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Story: 9/10
Cross Game is my first Adachi anime, and I was thoroughly impressed by its storytelling. The whole series is slow paced and filled with tension. Despite being somewhat predictable, Cross Game is well executed. There is only 1 filler episode out of 50, and even that episode tied pretty well into the main story. My only criticism is Adachi could have fleshed it out a little more, adding some more episodes. Yes this show already has 50 episodes, but it feels shorter than that.

Animation: 8/10
I really liked the art from this show. It feels like an old school anime, and the nostalgic atmosphere it ... creates serves it well. There were a few points in the show where the animation quality dipped. However, the no non-sense/frills animation was pretty consistent throughout its entirety.

Characters: 10/10
Cross Game’s cast is one of the most memorable in all of anime (that I have watched at least). Each character is developed so well that there isn’t really a character that you won’t like. In fact, you will really sympathize with the main cast’s struggles, hardships, and triumphs.

Sound: 10/10
I loved the OP and the first ED. The next few ED’s are great, but not as powerfully moving as the first one. The first ED “Koi Kogarete Mita Yume” is a beautiful song in its own right, but coupled with this anime, it really could not be more perfect. The OP “Summer Rain” is another song that really speaks volumes about the show and instantly feels like a classic. Finally the soundtrack is wonderfully arranged and really adds to the tension/excitement of the show.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I’m not really a big fan of baseball and when I started this show I was a little hesitant, but I had heard great things about it. From the start, the show hooked me in and never dropped the ball. Easily one of the best slice of life shows I’ve seen (one of the best anime’s I’ve seen for that matter), so I highly recommend this show to others. If you can get past its animation (for some, that’s the weakest part of the show), you will be rewarded with a classic.

Average Series Rating: 9.4 - Classic

Story – 9

Lovely Complex or LoveCom’s story is a really funny love story. It demonstrates the immense joy and pain one usually feels when falling for someone, confessing, getting rejected, and getting back up again to live another day. In addition, all the awkward and hilarious moments are done in excellent fashion. Not to mention, it tackles an oddity: tall girl falls for a short guy and is actually making the moves towards the relationship. My only qualm about the story is the small fillers near the end of the show which kept it from getting a 10. Nevertheless, I was truly impressed with the ... story and direction.

Animation – 9

The animation fit in really well with the series. I really like the character designs, especially for Koizumi. As the main character, her facial expressions displayed the emotions needed for each scene. The same could be said for the other characters to a lesser extent, but Koizumi’s art style stood out the most and brought this show to another level in terms of emotion and comedy. It was the driving force that meshed well with whatever the situation was at hand.

Characters – 9

The two main characters, Koizumi and Otani, are extremely fun to watch. There is not much in terms of back story for either character, but what they do during the story add to their great personalities. With the characters going back and forth, there is never a dull moment. The other characters are great too and add to the humor and emotion of the show.

Sound – 9

The first OP and ED are much better than the 2nd ones. Tegomass’ “Kimi + Boku = Love?” (OP) manages to create the charming atmosphere of the show while “Kiss ~Kaerimichi no Love Song~” (ED) is a great song in and of itself, with its soft melodies and easy listening feel. In addition, the background music did a great job in reinforcing and portraying emotions and funny situations throughout the show. Koizumi and Otani’s voice actors were perfect for the job and had amazing chemistry.

Enjoyment – 10

I was really impressed with the show overall and it was a lot of fun to watch. I’m glad I picked this series as I was searching for something different to watch from what I normally do. Every episode is genuinely funny, and charmingly non-cliché (fresh, to me anyways – with the tall girl liking the short guy and doing something about it, completely opposite of what we think today!) Definitely a must watch for those who like a natural good comedy, and those who like love stories.

Average Series Rating – 9.2 – Excellent

Story – 9

Kino’s Journey is an episodic drama that chronicles Kino’s visit to each country. Along the way, you discover peoples’ outward appearances clashing with their inner characters. Some will shock you and disturb you, others will leave you in disbelief, but all will touch your heart. Pacing wise, Kino’s Journey is a slow moving anime in a good way.

