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Synopsis:
A thousand years ago the God of Destruction, Enka, said that it's child would destroy the world. To prevent this the Great Japanese Empire Paranormal Phenomena Bureau of Measures assigns one man, Ouka Midarezaki, to protecting the Earth from this threat. However, instead of fighting against some powerful being the bureau decides to gather all the beings of the Earth thought to be the child of Enka and have them live together as a family in hopes of teaching them through love of family that the Earth should not be destroyed. Ouka is then forced to marry Kyouka Midarezaki... a god from the underground kingdom called Shangri-la and inherits a family consisting of Hyouka the biological weapon, Teika the lion, Yuuka the daughter of a demon family, Ginka the gay son of a Yakuza clan, and Gekka the... jellyfish. Later they are joined by Chika who is Yuuka's sister but doesn't carry any of Enka's DNA. This crazy mismatched family not only stays together to protect the world from themselves but also anyone else who threatens life on Earth.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Episodes watched: 26
Review:
Whoa! What a wild idea and it worked well in the beginning but as the series went on it seemed to lose some of it's flair. I thought this anime was going to go in the comedic direction but other than a few laughs every couple of episodes it wasn't all that funny and the series wanted to use more of a 'crazy anime' type of angle which worked out okay. It sort of felt like that the show was running out of ideas towards the end of the series leaving things kind of flat and predictable in a sense. A new enemy appears, Kyouka talks a mile a minute, the family goes into a 'frenzy' and overcomes all odds, lather, rinse, repeat. Where this anime really shines though is the character depth as it dedicates 2 episodes to each member of the Cozy Family explaining their past, present, and acceptance into modern society. Even the ending themes that were sung by each member of the family was a nice touch.
Look at it this way, it's a decent show and I still say watch it, but don't go into it expecting a whole lot because what you see in the first few episodes is pretty much what the entire series is like. Giving you standard fare animation and an off-the-wall plot, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki still falls into the 'one time viewing' category.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (opening)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
Synopsis:
After a seven year absence, Yuichi Aizawa, returns to the city of Moriguchi to stay with his cousin Nayuki Minase and her mother for the new school year. He meets Nayuki after returning to town and she takes him on a tour but when Nayuki says she has to stop at the store to pick up a few things Yuichi says he'll wait outside but while waiting he is knocked over by a girl running from something, she then quickly grabs him by the hand and pulls him into a nearby cafe. She says her name is Ayu Tsukimiya and explains that she inadvertently stole a bag of taiyaki (A Japanese fish-shaped waffle. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans.) after being scared away before paying and that's when she ran into him. Yuichi scolds her saying that wasn't the smartest thing to do and says he'll pay for the taiyaki if she apologizes to the vendor she stole it from. After settling her debt, Ayu then says she must go home but will meet with Yuichi again, he then goes and meets up with Nayuki back at the store. The next day Yuichi goes to school and meets a few of Nayuki's friends that seem to remember him but Yuichi has no recollection of who these people are or how he came to know them. With this group of people somehow sharing a past he tries to remember how he came to know everyone through his own acts of selflessness.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24
Review:
Kanon is a mysterious story of unresolved pasts and the shroud of the unknown is slowly lifted throughout the series by watching Yuichi's actions. Whether he's doing it for the sake of his own knowledge or because he truly cares for those around him is determined by the viewer. This is a very intriguing series that brings forth memories of the past and represents them in the form of symbolism which is very effective in showing the power of which memories present if they are let go. The characterization is extremely deep since everything relies on the past and watching Yuichi recall how each person he comes in contact with is linked to his past is quite original and even may tug at a few heartstrings as everything isn't always a bed of roses. The animation is superb and plot is refreshingly original even if it is a drama mixed with somewhat of an unexpected romance... I give it one of my highest recommendations as it's one of the best series I have ever seen. But hey, who here *hasn't* seen this anime? If you haven't then leave this place now, go watch it, and don't come back till you're done with all 24 episodes. Full viewing of Kanon 2006 is mandatory... okay, so I made that up but that gives you an idea of how excellent Kanon really is
Kanon 2006 (opening)
Kanon 2006 (closing)
Recommendation: |Very High|
Available at FUNimation's website:
Kanon (2006) once again, shitty dub only
Media type: DVD
From: ADV/FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
