Anime of the Year 2008-II Spring - Druaga no Tou: The Aegis of Uruk

Druaga no Tou: The Aegis of Uruk is a great inspiring fantasy . Also found Kure-nai enjoyable. 

1. Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2 Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ 続編  [Sunrise] (Finished 25/25) Tags: Mecha, Military, Super Power Action, Award Winning, Drama, Sci-Fi One year has passed since the Black Rebellion, a failed uprising against the Holy Britannian Empire led by the masked vigilante Zero, who is now missing. At a loss without their revolutionary leader, Area 11's resistance group—the Black Knights—find themselves too powerless to combat the brutality inflicted upon the Elevens by Britannia, which has increased significantly in order to crush any hope of a future revolt. Lelouch Lamperouge, having lost all memory of his double life, is living peacefully alongside his friends as a high school student at Ashford Academy. His former partner C.C., unable to accept this turn of events, takes it upon herself to remind him of his past purpose, hoping that the mastermind Zero will rise once again to finish what he started, in this thrilling conclusion to the series. I'm still sure that original concept of Code Geass was born as imitation of Death Note, but this second season is sure original... and crappy. After such horrible ending can't even treat the whole season properly.   Overall Rating: 5/10

2. Soul Eater ソウルイーター [Bones] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shounen School Action, Comedy, Fantasy Death City is home to the famous Death Weapon Meister Academy, a technical academy headed by the Shinigami—Lord Death himself. Its mission: to raise "Death Scythes" for the Shinigami to wield against the many evils of their fantastical world. These Death Scythes, however, are not made from physical weapons; rather, they are born from human hybrids who have the ability to transform their bodies into Demon Weapons, and only after they have consumed the souls of 99 evil beings and one witch's soul. Soul Eater Evans, a Demon Scythe who only seems to care about what's cool, aims to become a Death Scythe with the help of his straight-laced wielder, or meister, Maka Albarn. The contrasting duo work and study alongside the hot headed Black☆Star and his caring weapon Tsubaki, as well as the Shinigami's own son, Death the Kid, an obsessive-compulsive dual wielder of twin pistols Patty and Liz. Soul Eater follows these students of Shibusen as they take on missions to collect souls and protect the city from the world's threats while working together under the snickering sun to become sounder in mind, body, and soul. Tried it in the past as Soul Eater is a rather popular shounen anime, but it struck me as average that time, and now after refreshing memories I still see it as hectic, nonsense and too teenager'ish   Overall Rating: 6/10

3. To LOVE-Ru To Love Ru To LOVEる -とらぶる-  [Xebec] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Harem, School Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Timid 16-year-old Rito Yuuki has yet to profess his love to Haruna Sairenji—a classmate and object of his infatuation since junior high. Sadly, his situation becomes even more challenging when one night, a mysterious, stark-naked girl crash-lands right on top of a bathing Rito. To add to the confusion, Rito discovers that the girl, Lala Satalin Deviluke, is the crown princess of an alien empire and has run away from her home. Despite her position as the heiress to the most dominant power in the entire galaxy, Lala is surprisingly more than willing to marry the decidedly average Rito in order to avoid an unwanted political marriage. To LOVE-Ru depicts Rito's daily struggles with the bizarre chaos that begins upon the arrival of Lala. With an evergrowing legion of swooning beauties that continuously foil his attempted confessions to Haruna, To LOVE-Ru is a romantic comedy full of slapstick humor, sexy girls, and outlandishly lewd moments that defy the laws of physics. Series that challenges limits of ecchi like many other in the same genre, but story is not in focus, just slacking.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. Vampire Knight ヴァンパイア騎士〈ナイト〉  [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shoujo Love Polygon, Vampire Drama, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural The cheerful Yuuki Cross and the gruff Zero Kiryuu are members of the disciplinary committee at Cross Academy, which houses two very distinct classes: the Day Class and the Night Class. Their job consists of upholding order between the classes when they switch out. While that may not seem like an especially difficult task, the Day Class is unaware of the truth behind the Night Class—their utterly gorgeous students are vampires. Ten years ago, Yuuki was saved from a vampire attack by Kaname Kuran, a Pureblood vampire. Now, Kaname is the leader of the Night Class, and Yuuki's disciplinary committee position allows her to see him again, making her feelings for him grow complicated. Meanwhile, Zero bears a white-hot hatred of all vampires and believes they can never live in harmony with humans. But a secret from Zero's past soon threatens the fragile peace of all at the academy, and things may never be the same again. Maybe it was inspiration for Twilight series. Anyway, shoujo in love with vampire is not the thing I can enjoy.   Overall Rating: 5/10

