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Anime sometimes appeals to action, adventure and over-dramatic plots to keep people watching the series...after all anime series before it, very few revolved around real life and work places. Well, Working'!! is one of them, and though the story is mostly nonexistent, all the humor around the episodes will draw your attention to it. It's on the same base as the original Working!! anime, but with new characters and more of the anime restaurant we begin to love so much.

--Story--
How everything begins, and why everything happens. (Skip if you already read synopsis)

Following last season's end, Takanashi continues to work on Wagnaria with his fellow ... co-workers and bosses, dealing with his own family affairs meanwhile. Here, the relationship between co-workers goes slightly better, but just enough to not involve any serious romance affairs, but also to make new gags to crack a laugh from time to time.

--Time exploitation--
Some animes makes time pass faster when watching them, and some do the opposite.

Oh, it's good. Believe me. As I said, it doesn't have a concrete story or goal to archieve on each episode, but even so, you'll get dragged in one of the many sub-plots, normally involving 2 characters, and you'll eventually worry about them, sympathize with them, or simply laugh as the situation gets incredibly awkward to one of them.

Every episode has about 3 "semi-stories" in it, so you'll never get stuck in something that doesn't go on or simply get the feeling nothing's really happening there.

--Story and Characters Evolution--
Story (usually) grows as time passes, but how about the characters?

Hard to say, actually. Comparing to the last season, most people is basically the same, with their same strange habits and same unrequited loves. But, during the season, things change a little. Inami, as she gets better at controlling her androphobia, Takanashi begins to deal better with non-chibi woman, Yachiyo starts to get closer to Satou, and so on.

--PERSONAL Opinion--
Exactly what it means. What I think about the anime ^^

Some people says watching an anime without a story is like reading a book about a normal old man: you get nothing out of it....well, half true...but does it really matter? Really? I watched this anime just a couple of months ago, and I laughed every 4 minutes of it, and just because of this little fact I became so addicted to Working. Indeed, most animes have their gag scenes and phrases, but on Working, it never gets old or repetitive, and even on apparently normal scenes, it throws something all of the sudden just to make you laugh.

The visuals are gorgeous as always, the soundtrack is pretty much the same, the new characters are just as complex and well balanced between crazy and realistic as the others, and of course, you'll have lots of fun watching the anime

-- Score and Recommendation--
Final score to me and to what people I would recommend.

8,0/10

If you don't care about story and just want to go in to meet crazy characters and a little of their lives, welcome in. Otherwise, better go watch some other anime.

Slice of life, a bit of school life, catching story, a bit of romance, action, drama, strategy, supernatural aspects, world with its own rules, and a tearful conclusion. Mix them all up, and add that "touch" only Key can do to its animes and visual novels. That's the recipe for a great anime, made from scratch. There's no mistake about it, Angel Beats is a joy for the eyes and a refuel to your heart. It doesn't matter how old you are, when you watch all episodes of this anime, you'll learn something on your own, and your life hardly will be the same as ... before.

--Story--
How everything begins, and why everything happens. (Skip if you already read synopsis)

When people dies, they either go to heaven or hell, right? Here, if you are in high school and you die, you go to some kind of purgatory similar to a school. Yuzuru Otonashi is the main character, and when he wakes up in that strange world, he meets Yuri, a strange girl holding a sniper rifle, saying she must kill an angel in that place. He meets the angel, and, saying she couldn't be of any harm, the Angel eventually kills Otonashi when he doubted he couldn't die in this world. He wakes up in the infirmary (no one there can "die forever" in that world, they're revived after some time) and shortly after Yuri invites him to the SSS, a group of students who also wants to kill Angel for their own reasons. From then on, they undergo a lot of missions to reach that goal.

Of course, things change over time, but that'd be spoilers, so....

--Time exploitation--
Some animes makes time pass faster when watching them, and some do the opposite.

Indeed, a great exploit of time watching that anime. During the first episodes, it catches your attention explaining how things work in their world, and how Angel is their enemy. Later on, on episode 5 on, things change quickly, more character backstory is told, and how everyone's plans change over the situations. There's always something to look at and to think about when watching this anime. Be it a mission overview, a joke or funny acts, a live performance from the SSS's band, a character's backstory and past, the battles themselves, the suspense when trying to figure something out or to face a trap or ambush. And since the story only slows down significantly from the mid episodes until the last episodes, you'll still be focused on characters expressions and reactions, so your time will pass away fast when watching this.

