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TL;DR:
Moon Gundam is a series which operates similarly to "Char's Deleted Affair", in that it bridges the gap between two mainline-UC Gundam series: ZZ Gundam and Char's Counterattack. While there is a very unique plot and many new characters, important returning characters are very much central to the plot of Moon Gundam. The pacing, story, and plot beats of Moon are the most reminiscent of Unicorn Gundam and ZZ, and if you wanted to know more about Mineva Zabi's journey from a child to her older teenage in Unicorn Gundam, this is definitely the best manga we have for that era. While the "Moon Moon" ... subplot of ZZ (and even ZZ as a series itself) may not be the most popular, I think Moon Gundam does a fantastic job of making itself an interesting series that does its job in filling out the lore and timeline of yet another unventured and mysterious span of years within the UC Gundam era. Strongly recommended for fans of Unicorn, Char's Counterattack and the second half of ZZ.

FULL REVIEW:
Firstly, a big thanks to the Zeonic team for lovingly translating this series for western readers. The unfortunate reality of being a Gundam fan is that a great majority of Gundam manga is never officially released in the west, leaving many years of the Universal Century timeline unaccounted for, even when those years are known as cannon to Japanese readers. Having this series translated means a heck of a lot to UC Gundam fans such as myself.

The years between the mainline UC series are always interesting, because as most UC Gundam fans are aware, many reoccurring characters and conflicts tend to pop back up in a relatively mysterious fashion between shows. For instance, Char returns in Zeta under a pseudonym and fights against the Zeon remnants and the Titans under the banner of the AEUG, but there is generally little explanation for how that even occurred...that is, until you read a manga like "Char's Deleted Affair", which bridges the years between 0079 and Zeta.

Moon Gundam, then, is the most recent attempt at bridging the gaps between classic Universal Century Gundam series. Moon Gundam itself fills in the years occurring between ZZ and Char's Counterattack, occurring between the years of UC 0091-0093. These were years where the Zeon/Neo-Zeon remnants were largely on the run and being hunted down, and where Mineva Zabi was still being clandestinely protected with the hope that she could one day carry out her fateful role as the head of a reestablished Zeonic Republic. It is also a period of relatively little-known information about the whereabouts of Char Aznable, who would later make his triumphant return as Zeon's leader in Char's Counterattack in UC 0093. So, its quite obvious that this era is absolutely bursting with interesting story possibilities and lore.

While Moon Gundam focuses mainly on a new cast of characters who live on "Moon Moon" (which was the location of a main plot point in ZZ Gundam), it also features very important returning characters like Mineva Zabi, who is one of the most consistently re-returning characters in the entire UC era. This is really the first series in the timeline where she is old enough to really have a fleshed-out personality and character, given that prior to Moon Gundam, she was a very small child.

In Moon Gundam, we get an older version of Mineva Zabi- one that is striking similar to the Mineva Zabi present in Unicorn Gundam which occurs around 4 years later, in UC 0096. I like the fact that her personality and general demeanor is very close to the Mineva in Unicorn, giving Moon a feeling of importance in its continuity with Unicorn. In Moon Gundam, we see the first real growth of Mineva into her own person, and see her begin to develop her own sense of self outside of the expectations that her Zeon Handlers have attached to her. Her personality and the way she is presented visually are not the only similarities to Gundam Unciron, however. Moon Gundam also features a sort of "will-they-wont-they" romantic and spiritual connection between Mineva and the main protagonist from Moon Moon (Jutta Qasim), and I noticed immediately howw similar it feels to the fateful romantic pairing of Mineva and Banagher Links, the main protagonist of Unicorn Gundam.

If you are someone who dislikes a heavy emphasis on the spiritual, supernatural, or otherwise strange aspects surrounding the Newtype phenomenon, you may find yourself annoyed with some aspects of Moon Gundam, as it continues the trend of including those elements in a way that is similar to Unicorn, NT, or even the end of Char's Counterattack. "The magic" of Newtypes is really the possibilities that they hold, so unless you can suspend your disbelief and embrace the more zany aspects of Newtypes and the spirituality surrounding them, you already probably dislike series like Unicorn and NT anyway, so this series may not be for you.

