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I'm a big fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, so it's a-must for me to write a review.

STORY
10/ 10
Fullmetal Alchemist takes place in a world that seems similar to our own, but not as technologically advanced. Trains and steam powered engines are used a great deal, and the science of alchemy is far more prevalent than machines of our time. In alchemy, there is the rule of equivalent trade: you must give something of equal value in order to get something. And above all else, human transmutation is against all rules of alchemy, and does not work... or so it seems. Rumors have it that the ... Philosopher's Stone can give the alchemist the ability to even raise the dead, but it is long since sought after and never found. Enter Al and Edward, two young boys who attempted this heinous act once their beloved mother died. The act failed, causing Ed to lose his arm and leg, and Al to lose his body, trapping his soul in the body of a machine. Full Metal Alchemist follows Ed and Al as they search for the Philosopher's Stone to get their bodies and lives back... and that's just the beginning.

Full Metal Alchemist is, in a word, brilliant. It's hard to explain exactly why it was so good, so you'd probably just have to see it for yourself. There is a perfect blend of comedy, action, intrigue and excitement all in one. Filler episodes are wonderful and fly by quicker than a bullet train. I never at any point in the series was bored, even for a second. In the beginning, there are a great deal of mini-arcs that deal with events in a certain town or location, but all are still somewhat involved with the main plot. Once the end of the series rolls around, you realize that all of these seemingly unconnected events or places really ARE connected, or come back into play somehow. This comes down to FMA's epic nature at heart, and maybe that's why it was so good, who knows.

ANIMATION
9 / 10
The animation style for FMA was superb, and held a perfect balance of serious scenes and comedic chibis. Let's face it, the comedy played a big part in the series, and comic relief was badly needed in harsh scenes. The longest running joke was Ed being called short, and his irritation always manifested itself by him turning chibified for a few minutes. Whereas this would annoy me in most series, it seemed totally appropriate in FMA. Colors used were incredibly bright and vibrant, and character designs looked, well, normal for a series in this time period. The alchemy was definitely the most impressive part, showing us beautiful special effects and sequences. I believe a bit of CG was used, and was seamless, but I could be wrong on that point. Backgrounds were gorgeous, monsters were creepy, and the violence and disturbing parts were animated in a very... well... disturbing fashion as well.

SOUND
10 / 10
There are barely any series that I see that make me want to get the soundtrack, and this is one of them. There was a piano tune in the later half of the series that was haunting and gave me chills every time it was played. Every piece fit the series in some way, from the upbeat lighthearted tracks to the moody depressing ones. Orchestral music dominated the series, mostly piano and violins.Even the intros and outros (except the last two outros, which were pretty terrible) shone. I don't usually rate the music score on the intro/outro, which is why this still gets a 10. Flawless music all the way around, and enchanting enough to make me want to buy the soundtrack, which is a really big deal in itself.

CHARACTERS
10 / 10
I honestly can't see how anyone could think the characters score should be lower than a 10. All the characters, even the secondary ones, were developed extremely well. Al and Ed, obviously, had the most revealed about their pasts and motivations for the future, but even the bad guys and non-important folk seemed to have twists and depth attached to them in some way. We see characters grow close and drift apart. We see characters born, and characters die unexpectedly. We see masks cast aside from familiar faces, showing us that what the people we thought we knew, we really didn't at all. Everyone has layers that are peeled back and shown to us slowly... and in general, it was done in the most effective way possible.

ENJOYMENT
10 / 10
I can't say enough good things about this series, but I feel like watching it for yourself would make you understand why I gave it a perfect score. Everything about the series is flawless, from the epic and involved story to the pacing and mood, to the music and animation and depth of characters. It really is rare for a series like this to come along that not only succeeds at keeping your attention for 26 episodes, but for 51. Whether you like action, adventure, comedy, a good story, interesting and multi-dimensional characters, etc. you’re bound to find something you like. And that’s part of what makes Fullmetal Alchemist such a great series. So what are you waiting for? Check this out as soon as you can!

