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Everyone has something or someone that they hold close to their hearts. Whether it is a certain possession, a close friend, a family member, or a lover, we all have it, and we would do anything to protect it. However, when that object or person is in trouble, and you feel bad that you couldn’t do a thing about it, you start to fall into despair. Just when you feel like giving up, what would do if you were given the opportunity to fix all that, with just a single wish? What would that wish be? Would you risk everything that you have to grant ... it? Would it lead to happiness or sorrow? Well, the 2011 anime, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (or Puella Magi Madoka Magica) is centered on questions like these. This anime has gained a massive amount of popularity, receiving never-ending praise for deconstructing the magical-girl genre. There are a few important questions, though: Did this anime meet up to my expectations, and does it deserve the hype that it gets?
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Story: (10/10)
The story of Madoka Magica centers around a girl named Madoka Kaname. She’s pretty much your typical teenage girl who doesn’t have any special talents, but is rather cheerful and treasures her life, family, and friends dearly. But when transfer student Homura Akemi questions her about actually treasuring her loved ones, she also warns Madoka to not do anything crazy to change that. This warning becomes more prominent when Madoka stumbles upon a creature by the name of Kyuubey, and she enters the dark world of magical girls and witches.

From the get-go, the story of Madoka Magica seems like the typical magical-girl stuff that you’ve probably seen in an anime like Sailor Moon. However, anyone who is familiar with the works of Hans Christian Andersen knows that this anime is more than meets-the-eye. If you asked anyone who has watched the show about the premise, they would say that it deconstructs the tropes that are common in magical-girl anime, taking everything you know about that genre and beating it to a bloody pulp, throw it off a cliff, and bring it back up, only to just repeat the process. This anime shows that being a magical-girl does come at a price. The writing of Madoka Magica is absolutely fantastic, putting in so much detail about every little thing, and doing it in only 12 episodes. I think that’s quite the accomplishment. As a fan of psychological-thrillers, I was instantly hooked while watching a couple of minutes of the first episode. While this story can be confusing, and does require using your head a little to fully understand the situations going on, it didn’t bother me one bit.
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Art/Animation: (10/10)
Is there really anything I need to say about the animation that hasn’t been said before? It’s absolutely amazing. From the real world to the witches’ labyrinths, there is just so much detail and quality put into these visuals. The action scenes’ animation is consistent and fluid, and some of the scenery is just breathtaking. I also love how the labyrinths look very unique, especially the one that looks like a concert hall during an orchestra concert. The city also compliments Madoka Magica’s changing tones: bright and colorful at first, but slowly turns ominous and bleak as the show progresses. And let’s not forget the “sideways glance” that’s pretty much a staple in EVERY Shaft anime. Long story short, the art of this anime is some of the best I’ve seen in a LONG time.
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Characters: (10/10)
Having a great story and an amazing art style, does Madoka Magica have a great cast of characters? My answer to that is: Yes, yes it does have great characters, despite the number being rather small. This gives each of the five main characters the right amount of time to develop all throughout the 12 episodes of the show, and you can see why they act the way that they do. I could understand why Madoka is hesitant to grant her wish at first; I could understand why Homura acted cold at the beginning of the show, and I could also understand why Kyouko told Sayaka the things that she did tell her.

Each character (except for one) had that certain attachment that grew onto me. Though I could disagree with some of their motives, some of their stories are some of the most tragic that I’ve ever seen in modern media. I REALLY wish that I could say more, but I can’t because I’d be revealing major spoilers for the show. Let me just say that every main is fantastic and unique in some way, shape, or form.
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Music/Sound: (10/10)
Being a huge fan of Yuki Kajira (who also did the soundtracks for Pandora Hearts, Fate/Zero, the Kara no Kyoukai movies, and Sword Art Online), I absolutely LOVED the soundtrack of this anime. The opening song, “Connect”, is not only a great song, but it also does an amazing job of hiding the darker tone of the show. The background music is just as amazing, fitting every scene perfectly, whether it’s to add tension or lightheartedness to it. Some notable songs include “Sis Puella Magica” and “Decretum”; they are by far my favorite songs of the entire soundtrack. Needless to say, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing. Seriously, go listen to it as soon as you can.
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Enjoyment: (10/10)
Overall, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was an absolute blast to watch. From beginning to end, I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen. There wasn’t a single time while watching this show where I was ever bored. It was an absolute thrill to watch.
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Overall Score: 10 out of 10
Madoka Magica is one of the best anime I have ever seen. From the amazing story, the relatable characters, the beautiful animation, to the spectacular soundtrack, this anime has EVERYTHING to love in a good anime. If you haven’t watched it yet, please do yourselves a favor and go watch it. I promise that you won’t regret it!

