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Ah, Da Capo...I put off watching the anime for the longest time, and after reading the manga in about an hour, I can safely say I probably don't need to watch it now.

Story - 6

Junichi Asakura is a pretty normal Japanese teenager in a typical harem world. He will encounter various girls, and eventually have to make a decision on one of them, whether the read likes the outcome of said decision or not. The day-to-day antics can be amusing; the personalities of some of the girls gel together well. Other than that, there's nothing special at all here, so don't expect anything out of ... the ordinary for a harem series.

Art - 8

I did enjoy the artwork quite a bit. All the female designs are quite KAWAII I would say. It kept me going through some of the dull parts.

Character - 7

Da Capo features a mixed bag of characters: the typical set of five or so females to choose from, with an encouraging male friend who is usually hit or miss in every harem series (Hell yeah Sunohara...?). Kotori easily stands out as the series' best character, and you'll be glad to know she has quite a few pages dedicated to her in the second half of the series. As far as archetypes go, it's fairly typical...sister who isn't blood-related, osana najimi, etc.

Enjoyment - 7

I read this on a whim while browsing through short completed manga, and didn't expect much at all. The end result was a mildly enjoyable, although typical, harem series. I would recommend this for people with an hour or two to kill and an itch for a harem series.

I recently purchased the collector's boxset of this for a very good price, having not seen a single episode before. I was able to get through all 12 eps in a day; for someone who can barely stand five eps of anime per day sometimes...well, that says something I guess. Now, let's get down to it.

Story 6/10
Nothing really new here. The World of Narue is, at first glance, a rather bland romantic, high-school comedy involving 14-year olds. The difference here lies in simple execution; each episode brings something new, but adds a nice degree of continuity to the story as a whole. As it develops, ... Kazuto and Narue have to deal with a lot of obstacles as a new couple; the biggest of which is Narue's status as an alien. As in any rom-com, they meet new friends, learn new lessons, share new experiences, etc etc.

Art 7/10
Can't really compare the manga since I haven't read it, but Studio Live's anime production does a decent job to say the least, with 3D help from Gonzo (who seem to always do well when they're not PRODUCING shows). I didn't notice any major issues with the animation.

Sound 7/10
Takayuki Negishi (Card Captor Sakura) offers his music-making talents for the show. The show benefits most, however, from the rather famous music production studio of Lantis, who have worked on dozens of notable titles.

Character 9/10
Like most romantic comedies, the biggest key to success is characterization, and development of such; relationships, motivation, plausibility, etc. I believe this show does an oustanding job of showing how two people have to overcome various hardships due to their ethnic diversity (not just one example in it, either). I almost melted more than a few times at various scenes with Kazuto and Narue, especially with Mamiko Noto's usual A+ performance as the heroine. Being an alien must be tough, though...

Enjoyment 8/10
What can I say, I'm a sucker for a romance that actually WORKS. I enjoyed pretty much every episode of this to an extent, despite how cliche-riddled it can get. It should definitely get filed on any anime enthusiast's shelf as a good "pick-me-up anime."

Overall 8/10
This show is probably severely underrated. Simply put, if you like these kinds of shows, then you're welcome to join me in Narue's world. Download the 12 episodes of it, or buy it at a very reasonable price (should be just over $20 on DVD Pacific).

Some time ago, probably around 2003, I heard about this show called Serial Experiments Lain. Now, at this time, I was only vaguely into anime, and starting my first year at university. Eventually I got it, and watched it, and was amazed that an animated feature could impact me so much. These days, SEL isn't so much a favourite of mine anymore, but the legacy of its creator, Yoshitoshi ABe, passed on to another feature that we call Haibane Renmei; a show that definitely is a favourite of mine to this day.

Story - 8/10

Haibane Renmei (lit. Ash feather federation), starts off in "Old Home," a ... small, peaceful village full of enthusiastic youths. The story focuses on a group of five "Haibane," which are girls with tiny wings on their back, and halos floating above them. The five eventually become six as a new girl, Rakka, is "born" into their world. From there, Haibane Renmei follows the trials and tribulations of these girls until its stunning climax in episode 13.

Art 10/10

I can't really say enough about Yoshitoshi ABe's watercolour style. Haibane Renmei was adapted from an original doujinshi, almost unheard of for something of this caliber. His artistic style really transfers well to television; animation studio Radix does a superb job making Rakka and Co. come to life.

Sound 10/10

Haibane Renmei's music is initially highlighted by the appealing opening song and ending songs, but is really made by the stuff in-between. Koh Ohtani (Shakugan no Shana, Shadow of the Collossus) brings his A-game as per usual, really reflecting what it's like to be a Haibane. Also, the sound production itself remains solid to compliment Ohtani's musical score.

Character 8/10

Rakka comes across as a generally lovable lead, followed closely by her faithful supervisor Reki. Most of the girls get varying amounts of screentime beyond that. The only negative here is that not every character is developed enough, but minor and overlooked quite often because of the main two girls.

Enjoyment 9/10

Haibane Renmei definitely starts off slow, but it's a good slow! The characters will marvel you, the majestic scenery will move you, the dark undertones will haunt you, and the ending will spellbind you. If you're an anime enthusiast who isn't completely shallow, you owe it to yourself to at least check this title out.