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If you quickly pass by Strange Dawn thinking that it’s just a happy little kid’s adventure, then I’m afraid that you’re missing out on some interesting drama and political, bloody battles that are packaged in a simple, yet very unique design. If you’ve ever seen Kaiba or Shadow Star Narutaru, you’d know not to judge an anime by its cover. Strange Dawn is one of those anime—it’s warm and childish on the outside, but thoughtful and serious on the inside.

STORY

At first glance, the story of Strange Dawn doesn’t sound very unique at all. Two high-school girls get sent to another world and are expected to ... save it; we’ve seen this concept before in popular shows like Fushigi Yugi, Inuyasha, Escaflowne, Magical Girl Rayearth, and so on. However, there is something special about Strange Dawn that really sets itself apart from the others, and that is its setting. Fantasy settings typically possess dragons, demons, magic, and elaborate kingdoms, but not this one. The two girls simply enter the land of the ‘little people,’ which are creatures that closely resemble human dolls.

Right from the very beginning, the girls are caught in a war between two countries, Griania and Baljidan, as they try to gain control over Belzeagle, the place that they end up protecting. Everyone calls them the “Grand Saviors,” but they are merely seen as giants who can be manipulated for power. The girls can hardly believe that these little people are capable of so much chaos and destruction, and it takes a long time for them to grasp the seriousness of the situation. The little people really stab each other, bleed, and die. It’s no children’s game.

The pacing is really slow in the first half, which turns a lot of people off. Most of the time, the characters are just hangin’ around and talking, but I think that this is important for establishing the characters and setting. In the second half, the story takes a giant leap into all the exciting drama and action. There is something horrible happening all of the time, and even the characters that are on the same side are constantly bumping heads.

My only gripe on the story is how it begins and ends. One word: Abrupt.

CHARACTERS

Ah, the charm of the series. The little people are packed with so much energy, personality, and drama that you can’t help but love them. We have the quiet and serious leader named Shall who strongly believes in the Grand Saviors, the chief’s daughter named Reca who has strong feelings for Shall, her best friend Mani, Princess Alia, and many more. It’s so much fun to watch them interact, and they have the most adorable character designs ever.

The two human girls, Yuko Miyabe and Eri Natsuno, are complete opposites. Yuko is loud and rude, and she takes no interest in the little people at all. On the flip side, Eri is soft and sympathetic, and she wishes to help them more often. Throughout the series, they angst, complain, and simply wish to return home. They also choose not to participate in most of the little people’s affairs; they just sit by and let bad things happen to them. These things can get annoying sometimes, but it all comes down to the idea that nothing ever feels quite real around them.

I really like how this series portrays their inconveniences, such as having no toilet, no change of underwear, no technology, etc. Anime tend to neglect these kinds of things, so I appreciate that they’re being treated as little important issues here. It makes you wonder how you would also fare in such a place where you don’t have the luxuries of a bathroom, a clothes store, or a McDonalds.

Yuko and Eri aren’t particularly special characters, meaning that they’re ordinary in every sense of the word. That might be boring to you, but I think they’re a nice break from other heroines who typically possess a special power that saves everybody in the end. Yuko and Eri just rely on their normal human strength to pull through hardships.

SOUND

The OP song “Sora E” by Eri Kawai is beautiful, and it adds a wonderful atmosphere to the series. It is actually very addicting to listen to, but if that’s not enough, the instrumental version of the same song is played in the middle of every single episode. It’s a great tune, and hopefully you won’t get too tired of hearing it. The rest of the soundtrack is also very good, and it has a warm spot in my little OST collection, but the main theme song clearly stands out above the rest.

OVERALL

Despite that Strange Dawn looks so cute and fluffy, it actually has a pretty serious tone. The series throws away certain clichés that are typically found in ‘girl gets sent to new world’ premises, and the characters are incredibly charming and memorable. I’ll never forget the ‘little people.’ It’s just unfortunate that the series begins and ends so abruptly. Some interesting things that are mentioned are never fully explored, which is why I had to knock off a few points. But despite that, this is a good show. At the very least, listen to the gorgeous OP song.

Addicting, suspenseful, and fun, this is a story about what it takes for one dysfunctional soccer team with a poor record to regain its honor and make it in the national soccer league. This team is called ETU (East Tokyo United). The members of ETU start out with a lot of difficulty; they have poor communication, conflicting personalities, mixed low and high self-esteem, and an overreliance on one team member. But within every player, there is a talent that is waiting to be manifested. Their new coach, Tatsumi Takeshi, helps to bring out the ‘giant killing’ in all of them.