What in the world is this? Seriously, who would ENJOY watching this? Well, maybe it does have its fans; but I, however, am not one of those people...
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Story: (2/10)
You can pretty much get the story of this anime from the synopsis. Yui Komori, a girl we know almost NOTHING about, moves into a mansion. As soon as she moves in, she sees that this mansion is home to the six Sakamaki brothers. Yui also sees that they aren't normal, as they are vampires.

Pretty much the story of Diabolik Lovers involves Yui finding pointless crap I really couldn't care less about, and getting tossed around like ... a lifeless doll from one brother to the next. No matter which brother is involved, every situation usually ends with Yui getting the blood sucked right out of her. It may seem interesting at first, but trust me, it gets old pretty quickly. The ending also left me a little confused...
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Characters: (1/10)
This anime has probably the worst cast of characters I've seen in a long time. Yui has got to be one of the worst female leads I've ever seen. She describes EVERYTHING I hate in a female protagonist: Weak, submissive, Mary-Sueish, and a complete IDIOT. Weren't Yukii Cross (from Vampire Knight) and Bella Swan (from the Twilight book series) bad enough? Every time she was getting herself into a bad situation, I was just screaming at my laptop saying "Run, you idiot!!".

The brothers are just as interesting as Yui is. Despite having different personalities (Ayato's aggressiveness, Shu's laziness, Kanato's yandere-like behavior, Reiji's demanding attitude, Subaru's delinquent demeanor, and Latio's sadism), their want for Yui's blood is the one thing they all have in common. I will give some credit though: They DO look pretty cute.

I know that this show is a Shoujo, so maybe some girls can find something to like about these characters (particularly the brothers). But for me, I found nothing (although I found Kanato extremely creepy at times...).
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Art/Animation: (5.5/10)
The art is nothing special, but it fits the show pretty well. Not much to say here.
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Music: (5/10)
Like what I said about the art, the music is average at best. Nothing amazing, but still fits the show's tone pretty well. The opening and ending are also decent.
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Enjoyment: (1.5/10)
In short, Diabolik Lovers was just painful to watch. Besides screaming at my laptop in frustration, I was just extremely bored with this series. I'm VERY thankful that each episode was only 15 minutes, because if each episode was the usual 20-25 minutes, I would've dropped it around episode 2.
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Overall Score: 3.0 out of 10
This is definitely the worst anime I've seen that came out in 2013. It just made me.... uncomfortable. Maybe if you're fan of Vampire Knight (or vampire shoujo anime in general), or a die-hard fan of the visual novel, I guess I can recommend this. Other than that, I highly recommend staying away from this anime. It'll save you about 3 hours of your life.

*Feedback and Constructive criticism is welcome! Just don't be too nasty about it.*

Mirai Nikki (or The Future Diary in English) was a mixed bag for me. While there are some very good moments, there are some that just make want to pull out my hair in frustration. But there is one thing I know for sure: I felt somewhat underwhelmed. It wasn't horrible; it just wasn't as great as I thought it was going to be.
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Story: 7/10
In the world of Mirai Nikki, the god of time and space, Deus Ex Machina, is coming to the end of his lifespan. In order to find out who will be his successor, he sends something called "Future Diaries" (ranging from ... cell phones to a coloring book) to twelve different people and places them a life-and-death game, similar to the ones in The Hunger Games and Battle Royale.

