Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!

Ah! My Goddess

Ayashi no Ceres

I enjoyed watching this anime a great deal. It's one of the few I've actually seen the whole series, and I own most of the episodes on CDs. The story begins with a conversation about a celestial being whose robe was stolen and therefore was unable to get back into heaven. I should have known that was an important piece of information, but I didn't pay it much attention. Later you are introduced to two of the main characters, Aya and Aki. They're twins and are close though they may fight a lot. The trouble all begins when Aya and Aki attend a "birthday party" at their grandfather's house. I tell you this show has so many unexpected turns, I just had to see how messed up it could get next! Ayashi no Ceres has romance, suspense, humor, and some other things that may disturb some of you...(to reveal it might ruin it for you!) I highly recommend this anime, unless you're the type that hates dragged out romances.

Card Captor Sakura

What a great anime! The main character is Sakura, this kawaii elementary school girl, who happens to find the magical Clow Cards in her basement. Accidentally she lets them fly away by calling out the Windy Card's name and in the process, lets Kero, the guardian beast, out from his slumber. Now it's up to Sakura to find the rest of the cards! Well, the art in this anime is absolutely beautiful (nothing less from CLAMP!) and the plot is really good. There's fighting for those who can't get enough of that, romanace, and comedy. I think this is my favorite magical girl anime because of all the things above I have mentioned. The beginning theme song of the first season is also one of my favorites, "Catch You, Catch Me." It is the only theme song I know in its full version, not just what you hear at the beginning of each episode. So if the other elements I've mentioned don't appeal to you, try watching Card Captor Sakura for its music!

Cowboy Bebop

What I like the most about Cowboy Bebop is that is it's unlike anything I've ever seen. When I watch episodes and try to predict what will happen at the end, I'm usually wrong or just not quite right. Spike Spiegel is the main character in this anime, and he's a bounty hunter. If that doesn't make him enough rough-around-the-edges, he's also an ex-member of a syndicate. His past is given to the audience in bits and pieces, but you get the general idea of it. His partner is an ex-cop, Jet Black, but they get help from Faye Valentine and Ed. They also pick up a data dog named Ein. These five occupy the Bebop and get into a lot of crazy stuff. And for all they're troubles, they usually end up with little bounty. That's life when you're on the Bebop. Now what kind of anime would I call Cowboy Bebop? Well, it's not really a romance (Julia and Spike don't count), and though I found a great deal of it humorous, it's not a comedy. It's mostly serious which I thoroughly enjoyed. And the music... Cowboy Bebop music is king to me. I try to know each song I hear by name and what episode it appeared in. My favorite songs so far are "Rain" which is in episode 5 and "Waltz for Zizi" which is in episode 10 at the very end. This is the anime for music; I mean, many of the titles of the episodes deal with music. "Ballad of Fallen Angels," "Waltz for Venus," and "Ganymede Elegy" are just a few. The end theme song is also one of my favorites: "The Real Folk Blues." I absolutely love the way this show is done, and the ending was also nice. Usually if something ended like Cowboy Bebop did, I would have been like "hey!!" and started kicking the t.v. screen. Wonder how Cowboy Bebop ended? I suggest you watch the entire series and find out!

