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Shuffle!

Story (7/10)
Shuffle is your stereotypical harem. There's one guy and five girls and they all want to win his affections. There's really not a heck of a lot of originality put into the plot or the back-stories of any of the girls, either, but they're different enough save for two that it doesn't get repetitive. The good thing about the story is that it's straightforward -- you can really turn your brain off and stuff enjoy the ride and have the emotional thrills, laughs, and sadness. Despite being so stereotypical in its setup it manages to incorporate a good variety of emotions.

The best thing story-wise ... about Shuffle was unlike most harem you never know which girl the guy is going to pick until he picks her. That's one of the core things that kept me watching. I kept hoping he'd pick the girl I was rooting for. Of course I won't spoil who Rin picks in the end, but I'll just say keep watching, because you're constantly guessing at it throughout the entire show.

Art (7/10)
The art in Shuffle was nothing spectacular. It was nice, and that's really all there was to it. Sometimes it can get kind of choppy but most of the time it was fairly nice and flowed well. No real complaints here. Although I do have to say I love Aoi Nishimata's art and the character designs were cute.

Sound (8/10)
The sound was good. Again, nothing special, but it was good. The seiyuu did a very good job (I personally think Kaede's and Primula's seiyuu were the best) and the music was okay and fitted the anime nicely. The opening song was incredibly catchy though! Will forever be on my top 25 most played, probably.

Character (8/10)
Since Shuffle is a harem, all the main characters are different broad archetypes of personalities and looks. Thankfully, instead of the characters just being empty stereotypes, they have fairly interesting back-stories and just a little more to the archetype with their own little individualities. As I said above when I was talking about the art/animation, the character designs are cute and Aoi Nishimata does pretty good artwork. It's almost guaranteed you'll come out of Shuffle liking at least one of the girls and having a favorite that you wanted to win Rin's affections, whether this girl was the winner of the war of love or not.

Final Thoughts
Enjoyment varies from person to person. However, even though Shuffle is a stereotypical harem with generic character archetypes, merely decent art and a good dose of ecchi, which usually isn't for me... it was fun. It was a very fun ride. Shuffle has this mysterious element of enjoyability to it. So if you're looking for a fun romance with a good deal of comedy and ecchi (though it has a good deal of very serious bits too) try and pick up Shuffle.

Eien no With

Story (9/10)
Eien no With is a simple story about a simple girl who adopts a dog for year in order to get him acquainted to people to he can be a guide dog for the blind. Despite this incredibly basic concept, Eien no With gives you an emotional ride and is the only anime or manga to bring me to tears and actually cry. It is full of all the emotions we see in life, joy, sorrow, anguish, fear, love, all put into three chapters.

Some parts, however, felt just a little rushed and thrown in there with no real prior development, so ... it almost feels like you're molding this sculpture, and you're almost done, but can't find that last piece to make it perfect, then all of a sudden, WHOOSH, it flies in out of nowhere and makes your sculpture beautiful, without a real explanation. If you ignore that the sudden development happened for no real reason and get past it, you can appreciate that it really added the last, wonderful touch to finish up the story nicely.

Art (8/10)
While I watch more anime by far than I do read manga, and I am no manga critique, I can say that the art in Eien no With was very nice. It wasn't stunning, but it was by no means bad in any way. They're weren't any pages or scenes that made me say, ew, they rushed that, but there also weren't any scenes that made me say, wow! They spent a lot of time on that! Nevertheless, the art was very nice and complimented the storyline and characters well.

Character (7/10)
The characters almost felt completely realistic. The characters almost came to life. Almost. There were just times when they felt rushed and underdeveloped. There were times when they did things that you didn't see it coming, in a bad way, like it came out of nowhere with no real warning or prior development. Other than that complaint, the characters were fairly realistic and I felt for most of them. Of course, my favorite character was the dog, Eye. I loved the relationship between him and Hitomi. It was full of warmth, love, and just so much emotion overall.

Final Thoughts
"Enjoyment" is really a personal opinion which varies from person to person, what one finds enjoyable and likable and what one does not, so I'm not letting that affect my overall score. However, I can safely say that Eien no With was a highly enjoyable, tear-inducing ride. I loved it from beginning to end, partially because I myself have had many pet dogs. I also think that people who have pets, especially dogs, would probably enjoy this more than someone who doesn't. But basically, if you want a story that will make you cry, read Eien no With. I can almost guarantee you will not regret it.

Death Note

Before you read this review I want you to know that a "10" does not mean perfect, because nothing is perfect. A rating of "10" is what MAL says it is, "outstanding."

Story (10/10)
I'm not going to bother writing a synopsis of the preface of the story since you can read one if you scroll up a little. So moving onto to what I thought of it:

One of the things I loved about Death Note is I felt the need to pay attention. If you don't, you're going to miss what's going on -- and not only did I need to pay attention, I wanted ... to. Something I haven't experienced in an anime for a long time. The story was unique, original, intriguing, and really makes you rethink your own morals and views on the world, another thing I had yet to experience while watching an anime. On a side note, I personally loved the motifs, themes and symbols seen in the anime -- they're very original and really reflect the plot and just make you say, wow. How cool.