Story

Sports anime tend to have a ... few story elements in common, like a central main protagonist who is a young prodigy, stereotypical characters (there always has to be the cute, black-haired rival), and lots of filler episodes dedicated to showing their normal lives (dating, school bullies, etc). However, Giant Killing moves away from these and turns out to be something refreshing in its genre. It’s a short series that spends its time wisely to develop its characters while still focusing head-strong on the sport. There is no central main character, or a prodigy for that matter—everyone works hard to achieve and maintain their skills, and they receive an equal amount of attention.

Giant Killing takes a nice introspective approach to the characters while they’re playing soccer. They constantly think about their situation, worry about their performance, and try to concentrate. It is on the field where most of the character development takes place, as they learn to apply their mind and improve their skills.

Characters

ETU’s players are adults (20 – 33 years old), and they each have a unique combination of personality and skill. For example, Tsubaki (midfielder) is young, shy, and conscientious, and he is the fastest runner on the team. Gino (midfielder) is the narcissistic cool-guy known as the “prince,” though he’s wisely observant, and he makes very accurate ball passes. Natsuki (forward) is also narcissistic but in a loud, eccentric sort of way, and he shoots very beautiful goals. Murakoshi (midfelder) is looked up to as the leader, but he is way too controlling and lacks some energy due to being older. There is honestly never a boring moment with them, whether they’re just practicing, playing for real, or sitting on the bus to go home.

You might as well call coach Tatsumi a psychologist. He is good at studying and understanding the minds of his players. His specialty is to take advantage of their personalities in the games, purposely pairing them up with certain opponents and counting on them to make personality-driven decisions. Though the funny thing is, not a single player or outsider understands HIM. Tatsumi is rather blunt-spoken, informal, and unpredictable; he designs unusual practice activities, comes up with reckless-sounding game plans, and rarely ever expresses worry. Simply put, he’s an oddball, but deep down he’s a good strategist who can unite his players.

The players on the opposing teams are just as well-developed and are incredibly DIVERSE. They speak the language of their nationality, such as English, Portuguese, French, and Dutch, which is a refreshing change from having everyone only speak Japanese. A few obvious differences between these teams and ETU are their levels of organization, strategies, and behaviors. They have a lot more momentum going on because they have accumulated more recent wins, and everybody likes to have a big ego. But when they’re put under the fire by surprise, they face similar internal problems as ETU, such as their personalities getting in the way of each other.

As for the side characters, you just have a few people working along with Tatsumi, as well as a reporter, a cameraman, and fans. What is so awesome about the fans is that you see three generations of them: the old fans who are rekindling their passion for ETU, the younger loyal fans, and the adorable kids.

Character Designs/Animation

At first glance, the character designs are simple and boring. At second glance, they’re actually very detailed. The shape of the head, eyes, nose, chin, and hairstyle differ among all the characters, causing them to look very distinct from one another. The main turn-off is just that they don’t look all that pretty.

The soccer matches are animated very well. When viewing them from a distance, CGI is clearly used to make every single player on the field move at the same time. Watching them close-up, it’s impressive how they pass the ball and shoot goals; they really twist their bodies around in odd ways to make these kinds of moves, and at some pretty awesome camera angles.

Music

The soundtrack here is catchy and decent. The OP song “My Story ~Mada Minu Ashita e~” by THE CHERRY COKES is very upbeat, full of cheery shouting, and uses the bagpipe as a leading instrument. The ED song “Get tough!” by G.P.S sounds similar with the exception of it being dominantly rock. The rest of the music is repetitive but decent enough.

Overall

If you’re looking for an entertaining sports anime with diverse adult characters, national teams, various spoken foreign languages, and maybe a slightly eccentric coach, then look no further. Even if you’re not really into this genre or sport like I am, it can still be a great watch. The soccer matches are very detailed and tense, and the players develop wonderfully every time they play. The interactions among the characters are best part of the show; they're bursting with personality, and they make the games incredibly addicting to watch. This one shouldn’t be missed!

The Zweilt Guardians are a bunch of hot males, plus one female, who have supernatural powers. Their purpose is to defeat these powerful, sexy demons called Duras who wish to destroy mankind. The innocent and oblivious main protagonist, Yuki, is approached by the Zweilts because he is their light and hope in this never-ending battle. Granted, this is just your basic good vs. evil story with pretty boys on the screen, but this by all means ISN'T a bad anime.

