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I didn't want to write a biased review, so I'll try to rationally support my opinion, but for me, K was one of the best animes I've ever seen. It is a deep, philosophical story, with loveable characters, beautiful animation, catchy soundtrack, and a well handled storyline. It needs some concentration and patience to appreciate, but if someone is ready to think, and look behind the surface, it turns out to be a real masterpiece.

First, the story. To be honest, at the beginning, it doesn't seem to be a big deal. It starts in medias res, the viewer literally has no idea what's going ... on. There are the kings, but we don't know who they are, what are they capable of, there is a strange crime story, but we don't know what happened, who was killed and why... we are in the middle of the chaos, and it's easy to sympathise with the main character who is as lost, as we are. We get a lot of hints and symbols that give the chance to put together the whole picture before the reveal, but the writing is smart enough to divide your attention - you won't figure out anything before the eighth episode, and even then, you have to think. When the big plot twist comes in the eleventh episode, everything clicks into place, you get a whole new perspective of the story, and you have the finale left which is powerful and sometimes heartbreaking. You want more, you want to continue, but at the same time it is a nice closure, and only a few questions are left unanswered - if there wouldn't be a second season, I would say they were left open intentionally, letting the viewers decide what they think.

The philosophical side works as well, the story deals with a lot of important questions - it mostly revolves around the question of power, how you deal with it, how you avoid it's corruption, how you shoulder the responsibilities it comes with, and if you are not the one in position of power, how you think about the different leaders, who is the good king in your opinion. But it also deals with smaller, more personal matters, friendship, grief, the struggle to help someone, and save him from himself... these parts make the anime really strong emotionall.

The art is beautiful. The character desings are not always perfect - for example, I was awfully annoyed with the fanservice in case of Neko and Awashima. But the main characters are memorable, well drawn. I'm sure Mikoto's red fire required an awful lot of work from the animation team... it has an amazing range of colors, several shades of red, a little pink and purple, it is simply beautiful. The fight scenes are dinamic, the different fighting styles are carefully animated, and they don't drown in the effects - you can easily follow how Kurou fights in a traditional japanese ways, while the Blue Clan uses europian sabers, the Red Clan shows a variety of unique styles... it's really good to watch. Also, the Swords of Damocles are beautiful and once again, each and every one of them is unique. The music creates a special atmosphere, sometimes it's really emotional, and there are a lot of catchy little tunes that will get stuck in your head. There is even a song in the sixth episode, and it's beautiful and sad. The OST is perfectly good to listen to individually as well.

And the characters. My biggest problem with most philosophical stories is that the characters rarely get any real developement. They are slaves of the plot, archetypes meant to show a message, and not real, well developed figures - the story doesn't want you to emotionally invest into their journey, maybe with the exception of the main character. This is not the case with K. Here, we do have the archetypes, Mikoto as color red, Reisi as color blue, Weismann as color silver, Kurou as the classic right-hand man/knight... but still, they are well developed, you get to see their inner struggles, failures, fears, you get drawn into the story emotionally as well as in mind. My personal favourites were Shiro, Reisi and Mikoto... Shiro is one of my favourite anime protagonists. He is fun, understandable, hopeful, and playful, but when the time comes, he can be just a little manipulative, with a good intention. Reisi seems like the cold-hearted, calculating leader, who is ready to sacrifice anyone and anything for the cause - but we see that he does struggle to always keep his distance, and always decide rationally, never letting his emotions get in the way. And Mikoto... well, he is the king, who never wanted any power, and as such, he is one of the most loveable characters of the series. But there are a lot of amazing characters, Kurou, Fushimi, Anna... they are all unique.

Overall, I think this story is certainly worth a watch. I enjoyed every second of it, and it doesn't seem like it will let me go soon.

Okay, right now, I feel absolutely confused, and horribly sad. From the first to the last scenes of this OVA, I was repeating in my mind "this is not canon, even Watsuki told this is not canon..."

First of all, I have no problem with drama. It can be written amazingly, it can be heartwrenching, but beautiful, it can show a good message, an ending, where a hero, who lost too much finally gets to rest. But what I have a huge problem with, is when a story just kicks and hits a character, who suffered in his whole life. We could have seen an old, ... tired Kenshin, who finally got forgiveness, but Kenshin in this OVA is 43 years old! And after all that suffering, after everything he had to go through, he got leprosy, which is a horrible disease. He gone away in a sad and painful way, which hurt him hurt his friends... and Kaoru, but I will speak about her later.