Aside from all that, I don't want to spoil any of your enjoyment of the manga, so I will refrain from providing any spoilers or story elements that are not present in summary writeups or in the first few pages, so I will move on to the artwork and pacing of the story.

The artwork itself is quite good, with very clean lines and organized paneling, leading to a very pleasant and more relaxed reading experience than the often extremely busy paneling work of other artists. Even during battle scenes (which can become a messy, confusing mess in some Gundam manga) stay very, very clean, and its always easy to tell who is battling who.

While the artwork and the art style itself is very clean, organized and has a very modern sleek look to it, it isn't as special or awe inspiring as other Manga in the franchise, especially when compared against a masterpieces like Gundam Origin. To be fair, that is an extremely high bar to reach, and I would still put the art and paneling itself squarely in the 7.5 to 8/10 category for being consistent, clean, and extremely easy to engage with and follow.

I've said enough already, so I will end the review here. If you are anything like myself, and love to read new series that fill in the gaps, lore, and timeline of the existing Universal Century chronological timeline, than you will find Moon Gundam to be fascinating and definitely worth the read. I would strongly recommend this series to those UC Gundam fans who particularly enjoyed Unicorn Gundam, as it is definitely the most similar to Unicorn thematically, within its art direction and mech design, with its character relationships, and with the amount of the more supernatural and newtype-heavy elements present.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Despite its short duration of only four-30 minute OVA episodes, Macross Plus has cemented itself as the absolute peak of the Macross series, and its cinematic style and meticulous animations continue to impress audiences to this day.

Macross Plus is a series that takes the sci-fi, Mecha, musical, and love-triangle elements of its Macross predecessor (summarized in movie form as “Do You Remember Love”) and brings the series into a more serious direction through its amazing cinematic directorial style, as well as touching on more mature and complex themes.

Plus takes the Macross series and brings it squarely into the ‘90s seinen category, having more ... in common with the other ‘90s heavyweights (Akira, GiTs, Patlabor 2) than it does to the Macross series from which it was birthed. While the Original Macross (or DYRL) was certainly still more mature than its mecha contemporaries at the time, it still had that cartoony, quirky charm of most ‘80s anime. Macross Plus, like many ‘90s OVA series, definitely tried to, and succeeded in, shedding that quirkiness by utilizing a more cinematic and mature style.

Story, themes and art style:
Without spoiling too much, Macross Plus begins with a beautiful flashback of the series’ main trio: in a sweeping shot of a field- the trio joyously tests out prototype aerial vehicles, while one of the best opening songs in all of mecha plays softly, perfectly capturing the nostalgia of their youth.

The opening setup works wonderfully to bring us into the present, where the trio from the flashback has long since split up, with each character pursuing their dreams independently, although they all still quietly long for a return to the simpler days they spent together.

Unfortunately for the trio, unspoken trauma from seven years prior has tainted each of their lives, and all that remains is an unflinching maniacal drive for the careers they are pursuing. It’s a story about bottling emotions, and pushing forward relentlessly, and it’s also a bittersweet story of love.

The setting and the first episode of the series is obviously heavily inspired by American films of the early 90s, and the romantic drama and air force themes are obviously highly similar to Top Gun, with even the music being an obvious nod to 90s Hollywood films, with dramatic and moody new wave music coloring most of the series. Despite its obvious influences, Macross Plus stands out on its own through its interesting sci-fi themes, as well as just generally outdoing its contemporaries through its seriously impressive art and design.

Although Macross Plus is certainly the most grounded Macross series, with far less focus on outer space dogfights and alien cultures, it eventually veers into Ghost In The Shell-style themes focusing on the dangers of artificial intelligence and the possibilities of sentient Ai. It also continues to use singing and music as a sort of supernatural force that can overcome even the most daunting of challenges, especially when paired with an ace pilot with a death wish.