STORY & CHARACTERS

Uraboku gets off to a serious start, delving into heavy subject matter such as: orphans, troubled pasts, parental abuse, death threats, and world destruction. ... What an impressive way to begin things. It makes you wonder why everything is so dark and sinister around the most innocent person in the world, Yuki.

Yuki is a soft-spoken and mature boy who helps to take care of children in an orphanage that he had grown up in, and he often hangs out with his childhood friend. The peaceful days don’t last forever though as the Duras begin to stir activities nearby while his friend engages in more odd, secretive behavior. Furthermore, Yuki has these powers that suddenly awaken and cause problems. After a series of odd events, he meets a mysterious, sexy beast named Luka who claims to be his protector, followed by members of the Zweilt, and the head of the Giou Clan who tells Yuki that he is his half-brother and would like to take him away. So they end up taking him to the Twilight Mansion, and he comes to learn all about the Zweilt Guardians and their shared destiny.

Luka is a powerful duras fighting on the protagonist’s side, and it’s obvious that he is very attracted to Yuki and vice versa. Most of the time, he is standing around quietly with a deadpan expression and wearing ridiculous outfits. While he doesn’t seem to be that great initially, he gradually gets more involved with the other characters. In addition to that, he has an ancient love story that he is hiding from Yuki, and it eventually becomes a concern and interest to him.

The Zweilt Guardians are strong, courageous fighters who have a detailed history behind their group. Most of them look to be Yuki’s age, and they each have a close partner that they fight with. In fact, they’re almost always seen in pairs and act like a big family. Their characterizations are very well done, for they have distinct personalities, fully developed backgrounds, and a strong fighting morale. Seriously, they rarely ever hesitate in battle and emphasize on working as a team. Their close relationships give off a certain charm as they grow into very likeable characters. However, their main drawback is that they can be too sentimental and melodramatic at times, and they constantly worry about Yuki every darn minute. Let the poor feminine boy breathe!

The Duras are the big weakness of the show. None of them can be taken that seriously except for one that appears in a very late episode. The main bad guy turns out to be a horrible cliché (I’m sure you can guess who it is), and his henchmen consist of a pair of evil twins, a giggly girl who collects hot guys, a sexy woman who wants Luka, etc. Some of them easily get obliterated, but the higher-grade demons do receive a bit more characterization.

There are a few side characters who also reside in the Twilight Mansion, such as the doctor, the maid, etc. They are annoying, clichéd, and their comedy doesn't even beat Luka's bizarre outfits. But don’t worry; they don’t actually get a lot of screen time. I nearly dropped this series when they were introduced too.

SHOUNEN-AI

This anime is classified as shounen-ai, meaning boy-love. But if you’re coming into this expecting something along the lines of Gravitation or Junjou Romantica, you will be disappointed. You will never see any obvious indication of shounen-ai, like 'kissing' for example. Some of the male characters are rather close, but they could also just pass off as best friends. They're left up to your interpretation. Personally, I am not a big shounen-ai fan, so I appreciate how the gay tones are handled in this.

SOUNDTRACK

Epic, just epic! This is undoubtedly the best OST that I have heard all year. The music is done by Shōgo Kaida whom I have not quite heard of before. During major battles, the tunes are orchestral, enchanting, and dark, such as “Zweilt Imashime no Te” and “Me wa Yaiba Kami wa Yoru.” Another great track that has a soothing, ghostly choir in the background is called “Bloody†Cross”. During slow scenes, the music is usually airy, melodic, and sweet such as “Kaeranu Hibi Shiroki Ashita.” You can easily find these on YT for streaming.

There are two OP songs, “Till the World without Betrayals” and “Inishie” by Rayflower. They’re decent Jrock at best, but they’re not my favorite, and I probably won’t listen to them again after the series ends.

OVERALL

Uraboku has a lot of things going for itself, such as a likeable, well-developed cast of visually-appealing characters, colorful action, dark undertones, and an epic OST. Plus, the shounen-ai tones are very subtle much to my pleasure. However, the plot really does lack originality, and the villains are clichéd and can’t be taken seriously.

Here is what Onegai Teacher is all about:

-Boy meets girl, girl meets boy
-Boy and girl get married when they hardly know each other
-Boy and girl hide their relationship from others
-Boy gets jealous when girl meets another boy
-Girl gets jealous when boy meets another girl
-Girl and boy constantly misunderstand each other
-Love triangles

... The boy is a high school student, and the girl is an alien teacher. But so what? The story ultimately follows the same 'ol formula.