Girl's High (High School Girls) is an anime series that is nothing more than following six friends through one year of high school. It shows the viewer how girls act when only amongst themselves and if I'd known women were this uninhibited then I need to find a time machine and go back to my high school years and pay more attention. It touches upon subjects like first day of school, physicals, friendship, dating (or lack there-of I should say), lesbianism, sibling rivalry, blackmailing teachers, bikini waxing each other, festivals, and even touches upon... date rape.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12
Review:
I'll admit, I started watching Girl's High for the title alone because... well... I'm a pervert and the name intrigued me. After watching the show for a bit I started to lose interest as the story seemed far too typical and the animation was nothing special but I decided to ride it out anyway. The thing with this show is that it seems to know when it loses the viewers attention and throws out some fanservice and ecchi-type situations at just the right time to keep your interest. This series has no qualms about about it's fanservice loaded ecchiness and puts it in your face because I did find my mind wandering from watching girls talk about everyday life but then I was given a bit of fanservice and it brought me back. It's loaded with comedy but alot of it feels borrowed and relies too much on the fanservice or sexually related bad comedy aspect to come across as funny which would make me laugh at times or get a sigh the next, it was hit or miss. I will give this series props for poking fun at the heavily cliched "love at first sight" that plagues some anime and really buries it in the ground and that managed to get a chuckle or two out of me every time. The animation is typical so nothing special there and character depth is kept to a minimum since this is more slice-of-life style story telling mainly focusing on the present and I would only recommend it if you want an inside view of how girls act behind the scenes when put with a comical routine, as for me... I liked it I suppose. I still say give it a try as it's only 12 episodes but it's nothing you'll remember in the long run.
Girl's High (opening)
Girl's High (closing)
Recommendation: |Average|
Online viewing: Available at Crunchyroll -
Girls High (English subtitled)
Media type: DVD
From: Anime Works
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
*Note - Due to poor video quality, I wish the streaming version was available somewhere other than at Crunchyroll but... there you go. I've said it before and I'll say it again... Hey, what do you want for free?
Synopsis:
Every day that Makato Ito takes the train to school he admires a girl named Kotonoha Katsura, who rides the same train, from afar. After taking her picture with his cell phone, Sekai Saionji, notices him admiring her picture during class and starts teasing him and asking questions about her and if Makoto likes Kotonoha. Makoto admits he does have a crush on her but is reluctant to pursue his emotions so Sekai decides to make it her duty to help Makoto and Kotonaha get together. With some name dropping and coy word play she manages to get Kotonaha to agree to a date with Makoto. Though Makoto is extremely grateful to Sekai for her help she tells him that he is going to owe her, big time, but before she boards the train home Sekai then steals a kiss from Makoto and tells him that this will do and his debt has now been paid in full.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12 (OVAs were unrelated to the overall story so I didn't include them.)
Review:
I can honestly say that School Days is unlike any anime I've come across. This anime takes a simplistic plot of high school romance and it adds all the things that you don't want to watch twisting it into a gut-wrenching drama that will have a terrible outcome but the thing is, the viewer already knows this but will continue to watch regardless.
School Days does something that most anime don't in that it makes you despise the main character Makoto and therefore hate the series overall, not because of bad animation, not because of a poorly scripted plot, but because of characters that are truly despicable and it does nothing to hide this fact, if a girl shows interest in Makoto he doesn't get all timid and embarrassed about it but instead leaps at any chance that he gets and to make things worse, every girl easily accepts this ruse and it will sometimes genuinely piss you off. You may be fooled by it's innocent exterior but School Days will take you by the hand and lead you down a an unlit staircase that delves into despair, hatred, depression, irrational outcomes, but the worst part of it is you won't be able to stop watching as you're always hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel that you may realize... is a fleeting desire.
The animation is about the average fair, the plot is a trap, but the characterization is of the type you can't stand and the sad thing is... that's the whole point of the show. You may not like the this series at all but ask yourself this... are you hating School Days because it just plain sucks or are you hating it because it wants you to? Although it's hard for me to recommend School Days I am still gonna say, watch it at least once because there really is no other anime like it.