5. Special A Special A (S.A) スペシャル・エー [Gonzo, AIC] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shoujo School Comedy, Romance Hikari Hanazono has always been able to do things that normal people cannot. As a child, she assumed no one could beat her—until she met Kei Takishima. Thinking she would win, Hikari challenged him to a match. But things didn’t go as planned; she lost not once but each time she rechallenged him. From that point on, she has sworn to best Kei at everything, ranging from academics to athletics. To achieve her goal, Hikari enrolls in the same school as Kei—Hakusenkan, a prestigious institute for the wealthy. As a pair, they hold the top two rankings in school and are among seven of the academy's best students in a class known as Special A. While Hikari treats Kei as a rival, she is completely oblivious that he harbors hidden feelings for her. Together, the members of Special A deal with competition, friendship, and just a bit of love. Is it just me or Special A repeats concept of His and Her circumstances almost to the dot... But that show transformed rather fast while Special A repeats this unfunny comedy cycle over cycle. Basically, it all comes down to tropes rather than inventiveness.   Overall Rating: 6/10

6. Itazura na Kiss ItaKiss イタズラなKiss [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Romance  When her newly-built home is razed to the ground by an earthquake, low-achieving, clumsy, and troublesome third-year high school student Kotoko Aihara is forced to share a roof with the school's—and possibly Japan's—smartest student, Naoki Irie. Kotoko is not actually a complete stranger to Irie-kun; unfortunately, a single love letter that she tried to give him in the past has already sealed her fate as far as he is concerned. Throw in some quirky friends and a meddlesome mother, and Kotoko might not even have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the older Irie boy's heart. Yet Kotoko remains optimistic that, because she now lives in his house, her unattainable crush on the genius since the beginning of high school has never been more within reach. Blackmailing into helping with study based on revealing personal secret is another trait of His and Her circumstances, same as perfect in study boy. But, after all, it's more important how it all develops. And as far as I see this cycle of boy rejection and abuse is going to last for a long time. And that makes it more mechanical and worse in comparison with the aforementioned show.   Overall Rating: 6/10

7. Kanokon Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Fox かのこん [Xebec] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Romance, Supernatural, Ecchi  Kouta has girl troubles of the supernatural sort. For some reason, he keeps attracting the attention (and affections) of animal spirits! Having spent most of his life in the country, Kouta is understandably nervous when he moves in with his grandma to attend a high school in the big city. He hoped to make a good impression, but having Chizuru, a beautiful fox spirit, hanging off his arm didn't seem to be the sort of image he wanted to have. She's not alone in her love for Kouta, either. Nozomu, a wolf spirit, as well as other youkai have their sights set on the hapless country boy. Superpower girls abusing shota is somewhat fresh, but only because it's too silly in the first place. It grows old way too fast. Not seeing any value here apart of practical usage.   Overall Rating: 5/10

8. Nabari no Ou 隠の王 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Shounen Action, Drama, Supernatural Silent, apathetic, yet mischievous, 14-year-old Rokujou Miharu is the bearer of the hijutsu, "Shinrabanshou," a powerful technique many ninja clans desire to possess to become the ruler of Nabari. Fellow classmate Kouichi and his English teacher Kumohira are both secretly Banten clan ninjas, pledging themselves to protect Miharu from his many attackers. Keeping apathetic, Miharu attempts to reject their invitation to join their ninja "club." However, after numerous attacks, he finds no choice but to join their group as a means for his survival. Slowly, Miharu takes a step closer to becoming the ruler of Nabari. I don't believe in good ninja shounen anime. And characters here are subpar.   Overall Rating: 6/10