STORY
8/10
Basically, Sargeant Sagara Sousuke, from the anti-terrorism organization Mithril, goes undercover to protect Chidori Kaname, a girl who holds the key to "Black Technology" and is targeted by a terrorist and mastermind criminal. The twist is that Sousuke is socially retarded and he enjoys using his military knowledge in everyday life which causes all kinds of problems and hilarious situations. This definitely was not one of the more believable shows I’ve encountered. How could one of the world’s most feared and professional military units have a 16 year old commander who tolerates abuse from her peers and subordinates? If you can get past ... this (I did), the storyline was pretty good.

ANIMATION
7/10
As expected from GONZO, the animation was good. The character and mecha designs weren’t the most original I’ve encountered. One good point worth mentioning was the contrasting choices of colors. The battle/war scenes were expectedly dark and brooding, whilst the naïve and cheerful school environment was vibrantly bright. It was very nice and clean, and very colorful with the variety of characters' hair colors.The unimpressove cg for the submarine was the only thing that bothered me though. Most of the animation was pretty good, but it didn't really leave a big impression on me.

MUSIC
8/10
The OP and ED were extremely pleasant songs. The ED was especially serene. Even though I didn’t listen to it in full after all 24 episodes, it definitely was near to that. The voice actors also really fit their characters. From the emotional Chidori to serious Sousuke.

CHARACTERS
9/10
This is the forte of FMP. Each and every character is distinct and very likeable. It would be hard not to find a character in this show that you would not like. Also, the chemistry between Chidori and Sousuke really drives the plot forward. My favorite characters have to be Chidori, Sousuke and Testarossa. Chidori looks like an angel but can be a tough opponent the next moment. Enter Sousuke the professional teenage soldier who has no clue how to live as a normal student. Hence he keeps seeing a terrorist in almost every person, leading him to save her many times from things harmless. It was a joy to watch their relationship develop. I can't quite put my finger on why I like Testarossa but her being there added something to both Chidori and Sousuke characters that would otherwise be missing. She is also a solid character by herself, caring for her crew and trying to do the right thing but she is clumsy to the core and I suspect a hopeless romantic.

ENJOYMENT
9/10
Great series and theres still more! Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid still awaits and it has a bundle of surprises just like this series. I couldn't stop watching this series even if my arms were cut off. Pretty grotesque but thats how fun this anime was. I loved the bipolar nature of this series. One episode a light-hearted high school comedy, the next a serious action adventure.

I would recommend this without any hesitation. A fun, enjoyable and entertaining watch.

Story & Characters
10/10
At first glance Furuba is just another Shoujo manga with nothing different to it; the average, beautiful, kind girl getting all the pretty boys. Okay so it really is that, however there's a special touch to the way the series develops itself and how you watch each character grow and interact with each other as the story progresses.

The story starts with Tohru Honda, your as average-as-you-can-get japanese girl who has lost her mother in an accident and was living alone in a tent in the Sohma's property. Of course she wasn't aware of that until they told her, to her surpirse they ... take her in in exchange for her doing all the housework (it was her who suggested not staying in the house 'for free'). It's when she's there that she discovers the family's biggest secret... The family has been cursed by the vengeful spirits of the Chinese Zodiac animals and when they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex they transform into the animal they were cursed by. When Tohru comes in their life they all learn to open up their heart more and realize that not all the people in the worlds are bad; this girl affects each one of them in a unique way.

It's a beautiful Anime with heart-touching subjects, there is much you can learn from it and definitely worth buying if the chance should present. There is just about everything in this series:bishonen, angst, drama,comedy, romance, shounen-ai hints and a light-hearted, kind bishojo showing us the way.

Art
8/10
The character designs are beautiful and would characterize everyone in the series a bishonen and bishojo. The colors of the hairs and eyes of the Sohma Family match with the animal they were cursed by and it gives each one of them a unique touch.

Tohru's design is supposed to be as average as possible since she represents a normal japanese girl.

There's is also a 'big abuse' of Super-Deformed characters (Ex. Chibi form) but it just serves to highlight the emotion they are expressing and make the show even more funny.