Macross Plus takes all of the themes of the original series (or the DYRL film) and streamlines them into a much more concise and cinematic experience, which is lifted higher than ever before by groundbreaking and detailed animation, beautiful pacing, and a truly impactful and memorable story.

It’s also worth noting that the English Dub for this series is absolutely fantastic, and is my preferred way to watch Plus. Bryan Cranston voices one of the main characters, and Plus features one of the best English dubs I’ve seen.

I would personally recommend that you watch the original Macross series, or its fantastic compilation movie “Do you Remember Love” before watching Macross Plus, as it chronologically comes before Plus, and sets the basis for protoculture/deculture concepts that are present in Plus. However, one of Plus’ strengths is that it also works as a standalone series pretty well, as the story is fairly self-contained.

With that being said, Macross Zero is also worth watching as it is a prequel to both Plus and DYRL. To me, those three series are the essential Macross trilogy, with the other series venturing too far into modern more unserious pop-anime territory that doesn’t fit in with Zero, DYRL and Plus’ seinen and vintage anime stylings.

Conclusion:
Animations: 10/10
Sound and Music: 10/10
Story: 9/10
English Dub: 9/10

Macross Plus is peak Mecha, even 30 years after its release. You will be hard pressed to find many other series which oozes as much charm, style and artistry as Macross Plus. It is a definitive piece of the golden age of ‘90s anime, and its cinematic directorial style, coupled with its fantastic music, setting and characters will certainly stay firmly planted in your memory long after the final credits roll.

Despite what Macross fans may say, most Macross shows work perfectly fine as standalone anime, and while this series in particular is probably one of the strangest and most unique ways to start your Macross journey, it is certainly one of the most artistic and memorable ways to do so. From its unique art style and memorable characters, to its brilliant cinematography and battle choreography, Zero stands as a testament to anime’s ability to be serious and emotionally moving art.

Art style and Story: 10/10

Macross Zero released during a time when the anime industry still retained some of the hand drawn flair of the ... ‘90s, while it also began to rapidly incorporate CGI, 3D and digital coloring. Zero’s art style is definitely reflective of its time, but I think it actually benefits from that awkward period of artistic experimentation by being incredibly unique and outside-the-box with its approach to animation.

The artists here definitely went full experimental, with beautiful 90s style character design and detailed environments mixed in with semi-blurred CG that ends up appearing almost as if it was coated with oil paints. This is especially prevalent in some of the more movement-heavy mech scenes, where these strange stylistic (or technological) choices are mixed in with absolutely fantastic background animations. Mech battles are full of vibrant, beautiful lighting and mesmerizing rocket trails surrounding these strange CG-assisted mechs, as they blur and shift around hand-drawn environments, making every mech battle have an almost otherworldly experience.

This extremely unique and vivid mix of animation styles perfectly fits in with the themes of this series, which constantly contrasts and compares the natural with the mechanical, the pragmatic and the magical, and the unthinkable possibilities of both outer space and of ancestral times. It really left me awestruck at how this series’ obvious technological and budgetary constraints ended up contributing to so much of the shows own unique and beautiful presence, while also leading to some serious thematic consistency.

Ironically, this very strangeness is what put many people off to this Macross series, with people often complaining about Zero’s use of CG. Regardless, this is one of the few times I can honestly say that a series’ “dated” and low-res qualities are a big factor in what makes this show even more endearing in the present year. The artists worked within their limitations and still far surpassed the quality and artistry of many anime coming out in the last decade (2014-2024).

The story and the characters themselves are all very memorable, with everyone having distinct personalities and motivations. Zero rarely allows its characters to simply become the typical anime cliches, and Zero’s story has enough emotion and mystery within it to really captivate the audience throughout its duration.

I personally found the story and character relationships extremely moving, and over the course of 4 incredibly cinematic episodes, the show included some emotional and real character development despite the short runtime.