9. Kaiba カイバ [Madhouse] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Adventure, Award Winning, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi  In a world where memories exist in memory chips separate from the body, death of the body no longer means death of the soul. It is possible for memories to be viewed, altered, and transferred between bodies. These memory chips are used by the rich to obtain eternal lives in carefully selected bodies, while for the poor, selling their own bodies and conserving their souls in the chips often become the only way to earn a living. An electrolytic cloud in the sky serves as a barrier between the heavens of the fortunate and the underworld of the destitute, making this social division impregnable. One day, a man named Kaiba wakes up in an empty room with no memories, a mysterious hole in his chest, and a locket holding the picture of an unknown woman. After escaping an attack and stumbling upon a decrepit village of underworld residents, he begins his adventure across the different planets of this strange universe to find out more about his own identity and the woman he once knew. Through a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Kaiba weaves together tales of souls and spirits and explores the importance of memories. Oh, I remembered that I actually watched it. A hectic dystopian adventure. The very fact that it's so easily forgotten says that it's not important or impactful enough to remember for me, can't recommend something this much chaotic.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. Macross F Macross Frontier マクロスF（フロンティア） [Satelight] (Finished 4/25) Tags: Mecha, Military, Music, Space Action, Award Winning, Romance, Sci-Fi Following a catastrophic war against a race of giants known as the Zentradi, humanity has escaped towards the center of the galaxy aboard a fleet of colonial vessels called the Macross Frontier. As the extraterrestrial threat is left further and further behind, life on Macross Frontier proceeds as usual. In the year 2059, a young mecha pilot trainee named Alto Saotome and his colleagues are preparing to perform an accompanying routine for the famous singer Sheryl Nome, who has come to Macross Frontier for a concert. During the performance, a biomechanical alien species known as the Vajra make a sudden appearance, breaking through the defensive perimeter surrounding the vessel and crash-landing near the concert venue, plunging the entire city into chaos. As the concertgoers evacuate, a young girl named Ranka Lee is left behind and gets targeted by the Vajra, but she is saved at the last minute by Alto. Following these events, the Strategic Military Services program notes Alto's skill in battle, resulting in his recruitment to combat the new alien threat. To save identity Macross iterations try to mimic its concepts, mainly romance between pilot and singer, and also music as weapon. And seeing this concept repeated more than once is so artificial that I can not even treat it seriously.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. xxxHOLiC◆Kei ×××HOLiC◆継 [Production I.G] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Supernatural Kimihiro Watanuki's life was never really normal. But in addition to his ability to see spirits, this sequel to xxxHOLiC finds him still slaving away for Yuuko, the bizarre owner of a strange shop, who promised to rid him of this ability. However, this otherworldly woman can only do so when he has worked enough to earn his wish. Such is the way for anyone who finds their way into the shop to have their request granted: a compensation equal to their wish must be paid. In this odd shop that straddles the world of the living and the dead, Watanuki finds himself doing household chores for the seemingly lazy Yuuko and her companions, while also helping out clients. Along with his classmates, supposed romantic rival Shizuka Doumeki and his crush Himawari Kunogi, Watanuki deals with the many misfortunes surrounding Yuuko's customers, as well as those that closely follow him and his friends. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

12. Yu☆Gi☆Oh! 5D's Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's 遊☆戯☆王5D's（ファイブディーズ） [Gallop] (Finished 1/154) Tags: Shounen Strategy Game Action  Yuusei Fudou is out to get back what was stolen from him. The world of dueling has evolved, with Riding Duels becoming the peak of entertainment for the residents of Neo Domino City. They are played on D-Wheels, a hybrid between Duel Disks and motorbikes. After the mechanically skilled Yuusei managed to build his own D-Wheel, his former friend Jack Atlas stole it alongside Yuusei's best card, Stardust Dragon; ditching their decrepit hometown of Satellite, he escaped to Neo Domino City. In the two years since then, Jack has risen to the top of the dueling world, while Yuusei has been making preparations thanks to the help of his friends. With his new D-Wheel finished, he now sets off to Neo Domino City, his only goal to find Jack. Unbeknownst to either of them, there are far bigger things at stake than they can imagine, with puppeteers pulling the strings behind the scenes. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

13. Druaga no Tou: The Aegis of Uruk Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk ドルアーガの塔 〜the Aegis of URUK〜 [Gonzo] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  It is said that every few years, there is what's known as the "Summer of Anu." During that summer, thanks to the divine protection of the sky-god Anu, all of the demons in the tower lose their power. The country of Uruk has begun an invasion of the tower in order to suppress the demons. They've built up positions inside the tower, with their sights set on getting to the upper levels. The Uruk army knows that this is the third Summer of Anu-a perfect time to launch a mission to suppress the monster Druaga once and for all. The army soldiers aren't the only ones in the tower, though. An enitre city called Meskia has formed inside the tower's first floor. It plays host not just to soldiers, but also to adventurers who have heard rumors about a legendary treasure called the Blue Crystal Rod, which is said to rest at the very top of the tower. With all these different groups in the mix, each with its own agenda, one can only guess how things will play out during this unusual summer. Finally. Tower of Druaga opens up pandora box of isekai RPG-like fantasy that reigns even today even though it's not isekai itself. It's great, but not without fillers on the way to the tower top, so I won't claim it to be perfect, but it's somewhere near.   Overall Rating: 9/10

