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For the longest time, I've been avoiding Madoka Magica since some people describe this anime as pretentious and this is the quality that I dislike the most in media. Anime that is trying to be sold as "deep", "different", edgy", while essentially being superficial garbage has nothing to offer to me. That being said, I did not find Madoka Magica to be any of that. If authors wanted it to be "edgy", they could have gone much further than that. Sure, there is some psychedelic imagery, but realistically almost all specimens of this genre kind of are more or less psychedelic. That is what ... fantasy is for.
This is a great fantastic story, an ode to friendship, told in an engaging and quite original manner with some dark, unsettling undertone. it is quite psychological in a sense and that is what likely keeps it interesting. The are only two characters here that really matter, I expected side characters to be more full-fledged.
As for comparisons with Evangelion, well, the last episodes felt a little like a parody of the former, or at least a homage, but I can certainly live with that.
I could recommend it to anyone who does not mind or can overlook "moe" art and Madoka's premise, it is quite an interesting ride!
The music is great too and the quality is consistent.

I rated it a ten but only because I view it as a black comedy. If I was supposed to question humanity here, rest assured, I did not, nor I felt any sympathy for the "OG" Shiki, because "In Rome, do as Romans do" and survival is for the strongest. It is not about accepting the "otherness" because it is about living or dying. If one cannot leave their circumstances, they are part of the problem themselves. I just cannot take the supposed messaging here seriously and refuse to believe people who created it took it seriously as well. But I could recommend ... it to anyone who likes Horror, mystery, and vampires. It does not serve as a perfect horror because it is not really that scary, it does not serve well as a mystery because the "mystery" is all too obvious here. It is not a typical vampire flick too. But overall it works great and I enjoyed it from start to end.
I hated the character art in the beginning, but then again I got accustomed to it and saw it a quirky '10's homage to the 80's. More than ten years later, it does not feel very dated.
The pacing and buildup were totally great for me. I like the main characters, except for the creepy emo monk. I loved the bloodbath and some very poetic deaths in the end.
Overall very enjoyable. Amazing music.

The only major flaw of this anime is its conclusion which could have been, well, more conclusive. This is a great shounen that does not drag aimlessly on and on, like so many of this genre do. It is less one-dimensional than it could appear at first sight and has so much to offer besides basic action. Great sound as well, quite atmospheric. I could recommend this to anyone who does not like their action shows to be too serious. It may not have the greatest depth of the plot, but it has zero pretentiousness, it is very straightforward entertainment.
It is fun, unique, a ... little bit mysterious, fantastic watch overall.

For me, Hikaru No Go is the magnum opus in the world of anime or at least in its genre. The key to it, just like in any major work, especially from the technical point of view, is consistency.

Everything is consistently good in this anime, the art, the storytelling, the sound, especially the characters, despite their abundance and amount of episodes.

I am not the person that gets easily invested in anime, especially if its longer than 25 episodes. However Hikaru No Go dragged me right in. Producing such an engaging 75 episode story about Go does require a certain level creative ... craftsmanship, maybe a stroke of genius even.

Some may find its weaker points by pinpointing certain misogynistic or xenophobic aspects but for me it just adds to its sensibility. Part of Hikaru No Go's attraction is its realism and the way it seamlessly includes some fantastical and comical elements as well. Characters are perfectly flawed like real life people are and I cannot think of any idealized tropes here.

I'm not even dissatisfied about the ending as opting to find a solution to a certain predicament here is just a pleasant detour. Telling a story of lifelong journey, stretching much further than the last episode is what it is truly about.

I was delighted to find such a subtle depth in a game/sports anime. Easily one of the all time favourites.

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi henge is everything great about the noughties concentrated in 20-something episodes.
Please do not watch it expecting brilliant animation of extreme depths to the story as it a show of sheer, blissfully entertaining absurdity. It also lacks any concrete aim as it is more about the comedy as well as acceptance.
25 episodes have plenty to offer: pop culture references, social critique on consumerism and fan culture, allusions to a variety of social issues that are just as relevant now. It successfully parodies a number of anime tropes and, despite being filled with crude humour, it manages to fit in heart-warming moments seamlessly.
This ... has to be one of my favourite animes and I wished for it to go on and on, long after it ended.
It twisted the shoujo genre into something truly iconic in a very comedic, unorthodox way. Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi henge may be too OTT for some, but for me it makes one of the most memorable anime experiences.
The opening and endings are also very hard to skip.

it is a decent, entertaining story that ranges from drama to absurdity but it lacks some fine details to make it a truly great experience.

