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When I saw about 15 episodes of Blood+, a friend asked me how was it. I said it was boring and dull, with some nice fighting scenes once in a while. After another 10-15 episodes, another friend asked me for my opinion on Blood+. I said it was one of the best anime series I saw this year. How do I feel after finishing the whole 50 chapters? Lets start from the beginning.

Blood+ revolves around a story of a "young" girl who is the only person on the planet able to fight vampire-like monsters, called Chiropterans, and wants to find out about her troubled ... past. But my biggest "wow" is not going to the plot (which sounds a little familiar to all of us). I have two big "wows," actually. One is for graphics and one is for sound. Beautifully pictured landscapes across the world, pleasant characters and intense, realistic fight scenes will give your eyes a definite present. And what better way to complete this piece of art than adding an elegant soundtrack (Haji playing J.S. Bach on his cello is now in my top 10 anime moments ever) which polishes the sophistication and intelligence of this series. These are the things that keep you loyal to Blood+ and gives you a feeling that it is not an ordinary story.

Of course, we have to be fair and talk a little about the downside of this series. Firstly, even if the story sounds kind of old, it is actually very complicated at times. You have to follow the conspiracies behind politics, the stories of Saya and other main characters, understand the importance of some individuals who don't really look important and so on. At one point I have to confess, I was tired of listening to story lines about Red Shield and Cinq Fleches organizations and all the problems they had when I just knew it was all about Saya, she is the one who can end this and she should be the main point of discussion. Therefore, prepare yourself for long conversations that could sometimes seem meaningless and if you are an "action guy/girl" you could be a bit disappointed.

So, what is my final judgment? Well, I said to myself earlier in the series that the ending will probably decide the true quality of Blood+. However, although it wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be, I can't say that it left me unsatisfied. Actually, for some reason, I felt that I respect this anime series even more than I did in the beginning (especially after I saw the movie that this series evolved from, yuck). Do I recommend Blood+? Absolutely. There will be at least few moments when you will adore the characters and enjoy the story that we sometimes fantasize of being a part of.


P.S. IF YOU DID NOT WATCHED BLOOD+ YET, DO NOT READ THIS!
A part of me is still screaming for an ending where Saya falls asleep at the last moment of the fight against Diva, leaving the world domination to the Chiropterans. Then waking up 30 years from that fight, reuniting with Haji and trying to clean up the twisted future from these monsters. Now, tell me, it is not your ideal ending! And what a sequel it would be! The studios should definitely let the fans of anime create endings sometimes.

You know that feeling when you don't really want to watch something but when you start doing it, amazingly, you have lots of fun? Well I do because that is what Slam Dunk is doing to me. It is about this basketball team in Shohoku highschool and its main character, Sakuragi, who tries to complete himself as a basketball player and gain the love of a girl, named Haruko. Sounds cheesy but, believe me, it is nothing you have experienced before.

Now, from the first few episodes, you can obviously see that this anime, which received huge acclaim at its time, has a clear goal to ... spread the popularity of basketball in a country where basketball was almost non existent. For true fans of this game, who are hoping to see some great moves in this series, a disappointment awaits. The problem is that Japanese studio emphasized areas of basketball which aren't necessarily the most important and beautiful. For those true fans, it would be like watching a "learn-how-to-read" video when you're 20 years old. From this side, the anime looks really outdated.

However, what amazed me the most, was that the jokes were not outdated at all. If you don't like the basketball scenes, watch it as a comedy and, trust me, you won't be disappointed. Through time, you get used to the characters and even start enjoy their stories. We've all movies about American high school teams who MADE it. This was something new for me and I did not give up on it. Love, basketball, friendship, competition and lots of laughs - this is what you can expect (and should receive) from Slam Dunk.

I can say this easily: there will be basketball fans who will hate Slam Dunk and there will be non-basketball fans who will love this anime. Just give it a try and if you'll have fun a few times - it was already worth it.

Dragon Ball Z is epic. No doubt this is one of the most popular series that helped spread the art of anime in the world.

The original Dragon Ball was fun, but in DBZ the characters have grown and the maturity is felt throughout the whole series. From the incredible Sayian Saga, an important Frieza Saga and the entertaining Cell Saga to the Grand Finale - Buu Saga, DBZ does not disappoint. It's not all about the fighting, although the series have probably 4-5 battles that should be written in the anime history books. I was always astonished by the character development which is amazing ... and to emphasize this, I like the example of Vegeta. He was one of the greatest villains at first and one of the greatest heroes in the end. The way Akira Toriyama changed his perspective throughout the storyline and how he did not rush Vegeta's judgement of his surroundings is astounding. Goku's naive greatness and Vegeta's indestructible pride completes, arguably, the single greatest friendship in anime history.

Still not impressed? Just watch the final DBZ battle. It is grand, it is electric, it is emotional and atmospheric. When two of the most beloved fighters, Goku and Vegeta, stand against the mightiest villain in an empty planet, when the last hope is on their shoulders, when the price of failure will erase everything that is worth living for, they look at the situation and smile: this is how life is supposed to be. A man without a challenge is a man who does not live.