- Last OnlineFeb 2, 3:00 PM
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- BirthdayDec 1, 1991
- LocationLondon, UK
- JoinedMay 11, 2009
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Jun 10, 2010
I don't usually review an anime before it's over but this one's a bit different. Scores will change as the series go on, I guess.
As many have said, the storyline is really cliché, boy with a troubled past, mysterious power, joining a larger group of people with powers in order to save the world. Currently, there doesn't seem to be much behind this story, I haven't read the manga yet but many can pretty much see where this is heading, so here's my somewhat detailed opinion on the first 9 episodes of Uraboku.
Story - 7/10
As previously mentioned, there isn't much substance to the actual
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story at the moment, it's your typical mysterious boy with unique powers that is in danger from another evil group of people that also seem to want or are afraid of his powers. However, there's something quite alluring about this series based on the first 9 episodes, I found every episode enjoyable to watch despite its predictability, whether it be the characters are the amazing art. The story itself isn't great but the pace is neither too slow nor too fast, it doesn't drag on or skip ahead too much, this and the amount of action I've seen so far is enough for me to want to keep watching.
Art - 10/10
The art is absolutely amazing, beautiful and detailed. Characters are outstandingly drawn to be unique individuals, scenery is pretty even the evil guys are pretty. Special effects/spells are done amazingly also. The art in Uraboku is one that bears a stark resemblance to Vampire Knight, so if you loved that then I guess you'll love this even more.
Sound - 9/10
The soundtrack is fitting, nothing special but it is used perfectly to create the right atmosphere and feeling intended based on what is happening. The OP and ED are also well chosen. I'm glad to see some familiar voice actors like Sakurai Takahiro, Fukuyama Jun and Ono Daisuke, however, something about Yuki's voice seems to annoy me greatly. Other than that, the voice actors fit their roles amazingly.
Characters - 8.5/10
Again, the characters are rather cliché like the storyline. I find Luka pretty 1-dimensional at the moment, playing the servant role to Yuki because he sees the previous Yuki's soul in the current one, however, he's just cool enough for a girl like me not to care. The others are not entirely 1-dimensional characters however they're pretty much your average characters in a cliché story where they have troubled pasts which the anime goes on to address eventually. I quite like the relationships the Zwelit Guardians share with each other as pairs, it really brings out the shounen ai in this anime, it's not explicit nor is it too vague, for people who shounen ai isn't something they particularly enjoy, you could just interpret it as deep friendship between two guys. Overall, each character is unique in terms of power and personality, moreover, each one is one heck of a bishy.
Overall - 8/10
I'm still expecting more from this anime so this score will undoubtedly change depending on whether future episodes meet my expectations or not. Currently, I feel that the first 9 episodes have brought the anime to a positive start, I've enjoyed every episode so far and it's been a while since I've seen an anime that isn't unbearably slow to begin with. Although the story is cliché for many, if you're looking for an anime with a simple plot, eye candy characters, supernatural powers then you might want to consider adding Uraboku to your list.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 3, 2009
Shoujo is probably the last word I would use to describe this anime.
NANA is possibly one of the most complicated romances I have ever come across; this complexity is what makes it so amazing, outstanding and fascinating. It is because NANA is not a typical shoujo which makes it suitable for a wider audience; it's far from your average school-life-love-triangle romance. This anime will make anyone laugh, cry and feel a connection with the protagonists by the end of 47 episodes.
Story - 10/10
Can anyone have any more drama in their life than the characters from NANA? In my opinion, the summary above
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doesn't really do the anime justice. What’s so special about this anime is that it makes you think deeply. You come to realise how small the world really is, two girls roughly the same age, with the same name, heading towards the same place but both aiming for different goals. Initially, it may seem like the anime focuses on the two Nanas’ lives running parallel with one another, day to day life just like that, but further into the anime, it makes people realise that even though the two Nanas have a lot in common and almost become as close as sisters, they are still extremely different to each other in person and opinions, thus creating conflicting situations. The anime revolves around how these situations are resolved for the better good of someone close to them, selflessness and selfishness. Drama is primarily dominant in this anime, as it continuously escalates, I can assure you that not one single episode is a disappointment.
