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I would wager money that you chanced upon this anime looking for hot anime guys, so I'm going to focus on that in this review.

Story: There's a larger plot that loosely keeps the episodes together, but you're not watching this anime for the plot. Correction, DON'T watch this anime for the story. It's nothing fancy and isn't memorable. I think there's sin in the world and there's an antagonist, but again, nothing special. (The anime is based on the deities of Buddhism, but I apologize, as I'm unable to comment on the veracity.) What's important to note is that there's enough scenes written in that ... involves the bath.

Art: For a short show of 12 episodes, I was surprised by how many characters are crammed into it. All of them are pleasant to look at. They included every trope to please the range of audience. Nothing to critique here. They have fabulous bodies. I suppose they're not too detailed, but again, with that many characters, this anime's done a good job.

Sound: I wish I had something to comment on regarding its sound, but I've got nothing. The voices weren't exceptional and I don't remember the soundtrack. It gets 5 because it was neither bad or good enough to register on my consciousness.

Character: They put in a type for everyone, but you don't really get to know any of them very well. They're mostly 2D and any 'understanding' is superficial. Again, if you're watching the show for the aesthetics, this bit can be forgiven. However, without really getting to know any of the characters, you also don't get to 'fall in love' with any of them.

Enjoyment: From the standpoint of watching this anime entirely for the male eye candy, it's quite enjoyable. If you attempt to watch this anime for any other reason, you might find yourself sorely disappointed.

Takeaway: This is an anime that won't keep you on your toes. I think it took me a year (if not more) to finally finish it. It's something to watch when you want to ogle two-dimensional yummy Buddhist deities. (No disrespect to the faith.)

In a nutshell: Everything this anime had potential in was ultimately pegged by flaws.

Story: Although the plot was predictable and unoriginal, it had the potential to be enjoyable. EXCEPT the story began at a slow pace as we met the various characters of the Brave 10. Moving at largo from episodes 1 through 10, all of a sudden the plot sped through the whole story in the last three episodes. The sad thing was that by episode 10, I welcomed the change of pace because I just wanted to get the series over with.

Characters: Again, so much potential here. For me, the eclectic and ... eccentric bunch that the Brave 10 were comprised of was the highlight of the show. Each character had their own style, albeit filling various archetypal roles expected in most animes. Regardless, there was variety in the mix in terms of looks, personalities, and backgrounds. EXCEPT, I found Isanami (the protagonist) utterly annoying. (In some reviews, there was a complaint that the main characters didn't get enough airtime because there were so many other warriors, but for me, this ended up being a saving grace.) If it were up to me, I would've replaced her entirely with an artifact. In my opinion, she added nothing as a human character except a repetitive cycle of crying sounds and high-pitched cries to Saizou. In all the animes that I have watched, I've never met a less contributing MAIN character. (More bluntly, I think the female leads in hentai display more character than she does.)

Enjoyment: Possible. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this series to anyone, but it's not the worst thing I've ever watched. It would be okay to have in the background. It's a series that won't require your commitment; a show that'd be easy to drop for something better that comes along.

Finally, if you feel like this is an underwhelming review of Brave 10, then I think I've achieved the same takeaway feeling that it gave me when I finished watching it.

To understand Magic-kyun! Renaissance, let's use a metaphor. Picture an ice cream sundae that's topped with your favourite syrup. Now pour another serving of syrup on top and add whipped cream (or marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate chips; your choice of something sweet). That's what makes Magic-kyun! Renaissance.

Yes, that's exactly how I would describe this show. Like a sundae, it's not a new invention. It meets all the standard criteria of a typical shoujo anime. The extra syrup represents how sweet and cheesy it is. All the while as you savour this sundae, you know you're risking cavities. You know there won't be any surprises and it's ... going to go as predicted, yet you can't stop watching. You watch this show purely to satisfy your sweet tooth. Nothing more. If you start this series hoping for anything more or something different, you'll be sorely disappointed.

That said, I still give this a solid 7 for the Story because those who appreciate art would understand the "sparkles" that art brings to the world. Some people may complain about the lack of romantic story developing, but you need to treat this like an otome. If you approach it with the right mindset, you'll be happy that the show doesn't force a pairing on you. Plus, every character is delectable in their own right, so that's why this show gets 8 for Characters and the Story is good as is without the explicit pairing.

Almost forgot about the extra toppings (whipped cream/marshmallows/whatever you picked). As if the rest of the sundae won't give you sugar overload, this anime packs in musical numbers sporadically like Glee. Yes, you read that right. (I also wasn't prepared for that when I first started watching.) For some people, this might just be a downright turn-off. I almost dropped it myself, but then the singing isn't horrible. It kind of fits with the show. Personally, I don't think it would've detracted from the show to remove said toppings, but it doesn't completely ruin it either. It's just more (unnecessary) sugar in the end. But, now you've been warned.

Takeaway: Enjoyable anime for those with a sweet tooth who enjoys shoujo anime with otome flair. (NOT for the romantic at heart who needs a definite end game pairing).

Side note: If anyone reads the manga for this show, can you message me to tell me the ending? They didn't publish this in English and I am curious to know how the manga ends.

This show reminds me very much of Aho Girl. If you enjoy shows that aren't serious and you don't mind cheap jokes and forced ecchi-ness, then this anime might be for you.

Sempai is a magician wannabe who fails at every trick she attempts. Each failure results in embarrassment with erotic innuendos. The jokes are lowbrow. Even Assistant-kun's reactions show the same sentiments within the show; no one tries to mask the cheapness of it all. There are parts of this show that made me laugh and I very much wanted to like it a lot, (especially because I really enjoyed Aho Girl), but alas, the ... humour and characters both miss the mark.