14. Kure-nai Kurenai 紅 [Brain's Base] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Childcare Comedy, Drama Shinkurou Kurenai is a 16-year-old student by day and a dispute mediator by night. Though kind-hearted and patient, due to his tragic past, he has trained for years to live on. Now, despite his unimposing appearance, he is a strong martial artist, who also possesses a strange power. While taking various jobs for his employer, Benika Juuzawa, one assignment leads Shinkurou to live with Murasaki Kuhouin as her bodyguard. Murasaki is the seven-year-old daughter of a plutocratic family, who escaped her home under peculiar circumstances with Benika's help. Commoner life, in her eyes, seems bizarre. However, by interacting with her neighbors, she grows more accustomed to the daily routine, and rids herself of her snobbish behavior, gradually growing attached to Shinkurou. Though many details of the job remain unclear, Shinkurou still strives to protect the young lady. But to make things more complicated, he also lacks a crucial fact—what is the real threat against Murasaki? A surprisingly touching friendship story between a man and a preschool girl. It has human depth and really nice characters with backstories. The story is not special or impactful, but with a very dark taste behind it. It's a flawed gem and thus deserves to be better known.  Overall Rating: 7/10

15. Blassreiter ブラスレイター  [Gonzo] (Finished 5/24) Tags: Action, Sci-Fi  Modern Germany is plagued by an outbreak of "Amalgams." Existing solely to wreak havoc, these cybernetic entities spawn from rotting flesh and can fuse with technology to gain new abilities. With society left in the wake of their destruction, the Xenogenesis Assault Team (XAT) is formed to suppress the threat. Alongside its primary mission to protect against the Amalgam attacks, the organization is also researching the newly discovered "amalgamated" humans which possess rational thought and are far deadlier than their non-sentient counterparts. Joseph Jobson is one such amalgamated human who has full control over his powers. Although successful in his line of work as a lone warrior, an unfortunate encounter with the recently-turned-Amalgam Gerd Frentzen makes him a priority target of the XAT. As he eludes the organization and seeks new allies, Joseph is transformed into the Blassreiter—a being heralded as the strongest Amalgam in existence. Now, he must fight back with his newfound powers to uncover the truth behind not only his past, but also the entire Amalgam conflict. A very strange and unappealing mix of racing and CG mecha fighting monsters or other mecha. No matter how I look at it, can't call it good.   Overall Rating: 5/10

16. Toshokan Sensou Library Wars 図書館戦争 [Production I.G] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Adult Cast, Military Action, Comedy, Romance In the year 1989, the Japanese government passed the Media Betterment Act, allowing a group of soldiers known as the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) to destroy and censor any "problematic" media under the guise of protecting public morals. As a response, regional governments established the Library Defense Force (LDF), whose members take up arms and put their lives on the line to protect freedom of expression. At the top of the Kanto branch of the LDF stands the Library Task Force (LTF): an elite squad consisting of only the most exceptional fighters. As a high schooler, Iku Kasahara experienced the terror of censorship first-hand when she refused to surrender the newest volume of her favorite series to MBC agents. She only came out unscathed thanks to a lone member of the LDF, who protected her and her beloved book. Now in her 20s and still unable to forget the man who saved her, Kasahara joins the LDF in the hope of becoming just like her prince. But LDF training turns out to be far more rigorous than she could have imagined, and her instructor, LTF member Atsushi Doujou, seems fixated on making her life a living hell. Given her struggles, Kasahara is shocked when she is selected as one of the two new LTF recruits as a result of Doujou's recommendation. As Kasahara does all she can to become worthy of the LTF and unravel her enigmatic superior's motivations, she wages war—both on the battlefield and in her personal life. One of the most stupid shows I've seen, starting from title and concept, continuing with time limits for battles and indistinct artificial behavior of characters, it reeks of fake for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10

17. Amatsuki あまつき [Studio Deen] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Josei Action, Fantasy, Mystery Tokidoki Rikugou is a history-hating student who flunks out of his Japanese History course; his high school forces him to make up for his failed grade by attending a special museum lecture. Its star exhibit, a vast recreation of the Edo Period, promises to alleviate the delinquent student's poor grades with an elaborate simulation of the Tokugawa Shogunate: the Edo Bakumatsu Walking Tour and Exhibition. Knowing next to nothing about samurai culture or the times he's walked into, he is quickly surprised to learn of the superstitious nature of Japan during the 1600s. Quickly dismissing the existence of gods and demons, he is shocked when confronted by a demon on a bridge, who attacks the unsuspecting high-schooler. Saved by a mysterious swordsman named Kuchiha, he discovers that he can no longer escape the simulation at the history museum. Meeting another swordsman named Kon Shinonome, he discovers another contemporary that was trapped in the simulation before him. Quickly adjusting to his new home, Tokidoki must now help protect the village from demons, while uncovering the mystery of both the simulation and the company that created it. Absolutely empty Josei with no story attached to time travel to past.   Overall Rating: 5/10

