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Have you ever wondered what would happen to a banana if it were placed in a time travelling microwave? Neither have I, but Steins;Gate plays with this arbitrary idea along with a few other alluring what-ifs on the subject of time travel. Based on the visual novel of the same name, this 24-episode television adaptation is something of a science-fiction thriller topped with a welcome quantity of humour – as it’s come to be expected in most anime series nowadays. It comes as an odd realisation that an industry as creative and inventive as the one of Japanese animation would have such few attempts at ... delving in the ever puzzling and intriguing topic of time manipulation to showcase for. Sure, plenty of series have toyed with the theme in one way or another, and the recent The Girl Who Leapt Through Time made exemplary use of the concept in what turned out to be an appropriately casual but memorable feature length piece, but most would-be examples preferred to cast time travel off in the supporting role rather than making it the star of the show.

In Steins;Gate, however, time travel makes for the quintessential leading man. It’s as much of a character in the story as our accidental heroes: a group of individuals with colliding personalities gathered together by Okabe Rintarou (although he would prefer to be called Hououin Kyouma), a self-professed ‘mad scientist’ who’s always on the lookout to increase the budget of his small apartment laboratory and come up with new and strangely-named ‘future gadgets’ – as he refers to them. Okabe’s bunch is a scarce one at first, made up entirely of him, the slightly chubby and not so slightly sexually perverted Daru, and lovable airhead Shiina Mayuri. Daru handles all things related to computer tech, Mayuri provides light entertainment and some funds when the laboratory demands so, and Okabe strolls around entranced in his countless conspiracy theories (much to our amusement).

Things start off with Okabe witnessing the murder of a talented young researcher by the name of Makise Kurisu while attending a conference on time travel. His sending of a text message regarding the incident to lab partner Daru triggers a change in the recent past, causing among other things the deceased Makise to be alive and well, much to Okabe’s astonishment. Once the crew realise that the microwave gadget in the lab is capable of time travel, they start experimenting with it, discovering more and more details of this bizarre phenomenon as time goes on – or rather backwards in this case.

There’s a fine story at play here, and the dynamic between the various characters – superior to that in most other shows in recent years – makes for engaging episodes. As with pretty much every other piece of fiction on the subject of time travel, suspension of belief is more or less required if one is to follow the story without screaming for plot holes every five minutes, but Steins;Gate is remarkably watertight in that respect (as watertight as time travel can get anyway). The adventures of Okabe and co. are plausible enough so as not to warrant any confusion or unnecessary scepticism on the viewer’s part, and time travel is portrayed in a relatively logical and easily understandable fashion.

Getting back to the characters Steins;Gate boasts an ensemble that rises above the copy and paste of a considerably large amount of today’s anime series. Surprisingly enough, what gives Steins;Gate this advantage is not the fact that the characters here are unique or anything of the kind, but rather that the characters contain a certain something that sets them apart from the prototype. Okabe undoubtedly shares the traits of the model protagonist, being the most important and crucial piece in the narrative chess game, but he’s oddly enough also used as the primary comic relief of the show. Now, there’s a dangerous line one is walking when deciding to blend hero and jester in a single mix, and often the consequences of not playing the card right far outweigh the benefits of getting the ace in the hole, but the dramatis persona of Okabe is done so well – whether by intention or pure accident – that in a couple of years, prompted by the kick-in of nostalgia, people will be looking back and saying: ‘Now that was a good leading character.’

It’s not merely Okabe that stands out in this manner, though, but the rest of the bunch as well. Mayuri’s kawaii adequately represents the calm before the storm, contrasting the ‘darker’ turn of events that comes to fruition later on in the narrative journey – during which the character is also given a neat little twist which loosens up her cardboard shackles. Daru remains pretty constant throughout, though his lewd ways generate some delightfully amusing moments thanks to the clever dialogue, and latter developments in the plot push him towards three-dimensionality and consequently help him keep up with the rest of the band (insert weight joke here). Then there’s Makise Kurisu: a tsundere by all accounts of the definition, but far more tolerable in that regard than most of her kinsfolk, and quite a competent love interest as well. The romance subplot involving the relationship between her and Okabe never gets in the way of the main narrative but it never drifts off to the side either; in other words, it is thoroughly well-done and appropriately sweet.

There’s a reason for mentioning the turn of events in the previous paragraph. Despite its seemingly cheerful nature, Steins;Gate is not entirely untainted by a figurative dark side. In fact, the tone alters a good deal throughout its telling of the story, and hints of this change of heart are given as early on as the very first episode. However, whether this transformation causes an occurrence of welcome balance or displeasing distortion in the temper of the series or whether it hits or misses its targeted purpose is more up to the individual viewer to decide rather than being the task of a unanimous collective.

Unlike its impressive storyline or its striking characters, Steins;Gate isn’t particularly distinctive in terms of its visual aesthetics. Aside from some noteworthy character design – especially noticeable in the various and creative close-ups of Okabe – and an interesting choice of colour palette, there’s little to distinguish the series from today’s model of shows. It’s basically a template dipped – moderately, not entirely – in a bucket of neutral colours. In other words, Steins;Gate shows a clear affinity for patterns of white, gray, and black, which is ultimately the only thing that gives the show somewhat of a visual signature. One of the greatest weaknesses is found behind the curtain, in the background and scenery department. While the imagery works well enough in interior locations such as the laboratory, there are a few stumbles when it comes to the outsides.

