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As of the time I wrote this review this series had not yet finished but I already know it will become one of my top favorites. It's science fiction, something I really like, but that's not all; it has a quality that's becoming rare in anime, a certain charming originality despite it dealing with the common sci-fi topic of the line between androids and humans, and the ability to keep people interested without making it looks like it's trying too hard.

Part of the charm of this series is how the sci-fi environment flows into the lives of normal teenagers. As it should be, they don't ... make too much of a big deal out of the existence of androids, they are used to them after all, but they do give enough attention to the more important issue, their independence. It's not an "overly futuristic" future, but one that flows nicely with the basic feel of slice of life still present.

So far the series has unfolded calmly, no mecha running around, but a great cast of well written characters, which with unique traits and an interesting background. The art and sound are also quite good.

To go deeper into the story itself, we find a regular teenager who becomes curious and frustrated when the family android starts going out on her own. He, along with a friend, comes to a cafe where the rules is that there shall be no difference between androids and humans and there the androids hide their signature halo, which identifies them despite their human apperance. You'll be surprised to find who is a human and who isn't and how the other characters react with the knowledge of one's true nature, or a mistaken assumption.

Armitage III Dual Matrix

With a futuristic theme and a lot of sci-fi Armitage III Dual Matrix is a must for those who like science fiction and robots. You'll get the classic Matrix style action, high tech battles and a very interesting environment.

Though a few details are left shrouded in mystery, a lot of character development does go on, making it a worth-while movie.

It does have the classic and often overused theme of a robot becoming very much like a human, but it's not sappy about it in the least. While some search for the logic that explains an event proving that humanity, which is not ... the common "I have feelings too" claim but a different kind of event, others can't help it but to be amazed by the mystery. To say anything else would spoil it, so just watch it for yourself and enjoy a great sci-fi movie.

Angel's Feather

Admittedly I only tried to watch this because one of the characters looks like Sephiroth with Vincent's eyes (Final Fantasy VII), but this anime is nothing like the game.

In it's favor I can say it has some beautiful art, though it is very short and that doesn't give it a lot of time for the plot to develop. It does have a plot though and the main issue will be somewhat resolved, but then a bigger one will be placed before the main cast, ending in a cliff hanger.

The characters have potential but two episodes are no where near enough to develop that many ... character. Overall what this really needs is a sequel.

Bus Gamer was made by the same author of the well known Saiyuki series. Thus you can expect handsome men and fun battles, which the anime does provide.

Toki Mishiba, Nobuto Nakajyo and Kazuo Saitou, three strangers in need of a large sum of money, form a team in an underground corporate sponsored street fight. The goal is to steal a disk containing secret information from the opposing team, while protecting their own disk.

The team has its variety in fighting styles and motivation. Each character is shrouded in mystery and the short series slowly reveals hints of why this mismatched trio so desperately needs cash ... to the point of risking their lives in an illegal street fight.

To say anything about the characters would spoil the series, however, the series itself only scratches the surface of those potentially interesting characters. My only complaint is that it feels very much unfinished with only hints of their past being revealed and their main rival hardly getting started on the chase.

Though the series does show enough to let us get a taste of what it's like and leave us wanting more. So if you don't mind being left with the feeling of lack of closure, check this out and you'll at least enjoy what little is available.

Strait Jacket takes place in the past but there is both technology and magic. The way they handle magic is similar to the concept of an all powerful mutating virus that has a vast usefulness but also big consequences.

Basically, though magic does challenge logic, it eventually mutates the body when it is used too much, causing people to become big murderous insane monsters that cannot be turned back into humans. To be able to use magic without turning into monsters, they developed the molds, which are small mecha armors.

The story revolves around a man who feels guilty over an event that is later ... revealed about his past. He has adopted a little girl who was born partially mutated from a human mother and mutated father. This further makes him question if there is some humanity left in the rampaging monsters.

The story deals with a plot of how people's greed cause them to put lives at risk, terrorists fighting the police force and society holding on to the belief that they have no choice but to do certain things to console themselves and justify the actions taken against those who were once humans.

The setting and somewhat systematic approach to magic reminds me of Fullmetal Alchemist, along with the hidden plots and guilt trips, and the occasional mutated human, though Strait Jacket is far more violent and bloody.

I never liked random magic and like it when they give some sort of explanation, even if magic is still magic and defies logic, there are certain established boundaries to it, which allows viewers more insight into the world were the story takes place and more chances to speculate about the upcoming plot twists. This is always a plus to get into the plot, maybe even a necessity for some, myself included.

The art and sound is very good, no complaints there. The story is short, but it does pack a good plot, it feels more like a movie than an OVA. Overall, it is a good anime and worth watching.

Overall this is a fun little movie that I recommend everyone should watch. It's so short that it's not really a question of "why watch it?" but "why not?" If you still want to know why, then read on.

