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I've finally finished! Wow, what a ride this was! I absolutely loved this show and I'm so excited to start Shippuden! I love Shounen anime and this one was up there with the best of them. It consisted of about 130 or so canon episodes, and 90 or so filler episodes. The canon episodes were amazing and the filler were...well, filler. Going into the show, I found myself not loving the first 20 or so episodes, but once we got to the arc dealing with Haku and Zabuza, I became hooked. What really set the show off thought was when we started the ... exams. Oh my fuck I was watching like 12 eps a day and I couldn't get enough. The fighting was epic. I loved finding out about all the different jutsu specific to each character. There seems to be a divide in the fandom on Sasuke, but I loved him. I felt his pain and I loved his development.

Story:

The overlying arc of this show lies with the development of its characters. 3 ninja with different goals are growing up and learning their crafts. They go on missions along the way and each have a bit of story surrounding them. Naruto holds the spirit of a fox demon in him that was sealed by the hokage. His overall goal throughout the show is to become hokage which I hope plays out in Shippuden. Sasuke is on the path to revenge after his parents were brutally murdered when he was little. His story is one of the most thrilling. Sakura...well she wasn't my favorite. Most of the time she was either pining over Sasuke or being a burden during fights. She only slightly got better after she decided to become a medical ninja. Of course, what starts out as only 3 character arcs quickly becomes many more as we enter the Chunin exams and get a slew of new and interesting characters. From there, the show really spreads its wings and shows you why it is one of the most popular anime of all time.

Animation:

It was very hit and miss for me. Some of it was good (I.e. the Naruto vs. Sasuke fight), and some of it was below average. I'm hoping that it gets better with Shippuden because this was probably my worst critique for this show.

Sound:

The show shines here. Almost every OP and ED theme are catchy and good. I especially loved CHABA's "Parade" and FLOW's "Remember" among others. The OST music is really good too if a bit overplayed. The voice acting was also above par for the most part. During the filler, I could pick out some lacking VAs, but during the canon show, it was solid.

Characters:

Another reason why I adore this show is the characters. I have so many favorites I can't even decide who I like the most. Everyone was fledged out and everyone got their moment to shine. Some huge standouts were Gaara, Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji, Hinata, Kakashi, Jiraiya, everyone. They were so fulfilling to watch and they had their own ways of doing things and their own obstacles to overcome which made the show all the more interesting to watch.

A Note About The Filler:

The good thing about Naruto is that there was hardly ANY filler in the first half of the show. They shoved it all in at the end which is both good and bad. For one, it lets the whole show flow the way its supposed to and makes for a super interesting watch. For two (if you're a completionist like me), it makes for a tedious last half. There are only 2 filler eps and one arc during the canon episodes. I can't say I hated the filler, but I could have done without it for sure. Some standout filler were:

1. EP101 - Gotta See! Gotta Know! which is the infamous Kakashi face reveal. It is funny and definitely worth a watch.

2. EPS136-141 - Land Of Rice Fields Arc where we still get some Orochimaru and some cool stuff with Jiraiya.

3. EP168 - The Ramen episode which is so bad its good.

4. EP177 - The one with Jiraiya's book and the mailmen...it's great.

5. EPS197-201 - Trap Master Arc because I thought it was cool to see a lot of my favorites working together after so much time in just groups of 3.

6. EPS213-215 - The Menma Arc because feels.

Overall:

The show itself is super addicting. I loved the exams, the battle between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, and of course, the entirety of EPS 101-135. The battle between Naruto and Sasuke is up there with some of the best anime battles I've seen yet. It was as epic as it could get and I just loved every second. Haters can hate, but there's a reason why this show is so popular.

Watched Dubbed.

Ok, I absolutely LOVED this show. It was beautiful. I don't really know what else to say so I'll jump into the categories...

Story:

Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect with this show. The beginning is dramatic, then the show turns to comedy and Yuri is sort of chubby and not confident and I was like...meh. Then Viktor comes in and he is just a gorgeous and hilarious personality. Yuri failed at the national competition a year prior, and somehow (heheheh) a video of him performing Viktor's routine from years prior is leaked on social media. Viktor sees it and decides he wants to coach Yuri ... through the new season. From there, it is a joy to watch. There's humor in yaoi tropes, but when the characters are actually talking about love, they talk about it with mature voices. These two characters develop this relationship and it's strong and beautiful to watch. There's no homophobia, there's no gender, they just are who they are and I think that is another reason why this show was so good. This is a sports anime, yes, but it is also a love story. It's a love story between a man and his skating, his coach, and his want to grow as a human.