Some argue that Death Note sank after the first 25 episodes or so, but I happen to beg to differ. Just because a certain character isn't there anymore doesn't mean the story is any worse. In fact, in my opinion it only got more suspenseful and exciting until the excellent and stunning finale. The story is outstanding.

Art (8/10)
I can't really elaborate much on the art and animation seen in Death Note. To reflect the dark plot, bright colors were rarely used which I view a plus, animation flowed nicely for the most part and the hair especially I think was well-animated and looked nice. Nothing really spectacular about it though. Very good art, but nothing more, nothing less.

Sound (9/10)
A very good bonus that I fear some may overlook in Death Note was the sound and music. Sure, I didn't personally like the second opening all that much (though I <3 the first) but it's incredibly fitting to the series and all the animation in each opening and ending themes are very nice and original. However, the real thing I want to touch on here is the amazing job done by the voice actors. Most notably Mamoru Miyano's role as Light Yagami. It was absolutely stunning and most excellent. Of course, that's not to say the other voice actors did a bad job, in fact, they also did fantastic, but he stood out the most to me personally.

Character (10/10)
Along with the initial plot, themes & motifs, the best part of Death Note is the characters. Oh, the characters. I can almost guarantee you'll come to love one and loathe another. The characters are original and full of life as opposed to boring archetypes that I seem to be seeing more of everyday in anime. Not only that, but Death Note has easily brought me some of the most unique characters I've ever seen an anime, hands down, which I believe to be a very good thing.


Final Thoughts
Those of you who've read my other reviews should know by now that I don't let "enjoyment" affect my overall score since it's pure personal opinion -- obviously someone who doesn't like a psychological-shounen-drama like Death Note won't enjoy it -- however, I enjoyed every single episode, every single minute, and every single second immensely. To this date (August 16, 2008), Death Note stands as my #1 favorite anime. It brought a new light to something I didn't think was possible to be in an anime with wonderful character, a unique and original plot that makes you really think, and just an overall terrific thrill ride.

Azumanga Daioh

Story (8/10)
Azumanga Daioh is a comedy, and thus, a significant and meaningful plotline isn't really part of the recipe. However, unlike some comedies (a la Lucky Star) stuff actually happens. Though thin and next to meaningless, there is a storyline where things happen and characters develop (somewhat).

That said, for a comedy, the storyline is excellent. Everything that happens is new a fresh, while still being hilariously funny. All Azumanga Daioh is is the story of some girls going through their high school years. Yes, it has been done before, yes, it will be done probably five thousand more times before the preface is ... recycled for a new one, but despite being another sitcom about some girls in high school, Azumanga brought a fresh style of humor that isn't anime corrupted (a la Lucky Star) or totally perverted (a la Doujin Work) or just... not funny. (...A la Lucky Star.)

Art (9/10)
The general animation of Azumanga is not what anyone would call terrific, however, the style fits the anime perfectly and is right on for a comedy such as it. It is not overly cutesy (...a la Lucky Star), and yet it still cute. Everything flowed nicely and I really can't complain about the art in anyway.

Sound (8/10)
So - ra - mimi keki!
Er... well, to say the least, the opening to the series is hilarious and extremely catchy. The ending, too. The BGM was fitting for a comedy of the style and never annoyed me, and added a lot to the humor of the scenes. The voice actors did quite a good job on their roles and I don't have anything to complain about it.

Character (9/10)
One of the main reasons Azumanga stands out from your typical high school girls comedy is because of the characters. Instead of empty, stereo-typical archetypes (a la Lucky Star), we have stereo-typical archetypes -- but with character development and character depth. No way, right? They characters develop. Like I said before, despite Azumanga being a comedy, things happen and a plot actually moves on. I mean, of course the moving storyline and character development are limited (how serious can you get with a comedy after all), but for a comedy it's stunning and quite nice. Also, I never found one character to be particularly annoying and I really liked all of them (especially Osaka and Chiyo). A nice change, where in almost all anime I watch there's at least one character I don't like.


Final Thoughts
I do not let my "enjoyment" rating affect my overall score since it is my own personal preference as to what I like in an anime and what I don't. But needless to say, I gave my enjoyment rating a 10 because I myself enjoyed every minute of Azumanga. Of course, what one thinks of a comedy varies greatly from another more than any other genre simply because everyone finds different things funny. However, Azumanga Daioh has brought to my eyes something new and relaxing with a refreshing style of good comedy. If you're looking for a absolutely hilarious anime with cute and funny characters, pick up Azumanga Daioh. You will not be disappointed. (...A la Lucky Star.)

Lucky Star

Story (6/10)
The story here was by far the hardest thing for me to rate. Being a comedy/slice-of-life type of thing, Lucky Star has no real "plot-line" or story. You could skip 5 episodes and still understand what was going on. However, the day-to-day goings and doings of the 4 main characters was done decently, and the variety of what they did was okay, so therefore I gave it a 6, which is fair/decent.