Sound
9/10
The music is simply beautiful, although the 26-episode long series only has one opening(For Fruits Basket) and one ending (Chiisana Inori) (both performed by Ritsuko Okazaki) it serves it's purpose leaving you with a serene calm sensation!

The soundtrack used as background music is delicate and simple

However if you haven't watched the series and just purchase the soundtrack for the sheer pleasure of it you will be disappointed since it is nothing special by itself, you must see the anime first so you can relate each short song to a scene.

As far as the seiyuu's gone they all seemed to fir their character perfectly. Tohru's voice was Yui Horie who also voiced for Love Hina's Narusegawa Naru. Her sweet, sharp voice goes in tune with Tohru's personality perfectly.

Enjoyment
10/10
You won't find a boring episode in this series. Each one develops and focuses's on a character's situation. Although the series was cut short abruptly and much ends were left untied (the manga is still running) seeing by itself will leave you satisfied (if not with a small crave for the continuity of it).

As mentioned before there's much you can learn from this anime since it deals with how we must see our own beauty and not be jealous of other's (among other important themes).

STORY
7/10
Azumanga Daioh is a show about nothing, literally. Think of it like Seinfeld, but with high school girls and as much hilarity, and you've got all the bases covered. The episodes revolve around six girls and their daily life at a high school, which always ends up being random in some way.

The comic formula is hilarious. Many scenes will make you scratch your head and wonder "eh?" while simultaneously laughing, while other scenes make you laugh by repeating the same thing over and over and over and over, far past the point where you think it should have just stopped the joke. The best ... comic relief was definitely the male teacher who was always hitting on the girls, who had a trademark jaw drop constantly. He would randomly be thrown into the episodes very spasticly, making anyone with a sense of humor laugh out loud. So really, don't go into watching Azumanga thinking you'll get any sort of a plot. There are only a few episodes that are linked somehow, but the rest do follow a timeline (the girls making their way through three years of school, up to the satisfying conclusion).

Art
6/10
The animation is really simple and clean which fits the style of this anime, but I don't like this kind of look. There's nothing too impressive about it.

Sound
6/10
The music in this anime was alright sometimes bordering irritating, I wasn't too fond of the opening it just sounds irritating with the high pitched voices but I suppose it goes with the show. The background music started rubbing me the wrong way after a while.

But from what I recall it's mostly silence since they have such long silences after a "joke" which I didn't find that funny. They would have these ridiculously long pauses after a joke and I'm just sitting there still bored to death and I'm like was that supposed to be funny? Is someone supposed to be rolling on the floor laughing from that?

The seiyuus all did a good job portraying high school girls and especially Chiyo-chan.

CHARACTERS
9/10
The character development was basically non-existant, yet I still gave this section a 9. Why? To put it bluntly, Azumanga Daioh has some of the most hilarious characters I've seen, who all fill their incredibly exaggerated role perfectly. Chiyo is the little girl who is the epitome of cuteness. Her voice helps with this persona, as well as giant watery eyes when she gets upset, and her little girl ways of doing things. Sakaki is obsessed with cute things and is super quiet, and always blushes whenever she sees a cat or dog, yet (for the comedic effect) she always is bitten when she tries to pet things. Tomo is the most obnoxious character by far and is always yelling and pissing people off. Yumi is probably the least developed character -- her one quirk is that she is obsessed with her weight. Then there's Osaka, an extremely slow and stupid girl who tends to always make you laugh with the idiotic things that come out of her mouth. And finally, Kagura is athletic and competitive. These six characters are fairly extreme to begin with, but them morph into super extreme characters by the end of the series.

The entire series is about pushing the limits of comedy, and the characters help out with this immensely.

OVERALL
8 / 10
Azumanga is a great watch for any fans of comedy. Out of all the random series I've seen, Azumanga definitely has the highest concentration of randomness and laugh out loud moments, combined with hilarious characters and wacky moments alike. If you like comedy series, I can't see why you haven't watched this yet! And if you haven't, pick it up right now, since you'll surely like it.