It is unfortunate that there are no teacher/student romance premises in anime that can be taken a little seriously or have thoughtful stories. They’re usually way too light-hearted and focus on comedy and fanservice. That actually isn't the case with Onegai Teacher, but it still has an awful lot of annoyances.

STORY

So Kei coincidentally discovers his teacher (aka Mizuho) when she lands on Earth, and Mizuho coincidentally moves into a house next door to him. And of course, Kei coincidentally finds out her real identity and purpose.

What leads to them getting married? Let’s see…they get locked in a gym room together, the principal discovers them and thinks it’s too suspicious, and to protect Mizuho from getting punished, Kei says that they’re married. His story is that he’s really 18 years old, and he lost three years of his life due to an illness where he loses consciousness after experiencing high stress. So legally speaking, it’s actually okay for them to be married. And guess what? Kei’s guardians (his step-parents) are incredibly supportive, and his envious step-dad encourages him to be sexual with his teacher. What kind of guardians are those?

Kei spends the entire series trying to hide his relationship with Mizuho from his group of friends who have nothing but dating on the brain. And this goes on constantly. They can never take a vacation anywhere or relax at home because his friends are always there. The scenes with them just become highly repetitive and uninteresting. And just as you might expect, one of Kei’s school friends falls in love with him. This leads to a lot of “Oh no, my teacher just saw me in a trapped situation with this girl, and now she has the completely wrong idea!!” In fact, there are way too many misunderstandings like that, and after a while, they're just silly and tiresome.

So here’s the bottom line. The story is a typical love triangle fest.

CHARACTERS

Kei is a polite, reserved kid who lets others take control of him, but he can react more aggressively when he wants to. He tends to analyze his situations to make the best out of them, and he shows his serious side a lot. In all honesty, he isn't a bad character, but his illness that makes him faint all the time is overdone.

Mizuho is certainly not what I expected. Despite her being a teacher, she’s very timid, sensitive, and “cute.” Her alien-related business isn't what’s important in the story, it’s just her ability to use teleportation so she can conveniently show up wherever Kei is, or teleport them out of sticky situations. While she doesn’t seem all that bad at first, she quickly turns annoying when she gets jealous of Kei hanging out with girls, or when Kei gets a kiss on the cheek from her sister. I’ve seen her teary eyes way too many times. What’s the point of making her a special character if she’s just going to act like a melodramatic crybaby? However, her younger sister is by far the most annoying character in this show. She’s just there to be loud and make sure that her relationship with Kei doesn’t move forward at all.

Kei’s friends get a lot of attention as well, but they’re just ordinary. Their development isn't all that interesting to watch, and they exist only to cause Kei and Mizuho problems 99% of the time.

Perhaps the point of the show is to make the characters feel as unbelievable as possible. Besides Mizuho being an alien, Kei’s guardians are way too relaxed about his marriage. And even when Kei and Mizuho start feeling genuine love for each other, I don't believe their feelings. Why DO they love each other? Nothing ever logically adds up to their feelings. I don't get it.

ATMOSPHERE & MUSIC

This anime is all about the drama. You can definitely feel the dark undertones becoming more and more apparent as the story progresses. Sure, there is also comedy and fanservice, but they’re toned down for the most part…which is a nice surprise.

The opening song sounds very pleasant and melodic; it makes you feel like you’re really watching some classic from the early 2000s, but that’s about it. I recall hearing a decent techno track a couple times, but the other sounds aren’t memorable enough to write about.

OVERALL

Onegai Teacher felt like a waste of time. The drama is silly, repetitive, and it degrades the teacher down to acting like a melodramatic crybaby and worrier. The story relies too heavily on coincidences, accidents, and devices used merely for convenience. Kei conveniently faints all the time, Mizuho conveniently uses teleportation, Kei’s friends coincidentally show up wherever they are, misunderstandings arise from accidental sightings, love triangles pop up, etc. But if this is your kinda thing, then go for it.

Saraiya Goyou is about a gang called “Five Leaves” during the Edo period in Japan. There is very little action, the artwork is nontraditional, and the story moves at a snail’s pace. So why should anyone pay attention to this? Actually, I’d say that those points work to Saraiya Goyou’s advantage, resulting in a well-written, mature story.


