as first episodes are different kinds of rescue missions to save civilians at different places... I don't know what they were counting on with this kind of tedious concept.   Overall Rating: 6/10

21. Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love Brighter Than the Dawning Blue 夜明け前より瑠璃色な -Crescent Love- [Daume] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi The moon and the earth are linked by a single contact point, "Mitsuru ga Sakichau Ouren Rakuniushi" where Tatsuya lives under the supervision of the Sphere Kingdom (Moon Kingdom)'s Princess Feena Fam Earthlight who is coming to stay at his home. How is Eustia different from Shuffle and similar simplistic plots... It's main advantage is that it's short. Can't even call second serious part borderline decent, more so because the horrible first half shouts otherwise.   Overall Rating: 5/10

22. Tokimeki Memorial: Only Love Tokimeki Memorial ときめきメモリアル Only Love [AIC ASTA] (Finished 2/25) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Romance Aoba Riku has just transferred to a new high school because of his father's job, and things aren't quite what he expected. The headmaster's secretary controls the school while espousing the virtues of academic freedom, the teachers are even stranger than normal teachers, and half the student body is walking around with animal ears on. On his very first day, Riku is unfortunate enough to find himself at the center of the student council's latest event, which has him running for his life. All this on top of the normal high school rigour of popularity contests, crushes, and homework makes it unsure whether Riku will be able to survive this new school. Two episodes were enough to wear me off completely with this kind of banality.   Overall Rating: 5/10

23. Happiness! はぴねす！ [Artland] (Finished 5/12) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Romance Kamizaka Haruhi having been rescued when she was young by a mage, longed to be a mage herself, so she enrolled into a special school that allows regular and magic classes into two different sections. Together with her rival/best friend, Hiiragi Anri, they study magic together while she is searching for the boy that saved her years ago, to give him a Valentines' chocolate. It's goofing around at school with usage of magic included. It's not going anywhere, so can't call it outstanding.   Overall Rating: 5/10

24. Gift: Eternal Rainbow ギフト～ eternal rainbow [OLM] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Drama, Romance Amaumi Haruhiko is a high school student who attends Shimano Academy in a town called Narasakicho. Narasakicho contains an unknown rainbow which constantly overlooks the town and is related to granting a magical wish called "Gift." Gift is a once-in-a-lifetime present between two people. As a child, Haruhiko has been close with his childhood friend, Kirino, until he obtains a new non-blood sister by the name of Riko. Haruhiko develops a strong relationship with Riko until they sadly depart due to the fact Haruhiko's father could no longer support the two of them. After some times passes by, Riko finally returns to the town of Narasakicho, and along with Kirino, starts to attend Shimano Academy with Haruhiko. The series revolves around the relationship among these main protagonists and slowly reveals the story behind both Gift and the rainbow. There's enough effort applied to craft situations and show cuteness from different angles, so feels of higher quality than usual romcom. Still, it's mostly SOL, so is bound to be forgotten in an instant.   Overall Rating: 6/10

25. Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! Venus to Mamoru! 護くんに女神の祝福を！ [Zexcs] (Finished 3/24) Tags: School Comedy, Romance  "Beatrice". It is a mysterious power that responds to people’s will and realize all of them. Tokyo Beatrice University Attached High School is the only school that teaches Beatrice called "magic appears in the real world". Yoshimura Mamoru is a high school boy who was saved by Beatrice miraculously when he was a child. At the first day of the school, he meets a girl under the cherry trees on his way to the school. She orders him to go out with her. Her name is Takasu Ayako. She is in the second grade and one year older than him. She is a director of student committee of discipline. Also, she is a granddaughter of a big-name politician, very beautiful, and a genius Beatrician who can even shoot a satellite down. She is called Witch Beatrice or Death Angel in Beatrice, but in fact, she is a pure-hearted girl. Light romantic school love triangle comedy with some flavor of superpowers, maybe with slightly more cringe than usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10

27. Hataraki Man 働きマン [Gallop] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Workplace Comedy, Drama, Romance Hiroko Matsukata is a woman who works for a magazine company. She puts all she has into her work, and is known as a strong, straight-forward working girl, who can at will turn herself into Hataraki man (working man) mode. Despite Hiroko's success at work, her life lacks romance. Even though a hard worker, she'd leave early anytime to go on a date. Too bad her boyfriend is an even bigger workaholic than Hiroko. Great opening and ending, serious and adult SOL with characters that feel alive and even sometimes familiar. Can't say it rings the right strings like some doramas do, like it's hard to understand this constant urge to pursue recreative activities, but other countries probably don't have as many overwork hours. It's far from perfect, but it's a good start for serious SOL titles.   Overall Rating: 7/10