Animation:

A big fat 10/10. It was gorgeous to watch. As with Your Lie In April, the animation during the performances tell the story. The performances themselves were beautifully choreographed, and during some, we get flashbacks and dreamscapes that make them all the more vibrant. I couldn't look away. The characters themselves are beautiful to look at as well. Bravo animators.

Sound:

Again, I can't give it less than a big fat 10/10. The OP theme was PERFECT and was stuck in my head long after the last episode. I also enjoyed the ending theme. Very electro pop and went with the theme of following your dreams. They had some opera music in the performances which SCORE I loveeee opera, they had Beethoven, themes from Sleeping Beauty...you get the jist. All lovely to listen to. The show stopper here though, is the OST. The in-anime music during the performances were wonderful (though some aren't OST music), and the "Yuri On Ice" theme was nothing short of breathtaking. Even JJ's theme was good. I will be purchasing all of it.

Characters:

Throughout the 12 episodes, we are slowly introduced to a variety of characters. The main three are Yuri, Yurio, and Viktor. Initially, I was leery about character development, but by episode 3, I was in love with all three characters. They all had depth and pain and life to them. Developing personalities in such a short span of episodes is hard to do, but even some of the latter characters were developed enough for me to care about them. I am hoping to delve in more next season with some though like Otabek and JJ. Otherwise, I was happy.

Overall:

This is an original anime. Most anime that aren't derived from manga (that I've seen) aren't all that good in my opinion. The story here is straightforward and the conflicts are resolved easily, but damnit if it isn't a joy to watch. Free! sort of paved the way for sports shows to come back into light, and I hope this one will open even more doors for them, as well as doors for lgbtq anime to become more mainstream. Everytime I watch competition anime, I am brought back to my competitive days and it's such a great nostalgic feeling. So maybe I'm biased, but I don't care. All I know is that I thought this was a really funny and joyful show to watch in between all of my super dramatic and death filled anime I usually watch. I can't wait for season 2.

10/10. Watched subbed.

Some Spoilers Ensue:

I adore sad anime. Most that are considered sad, however, don't really make me sad. They are just depressing and usually boring. This one though, this was sad. Extremely sad. I wouldn't dare put it in the same league as Clannad, but I cried on and off for most of the second half of the anime. You know what's coming pretty much the entirety of the show, yet, somehow, it still hurt so much when it happened. It was beautiful and serene and wonderful and I'm going to gush about it my entire review so sorry in advance.

Story:

It's a simple premise really. This ... is a high school (JR High?) drama revolving around Kousei, a pianist who's rise to stardom when he was a child haunts him due to his mother's harsh way of raising/disciplining him, and her death. Because of this, he is now unable to hear the music when he plays. He then meets Kaori, a free spirited violinist with a sad secret. From there, we get a musical anime with a ton of heart and a ton of awesome music. Yes, there are a lot of obstacles we overcome along the way. Everything his mother did was terrible and, though we feel for her, we can't actually forgive her. However, the thought is there, as it is with Kousei. Yes, there is a love triangle with him, Kaori and his best friend who has been in love with him for a long time. Yes it is cliche, but did I mind? Not even a little bit because they did it right. There was no whiny backstabbing shit, no needy boo-hooing over who gets to be with who. It was fluid throughout the story and, though I favored Kaori, I was genuinely sad for Tsubaki. Not gonna lie, when I started the show, I was a bit bored, though once I got a few eps in, it started to go somewhere for me. I think it was episode 10 (maybe) when the concert happened and Kousei plays while thinking about his mother...yea, that episode hit me hard and from there, I was on and off crying the rest of the show.

Animation:

Absolutely gorgeous. I'm not kidding. The characters were beautiful. The animation during the music was beautiful. I can't even fault it a little bit. The entire thing was a cinematographer's dream to watch. This is a music anime and the music is brought to life with emotion portrayed in vivid colors and scenery. It is probably one of the most stunning anime I've watched.

Sound:

Again, 10/10. As I said, this is a music anime and it is the epitome of music anime. The OP theme(s) were gorgeous, though I will say the first was the highlight of the two, and the Ed theme "Orange" was and still is one of my favorites ever. Then there is the in-anime music. It is all classical music, some with a twist, but mostly classics that you would know. All of which are played gorgeously and all of which have significance to the story. The voice actors are perfection as well especially Kousei's VA who also does the voice of my bae Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul. The emotional impact was especially heartbreaking because of the sound.

