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I wasnt originally going to write a review for this series as i really didnt enjoy it and i get wound up when other people write overly critical reviews of shows. But here i am and i hope someone will appreciate where i am coming from with this

For anyone who hasnt read the summary of this show its about 2 female assassins who are trying to discover more about their mysterious pasts, while being hunted by an underground society.

That sounded like the makings of a great plot to me, but unfortunately it didnt deliver. The plot was too slow to develop, ... the first 10 episodes are pointless killings with neither link nor development between them, from here the show painfully dragged through the history of the underground organisation, the show didnt really kick in until about episode 20 when all is revealed (and it really does get quite good after around this point, so if you do watch it stick with it to the end) but it is fairly predictable even after this point.

The art was a flop for me, the recurring memory scene involved flourescent orangey red blood and personally i couldnt get past that, also with the amount of on screen kiling we see there are very few wounds on victims.

The OP and ED didnt really sparkle me in this series and on top of that there were occassions where gun sounds to gun shots didnt add up or the shots were too close together.

The characters showed so much promise and yet they werent developed enough, i think that episodes 1 to 19 would have been much more enjoyable if they had bulked out at least the 2 main characters during this period

Overall this show really sucked for me, but i can see why you might enjoy it, so if character development and detail arent as important to you, you should definately check this series out. If not, steer well clear.

Just finished Darker Than BLACK - Ryuusei no Gemini. I had mixed prejudices about this anime before i watched it, i read some reviews saying it was so poor in comparison with the first series, but at the same time i couldnt wait to watch the sequel as the first series was so brilliant. I purposefully waited a while before watching the second series because i knew i would make too many comparisons if i didnt. I have judged this anime in its own right, it would score lower if i was rating it as a sequel.

Story - 7 - I really loved ... this story, it wasnt necessarily the sequel to series one as it didnt pick up where the old one left off and revolved around a completely different story. However i thought it was a great story arc with the exception of the ending which i feel fell into place a little to brutally and didnt make complete sense. That aside it was fantasticly compelling :D

Art - 7 - Maybe a bit generous on the art mark, its pretty generic stuff nothing spectacular but what i love about these series is if you're paying enough attention you see logo's of real companies all over the place woven into the scenes. (Look out for the Sony laptop)

Sound - 9 - OP and ED were great, Abingdon Boys School impressed me yet again

Character - 8 - Some awesome new characters as well as new sides and developments of old characters. I really empathised with the main character Suou, not because I necessarily knew how she felt but because as characters go she was well crafted. I dont want to go into too much detail for spoiler reasons but some of the development of old characters was interesting and horrifying at the same time. Cant wait for season 3 to build on all of this.

Enjoyment - 10 - As i left DTB alone after season 1 to avoid being overly critical of this series i can honestly i thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes a great stand alone story in its own right so long as you dont have too many expectations

Overall - 8 - I said at the begining that this was based on Ryuusei no Gemini alone and i have to say its a great series on all aspects so long as your expectations arent too high

OK so heres my second review, this is based on the english dub of the newest Miyazaki movie as it was recently released in my local cinema. This review contains mild spoilers but nothing that will spoil your overall enjoyment.

Story - 7 - The basic plot for this Hayao Miyazaki's take on "The Little Mermaid. However there is so much more going on than just the basic romance (I'll discuss this a bit more in character) theres also some modern touches like the trials of a young boy faced with global warming style disaster that make the story so beautiful. Ive only ... given it a 7 though because five year olds falling in love seems to border, a little too much, on far-fetched and creepy for me.

Art - 8 - The art is pretty much standard Studio Ghibli style, its not the best but it fits the bill and I quite like it. Certain touches such as the depiction of the waves are unique to Ponyo and are really quite cool.

Sound - 6 - Theres not a lot to say here. I think there were 3 basic themes none of them particularly bad but not exactly inspiring like the Princess Mononoke soundtrack.

Character - 9 - The character's traits and their interactions were what made this film for me. There was a whole web of interaction that really made the town the film is set in come alive. Also i think Fujimoto is the best (and definately the most eccentric) depiction of Poseidon/Neptune I have ever come across. Back to the point i made up in story its the little touches in the characters that make this story so much more. The relationship between Sosuke's parents is comical, Ponyo's childlike sense of wonder amplified by the fact she can abuse everything she sees with magic powers. And her bizarre yet totally cute ham-addiction is hilarious at times.

Enjoyment - 9 - I love Hayao Miyazaki's work and this is no exception. If you can get past the romance between 5 year olds you should definately watch this

Story - 7
Art - 8
Sound - 6
Character - 9
Enjoyment - 9
Overall - 7

OK so heres my first review, i'd like to set straight that Frontier is the only Macross series ive watched so i have nothing to compare it with.

Story - I loved the story here, just when you think you've sussed where its going it twists some more. Also not too much time was focused on backstory but enough for me to understand the setting without watching the previous Macrosses.

Art - The artwork and animation was incredible, i was actually recomended this anime on the basis of the artwork and I have to agree with the guy, HD is well worth it here. For anyone ... who loves the style of Shinkai Makoto this is definately for you.

Sound - The soundtrack is a tricky one for me. The J-pop undoubtedly deserves a 10/10 if only for the fact that they've completely changed my attitude towards J-pop. However the instrumental themes are lacking somewhat and seem to have heavily influenced in places by "Pirates of the Carribean", as in there were moments when it becomes undiscernable. Fortunately these are minimal in the series but if youre looking to download the soundtrack be sure to search out the "Nyan Tama Vocal Collection".

Character - Each character in this is beautifully fleshed out, not just the main characters but the supporting ones aswell. But also the relationships between characters are so well thought out.

Enjoyment - this anime successfully joins action, mecha, romance and comedy. Keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout and really gives you chance to empathise with the characters. Whats not to love?

I really would recommend this to everyone and anyone so if your plan to watch list isnt to clogged up you should definately throw this on there!