The title sequence encapsulates the essence of the series rather well, delivering an eye-catching journey themed around time and all its musings. All the while Itou Kanako’s ‘Hacking to the Gate’ plays in the background – a resounding tune fuelled by a powerful chorus that empowers the rapidly shifting images on the screen. The closing credits aren’t as stirring, but the concluding piano track is effective enough to provide a gratifying final touch to each episode.

Steins;Gate may not be the be-all and end-all of anime time travelling, but it’s certainly an above average exercise in more than one respect. Benefitting from all-around superior writing and a smoothly told story with characters that draw in, drama that manages to capture, and comedy that produces laughter and grins, it’s hard to consider the series as anything other than a success. It’s safe to say that no one will want to go back in time and warn their past selves to avoid this show after giving it run through.

Fact is wherever there’s anime, there’s almost always some sort of fan service to be had as well. Ecchi series have been around for quite some time now and with every new show there also seems to be a continuous rise in the explicit material that is allowed to be shown on television, much to the delight of many otakus out there. One such show that pushes the boundaries is Kiss x Sis, an ecchi anime that attempts to blend perversion and comedy while also throwing some incest in the mix. Oh joy.

Kiss x Sis focuses on male protagonist Suminoe Keita and the shenanigans pulled ... on him by his two older twin sisters – or stepsisters, to be more accurate. The story takes place during Keita’s last year in middle school as he struggles with his final exams while also trying to resist (‘deal with’ would be the more accurate term, actually) his sisters’ often perverted advances towards him. Obscene things happen, comedy ensues, and so on and so forth.

Most episodes adopt a casual pace and narrative typical of many other ecchi anime – not much happens plot-wise for the most part. Of course, there are some episodes that are an exception to the rule, though unfortunately in this case that’s not a good thing. Kiss x Sis does well in the ecchi and comedy departments, delivering some truly borderline hentai moments and successfully mixing in humour whenever the need arises. Surprisingly enough, the episodes that focus more on this aspect and disregard plot development are the ones that are the most enjoyable out of the lot.

As mentioned earlier, things don’t work too well when the anime goes for a more plot-oriented episode. Keita’s preparation for his upcoming exams makes for a useful plot point at first, delivering some good laughs as the sisters go about their usual sneaky ways in trying to intervene with Keita’s study hours both to support him and—perhaps more importantly—to get closer to him. Unfortunately, as the series progresses, a continually increasing focus is given to the more dramatic side of the story, which does not work at all simply because there’s no character development there to support it and also due to the fact that there’s a lack of compatibility between the comedy slash ecchi side and the serious side of the show.

There are moments when Kiss x Sis finds greatness and in turn delivers solid entertainment filled with humour and fan service that at times will leave you wondering just how far this anime is willing to go in that respect, but ultimately the series is brought down by its unnecessary need to inject drama into the whole affair. Those looking for ecchi and some entertainment will certainly not go wrong with Kiss x Sis, but then again, there are plenty other shows out there that offer more in pretty much every department.

Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls is the kind of anime show that seems to have everything going the right way before it even starts airing. A storyline revolving around samurais? Check. Edgy visuals that make the anime stand out from the rest? Check. Fan service? Double check. All the ingredients to make a great anime series are present, which makes it all the more perplexing that Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls turned out to be a complete failure of a show.

Let’s start at the beginning. Taking place in Great Japan in an alternate timeline where the samurai tradition has been kept alive through modern age, the show ... starts off with the arrival of protagonist Muneakira Yagyuu at a samurai academy, where he accidentally stumbles upon Yukimura Sanada and her bodyguard Matabei Gotou as the two undress, encounters childhood friend and princess of the Tokugawa clan Sen Tokugawa, meets the quirky Jubei who he seems to share a special connection with, and otherwise gets to know a good deal of other female students. However, no one seems to be aware of the fact that Great Japan is standing before a grave threat; one that shares a long history with the country.

It’s hard to get a good sense of what Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls is about during the first episodes, because when it comes to story progression, the series is all over the place. Taking a look at the first half of the show’s episodes, close to nothing happens that is relevant to the plot. It seems as though the anime forgot that it actually has a story to tell, concentrating too much on trying to deliver as much entertainment value as possible, but ultimately failing in that respect as well, with many jokes simply falling flat and the amount of humour ending up to be rather insufficient overall.

The second half of the series isn’t much better either. Whereas the earlier episodes seemed to go nowhere, the final ones feel extremely rushed. Characters are introduced on the go, the antagonistic threat literally appears out of the blue, and the plot suddenly rises in scale with no explanation whatsoever. In addition, despite having so much time on its hands to allot for character development (early on the episodes are basically just various interactions between characters put together to reach the twenty minute mark), most characters end up feeling rather underdeveloped, with protagonists such as Jubei and Muneakira turning out to be nothing more than cardboard cut-outs of anime stereotypes as the show concludes.

The only thing preventing Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls from being a complete waste of time is the visual department, where the series clearly stands out. Boasting an unconventional look, the show features a stunning art style comprised of detailed—albeit not particularly original—character design, backgrounds in wash painting style, and ink drops marking scene transitions and censorship, in case you’re watching the censored version. The animation is also relatively well-done, though for an anime revolving around samurai warriors, the amount of fight and action scenes is surprisingly sparse.

Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls also lacks in scope. Aside from a number of scenes that I can count on the fingers of one hand, only the characters relevant the plot are shown, making the anime unbelievably disconnected from the world the story takes place in and causing the experience of watching the show to feel like a far-off and underwhelming venture. There’s a lot more to complain about, but the things mentioned earlier should give you a general idea of what to expect and—more importantly—what not to expect from Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls going in.

The world of anime never ceases to come up with new and fascinating series, original and interesting storylines, or iconic and highly memorable characters. There’s a reason why this form of entertainment (and art) has attained such widespread reach over the years, and I truly believe that its decisive power lies in the near unrestrained creativity present in each and every anime series, original video animation, and whatnot. This freedom of expression and imagination has become somewhat of a signature for the Japanese animation industry, acting as sort of an assurance that anime features plenty of exclusive elements and things you won’t get to see ... anywhere else. Sometimes that can be a bad thing (if you know what I’m saying), but let’s face it, most of the time that’s undeniably beneficial to both the creators and the viewers.

A recent anime series, entitled Durarara!!, is a perfect demonstration of what the Japanese animation industry is capable of and the benefits of its broader range of creativity. Stretching over twenty-four episodes (not taking into account any possible OVAs or specials), Durarara!! tells a wonderfully unique story set in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo, Japan. Dealing with themes such as friendship, betrayal, gang wars, the urban lifestyle, identity and the lack thereof, consumerism, and even the supernatural, its storyline is beautifully complex, surprisingly comprehensive as a whole, and features several intertwining story arcs that blend together in an impressive manner.

Durarara!! starts off with the teenager Mikado Ryugamine and his arrival in Tokyo, where he is greeted by his childhood friend Masaomi Kida, who has lived in the city for several years now. Mikado has longed for a big city life ever since he was young, and was newly convinced by Masaomi to transfer to his current high school in Japan’s capital, Tokyo. During their childhood, the two have been best friends up until Masaomi moved away, and have kept in touch through the internet ever since then. As they finally meet again in one of the biggest cities in the world, Masaomi wastes little time with catching up and immediately proceeds to show the timid Mikado around Ikebukuro. However, Mikado, still overwhelmed by the intimidating urban lifestyle prevailing throughout Tokyo, is even more stunned after realizing just how many secrets and mysteries this city actually holds.

While Masaomi shows Mikado around the city, he also introduces him to a bunch of people, some friends of his, others not so much, something which can be seen as an act of setting up the exposition upon which the rest of the series will depend. Durarara!! features a lot of characters and every episode follows more than a single plotline, so it may take a while to become comfortable with the occasionally frantic pace and often perplexing storyline prevailing throughout the series, though once the first impressions settle in, it all becomes a very exciting and interesting ride, thanks to the various fascinating elements making up the story as the anime progresses.

As mentioned earlier on, Durarara!! is a series that is very rich in characters and story arcs. As far as the protagonist goes, Mikado Ryugamine would be the obvious pick, though under the surface, things are a little more complicated than that. The first few episodes definitely focus on Mikado for the most part, developing him as a lead character and also using him as a means of constructing the exposition of the series. Once things are in place, a great deal of characters that were previously introduced come into play and several story arcs begin to take shape. On one side, there’s the group of high school friends consisting of the above mentioned Mikado Ryugamine, his longtime buddy Masaomi Kida, and the voluptuous, introverted and often shy Anri Sonohara. There’s an interesting, though perhaps somewhat clichéd dynamic going on between the three of them, and the full extent of their common bond only emerges towards the finale.

Another set of characters come into focus a little further down the line, some of the more noteworthy consisting of Shizuo Heiwajima, a bodyguard wearing a bartender’s uniform and sunglasses who is widely known around Ikebukuro as the strongest man in the world, Izaya Orihara, a young and enigmatic information dealer who seems to manipulate other people for his own enjoyment—he’s also Shizuo’s sworn enemy, and last but definitely not least, a mysterious motorcyclist known as the black rider who is often seen driving around Ikebukuro for unknown reasons—rumours have it that the rider is actually headless, an allusion to the legend of the headless horseman. These are only but a few of all the characters appearing in the series, giving you sort of an idea of how expansive the world of Durarara!! is, even though the entire anime takes place in one common location: the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo.

As impressive as Durarara!! is on a narrative level, it also excels in the visual and sound departments. The art and animation of the series is thoroughly impressive, giving each particular character a unique appearance that contributes to making an impression on the viewer. The city of Tokyo is beautifully portrayed, and Ikebukuro is drawn in a way that gives it a special urban atmosphere, with particular attention given to the nightlife, which truly vibrates amidst the glow of streetlights and hidden secrets. Durarara!! features an art style that is a little different from the usual anime series, meaning that characters are a little more rich in detail, have a slightly different build and their specific facial traits are more accentuated. What that means is that it may take a while for some viewers to get used to this particular style, though ultimately, it fits the overall feeling of the series well.

The series is also complemented by solid voice acting and a very impressive and memorable soundtrack, constituting a vigorous and upbeat opening track during the first half of the show and a very evocative and somewhat melancholic one during the other half. Both songs work well and are especially catchy, never seeming to get old, even after twelve episodes have passed. Unfortunately, the two songs played during the ending sequence of the episodes are a little underwhelming and definitely do not measure up to the standards set by the ones playing during the introductory section, but that’s just a small complaint, because the music tracks are still quite fitting, meaning that the mood prevailing throughout the show is never ruined.