For the most part, Mirai Nikki's story is quite decent. It shows how the actions of people can change the future, because as the saying goes: "Actions speak louder than words." It also shows how events can cause an impact on their reasoning of becoming God (seeing as all the diary holders (or at least half of them) are emotionally broken in some way). However, one of the problems with the story is its inconsistency, plot holes, and predictability. While there were parts that kept me on the edge of my seat, there were also parts that just left me absolutely confused. This confusion was evident during the last few episodes, where I was like: "What the hell is happening?" The ending also left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth... (Yes, I DO know that there's the OVA, "Mirai Nikki Redial". I just haven't watched it at the time I'm writing this review)

Overall, while the story did have some hiccups, and was predictable at times, it was still engaging enough to keep me watching.
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Characters: 5/10:
Mirai Nikki has almost the exact same problem that SAO had for me: its characters. While not as frustrating as the ones in SAO, it's still the weakest part of show for me.

First, Yukiteru (or Yuki for short). His character is similar to that of Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion (and to an extent, Simon from Gurren Lagann), in which he's pretty much a wuss; but that's not my problem with him, because I would feel the exact same way if I were in his place. My problem with Yuki is his stupidity, as well as the inconsistency of his character. How the hell can he be still in love with Yuno after she locked him up, as well as preventing him from making any friends? I just find it mindboggling. I know he's the key to keeping her sane, but still! Another thing I don't like is how his personality does a complete 180 degree turn during somewhere within the final third of the show. I was like: "What? This came out of nowhere! Please explain to me what just happened!"

Secondly, there's Yuno, who is pretty much the fan-favorite of the show, as well as being the poster-child of yanderes. I'll be honest: I'm not a fan of Yuno. Maybe it's me, but I'm not the biggest fan of yanderes, as well as very possessive girlfriends. Yes, she does have her moments of batshit crazy awesomeness, but whenever she goes "Yuki!!!" several times, I'm just thinking "Shut up already!!" I do understand she does get some complexity, but that only really happens throughout the final episodes. And before you Yuno fans scream at me, let me say this: While I don't like Yuno, I DO understand why she's so popular, and why people do like her. I'm just not one of those people.

The supporting cast didn't fare much better. From Yuki's friends to the other diary-holders, none of them seemed memorable to me. They range from alright to just unbearably irritating. There are two exceptions to this, though. The only side characters (as well as only characters from the show in general) that I actually enjoyed were the Twelfth, Akise and Minene (9th). They were just really interesting to watch. I really wished Twelfth had more screen time, though.

With the exceptions of who I stated above, the cast of Mirai Nikki didn't leave an impact on me.
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Animation: 7/10
While the animation of Mirai Nikki isn't anything spectacular, it was pretty decent. The action scenes probably best animated parts of the show, being fast-paced as well as being VERY entertaining, especially when Yuno is on one of her many killing sprees.

While nothing special, the animation was good for what it was.
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Music: 8/10
The music, for me, is the highlight of the anime. While I can't find a song that stands out, the background music does a very good job fitting every scene in the show. Both of the openings are amazing. They have a good amount of energy and fit the tone of the show perfectly (The first opening has become one of my favorites), and while the endings didn't do that much for me, they were still interesting enough to listen to for a few episodes).

All in all, the music is by far my favorite part of Mirai Nikki.
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Enjoyment: 8/10
Despite all of its flaws, Mirai Nikki was definitely entertaining to watch. While there were parts that left me with confusion and/or frustration, there were parts that just wanted me to click "Next" to watch the next episode.
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Overall Score: 7.0 out of 10
Mirai Nikki is an anime that I have a love-hate relationship with. While the show did have some "bumps in the road" character-wise, it did not deter me from finishing the anime. While I don't love the show as much as others do, it was definitely worth the watch. It was definitely entertaining, to say the least.

*Feedback/Constructive criticism would also be nice. Just don't be too nasty about it.*

I've heard many things about SAO (Sword Art Online): There's either a lot of love or a lot of hate for it. Personally, I'm leaning a little towards the latter, but not fully on it. Before you start sending me hate mail or press the "Not Helpful" button, please hear me out.