There is an urban legend that tells about kids disappearing in a strange abandoned city, the protagonist is there to search for his sister while other children have their own reasons to venture into that desolated place reminiscent of the Midgar slums from Final Fantasy VII, such as proving they are not afraid or simply exploring.

The children all wear fox masks as part of their game ... so we don't get to see their expressions as they explore the city and unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of several children rumored to have been spirited away.

The art is a mix between the computer flash style animation and classic animation. It gives a nice balance to fit most preferences. Since this movie is so short, just under half an hour, there's no time to develop the characters too deeply, but the main focus is the mystery.

I'll only say that the Matrix comes to mind, but this isn't about being in a virtual world so it's not exactly like the Matrix. Watch it yourself to see what I mean. There are also hints of mythology mixed into the eerie environment for an entertaining result.

Leaving aside the fact that the ending itself is a big disappointment; this anime has little to contribute to the actual story. It starts out well enough, but it soon fades into a series of flashbacks and repetitions that take up the majority of the anime.

This is a summary of events that happened with Kenshin and Kaoru, focusing on Kaoru's point of view, but her thoughts are not elaborated beyond what we have already seen in the series. A few small details were changed in the flashbacks, but the contradictions are not huge.

The art and sound are good. The character designs and animation is ... similar in style to the prequel OVA with a more realistic look than the series. The tone is also similar to the OVA and lacks the humor of the series. The story is supposed to be serious and somewhat tragic, but it quickly grows monotonous.

However, if you're a fan of Kenshin and Kaoru or its been a while since you watched the series, you might appreciate the flashbacks, otherwise you'll be tempted to fast forward until the OVA returns to the present time.

On the positive side, though the OVA wastes a lot of time in flashbacks, it does eventually reveal what happened between Kenshin and Kaoru and the real end of Kenshin's wanderings.

Aside from the references, this anime isn't directly connected to the Final Fantasy V game. It takes place many years after the game, and though it is said that Linaly, the main female character, is a descendant of Bartz, this Bartz could very well be some random legendary hero.

There are job classes, though without the particular outfits and there are four crystals as in practically every Final Fantasy. The plot features the quest to protect the wind crystal after the others are stolen by a new enemy, a strange alien with advanced technology whose base is located in the black moon, a natural satellite of ... planet Gaia.

The story has its fair share of humor and amusing characters especially Pritz and Rogue. The plot is easy to understand even if you haven't played the game, but the references would be lost.

Overall it seems this anime has received more criticism than praise, possibly because people expected a sequel with more connections to the game. But if you look at it as a strand alone Final Fantasy story, it's not bad.

The art and sound are not the best, but to be fair the anime is rather old and has decent art for its time. Despite it not being one of the best anime out there, it's still enjoyable and I recommend watching it with an open mind, being ready to judge it on its own instead of holding it against the game.

The story of Tactics is rather episodic, but each mystery Kantaro needs to solve makes the episodes entertaining even if some could be watched in any order and you wouldn't be lost. The series has a supernatural theme with some Japanese mythology mixed in.

There are certain details about things that took place before the series started that are established but left unexplained. However, it's not too hard to conclude what the possible explanation would be. I won't go further into this so as to not spoil what little information is given in the series.

The characters are well balanced; there are cheerful ones, a quiet one, ... the resident oddball and even the strangely cute "mascot" of an unknown species. Most people are likely to find at least one character they like.

Despite its episodic nature, the show does carry one mystery that extends itself thought the series, though it is only elaborated on in a few episodes and finally revealed at the end.

The series has a few surprises now and then, however after a few episodes the mysteries presented on each episode become very easy to predict once you get used to the style, but they can still be amusing. This is fixed with several surprising plot twists at the end that manage to give the series a nice somewhat bittersweet ending.

If you like supernatural mysteries with a side of humor and friendship you'll like this series. Just don't expect a lot of romance because it's not a main theme. My only real critique is its episodic style and lack of closure; the current things are resolved, yet there's an important thing left in a cliffhanger, but it's still worth watching.

Fumika is a mail carrier who delivers letters written by people who have passed away. Each episode holds its own story with Fumika meeting other characters who are most of the time only there for that episode. But it's not as episodic as it may appear to be at first. Each episode reveals a piece of the mystery surrounding the main character and her connections with others are slowly uncovered.

The anime is short but entertaining. Many of the episodes hold some kind of mystery or situation that can be solved, made worse, or only slightly affected with the arrival of a shigofumi, a letter from ... the afterlife. The series has a slice of life feel to it, often dealing with somewhat dark themes but it also includes a light hearted side and a little humor.

The story picks up once a few hints are put together and more is learned about Fumika's character. It has its fair share of plot twists, and though you'll come to expect the delivery of a shigofumi, the real surprises are what the letter will be about, to whom it will be delivered and how it will affect them.

The art, animation and sound are very good and it has some nice character designs. It's nothing too out of the ordinary in these areas but still good.