As good of an anime series as Durarara!! is, it still exhibits a fair amount of flaws and imperfections along the way. The narrative power and expansiveness of the show has proved to be its strongest suit, but it has also made way to a few inconsistencies in the flow of the story, as well as a couple of unresolved plot points that have garnered over the course of the series’ running time. The ending of Durarara!! feels pretty rushed, a common shortcoming among many other anime series, which will surely anger some viewers, especially considering the time the show spent on developing certain characters and plot elements. It definitely could have used one or two more episodes to properly conclude things, if you ask me. Here’s to hoping that a second season will be made in the future—however unlikely—that will sort out some of these unresolved issues.

Its rushed finale and partially unfinished storyline aside, Durarara!! is an excellent anime series that is unique enough and boasts plenty of originality so as to make it one of the best show of the year. It’s definitely the most well-written series in a significant amount of time, featuring thoroughly intriguing characters and engaging story arcs. The way everything intertwines and relates to each other during the course of the story is quite fascinating and it’s definitely interesting to see how things unfold in the end. Personally, seeing Durarara!! nail the look and feel of an urban lifestyle and depict the city of Tokyo in such a gorgeous way has sealed the deal for me, though I’m sure others will find plenty of diverse things to hold on to while on a ride through the mysterious Ikebukuro.

When I was younger, I used to watch an anime series called Kickers which revolved around football (or soccer for some). It was one of my very first encounters with anime and it definitely left an impression on me as a child, especially with its inspiring message and characters. Of course, as I grew up I started realizing that the world isn’t as perfect as Kickers depicted it—you wouldn’t always end up coming out on the winning side from conflicts and battles. I also learned that there’s no “I” in team and that a single person can’t stand victorious without some kind of help. Kickers ... was an anime series that took football and depicted it in an idealized form, but it’s not Kickers that I’m going to talk about, but rather a much more recent anime that also deals with football, but in a very different way.

Giant Killing is an anime series based on the ongoing football manga of the same name. Despite what its title may suggest, Giant Killing delivers a realistic depiction of a sports team and its struggle to compete in Japan’s top football league. In other words, no, it does not feature football players battling each other with samurai swords and magical abilities. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall any people dying throughout the entire running time of this anime either. All jokes aside, the title ‘Giant Killing’ refers to the act of an underdog team coming out victoriously from the hardest of matches and winning against all odds.

The story focuses on Japanese football team East Tokyo United (or ETU short) which is having difficulty competing in the country’s top football league and barely avoided relegation last season. There is little hope for the team and even its fans are slowly starting to abandon it, but all is not lost yet, for ETU has selected a new manager for the upcoming season and he is not to be taken lightly. Former East Tokyo United player, Takeshi Tatsumi is hired to coach ETU after previously leading the English amateur team FC Eastham to victory.

Takeshi Tatsumi is a highly puzzling and intriguing character and often works in unconventional ways when training his team and preparing them for upcoming matches. His eccentric ways and his mysteriously confident personality easily make him the most interesting and important character in the series, but he is not the anime’s main focus. As a matter of fact, there is no such thing as a protagonist in Giant Killing. Instead, the series concentrates on the ETU team as a whole and even though it does feature some minor character arcs from time to time, it always remains devoted to portraying the characters as a group rather than individuals with a predetermined level importance.

Unfortunately, Giant Killing also comes with a limited budget and therefore may prove to be unsatisfying for some when it comes to its portrayal of the football matches. Action and tension are present, of course, but Giant Killing falls short when it comes to delivering fast-paced football games. Some will be okay with that while others will irreversibly turn their heads and prematurely walk away from the series. However, those who do decide to stay will come to experience a football anime series that is very unique at its core and which will deliver some really impressive things that will ultimately make up for its shortcomings in the animation department.

Unlike the series’ animation, Giant Killing boasts a fairly good look in terms of art and style. Each of the characters present throughout the anime have their own specific appearance, which helps a lot when it comes to the viewer connecting with them and being able to identify them individually early on. Even though the anime tries to focus on each of the ETU players in equal amounts, some characters tend to stand out more than others.

In addition to Takeshi Tatsumi, who always remains a central character and is vital to the progression of the story, there are other notable characters such as the team captain and veteran Shigeyuki Murakoshi, who fans call ‘Mr. ETU’ for keeping the team together through the hardest of times, inexperienced but talented newcomer Daisuke Tsubaki and Italian midfield superstar Luigi Yoshida (or simply Gino), nicknamed ‘Prince’ for his impressive abilities on the field and his narcissistic tendencies. Of course, these are only but a few of the extensive amount of characters that Giant Killing manages to bring to the story. Apart from the football players, the series also goes on to develop side characters such as fans of the team, journalists, photographers and even opposing team players and managers.

Despite what some may believe, being able to enjoy Giant Killing does not depend on whether you’re a football enthusiast or not. Knowledge and understanding of the sport are not as crucial here when it comes to the anime’s watchability. The series does an excellent job at delivering an exciting look into the world of football, particularly that of team ETU, and the interesting characters help keep things exciting from start to finish. Sports anime may not appeal as much to some than they do to others, but it would be a shame to miss out on Giant Killing and what it has to offer simply because it’s often very different from the usual ride and viewers may find it a very rewarding experience.

Titles are essential in most forms of entertainment in order to draw attention. Titles, however, can also be misleading. Such was the case for me and the anime series entitled The Legend of the Legendary Heroes. It may be have been just me, but for some reason I did not find the title to be particularly appealing and it certainly did not paint an image that seemed interesting to me—it felt too simple, too exaggerated. Then again, titles can be misleading.

