I am not a particular fan of the horror animes and hence I was quite hesitant when my friend suggested me this series. Yet I couldn't help watching the first 4 episodes back to back once I began with it.
Watching Another is like entering a horror house. You know what's coming ahead and also that it wont be particularly nice. Yet, you cant control your curiosity and just keep going, once you enter.
Story: 10/10
The anime begins with the story of Misaki. The one who died midway in class 9-3 but a few days later, a student pointed at the seat where Misaki sat and said
...
that Misaki was still there. Soon everyone accepted Misaki to be alive. However, to everyone's amazement, Misaki even appeared in the class photograph.
The anime is set 26 years after this incident when Sakakibara Kouichi transfers to Yomiyama. On arrival, he is greeted by 3 of his classmates and later by a girl named Misaki Mei, whom only he seems to be able to see. What follows this meeting is a series of uneventful deaths of the students in class 9-3(which happens to be Kouichi and Misaki Mei's class). The search for the truth about this tragedy that strikes only class 9-3 is revealed and the search for a counter against this tragedy begins.
The story begins perfectly as it gives the viewer an idea of what will be coming next along with hints of the 'ghost' and ends equally well.
Art: 10/10
The art was quite nice for a horror anime. The opening added to the eeriness of every episode. The background was typical for a horror anime as it gave the feeling of a deserted village which was haunted by ghosts. The deaths shown in the series were also portrayed very well. Care was taken to make sure that they give the feeling of horror and fear while avoiding anything gore.
Sound: 10/10
Once again, the opening made every episode quite scary. The sounds suited the background very well. They one thing I liked about this series was that although the background music made the atmosphere quite scary, it did not give the feeling of watching a horror movie involving ghosts, while sitting in a theater. That was a relief for someone like me who doesn't like too much of horror stuff.
It did give goosebumps though.
Character: 9/10
Each character is unusual and gives the impression of being the 'ghost' if you think that way. The protagonist, Sakakibara Kouichi, is the average high school boy(like in every other anime) and much like the viewer, he tries his best to try and get a grip on the situation and find the counter in whatever rational way possible. Misaki Mei, seems to be visible only to Kouichi at the start and she behaves much like an actual ghost would. Yet, as the story unfolds, she becomes a little more friendly with the other students in class 9-3. The other characters are not explained in that much detail. And that was to be expected while watching something which only lasts for 12 episodes.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Since the start of the series, one is left wondering what exactly is going on. The identity of Misaki Mei, the identity of the Misaki who died 26 years ago, the reason for the calamity of class 9-3 and the way to avoid the calamity leave the viewer wondering. Also, as the series progresses, the students keep falling prey to the tragedy. The way they die is also something which is sure to leave you awestruck. The prevalent conditions dont even hint at anyone's death, yet one of them ends up dead. I am not really a sadist but I must say, the way the first death occurred left me with a wide open mouth and I couldn't help watching that scene again and again.
The search for the culprit was yet another good part of the anime. At the start you are almost sure to suspect Misaki and later these suspicions shift to different characters, depending on the progress of the story. The end result is almost sure to make you say "How is this even possible?".
One gets sucked into the anime right after hearing Misaki's story and the only escape after that is to complete it. Otherwise you are sure to have many questions left behind to add to your curiosity.
Overall: 10/10
While the series was pretty much flawless, it could have been much better if it had lasted for more than just 12 episodes. Also, it would have been a good idea to include a kind of summary towards the end, explaining the complete reason for the tragedy in one episode rather than bits and pieces spread over the episodes as they become a little difficult to connect if you lose track.
As I said at the start, I am not really a fan of horror anime. I am more towards the mystery side of things. Yet, Another has been one of my favorite animes so far. The plot was amazing and I couldn't stop thinking about it even after having completed it. It leaves a long lasting impression on the viewer.
If you are not much into the dark mystery or horror animes, Another is sure to get you interested in them. It is definitely a series worth watching.
Jan 28, 2013
I am not a particular fan of the horror animes and hence I was quite hesitant when my friend suggested me this series. Yet I couldn't help watching the first 4 episodes back to back once I began with it.
Watching Another is like entering a horror house. You know what's coming ahead and also that it wont be particularly nice. Yet, you cant control your curiosity and just keep going, once you enter. Story: 10/10 The anime begins with the story of Misaki. The one who died midway in class 9-3 but a few days later, a student pointed at the seat where Misaki sat and said ... 
Jan 26, 2013
Shinseiki Evangelion
(Anime)
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Neon Genesis Evangelion is an apocalyptic anime set in the year 2015 where extraterrestrial beings called Angels appear and attack on Earth and the organization called NERV protects humans against them with the help of robots called EVAs.
I expected this to be a great anime given the number of positive reviews and high sales it has. But, it was a big let down for me. The story wasn't too good considering the potential it had. For the first few episodes, it went quite nicely. The mecha genre made it much more interesting and there were a lot of awesome action scenes too. However, it was completely ... 
Jan 19, 2013
Death Note
(Anime)
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Death Note is one of the best animes out there. If you haven't watched it yet, you are missing out on one epic plot and epic set of characters. The conflict is between doing what is right in the right way and doing what is necessary.
Story: The story is a masterpiece. The idea of the notebook of Shinigami belonging to a human is terrifying in itself. But, the use to which it can be put is explored quite well by Light(the main character). The 'experiments' carried out to discover all the rules of using the book are something which only a genius could think ... 
Jan 17, 2013
Kamisama no Memochou
(Anime)
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Kamisama no Memo-chou or in simpler words, Heaven's Memo pad is basically about the NEET Detective agency led by Alice and revolves around the protagonist/narrator Narumi Fujushima, who is a high school boy.
The investigation of the cases taken by Alice involve the other NEET Detective agency members and the leader of the Hirasaka gang along with the protagonist. As the series proceeds, more characters are introduced in the plot. The series starts with Narumi being dragged into the Gardening club of his school by a classmate(Ayaka) and eventually into the NEET Detective agency as Alice's assistant. Since the anime had something to do with a 'detective' agency, ... 
Jan 16, 2013
Being a fan of the mystery genre, Hyouka is one series which I liked watching.
The series focuses on the Classics Literature Club of Kamiyama High School where a curious girl, Eru Chitanda drags the rest of the classics club into certain situations which generally involve some kind of mystery. And the protagonist, Houtarou Oreki, who is a low-energy boy and also a part of the classics club, solves these 'mysteries'. Although Hyouka deals with mysteries, they aren't very serious ones, that is, they dont involve any murders or any big crimes like the normal mystery genre animes do. It deals with the mysteries one may across ... 
Jan 13, 2013
This series is good for a change.
It's short and it doesn't really have a complex plot as such. It is basically the 'Defeated' detective Yuuki Shinjurou and his assistant/boss Inga solving mysteries. The first few episodes are quite boring from the mystery point of view and are more into introducing the characters. In these few episodes, the culprit seems quite obvious and the only reason to watch them is to be able to understand the final few episodes. Episode 7 onwards(if I remember correctly), the main plot involving the Bettenou is revealed. These last 5 episodes were the reason why I liked UN-GO as a mystery genre anime ... |