School Days (opening)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
Online viewing: Available at Crunchyroll -
School Days (English subtitles)
*Note - Due to adult content, you may have to verify your date of birth to watch.
Media type: Crunchyroll free internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
*Note - Use the Firefox web browser combined with AdBlock Plus to block all website and in-video ads when using Crunchyroll's free streaming service. Purchasing a premium membership at Crunchyroll is not recommended at this time due to poor playback quality and a very minimal buffering allowance for videos (Often times, less than a minute) in the media player causing video lag and/or stuttering issues. Use the free service and keep your wallet closed.
Synopsis:
Taking shelter from a rainstorm at a nearby shrine, Keiichiro finds a young android girl that has been thrown out and left amongst the garbage to be hauled away. Keiichiro decides to take her with him and stops by a local repair shop on the way home to see if there is anything that can be done. Unfortunately, the shop owner tells him that due to her being such an old model that parts are no longer available. But, instead of returning her to the trash pile, Keiichiro takes her home anyway and stores her in the closet only to wake the next day to the smell of breakfast being cooked by his new found companion.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (That's it, one small 28 minute OVA)
Review:
Upon watching this I was curious as to how much could be done in a single, slightly less then a half-hour, episode. To my surprise, I got one compelling little tale that presented more of a story than most full anime series out there. Kowarekake no Orgel manages to show you how Keiichiro finds Flower (the android) and even how she got in the trash in the first place but doesn't waste a lot of time on that in order to also show you how Flower affects Keiichiro's life. Through her own innocent curiosity about life and her owner she inadvertently brings him out of seclusion and his return to perusing life as a musician, a dream that Keiichiro decided to abandon long ago. And even though you'll enjoy Flower's cuteness combined with Keiichiro's laid-back attitude don't be surprised when you consistently feel the cloud of despair hanging over your head knowing that Flower's time... is limited.
Wonderful animation combined with hand-painted backgrounds and a very well thought out story presented remarkably for it's small time-span, Kowarekake no Orgel is a magnificent one-time viewing experience. Don't pass on this.
Recommendation: |High|
Synopsis:
Hikikomori, a person who has withdrawn from social life and seeks total isolation and refuses to leave their homes. Sato Tatsuhiro is one such person. Living off an allowance supplied by his parents, feeding himself with instantly prepared foods, and constantly thinking about how everyone is out to belittle him, as he is unable to cope with any type of social rejection. However, one day he is visited by a strange girl named Misaki who claims that she can cure him of his condition, but only if he signs a contract saying that if he refuses counseling or fails to redeem himself after it's over he is subject to a penalty... one million yen.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24
Review:
Wow, and I though *I* was anti-social... Welcome to the N.H.K. follows the life of a complete shut-in, or NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) because he has a fear of social rejection. However, when he is given that one chance of salvation, Welcome to the N.H.K. steers clear of any type of predictability in that even though the answer is right in front of Sato's face in the form of a girl willing to cure his mental illness he chooses a different path. Instead, Sato tends to plague his own life with an onset of constant failures. This is where I sort of have to commend the show on it's dark comedy element as you watch Sato try to take on every easy out he can find but it never works in his favor. Through this you see how Sato causes his own downward spiral of social depravity but the thing is that it's only happening in his own mind where as the real world around him could care less making Sato come across as a very unlikable character. You will practically feel no sympathy for since everything that happens is basically a result of his own laziness but luckily, it's the supporting characters of Welcome to the N.H.K. that help make up for Sato's own stupidity and balance things out. But through their contact with Sato you will also get to see how he indirectly brings out everyone's dark side or what skeletons they have been hiding in the closet that they must ultimately face.
Welcome to the N.H.K. doesn't follow the typical anime set of plot devices but instead does everything completely opposite giving you a somewhat original story with a moderately despicable main character. But you'll see Sato grow mentally as every scheme he tries to use to make life easier always ends in failure and he learns that there is no easy way through life.
