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I had a very difficult time trying to score "From the New World". Have you ever watched a series that wasn't very impressive early on, yet you kept watching it because you hoped or expected that it would eventually get better? Perhaps it teased at times that something big would eventually happen. There's a good chance many have experienced this, and then been disappointed that the series never lived up to the hopes one had for it.

I experienced these worries at one point with "From the New World". It looked like it could be very promising when I learned about it ... before it started airing, which it thankfully did end of being. When it was good, especially in the latter half, this series was one of the best shows of this past year. The plot was very deep, full of twists, turns, and tragic moments that kept it engaging and suspenseful. However, this series was... so... difficult to get into early on. In fact, I at one time was really considering putting it "on hold" in favor of another airing series. The episodes involving the Monster Rats early on were not very interesting for the most part, plus it had a few very... awkward moments that were disturbing. Looking back, I guess I can understand why those scenes are there, but I still found the early episodes only passable. However, the series did have some good moments that were interesting and made it difficult to stop watching. It was like it teased that something big would eventually happen that would make the wait worth it, and in a way it did.

I think another element that hurt the experience a little was the art. It's not the most visually appealing series out there, plus there was a lack of consistency. However, there was one element that was consistently great throughout the entirety of the series, and that was the soundtrack. It was not only great, but outstanding - one of the best soundtracks I've listened to in any anime, and that's saying a lot!

So how do I score "From the New World"? (I don't average category scores, just so you know.) The latter half was very good, but the first half was only passable and very difficult to get into. For now, I am giving this series a 7/10 (Good). If you can get through the first half, then you should have little problem enjoying the rest of the series. Those who do enjoy the first half may find this series one of the best they'll ever watch.

While I haven't been paying too much attention to the current Pokemon season, when I read that Cartoon Network would be showing the latest Pokemon movie, I figured I'd give it a shot and see how it is. After seeing it, I would say that, while it's not necessarily a bad movie, it really wasn't that great either. I have seen all of the First Movie, Movie 2000, and Pokemon Heroes, and I think bits and pieces of some others, and I can definitely say that this was the least impressive to me compared to those 3. I think some of that ... has to do with the story, which had little suspense. The main characters that many are familiar with are basically supporting characters in this movie as opposed to being heroes or the like. Speaking of the characters, like with the TV series itself, I'm also not enthusiastic about the new characters. They just don't have the charm that the others had, those of course being Brock, Misty, May, and Dawn.

I can only recommend this movie to fans of the Pokemon franchise. Everyone else can skip it, though I doubt they need my opinion for that. Even for Pokemon fans or casual observers, I can't give this a full recommendation. Like with most if not all Pokemon movies, this is just an opportunity for the franchise to introduce the legendary Pokemon not seen in the TV series. Unlike the other movies though, the lack of any "world in peril" or other intriguing plot keeps it from standing out or being that memorable. For all this, I give it a 5/10 (Mediocre).

I am actually a little surprised that I liked this series as much as I did. When I first started this series, I thought it would be a solid series, but nothing noteworthy. The story is nice though typical for the high-school romance genre. However, I think what won me over are the characters and the art. The characters are amusing, well-developed, and fit nicely within the series. The main character Sawako is especially likable, having a level of innocence that is very endearing, plus her voice fits the character very well. The art not only fits the ... show very nicely, but it also matches each scene. Throughout the series, the art style changes from a more realistic style to a much simpler version during some of the more comedic moments. These changes help enhance the feelings and emotions that each scene attempts to portray, which I think made the show even more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. It's a good thing that there's a second season, as I would like to see how the various romances continue to develop.

Kimi ni Todoke is a very heartwarming series, sure to appease fans of high-school romance. It does have some chick-flick moments that may cause some to roll their eyes, yet they didn't deter my ability to enjoy the show. With great art, characters, and even nice opening and ending sequences, Kimi ni Todoke is a 9/10 (Outstanding) for me.

