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Story: The idea behind this story is a neat twist on the generally bland ecchi and harem genre. A boy named Tsukune Aono becomes enrolled on accident to Youkai Academy, a school for monsters! Tsukune is just your average boy with nothing going for him, typical of this genre, but he soon finds himself in a very unusual situation. He first meets a girl with pink hair, Moka, who he very quickly finds is a vampire, but she also harbors a secret identity within. There is a rosary around her neck, that when taken off, she becomes a super powerful vampire. Through the rest of ... the series, he makes friends with a succubus named Kurumu, the ice woman Mizore, and a young witch named Yukari.

Other than the first and last two episodes pertaining to the main story of him actually being a human within a world for monsters, the rest of the episodes are just about his daily life with these people and how he meets them. This generally involves Tsukune getting beat up or mind controlled by them, and then ends up accidently pulling off Moka's rosary to release her powerful vampire side. The powerful Moka then proceeds to beat up the person real quick, then by the end, the person becomes a good friend. While this seems a very poor way to make these people into friends, it is done rather well, and the events from one episode to the next flow together nicely.

I gave the story a six. While the first and last parts of the series tell a decent tale, there really is not much else to it. During many parts of the series, it almost become hard to tell Tsukune is having troubles being a human in a monster school, other than when his friends use their monster powers, but then is quickly forgotten again. Through the series, many characters comment on how he smells like a human, but no one really questions it until the very end, to bring out the main conflict of the story. Apparently these monsters have excellent smelling capabilities, but cannot really tell with Tsukune, so little things like this do not make much sense. Other than these few gripes, the rest of the story was pretty enjoyable and even got me a little excited during some of the parts, especially towards the end.

Animation: The animations were excellently done and consistent throughout the series. Colors were used very liberally and the backgrounds were well done and detailed pretty decently as well. The art for the backgrounds also did a great job for setting up a feel for the area the characters were in. The characters were drawn very different from each other and made each character stick out in certain ways, making them pretty memorable characters. The animation deserved a ten from me; it was just well done and really helped enhance the story.

Sound: The sound used was just as well done as the animation. The sound effects were great and were not overbearing at all. The music was perfectly done and fit the style of the anime perfectly, and were also fit within the anime at the most appropriate times, setting the different moods just right. The voice acting was also very good. Each voice fit the character perfectly and only added to the enjoyment of the characters. This was done well enough for a ten.

Characters: The characters were quite entertaining and done just right. Each character was given a decent amount of screen time to tell their story and to go through the process of conflict and resolution, to become friends with Tsukune. The only bad thing was some of the characters did not have enough screen time after their story, such as Mizore and another witch met later, Ruby. These characters could have been given a little more screen time instead of being practically background props. Other than that, I decided to give the characters an eight. I was not quite as hard on the series for this only because it is only thirteen episodes long and the story did a decent enough job of presenting the characters, given it is an ecchi harem comedy, which is not known for having the best character developments.

Overall: Overall, this series earned a seven from me. It was definitely one of the few series within this particular genre to try and go above and beyond the standard and was successful. The comedy in this was also not too shabby. It had me laughing in many parts, but the parts where there was comedy, they were not inappropriately placed. This series had a pretty good mix of seriousness with comedy and is definitely worth a look if you enjoy this genre of anime. I do not believe you will be disappointed.

Story: This story is done in a non-typical fashion. This is a story about six different women who are dealing with situations that are not outside the realm of occurrences that could happen to anyone. This anime takes each woman, except one, and dedicates two episodes to their brief daily story. Each story starts by showing that woman within her everyday life, and by the end of the first episode, shows one major conflict in their life. The second episode picks up where the previous left off and continues to show what each woman finds as a solution to their conflict, tying up each story ... nicely. The only exception is the woman in episode seven, which is done all in just that single episode.

While each of these stories seems to have nothing in common, the final episode actually ties them together really well. It takes these individual characters who have never met, all from different parts of Japan, and brings them together with one thing in common, diamond dust, which is said to bring couples eternal happiness if seen together.

I gave the story a nine due in large part to episode seven. While the rest of the women were dedicated two episodes, this woman only got one. Her story was done decently, but it either could have been removed or expanded to one more episode. It felt a little like laziness at that point. Besides that, the rest of the story was done well, for what was trying to be accomplished at the end.