Art - 9/10
The art style in NANA is very unique; it differs from the conventional anime art style you may see in other anime. The characters are drawn very stylishly, each with their own unique appearance, the landscape is drawn almost as well as the characters and everything is very distinguishable and pleasant to look at. If you’ve seen Ai Yazawa’s previous work of Paradise Kiss, it is very similar to that. Only complaint I would have is that there is the occasional blurriness, but seeing as this is a 2006/2007 anime, it’s forgivable.
Sound - 9/10
The voice actors were perfect in their roles, I saw nothing weird or out of place with how the voice actors matched with the character’s personality of which they were voicing. I really enjoyed the OST of NANA, the OPs and EDs were fitting in every way, I found myself looking forward to the next OP/ED each time. Anna Tsuchiya’s vocals really brought out the punk-like character of Nana Osaki and Olivia Lufkin managed to convey the gentleness of Reira. An excellent OST as expected from a music based anime.
Characters - 9/10
The characters were very unique, whether it be a significant past story or an underlying secret, each character had a special trait that separated them from each other. The characters were generally very likable throughout, they were all characters that perhaps people may find them easy to relate to since NANA has quite a realistic element to it. As the story progressed there was noticeable change in the characters’ attitudes and personalities, each one developing in their own way through influences of the people around them. In my opinion, Ai Yazawa’s characters are always well thought out and interesting which makes them so hard to hate.
Enjoyment & Overall - 10/10
I gave this anime a 10 without hesitation. Overall, I really and thoroughly enjoyed this anime; each episode has something waiting for you and will never leave you disappointed. I watched this anime twice over and I ended up loving it even more by the second time. It is definitely the best romance anime I have seen by far and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a not-too-long but not-too-short romance that will leave you content and thinking about whether events in everyday life are merely a coincidence or down to fate itself.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 10, 2009
Take samurai, aliens, robots, unrealistic animals, a whole bunch of randomness and throw them into an Edo period-like setting and you'll have Gintama. Gintama combines a lot of things that should not be combined, it breaks all the rules and crosses all borders in how a story should be told. However, Gintama does this extremely well and each episode never fails to have its watchers in stitches of laughter with its outrageous situations.
Story - 10/10
Story? What story? There is absolutely no plot to Gintama, its episodic humour that outlines the daily life of an odd jobs freelancer Sakata Gintoki and his two 'employees',
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the four-eyed useless guy, Shimura Shinpachi and the kung fu China girl, Kagura. The three of them take up odd jobs from searching for lost pets to fighting dangerous evil aliens in order to pay off their rent. Although Gintama does not follow any specific plot, its humour is what makes it top notch, with the amount of humour this anime delivers, a plot isn't even needed.
Art - 9/10
Like with most long running anime, the art starts off rather bad, but does show noticeable improvement along the way. A particular feature I like about Gintama is the way the scenery is done, the houses, shops and clothes remind the watchers that the anime is set in an era that resembles the Edo period. However, things like aliens, mutated beasts, drink machines, scooters, bazookas etc also give Gintama a modern/futuristic feel. The art, character-wise is also very well done, the facial expressions in particular amplifies the humour or joke being told when necessary.
Sound - 9/10
The OP and ED themes ranged from upbeat and catchy songs to slower more mellow tunes, Gintama has a good range of catchy openings that will remain in your head after the 20 or so episode they appear for. BGM-wise, was also very well done, the silly sounding ones were played at the appropriate times and the same goes for serious, wild sounding ones, the BGM went well with the moment/scene in the episode most of the time. The Otsu idol songs were a bonus in my opinion, they were really original and weird with crazy lyrics but did wonders for the humorous side of things in Gintama.
Character - 10/10
The characters really bring out Gintama, each character has a unique trait that makes them stand out from the rest of the other characters. I really liked how the characterisation was done, the innocent and kind looking characters end up being the complete opposite of their appearance. Throughout the anime, the majority of characters are well explored to reveal an underlying side of their personality which makes them more awesome than they were before.
Enjoyment & Overall - 10/10
Gintama is definitely one of the most hilarious anime I’ve ever come across, although the amount of episodes it has may seem daunting, Gintama is an anime that is very easy to fall in love and get addicted to. It's an anime that brings humour to a whole different level with its never ending parodic references and the odd adult joke.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 9, 2009
Paradise Kiss is an anime aimed at the shoujo audience, but what sets this anime apart from all other shoujo anime is it's unique characterisation and atypical storyline.