If Zero has any flaws, they are all certainly due to the shows tragically short overall run time, which amounts to one long movie, or an average 13 episode season of 20 minute episodes. I do think that the longer 30 minute runtime was a massive advantage to Zero, as well as the fact that it does not have any lengthy intro and outro songs like a traditional TV series would. I find OVA and longer formats to be highly superior due to the fact that episodes can be paced much, much more calmly and retain a certain cinematic flare.

Conclusion:
If you love mechs, or you love the more introspective and artsy anime OVA/Films like Ghost In The Shell, Patlabor 2, or even Princess Mononoke, then this is a perfect series for you, regardless of your previous experience with Macross. If you have already seen some Macross and don’t know where to start to do a full series run, I still think Zero is the best place. For me, chronological is usually king.

To conclude, Zero does a fantastic job of merging nature and technology, and also masterfully combines the tech-heavy world of Mecha with otherworldly and extraterrestrial story elements- and that is often quite difficult to do correctly (looking at you, Gundam 00). Its certainly an experience you won’t forget, and one that I believe has aged to be even better with time and hindsight.

This review will cover C.D.A's story, artwork, its place in the UC Gundam chronology, as well as some of its more controversial elements. C.D.A is absolutely one of the best modern additions to the Universal Century chronology, only second to the Gundam Origin manga, and perhaps, the Beltorchika's Children manga. If you are thirsty to know more about Char, Haman, and Zeon's histories between the events of 0079 and Zeta, there really is no better place to look than C.D.A.

Review:
Story and Characters:
As a lifelong Universal Century Gundam diehard, I was completely enamored with The Origin manga series. It was a master class in ... providing context and filling out the expansive and mysterious lore behind Zeon, Char Aznable, and the political intrigue that led us to the One Year War.

Char’s Deleted Affair (C.D.A), then, is very much in the same vane as Origin. It fills out the critical information surrounding one of the most mysterious characters of both Zeta and ZZ- Haman Karn, as well as providing the context to how AEUG came into existence prior to the Zeta series. It also does a great job of explaining Char’s emotional and personality arc following 0079, showcasing the reasons for his changing motivations and mindset from his time in 0079 to his time fighting in the AEUG in Zeta.

C.D.A spends much of its time highlighting the life of a young Haman Karn, which is a huge selling point for many, as Haman was one of the most mysterious and underutilized characters in the anime series. If you want to know how Haman became the ruthless young leader of Zeon we know her as, this manga does a fantastic job of narrating her trajectory. Through her story, much is also revealed about how her and Char ended up having such a tumultuous and confused relationship during the Zeta era.

This is by no means a spin-off, or some one-shot side mission like much of Gundam manga. This is absolutely cannon, and the manga very clearly has a passion for these characters and their emotional and physical journeys. I never found any portion of the manga to feel like filler or a waste of time, with lots of interesting and contextually important dialogue centering around zeonic politics and military strategy filling the manga pages just as much as the dramatic relationship drama did. The manga has a natural, mature balance between its romance and relationship elements and its political intrigue and war philosophizing elements.

Artwork direction and quality:
While the Origin manga is pretty much unmatched in its quality, scope, and artistic prowess, C.D.A also holds its own with fantastic style which, to my taste, recalls some of the best character design of 90s anime.

Everything and everyone in C.D.A exude a unique rockstar design, with 80s and early 90s flare. Full color pages and deep, rich, and darkly inked outer space portraits fill the gaps between tense character drama and mobile suit battles, and the consistency between pages should be a model for other Gundam releases.

Mobile suit look great, and are sharp and beautifully illustrated, and battles are always clear and consistent- albeit lacking sometimes in their fluidity during action scenes. This seems to be a conscious choice to avoid having battles be scribbled "action lines" and blurred Gundams- a problem ever present in other Gundam manga such as Gundam Wing, where too many movement lines and chaotic panels can be overwhelming and downright confusing during combat.