Animation: The animation used was well done. Bright colors were used as much as the more neutral colors and were placed in good spots. The usage of colors throughout these episodes really helped evoke the appropriate emotions during specific times. The night view of the city in episode one, the sunset used in episode five, and the diamond dust shown in episode eleven are just a few examples of the beautiful animations used. The characters were drawn decent, though a touch bland, but not enough to detract from the enjoyment of the animation this series brings.

Sound: The sounds used were excellent! The opening and ending songs were brilliant and fit the series well. The music was an incredible source for bringing out each emotion as it fit each situation. Each song was well placed and fit the mood perfectly. The sounds used for the everyday events were done just as well as the rest.

Characters: Though the worst rated section of this review, the characters were actually really well done. The characters had interesting stories, but were not done unrealistically. Each woman's story was something that has most likely happened in one form or another to someone in real life. There is not much known about each character outside the events within the episodes, but for this type of anime, it is not needed. The stories each character goes through is just enough to see what a part of their life is like, which is exactly how the viewer is supposed to see it. Never to get the whole story, but glimpse just a small part of everyday life.

The characters were given an eight because of a few minor problems. The girl from episode seven could have used a little more back-story, as previously stated, so another episode should have been given to her or just had her taken out. Some of the other characters acted in ways that people of their disposition would not act. For example, in episode nine, the main character, who is a radio talk show hostess, goes through a rough spot in her life and she accidently broadcasts it over the radio. One of her biggest fans breaks into the radio station to help her out of her depression and she lets him get arrested, even though he is portrayed as saving her career.

For the little time each character is given, they progress from one point to another in their lives very well.

Overall: Minus a few small problems with some of the characters and a little part of the story, this anime was very well done. For those who enjoy a slice-of-life anime, this is one of the better series out there. For those who do not enjoy much romance or slice-of-life, the music, animation, and the way the story is told make it worth the watch. This anime presents a perfect balance of comedy, everyday life, romance, and basic human conflicts. Even with the few problems, this anime definitely warrants a nine.

Story: A girl named Yumiko transfers to Juusei Academy and finds very accepting people except for one guy, Nakajima, who treats here like dirt and seems to have a large amount of power, given the students and even teachers scrape and bow to him. Later that night, Yumiko spies on Nakajima and finds, to her horror, Nakajima is trying to summon a demon by the name of Loki through his computer. Eventually Loki is able to be fully summoned out of the computer and turns on Nakajima, almost killing him and Yumiko. Through a brief series of events, Yumiko and Nakajima break free and eventually ... end up killing Loki.

The story seems very easy to follow, but the anime makes it difficult to understand what is happening and why. Throughout the story, Nakajima constantly shifts between dreams and real life and when Yumiko is almost killed, a woman speaks inside her head and she gains the ability to shoot lasers from her eyes. This is just a sample of the crazy things that happen through to the end and it is very hard to understand how any of this has a connection to the main story. The only reason the story did not receive a lower score was because there was a basic story that moves from point A to point B and the usage of computers for demon summoning is a really neat idea, but even then, it was hard not to give this a worse score.

Animation: This OVA is from 1987, so the animation is not expected to be on the level of the animations of today, but this was one of the better aspects of this anime. There is a bit of gore in this and it was done pretty well, but that is about the only part. For the majority of this anime, the color scheme uses just about three colors almost the whole way through, green and black with a bit of red. There are a few times when other colors are used, but by the end, it is easy to forget about them. At one point, Nakajima is looking out across some mountainous land and the art for it was actually really good, but is quickly gone. Overall, the animation was about mediocre, and barely.

Sound: The voice actors did their job, but it is nothing to brag about. They conveyed the appropriate emotions at the right times, but that is about it. The music was just horrible 80's synthetic music, if that is what you could call it. It did not fit the anime at all, when there was music, considering there was just a lot of silence throughout the majority of it. Some of the sound effects were not bad, though, so it saved the OVA a little.

Characters: There were characters in this? On a serious note, the characters in this were just horribly done. There was no background to them, except Yumiko is a transfer student and Nakajima is a computer whiz who is trying to summon demons. There are incidents that happen to the characters throughout, but there is no knowledge of why or what they have to do with anything pertaining to the rest of the story. These characters really are nothing but just lumps of flesh running around doing something that is supposed to be important.

Overall: Being a huge Shin Megami Tensei fan, this OVA looked like it would have been pretty good, but the shock of how horrible this turned out to be was just incredible. Even for major fans of this series, this will be a major disappointment to most, if not all viewers. The bad animations, bad music, and horrible characters are just a few of the turn-offs of this anime. Unless you have nothing better to do, you would have a more enjoyable time playing with the neighbor's rabid dog.