Story - 9
Paradise Kiss is a short anime about how a young 18 year old girl's life is changed completely when a group of fashion design students kidnap her off the street to model their dress for a school fashion show. The main female protagonist falls in love with the main male protagonist and a love story is revealed. What sets this anime aside from the rest of the 'typical shoujo/romance' anime is that
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the relationship between the two are not as simple as it seems. The story itself has a realistic element to it making it more suitable for a mature audience rather than what the word shoujo literally implies.
Art - 10
Personally, i love Ai Yazawa's artwork, the setting was drawn realistically to compliment the whole aspect of a realistic life and story. I was surprised to see how everything was drawn perfectly, the anime itself felt like one from 2007/08 rather than 2005. The characters were perfect, nothing was really out of place, the males did not look over glamourous nor did the females look over pitiful. The whole urbanised setting gave the anime and overal fashionable and trendy feel to it. The only flaw i could notice was the characters looked odd when they were far away but when they were close up, every detail could be shown.
Sound - 9
The OP and ED were catchy songs and suited the anime well, it created a funky feel to the anime and the way the opening was brought in for each episode really made the song a part of the anime rather than your general opening you have for every anime. The anime lacked BGM at times, but for this anime, having less of it was much more suitable.
Character - 10
The characters were definately one of this anime's strong points, almost the whole story revolves around the basis of clashing characters working together and becoming friends (or more than friends even). It also shows how one person can change another's outlook on life and their personality. Ai Yazawa is successful in showing how Yukari's whole life changes in a very short amount of time purely by making friends with the "bad crowd" and realising her ambitions.
Enjoyment - 9
If you've watched NANA, then Paradise Kiss doesn't stray too far from the basic concepts in NANA. The whole mature, real life drama is what makes Paradise Kiss enjoyable. If you're looking for a short, sweet, drama-filled, not-your-typical-shoujo anime then i'd highly recommend you give Paradise Kiss a try.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 27, 2009
When i first came across KHR, it was a toss up against Gintama. I watched the first episode of KHR and was put off by Tsuna's underwear mode thing, thinking it was completely ridiculous and stupid. So then i chose to watch Gintama instead, however, i'm SO glad that i did come back to KHR eventually, or else i would have missed out on such an AMAZING anime. After episode 20 or so, i found myself completely hooked, i probably even loved the underwear mode by then.
Story - 9/10
Once the real storyline kicks off, KHR turns into something amazing and unique.
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At first glance, the mafia based story put together with superhuman babies may seem a disaster but the plot eventually becomes something far from that and everything just seems to fit into place. The only reason why i would not give it a full 10/10 is because (as mentioned before) it takes a long time for the real storyline to kick in, but if you pull through the first 20 episodes, you'll definitely find yourself addicted and watching episode after episode. On top of that, KHR has considerably less fillers than other shounen anime.
Art - 8/10
The anime begins with bad character art, but as it goes on, the way the characters are drawn do get better. The action scenes were well done to begin with IMO, and they also get even better further into the anime :]. I particularly liked the clothing style of some characters *cough* Gokudera *cough*, scenery wasn't bad although i didn't pay much attention to that, but at least houses looked like houses and trees looked like trees. x]
Sound - 9/10
I loved nearly all the OP and ED themes, they fit the anime really well and got me addicted to Cherryblossom and Masami Mitsuoka's voice. The character's voices fit perfectly and were very unique, although Haru's voice tended to be quite annoying at times with her "dangerous desu!" thing.
Characters - 10/10
I loved all the characters by the time they were all introduced, they all have unique personalities and the amount of support and loyalty they give the protagonist is almost heartwarming. Each character has something unique to them which stands out from the rest of the people Tsuna knows, whether it be a saying or a style, there isn't any two characters who are similar really (unless you count fringe characters...)
Enjoyment - 9/10
By the time i reached episode 40 or so, i found myself watching it non stop, struggling to slow down so i don't catch up so fast. It became one of my top favourite anime by that point, i usually don't judge anime before i finish them/catch up, but this one became an exception by miles. Once you reach the real storyline you'll be completely hooked wanting to know what happens next.
Overall - 10/10
Despite it's flaws at the beginning (taking too long to start, fairly bad animation etc), for me, KHR makes up for it all with its awesome storyline and unique characterisation whilst keeping typical shounen elements for it to be categorised in this area. I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a long running shounen anime without having to sift through 50+ episodes to reach the real plot. KHR is definitely an addictive anime worth watching, you'll find yourself waiting for the new episodes to be subbed before you know it. :]
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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