Animation – 8

The animation is rather simple, yet it is not without its charm. With a few faults here or there (minor nitpicking), the character designs and backgrounds are done well enough. Further, Kino’s childlike stature is part of a bigger purpose: to have you guessing ... about Kino’s gender.

Characters – 8

Kino and Hermes: a human and a motorrad; the show revolves around these two characters. The characters neither change nor grow for the better after each struggle, but they are still nonetheless worthwhile characters in the show. Perhaps as you watch each episode, you will begin to understand why Kino’s demeanor never changes.

Sound – 9

The OP and ED of this show are great. I would highly recommend watching this one with the Japanese voice actors and English subs; if anything to avoid getting spoilt on Kino’s gender. Kino’s English voice actor gives it away too easily. Anyways, the voice acting is good for both characters.

Enjoyment – 9

Overall this show is excellent and I enjoyed it. With just 13 episodes, the show manages to depict a lot of the characteristics in the world (happiness, sadness, pain, violence – including some disturbing things, beauty, wisdom, etc.). If you like or don’t mind the slow moving paced animes, I recommend you watch Kino’s Journey. Like the world that the show is portraying is beautiful, the anime manages to hold itself in a similar regard.

Average Series Rating: 8.6/10 – Very Very Good

Story – 10/10

Hajime no Ippo is a sports/boxing anime. The story itself is very captivating and exciting. In addition, there is plenty of comedy to go around and also lots of great boxing stories/matches. It is quite realistic and displays the hard work of the cast to overcome many of the obstacles that present themselves in the story. Further, there is very few filler (if any) episodes; thus, the story flows rather smoothly from one to the next.

Animation – 9/10

Instead of comparing and grading the animation with the standards today, I am going to compare it with a popular anime at or around the time ... of its release (2000). Great Teacher Onizuka (1999) is a very similar inspiring anime that was released prior to Hajime no Ippo. Ippo’s animation is actually fairly good in its time. It does the job well and the character designs grow on you as you watch the series.

Characters – 10/10

Hajime no Ippo features a great cast of Makunochi, Kimura, Takamura, Aoki, and a few others. Each character is developed quite well throughout the series, thus creating lots of great personalities to embellish the setting with. I felt compassion and sympathy with the characters as they dealt with hardships, which is a testament to how unforgettable these characters will be.

Sound – 9/10

I found the OP and ED quite good to pump you up for the boxing battles. The Trigun-like similarity works well here as the scenes were also quite intense (especially the matches and training). Voice acting is top notch and did its job quite well.

Enjoyment – 10/10

I was never bored and went through 76 episodes in a flash (around 2 weeks). I highly enjoyed this boxing anime even though I am not a boxer. I do watch boxing sometimes, but I found myself throwing a jab or two while watching this show. So in addition to be a great show in itself, I also learned a little bit about the sport. I highly recommend this show for people looking for an inspiring anime who doesn’t mind boxing/sports. This show is a classic and one of my favorite shows of all time.

Average Series Rating – 9.6/10 – Classic

Story: 8/10

Ryuusei no Gemini (RG)’s story is very good. While it is a sequel, the story can stand on its own two legs. However the fact that the plot is sometimes rushed and that many things are unexplained (holes in the story) keep it from getting a higher score. My personal feeling is that while it was engaging enough to keep me watching it, I doubt the impression that story leaves me with wont last, unlike some other anime.

Animation: 8/10

The character design and special effects were pleasant to look at. There were a few scenes where the drawings got a little sloppy, however as a ... whole, the animation is consistently of good quality. Nothing really stood out for me, be it in a good light or a bad light, so I think that means it has at the very least done its job.

Characters: 8/10

I thought the new characters and the old characters are done in a interesting manner for a sequel. However, going back to the idea that there are a lot of questions unanswered in RG really takes away from a possible score of a 9.

Sound: 8/10

Tsukiakari no Michishirube (OP) is my favorite piece of music in this show. While the rest of the sounds of RG were unintrusive and almost non-existent, the opening really gives it extra points. Further, the voice acting was well done for this show.

Enjoyment: 7/10

There are a lot of questions left unanswered in this show. However it did keep me interested and watching. I can’t help but feel some feeling of incompleteness after watching this show due to the afore mentioned issue.