Welcome to the N.H.K. (opening)
Recommendation: |Average|
Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -
Welcome to the N.H.K. (shit dub only)
Media type: DVD
From: ADV/FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
Shigofumi, a letter from the dead. The one last attempt from someone to contact the living to say their last words before finally moving on. Fumika is a mail carrier that delivers the shigofumi but she is not set to the job alone as she carries a special staff named Kanaka that not only provides magical assistance but also wisdom in a time of need. Although Fumika is concerned with nothing more then the task at hand through her most recent deliveries she begins to learn about her previous life in the mortal world. However, unlike other mail carriers, not all of her ties to the realm of the living have been broken as Fumika carries one shigofumi that has yet to be delivered...
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13
Review:
When Shigofumi first started I almost thought that this series was going to follow a bland routine of showing a letter from the dead delivery and it's adverse emotional affects. But this was pushed aside after two episodes as the series not only tells a mini-story with each episode but also holds it's focus on the main characters as well. This is what really drew me into the series as Fumika is a cold and emotionless girl with only one thing in mind, deliver the letter and move onto the next job. But Shigofumi not only presents you with an interesting story in each episode but also unlocks a little bit of Fumika's personality and mysterious past each time giving you two story lines that run parallel throughout the series.
It was interesting to see how my focus changed from wondering what effect each letter would have on a person to wanting to know more about Fumika herself. The series does this extremely well and will soon have you pushing aside the main story and put your attention to the characterization instead. But, you know what? That's fine, because Shigofumi doesn't force your attention to one story element or another but yet seems to know what your interest is at that point in time and gives you the right amount of depth that you're looking for.
Shigofumi is a fantastic series that not only tells a great story with excellent animation but also gives you one hell of an interesting anti-hero... Fumika.
Shigofumi (opening and closing)
Recommendation: |High|
Synopsis:
In the distant future humanity is no longer restricted to life on Earth as it has now inhabited multiple planets throughout the universe. Technology has gone beyond anyone's wildest dreams and as humanity grows so does everyone's political stand points and styles of government used across space which also causes an increase in crime. To keep the peace and laws enforced the GOTT was formed, Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs, or a kind of Galactic Police more or less as they not only enforce the law but also keep the peace by performing odd jobs such as protecting political figures or enforcing peace treaties. The GOTT has a special unit called ES that contains 16 superpowered individuals, two of which are Eclair and Lumiere, that are the focus of our story. After a variety of relatively simple missions Elclaire and Lumiere are sent to planet Aure to prevent a violent uprising of it's citizens against it's own government run by a race called the Nouvelesse. But what Eclaire later learns is that the planets citizens were actually enslaved by the Nouvelesse and Eclaire begins to question her orders to support this dictatorship. Later, during a violent stand off between the people of the city and the local military Eclaire realizes she can no longer condone the senseless slaughter of innocent people simply because they are protesting for a better life and turns against the Nouvelesse military and, with the support of her partner Lumiere, manage to destroy most of the militant opposition within a matter of minutes. Although Eclaire and Lumiere are now hailed as saviors of the planet Arue they are now the target of every GOTT member with only one order, execution. Not about to lie down and die Eclaire and Lumiere take off to find out more about the dark side of this galactic law enforcement that they've been employed by for so long.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24
Review:
Kiddy Grade is a different style of anime which takes something potentially typical and really complicates it, which in this case, it's a very good thing as it's refreshing. As the series starts it just looks like you're getting the usual good looking underage superbabes with ridiculous powers going on a new mission in every episode. They get an assignment, go there, blow tons of shit up and look good doing it with scantily clad space outfits and gratuitous panty shots, and the day is saved. Kiddy Grade puts things on a different level because about the time you start to get bored with this routine the show mixes things up and brings out the real plot it's been hiding all along and reaches out grabs you and pulls you back in. Now, you're watching a plot that gets thicker and thicker with each passing episode which has you wondering if Eclaire and Lumiere will ever get out of the hole they've dug themselves with numerous obstacles that are piling up against them. While all this is going on the series also does a magnificent job of dropping in a few episodes to help explain Eclaires super strength, why Lumiere can control anything with a computer, and why neither of them have aged in almost a hundred years all the while maintaining that sense of hopelessness throughout the latter part of the series. So, enjoy the uber-babeness in the first few episodes because that quickly fades and is replaced with betrayal, espionage, and shadows of the past that bring forth the question of what really is true friendship. This really is a great series by taking it's really shallow looking exterior and hiding away the overly complicated plot that lies within which makes for one awesome show. The animation is top notch, the women are hot (that's always a plus), the right amount of sci-fi action, and the plot has some great twists that present themselves at just the right time. There are no other story arcs to follow as you'll be with Eclaire and Lumiere for the entire 24 episode ride which is fine since things will get complicated enough because even in the future, nothing is ever as easy as it seems.