28. Asatte no Houkou. Living for the Day After Tomorrow あさっての方向。 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 5/12) Tags: Drama, Supernatural Sentai Filmworks About to enter junior high school, Karada Iokawa is a cheerful and reliable girl, who hates being treated as a child more than anything. After her parents' deaths, her older brother, Hiro, comes back from studying abroad to take care of her. His ex-girlfriend Shouko Nogami, a composed yet sometimes childish and stubborn young woman, follows him to Japan in order to find out why he left her. Between the two girls, the atmosphere is tense, which eventually leads to Shouko calling Karada childish. Later, Karada stands before a shrine praying to grow up. Little does she know that the shrine wishing stone would grant her wish. As Karada grows older, at the same time, Shouko, who happens to be nearby, finds herself a child once again. With their ages now reversed, Shouko and Karada must come to terms with one another and ultimately themselves. Love triangle in the spirit of Memories Off as kid girl who wants to love grows up and protagonist's girlfriend becomes a kid girl. I'm not fond of such stories as everyone is constantly sad and frequently crying pitying themselves, but there should be enthusiasts of such settings, because quality is quite good.   Overall Rating: 6/10

29. Soukou no Strain Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry 奏光のストレイン [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 7/13) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Drama, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Eleven-year-old Sara Werec's elder brother, Ralph, was sent to the frontlines of an interstellar war 130 light years away, and Sara vowed to reunite with him one day as a comrade. Five years later, Sara is a student at Grapera Space Armed Soldier Academy, training to become a Reasoner, a pilot of an advanced weapons system called a "Strain." When the academy is suddenly attacked by enemy forces, Sara enters battle against a Strain that quickly overpowers her. After incapacitating her, the pilot reveals himself to be her Ralph. Killing all the other students and destroying the school, he disappears, leaving Sara to question everything she has ever known. Soukou no Strain is the story of Sara as she reenters training under a new name, now determined to confront her brother and make sense of her brother's actions. This anime uses 3D rendered mecha fights and absolutely does not know where it's going. In the result it's slow boring trainings with main heroine history, plus occasional fights that don't result in anything. The whole intrigue is about her brother who switched sides and now fights on the enemy side, but producers are definitely saving this only plot development for the very end. So basically it's mostly SOL at military space station with a bit of comedy and romance, and that's not enough even though characters aren't repulsive.   Overall Rating: 6/10

30. 009-1 ゼロゼロナインワン [Ishimori Entertainment] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Seinen Mecha Action, Sci-Fi Mylene Hoffman, a beautiful cyborg spy with the codename "009-1" lives in an alternative world where the cold war never ended, continuously on-going for 140 years. The world is split into two factions, the West and the East block. A masquerade of peace between the two is slowly dissipated as the conflict occurs. Through politics, the two factions battle over supremacy over technology to threats of a nuclear attack. Mylene Hoffman, teaming up with three other agent, gets surrounded by deception, chaos, and rivalry as she carries out missions assigned by her superiors. When I watched it a decade ago I actually liked it as a minor masterpiece, so rewatching it with anxiety now. And nowadays I can't appreciate that retrofuturism and those character designs and those relatively similar episodes. Still good, but not enough.    Overall Rating: 6/10

31. Tenpou Ibun: Ayakashi Ayashi Ghost Slayers Ayashi 天保異聞 妖奇士 [Bones] (Finished 5/25) Tags: Historical, Mythology Supernatural In the year of Tenpo 14, Yoi, monsters from another world attack Edo. Those who fight against them are members of Bansha Aratemesho. In public, Bansha Aratemsho is known as an organization to study foreign books. In fact, they are a organization dedicated to destroying the Yoi. These warriors are called Ayakashi. They gather information of odd events in the country, and are sent to destroy Yoi who appear. They are generally very strange people. For example, a guy who has lost his memory, a girl who dresses like a man. They have special powers with which to beat the Yoi. It's slow, monotonous, in same greyish palette and even battles are the same slow. Add there same looking characters and concept of just hunting demons during Edo period, and it becomes less and less lucrative show to watch.   Overall Rating: 6/10