18. Zettai Karen Children 絶対可憐チルドレン  [SynergySP] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shounen Action, Comedy, Supernatural They're cute, adorable and three of the most powerful Espers the world has ever seen: Kaoru, the brash psychokinetic who can move objects with her mind; Shiho, the sarcastic and dark natured psychometric able to pick thoughts from people's minds and read the pasts of inanimate objects like a book; and Aoi, the most collected and rational of the three, who has the ability to teleport herself and the others at will. So what to do with these potential psychic monsters in the making? Enter B.A.B.E.L., the Base of Backing ESP Laboratory, where hopefully "The Children" and others like them can become part of the answer to an increasing wave of psychic evolution. It's a win-win solution... Unless you're Koichi Minamoto, the overworked young man stuck with the unenviable task of field commanding a team of three pre-teen girls! Some unserious mahou shoujo variation in form of espers. Humor only rarely hits right for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10

19. Allison to Lillia Allison & Lillia アリソンとリリア [Madhouse] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Action, Adventure  Set in a continent divided into two commonwealths that have been engaged in war for hundreds of years, Allison and Will go on a mission to search "the treasure that will put an end to the war". Their hope is inherited to their daughter Lillia, who strives to thaw the torn nations into a united country. This anime encourages young generations to believe in a world without hatred or war regardless of nationalities and beliefs. Show aims to be inspirational, so it puts romanticism of air travel and pacifism in the core and elements should somehow form a story from there. It can be considered imitation of Kino no Tabi.   Overall Rating: 5/10

20. Golgo 13 (TV) Golgo 13 ゴルゴ13 [The Answer Studio] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast Action, Adventure, Drama, Suspense  Golgo 13 is not his real name. Then again, neither is Duke Togo, Tadashi Togo, or any number of the aliases he goes by. A man of mystery, not even the world’s most prominent intelligence agencies can determine who Golgo really is, or just where he came from. But all agree that his skills are nothing short of legendary. Armed with a custom M16, Golgo is willing to take any job for any agency, from the FBI to the KGB. He has completed every contract he has ever taken and will work for anyone who can meet his price. He is both the greatest weapon and the greatest threat to any nation; no one is safe once they are in Golgo’s sights. Sequel. Just eternally boring James Bond variation.   Overall Rating: 5/10

21. Kamen no Maid Guy 仮面のメイドガイ [Madhouse] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Comedy, Ecchi Fujiwara Naeka is a typical 17-year-old high school student. Or so we thought. She's really one of two surviving heirs of a tycoon who has the right to inherit his mass fortune when she turns 18 in half a year. Fubuki, a young and beautiful maid, and Kogarashi, a big burly maid guy with a mask, have been assigned to keep Naeka and her brother Kousuke safe from those who would plot their demise, and to steal the fortune she would inherit. Another interpretation of flat-chested VS busted wars... some humor is ok.   Overall Rating: 6/10

22. Nijuu Mensou no Musume The Daughter of 20 Faces 二十面相の娘 [Bones, Telecom Animation Film] (Finished 4/22) Tags: Seinen Action, Adventure, Mystery Chiko is the daughter of the wealthy Mikamo family who has to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents passed away. Because her aunt wants to inherit the Mikamo family's wealth, she gives Chiko poisoned food. One day, however, she's kidnapped by the Nijuu Mensou (20 Faces) and decides to join his clan. Phantom thieves team travels and steals beautiful items... so something like Ocean's Twelve with many cases.   Overall Rating: 6/10

23. Kyou kara Maou! 3rd Series 今日からマ王！第3シリーズ [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Shoujo Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy At the end of season 2. Yuuri defeats Shinou, but since Shinou had been defeated, Yuuri and Murata could no longer go to the Shin Makoku. However, because Yuuri had fought and defeated him, his powers had surpassed that of Shinou's, resulting in him being able to rely on his own power to return to Shin Makoku. After the ceremony at the age of 16, Yuuri slowly begins to discover that much has happened while he was away. The ten officials of the noble family have decided to make Wolfram the next Maou, but now that Yuuri has returned and taken back his role as Maou, complications arise when one noble disagrees with Yuuri returning to the throne. In addition, an ancient secret society that threatens the peace of both humans and Mazoku has risen, and a fight for the throne that now leaves the nobles wondering who is the legitimate Maou. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