The animation is outstanding, as well as the sound. This makes the highly depressive story of the OVA even stronger. The character portrayals are mostly great. My two personal favourites was Sano and Saito. Sano is an amazing friend, and he really showed it in this story. He saw Kenshin, he remembered, how he was, and when he was so weak, that he could barely stand, Sano never let him go. He stayed strong, and supported Kenshin, having some of the most beautiful scenes in the story. And there was Saito, who finally let go of Kenshin's throat, and I felt so sorry for him. His monologue showed how much he held on to the idea of one day ending their fight, of one day really deciding who is the better... and when he told, that Kenshin is no longer the Battousai, so he accepts his decision, it was obvious, how painful it was for him, how much he had to give up for this acceptance. When he says "I'm the winner, because I survived... how dull victory it is", it has that background meaning that "I couldn't change, I couldn't adapt to the new age, I just stayed the same". It was beautiful, but painful.

And Kaoru... she just... I lost all my faith in her. She was so... stupid, I can't say anything else, that I really got angry. It's not romantic, to willingly catch a disease, your husband is suffering from! It's not romantic, it's crazy! I just... I don't know what to say, I kind of liked Kaoru's character until now, she really loved Kenshin, and she really wanted to help him, but the choices she made in this OVA made her look like an idiot. And I'm more than angry, that Kenshin accepted these choices. He is just... I can't believe he is like that.

All in all, you should watch this story, but I still not consider it canon. It's just not fair... that's the most fitting expression for it. Kenshin deserved a better ending than this.

Personally, I still like this anime, but I find the second season a little less strong, than the first.

The problems with the animation stayed. It's not bad, but not good, Saito's hair is awfully purple, and Hijikata's face stayed "the romantic good guy" face. The soundtrack also very similar, I simply love the theme "Kaze to Narite", it gives me chills every time, but sadly, it is the only really beautiful theme in the series, the others are... so-so.

The characters... again I have to say, they are doing a wonderful job with Souji. His fight with tubercolosis shows his strength, he never breaks, never shows ... his fear. His storyline is absolutely heartbreaking, and at the same time, somehow beautiful. I can say almost the same to Saito's story again, it's not as strong as Souji's, but still, his character development is great. He keeps believing in the unchanging things, while he learns, that he himself is the proof, that there are things that have to change. Heisuke got little time again, but also, some of his scenes are really strong, and really sad... and I grown appreciate Sannan's character very much by the end of the series.

And there's the problem: The two main characters. Chizuru didn't cease to be annoying, she is there, and she sometimes does things, but... It just doesn't work, her character never became more complex, than the beautiful flower, who is saved by the guys. And Hijikata just turned to be the hero. In the game, there are many scenes that show his flaws: He kills a soldier without second guess, when he tries to run away from battle, he can be cruel, he is strict, and when he breaks down because of losses and responsibilites, these flaws are even stronger. The series can't show this, so here, Hijikata is simply the hero: never makes big mistakes, never does morally questionable things.

Also, I'm a bit disappointed with the ending. It is rushed, and not even logical.

Anyway, if you liked the first season, you should watch this. There are some really good moments that are worth your time, but there are some serious flaws as well. But it is interesting, and all in all, the story is still great.

I won't be able to say anything bad about this story, so I guess this review will be highly subjective, but... well, this was my first anime, this story made me start watching anime, so forgive me. Eventhough I saw many series since I first watched this one, it never got down from my favourite list. This story is amazing in so many ways.

The art, the music, they are amazing on their own, but... I can't say much about them. They are perfect in helping the story, in developing it, but when you are concentrating on the series itself, you forget to think about them. ... What I have to take out, is the way they are playing with the sound: In some scenes, silence can have the greatest meaning, or just a simple sound, not music, like a bell ringing.

The story has many layers. You can watch it as a crime story, and you will find it really good. It is mystical, sometimes like a thriller, with many twists. You have no time to be bored, from the first episode to the last, DN will keep your interests. And behind this great crime story, there is the deep symbolism, mostly from western, Christian culture. From biblical references, to references to great works of literature, like Faust, you can find many little, or big hints to the meanings behind the story. I already watched the anime three times, and it still has new aspects for me, and I still never felt bored watching it.

You can't go by the characters as well. Although Light is the character first introduced, and we follow him as a main protagonist, if you ask me, he and L are both main characters. Light has a very strange dual personality, and after a time I even got the impression that he has multiple personality disorder, this became so strange. I never could tell, what I truly think about this character: I don't hate him... at some points of the story, I even felt I pitied him, for what he had become, but I never liked his character either. The whole philosophy he represents is absolutely inacceptable for me. On the other hand, the other character, L is not normal either. It's quite sure, he has autism, but unlike Light, he's personality is really strong, and he is basically impossible to tempt with power... and that's why he's one of my all-time favourites, besides his intellect. And these two have amazing dinamics, a weird, sometimes funny, sometimes horribly sad frenemy relationship, and this is what makes this anime really strong emotionally as well as in story. The side characters, are sometimes annoying (like Misa... she is terribly annoying, but even so... I pitied her as well), but sometimes they are amazing like the two main figures, for example Near, Mello and Yagami Soichiro are interesting and well developed.