Dragonball

I think there are three people that like Dragonball: those who like it purely for the fighting and the like, those who find something more in Dragonball, and those who like it because it's funny. Where does Michi fall? The group where they find something more. Yes, I agree Dragonball is fighting centered, but the relationship between the characters of the anime are interesting. For instance, Piccolo and Gohan: who would expect a human to adore a Namek? Now if you're way behind the times and don't know what Dragonball's about, I'll try to sum it up for you without simply saying "it's about a bunch of guys beating up bad guys." Dragonball is really about a man named Son Gokuu. The first season, just plain Dragonball, is about his life as a small boy and his first encounters with the outside world. Gokuu learns about the Dragonballs which can grant you a wish, which is why so many people want them. In the next two seasons (both Dragonball Z), you get more characters and most of the original ones from Dragonball. Gokuu gets stronger and so do the villians he has to fight. The last season of Dragonball, GT, is mainly unnecessary to me. It's almost as if someone who wasn't satisfied enough with the manga of Dragonball decided that they would continue Dragonball to another level. Sorry, it gets ridiculous in Dragonball GT, even though I do enjoy some things about it. Now, if you're familiar with Super Saiyajin and what that is, you'd have to think that exceeding that level past three is sort of stupid. Come on! Super Saiyajin 4? I reccomend that you watch all seasons except GT, unless you love Dragonball to death. I love it (sorry to those who don't), but GT isn't that great (lacks much of my favorite character). Oh, and do not watch the Cartoon Network version of Dragonball Z. That is anime dubbing at its worst! I could write an entire page about how terrible it is, but I won't. Get the subtitled version, I beg you. It is better, and they say cooler stuff. If Vegita's not calling Gokuu "Kakarotto," you're missing out. That's one of my favorite things in Dragonball. However, if you like the dubbed version, at least you're giving Dragonball a break. There's too many people who are anti-Dragonball...

Escaflowne

This is one of my favorites, even though the end was slightly disappointing. Hitomi is a girl who runs track at high school and is pulled into the world of Gaea. Van, the new king of Fanel, is the first one that she meets and certainly not the last. I began watching this dubbed and I liked it because Dilandau (one of the "bad guys") had the same voice as the character Genki from Monster Rancher. That was cool along with Dilandau himself. To tell you the truth, the main reason I watched Escaflowne was to see Dilandau. What happened to him at the end just disappointed me. This one is an action/romance type; it doesn't really have any comedy unless you think Dilandau is funny or Merle (a friend of Van's who has a big crush on him). I think Escaflowne is a good anime to watch, but you better get the subtitled version if you can. The dubbed won't give you as much as the subbed version will.

Eatman

Here's an anime that would be one I would probably watch episodes and episodes, trying to figure out the point of the whole show or merely the main character. The main character in this anime is Bolt Crank. He has this long white hair and wears shades 99% of the time. He looks like a bum and his attitude is curt, cold, and indifferent. I don't understand him or what his intentions are. Is he good? Or does he just do what he needs to get money? Bolt Crank has the ability to make a gun appear in his hand and to make things weirder, he eats metal (like nails and bolts) and drinks oil! I've never actually seen him eat real food, and one episode I think he ate someone's gun while they were holding it. He, like the show, is just plain weird, and he doesn't mind slapping a woman if she's the one who did the slapping first. In a way, I like that even though I don't like to see men hitting women. I mean, sometimes there are some women on animes who slap you for no good reason. I was pleased to see a man slap one of them back! (^_^) I have only seen the first four episodes of Eatman, so when I watch more of it, I will declare whether I recommend it or not; so far it seems interesting, at least.

Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

The title in parenthesis is the actual title, but I usually call it Evangelion or Eva. Ann no Aku recommended this one to me, so I took the tapes she owned and watched the series. The story revolves around Shinji, this weak wishy-washy boy who has the most bastardly father I have ever seen on an anime. Gendo is his name, and he's one of the top people in the NERV organization. Explaining Eva would be difficult because it just confused me to hell. Ann no Aku would be more suited to telling you what it was about. What I understand is that NERV has these EVA's that fight the Angels that are trying to destroy the city. These Angels are more like monsters and are really weird looking. Shinji along with Rei and Asuka pilot these EVA's. There's one more pilot, but he only got to battle once before becoming seriously injured (thanks to Gendo!). Some of Evangelion was good, so I can say that I absolutely disliked it. The end I would never watch again because when I first saw it, I died! It was long, twisted my brain into a rope, and was disturbing! Plus, Eva has alternate endings, but I can't remember how many. I suggest if you do watch this and "die" of confusion like I did, go to the many sites where intelligent people can explain Evagelion in detail. As far as Michi goes, however, I'm done with Evagelion. I'm not dealing with that anime again.