Story & Characters

The members of Five Leaves make their money through undercover jobs such as kidnapping, but they are not the usual rough and tough gangsters. Most of them appear to be friendly, thoughtful people who spend their time lounging around in a relaxed environment, ... discussing personal issues until their next job. The gang includes a charismatic leader, a shy swordsman, a shop owner, a metallic ornament craftsman, and a woman. Their varied personalities make them an unlikely group to hang out, but they manage to work together on behalf of Five Leaves.

This series is completely character-driven and wastes no time in exploring the member’s personal backgrounds, revealing each of their motives for joining the gang in the first place. Perhaps the most intriguing member of Five Leaves is the leader himself, Yaichi. He is admired for his calm demeanor, yet he is perceived as mysterious because he seems to hide a lot of information about himself. The show delves into how the other members feel about Yaichi, particularly the shy swordsman who is new to the group.

The scenes move slowly and quietly as you watch the characters contemplate about things, plan their missions, and embark on a few short travels. You won’t see a lot of sword fighting or other eventful action here. Even when the members carry out a job, it is more about information gathering and sneaking around places rather than fighting. That is not to say that the show never has its intense moments though; it masterfully weaves in tension and drama just at the right times.

The characters are so down-to-earth and believable that the pleasure of this series comes from observing their close interactions, facial expressions, dialogue, and the subtle changes in their personalities. If you don’t particularly enjoy concentrating on such details, this series might be perceived as a bit dull.


Artwork & Animation

I know a few people who thought that Saraiya Goyou was quite interesting, but they couldn’t continue watching it because they were distracted by the character designs. They're distinguished by having dark, gloomy eyes, pointy noses, and low, wide mouths. Some people just say "frog faces." Even though they are a little odd, I find the designs to be personally fitting in the context of this series. I've also known them to grow on viewers who have given them a chance.

The amount of detail in the animation is very impressive. For example, I appreciate how well they animated the momentum of water in a cup while it was being swayed or tilted, the breeze effect on a lighted candle after a door was just closed, and the fluid movement of the characters. The artwork is finely detailed as well and really captures the look and feel of the Edo period.


Atmosphere

There always seems to be a dark cloud looming over the characters. Their minds are heavy with thoughts of their pasts and current responsibilities. Some viewers say that the show is merely all about "gloomy people," and they are right to a certain degree. The characters aren't that upbeat, but despite that, the atmosphere doesn't feel depressing all of the time. I found that there's also a lighter air of relaxation and occasional amusement which adds to the enjoyment of watching.


Sound

The opening song, “Sign of Love” by Immi, is a melodic, electronic beat which surprised me. I took a liking to it, so I had high hopes for the rest of the soundtrack. Fortunately, the background music has been superb. Nearly every musical piece is a calm, soothing melody that enhances the show’s atmosphere. Some of the tunes are also catchy, and I’ve found myself randomly playing them in my head.


Overall

Without a doubt, Saraiya Goyou is a must-see from the Spring 2010 season. Rather than relying on action to tell its story, the show excels in rich characterization, detailed animation, sound, subtleness, and realism. Saraiya Goyou is an example of maturity in anime at its best.

Story

There is a strange land called Amberground where it is constantly night, and an artificial sun only partially illuminates it. A mail delivery service known as “Bee Hive” recruits young “Letter Bees” to travel near and far and deliver letters. To make things difficult, the land on which they travel is teeming with monsters called “Gaichuu.” The letter bees are equipped with special guns and a protective pet called a “dingo” to overcome such challenges. Lag Seeing is our main letter bee with a special power and dingo, and he strives to become the top letter bee.

With such an interesting and ... original premise, was the story executed well? I have to say that Letter Bee started out strong. We first see Lag as a distressed, confused young child whose mother was taken away by the capital. He is nothing more than a “letter” needing to be delivered to a person who will take care of him. You follow Lag as he encounters an inspirational letter bee named Gauche, and upon being delivered safely, he swears to become a letter bee just like him.

Eventually, Lag takes a letter bee exam, finds a dingo, and meets many other letter bees who will occasionally work alongside him. Unfortunately, Gauche isn't among them because he suddenly goes missing before Lag arrives. The series manages to develop a lot of mystery up to this point about his whereabouts, Lag's mother, and the strange events that occur in their world. Letter Bee also becomes a bit political as we gain insight into Amberground's system of government.