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes is a fantasy piece—a tale of magic and war in land inspired by Europe during the Middle Ages. It ... deals with Feudal Warfare, more or less. Its focus lies in a number of characters, each taking up a particular role in shaping the world that they reside in. The Roland Empire is the country brought into our attention. At its throne lies the striving Sion Astal, a king of quite a young age, but one that has decided to do everything within his power to change his kingdom for the good. Things are looking better than they have been for a while in Roland, but the greatest battle has yet to take place, for behind the shadows lie assassination attempts to overthrow the king and various conflicts between the neighboring countries.

Sion Astal knows that in order to prevail and fulfill his dream of changing the world for good he must find alternative ways of going about the problem. Therefore, he sends his good friend Ryner Lute, whom he made a promise to make the world a better place, and Ferris Eris, a female swordsman stemming to a clan in charge of guarding the king, beyond the borders of Roland and upon a journey to search for ancient relics that are said to have once belonged to a great warrior. These relics may hold the power to single-handedly turn the tides of battle in the bearer’s favour.

Apart from the three aforementioned characters, which could be called the most important ones in the series, there are still lots of other ones that receive a notable amount of screen time and are quite vital to the progress of the story, such as Sion Astal’s right-hand man Miran Froaude (a highly interesting character that remains as puzzling in the end as he ever was) or Milk Callaud, the captain of Roland’s taboo-breaker squad who has her own personal reverse harem.

Too many anime series like to paint their characters in black or white, but The Legend of the Legendary Heroes always remains in the gray area with most of its characters. Sure, Ryner Lute is a typical protagonist, yet even he has some pretty dubious past experiences. What’s fascinating is the way we gain a different perspective on certain characters, since some tend to change their alignment (or so it appears, at least) or something about them is revealed that puts them in a completely different light. Flashbacks are no stranger in this anime and they are often used in clever ways, usually giving us more insight about the characters and their principles (or their lack of them), but they also tend to become dull or overused at times (so everyone had a bad childhood—how convenient).

Magic plays an important part in The Legend of the Legendary Heroes. The person most in contact with it is Ryner Lute, who is actually one of Roland’s greatest magicians (not many know this since he prefers afternoon naps over battles) and an Alpha Stigma bearer, meaning his eyes can detect forms of magic, but he is cursed as much as he is blessed, for those possessing the Alpha Stigma tend to go out of control and destroy everything in their path if things get too intense. There’s certainly some sword fighting to be had throughout the series (especially from Ferris’ part), but most battles are fought using magic. Thankfully, the fight scenes are very well-done and they’re always highly entertaining and easy to decipher (no weird camera angles or hurried editing here, don’t worry).

One of this anime’s most impressive aspects is the story. It may not be innovative or original, but it’s executed in a spectacular manner, often exploring different themes or following several plot paths all at once. The main storyline never feels neglected, but somehow the series always finds time to develop other things at the same time and offer each of its characters satisfactory screen time. The episodes work great because their filled with a lot of variety, often featuring fashbacks and focusing on several plot points. The Legend of the Legendary Heroes gets a lot done in twenty minutes’ time, always remaining entertaining yet never feeling rushed or overloaded.

The art and animation is truly excellent, often eye-popping, but it does exhibit some problems. For one, some of the characters’ facial expressions could have been drawn better, especially when it came to scenes depicting comedy. My other gripe is with an episode about halfway through the series which uses a different art style from the rest of the episodes. The reason why the anime changed styles was because the episode was more action-packed than the usual ones, but that still doesn’t excuse the fact that that certain episode felt too unfamiliar to work in balance with the rest of the series.

Perhaps the most important drawback of this anime is its conclusion, or rather the lack thereof. While the series does not end with a cliff-hanger, it does leave most things open for a supposed sequel. However, a sequel coming out or not completely depends on how well this anime does on a financial level (it hasn’t been doing very well up to this point from what I’ve heard). So before deciding whether to give The Legend of the Legendary Heroes a watch or not, you might want to take into consideration the fact that things may never be resolved if no sequel is produced (of course, we’ll always have the light novels to ease that pain).

Despite such flaws, The Legend of the Legendary Heroes remains an excellent fantasy anime series. The story is very well done, the characters are thoroughly interesting and adopt shades of gray instead of black and white and every episode is as enjoyable as the previous one. Don’t let its corny title be the deciding factor when it comes to considering whether The Legend of the Legendary Heroes is worth your time.

Few anime are as unique and interesting as Shiki, a series which has taken the vampire genre and turned it into something very special. Right from the start, Shiki feels very different from the usual anime fare, especially when it comes to its look. The art is great, but what’s striking about the anime is the character’s appearance. There are a lot of characters in this one, but what’s so impressive is that they all have their own unique look—the odd hairstyles will definitely turn some off, but I always found it to be one of the things that make the series so beautiful and ... distinct in appearance.

Shiki takes place in the quiet and peaceful village of Sotoba, where a mysterious and wealthy family moves in during one summer. What follows is a series of inexplicable deaths that mark the start of a chain of events that will ultimately change the once harmonious village forever. Shiki follows a story that is well-crafted and tells several intertwined conflicts that come face to face sooner or later. As mentioned before, there are tons of characters to be found in this anime, but few actually feel underdeveloped. All of them have a purpose and rarely do we stumble upon a character that is not interesting—that’s just how well-written Shiki actually is.