While the artwork does a great job of preserving the "cool" and fashion of the times it takes place in, it also never looks dated. The artwork direction for the environments and backgrounds is sleek and minimalistic, but always has an attention to detail that rivals the best Gundam manga has to offer.

Controversies:
The "controversial" elements are only really going to be shocking to manga "tourists", and perhaps those unfamiliar with seinen manga. Manga, anime, and Japanese sensibilities in general, are not as prudish as western ones when it comes to this artform, and because of this, western fans seem to increasingly villainize Japanese sensibilities- even with manga that really doesn't deserve it.

I say this because C.D.A actually does a fairly decent job of not being exploitative or cheap when it comes to its use of sensitive topics, such as sexual assault. Some people feel morally outraged that the manga used sexual assault as a major plot point, but honestly, it is a very small portion of a fairly substantive manga. The manga also serves as a reminder that sexual violence is not always taken as seriously as it should be, and that its traumatic effects can have a wide range of impacts on a victim. Unfortunately, sexual assault does, in fact, happen in the real world. If you want manga that never touches on mature themes or real world evils, you are certainly better off reading shonen.

Another point that people constantly harp on is the fact that Haman is between age 14-18 for a majority of the manga. If Haman showering is concerning to you as an anime fan, I don’t even know what to say. The fan service in this series is minimal at best, and almost never borders on the erotic. Lets be real, censored naked bodies should not really offend anyone, and manga fans should not be shocked to see high school girls being idolized and idealized at this point, as it happens in literally every single manga and anime ever created. C.D.A isn't even particularly guilty of doing either, anyway.

Conclusion:
If you are a hardcore UC fan, you must read CDA. It is one of the best modern Gundam stories in my view, second only to Origin.

C.D.A covers a very significant and passed over era in UC Gundam, and really helps to fill out the character arcs, motivations, and story elements that were left a mystery between 0079 and Zeta. It fits neatly into that hardcore UC niche, and it will only really appeal to fans who have read or watched everything before it, but that's the way UC Gundam should be. For those who want to get into UC Gundam, this is not the way. The entry point is at the beginning, get in line!

Obligatory Preface to the review:

So, if you are reading this review, you probably fall into two distinct categories:

A.) Someone who doesn't care about the controversial nature of some small facets of the show.
OR
B.) Someone who is personally offended by the infinitesimally small, fairly anime-typical, politically incorrect facets of the show.

Now, if you fall into group A, you will have a much easier time admiring all that this show does right. Group B, I'm afraid, will continue to find something wrong with literally everything. So, I am writing this review for you- the ones who will help preserve the uniquely Japanese essence of anime, and ... not let this great genre of art be sullied and destroyed by Western cultural critics with nothing better to do than to be offended by reincarnation escape fantasy.

Review:

This show feels different. It feels more like a movie, much in the same way that "Saga of Tanya The Evil" and "Erased" did.

Let me explain:
Mushoku Tensei has carefully curated a highly "cinematic" directorial style, one that includes sweeping shots, beautiful landscapes, and scenes that typically show, rather than tell us, how beautiful and fantastical the world our protagonist was dropped into is. This, coupled with the soundtrack, and the many quiet moments that allow us to feel what the characters are feeling, are what truly raise this show above 90% of other escapist fantasy anime's.

Upon completing season 1, I would venture to say this Isekai is in the same league as Erased and Tanya The Evil in terms of its Cinematic quality and quality of its production.

BREAKDOWN

ART:
Its refreshing to see what "appears to be" mostly drawn animations rather than the typical current mishmash of CGI and traditional art. This anime took great care to maintain its characteristically natural art style and looks truly awe inspiring due to it.

Not to be overly simplisitc, but the damn water effects alone beat out most studios. In fact, I haven't been this pleased and inspired by the art-style of an anime since Patlabor 2, Fate/Zero and Kara No Kyoukai.

Mushoku Tensei also seems to not have any of the consistency issues that plague other anime. It's art is beautiful throughout, and the art style feels airy, light, and has an almost Ghibli-like unpretentious artsy quality to it that is both endearing and enchanting.