As the second season in the Full Metal Panic! series, I feel that Fumoffu benefits from being more focused than its prequel. The first season of FMP is a combination of the mecha-action and high-school comedy genres, as well as containing a number of sub-genres. While it has several good things going for it, one issue that I think hurt the experience a little for me was that the show, though having major elements of both, excelled in neither category. Fumoffu instead focuses exclusively on the high-school comedy genre, which in turn I think allowed for higher quality comedy and entertainment. ... I also grew to like the main character Sousuke more because of this, as he and his antics are usually the center of the comedy. The relationship between the common sense-lacking war nut Sousuke and the level-headed Chidori makes for one of the best duos/couples in anime. Now, as Fumoffu is an episodic series, in which most episodes have their own plot, some episodes I enjoyed much more than others. Some of the best comedy, in my opinion, is contained within the first 2 episodes and the latter few episodes, especially the one at the bath house. As a whole, I would say that Fumoffu is very entertaining, with amusing characters, great comedy, and a nice soundtrack. (I actually looked forward to the episode previews so that I could hear the FMP theme.)

I give Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu an 8/10 (Very Good), an improvement over the first season, and a high recommendation to watch. Now, if you haven't seen the first season by Gonzo yet, I think you will enjoy Fumoffu more if you watch Season 1 first, though it's not a requirement since the plot from the first season doesn't carry over and continue into Season 2.

Who knew that a show about a card game would turn out to be so great? I'm not talking about those fantasy shows either, with characters summoning creatures and other magical things from cards to duke it out with other characters or beings. There is no magic or supernatural occurrences in Chihayafuru, yet the show finds a way to present the card game kurata as an intense form of entertainment. In addition to the various card tournaments, this series contains elements of comedy, drama, and romance, all of which I found well done and enjoyable. However, when I think back on ... Chihayafuru, there were 3 things that stood out to me after watching this show: the art is beautiful, the music is fantastic, and characters are all well developed and very likeable, especially the main character Chihaya. Her nerdy personality is humorous and endearing, especially when combined with the fact that she is gorgeous. In fact, I personally think Chihaya is one of, if not the prettiest girl in all of anime. The show doesn't have a definite ending, but this is a non-issue since the second season is due to air this winter.

If you're not an action buff, you owe it to yourself to watch Chihayafuru. Though listed as a josei and having all the appearances of a chick-flick, I think most anyone regardless of gender will find this series exceptional and greatly entertaining. I give Chihayafuru a 9/10 (Outstanding) and a high recommendation.

Casshern Sins was one of the shows that I was introduced to during my brief Toonami experience this year, and one of only two I was able to complete before schedule changes put other shows on-hold. I am actually pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this show is, especially considering that I wasn't as impressed with it at first from what I can remember. While there are a large number of fight scenes, as a whole they were not very impressive or entertaining. What this show does have is atmosphere. Combining a unique and appropriate art style and background music, Casshern Sins ... creates a very interesting setting, full of gloom and yet also hope. It is this somber yet hopeful atmosphere that I found very intriguing. The characters themselves are also mysterious and intriguing in their own right, in which I looked forward to learning more about them as the series progressed. The series tries to convey a number of themes and ideals, such as what it means to truly live. Unfortunately I did find Casshern Sins a little confusing at times, and some of the sci-fi elements are never really explained, which I found disappointing.

Despite those few elements that I wasn't fond of, I still found Casshern Sins to be entertaining, receiving a 7/10 (Good) and a recommendation to at least try out.

Shakugan no Shana is a series that I had long been meaning to watch after being impressed with the battle music and visuals I saw in a video highlighting anime background music some time ago. Now that I'm finally done with the first season, I can say that it is a very fun and enjoyable show. It didn't blow me away by any means, but I think it's a very solid series. If I had to pick my favorite aspect of the series, it would have to be the various supernatural/fantasy elements and characters, especially during the battle scenes. The characters ... range from amusing and funny to disturbing, and by disturbing I mean that brother/sister Denizen duo. The story isn't very deep, but still good enough to keep the show interesting and enjoyable. Now earlier when I said that I was impressed with the visuals I saw, I was specifically referring to Shana during what I would call her Flame Haze mode, which I thought looked cool. From a technical standpoint, the visuals aren't anything impressive, but they get the job done.

Overall, I would rate this an 8/10 for "Very Good", which gets a high recommendation from me. If you're looking for the next epic masterpiece, this might not be it. However, it's a solid fantasy series with some cool characters, great battles, cute romance, and even some nice comedy. If you haven't seen Shakugan no Shana yet, you ought to at least check it out sometime.