Story: This story starts like many of the same genre, with demons escaping from an Underworld and possessing people and objects alike to kill people and take over the human plane of existence. There is one main character, a man not from the human plane, on a mission to destroy these demons. The leader Enma is a red-headed man who is constantly draped in a black cape, a black hat that is similar to a witch's hat, and uses a staff that produces fire. Though he is considered the "main character", his other companions play big parts too. There is Enma's witch hat, Shapoji, who ... can talk and smell the evil auras demons give off. Kapaeru, the Japanese creature Kappa in a human-like form, is the information gatherer for the group. Last is Yukihime, another hunter like Enma, but uses the power of frost or ice. The first two episodes show how Enma's crew handles a couple situations where people are possessed and killings occur, but by the third episode, the show takes a complete 360 degree turn, showing five individuals placed within a house that kills them off individually, using each character's problematic past as the way to kill them. Only within the last five to ten minutes of the last episode does Enma show up and save the day...or does he?

I gave this OVA a 6 for story due to the lack of a cohesive story. The first half follows the beginnings of a decent plot, but the third episode had me scratching my head, wondering why these people were in a house being killed, followed by an even more confusing fourth and last episode. The reasons why these events were occurring were never explained, leaving the viewer to ponder the connection to the rest of the story. The last gripe I had was the extensive amounts of naked breasts being flashed throughout the four episodes. I do not mind nudity being used if it benefits the story in some way, but the usage here was for nothing more than looks.

A warning to those of a weak stomach, this anime is full of blood and gore of all sorts. With a demon baby being born and crawling from the victim’s private area, to a mother trying to stab her young daughter. It is very graphic in content.

Animation: The animations used were a little above average. The better animations were used for the blood, gore, and any other parts involved with the killings, while the rest was just plain. Even the main characters were done with minimal effort. If the production company had spent a little more time and effort on this project, it could have been very well done. These are the reasons I gave this a 5.

Sound: The sounds used were actually decent, in most cases, though as before, the best sounds were used during the most graphic parts, such as a knife cutting or a person being possessed by a demon. The rest of the anime's sound was very basic and could have used more work. These reasons are why I gave it a 5.

Characters: This was the worst part of the anime, for me, given these episodes are about 40 minutes each. While Enma and crew are very humorous through the majority of their time on screen, there is almost nothing known about these characters. No background on why they are killing demons, no background on where each character comes from, and no idea on their philosophy of the human race, just to name a few. All that is really known are the characters kill demons and Enma is a pervert. Their comedy was funny enough to warrant a 4 from me, but that is cutting it close.

Overall: This anime had the potential to tell a great story with excellent characters to develop. Being an adult anime, this OVA also had the potential to take this story to a whole new level of intensity, but did not capitalize on the opportunities. I would only recommend this anime to those hardcore fans of demon anime that enjoy highly graphic storytelling, but otherwise, ended up turning into no-man's land, which is where this anime belongs.

Story: This was an interesting anime, to say the least. This story had about three different plots going on at the same time, making it hard to follow which story is being told when, and for what purpose. The "main" story that is trying to be told is of two brothers, Hyoi and Ryoi, who infiltrate a school in order to find a source of evil behind the disappearances of random people. Very quickly these brothers find the mastermind behind the disappearances, a man named Jukokubo. Hyoi and Ryoi also encounter some monsters that look like blobs with tentacles, but later find out it is ... the evil emotions within a human that bring about the form, so the story also contains a bit of gore. What is funny about these three is they can all switch between a cat and human form. Hyoi and Jukokubo are from a group called Dark Cats, though Hyoi left because Jukokubo is evil and is the one who taught him everything he knows (as I understand it).

One of the other plots trying to force itself to the front is centered on a girl, Takako, who is in love with her childhood friend Hiroki, who does not share her feelings. This plot line is presented with about as much time as the previous plot, which makes it difficult to tell a complete story on either end, with the 60 minute time limit.

In the end, I decided the story deserved a five rating. The base idea was pretty good, but was not capitalized on. The story had a bad habit of jumping from one story and back to the next, but making no connections in the process. Other parts of the story made no sense, such as Hyoi needing healing by a tree in a forest. By the end, the story had more holes than Swiss cheese.

Animation: The animation fluctuated a little too much. In many parts, the animation was pretty poor, but in other spots, it was well done. The best animations were typically done with the few gory parts. Due to the large jump between poor and great animations, this was given a rating of 6, though the good animation scenes saved this from a lower score.