SOUND:
Wonderful mixing in every scene, but especially during the fights/ louder scenes. No recycled explosion sounds or overblown mixing.
Since the majority of the story is actually quiet and pensive, the score is quiet, ambient, and has a fantastic sort of airy magic to it. It really underlines the emotion of the characters, and allows us to feel the scene without having to have long, exposition to explain to us the feelings in the air in any given scene.

Characters/Story:
Now, while with a superficial examination, the main character could be seen as the typical Isekai caricature, acting only as a place holder for all neets and losers out there, he actually has quiet a bit of depth lingering under the surface.

In only a few short episodes, the main character goes through trauma, growth, and pain, but also maintains his old-world sense of playful and mischievous immaturity. This duality of being an extraordinarily selfless person, while also being perverse and often self-serving, is what really makes his character arc fun and interesting. A true hypocrite and a scumbag, but one with a heart of gold and a desire to change.

The characters are generally not as cartoony and anime-trope laden as most Isekai characters, and because of this, they feel more like real, imperfect people who are simply trying to live their lives in the best way they know how.

The Dad is another great example of the duality of a character: while he is a bastard, a womanizer, and generally could be seen as a deviant as well, he is humanized in his interactions with the MC when he plays the role of the father.

Ironically, despite claims that this anime is misogynistic or creepy, all of the women in this anime are strong, willful, and have their own unique purpose and place in the story. So far, the MC has no harem of available women- although I'm sure he would love to have one (and who could blame a man for trying anyway?).

The story so far is exceedingly strong. Instead of shooting for a shonen-esque large world with little world building, it takes its time to build a small, insular community and slowly builds outward, allowing the MC to grow as a person, build connections, and feel grounded in the communities that he is a part of.

This is a story of growth, self-exploration, and getting to know oneself, while also getting to start over again. The powers that the MC gains are not shoehorned in or simply given to him- he earns them through willpower and practice. We grow with the MC, and the magical/battle elements are actually perfectly dispersed throughout the show, so as to keep them special, and actually relevant to the scene.

There is no monster of the week/enemy of the week. Its a slow burn, and so far its been absolutely awesome to escape into.

OVERALL:

Unfortunately, I almost didn't give this anime a shot because I generally don't like Isekai due to its tropes, cheesy nature, and over the top comedy. This anime, however, is different.

This is Isekai done right.

If you appreciate cinematic, insular, more mature and slow burning anime, but also like comedy and the lightheartedness of Ghibli films, this anime is definitely for you.

Since this is a bit of a lengthy review, I'm going to preface it with a TL;DR bullet point section:

Tl;DR Main reasons why Guilty Crown deserves a 9/10 in the year 2017:

1.) The beautifully crafted cyber-punk/ dystopian scenery and feel, diverse and well crafted characters, and a good mix of well-designed CGI aspects, make GC one of the best looking series still to this day.

2.) The plots mystery, and it's overarching conspiracy, reflect a well thought out, well written Anime that is especially masterful when compared to this seasons trite and cliche ridden, paper thin plot lines. (see: Clockwork Planet, Smart Phone, Chronos ... Ruler, and Knights and Magic..all terrible plot lines full of awful writing.)

3.) The emotional investment that grows with each episode, in regard to the main characters' fates and romances, is a testament to the love that was put into making this anime, and a testament to the shows writing and production.

4.) A beautiful, relevant and fitting original soundtrack, which is performed almost solely by one of the MC's in the story itself (Egoist).

--------FULL REVIEW------

So, I just re-watched Guilty Crown for the first time since its release (2011), and I must say, not only does it hold up extremely well graphically, but its story and the general pacing and addictive nature of the show also are still top-tier.

You see, Guilty Crown has something for everyone. It has elements of fantasy, Mecha, Action, political conspiracy, and of course, Romance and drama that acts as the glue holding it all together.

GC is also just plain addicting, and an obvious candidate for "binge watching".