Characters:

What can I say? Kousei was an amazing protagonist. He was dealing with a lot of shit and you could feel his emotions the entire watch. Kaori and Tsubaki as well. Both girls had issues they were dealing with and they made you feel it. I felt Kaori's sadness and her inability to tell anyone about what was going on because she was afraid. I felt Tsubaki's angst and how she loves Kaori, but wished for her to not want Kousei. There were some funny parts weaved into this anime too, but for the most part, these were broken characters. They were only in high school (JR High?) but they dealt with problems everyone deals with which makes them relatable and likable.

Overall:

I was a mess after this one. Probably my fav sad anime since Clannad and one of the best to come out of last years' batch of new anime. Mostly due to the music itself, along with the visual serenity of every piece performed. The final performance done by Kousei was one of the most beautifully heartbreaking things I've seen in any anime and there's a part when the commercial break screen pops up after the piece is over and Kousei says "Sayonara"...and just...his voice and the silence around it...my God. Sorry for gushing over it again and honestly, I could say it was definitely not perfect, but I am a person who sides with emotion over anything else and I totally felt this one.

9.5/10

Watched Subbed.

Some Spoilers Ensue:

So I went into this show late after hearing sooooo much about it and I must say, I came out impressed. It is a very intelligent, twisty, and ultimately fulfilling experience to watch. I enjoyed the numerous quotes and references to authors, along with the stunningly creative way said quotes and references were integrated into the plot.

Story: It is ultimately a testament to humanity and what we believe to be a free and non-toxic society which ironically, we are wrong about here. The story centers around a new detective named Akane who comes to the task force right as a new/unfinished case starts ... bubbling. This futuristic world revolves around a system called Sybil which measures every person's "Psycho-Pass". That is, how insane they are. The task force works with people called Enforcers who are criminals that are either reformed, or want to help society. It starts out a bit slow setting the story up, but once the audience gets to officially meet the villain, everything becomes intensely enthralling.I loved it. Mikashima and Kogami's relationship brought back some Death Note nostalgia for sure. The entire last half of this anime was just a bucket of feelings. The Sybil system reveal was perfection and how Mikashima reacted was one of my favorite parts of the show. The twists kept coming, there were some very painful character deaths, and the grand finale felt final, and closed up the arc with ease. I am definitely looking forward to the next season.

Animation: I really enjoyed the backdrops and the drones along with all of the amazingly artistic approaches to the killings. It was rewarding to watch in HD and super colorful. The character designs were also quite nice and the fluid transitions from one scene to the next kept me engaged.

Sound: The best thing about this show, other than the story, was the sound. The brilliant use of classical music during intense scenes, the themes, and the voice acting formed a gorgeous cocktail and kept my emotions engaged. I had a hard time with some of the character deaths because the voice acting and animation was so on point. I also enjoyed both opening and ending themes, though I found the first two to be slightly better than the second two. Overall, the sound was a huge plus for me.

Characters: Where do I begin? Coming into the show, I didn't really like Akane because she seemed like a typical goody-two-shoes/useless girl, but as the show went on, her development was wonderful. The same goes for Ginoza. His character growth turned him into one of my favorite characters. Obviously, my two main favorites were Kogami and Mikashima, but other characters like Kagari and Masaoka were developed so well that their deaths led me to yell at my t.v. Mikashima is probably one of my favorite villains in any show because, though his views were skewed, he had purpose behind his actions. He was just bad ass and everything I want in villains. You don't side with them, but you see where they are coming from which is frightening and rewarding. Kogami's decent was an intriguing watch as well, because you felt his pain right along with him. Awesome.

Overall: I was very happy with this experience and am excited to start the new arc. I would highly recommend this show.

9.5/10.

Watched Subbed.

Some Spoilers Ensue:

As a huge fan of the first season, I went into this expecting a lot. Granted I was a little let down in part 2 of the first season, but it seemed the writers might be able to get back on track here...so SAO2 is broken up into 3 parts and I will review each separately.