I would write many more about this story, but I just can't without spoilers, and no review could perfectly portray all those moral questions and dilemmas that are represented, and also I can't really show the fact, that this anime can have an altogether different meaning to every person, who watch it. But really... give it a try. It's truly one of the best anime ever.

Shingeki no Kyojin is one of the many anime, which has much more in it, than what is seen on the surface. Of course, it is more understandable, if you read the manga, because it slowly turns into a really complex, mind-blowing plot, but if you stick to the first season, it is already something great.

It is brutal. With beautiful, outstanding animation, not totally anime-style, takes a little from western cartoons, it draws you in in the first moment. Look at the view of the city, the river, the clouds in the sky... even the forest in the rain. If the events that take place ... in these scenes weren't so brutal and bloody, it could be purely beautiful. The character animation is not that outstanding, but for example, the eyes are amazingly detailed. And the animators absolutely know, how good they are in creating eyes, because we get many close-ups on them, when they want to show a characters dreams, or emotional turmoil, or pain... So, the animation is purely amazing, while the story of the first episode is already shockingly brutal.

Absolutely in medias res, we just enter to this post-apocaliptic steampunkish world, and get to know the three main characters, and we can't even finish getting to know them, when the war feeling, the fighting and the horror starts. During the first two episodes, we get a picture of humanity as we don't want to know it. There are no heroes, we see how people react, really react, when faced with death, even those, who are capable of self-sacrifice, and could have beautiful moments, end up dying afraid. And after this beginning, you end up standing there with the need to watch it, because you are just shocked. And after this, brutality stays, there is a lot of fighting, blood, and death in the story, and still, it slowly changes. There is humor, the kind of soldier humor, that gets it's meaning from the fact, that the army is the main society we see during the story. There are strict rules, hierarchy, but also the friendship and trust between the young soldiers, and that's the base of the jokes, and loveable moments. And we are basically there at the duality of the series: it speaks so much about friendship, trust, respect, need for each other, and it is still shocking, scary and brutal. In the army, between the known characters there are beautiful relationships, but once you see the big picture, the political leaders, and see their corruption, there's the duality again. And this makes the atmosphere of Attack on Titan so unique.

The characters are mostly great. From the main trio, my personal favourite is Armin, who is basically the one, who has the best reflection on the events, but in my opinion the adult generation of the Survey Corps is full of amazing figures. I would take out Levi, but not because he is popular or badass (he is badass, but it's not the point), but because he's character is a total emotional wreck. If you see, how he reacts, how he thinks, what is he doing, you just realise, that this guy has chronical unipolar depression. He has a plotline, character development, and meanwhile, he perfectly portrays a big psychological problem. And he is not the only one. There are many characters, with unique personalities, realistic reactions, and understandable problems. My only problem is with the main character, who is quite annoying, and seems a little plain, mostly, because the others are so interesting.

And I have to speak about the soundtrack. There aren't so many japanese soundtracks in this anime, the songs are mostly german or english, but they are breathtaking nonetheless. I love listening to the soundtracks of this series, because they are masterpieces themselves. Also they help maintain the "german feel" of the story, which - now I read the manga - I understand, why is important.

And there are the names, the little clues for the future, and I will never end this review, if I keep on writing. I recommend Shingeki no Kyojin to everyone. There are people, who hate it, and I guess, there are only extremes in the case of this story: you either hate it, or love it. There is no in between, because it will have an impact on you somehow. Try to look beyond the surface, let the dark atmosphere and the happier moments trap you for a while, and you will most likely end up appreciating this story.

First of all, I played the game. I'm totally not an otome fan, to be honest, when one of my friends suggested me to play it, I was totally scared. I was a little prejudiced like "It's a dating sim. How on earth can a dating sim have a really good story?". But then she started to speak about the historical references, how it takes place during the Bakumatsu (I think this part of Japanese history is one of the most interesting ones), and then I decided to play. And the game is great. It really has a complex story line with philosophy, a really ... deep message, symbolism, history, good voice acting... in the end, I realised, I just couldn't care it was a dating sim.