IMO it suffers the most for its rather primitive "twist" as well as an ultra traditionalist ending.

And while I rather liked the charismatic bum trio (particularly Hana) of a main cast, the movie fails to truly flesh them out and does not really provide an opportunity to truly get to know them, thus it gives off this rather unsatisfying feeling in the end.

Another lacking feature was the sound which often was a bit jarring and out of place at times. ...

However Tokyo Godfathers still is a rather decent watch, perhaps my expectations happened to be way too high.

Perfect Blue is actually a perfect (Neo) Noir. Suspense, mystery, mind-bending psychological horror, a good dash of gore, Perfect Blue has it all, nearly in golden proportion.

Story is very well thought and is just as relevant now, if not more, than it was in the 90's. It also has a plethora of symbolism worth of exploring. Despite some dated (minor) concepts, it aged incredibly well.

Art is actually TERRIFYING (some of the character designs are instantly uncomfortable and uncanny but it works in this particular setting), The quality of animation is good.

Sound is fantastic, very well composed pieces and I especially enjoyed the sound in a ... more surreal sequences.

Characters are a paradigm of how they should be handled in a movie. Most have a function and properties that contribute greatly to the overall story and its desired effects.

It is a very satisfying yet unsettling suspense that has a somewhat lynchean-like touch but essentially is very Japanese.

It might work as a great introductory piece to non-anime viewers.

The only thing they did absolutely right with this anime is the title: one simply cannot redo Evangelion.

This is a shadow of its former self and watching it felt like a chore. If anything, it made me want to rewatch the original.

Rei never was a mere submissive caring girlfriend material and Asuka (that paperboy cap with emo/e-girl badges KILLS me although I would still buy it, that's how much of a cashgrab Rebuild series actually are) never was a mere hardcore Tsundere and my pitiful yet beloved Shinji never was an archetypical shonen hero. Hopefuly Mari Makinami's existence will be explained in the next ... installment as now she is nothing but unnecessary. Most characters were demoted to some trope/meme/plot device or some form of dull fanservice.

The narrative had some substantial construction problems, it did not make much of a sense, nor it was that engaging. It was deconstructed and simplified to become nothing much more than an eyecandy.

Overall it had this fake and forced characteristic which had very minimal positive effect on me.

I can see their intent of making it "cinematic" but the nature is more akin to a video game with a watery plot.

*Contains some very mild spoilers.

If I were haunted by a lost friend who acted like Menma, I would most certainly seek some serious counselling. There is very little in this character that feels true and admirable. Anime simply failed to convince me why she was so loved and worth all this hassle. That comes from someone actually loves cute, kind and naive characters if they are handled nicely. This is certainly not the case.

Nevertheless, despite how lame aforementioned character/plot device is, there are some quite strong points that sort of saved this anime for me.

I find the premise quite interesting and the themes ... of lost friendship and reunion, guilt, unresolved issues of the past, grief over a lost loved one, jealousy, among many others are all done quite well. Supernatural element could be done in a more subtle manner, in way so it could keep the viewer questioning till the very end. Hence, it loses some of its charm from the EP 9.

I love the pace of its anime -- it lacks of any fillers, so it retains this fresh feeling until the very last episode. The finale also felt a little bit lacking and I felt that Menma's motivation was sort of weak.

Overall it is a nice and short tale with the thematic core based on honesty and positive aspects outweigh its weaknesses.

Aishiteruze Baby encapsulates something what I would call a pastel coloured melancholy. It is a gentle drama that has soft, sad, happy moments blending into a sentimental yet absolutely delightful mixture. The only criticism from me is that the ending of this anime is rather open-ended -- I wish the whole anime was longer in order properly tell the whole story. It felt like it ended too soon.

Story is not only heartfelt, but also nicely told and has a satisfying pace.
Art perhaps does not not suggest the highest budget, but it is easy on the eyes and majority of the characters are, imo, cute, ... beautiful and have attributes which make them plausible and unique.

Sound is nothing exceptional but both intro and outro really grew on me and everything else fits in nicely.

Most characters are really quite memorable and I could not help but smile and cry together with them. I loved the voice acting as well. Kokoro in particular has a very unique and beautiful voice that fit the character perfectly.

It may be simplistic and lacking in some departments but it is one my favourite animes due the the credibility of the emotion it coveys.