--Story and Characters Evolution--
Story (usually) grows as time passes, but how about the characters?

The story evolves in a somewhat unstable pace. The first 4 episodes, the story is almost intact. From then until episode 9 or so, you will likely be lost in the story, since it lost some purpose and no one speak a better plan. On the final episodes, the story turns to be a little sad, but doesn't change its core. It's confusing to describe, but it's the feeling you get from watching it.

Now, the character do evolve over time, another great point. Thing is, only a few evolve a lot. The rest kind of "adapt" their goals to what they really must do, and that's sad since they don't really have anything against it. It's like they're "going with the flow" instead of having their own goals in mind in the beginning. Also, some characters don't even tell their story to you, so you get that uncertainty if they're really supporting you or merely secondary characters.

--PERSONAL Opinion--
Exactly what it means. What I think about the anime ^^

Let's start with the good points. The story begins extremely deep and mysterious, soundtrack of the anime is one of the most original you'll hear (and extremely awesome insert songs from the SSS's band, Girls Dead Monster), the animations and expressions are nicely detailed and the story-telling of the characters are good.

What I didn't like, for example, was some explanations about the world itself. It feels like it was explained in a rush, but leaves a lot of things without any sense. For example, the SSS has a division which makes guns and ammo, and they say that their machines build those from dirt, if they have the complete picture in mind. Their world has its own laws, so I won't argue with that, but if that's so, how can they build the machines then? Even the goal of killing Angel is understandable, but hardly rational and without any other choice to make. If it hadn't this mistake, that could be explained in the episodes excluding some filler scenes, it would easily be perfect. That, and more useful characters that don't disappear in a couple of episodes, that is.

-- Score and Recommendation--
Final score to me and to what people I would recommend.

9.0/10.0

Recommended for everyone, no matter your hobbies, your likes and dislikes, or even if you haven't watched any of Key's animes, let alone any anime at all. You'll easily fall in love with the anime if you aren't that picky with little details.

Hello everyone!

Today I'm on a good mood and I'll talk about a newer anime series: Blue Exorcist.
This time, only school life is present, and lots of supernatural themes pops up, be it the ability to kill/paralyze enemies with chants, swords that have some kind of skill or summoning mystical creatures. Of course, all evil characters have their unique abilities too. Romance is almost subliminal and doesn't count much here. Instead, we have deep friendship and familyship feelings.

--Story--
How everything begins, and why everything happens. (Skip if you already read synopsis)

The main character is Okumura Rin, older brother of Yukio Okumura and a delinquent who likes to ... fight, doing everything the way he wants it, with or without thinking. His "father", Shirou, is the highest rank of exorcists there is around, and as one, his job is to fend off evil spirits who escape from their world (Gehena) to our world (Assiah), be in the form of defeating them or pushing them out of possessed bodies. One day, Rin is told that he actually is Satan's son and that he must return to his true father or be killed. Shiro, knowing this, gives Rin a sword with his supressed demonic powers to escape from Satan's influence, giving his own life to say so to his "son", since it was him who raised the Okumura brothers when they were little. Instead of following what Shiro said, Rin is determined to kill Satan for what he did, and to do so, he enters a cram school that teaches teenagers how to be an exorcist.

--Time exploitation--
Some animes makes time pass faster when watching them, and some do the opposite.

Ao no Exorcist have an interesting plot. There are many animes that speak about defeating evil spirits and so, but this anime throws a demoniac main character right off the bat, plus, he wants to become what apparently he couldn't possibly achieve. Once Rin goes to cram school, there is a few episodes who introduces the classes of exorcists you can become (Knight, Dragoon, Medic, Aria or Tamer), and then on basically focus on Rin's quests and fights to get along with the cram school, his friends and to his objective, followed by a short after story on the last episode, and of course, showing the story of other important characters along the way.

I'd say, for me, that the anime exploits time badly at first, then it oscilates between something interesting and filler-like episodes, on the final arc (final 5 episodes or so) boosting a lot of backstory and emotion, but, surprisingly, dropping dead on the final minutes. A so-so grade on this topic.

--Story and Characters Evolution--
Story (usually) grows as time passes, but how about the characters?