32. Pucca (TV) 짜장소녀 뿌까 [VOOZ Character System] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Parody Comedy, Romance  Pucca is the young daughter of a Chinese noodle house owner and she is hopelessly in love with the ninja Garu. He tries desperately to avoid Pucca's advances and usually does not return her affection. This results in many comical situations as Pucca goes to great lengths just to steal a kiss from Garu. Expect to see lots of "funny love" antics involving everything from noodles to deadly ninjas. What I see is that episodes are only 8 minutes long, and thus I'd block it if I knew that beforehand. Primitive flash drawing and nonsense parody plots don't add credibility. It's childish, too, but not all the time.   Overall Rating: 5/10

33. Kujibiki♥Unbalance くじびき♥アンバランス [Ajia-do] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Comedy, Romance Once a year prestigious Rikkyouin High School has a lottery to determine the next year's Student Council membership. On their first day of school Chihiro Enomoto wins the presidency while his childhood friend Tokino Akiyama picks the vice-president's ticket. There is one catch though, they must first pass a one year apprenticeship under the current Student Council and any failure to perform the tasks assigned, however minor, will result in immediate expulsion from the school. After first great episodes actually had to rewatch OVA to check differences and see if I evaluated it properly. And, actually, OVA is much worse as it did not have any concept apart of just competitions by groups in all three episodes. And what's even worse, different episodes of OVA had varying character personalities. Basically, it was too chaotic and random with many challenges inside each episode. This time there is a concept of tasks from student council in each episode, so can concentrate around one topic, plus a much bigger emphasis on characters individuality. It's done with love, but I don't get anything from it - no plot, no humor, no really likable characters. And unless you like the characters, their development won't have much meaning either. All those random situations lack good humor, sadly. Problem here is that this kind of concept is chosen for writer's convenience sake, but watchers feel disoriented while they should be put in the center.   Overall Rating: 6/10

34. Ryuusei no Rockman Megaman Star Force 流星のロックマン [Xebec] (Finished 1/55) Tags: Strategy Game Action, Sci-Fi In the year 220X, the world has advanced toward radio-wave technology, and the world is connected through the Wave Road. Meet Subaru Hoshikawa, a fifth-grade student who lost his father in a space accident. Subaru meets an extraterrestrial radio-wave being named War-Rock, descending from a distant FM planet. War-Rock claims to know about Subaru's father, but many alien beings are after War-Rock. The two work together and merge into Rockman, a radio-wave human capable of traversing the Wave Road and battling the radio-wave viruses and FMs that threaten the Earth. Not first Rockman anime.   Overall Rating: 5/10

35. Souten no Ken Fist of the Blue Sky 蒼天の拳 [APPP] (Finished 1/22) Tags: Historical, Martial Arts Action A mysterious man known as "the King of Death" roams the streets of pre-war Shanghai in this action-packed prequel to Fist of the North Star. Shanghai in the 1930s is a dangerous place. Foreign governments and Chinese factions have carved the city into different quarters, each with its own laws and government, and all rife with corruption. As the major powers vie for political control, the streets are left to local gangs. Life is cheap, and death is always near. In days past, one man walked these mean streets battling the forces of evil. He was known only as Yan Wang, "the King of Death." Few knew who he really was, but many knew that he was a master of Hokuto Shinken - Fist of the North Star - a lethal martial art. He disappeared years ago after dispatching the city's worst gangsters, and is now rumored to be in Japan. Various people have come to Japan in search of him, but who will find him first? Thanks to a friend who watches a lot of dubious shows in full I happen to understand chronology of the fist of the northern star with derivatives. Rebooting franchise in China mythology while maintaining links to original franchise is a good move, but it only matters for those who still have not watched enough of the manliest men ever.   Overall Rating: 5/10

36. Tokyo Tribe 2 [Madhouse] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Action, Drama  This is the other side of Tokyo, a Tokyo of a different color. There, various tribes are living. The SARU from Japan's Musashino, WU-RONZE of Bukuro, and HANDS of Shindyuku... Young men living in the city...the public of modern times builds a home out of corruption, these young men of the sordid side of life, a side called "reality," are depicted here! Acid mix of disgust, cringe and ugliness. Guess only for those who can appreciate GTA3 aesthetics.   Overall Rating: 5/10