And then I started watching the anime. Honestly, that game is hard to adapt. Every storyline shows one character, developes his story, and in the anime, they can't use all the storylines, they have to decide what to exclude, and what is important. And Hakuouki didn't do too well in it.

The animation is not bad, but not really good. For example, Hijikata's face is absolutely the "romantic good guy" face. It's awfully hard to believe, that he is a strict leader, that he can be fearsome when he has that face. Saito, who is my personal favourite character, in the game had a greyish-blackish hair, which is quite realistic for a japanese guy (even if the blue, green and purple eyes are still a little bit absurd) and what about the anime? Purple. Really, I laughed so hard on that hair that I wasn't able to take the character seriously. And there is Chizuru, whose face is somehow... carelessly drawn? I don't know how to say it, but her face is weird. The motions are alright, the landscapes are beautiful, but they can't really make up for some mistakes of the character animation.

The soundtrack, again, a big problem, especially, if someone played the game, which had really enchanting soundtracks. The anime has some scenes, where the sound is stunning. Really, especially Souji's scenes, I loved it, but most of the time, de soundtrack is just there, and you don't care. Nothing extra, and you certainly won't remember it.

And the characters: They are still great. There is not enough time, to introduce and develope everyone, but this is just the first season. I personally think, who was portrayed outstandingly well, was Souji. From his dark humor and agressivity, trough his tragedy, to his amazing bravery, everything was spot on. If someone could take Saito seriously with that hair, he was also great, and Hijikata was highly censored (he spoke with much worse language in the game), but he was still alright. Harada and Heisuke didn't have enough time, I felt, but I could forgive, since the whole season was only 12 episodes. And there was a big problem, and that is Chizuru. In the game her character is not annoying, and it's great. She is somehow believable, as someone who really wants to help the Shinsengumi, she is quite useful, and not totally stupid. While in the anime, she is plain annoying. She can't do anything, always needs to be protected, has an impossibly high voice... I don't know why the creators of the story made her this annoying, but they did wrong.

The story is full of historical facts, and the fantasy elements are just a great add to it. They have a mythological background, and they fit into the plot, and don't turn illogical. What makes this anime really good, and worth a watch is absolutely it's story.

If you have the chance to play a game, play it, before watching the anime, but if you don't have the chance, this story is really worth a watch. It is interesting, creative, and has some amazing characters and ideas.

For me, Mononoke feels to be a true masterpiece. It's strange, I didn't want to watch it first... I just saw the animation, and it seemed too absurd, too colourful, also the main character was weird... and then I started it with two friends, and in three episodes, I grew to love the series.

The art is still weird, but the best type of weird you can imagine. Like an old japanese painting, which suddenly came to life, and started to move, you could stop it any time, and you would get an amazing picture. It is tiring for the eyes because of the colours, but ... I was absolutely stunned by the weird beauty of some scenes.

And there is an amazing soundtrack as well, perfectly matching with what you see. I listened to it many times since I finished the series, and it was worth, since now I can really appreciate it, outside the story as well. Sometimes it is dark, mysterious, and sometimes simply uplifting, but anyway, one of the best soundtrack I ever heard. If I remember well, it is composed by the same person, who composed the soundtrack of Naruto Shippuuden... Well, he did an amazing job in both series.

The story is really dark, and it is horror, but not the kind of horror that tries to scare you. You will be afraid, you will feel nervous, but it is totally because of the atmosphere. The world Mononoke portrays is crazy, full of human greed, secrets, horrible fates, and decisions... it is a morbid, and dark tale not really about demons and a demon hunter, but humans themselves. I wouldn't say it is enjoyable... but you won't be able to stop watching it, and you will think a lot on it days, and weeks after you finished the series.

And last, but not least, the characters. We know awfully little about the main character, we can create theories, but no real information, and what's great about Mononoke, is that he is still amazing, without name, without past. I really grown to like his character, because he has a dark, cynical sense of humor, and a strange character development, which can only be realised, if you watch the bakeneko arc from the ayakashi series... there, you can see the Medicine Seller as a younger, much more inexperienced demon hunter, who still believes in humans, who really wants to save people, and even can get exited over facts... and then you see the person he becomes by the end of this series, and it's really sad. You can see, from story to story how he loses faith in humanity, and starts to care less and less, to the point where he doesn't really want to save anyone anymore. And besides this character, there are many interesting figures in every story, who are all too human. They are sometimes understandable, sometimes it is plain horrible what they've done and why did they do it, but they are all totally unique and interesting characters, perfect for their roles in the story.

All in all, this is an outstanding anime in every way. If you tolerate a darker story, which will have a deep impact on you, then I suggest you start it. For me, it's one of my favourites by far.