Story keeps a steady pace along the episodes, but not character development. Rin keeps almost the same reckless guy from start to finish, just learning some cool phrases, acting cool on a couple of situations and controlling his powers. All the other characters is a mix. Shiemi, for example, becomes more aware of her own powers and feelings. Bon also changes, from his reckless attitude to a more smart one, thinking before acting. On the other hand, Yukio, Mephisto and Shura don't give any apparent feeling of evolution towards the story, and are the characters that makes some of the most dramatic appearances or help on the last second.

--PERSONAL Opinion--
Exactly what it means. What I think about the anime ^^

Ao no Exorcists could been an even greater anime if not for Rin's recklessness from top to bottom. Also, not even the ending satisfies the way it really should. The good points of this anime is the good story telling and characters expressions, giving animations that smooth motion your eyes need every now and then, even when not in battle. Sound is one of the most impressing I've heard so far, be it sound effects, dialogue and lip-synch quality or background musics. Art is one of the amazing points of this anime too. Surprises here and there along the story and mid-battles always are welcome too.

On the other hand, even if the time exploit is decent, the story feels like it's running in circles. First, there is an urgency where Rin and company somehow join, then there is fighting, then a bit of dialogue and some times backstory telling, more battle and the conclusion. Lash, rinse, repeat. Fanboys will hate this, but it's really just like that, from the very first battle to the final battle against Satan. And I hate anime that repeat patterns throughout the episodes, it's like the creators are lazy to escape a formula that works since the Dragon Ball times (and that's old...). To boot, Rin, who is the main character, most of the time doesn't save anyone. Instead, Yukio and Shura are the ones who saved Rin and his firends uncountable times. What could be worse than a helpless main character, from beginning to end?

-- Score and Recommendation--
Final score to me and to what people I would recommend.

7.5/10.0

If you like fighting animes like Bleach and Naruto, you won't be disappointed. However, if not, try to watch just the first 3 episodes, then decide for yourself if it's worth or not.

Hello everyone!

Now let's review one of Navel's masterpiece of visual novels translated to anime.
It is a school life anime, but even with some extraordinary features from some characters, very, but very little of this aspect is used. So little in fact these "powers" just appears sometimes in the story, so a little slice of life is present. Romance is the main emphasis of the anime, and no, the main character doesn't save the world here (not directly by any means).

--Story--
How everything begins, and why everything happens. (Skip if you already read synopsis)

Rin is a typical high-school main character, living under the same roof as Kaede ... since they were children. In his school, humans aren't the only one who studies there, but also boys and girls from both heaven and hell, which some also happens to be Rin's friends, like Asa, his senpai from heavens, and Mayumi, another childhood friend who came from hell, dedicated to be journalist. A certain day, two girls, one from heavens and another from hell, joins the school and automatically wants to be together with Rin. Their fathers, kings of heavens and hell, go to the school too, and says Rin have to make a choice. Either he chooses one of those girls to marry, or they'll destroy the Earth itself.

Lots of love affairs, gossips and indecisions begins from there on, but I won't mention then or else I'd be spoiling the anime...

--Time exploitation--
Some animes makes time pass faster when watching them, and some do the opposite.

Shuffle stands a little between in this case. Having the average duration of 24 episodes, filler scenes are inevitable, but if you played the Visual Novel, you'll find out the anime follows most of the script of the game, so it isn't as bad as you might think. The anime itself, in the beginning, dedicates a whole episode mainly for each one of the main girls at a time for introdutions, then following with a brief series of episodes (basically 2 eps for each) telling a bit deeper about the girls, some secrets of them, their past and how they met Rin in the childhood and made them follow in love with Rin, and finally, Rin's decision, followed by the final chapters about the couple. After saying all this, you can say the anime doesn't stop for long, so yeah, it exploits time well, but could be a little shorter.

--Story and Characters Evolution--
Story (usually) grows as time passes, but how about the characters?

Tough topic. After the "introductory" episodes, the story evolves at slow steps until Rin make the decision for himself, so the story is mostly intact after the first episode until quite late in the anime. The main girl's "arcs" (meaning, on the episodes dedicated to them and their past/secrets) only serves as a background for who's watching the anime and who the watcher would pick in Rin's place, since it has a single ending only. Then you'd say "Isn't it time wasting, seeing the other character's backstory then?". Yes, but I'd consider this marketing plans to support all the other Shuffle!-branded games, audio and drama cds, mangas, radio novels, and so on, where you have multiples endings and stories about if he'd chosen other girls.

In other words, the characters remain static on most part of the anime, except on rare occasions and in the final chapters (I'll tell later).