Just before midway of the series, all of the mysteries are temporarily forgotten, and filler episodes take over. The majority of the show consists of Lag making deliveries to random people whose personal stories range from compelling to cheesy, looking at flashbacks, blasting up Gaichuu, getting sick with a fever, racing, celebrating Christmas, and so on. After a while, these episodes feel like a waste of time. I personally wanted the story to move back to the mystery, especially with the anime nearing its end so fast.

The final few episodes actually grow darker in nature and return to the mystery that made this series so fascinating in the beginning. My friend and I thought that this was what Letter Bee should have been all along. In the end, the story leaves off with much to be desired; however, a second season has recently been announced which explains why we ended up watching so many fillers. Hopefully Letter Bee’s continuation will explore more of its dark mystery and answer some questions.

To answer my own question, I would say that the story was not executed as well as it could have been, but I do look at this anime under a more positive light knowing that a second season is soon on its way. There is much potential left for Letter Bee to bring out.

Characters

The characters certainly drive the series and make it very interesting. Lag Seeing, as I have so often mentioned already, is an innocent, determined child who possesses the power to look directly into people’s hearts upon shooting his gun. He views himself as delivering the hearts of people rather than just mere letters. However, his major drawback is that he is a crybaby in every single episode. Every little thing seems to touch his heart and bring tears down his cheeks. Either you like him or you don’t. I found him to be quite likeable despite his drawback. Lag travels with his dingo called Niche who is rather compulsive in attacking others and is protective of him. It is very fun to watch them interact during their travels.

We also get to really know the other letter bees and Bee Hive officers. They each have their own personality, strength, motive, and unique dingo. Their backgrounds are slowly revealed through flashbacks; however, a few of them have yet to receive proper development which I suspect has been saved for season two. Nevertheless, they are strong and memorable characters.

The rest of the cast consists of people whom Lag meets while delivering letters: a lonely little girl, a pair of lovers, a worried mother, a con artist, you name it. While a few of them are pretty interesting, it is hard to just care about them all and to see the show focused on them so much. Their purpose more or less serves to give Lag and the other letter bees some character development.

Animation, Setting, and Music

The animation is a mixed bag. The character designs are great, as well as the background scenery for the towns and such. However, it has not been a thrill ride to watch the fights that occur during every delivery. The animation there is so-so, and the monsters are a bit too CGI for my tastes. They never feel like they fit quite right in the show.

This season worked very hard on developing its setting and atmosphere. They are simply Letter Bee’s strongest points as of right now. The atmosphere can be rather haunting because the world is always dark and bleak beyond the lively, warm towns. The background music largely contributes to this with its gentle, spooky tunes and classical music.

Overall

Letter Bee is a very unique and atmospheric anime full of deep mysteries and strong characters. Its story might have gotten a bit weak midway with all its fillers and flashbacks, but it has so much potential for the second season. This season was all about building up the characters and atmosphere; the second one just might get straight to business. With high anticipation for its continuation, I recommend this anime.

Armed Librarians: The Book of Bantorra has had a very strong divide among opinions this past season. I have seen many people praise this show in the anime blogosphere, while forum activists on big sites such as ANN criticize it to death. I’m sure there are many people in the middle who just don’t know what to think or are uncertain to try it. I hope that my review will clear some of that uncertainty away.

Story

Now here is something original. After a person dies, their memories turn into a stone tablet called a "book" that leaves their body to be ... collected. When someone comes along and touches that person’s book, they can see vivid imagery of their past as if they were really there to witness it. These are very special books and must be kept safe at all costs, and that is what the Bantorra Library serves to do. A group of people known as the Armed Librarians guard these books with their lives using psychic powers.

This story is NOT linear with a one-track mind. Instead, it branches off into many intricate subplots. You will see the Armed Librarians tracking down stolen books, recruiting new members, having personal quarrels and drama, going on adventurous missions, and each character pursuing their own personal and hidden agenda. They also fight their common enemy known as the Sindeki Kyoudan, an enigmatic religious group that manipulates people against the library for its own reasons. There is much discussion about heaven and what it means to be a “true man” to enter such a place.

After a while, the story does not seem to have a clear focus. It hops around to many different issues, never staying on a single one for too long. Criticism has been heavily placed on this area because the story can get confusing fast. Often times you might be mislead to believe that main story will be about this or that particular thing. I actually like that, but it is required of you to pay close attention to the events to appreciate how they all come together near the end.