Part 1: GGO

This arc started off pretty cool...I thought we were going to get an awesome new villain and the same death in the game/death in real life drama from the first season. I was looking forward to Asuna and Kirito kicking some ass in a new world, ... but sadly, that isn't what happened. Instead, we were introduced 2 eps in, to a new character called Sinon. It was actually more like we were thrown into her life blind, but anyway, she comes in as the new lead and we get Kirito as her sidekick. That's all. None of the other characters are even relevant throughout this whole arc (and it seems to be an ongoing theme this whole season). I stuck with it and even began to like Sinon a bit, and then the big awesome reveal came: that the killer in GGO was someone from SAO. Once it hit this mark, I was hooked. Again, sadly, this didn't last long. The problem with this show has always been the pacing. In this arc especially, we deserved much more action. Especially during BoB. Instead, we got longwinded conversation episodes and weird ass shots of Shion laying on Kirito's lap though he clearly stated he's with Asuna. It was all just a mess. The reveal of who the bad guy was was also underwhelming. What was brought up as an awesome twist initially petered out quickly when you realized Death Gun was just some random from Laughing Coffin. On the plus side, there were a few parts I liked when Kirito and Sinon were first together and when she stood up for herself, but I called it that her friend was evil like 4 eps in...disappointing. 3/10.

Part 2: Excalibur:

One of the most useless and boring bouts of filler episodes I've seen yet. There was no plot here. It seems like the writers just had too many episodes to fill, so they just threw together some messy world, put our characters in it, and gave them (almost) action sequences to run through. I did LOVE Tonkii though...probably the only good thing to come from this arc. Also, I hate how Kirito has become a typical harem guy...it ruins his charm IMO. 1/10.

Part 3: Mother's Rosario:

The only reason why this season is getting 4/10 is for this arc. It isn't perfect by any means, but Asuna is my favorite character and I was happy we got to look into her life. This is another time where we got thrown a ton of new characters who we were supposed to care about. Again, this put old favorites on the back burner and, though this arc was sad, I was disappointed by the end. Sure, Yukki was interesting and cool so her death was difficult, but I would have much preferred, if they were going to do a character death, kill of someone we know. It would have felt much more devastating and would have hit much harder than a new character. True, what happened to Yukki gave Asuna strength which was rewarding to see, but the interaction between her and Kirito was what I was looking for all season, and they literally skipped over it all season until and awkward moment in the last episode where he tells her he wants to be with her forever. Also, the funeral scene when they were figuring out who created the Medicuboid was horribly placed and took away from any feeling I did have at that time. Bad form. On the plus side, the scenes with Asuna and her mom and Asuna and Yukki were a good watch so I didn't hate it. 4/10.

Animation and Sound:

As always, SAO looks gorgeous. The worlds are intricate and the character design is lovely. GGO was a little bland, but I guess it was supposed to be. Most of my favorite animated moments with in the last arc. Honestly though, the highlight, as with last season, was the sound. All the openings and endings were awesome (especially op1 and ed3). They pumped you up and it was great so bravo LiSa and Eir Aoi for dazzling us again here. The OST also is a definite highlight for this show. It worked perfectly during every scene as did the amazing voice acting. If anything else, I can't fault this show at all for it's sound.

Characters:

I touched on this already so I won't write too much here, but if you read my review of the first series, you would know I loved the characters a lot. I think that was the most disappointing thing this season: the fact that they didn't get a lot of screen time...even when they did, it wasn't really together which pissed me off. Everything that happened this season could have happened between these characters without introducing new ones. Having said that, Sinon and Yukki were worthwhile, if useless additions. I liked them when they were on the show, but ultimately, could have done without for a better experience. I really just wanted Kirito and Asuna together more. They were amazing in the first season.

Overall:

A disappointing and long-winded season. I'm hoping the inevitable season 3 will bring back the fun that was season 1, but I won't hold my breath. Some fun parts sprinkled throughout did not give me enough to overcome many boring and plotless episodes. Sorry guys, I'd skip it.

4/10.

Some Spoilers Ensue:

Before I begin let me just say that the low scores are for the anime only. For those of you who don't know, this show was derived from an explicit yaoi dating simulator. The visual novel featured 12 different endings. There was usually a good, and at least one bad for every character. There was also a specific ending for Virus and Trip as well. The true end to the game was meant to be the true end to the anime. If you haven't played the game and don't mind gorgeous and explicit yaoi boy sex, I recommend you forget about what you ... watched, and invest the 30 or so hours into Dramatical Murder...then invest another 10 or so into Reconnect to get the full background of the characters lives. I will just say that I absolutely love this game. Nitro+Chiral are yaoi game masters and I have to at least give the anime writers credit for trying to fit this entire game into a 12 episode arc.