24. Wagaya no Oinari-sama. 我が家のお稲荷さま。 [Zexcs] (Finished 6/24) Tags: Magical Sex Shift, Mythology Comedy, Fantasy The Mizuchi bloodline has long been hunted by Yokai, or monsters. Toru and Noboru Takagami are descendents of this bloodline, and under their grandmother's discretion, are given a secret weapon to combat these monsters. It is Tenko Kugen, a fox deity who can take the shape of a man or woman at will. The mischievous deity is accompanied by a shrine maiden, Ko, who will both live with the Takagami brothers at their house. Life just got complicated. I don't find it funny at all, probably because I don't like Ranma transfers, so comedy genre is a surprise for me here. It's living together with a kitsune moe SOL and a bit of fighting spirits developing in totally random directions.   Overall Rating: 6/10

25. D.C.II S.S.: Da Capo II Second Season D.C.II S.S. ～ダ・カーポII セカンドシーズン～ [feel.] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Harem Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance The story continues where it left off at season 1, but now we start to get to know the people we already know a little more in detail. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

26. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 狂乱家族日記 [Nomad] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  Midarezaki Ouka is used to having strange things happen to him -after all, he is the head of the Great Japanese Empire Paranormal Phenomena Bureau of Measures. But when he catches a small cat girl in the shopping district stealing apples, his whole life rearranges to fit a new operation... OPERATION COZY FAMILY. Thousands of years ago, Enka the God of Destruction, was killed. However, with a dying breath it claimed that its child would appear and destroy humanity. Now in futuristic Japan, all of the potential children of Enka have been found and placed into a haphazard family. Teika the lion, Gekka the jellyfish, Yuuka the oni, Ginka the cross-dressing mafia son, and Hyouka the bioweapon--along with their parents Ouka and Kyouka (the ruler of a demon underworld)--all live under one roof in a family frenzy. Setting is too ridiculous, comedy too episodic and random and full of nonsense...   Overall Rating: 5/10

27. RD Sennou Chousashitsu RD 潜脳調査室 [Production I.G] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Action, Sci-Fi  2061 AD. Fifty years have passed since mankind developed the Network society. It was anticipated that this new infrastructure would realize a utopia where people connected with each other at the level of consciousness. However, new social problems such as personal data leaks and proliferation of manipulated information began to surface. Nevertheless, people still relied on the Network to exchange information, and proved unable to opt to abandon it. In due course, a new Network realm with more effective security measures was developed. This was called Meta Real Network, usually abbreviated as "the Metal." The Metal accommodated personal memory data within protected virtual stand-alone organic cyber enclaves called bubble shells and eventually pervaded the everyday lives of people. However, people gradually learned to release and explode their instincts within the secure environment of the Metal. The unleashed instincts pushed each individual's consciousness to drown in the sea of information and to be exposed to the pressures of desire. Meanwhile, norms and regulations continued to bind their real world lives. Thus, strange friction between the two worlds began to manifest themselves as aberrations beyond the bounds of the imaginable. Experts who challenged the deep sea of the Metal to investigate and decipher such aberrations were called cyber divers. This is a story of a cyber diver, Masamichi Haru, who investigates the incidents that lie between Reality and the Metal. A collection of cases, so can be called a detective, although not every activity is a case. I just could not believe that whole show is a filler, so watched to the end, but it is indeed so - just the most dangerous VR dive is pushed to the end and a bit of matrix theme. It's a waste of time on banalities.   Overall Rating: 5/10

28. Top Secret: The Revelation 秘密（トップシークレット） The Revelation [Madhouse] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Shoujo Detective, Psychological Mystery, Sci-Fi In the future, a new MRI technology analyzes the brains of deceased crime victims and eyewitnesses within 48 hours of their death to extract images of their memories. Although this cutting-edge technology is responsible for solving various murder cases, it has raised several ethical concerns, placing Section Nine—the police division in charge of the MRI investigations led by Tsuyoshi Maki—under considerable pressure from the media and the government. The team members of Section Nine are not only forced to witness traumatic events through the eyes of both victims and murderers, but they also need to negotiate with the victims' families, whose consent is required for the post-mortem MRI scans. Freshly graduated from the police academy, Ikkou Aoki joins Section Nine to replace Maki's best friend Katsuhiro Suzuki—a former member who passed away under ambiguous circumstances after watching MRI footage from a particularly morbid criminal case. As a stream of seemingly unrelated events creeps closer to the case of Suzuki's death, Section Nine will have to face its greatest challenge to date, threatening its very existence. Episodic detective story, so I can't enjoy it without some genre sidetracking, and it's quite typical, slow and bleak.   Overall Rating: 6/10