37. Lovedol: Lovely Idol らぶドル～Lovely Idol～ [AIC ASTA, TNK] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Idols (Female), Music  Lovedol, or Lovely Idol, is a girl group consisting of two generations of idols. The 3rd Generation is about to make its debut, but to their surprise, they have been delayed! The vague reason is only that "they lack something." The manager, and the 3rd Gen. girls too, must find the answer. A rather typical idol show, to be honest, but possibly the best one so far. It's good indeed, but the problem is that it does not make it interesting for me, guess I need some special traits like in Wake Up, Girls or Carol & Tuesday at least.   Overall Rating: 6/10

38. Giniro no Olynsis: Tokito 銀色のオリンシス TOKITO [Toei Animation] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Drama, Romance  AD 3567. Mankind has lost its once great civilization, now living in the ruins of the aftermath. But even though their lives are threatened by Gardeners — mysterious unmanned mobile weapons (of different ranks) sent from the Moon — brave teenagers have to become Gardener hunters to earn their living. And although human civilization at large lies in ruins due to high-tech maintenance free technology, some parts of the remaining cities still work in limited ways, supporting the humans living there. One fateful day Tokito Aizawa meets Tea, awakening a power older and beyond that of the Gardeners, and inadvertently opening up the door to a possibly much brighter future for the remainder of mankind... Mecha, nonsense plot, time travel, bland characters... this is what happens when shows try to imitate already hugely flawed Gundam.   Overall Rating: 5/10

39. Super Robot Taisen OG: Divine Wars Super Robot Wars The Original Generation: The Divine Wars スーパーロボット大戦OG -ディバイン・ウォーズ- [OLM] (Finished 2/25) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi It is two hundred years after the beginning of the Space Era, when human civilization on Earth began expanding into space. However, by the start of the 21st century, two meteors struck the planet, sending humanity into chaos. By the year 179 of the Space Era, secret technology, dubbed Extra-Over Technology, or EOT, was discovered by the Earth Federal Government within a third meteor that hit Earth in the Marquesas Islands of the South Pacific. Dr. Bian Zoldark, head of the EOTI Institute (Extra-Over Technological Investigative Institute), had evidence the creators of the EOT were heading to Earth, in order to reclaim it...or worse, invade the planet. In order to defend humanity from extraterrestrial threats, the government begins to research and develop humanoid mecha called Personal Troopers. The beginning is typical Gundam with a brat occasionally finding a vacant giant mecha ready to launch. 3D mecha battles are horrible. Coming from a game, it can have a more thorough plot than usual, but two episodes is is as far as I'm going to investigate this primitiveness.   Overall Rating: 5/10

40. Galaxy Angel Rune ギャラクシーエンジェる～ん [Satelight] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  Apricot Sakuraba and 4 new girls were now assigned as the new Galaxy Angels with the same mission: to search for the Lost Technology and keep peace to Planet Transbaal. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

41. Sasami: Mahou Shoujo Club 2 Sasami Magical Girls Club 砂沙美☆魔法少女クラブ シーズン2 [AIC Spirits] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, School  In this world, there live a group of people who call themselves "Majo" or "Magical Girls". They hide their powers so as to assimilate into the environment. They have been living together in harmony with the humans for many years to come, and their predecessors continue to do so. Sasami was enthroned with 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, had kept it a secret from everyone. On the day of a new school term, a new transfer teacher by the name of Wajuu arrives and from then on, Sasami's life begins to change tremendously. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

42. Ginga Tetsudou Monogatari: Eien e no Bunkiten The Galaxy Railways II 銀河鉄道物語 ～永遠への分岐点～ [Planet] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi Second season. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

43. Jinzou Konchuu Kabutoborg VxV 人造昆虫カブトボーグ V×V [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Strategy Game Action, Comedy, Fantasy BorgBattles between KabutoBorgs have become popular enough to hold world tournaments. The main character Ryuusei is an enthusiast of these battles. Along with his friends Katsuji and Ken, he continues fighting against new enemies day after day. Not translated. Kids stuff.   Overall Rating: 4/10

44. Silk Road Shounen Yuuto シルクロード少年 ユート [OLM] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Historical Adventure, Fantasy When a boy Yuto visits Qinghai in China, he is involved in the battle between time-travelers, and he is sent to the Silk Road in the past. They are looking for a mysterious treasure, the statue of Yuki Daruma Taishi, which is said to make miracles. Seeing historical events and encountering historical persons, such as Yang Guifei and Xuanzang, he will learn many thinks. Whether will he be able to go back to today? Not translated. 3D. Nonsense concept. Chinese aesthetics. Ugly. Not even going to try it as it has zero chances.   Overall Rating: 0/10