Story: Honestly the story is very complicated. It starts with Aoba working in a shop, then meeting up with the boyfriend squad, then going after Toue who is trying to take over the world. It is very elaborate and also extremely engaging. The problem with the show is they tried to fit 30+ hours of story into 12 episodes. This caused the story to lose its magic and become somewhat of a mess. I understand the writers were trying to give each character's arc an episode, but some required much more for people who haven't played the game to come to love these characters. It was dissapointing. In my opinion, most of the people who wanted to watch this show in the first place were probably yaoi fans, so taking that aspect out all together made me really feel like I was jipped. I understand the anime is on TV so we won't get any hentai (sadly), but I was at least hoping for maybe a less linear storyline so I could see all of my favorite moments from the game acted out and not just thrown together. I wanted to see the bad endings as well but that's just me (And just BTW, taking out the bad ends means there were absolutely NO dramatical murders in the show...lol)...Also bad form with Virus and Trip only being in the show for like 2 minutes lol

Animation: ........I'm sorry, but it is made fun of a lot because it is really bad. The dialogue is terrible as well, but the animation doesn't even hold a candle to the game. I feel really bad talking so much shit, but I just feel like this show could have done so much more. The only characters who looked even remotely okay were Clear and Ren. The Rhyme worlds were okay and Oval Tower and Glitter were okay but the guard dogs were so laughable...I just don't understand the need to change miniscule things like that.

Sound: To be fair, some of the dialougue in the game was laughable as well, that was a lot of the fun of playing it, but here, it's like they were trying to put things in there to mess with us gamers...(I.E. I'm going inside you, Aoba dropping to the ground in front of Ryuuhou, etc...) Maybe it was supposed to be funny, but I just found it annoying lol. I was also disappointed in the opening and ending themes. I WISH they would have used the themes from the game! Most were gorgeous. The voice acting was well done, mostly because these voice actors are very good, but like I said, the dialogue was laughable so the feeling you did get became muddled.

Characters: I adore these characters. All are different and unique including Sei, Toue, and Virus and Trip. The problem, again, is that each were only given one episode for you to get to know them. It makes for 2 dimensional characters when they should be 3 dimentional. Each character's arc you should fall in love with them along with Aoba. You should fall in love with Aoba as well...also I thought it was funny how they portrayed Mink. He's one of the most extreme individuals in the game, and they made him into a puppy in the show. Again, bad form.

Overall, I'm sorry to the people that like the show. I just know how much better it could have been and it makes me sad it was nowhere near that caliber. I highly recommend the game (and any game by NC) but this show sadly missed the mark this time.

3/10. Watched Subbed.

Some Spoilers Ensue:

Wow...that finale....I needed a few minutes after it ended. This show was brilliant. The genre of 'zombie' or what have you is extremely overdone right now, so a show coming out about ghouls who eat humans didn't seem like it would be that good. I was happily proven wrong about that. This is considered horror, and it is, which is refreshing since it's tough to find horror anime. Also, I love that this show didn't hold back on the character deaths and psychological turmoil, especially that which was inflicted on poor Kaneki in the last episodes. It was delivered well, and added a ... huge shock factor to the show. Next to Book Of Circus, this is my favorite anime this summer.

Story: Ghouls are able to only eat one person per month, and live well...but there is one person who has been binge eating and causing problems in Tokyo. From that opening, we are treated to an interesting and action/horror packed ride through the world of ghouls. Some are heartless, some are funny, and some are loving. The beauty of the story is the fact that you don't know the outcome for any specific character. All can change. The reveals and plot twists were excellent and I was hooked from the first episode.

Animation: what can I say? It is definitely gorgeous to watch. The ghouls are interesting to look at as are all their different powers. The visuals throughout were lovely, however I would have liked to see more gore...but you're listening to a horror conesuer talking here.

Sound: outstanding...just wonderful voice acting especially from Kaneki. There's a scene at the beginning where he has just been turned ghoul and he bites into his favorite burger and starts crying...it gave me chills. The ending as well during all of the torture, he was just amazing to listen to as he went through all that horror. The theme song is one of my favorites of late as well and I highly recommend the amazing OST.

Characters: From jump, Kaneki was well developed. He is loveable and naive which are qualities that sometimes hinder the character, but not here because his dark side is also beautiful. Rize and Jason along with any other opposing villains were also very 3 dimensional causing the viewer tho harbor extreme love or hate towards any of them. I don't so much like Toka (just my preference) but am fond of Nishiki and definitely Tsukiyama. Villain or not, they are super interesting.