Average Series Rating: 7.8/10 – Very Good

Boy, did Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (TM8) come out of nowhere and completely surprise me.

Story: 10/10

The story is fascinating and fresh. There is a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode that states a large amount of research concerning earthquakes and such were done as the show is striving for realism. The show is fiction, but this sense of realism adds to the emotional story. Further, the flow of the story, for the most part, is excellent and will make viewers want to watch the episodes consecutively.

Animation: 8/10

The character drawings range from “average” at worst to “very good” at best. In some scenes, the characters look ... lazily drawn, but it gets the point across and is not annoying to look at. The backdrop has much more detail and is often times excellent in quality. The CG scenes are well done too. The difference in quality between the character and setting animations is to increase the overall realism and devastation caused by the earthquake.

Characters: 10/10

The characters are exceptional. Everyone is believable and very likeable. The protagonists grow with the unfolding events and are a main reason why the story is so moving. Further, the supporting cast is also well done. One can connect with any of the side characters and sympathize with their situation. In addition, the voice actors did an excellent job of conveying the tone and emotion to put an genuine spin on their characters (especially Mari and Yuuki’s seiyuus).

Music: 8/10

Kimi No Uta’s (opening) music and lyrics are fitting for the chaotic events and describe the protagonists’ situation well. The ending song, Melody, is very catchy and uplifting. Its “melody” is light and happy which clashes (in a good way) with some of the more serious scenes. The background score, while not exactly memorable by itself, is purposeful and moving.

Enjoyment: 7/10

Why is my gut feeling about this show just slightly above average when all the other qualities are higher? It is because I literally felt like I was punched in my emotional and proverbial gut towards the end of the show. Don’t get me wrong, the ending is far from horrible. It is hard to explain what I’m talking about without spoiling it so let me just simply say that it did its job of evoking my emotions, however I feel that it did too good of a job. We all know too much of a good thing can be bad. The ending is extremely bittersweet, making me have a love-hate relationship for this series. I am sure other viewers will disagree with my gut feeling. I can see where they are coming from and completely respect that (see my perfect 10/10 score for the story).

Average Series Rating: 8/10 – Very Good

Bottom line: TM8 is a gripping, refreshing, depressing, but extremely entertaining drama. The viewer may want to watch something happier and lighter at the end because it is a real tear jerker. Not exactly my cup of tea (too sad), however I know a special series when I see it.

Story – 7/10

Natsume Yuujinchou’s (NY) story is very light and charming. There is no over-arching plot with twists, though there are occasional flashbacks that help develop Reiko and Takashi’s character. The story mostly consists of light comedy, some sad situations, and many happy endings for each individual stand alone episode. Some episodes are better than others (that is to be expected), especially towards the last few episodes of the season. Therefore, the quality of the story varies for each episode. While this anime’s plot is not as heavy and emotionally engaging as other anime (ex. Fruits Basket), the story is quite charming and enjoyable.

Animation – ... 8/10

The animation is for this show is very good. The human character drawings are consistently good, with very few instances where the quality is less than acceptable. In other words, the soft colors, human character designs, and their backgrounds complement the show’s charm. Further, the spirit design is wide and varied that separates each individual spirit from each other. Though there is a more noticeable drop in quality for the spirit drawings when compared to the humans.

Characters – 8/10

The main characters Natsume and “Nyanko-sensei” (Madara) are a funny couple to watch. Some of the characters turn out to be very likeable despite only seeing them for a few episodes (for example, the wolf boy), however some are rather one dimensional. Overall, the main and supporting cast of NY is characterized in a good manner.

Music – 9/10

If anything stands out for me in this series, it is the music. The ED of the show is rather slow and peaceful like the series itself; the singing and lyrics are full of emotion. The OP is good too, however the ED is more memorable because of its melodies. Overall, the soundtrack was excellent with emphasis on the ED.

Enjoyment – 7/10

Overall, I felt that this anime did its job of delivering its charming and playful message to the audience. It may not have all the frills and thrills of other shows, however it’s a good anime to pick up if you are in the market for a light feel good show with a little bit of comedy.

Average Series Rating – 7.375/10