45. RGB Adventure RGBアドベンチャ [ACC Production] (Finished 0/6) Tags: Adventure  The light – it is the resource of life. There are mysterious monsters and robots that aim at the powers of the light, i.e. R(Red), G(Green), and B(Blue). However, no one notices that… except three children. Ryu - he is a stupid, simple, and mischievous boy who he says without hesitation that his dream is to the conqueror of the world. Guccho - he is a nerd of mechanics, glutton, and chicken-hearted. Becky - she is very cute, but she has a very twisted personality. They have encouraging friends, such as Rosso, Gibson, Bo, etc. They are various aliens that usually change their figures into animals. By exchanges between aliens who have different principles, purposes, tastes, and hobbies, they will learn importance of communications. Not translated. 3D. Nonsense concept. Kids stuff. Ugly. Not even going to try it as it has zero chances.   Overall Rating: 0/10

46. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto 幕末機関説 いろはにほへと [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical, Samurai Action, Drama In the final years of the Bakumatsu, wandering mercenary Yojiro Akizuki travels the length and breadth of Japan. And while he employs his sword in the usual fashion, he also uses it to help him locate supernatural items which he pursues with single-minded determination, often with bloody results. In the course of his quest, he crosses paths with a traveling theater group whose members have their own dark agenda. Is it a chance meeting or the result of some, as yet, undiscovered conspiracy? Sunrise show is of high quality as always, but original script raises suspicions as usual. Pseudo-historical revenge fighting action fantasy about collecting artifacts with kabuki flavor on the side. I'd call it something like that, at least. Overall, it's a mess of historical references, fighting action and theater stage which is rendered useless by overwhelming supernatural powers usage. As usual for Sunrise original concepts, it lacks integrity and emphasis on personalities which results in surface-scratching actiony something.   Overall Rating: 6/10

47. Catblue: Dynamite Catblue Dynamite げんしけん OVA [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Fantasy  It is the end of 70s. Blue – a woman with cat ears and tail – has solved many incidents and troubles with her special ability to see a ghost and her technique to handle three guns at one using her tail. One day, two couriers, Bill and Robert are assaulted by mysterious masked men. They don't know why they were assaulted. Blue asks a dead masked man their purpose. It is incredible. What they are aiming at is the cassette tape of Sinatra that Bill owns. Over the cassette tape, a long day begins... 3D usage is more or less fine looking. Show feels like imitation of Quentin Tarantino or maybe Guy Ritchie movies, but lacks a good concept or talent. It's fine if you look at it this way, but nothing great, anyway.   Overall Rating: 6/10

48. Genshiken OVA げんしけん OVA [Ajia-do] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Seinen Parody Comedy, Slice of Life It's the start of a new year for the Genshiken crew, and that means recruiting new members. Always a dreaded task, The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture manages to get Chika Ogiue pushed onto them from the Manga Club. With her introduction of "I'm Ogiue and I hate otaku," this year certainly will be anything but boring. Derivatives get one score less than original, but I rewatched it with pleasure for the third time overall now.   Overall Rating: 7/10

49. Freedom [Sunrise] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi 2041, Earth. After being pulled into the planet's atmosphere, the fall of the Freeport Space Station has led to the "Great Cataclysm"—an event that devastated the Earth's environment. Left as a polluted wasteland, survivors go to war with their fellows to guarantee themselves resources; in the end, these scrimmages have erased the whole existence of humanity. Coincidentally, life still exists on a moon base. Although it is supposedly meant as an immigration outpost for the mission to explore Mars, it is soon turned into a city, both regulating and allowing its citizens to flourish. The lunar base, officially named "The City of Eden," holds the hope of fully colonizing the moon. Takeru, one of many citizens of Eden in the year 2267, participates in "Tube Races" between gangs and groups using hovercraft-like vehicles. Due to causing an accident in one of his races, Takeru is sentenced to complete volunteer work outside the city. While clearing his punishment, Takeru stumbles upon remains that may unravel the truth about Earth and Eden's genesis. Sunrise original that is clearly fantasy on Akira on so many levels. Development is slow and plot is simple. Very soon 3D rendered characters start to be used in many scenes. Venus Wars that started in a similar way was a lot more exciting than this one. A mess with no integrity, as usual.   Overall Rating: 6/10