Overall, I hope they are going to do another season because I loved this show, but for now, I'll try to mend my feels.

8.5/10 Watched Subbed.

Some Spoilers Ensue...

This season is hands down THEE best of the show so far. I just loved season one and two, but this one was absolutely gorgeous. It is probably my favorite anime airing this summer. It was engaging, disturbing, emotional, funny, scary, and ultimately heartbreaking. I always know when a show's good because as I reflect back on it, all I can think is how sad I am that it's over and how much I wish I could watch it again not knowing what the outcome would be like.

Story: This season follows the manga almost exactly. It introduces a slew of new characters, all ... of which are vibrant and exotic. Under the Queen's orders, Ciel is asked to investigate a number of child dissappearances that come about when the Noah's Ark Circus is in town. The first half of the show was entertaining and cool as we were being introduced to everyone. It featured Will the Reaper which was a nice touch (though who wouldn't want more Grell?), and had some great demon/reaper banter. Ciel was out of his element also which was interesting to watch. As we progressed with the story though, things started to take a dark turn, and we were treated to some of the most awesome reveals and twists solidifying this show as one of my favorites.

Animation: As always, it's devine. The characters are gorgeous and the scenery and colors are beautiful. The horror was well done, and graphic enough for my taste which is cool because a lot of anime I've seen usually cut away or make the blood black...this did not. The circus itself was also gorgeous and the characters' tricks and traits were visually stunning...especially Sebastian. =)

Sound: The voice acting in this show has always been above par. Sebastian and Ciel's voice actors are mesmerizing and portray the emotions of their characters perfectly. All of the new voice actors this season were also brilliant. The OST music as well was just stunning. It was also a nice touch to add the "Tom the piper's son" song in giving us this goosebump feeling when Joker sings it. The opening and ending themes were both some of my favorites as well. You can't go wrong with SiD, but the ending theme (and animation) were the spotlight of the themes.

Characters: As I stated before, we are introduced to a wide variety of new characters in this season. At first, I was kind of upset Grell wasn't in it, but he comes in with a bang at the end...as does The Undertaker (in a breathtaking scene), and the Phantomhive servants. There's a part where Finny goes from cute and loveable, to downright scary in a matter of seconds. The beauty of this season is how much they make you care for these characters before ripping them away from you...somewhere, Yana Toboso is just laughing at us.

Overall, I adored this season. Everything was well thought out and portrayed beautifully on screen and I just don't know what else to say...my favorite show of the summer.

10/10

Watched Subbed.

Some Spoilers Ensue:

Hmmm...I dunno how I feel about this series. It's like a mixture of fan fiction, and Gossip Girl. Both of which I enjoy so from that point of view, it was good. I was entertained and strangely addicted even though all of the characters were terrible people (minus maybe Shinogu but I was weirded out by the sister/brother thing). It worked in Clueless, but in this series, the whole dynamic between the brother and sister bordered on creepy. The author also left a lot to the imagination. I was slightly annoyed we didn't get any Asuza aftermath...did he go after Ryoki and get ... his revenge? Seems we have to come up with our own ending a bit. I enjoyed the little extra about Akane and Subaru, but the 10 Days extra was terrible. I may be in the minority here, but I was happy she ended up with Ryoki. He was by far the most interesting character though he was so self centered and abusive, it's amazing anyone would choose him to be with. Hatsumi on the other hand was an absolutely terrible character on par with Bella from Twilight. I almost didn't want to read about her because she was so helpless. Also this series is the most rape-y weird thing (manga wise) I've read. I don't know if that made it more unbelievable or more terrifying. All in all, it was addictive and I actually liked the read most of the time, though I wouldn't put it on any pedestal. 6/10.

Some Spoilers Ensue:

Perfect ending to a flawless series. I love the anime and the manga is just as good. The show followed almost exactly, minus the last chapter which was an interesting take on Near's thinking. The theory in the end could even have kept going and I would have loved to hear more. However, I enjoyed it all the same. I thought without L the series would lose steam, but Light's character is so dominant and evil. I enjoyed Mello and Mikami as well. Near was not my favorite, but I like the idea that the two heirs equal one L. The overall satisfaction ... came from the explanation of not only the ending, but every major twist in this story. I didn't pick any of them which was refreshing and all were interesting and smart. The artwork was beautiful as well. This is in the top 5 anime I've ever seen and now the series is added to my favorite manga as well. 10/10 flawless.