One thing I have to say though: After episode 10-ish or so, things were really getting boring. Sure, what they did was different, but the jokes had the same principle, and ... it was just all so boring and repetitive. Especially the stupid Lucky Channel. God, I skipped over that so many times. Because it was boring and... oh god. I can't even bring myself to go on. But since there isn't all that much plot, I can't sit here and elaborate on it forever, so moving on...

Art (8/10)
Though I don't like Kyoto Animation all that much, the good thing about them is the animation that they do is very good (though I personally don't like the style all that much). Everything flowed nicely and there was never a time where I thought "Wow, they're running low on their budget" or "Wow, they got really lazy with that scene." But I'll be honest and say I really did not like the art style. The characters are supposed to be 17/18 and they looked like they were 10. Some people may call it cute and chibi but I call it ugly and stupid.

Sound (7/10)
Another good thing about Lucky Star is the sound quality. Most notably the great job done by the seiyuu. Kudos to them for doing an excellent job. Other than that, the sound was nothing more and nothing less than decent. The BGM was fitting and non-annoying, the opening was cutesy and funny, but nothing special. The various endings were occasionally humorous but not a lot.

Character (6/10)
Since Lucky Star is a comedy, serious character development isn't exactly on its agenda. The characters were varied to some extent -- we have the various archetypes to fill, the tsundere, the moe blob, the smart/clumsy one, and the... otaku? However, this is as deep as the character gets. Saying you can relate to Konata because you also like anime/manga is like saying you can also relate to Miyuki because she is a high school student. There is no depth or development and the "variety" of characters only go as far as stereotypical archtypes that you can find in almost any other anime.


Final Thoughts
Since the "enjoyment" part of the review is just a personal opinion, I don't let it affect my score. But needless to say, I did not enjoy Lucky Star. I can safely say I did not laugh once while watching this. The only reason I didn't give it a 1 is because despite Konata being a shallow character, I liked her for many reasons and it was almost some fun to watch her go about her daily otaku lifestyle among normal-ish friends. But a comedy without humor is like a cow with no spots. If you want to go laugh, watch Azumanga Daioh instead, a comedy with much more humor that you can't help but smile at. Lucky Star tried to bring us a cute and relaxing slice-of-life comedy and an otaku we can all relate to, but in my opinion it utterly failed.

Air
~ The 1000th Summer...~

Story (9/10)
Air the story of Yukito Kunisaki, a young man carrying on his family's journey to find the "girl in the sky" and free her from a curse. Stumbling upon a sleepy coastal town, he meets three girls: Misuzu Kamio, Kana Kirishima, and Minagi Tohno. He comes to spend more and more time in the town, living at the Kamio residence with Misuzu and her adopted mother.

Some may know, others may not, but Air is based off an ero visual novel by KEY. Thus, each of the main heroines (Misuzu, Kana, and Minagi) each have different scenarios to explore. The short anime ... tries its best to explore each scenario, but since it was so short, it felt somewhat rushed and the arcs of Kana and Minagi felt somewhat detached. Thus why the story only gets a 9/10.

However, I still rated it so high because the main story (the one of Misuzu) is simply beautiful. It's original, fresh, tear-jerking, and just beautifully done. I'll admit it, I cried at at the end.

Most consider Air to be confusing when they watch and don't understand the Kanna arc. I myself got it the first time, but if you don't, just watch it over -- you won't regret it. Most understand it the second time and come to appreciate the series much more.

Art (10/10)
Kyoto Animation, the company that animated Air, did a stunning job as always. The scenery felt alive like I could just step in, everything flowed smoothly and they're weren't any inconsistencies. Air is set in the summer, and like to watch parts of it in winter when I feel cold -- that's how real it feels. The clouds and skies in particular were stunning, and kudos to them for that, since the sky and flying are important symbols of Air.

Sound (9/10)
I love, love, love the opening theme to Air ("Tori no Uta" [The Bird's Song] by Lia). It's beautiful and the mood and lyrics reflects all the emotions and events in the series. The ending theme ("Farewell Song" also done by Lia) as well complimented the story and plot wonderfully. The BGM was nicely done, giving off the perfect aura for whatever was going on when it was played. Kudos to the voice actors, also -- they did terrific work on their roles. The character's emotions were conveyed convincingly and they spoke with such emotion it could tear your heart out.

Character (8/10)
The characters in Air were all alive and I felt for each and every one's issues. The designs on them were varied and I never was annoyed by any character in particular (a nice change for once). However, the reason this rating isn't higher, is because since the anime was so short most characters did not receive the development they were in need of.


Final Thoughts
I gave Air an "enjoyment" rating of 10. I don't let this affect my score, however, since it's really a personal thing -- someone who isn't a romance, drama, supernatural sort of thing probably won't like this. However, I loved Air every moment, from beginning to end. If you're looking for a nice romance with a touch of supernatural fantasy and great characters, I highly recommend Air.