--PERSONAL Opinion--
Exactly what it means. What I think about the anime ^^

Shuffle! is that love-or-hate kind of anime for me. At the time, I loved the anime, and I've played to VN later. For me, I didn't faced the character's backstory as "time wasters", because you end up sympathizing with the girls, and on certain moments, with Rin, since he has to decide only one from 5 girls and also having his own tragic backstory told in the anime. The best aspect of the anime, indeed, is the final chapters. In most animes, the girls would still be hitting on Rin after he made his choice, but here, all the others go on, some easier than others, changing their shyness and dreams, searching for other guys and just remaining good friends with Rin (girls: friend zoned!!).

It's really a mix between unreal and realistic anime, not because of the presence of magic and heaven/hell population, but as for the girls' static behavior along most of the anime. It's just sad. Sexual content is really short and present mostly on the first episodes to crack a laugh, but after this, it's very serious. Character design is full of details and decent motion, and even with static characters, each one has her own personality, so you'll end up falling in love for at least one of them, even on secondary characters (Kareha-senpai *-*)

As bad aspect, not to mention the obvious again, the music could really need an improvement, except for the opening theme, that alone made me watch the anime. Maybe if the anime didn't followed the game so strictly it could have been shorter and better, but again, I don't consider these aspects major flaws

-- Score and Recommendation--
Final score to me and to what people I would recommend.

8.5/10.0

If you like romance/school-life/slice of life animes, without a doubt you should watch this. For the others, only if you have the patience to wait the story reach its climax or have played the game before (it has translations to english ^^)

Hello everyone!

I'm new here, but I must post this review, as a symbol this anime has in my life, because, in fact, it is because of this anime that I dedicated myself to watch animes ever since.

--Story--
How everything begins, and why everything happens. (Skip if you already read synopsis)

All begins with a rumor, or more like a superstition, so to say. It says that if you take a photo of the one you love or have a crush on, put it as your cellphone's wallpaper and, after six months, no one finds out, you'll get together with that person and your love will last forever.
Makoto ... is a usual main character of most slice-of-life anime you may find. He's in high school, is timid towards most people and have a crush on someone, but is afraid of taking the next steps, so he adepts that rumor, hoping his love for Katsura Kotonoha becomes real. Saionji Sekai, his childhood friend, finds out of Makoto's secret in the first day he tried this rumor, and so he laments himself, saying he'll never make Kotonoha his girlfriend. Sekai somehow feel pity of him and then helps him to go on.

The story from there on resumes and A LOT of story inversions/surprises in the end of most episodes, evolving a single romance to triangle relationships and so on, even if there are only 12 episodes, you'll definitely be surprised the first time you watch.

--Time exploitation--
Some animes makes time pass faster when watching them, and some do the opposite.

This anime is one of the most perfect examples I can give of this. "Filler" scenes are few and far between, meaning almost the whole anime is story driven. The story makes you think a lot about what's going to happen next, and when you think nothing is happening, it throws you a bomb, making you lose track of what happened, or why it happened, or how it happened so suddenly. Unfortunately the last episode is slower, though even more surprised-filled, and somewhat unexpected. I, for one, think the ideal ending is the ending of episode 11, and episode 12 is an "after story" of sorts. Either way, it is a joy to see it

--Story and Characters Evolution--
Story (usually) grows as time passes, but how about the characters?

All the main characters of the anime evolves in some form. Some become more proactive, others more rational, and others just become more insane about love. The secondary characters don't evolve much, but you do discover much about them as time goes. The story, as I said, grows quickly and have surprises in every episodes (I really mean that). I said little, but you can consider this a greatly positive aspect.

--PERSONAL Opinion--
Exactly what it means. What I think about the anime ^^

This anime is, in case you haven't figured out yet, school-life and slice of life altogether, with bits of triangle romances and love affairs, but not involving any super powers or that kind of stuff. Though the first episode looks innocent and all, the second episode on have more sexual emphasis and boyfriend/girlfriend behaviors, thus looking more realistic in a high-school student's life, and that's my favorite aspect of the anime, making you believe everything (or at least most of the story) could be happening right now, somewhere else in this world. As a bad side of the anime, the anime's conclusion certainly is one, and that the opening/some songs could have been better, but I consider these just minor flaws. Character design is simple, but even so has its own charm.

-- Score and Recommendation--
Final score to me and to what people I would recommend.

9.0/10.0

Truly worth watching it. Can be someone's life lesson (it was for me xD)
Recommended for everyone!