Sound: The voice acting was not bad, but it was not great by any stretch of the imagination. The voices for Hyoi, Ryoi, and Jukokubo were the better of the lot. The music was just a crazy dash of horrible 80's teen music, with the occasional piano piece set in the most emotional parts. Other than the piano parts, the rest of the music was placed in bad spots and ruined some of the moments. The sound effects were not too bad either. They were used appropriately and moderately, not bogging the story with unnecessary sounds. The piano parts and the sound effects were really the saving graces of this anime's sound, warranting a six rating.

Characters: There were too many characters with too much air time to develop any well enough. Between Hyoi, Ryoi, Takako, Hiroki, and Jukokubo, it is difficult to focus on anyone character enough. This is one of the weakest points of the story. The situation between Hiroki and Takako is explained a little bit in the end, with just enough to have a basic idea of what happened between them, but a background story on them and the others would have really helped develop a better idea of who these characters were and why the viewer should care about them. I felt a five was necessary, due to the lack of development of any of the characters to a better extent.

Overall: This anime had some really neat ideas abounding, but decided to lose itself among all the random happenings. If this OVA had been given a little more attention and made a little longer or given a second episode, the story could have been really interesting and worth the watch, but as it stands now, it is hardly worth a mention.

One name: Mamoru Oshii. Between directing and creating, the man who brought about such great animes as Blood+, Ghost in the Shell, and Urusei Yatsura, this was one title I could not pass up. I went into Angel's Egg expecting something very thought-provoking and, to say the least, was blown away by the depth this anime delved. To state bluntly, those who do not enjoy philosophical thought or anime with little dialogue may want to stop reading now and move on to something else. For those still interested, please read on.

Story: Within the first five minutes, in between the interesting things happening, you are introduced ... to the two main characters. You see a male soldier holding what appears to be a cross-shaped item and a white-haired young girl with an egg. The nameless characters eventually meet, but with two different agendas. The girl seemingly asks the man for help protecting the egg, while he tries many times to destroy the egg, but we are left with the thought that he may or may not have had a change of heart. The rest of the story follows these two travelling and the girl trying to find a safe place for the egg. I will leave the ending for you to watch and see what happens, as it is quite interesting and I do not want to spoil it.

On the surface, it seems a very weird story that makes absolutely no sense, but if you take a deeper look at the story, you will see a very existentialist story with a slew of meanings everyone will interpret differently. Although there was not an obvious plot, I gave this a ten because the undertone of the story was incredible and I was drawn in to what Oshii was possibly saying. The thoughts ran deep for me, giving me much to think on.

Animation: Angel's Egg was released in 1985 and the animation for the time was excellent. Most of the story is based on the actions and reactions of the main characters to each other and their surroundings. The animation had to be well done, especially with facial features, so the ideas of the film could be conveyed. The backgrounds and foregrounds were beautiful. While they were not vibrant in colors, the animation gave off all the right emotions to become involved in the story. I gave this a 10 because of exactly the reasons I stated. I was completely drawn into the emotions swirling all around.

Sound: The sounds used were just incredible. While the main characters spoke no more than a couple times, there were very little sounds, and little use of music, the sounds and music were used at the appropriate times to provoke the greatest emotions at the most critical times. What people will notice is the extreme amount of silence and may find it a downfall of the film, but I firmly believe it is one of this film's greatest assets. It is used to show the audience how the silence seems to be there, crushing down on them, threatening to swallow their very existence. Sometimes silence is the best sound. I gave the sound a 10 because of how hauntingly, chillingly beautiful they were, when used. The music was also very beautiful and worth listening to.

Characters: I had a hard time trying to give this a definitive number, as the basis of the story is not around whom the characters are and what their back-story is, but how they respond to the environment around them and what the final outcome of their actions is. It is true that these characters have very little plot to them and there are people who find that a problem, but this is one of those rare stories that character development is not necessary for the enjoyment of this story. I finally settled on a 6. As stated previously, there is no name or plot to the main characters, but at the same time, I do not feel it is needed, though many will disagree.

Overall: This review has become a bit long and I apologize, but this is one film that cannot be easily summarized no matter how well you try, so I will try my best. The philosophical, ideological, and emotional thoughts and feelings provided by this film are intense. While many may dismiss this film because it does not make sense, I implore everyone to take the time to watch this film and judge for yourself. I do recommend that you watch this when you have time to sit through it and think about what you are seeing. You will be amazed at what ideas flow from this old, but ingenious film from one of the masters of anime.