Story
6/10
Amaenaideyo is your run of the mill harem anime, with one catch...
The harem consists of 6 (7 in Amaenaideyo Katsu) nuns/monks and one very perverted guy. Don't go into any harem anime expecting a groundbreaking story, cause you will almost never find that. But considering the anime does a decent job of developing the main characters it makes it better than most, though it only seems to spend a smaller time on the other characters. Normally this would hinder an anime but for the most part they all are not that far off from one anime stereotype or another.

Overall, the story could be better, ... but it would be hindering the reasons to watch the anime, which is for laughs and some fan-service. For this reason, I was a bit more lenient on the score.

Characters
7/10
The main character is Ikko, and he is a priest living with 6 nuns. They usually end up running into some sort of disembodied spirit that has failed to ascend for various reasons. But that never usually works. There always seems to be one problem-child in the mix. The Ikko has to exorcise them. The problem is, that Ikko is useless until he sees enough skin, and then he enters a trance and turns into some sort of supermonk.

Art
8/10
The art style is good, though some of the characters look very generic, though we are talking about nuns here. I wouldn't expect radical character designs given the story and setting. There are no gravity defying hairstyles here. Just short, medium and long. The colors are very vibrant and cheery which helps sustain it's charm. And the character shapes, while not completely realistic, also are not very cartoony. In terms of art, think "Tenchi Muyo"!

It seems to fit the comedy/ecchi theme quite well and the breasts are not blown WAY WAY out of proportion like some ecchi anime. Overall, I think the art is another thing that gives the anime it's charm.

Sound
7/10
There are two series of Amaenaideyo; one is "Amaenaideyo" and the other is 'Amaenaideyo Katsu". Since I cannot choose to review one, i'll just mash em together. Overall, the backround music, voices and sound effects stay the same, but the opening and closing themes are a bit different. In "Amaenaideyo", the opening was catchy but the closing theme was a bit weak and forgettable. In " --- Katsu", both the opening and closing were weak. In fact I would say, that they were the worst part of this series. Good thing the rest of the sound is good, and although more cartoony than most, it fits the comedy motif. What the voice actors do well though, is even though the voices are similar, they make the characters distinct personalities reflect in their voices. By midway through the anime, I knew who was speaking based almost solely on HOW sentences were spoken rather than by pitch. Unfortunatly, I find alot of anime to lack in this department and just have very different sounding voices. The only one they seemed to pull this with was Sakura, and even though her personality fit, they did not need to take it that far.

Overall the sound is good, the only downfall being some of the themes.
(Note: This review was done watching the Japanese subbed version.)

Enjoyment
8/10
There is a good amount of fanservice, a bit more than something like "Love Hina". As an Ecchi show it succeeds due to the amount of fanservice, but it seems to do so without distracting you from the actual story. Although the story is weak, it is told well and looks far worse on paper than the fashion it is implemented in.
I found it way more enjoyable as a comedy than most anime, and it felt like it flowed well through the story while covering all the bases a good ecchi/comedy should.
So if you are looking for an anime to just make you laugh, and love seeing girls put the beatdown on pervs, you'll probably like this. It's nothing to completely rave about, but I certainly would lump it in the some of the better anime I have seen.

If you have not seen the OVA I would recommend not watching the OVA until finishing the TV series. That way you will not feel let down. It was like Tenchi, I first saw Tenchi in Tokyo and enjoyed it, then I saw the OVA and was blown away.

For what it's worth I rather liked the TV version. The OVA had the ecchi and more perverted stuff apparently, but I don't think they're really missing that much from this one. Maybe the TV censorship is just getting around to everyone. I'm not the least bit surprised. I won't only blame Xebec for that. They're ... censoring anime nowadays too.

The animation, I didn't mind one bit actually. Maybe I'm getting too used to the blobby-animation techniques by a lot of Gainax anime and something like Death Metal City that doesn't worry too much about sticking to a static look. But honestly, I really liked what I saw for the most part. A lot of cute 5th grader antics and some Minami-ke-esque realistic-faces parts always turned out pretty funny for me.

The characters are cute and their interactions fun in a childish way. The animation when they get serious and they are drawn as teenagers adds an interesting element. The loli echii undertones throughout the whole thing make me wonder what exactly the creator is trying to say or who the audience is intended to be.