I say this because each episode builds up the mystery and intrigue behind the plot and the fates of the characters that we grow to love are always hanging in the balance.

That mystery and tension build cumulatively, until it becomes essential to watch the next episode as soon as possible, in hopes that the origins of the "Lost Christmas" incident and its mysterious virus will be revealed.

It was truly a shock to me that every episode had me on edge, pondering about who the puppet masters in the plot's conspiracy were, and what their motives could possibly be. It was a shock, because if we're being honest, it is not often that an anime has a well realized plot, especially toward their later halves; this is especially true when it comes to the severely lacking "Mystery" genre.

Guilty Crown is also a sort of guilty pleasure, in that it has a very "Soap Opera" feel to its character relationships. They are very dramatic, often described best as "emo", and typically have layers and layers of angst to pull apart. I normally don't like that sort of writing, but GC actually pulls it off, and this aspect of the script somehow fits perfectly into the dystopian survival game that our characters find themselves in. The book "Battle Royale" comes to mind when I think about this type of hyper-dramatic inter-personal storytelling.

If there are any gripes that I have with this series, its really just the pacing. It starts off with a bang, but after the first episode, it drags on a bit until episode 5- which is where the story really kicks off, and where it becomes obvious that the plot is heading into a very complex and conspiratorial direction. Give the show a chance to find it's footing until then, and you will be hooked no matter what.

Also, Without giving too much away, the show has 22 episodes, and somewhere in the middle there is a distinct shift in its tone and plot- an arc change, if you will.

The first arc is really about world and character building, and the second arc is about tying up the loose ends of the plot and coming to the stories dramatic conclusion.

The second arc was pretty experimental, and you can tell that they had many possible directions they could have gone in. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but its obvious that if they had a longer run they could have done much more with the plot and this experimentation. Thankfully, they didn't resort to as much "Deus Ex Machina" or cheap plot fixes, and I respect that a lot.

Besides the story, GC has some of the most beautiful and well realized art and set designs in anime. They portray their own unique brand of futuristic dystopian-utopia in film-quality detail, and their use of CGI is sparse and done in subtlety and in good taste.

Everything about Guilty Crown holds up in the current year, and its plot and characters still far exceed much of the "Moe" filled garbage that has infiltrated the Anime scene in the past few years.

In terms of comparisons, if you like Terror in Resonance, Eden of The East, and the art style of Gundam Unicorn, you will 100% love this show. It's really a perfect mix of Genre's that any otaku would be proud to add to their lists.

This rendition of Lupin III is the quintessential version of Lupin; its fresh faced, awe inspiring and nostalgic at the same damn time.

It's a perfect version of everything that has come before it, and it's a perfect way for the newcomer to get into the world of Lupin and Co.

At the risk of committing high-treason, I'd say that this is the best Lupin III EVER. Not since "The Count of Cagliostro" has Lupin looked, sounded, and flowed so masterfully.

The choice of soundtrack here is as perfect as Cowboy Bebop; it's epic, sly and sexy, and totally purposeful, and never ventures ... into the area of vapid, horrible j-pop or pop-cultural diarrhea like most modern anime. The intro alone is absolutely hype in the best way possible.

The artwork is both vintage and modern, keeping its hand-drawn appeal while the slick, smooth CGI never rears its ugly head long enough to be noticed. It's direction is that of a sleek heist film- think "Oceans 11"- mixed with hilarity of "The blues brothers." If you noticed that both my references were western, its because Lupin has a distinctly western vibe and attitude, as it always has.

The story line is episodic enough to where you can jump in at almost any point and still enjoy the adventure, but has enough continuity to keep you wanting to watch the gang get into trouble all throughout the beautifully rendered Italian hillsides, cities, and towns.

In total, its a series of sheer brilliance and style, and a total love letter to the franchise as a whole. It's a unique gem amidst an ocean of cliche and pointless anime, and it should be held on a pedestal for all the world to see, and say, "Yes, I watch Anime, and yes, it is a high art."