The last thing I will say about the story is that I love its unpredictability. This anime makes you think. Nothing is straightforward, and there seems to be a plot-twist within every subplot..and that’s a LOT of plot-twists. The story, so full of secrets, character betrayals, and philosophical questions, will take you for an entertaining ride.

Characters

There are 30+ characters listed under this anime, and you’re introduced to a whole lot at once. The characters shine just as magnificently as the story does; they each have very detailed backgrounds and different motives. It is not really clear on which people are the bad guys and the good guys. It is also not clear on which character is the main one that we should be focusing on. Everyone gets the same amount of attention.

I give much praise to the characters because a handful of them are refreshing and have strong personality. I had my doubts about how well they would turn out to be, but they took me by surprise. The characters are very dynamic, meaning that they change and develop internally. As the show steadily progresses, you’re constantly being introduced to someone new and exciting.

The character section on this page does a good job in describing each character and their psychic ability, so I recommend reading those if you want to know the specifics.

Animation

One of the first things I hear people say when they start watching this is that the characters look unappealing, and the CGI looks very out of place.

Either you love the character designs or you don’t. They appear more on the dark-outlined, shadowy side without much shine, but it's best if you take a look for yourself. Some of the female characters look a bit masculine also. Despite all this, I thought that the designs were okay.

If you are patient enough to get to the best fighting scenes in this anime, you won’t be disappointed. High production values were saved for these moments, and the CGI gets put to good use.

Sound

This is where your personal taste really comes in. I found the OST to be fantastic. As a fan of Ali Project, I liked the first OP theme called “Datengoku Sensen.” The background music is also enjoyable and consists of many low-key orchestral sounds that suit the suspenseful atmosphere.

Overall

Armed Librarians is an entertaining, action-packed anime that uses its large, developed cast to its advantage. The story may seem rather confusing and directionless at times, but it all pays off towards the end. I recommend this anime.

As a fellow fan of Ryukishi07’s works (Higurashi no Naku koro Ni, Umineko no Naku Koro Ni), I was quite excited for the release Ookami Kakushi. I thought that I was in for another psychological thriller and exciting mystery, but unfortunately, Ookami Kakushi didn’t turn out to be as such. I admit, I went into the show with the wrong kind of expectations, and my review is a reflection of that. However, I still think I have some good points to offer.

Story

The original premise of the show sounded interesting enough, but here is why the story was poorly executed:

The first half of ... the series suffers from no development. Our main protagonist, Hiroshi, moves into a new town with his father and sister, attends school, and meets new people. However, something never feels quite right. A female classmate of his becomes extremely attached to him, a mysterious girl neglects him, and a few classmates begin to disappear without notice by others. At the end of each episode, we catch a small glimpse of a terrified person running away from a group of supernatural, masked beings who are after that person’s life. While you know something is up and you’re curious, what you’re mainly going to see is Hiroshi participating in ordinary slice-of-life activities and interacting with a small cast of characters. Aside from a few weird events befalling Hiroshi, nothing much changes, and this becomes dull fast.

The second half finally explores the mystery behind the masked beings, but it still moves incredibly slowly for such a short series. What you have next is a string of predictable events, coincidences, and episodes dedicated to simply feeding you all of the information. By the time the climax hits, it is downright disappointing. There are no major plot-twists or anything exciting to keep the anime’s head above the water. The finale is a joke.

Characters

The characters feel one-dimensional. They hardly have any development. Only towards the end do the characters begin to show a different side to them, but their peak development is still not all that impressive. They just go back to the way they were before, falling very short of being dynamic.

They are also not entertaining at any given point in the show beyond the introduction. Hiroshi is a shy and awkward kid who always feels nervous, but he has a sense of justice somewhere within him. His hobby is to stare at the other characters and do absolutely nothing. Hiroshi's sister, Mana, is bound to a wheelchair and we never get to find out why. Nemuru, his mysterious classmate who neglects him does only that for the first half of the series. Asagiri is another classmate who is just a walking encyclopedia, always trying to help clue Hiroshi in. And then we have Isuzu, his neighbor who instantly becomes attached to him. She just spends her time hopping around and clinging to his arm, quickly rubbing off as an annoying character. Lastly, the main villain is the typical, revengeful idiot type with a predictable outcome and is nothing special. You've seen these characters being used before again and again. The adults also have a role in the show, but they are even duller characters than the children.

None of the characters stand out as being impressive, strong, or all that memorable, even by the last half of the show. At the very least, the character's backgrounds are somewhat explored, as there is a good reason for their initial behaviors. They could have had much more depth though.