Flame of Rekka (Recca)

Talk about a show full of fighting! All admit sometimes I get bored with shows that just fight all the time, but I liked Flame of Rekka because of the sort of magical element to it. Rekka, the teenage ninja-wannabe, is able to produce a flame from his right hand and toast you with it if you're his opponent. In the battles he faces he has help from his classmates, Fuuko (Fuu), Domon, and Tokiya. Rekka also has this crazy notion that this average-looking girl in his class, Yanagi, is his Hime (Princess). If that's not weird enough, she has the power to heal and mysteriously looks like Tokiya's deceased sister. Why would I recommend this anime? Well, the fighting scences are usually good, there's comedy, the characters are interesting (as well as cute--let's say Tokiya!), and the beginning starts you off with many unanswered questions that are later answered, so you have to keep watching to find out! For example, why can Rekka shoot fire from his hand? Who's this Kage Hoshi causing Rekka all this trouble? And just why does Rekka has a great desire to be a ninja in this day and age? Curious? Watch Flame of Rekka to find out.

Hana Yori Dango

One of my favorites. I saw the first episode, and I couldn't wait for the next! The main character is Tsukushi who is this poor girl that goes to this rich high school because of a scholarship. Tsukushi just wanted to make it through two more years at Eitoku High School peacefully, but no. She had to mess with the F4. Who are the F4? The four coolest and richest boys at school. The leader of this group is Doumyouji who is not only incredibly strong, but incredibly stupid. You'd think all the money he has he could buy himself a brain. (^_^). The F4 have a habit of putting a red tag in your locker if you get on their bad side. What happens then? The whole school turns on you. I tell you these kids at Eitoku are pure evil. One moment they adore you, the next they're trying to bash your head in with a baseball bat. Well, I'm glad Tsukushi was the one to finally take a stand! She makes it known to the school and the F4 that she's not one to be pushed around so easily. At times Hana Yori Dango can drive you insane (with Tsukushi's fickleness), but generally I loved it. It was hilarious, infuriating, and romantic. All the qualities I look for in an anime. (^_^).

Inu Yasha

I'm not sure what possesed me to watch this anime. I suppose it was the fact it was made by the same person who made Ranma (Ans Maison Ikkoku for that matter), and I generally enjoyed Ranma. I think it was the second or third episode in that got me hooked on the anime. Inu Yasha is a half yokai (demon) and half human boy who lives in feudal Japan, while Kagome is a normal teenage girl in present Japan. She lives in an old shrine and happens to one day see something in the old well. Through this well she is transported to feudal Japan and meets Inu Yasha. From there, her life changes for ever. Basically Kagome and Inu Yasha travel around, trying to collect shards of the shikon no tama (you'll learn what that is) and their main enemy is Naraku. Boy, is he annoying. The show is very funny (not unlike Ranma with some of its perverted jokes). The theme songs are pretty good too, and my favorite so far is the second end theme song. Inu Yasha has adventure, romance, nice artistry (if you enjoyed the way Ranma was drawn), and I'm pretty sure you'll have a least one laugh per episode, unless it's a really serious one. So go check Inu Yasha out!

Kodomo no Omocha (Child's Toy)

Thug, pimp, and fag--three words you'll find within the first two episodes of Kodomo no Omocha. I read a summary of the first episode, and I wasn't interested at all. On a whim I downloaded the first episode, watched it, and fell in love with it. The main character is Sana Kurata, a child star of the television show, Child's Toy. Sana's not always the brightest child, but she's energetic and incredibly brave. Well, maybe energetic isn't the best word for her--more like insane. Her antagonist is Akito Hayama who is truly the devil! This boy merely glances at his gang of boys, and they do his bidding. He looks evil, with his usually unexpressive face, and his voice is calmly sinister. To tell more about Akito and Sana would ruin this show (if you hate spoilers), so I highly reccommend you buy this from a fansub distributer, a store, or download it from the internet!

Love Hina

Love Hina was a strange anime. I would definitely call it a romance. A college-bond boy named Keitaro is desperately trying to get into Tokyo University. Why? Well, when he was younger he promised to a little girl he was in love with that they'd both get into Tokyo University together and live the rest of their lives happily together. Keitaro hasn't seen this girl in years (she moved away), and he doesn't exactly remember what she looks like (even more helpful). Keitaro fails the entrance exam to Tokyo U and frankly his parents kick him out of the house. So his grandmother lets him stay at girls' dorm called Hina Sou as the new manager. Yes, great for Keitaro, right? Wrong. I believe that if I were Keitaro I would have been beating up alot of people in that house. What do I mean? Oh, you have to see for yourself. Keitaro gets into a lot of crazy stuff (not always his fault), and you have to see if he ever gets into Tokyo U and finds the girl he's been waiting for almost all his life. It's well worth watching all the episodes.