Not sure what to say honestly about this anime. It's fun but silly. It has child like situations but throws in adult like interactions. It seems to have some romantic element in it but then at the same time it down plays the romance and up plays the echii innuendos. Not much of a story, just a good-ole-fasion slice of life told through the eyes of seven fifth graders.

After what I thought was a really rough start, the series finished up nicely after they found their pace and speed. I also liked the opening and ending themes which were sung by the entire cast and quite catchy.

Once you've finished the series, vote for your favorite song here:
[urlhttp://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=62393[/url]

STORY
8/10
The Christmas special is by far better than any of the Love Hina television episodes. It concentrates more on the characters and their interactions with one another, rather than overdone slapstick comedy, though that also finds its way into the release. It can easily be said that this one release has more emotion in it than all of the episodes combined, making it a very worthwhile view for Love Hina fans everywhere. Within its one hour run time, it manages to focus on Naru and Keitaro, while still exploring the feelings and thoughts of the other characters. Interestingly, while it has, by far, the ... most emotion of all the episodes, as well as a plot line that is stronger than the entire series combined, it also has the most fanservice shots. These shots occur often and plentifully, from breast shots, prolonged implied nudity, to panty shots. While sometimes they seem too forced and overdone, they don't detract from the release, whose main focus remains the story and the strong emotions felt by the characters.

ANIMATION
7/10
The animation in the special is just as choppy on occasion as the television series, but with all of the action occurring on the screen, it's not too noticeable. The art, also, is nothing extraordinary, but serves its purpose well. The characters and backgrounds are clear and largely uncluttered, which allows it to be free of any unnecessary line distractions. Another aspect of the art that has always been commendable is the successful way that facial emotions are shown in all of the characters. Coupled with the emotional scenes that appear near the end, this enhances the effect of the feelings that the director tries to portray. There is one particularly disturbing aspect of the art, though, and that is the way snow is drawn. Most of the times, it's shown as just balls of white fuzz drifting from the sky, which is nice, but on occasion, the camera will attempt to show zoomed-in snowflakes. These appear as large popcorn-esque chunks of white material, which can invoke a rather puzzled feeling from viewers who aren't used to seeing balls of styrofoam rain from the sky.

MUSIC
8/10
Another characteristic especially pleasant about the Christmas special was the music. The soundtrack ranged from catchy JPop tunes to slow melodic instrumentals that fit the spirits of the scenes perfectly. The only complaint is that sometimes the cheerful holiday music in the background combined with the background noises clutters the dialogue tracks more than they have to. Given the fact that some of the scenes take place in the middle of Tokyo around Christmas time, this is understandable, but on occasion, it can be slightly distracting. Nevertheless, the JPop is sure to win some fans over, as they are infectious and perfect for Christmas karaoke parties.

CHARACTER
9/10
The characters are excellent, especially Narusegawa Naru. Characters like her are very difficult to pull off believably. It's too easy to want to make these girls too perfect (Belldandy in the Oh My Goddess OAVs) or too over-the-top (Ryouko AND Aeka in Tenchi Muyo). Naru is not so perfect that female viewers might feel alienated or intimidated by her - you know girls like her, you've probably gone to school with girls like her, you may even be related to her. She's sort of an EveryWoman. And so you end up rooting for her to hook up with Keitarou just as much as you root for Keitarou to hook up with her, because she in her own way is just as much of a loser as Keitarou. And if you don't see them as the Destined Couple of the Series, well, you just haven't seen enough anime.

ENJOYMENT
8/10
The Love Hina Christmas special is infinitely better than any of the Love Hina television episodes, and Bandai definitely does this release justice.
Love Hina is a very intriguing series. It mixes drama, romance, and slapstick comedy in a pleasing combination. The music is incredibly cute, and also has some gorgeous slow pieces that create a very dramatic effect. If you like romantic shows, or just shoujo anime, then you should definitely see Love Hina Christmas Special. If ever you have the chance to watch Love Hina, do yourself a favor; sit down, relax in the hot springs of Hinata Sou, and experience the magic of Toudai.

Hold your breath...