Noragami is probably the most well rounded, most inspired manga that I've ever read.

Story/Overall Enjoyment:

Without being overbearing, over dramatic, pretentious, or pseudo-intellectual (like so, so many manga/anime) it masterfully weaves a tragic story through comedy and well-fought optimism.

Even at its most grim, Noragami is a tale of resilience, perseverance and friendship in the face of death, afterlife, and the "somewhere in between." It's a story of the endless struggle for serenity and happiness, even against all odds, even when suicide seems like the only viable course of action.

For those of you who tend to stick to comedy- read Noragami.
For those of ... you who tend to stick to the grim and bleak- read Noragami.
For those of you who like to read- read Noragami, and be amazed that its able to straddle all genres fluidly, and with a grace that is typically reserved for universally beloved literary works.

This is a a manga that supersedes genre lines, expectations, and biases by leaps and bounds of the imagination, and one that can be enjoyed by all, through laughter, tears, and deep understanding of the human condition that we call "life".

Artwork:

The cover art work alone is brilliantly vibrant and beautifully coloured, mirroring the spirit and drive of the team of women who write, plan and illustrate this wonderful work under the pseudonym "Adachitoka."

The artwork inside is generally dream-like, well detailed, and always reflective of the feelings of each arc, respectively.

Unlike some "action" manga, the panels are never blurry and "out of focus", even in the more fast-paced action sequences- so you can always tell what's going on in any scene. I've noticed this particular issue in many manga lately, Aldnoah Zero being a main culprit, where the artist seemed to not understand how to clearly illustrate an action sequence, rendering it almost meaningless. Noragami never cuts corners.

During comedy scenes, Noragami switches styles a lot, similarly to how FLCL haphazardly switched to chibi, or sketched illustrations, but Noragami does this to a much more muted degree.

After The Disasterous Life Of Saiki K finished I was in desperate need of a good, satirical anime.

Most comedies are too harum/slice of life for me, as I'm not 13 and sexually frustrated, so typically I look for comedies that poke fun at the otaku culture and anime culture in dumb, yet interesting ways.

Akibas Trip does just that, and oddly enough- unlike most anime- it actually gets funnier and more original as the season progresses. I'm actually a little sad that it's officially over.

Each episode had a new villain in a long line of villains, and each sort of represented one ... hobby and/or obsession prevelant in otaku culture, and thus, in Akiba itself.

Such examples ranged from competitive video gaming, to the exploitation of Idol Singers, to Ham radios and manual cameras, to military fanatics.

Surprisingly, as the group in the show increased in membership, their bonds deepened, and for such a short comedic show, that's actually quite the accomplishment.

So, while the show is no where near as intelligent in its satire as say, Saiki K, it's still really funny and totally a great way to enjoy yourself on a boring night.

If you liked "Haven't you heard? I'm Sakamoto", "Mob Psycho 100" or " Saiki K" you'll probably enjoy this too. I'm liking this new wave of actually funny anime that pokes fun at our ridiculous culture that we hold so dear.

Also, even though each episode stands alone great, there is actual continuity and a vague storyline thats "there" just enough to make you want to see the next episode and see where our oddball crew will end up next.

Anyway, thankfully this is based off the game of the same name, so you can always play that if you truly want more of what the anime had to offer.

Just attended the premiere tonight in Las Vegas, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much both I and the entire audience enjoyed the film.

I'm not a huge SAO fan, although I did enjoy the first arc of season 1, and kept on board until the end, but skipped season 2 because it seemed like it would just be a lackluster repeat of the same.

That being said, watching this film without at least having seen the first season would leave you completely disconnected from the cast, as this film has no character development to speak of, and is instead ... a total feast of eye and ear candy.

This is THE blockbuster anime film of the moment, and is essentially a standalone 2 hour episode of SOA in which the main characters have yet another crisis on their hands.

There really isn't much else to say except "enjoy the ride", and know that you are basically going into a film of visual eye candy that serves as a Thank You to all the SAO fans out there.