There’s an undeniable sense of progress driving this anime. At first, it’s all about a mysterious event in a seemingly harmless village devoid of any unusual activities, but it slowly escalates towards something much bigger and a lot more engaging. By the time Shiki is finished, it will have evolved so much that you’d be surprised if you took a second look at the first few episodes. On a different note, it’s also worth mentioning that this anime can feel quite unconventional and odd at times, which might turn some viewers off. It has a strange way of going about things, that’s for sure, but its distinctive traits are what make Shiki so special.

Characters die, new ones are introduced and some become more or less important over the course of this anime, but not one is overlooked or forgotten. Amongst the most significant ones are Toshio Ozaki, the doctor in charge of the local hospital, Natsuno Yuuki, a teenager who moved to the countryside with his parents but hates living in the village, and Seishin Muroi, a local priest who also writes novels. These are but a few in a line of fascinating and unique characters, many of which play a pretty even role throughout the anime. It’s hard to consider which ones are the main characters in Shiki, but for me the three mentioned above seem to play the most important part.

While Shiki’s story may be one of a kind, it’s also one that tends to feel a little dull in certain parts. The investigation of the mysterious events that happen throughout the anime may be a little overlong and mostly dialogue-oriented, but once the reveal kicks in, things start to move a lot faster and more and more action fills up every episode. What’s so captivating about Shiki is the way it portrays the relationship between vampires and humans, and how these two sides come in different conflicts as they each try to fight for survival. It gets quite brutal at times, but it never feels gratuitous or unbearably violent, instead always keeping a precise aim at what the anime wants to accomplish.

There’s really not much else to say about Shiki, other than the fact that it’s a breath of fresh air in the vampire genre, which is becoming more and more exploited every day. Not many manage to capture such a wonderfully unique image of vampires as this series does and that alone makes it worth the watch. For a better experience, those deciding to give Shiki a try should first be aware that this anime is quite a different beast from the usual fare, but it is also a very rewarding path to take, for Shiki is certainly one of the best anime series of the year.

Yosuga no Sora is an anime adaptation of the adult visual novel of the same name and it tells the story of the Kasugano twins, namely Haruka Kasugano and his sister Sora, who move to the countryside after losing their parents in a tragic accident. After making new friends, Haruka turns out to be highly appealing to the girls around his newfound home and must make several decisions between pursuing love and protecting his younger sister.

Not much stands out between Yosuga no Sora and every other romance anime, except for the fact that this one boasts a surprisingly potent amount (see what I did there?) ... of ecchi –almost borderline hentai—and also some incest. Much like the other popular romance anime of this year, Amagami SS, with which it shares quite a few similarities, Yosuga no Sora is separated into several story arcs, each arc following a different path as Haruka gets involved with the female characters of the show.

The narrative in Yosuga no Sora is not as linear as it appears to be at first. As a testament to this are the various story arcs that are unbalanced in length, with some taking more than others to conclude a path in the story. Furthermore, some episodes don’t belong to any arc whatsoever and are only there to serve as a build-up for the things to come. An example of this are the first two episodes, with the first one containing mostly exposition and an introduction to the story, while the second one sets things up for two story arcs that follow after it. Don’t bother overanalyzing this anime’s structure, for it will only lead to confusion and possibly even degrade your impression of it.

At its core, Yosuga no Sora feels like a harem anime, with Haruka being the ‘prince charming’ and almost every girl he meets of his age falls for him, sooner or later (usually instantly). However, the story arcs that go on to develop each character make the anime feel special in its own way, and even though some of them aren’t as interesting as others, they still are worth sitting through just to see how it plays out.

Nudity is not uncommon in Yosuga no Sora, so be prepared for some graphic sex scenes and other stuff. What makes this anime the most controversial, however, is the incest relationship between Haruka and his sister Sora, which makes for a good amount of graphic scenes in the last story arc. If this does not sound like your cup of tea, then I suggest you skip it, for it is pretty much exactly as it sounds.

As I said before, some story arcs are more interesting than others, which leads to an unfortunate imbalance that may turn some viewers off. I’ll say a couple of words about each arc in particular without trying to spoil too much, just so you know what you’re getting into. From the anime’s opening credits, one can deduce that Yosuga no Sora deals with six different girls, though that is not entirely true.

There are two girls that don’t have their own arcs (although some extra content may be included in the DVDs/Blu-rays): Motoka Nogisaka, who plays a maiden, gets most of her screen time after every episode ends in a series of mini-events that portray her growing relationship with main character Haruka, so it could be argued that she does have her own story arc in an unconventional manner. The second one is Kozue Kuranaga, chairman of the Student Body. In the first episodes, it seems that she will play a role similar in size to the other girls and she will probably get her own story arc, but that never happened and she was pretty much ignored in the story until the final episodes, where she started playing a bigger role again. It is likely that Kozue will get her own story arc in the DVDs and/or Blu-rays.

The first half of Yosuga no Sora deals with two girls, Kazuha Migiwa and Akira Amatsume, who are quite close to each other and it is left for Haruka to discover the truth about their relationship as he gets to know each of them more and more. While Kazuha comes from a very wealthy family and is surprisingly mature for her age, Akira is exactly her opposite, being more of an immature and energetic nature. She’s also a shrine maiden in the village and lives in a small shrine near the mountains. My reaction to both Kazuha’s and Akira’s story arcs was relatively lukewarm. On the one hand, I found the story revolving around them to be somewhat interesting, but ultimately it seemed to underdeveloped for me to enjoy it. Furthermore, their romantic relationship with Haruka felt mostly rushed and unnatural, especially Akira’s.