Rurouni Kenshin (Wanderer Kenshin)

Anytime I think of this show, I sigh. I love it! Dai suki! Well, it's about this swordsmen named Himura Kenshin. He meets this girl named Kaoru who owns a doujo that is quickly losing students. Kenshin ends up saving her and her doujo, and she offers to let him stay at her place. As the story goes on, Kenshin meets Sanosuke and Yahiko who also end up living at Kaoru's place (Well, Sanosuke just comes there to hang out and get a free meal). Kenshin used to be the Battosai who was an incredible killer some years back. I don't know how old Kenshin is (I've only seen up to episode 28 and there are almost a hundred episodes), but I get the feeling he is older than he looks. Kenshin is incredible! He has this reverse-edged sword that he does his special sword techiniques with. I love to see him fight, especially to see how he'll end up not killing his opponent. After all the killing Kenshin used to do, he tries not to kill anyone else. People from Kenshin's past arise to defeat him as well as he has to fight the evil that is already in the city he lives. Kenshin is a kick-ass anime. There's fighting, comedy (like when Sanosuke was afraid a photograph would steal his soul), and a hint of romance. Who wouldn't fall in love with Kenshin?? I watch it mainly to see the fights because Kenshin looks so cool when he defeats someone with his sword, so if you like fighting centered anime, (that has more depth than Dragonball) I suggest you watch Rurouni Kenshin. And I'm sure there will be enough episodes to satisfy you if you like animes that are lengthy!

Tenshi ni Narumon (I'm Gonna Be An Angel)

Just from the beginning theme song, you can tell this show is insane. Many of the characters are drawn so cutesy, it's ridiculous and much of it makes little sense. You have Yuusuke who unfortunately ends up with a strange girl named Noelle living at his house plus her family. It's not bad enough she's weird, but her family's even weirder. They take over his house and make it look like it belongs at a carnival or something. It's tacky, let me tell you. Why would I reccommend Tenshi ni Narumon? Some of the characters are interesting such as Mikael who is the mysterious boy who reads a book with blank pages, Dispel who seems like a villian someone on crack invented, and the girl Yuusuke likes (forgot her name) who looks like Hitomi from Escaflowne (but is more of a bitch). If you want to watch an anime with serious problems, this is for you.

Weiss Kreuz (White Cross)

Now this is an interesting anime. Four guys are flower shop workers by day and assasains by night. They call themselves Weiss Kreuz and they're working against a corrupt man named Reiji Takatori. The voices on this anime are superb. If you're a pretty good anime watcher, there should be at least one voice you recognize. I love this anime because it's like nothing I've seen. I mean, these guys just go around killing people! Then next time you see them, they're arranging flowers! Aya is the one who carries a sword, Youji uses a string to strangle people, Omi usually kills people with darts, and Ken has this claw (kinda like Balrog from Street Fighter) that can easily slice into people. After the first two episodes, they do an episode to tell you a little about each of the guys' pasts. Omi has the most interesting past, but the others' pasts are definitely worth looking into to. I highly reccomend this anime, and I'm sure it won't leave you bored!

Yugi-Oh!

The only reason I watched this show was to make fun of it. Imagine something like a cross between Card Captor Sakura and Pokemon. Yugi, the main character, is this shorter-than-average kid who can transform into a taller, more sinister form of himself by saying "Yugi-Oh!" That confuses me as much as these cards the characters use to battle with. I tried to understand how the battle worked, but I gave up. I've seen the dubbed version only and the voices are pretty bad, but the anime itself is too. Yugi kinda looks like a f-ed up Super Saiyajin (*sweatdrop*). Well, if you liked Pokemon, you might like Yugi-Oh.