STORY
7 / 10
For an anime so distinctly rooted in wrongness, I was surprised how subtle these attributes came across in Kyou no Go no Ni. Indeed, much of the humor carries many sexual undertones, but none of it came across in an offensive or intrusive manner; it was all played on the innocence and naïveté of the characters. Thus, when deciding whether or not to watch Kyou no Go no Ni, it's important to note that it's not really ecchi or overly perverted - it merely plays on embarrassing childhood situations and runs with the gags for a bit.

For an ... OVA involving exclusively children, these are some of the most unrealistic fifth graders I've come across; while they have childlike reactions to most events, their personalities tend to be much more mature than their age would suggest. Hell, back when I was that age boys and girls were just starting to mingle with one another and get beyond the "cootie" phase. Still, regardless of this, it's entertaining just to watch all eight kids interact with one another. Like Azumanga Daioh, the OVA is chopped up into twenty-four five minute clips and manages to pass surprisingly quick because of this - by the time I got through an hour I had thought fifteen minutes or so had passed. Every single clip has an astoundingly simple premise - such as the boys fighting over whose bouncy ball will fly higher - and there's really no drag whatsoever.

Ultimately, though, I think the overall innocent and harmless atmosphere of the story is what makes it so endearing. While, as an adult, I found many of scenes disturbingly hilarious, the characters themselves never act out in such a fashion to make any of the situations (such as the sexual ones) seem either awkward or uncomfortable; were the case I don't think I could have stomached it. While it might seem like I'm overkilling this point, prior to watching it myself I was under the impression its content was raunchy and likely offensive; for me, at least, this turned out to not be the case.

ANIMATION
7 / 10
For those familiar with the more well known Minami-ke, Kyou no Go no Ni is easily recognizable as its predecessor if for nothing more than the similarities in animation. Though neither particularly flashy or detailed, the simplicity works positively, as it provides for a nice backdrop for the slice-of-life comedy. Though there are occasional ecchi shots (much moreso in the first two episodes) I found myself putting a hand on my forehead, shaking my head, and laughing instead of being put off by them. Keep in mind that in general I make a point never to touch any fanservice oriented shows (and especially OVAs since that's all they tend to have period), so when I downplay the panty shots as being vastly abundant or even important to the OVA on any serious level, take it to heart.

SOUND
7 / 10
Now, given my vast experience with the audible murder most children voice actors flaunt, let me say up front that every single kid in Kyou no Go no Ni is voiced splendidly; there's no whining, grating, or anything else that reminisces the grinding of nails on a chalkboard. The music also fits the OVA nicely, as the tracks were constantly being mixed up shifted due to the non-stop change of story content. As with just about every slice-of-life comedy, there's really nothing else remarkable to say - the musical score is effective at what it does and nothing more.

CHARACTERS
8 / 10
First and foremost, I hate kids. Period. Absolutamente. No questions asked.

Thus, when I say I liked Kyou no Go no Ni's characters it should not be taken lightly. Though I can't quite put my finger on what exactly charmed me so much about them, come the end of the fourth episode I was a little disappointed to see them go. Perhaps it was the fact that the OVA merely snapshots brief scenes that take place throughout their everyday lives, but all of the children are instantly likeable. As with real life, each of the kids has his or her own little quirks that define the classroom, and this prevents the need for the characters to be stereotypical and bland; from a girl hitting puberty before the others to the boys competing in a three-legged race to prove their masculinity, their antics are all surprisingly nostalgic.

Again, too, despite there being a fair amount of sexual humor the kids all happen to be completely oblivious even to the prospect of sex. They're all almost uncannily innocent in their approach to the world; perhaps that's what ultimately made them so appealing.

OVERALL
8 / 10
For fans of random, simple humor or slice-of-life series, Kyou no Go no Ni is worth consideration. Though not for everyone, I think its "questionable" subject material can be easily overlooked if approached in the proper context. Overall it actually exceeded my expectations; I think all the negative feedback I acquainted myself with prior to watching had lowered my quality bar substantially. In fact, had I not got so annoyed by this title somehow popping up every time I tried to use the AniRec, I likely never would have given it a chance.