As a gamer, and a fan of MMORPG's, I tried to keep my expectations not too high, because you know what they say: "The bigger they are, the harder they fall". Unfortunately, SAO fits this saying to a T, as it was one of the most disappointing anime that I've seen this year. Why? ... Well, why do think I'm writing this forsaken review?!
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Story: (3/10)
The story of SAO involves players getting trapped within an VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game), in which they are required to beat all 100 floors of the game in order to leave. The catch is, however, that if a character's HP drops to zero before clearing the game, not only do they die in the game, they also die in real life.

The concept of this story is absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, the execution of this story is poor. The writing and pacing is just awful. Even during the SAO arc of the show, while this was tolerable, I was left wondering, "What on earth is happening here?" The Alfheim arc, on the other hand, was just... I don't even want to describe it. Parts of Episodes 21 and 24 were just borderline unwatchable... (I'm not going to say which parts, just to avoid spoilers...) At least the ending was somewhat satisfying...

Overall, the story was just utter CRAP. A good premise at first, but was terribly executed due to poor writing.
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Characters: (2/10)
In my opinion, the characters of Sword Art Online were by far the weakest part of the show. The main male character, Kirito, is just a Gary Stu, and nothing more. But somehow, he has the ability to attract girls by just looking at them. Why are these girls attracted to him? I'll never know. The main female character, Asuna, was introduced in Episode 2 as a badass who I had high hopes for. And what happens with her? The writers decide to turn her into a generic tsundere, and in the Alfheim arc of the show, she basically turns into f**king Princess Peach. Suguha, other than being there for the sake of fanservice, and to be part of a love triangle that involved a little bit of incest (It didn't work for me in Elfin Lied, it doesn't work for me here...), pretty much served next to no purpose (In my eyes). And to go into deeper detail about Kirito and Asuna, I could not for the LIFE OF ME understand the romance with Kirito and Asuna. It felt so forced and plot-driven that it made me feel absolutely frustrated.

However, I'd be lying if I didn't say that the reunion of Kirito (or Kazuto) and Asuna during the final episode was heartwarming... (but I digress).

The supporting characters were either uninteresting or just really annoying. The only character I had actual interest in was Klein, but even then, he was pretty much tossed aside. And as for Sugou, he is one of the worst villains I have ever seen. Period. He just absolutely disgusts me... (Though he has a certain line that's absolutely HILARIOUS!)

In the end, next to none of the characters were interesting or likeable in the slightest...
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Art/Animation: (10/10)
With my bitching and moaning aside, what DO I like in SAO? That's easy. I love how it looks. The art in this show is absolutely beautiful. From the scenery to the action scenes, the animation is consistent and fluid, and the scenery is just gorgeous. Maybe it's the fact that graphics/art is one of the major things I look into within a video game, but I digress.

With animation, this anime hits a perfect bullseye.
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Music: (8/10)
Since I'm not a person to critique VA, I'll just talk about the music. Just like the art, I also really enjoyed the music of Sword Art Online (and because I'm a fan of Yuki Kajiura). It reminded me of the countless hours I used to spend on MapleStory leveling up my character. The first opening, "Crossing Fields", got me pumped for an episode; giving me SOME hope that the show would somehow redeem itself (Sadly, it didn't).

Nevertheless, the music was as good as the art!
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Enjoyment: (4/10)
While I did enjoy Sword Art Online in the beginning, progressing through it turned into more of a chore than an enjoyment. Most of the SAO arc was "meh", and the Alfheim arc was just painful to watch. If it wasn't for the action scenes, this would've been rated MUCH lower.
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Overall Score: 5.4 out of 10 (Rounded down to 5)
In my honest opinion, Sword Art online was just painfully average. While the art and music are amazing, the story and characters prevent the show from being anything memorable (At least for me). Like I said before, it is definitely one of the most disappointing anime I have seen this year. Although it's not a 1 in my eyes, it's also not a 10.

Was it worth the hype? No.
Will I watch it again? Probably not.

*Feedback and Constructive criticism is welcome! Just don't be too nasty about it.*