The latter half of the anime is dedicated to Nao Yorihime and Haruka’s twin sister, Sora. First I’ll start with Nao, who is a childhood friend of Haruka and their relationship seems to go back a long time ago. My only gripe with Nao’s story arc is that it does not allow the viewer to learn more about her character and her past and instead focuses for the most part on her and Haruka trying to make Sora accept the relationship between them. Plus, Nao played quite a significant role in Sora’s story arc as well, which led some viewers to dislike the character completely because of her coming in between Haruka and his sister.

Last but most certainly not least, the story concludes with Sora Kasugano’s story arc, which is one episode longer than the rest (or so it appeared to me). Despite the controversy regarding the incest, I found this arc to be the most enjoyable and interesting, with the relationship between Haruka and Sora developing in a smooth manner. The feelings for each other are also not unfounded, but rather genuine and collected. The ending wasn’t exactly a happy one, but it did not feel depressing either. The arc, along with the anime, was concluded in a satisfying manner and it was definitely a step up from the way that it started.

Yosuga no Sora did not turn out the way some may have wanted it to, and I cannot help but feel that if it had pursued a single narrative line that focused more on the relationship between Haruka and Sora, it would have been much better. As it is now, Yosuga no Sora is not too different from the typical harem romance anime, though it is still worth a watch, especially for the last story arc, which was really special and definitely stood out from the rest. It’s also quite an enjoyable and entertaining anime, so there’s really not much to lose. For those of you who decide to give Yosuga no Sora a watch, be prepared to see some skin, for gratuitous nudity is not a stranger in this anime.

Amagami SS is a lighthearted romantic high-school anime with a little bit of humour here and there, telling the story of Junichi Tachibana, who had his heart broken two years ago on Christmas when he got stood up by his date. Therefore, he has a hard time opening up to his feelings and fears that he will have to spend another Christmas alone. Luckily for him, there are plenty of girls in his high school that he will soon get close to.

This anime consisting of twenty-five episodes is divided into story arcs, each leading to a different path for Junichi as he gets involved with ... different girls. There are six girls in total, each developing a deeper relationship with Junichi over the course of four episodes, after which everything resets and it starts with a different story arc. The last episode is sort of an arc on its own, and it’s mainly there to explain some stuff such as why our hopeless romantic protagonist got stood up two years ago.

Watching Amagami SS can be kind of an unstable experience, as some episodes may be better than others, or even entire story arcs could go right or wrong for each individual viewer. I did enjoy most of it, although there were indeed some ups and downs here and there, and by the end it was pretty obvious to me how I felt about each story arc in particular. As such, I’ll be giving you a closer look into each arc and why exactly I liked or disliked it. This remains, however, my own personal opinion, and I’m sure some may have a different view on the whole thing. Let’s get started now, shall we?

Some minor spoilers ahead.

Haruka Morishima

The first story arc starts in a pretty great way and I have to say that even though I did not expect much going into this anime, I was entirely captivated by the first episode. It was very entertaining and kept things at a casual level, which made it an easy and pleasant experience. Regarding Haruka Morishima, she’s in her final year and is considered one of the most popular girls in Junichi’s high school. Like I said, this story arc had a good start, but over its course I kinda felt more and more turned off by it. First of all, there’s a scene involving a weird fetish that even though is somewhat cute, feels awkward and ultimately throws that entire episode off balance. Then there’s Haruka’s personality – her insensitive manners and the way she treats Junichi at times doesn’t give much credibility to their whole “love story.” Plus, there’s little to no chemistry between them, which makes things even worse. The 10-years-later scene at the end of the arc was a nice little touch, though.

Kaoru Tanamachi

A huge improvement over the first story arc, this one works much better as it features a good sense of progress between the leads’ relationship and some drama over its course keeps things interesting and more emotionally involving. One of Junichi’s childhood friends, Kaoru Tanamachi is in the same class as him and works a part-time job as a waitress. There’s a good sense of development between them as the story goes on and the final episode delivers a satisfying conclusion, even if it feels a little rushed. The chemistry between Junichi and Kaoru is also excellent and their interactions are quite enjoyable, often accompanied by some good laughs. One of the better story arcs of the series, for sure.

Sae Nakata

Next up is Sae Nakata, an underclassman and friend of Miya’s, Junichi’s younger sister. Sae is extremely shy and the reason why Junichi and her end up spending so much time together is because Junichi decides to help her improve her social skills. Do not be surprised if you find her voice to be annoying, which many actually did. For those who enjoy Sae’s personality, this should prove to be a really nice arc, as it does pretty much everything right, including the ending.

Ai Nanasaki

Another friend of Miya’s and around the same age as her and Sae, Ai Nanasaki is part of the school’s swimming team and her first encounter with Junichi leads to her calling him a pervert. Unlike many of the other girls, Ai’s personality is easily likeable and her relationship with Junichi develops in a natural and pleasing way. Unfortunately, there were some weird stuff in this arc as well, including a trip to the amusement park that makes for some odd moments that just don’t fit in this anime. Nevertheless, Ai’s arc is an enjoyable one and has become my favourite, especially due to the well-done ending.