29. Blue Dragon: Tenkai no Shichi Ryuu Blue Dragon: Trials of the Seven Shadows BLUE DRAGON 天界の七竜 [Pierrot] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural  After the events of the Blue Dragon series, Shu and Bouquet join a resistance group to fight General Rogi's army of invasion.They encounter a mysterious child , Noi, who has the power to revive Shu's shadow counter-part Blue Dragon, and save her from the pursuit of a red dragon. Now Shu and his company have to set foot once again on a journey to discover the purpose of the dragons, undergo their tests and stop the chains of events which threatens the fate of humanity. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

30. Crystal Blaze Glass Maiden クリスタル ブレイズ [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Action, Sci-Fi Rags Town is the garbage dump of Japan. The place where people who want to forget their pasts run to. In this town, where the rules strictly forbid asking about the past or getting to know people, there is small detective agency called S&A Detectives. The story revolves around Ayamana, the inseparable pair of misfit wannabe detectives, the case Manami takes on impulse, and the trouble that arises from it. On the case they find a woman who is abnormally hot, and who is being chased by a bunch of women with guns. After being dubbed Sara, the detectives try and figure out just what is going on with her. At the same time, all over town teenage girls are burning up and turning into glass. The government is covering everything up, but the detectives, as well as a nosy reporter and the local police, are determined to find out what is happening. Strange mediocre anime about finding glass woman who is a result of experiment and of course getting pursued by powerful enemies like in almost any story about stray android. There's noir style, action and some sci-fi which is enough to endure it, but not enough to enjoy.   Overall Rating: 5/10

31. Shin Chou Kyou Ryo: Condor Hero III Legend of the Condor Hero III 神鵰俠侶 III: 十六年之約 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Historical Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance Continuation of Legend of the Condor Hero II. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

32. Onegai♪My Melody Kirara★ おねがい♪マイメロディ きららっ★ [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy  Sequel to Onegai My Melody Sukkiri. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

33. Uchi no 3 Shimai うちの3姉妹 [Toei Animation, Daewon Media] (Finished 0/102) Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life  The daily life of the Motsumoto family. The three sisters, Fuu, Suu, and Chii, follow what happens on a daily basis. Mother and Father have to deal with them sometimes, but they're used to it. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

34. Candy Boy: Nonchalant Talk of the Certain Twin Sisters in Daily Life  [AIC] (Finished 5/7) Tags: Love Polygon, School Girls Love, Romance Yukino and Kanade Sakurai are twin sisters that live together in a high school dorm. Although they are twins, they tend to act romantic toward each other, holding hands and going on dates. One day, Kanade sees Yukino hanging out with a new girl, Sakuya Kamiyama. Realizing how much time these two spend together, Kanade assumes they are dating, and she begins to distance herself from her sister. Yukino promptly notices and pleads with Kanade not to leave. In reality, Sakuya has only been asking for advice about Kanade, revealing her obsessive love. How will this love triangle play out? Serious girls love cuddling to a rather nauseating level.   Overall Rating: 5/10

35. Penguin Musume♥Heart ペンギン娘♥はぁと [Picture Magic] (Finished 3/22) Tags: Otaku Culture, School Comedy, Slice of Life, Ecchi Sakura Nankyoku is a total otaku. Due to a fluke, she gets elected as her class' Student Council President. Everything takes off from there into a series of crazy misadventures revolving around Sakura, her family, and her classmates. The kind of crazy nonsense that makes my head ache.   Overall Rating: 5/10

36. Naisho no Tsubomi ないしょのつぼみ [Studio Kikan] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shoujo School Romance Tsubomi Tachibana is a fifth grader dealing with rather sensitive issues such as her mother's pregnancy, her first period and the strange feelings she has started to get when she has been around boys. It's a naïve school romance story. Should be good for elementary graders, but hardly anything to enjoy for grown-ups.   Overall Rating: 5/10

37. Hoshi no Umi no Amuri 星の海のアムリ [Studio Hibari] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  The 3D modeled anime is set in Year 019 of the Insonity Progressive Revolution - a future era in which mankind has evolved into a new species called Adapters. Three very young Adapter girls from Japan, China and France set out on a space adventure that will affect the rest of their species. Only slightly more advanced than Club Winx.   Overall Rating: 5/10