Kiddy Grade (opening and closing)
Recommendation: |High|
Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -
Kiddy Grade (English dubbed) - Sorry guys... no subs, shit dub only
Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
Jun Sakurada is self absorbed punk that relies on his sister to take care of him. He suffers from Agoraphobia or Hikikomori and spends all of his time in his room browsing the internet and because of the he tends to yell at everyone that tries to talk to him which has now been narrowed down to his sister Nori. Jun has developed a strange hobby of purchasing strange and bizarre things online only to send them back before the return policy expires. One day he gets a letter telling him that he's won a prize and if he wants it to answer "yes" or "no" and to put the letter in his desk drawer and a spirit will take his response. Well, with all the weird things he's bought lately Jun went ahead and accepted his prize and as soon as he closes the drawer and opens again the letter is gone and in the middle of the room an elaborate leather suitcase with a gold monogrammed rose appears in the middle of the room. Curious, Jun opens the case and sees an extremely detailed female aristocratic looking doll laying within and a gold key next to it. Naturally, he picks it up and admires the quality and decides to wind up the doll. After a few seconds he can hear the small mechanics within start to move as the dolls eyes open and the first thing she does... is slap Jun across the face and says she doesn't like to be man-handled. She explains that her name is Shinku that she is the fifth of seven dolls made by the legendary creator Rozen but as she is telling her story Jun is assaulted by a psychotic clown doll that seems to come from nowhere. Shinku tells him that if he wants to stay alive that he must enter a pact with her and become her servant, panicked, Jun accepts and Shinku quickly disposes of the psycho clown and a ring of servitude appears on Jun's finger. As Shinku's unwilling servant he starts learning to deal with his anti-social disorder but Shinku also in turn learns of Jun's modern world and that not everything centers around her.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12
Review:
Rozen Maiden is a great series that has the right running time of 12 episodes and presents itself in a light-hearted manner for all types of plot aspects like, comedy, drama, even a little action. It has a very interesting story that applies to the Rozen Maidens themselves (the dolls) and each one is unique with her own attitude, look, and vocal style which really stands out and gives them their own remarkable individuality. Each of the Rozen Maidens learn about sisterhood instead of fighting and while this happens Jun is finding himself being drawn into their squabbles as he slowly realizes that he's overcoming his own psychological disorder and begins to fight his own personal demons. This series presents a great message about self discovery through tough love and that everyone has a good side to them no matter how deeply it's buried, you just have to read between the lines sometimes.
My take on this series? It's wonderful, I actually thought it was going to be this overly cutesy goofball comedy and it's not... not even close. Sure, it's funny at times but doesn't rely on stupid gimmicks to make you laugh nor does it try to smash the viewer with complicated drama either. Instead, the series mixes everything with an interesting enough story that you will be pressed to go from episode to episode to learn more of the Rozen Maidens and if Jun will overcome his personal fears while becoming more mature in his own way. Even though the show is a few years old the animation is superb and the orchestrated soundtrack fits perfectly with the look and style of the Maidens with it's semi gothic undertone. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a season 2, Rozen Maiden Traumend, but it's no where near the accomplishment of season 1 as it had too many loose ends and incomplete story arcs where as season 1 had closure and you could just simply stop there and be satisfied. But, if you're like me and there is a next season to any anime you like you'll watch it regardless.
Rozen Maiden (opening)
Rozen Maiden (ending)
Recommendation: |High|
Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation/Geneon
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