Rihoko Sakurai

Rihoko Sakurai is another childhood friend of Junichi, although their relationship has been minimal over the years and mostly held at a casual level. Most of this arc centers around Rihoko’s battle with her unusually big appetite as she tries to go on a diet. For me, this arc has been by far the least interesting, especially considering that nothing really happens, even in the final episode, as Rihoko and Junichi actually don’t end up being together, although it isn’t out of the question in the long run.

Tsukasa Ayatsuji

Coincidentally or not, the final story arc is the one I’ve been looking forward to the most, as I found Tsukasa Ayatsuji quite intriguing as the anime progressed. Unfortunately, this one took a surprising turn when it was revealed that Tsuakasa actually had two personalities and her real one was marked by extreme tsundere qualities. Not to say that the arc wasn’t interesting, because it really was, and the ending was satisfying enough, especially since it showed us another “10-years-later” scene, but Tsukasa’s sudden change of personality simply ruined my view of her for the rest of the arc. Still, it’s one of the most well-done arcs in the entire series.

Final episode and closing comments

The final episode features yet another girl, Risa Kamizaki, with her very own little story arc that develops in the last twenty minutes, as well as explaining why Junichi got stoop up on his date two years ago. I was mostly lukewarm towards this episode, although it was somewhat of a nice addition to the end of the series. Risa’s actions, however, made it hard to root for her or even like her, but it seems that Junichi had no problem with that at all.

All in all, Amagami SS turned out to be quite a good anime and made for some really pleasant experiences. I found it to be very addicting to watch, especially since everything develops so fast and new story arcs always make for a breath of fresh air. On a visual level, Amagami SS looks great. The art is very fitting and the animation is very well done. You won’t likely end up calling this one of your favourites, but it’s still a series well worth watching.

One of the best things about watching an anime series are the first few episodes, a time during which you form a general opinion about it and get to know the characters. Nothing beats a great start, that’s for sure, and it is then that we decide whether the series is worth following all the way through. Most recently I have been watching an anime series called Angel Beats!, which managed to grab my attention due to its unconventional plot and the impressive animation (or so I heard). While it was slightly difficult to fully comprehend its intentions at first, there’s no doubt that Angel ... Beats! had one of the most striking first episodes I have seen in any series to this day.

Much like the main character Yuzuru Otonashi, we are thrown directly into the action and must deal with a good amount of information in order to even begin to understand what exactly is going on. Usually, this kind of task makes for some dull moments and ends up making things less enjoyable, but the initiation in Angel Beats! is put well together and it avoids feeding us with anything but information that is vital to our understanding of the story. Due to the fact that the plot and setting are also quite unique, the desire to learn what is going on ends up getting a solid boost.

After waking up, Yuzuru Otonashi finds himself in a world after death where a group of rebels a fighting against Tenshi, the student council president that wants to put them all in their right place. The only real location in this supposed afterlife is a high school attended mostly by NPCs. Eventually, Otonashi ends up joining the rebel group known as the SSS in order to avoid being “obliterated” by attending classes and leading a normal life. Most of the episodes deal with the ongoing conflict between the SSS and Tenshi, but variations and new additions are certainly not absent as the story progresses.

The strong points of this anime lie in the intriguing and mostly well-developed characters and its humour. These two kinda go hand in hand as most of the laughs come from character-driven humour. A lot of the characters have certain signature moves that make for a lot of comedy along the way, such as the mysterious girl of the group only saying the phrase “How unwise.” during most situations, or the geeky dude asking everyone to call him Christ. One highly interesting character is T.K., who wears a large bandana that covers his eyes and can only speak English (well, mostly). He is, simply put, awesome, but it’s also one of those see-it-to-believe-it things, so this is about all I can say on this matter.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the music in Angel Beats! is well above the average that you would expect and there are some really good songs that we get to hear along the way. The opening song left an impression on me and the other ones were not too far back either. There’s a particular scene in one of the earlier episodes which involves a song played on an acoustic guitar. Needless to say, that scene was one of the most memorable and emotional of the entire series.

Another impressive aspect of Angel Beats! is its beautiful visual design. The animation is one of the best I have seen recently and the visuals are simply put outstanding. It is truly a delight to watch this series and the good amount of entertainment that it delivers makes things even better. It’s hard not to like Angel Beats! with all the things going for it, but sadly it is also hard to rank it among favourites due to its significant flaws.

Angel Beats! is an anime that follows a very different path than most of the others, yet ends with a surprisingly typical conclusion. Every episode is an exciting one and the anime almost always finds a way to spice things up or introduce new elements to the story. Unfortunately, most of the things we come across hold little to no importance in the end. Let’s just say that the episode before the finale ends with a bang and leaves a lot of things in the open, yet the final episode then goes on to finish with twenty emotional minutes that, unfortunately, deliver little satisfaction in terms of concluding everything. Barely anything is explained, although I guess that’s understandable since I heard that it was already known thirteen 20-minute episodes would not be enough to wrap things up. Still, a different ending would have been greatly appreciated.

In the end, I believe that Angel Beats! is well worth checking out. You won’t find many anime series that look as stunning as this one does, and even though the conclusion may leave most with a bad taste in their mouths, there are lots of things that make up for that. You’ve got some really great characters and there are plenty memorable moments that impress either through humour, emotion or simply the way they are played out. Plus, it’s all a heck of a lot of fun to watch and boredom will most likely never be an issue. Enjoy the ride!