38. Kara no Kyoukai Movie 4: Garan no Dou The Garden of Sinners Chapter 4: The Hollow Shrine 劇場版 空の境界 the Garden of sinners 第四章『伽藍の洞』 [ufotable] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense  Following the events of Satsujin Kousatsu (Zen), Shiki Ryougi has been in a coma for two years due to a traffic accident. When she finally awakens, she has no memories of her past and is plagued by a profound loneliness. Even stranger, she notices dark lines encompassing the things around her, and if she touches them she can disassemble the object—something which completely terrifies her. Her friend, Mikiya Kokutou, enlists the help of Touko Aozaki, a mage who can help Shiki understand what her eyes—the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception"—are truly capable of and how to use them properly. Rewatched 2nd and then 4th, and it indeed helps when watched in chronological order. I started to have deja vu as character designs, sight superability, boy in glasses and fighting with strong monsters all resemble Tsukihime a lot, and mage supervisor paves the link to Fate Stay Night and Mahoutsukai no Yoru. And this series of light novels is indeed from Type-Moon and its authors. And it's ok for fans of the multiverse.   Overall Rating: 6/10

39. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 16: Chou Arashi wo Yobu Kinpoko no Yuusha クレヨンしんちゃん ちょ～嵐を呼ぶ 金矛の勇者 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen School Comedy, Slice of Life, Ecchi A comical fantasy adventure on a fight against invaders from another world. The ruler of dark world "Don Kurai," Dark, plots to dominate the human world. There is a legend about three treasures and a hero in Don Kurai, and Dark takes over one of the three treasures, a bell of copper, but a man sent other two treasures (a spear of gold and a shield of silver) to the human world. Shinnosuke falls into Dark's trap and opens the door between the human world and Don Kurai, but he becomes the hero selected by the spear of gold. With the power of a girl from Don Kurai, Mata Tami, the Nohara Family transform into various things and fight against Dark. A very abstract episode, and that's even less enjoyable than usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10

40. Indie Anibox: Selma Danbaekjil Coffee Indie Anibox: Selma's Protein Coffee 인디애니박스: 셀마의 단백질 커피 [Studio Dadashow] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Samurai Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi The 2008 animated omnibus Indie Anibox: Selma's Protein Coffee consists of three inventive short films from up-and-coming directors. Kim Woon Ki's kooky mystery thriller "Wanted" is set in a peaceful village suddenly disrupted by heavy rainfall and the appearance of a strange old woman named Selma. Yeon Sang Ho's 3-D animation "Love is Protein" is an inventive black comedy about three poor roommates who break their piggy banks to order fried chicken - only to discover their prospective meal is the son of a weeping chicken. Jang Hyung Yoon's surreal "A Coffee Vending Machine and Its Sword" follows a swordsman who reincarnates as a coffee vending machine and falls in love at first sight with the maintenance girl. Anthology of many small stories...   Overall Rating: 5/10

41. Mianhada Saranghanda 미안하다 사랑한다 [Studio Meditation With a Pencil] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Drama  When hit KBS drama I'm Sorry, I Love You aired in 2004, it recorded high TV ratings, won the acclaim of critics, and quickly became one of the flagbearers of the Korean Wave. The tragic love story of Mu Hyeok (So Ji Sub of What Happened in Bali) and Eun Chae (Yim Soo Jung of Lump Sugar and I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK) made stars out of its leads and attracted an enormous fanbase throughout Asia. Two years later, G&G Entertainment released a 35-minute animated version of the drama, Between of One Year, consisting of highlights from the drama and new scenes dealing with the final moments of Eun Chae and Mu Hyeok's relationship. The script was supervised by the writer of the original live-action drama, Lee Kyung Hee. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

42. Geunyeoneun Yeppeotda Life is Cool 그녀는 예뻣다 [-] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Comedy, Drama, Romance  Three thirty-something friends meet each other for the first time in ten years. But when one of them goes on a blind date with a gorgeous girl, things become quite complicated. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

43. Druaga no Tou: The Aegis of Uruk - Jil no Bouken Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk - Jil's Adventure ドルアーガの塔 〜the Aegis of URUK〜 「ジルの冒険」 [Gonzo] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  This is a special "back-side" (ura) episode aired on GyaO simultaneously with original broadcast which features the background story from party's side instead of Jil's. I usually only include specials of the shows I liked or which I still can't understand. This is a nice background episode, but with just 20 minute length I can't rate it too high.   Overall Rating: 6/10

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