Sound

I do have to give credit for the OP song “Toki no Mukou Maboroshi no Sora” by FictionJunction for being pretty good. However, there is not much to say about the rest of the sounds. They contribute to the mood, but they're more or less on the average side. Ookami’s OST isn’t something that I would be dying to have.

Animation

The animation is not weak, but it is not spectacular either. Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of the artwork is how beautiful the costumes look on the masked beings. The color and lighting effects are also used well for certain scenes and to show real depth in the character’s eyes. Overall though, the character designs are rather average, and there isn't much change in background scenery.

Overall

I learned too late that Ookami kakushi is not meant to be a deep, plot-twisting mystery series. It is more about character relations, drama, mood, suspense, and slow buildup. But even with that in mind, the small cast of characters are for the most part unchanging and dull. This anime is mediocre and easily forgettable.

Emily’s New Moon is a delightful anime based on classic literature. It began as a children’s novel in 1923, and it later became a Canadian TV series in 1998. Finally, it was adapted into an anime in 2007, bringing its original premise back for a new audience.

Story

The story takes place in Prince Edward Island, Canada somewhere between the late 1800s and early 1900s. A young girl named Emily who had already lost her mother as a baby later loses her father to an illness. She gets taken in by her mother’s side of the family called the “Murrays” whom she had ... never met before. Her life prior to moving in was rather carefree and flexible; however, she has to adjust to a completely different lifestyle with the Murrays. There, she has to have responsibilities, mannerisms, and a school education while maintaining the Murray’s reputation. The story mainly consists of her adapting to these changes, as well as making friends, rivalries, and coming to grow as a person.

This anime is more about developing characters rather than following a progressive plot with a specific goal. It explores themes such dreams versus reality, what it really means to grow up, how to overcome pain, and so much more. What might turn some people off is that the pacing is very slow, and the story’s overall tone is light-hearted and warm. However, there is enough drama to keep the show very entertaining as it tends to deal with heavy and touchy subject matter, beginning with the death of a parent. The story is very well executed and has a solid conclusion.

Artwork

Nothing falls short of being beautiful, colorful, and stunning. The artwork will take your breath away. There is nothing more gorgeous than to see some of Canada’s landscapes animated so beautifully here. Much effort and detail went into the backgrounds and overall atmosphere. I could really smell the apples and feel the warm summer breeze while I was watching. When it was snowing, individual pieces of snow looked fluffy and real. What a refreshing experience.

The character designs are a little untraditional, yet fitting. Everyone has a more realistic appearance; don’t expect to see anyone with bright purple spiky hair. However, each character still manages to have a distinct look. You won’t feel like they all have the same face with different hair thrown on top.

Sound

The soundtrack is orchestral, melodic, and atmospheric which fits the historical setting perfectly. I must also praise the detailed background noises such as the grass blowing in the wind, the running water, thunder storms, and other nature sounds. All of the sound effects enable you to feel as if you are presently in that environment.

Characters

The show’s strength really lies within its characters that are so convincing. The star of the show, Emily, won’t let herself be taken advantage of. She stands up for what she believes in, which often conflicts with her mannerisms. She is also innocent, naïve, and sensitive, but she does her best to be kind to others. The most captivating aspect about her is that she is very poetic, as it is her dream to become a poet and writer someday.

Emily's main friends are Ilse, Perry, and Teddy, who each have their own personal lives and dreams explored. They fully develop along with Emily into fantastic characters.

We can’t forget about the Murrays whom Emily moves in with. Her Aunt Elizabeth has been described by Emily to be the “ice queen.” She is very strict and has a tense relationship with Emily. She also lives with her Aunt Laura and Cousin Jimmy who come to her aid when she is in trouble or feeling down. The other Murrays occasionally make an appearance and analyze Emily’s progression through her new life.

It has been very fascinating to watch Emily interact with her new family as much as she hangs out with her friends. Emily does meet many other side characters along the way, and their backgrounds are also rich in detail. Everyone has their own special place in the story; they remain interesting till the very end.

Overall

Emily’s New Moon is a very charming series with realistic characters and gorgeous artwork. Each episode leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling and satisfaction through engaging story-telling. As this was something that I could share with my family, I wholeheartedly recommend this anime to anyone. Please don’t dismiss this as just a children’s happy-go-lucky show. While it is indeed fun, it is also mature, thought-provoking, and worth the watch for an audience of any age.