50. Baldr Force Exe Resolution バルドフォース　エグゼ　レソリューション [Satelight] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mecha Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Any network runs all over the world, and the development of the information network reaches its acme. In this age, there are two developed worlds; "the real world" and "wired", or the virtual network world. Soma Toru belongs to a hacking group, Steppen Wolf, which runs around the network world freely. They attack the database of the UN forces as their last work. During this attack, he loses Nonomura Yuya, his friend as well as the team leader. Toru is arrested by the army. In exchange for letting him free, he has to work for an anti-hacker organization, the first squad of the UN Security Force Information Administration Bureau. Working for them, he is looking for the person who killed his friend, while the other members also have their own reason to fight. The three-way fights of the terrorist group, the security enterprise, and the army, continue every day. The various events occurred during the fight seem to be independent of each other at the first glance, but they're converging on one event as if they were attracted by something. Based on the game by GIGA. Never liked its gameplay, so now is a good opportunity to learn the story. So, story is better than expected from GIGA, but it's all over the place and is not of masterpiece scale. It's jumpy and moves in different directions, and it lacks impact. Game should feel better with clear distinguishing between battles and dialogues, plus side-characters are almost totally abandoned in the anime.   Overall Rating: 6/10

51. _Summer _summer [アンダーバーサマー] [Rikuentai] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Harem Drama, Romance “Is there any girl you love?” By this word his friend asked during the school excursion, the protagonist, Kaizu Takumi, begins to aware of his interest in opposite sex. Of course, there are girls around him, for example, his childhood friend, Hatano Konami, his classmate, Ebizuka Shino, a school idol, Shimazu Kakana, etc. However, he himself hasn’t noticed his feelings until he is asked by his friend. He becomes anxious seeing his friend try to find his girl friend, and he resolves his mind to find a girl friend during the last summer of his high school life. Banality to the bones.   Overall Rating: 5/10

52. Paprika パプリカ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Psychological Avant Garde, Award Winning, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Suspense The world of dreams can be an incredible window into the psyche, showing one's deepest desires, aspirations, and repressed memories. One hopeful tech lab has been developing the "DC Mini," a device with the power to delve into the dreams of others. Atsuko Chiba and Kosaku Tokita have been tirelessly working to develop this technology with the hopes of using it to deeply explore patients' minds and help cure them of their psychological disorders. However, having access to the deepest corners of a person's mind comes with a tremendous responsibility. In the wrong hands, the DC Mini could be used as a form of psychological terrorism and cause mental breakdowns in the minds of targets. When this technology is stolen and people around them start acting strangely, Atsuko and Kosaku know they have a serious problem on their hands. Enlisting the help of Officer Konakawa, who has been receiving this experimental therapy, they search both the real and dream worlds for their mental terrorist. Never been a fan of Avant Garde, but Paprika is rather a mix. Can't deny I quite enjoyed both times I watched it, but the source is concentrated curiosity rather than something more serious.   Overall Rating: 7/10

53. Tekkon Kinkreet 鉄コン筋クリート [Studio 4°C] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Psychological Action, Adventure, Award Winning, Supernatural The streets of Treasure Town are said to belong to "The Cats." They know everything that goes on in the city, and no one can stir up trouble without going through them first. In reality, The Cats are a pair of orphan boys called Black and White, who aren’t afraid of anything or anyone. But their rule of the streets is challenged when the Yakuza come to town and start making changes. The wild Black and the carefree White have no one to rely on but themselves to get their Treasure Town back to the way it was. But their bond is tested as they quickly realize going back to how things were may no longer be an option. It is ridiculously boring and ugly. They try to play in psychology in the end to feel meta or something. Can't find anything to like here.   Overall Rating: 6/10

54. Top wo Nerae! & Top wo Nerae 2! Gattai Movie!! トップをねらえ！＆トップをねらえ２！合体劇場版!! [Gainax] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mecha Action, Comedy This double feature comprises of Gunbuster and Die Buster (aka Gunbuster 2) condensed into a single theatrical release told in two parts with a musical intermission in between. The first part, Gunbuster the Movie, condenses the six episodes of the original OVA into a 95-minute movie featuring a new 5.1 audio remix and a redub by the original Japanese cast. The second part, Die Buster the Movie, mixes large chunks of the second OVA series with a few altered or newly-animated scenes to create a truncated take on Nono's story. I'm mad because 100% of it is retelling of first and second Gunbuster, even interlude that is more like prequel to Diebuster that adds nothing really new. Waste of time for those who watched the normal issues.   Overall Rating: 4/10

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