Given that the episodes are short (about 12 mins), it's an easy watch to pass time. Actually, each episode is further divided into parts, which appeals to my short attention span. Each "story" is around 4 minutes, so this is a show to have on hand when you don't have long lengths of time to spare.

Takeaway: An anime to watch when you need a short comic break. (Especially if you're really tired from work and don't have the mental capacity to judge how cheap the jokes are.)

The top reviews for this manga rave about its plot, the MC and tout 10 stars, which convinced me that it would be a good read. So, I started reading... And dropped it around Chapter 41. (I did, skim the rest of the chapters; it's up to 97 currently.)

Namaikizakari does remind me of Maid-sama!, there's no doubt. EXCEPT, I found Misaki-chan a lot more likeable. While Yuki is relatable, strong, and even admirable in the beginning chapters, her lack of growth and honesty really began to irk me as the plot progressed. I don't think it's a good habit of judging characters while reading manga, ... but it's kind of hard to forgive all of her faults because she's just that "oblivious" or "naive". I think the problem was, the writer did such a good job writing Naruse-kun that you can't really help but empathize with him and his genuine love for the MC. Even the love rivals that appear in the plot are all beautiful and lovable, so when the MC is as weak (some even call her "stupid") as Yuki is, it's annoying.

Pros: Beautiful art. I've already mentioned this, but not just Naruse... They are ALL good looking. =) That goes for the girls too. They're all beautiful. Secondary characters, rivals, even the old teacher advisor. Bonus!

Cons: Weak MC amidst such strong wonderful opposites.

Final words: Its pluses are as strong as its weaknesses. So, give it a try if you're looking for a true "dramatic romance" with a reverse harem vibe. It's meant to be a romance (and there are definitely romantic bits), but the way the plot unrolls, it's a thin line away from a reverse harem.

*This review is for people who play Ikemen Sengoku. Otherwise, I'm telling you now, this anime will not make any sense to you; there is seemingly no plot, no character development; everything is completely nonsensical. However, if you play the otome game, and looking to feed your addiction, read on...

In my opinion, this was created for IkeSen addicts like myself. At first, I thought the chibi style would be a total turnoff, but surprisingly, they're really cute, and true to their character (as per the game). AND, watch through to the end (3 minutes) and you're rewarded with a 2 second clip of the actual ... ikemen in his glorious form. =D Each episode ends with a different ikemen. Enough said, right? Start watching!

Why did I deduct a star? 3 minutes is too short! As an addict, I still feel withdrawal.

P. S. There's no MC in this series. It's just the warlords. (This is NOT a complaint.) Therefore, do not watch this if you're looking for romance. This is just comic relief until your chapter tickets refresh for the day. ;P

What did I just watch? My love of reverse harems and otome games brought me to add Hanayaka Nari to my "to watch" list. It happened to be available on youtube, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm pretty sure 10 minutes into the first episode, I was ready to give up on it, but knowing that it was only just 2 episodes long, I forced myself to sit through till the very end. In retrospect, I kind of wish that I hadn't. Persistence is not always a good thing. *face palms

Story - 4 (mostly for its potential, and not actual story)
The potential ... was there in buckets. Set in a historic period, there could've been more elements weaved into the plot. The anime starts with the announcement of the head of the Miyanomori family looking to retire in 10 months time. He wants his six sons (each with a different mother) to compete for the title of the next head of the clan. Not unique, but interesting story, right? ... Except, nothing more happens from it! Randomly, there's an assassination, and two suspicious characters are introduced in the second episode, but none of them are addressed by the end of the second episode.

Art & Character - 5
I'm a sucker for ikemen so I had to give a passing grade. Every brother looks like a character out of another anime, but I'm okay with that. They were fine to look at, so no complaints. They also tried to make each a different trope, and were semi-successful with that. Because each brother lacked airtime, we never get to really know any of them, and thus, never fall in love with any of them. The main character is marginally acceptable. Her clumsiness (which really makes her career choice a bad one) is a bit overdone, but she does kind of stand up for herself when it matters. For this cookie-cutter of a story/anime, you can't really expect a stellar female lead. You can have the cake, or you can eat the cake. Alas, I will continue in my quest for a good reverse harem with both the ikemen and a strong, independent MC.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this anime even if you super dig ikemen. There are tons more with good looking fellas that offer much more than this anime did. I'm sorry. I wish I had better things to write about it. (On another note, should this game be offered in English, I'm all for it. =D)

I really wanted to like this series. Maybe it was my fault for starting the first episode with high expectations.

Pros: If you're into ikemen, then this is a fine show for indulging your fancies. In fact, there's a gratuitous episode where the shinsengumi need to get topless for a physical. However, the pros end there. Beyond the beautiful faces, there's not much else. As there are many characters packed into 12 episodes, you never really get to know any of them.

Cons: I'm not sure what they were thinking when they thought they could pack all that Japanese history into a dozen episodes. At ... any rate, it's not good as a historical anime. It's also no good if you're trying to watch it for romance or drama because there isn't enough of it. Again, way too overarching, packing all the characters and years of history. Character development is also lacking. Even the main protagonist, Chizuru, falls completely flat by the last episode. She actually started the series somewhat interesting, but as the plot unrolled, she regressed more and more until she was just a damsel in distress that cried and became a helpless ornament in the fighting scenes. Sigh.

Take away: Watch this show for the ikemen, and expect nothing more beyond their handsome faces. (Sadly, even their good looks were not enough to entice me into watching Season 2.)

Worth watching just for the amazing art and CGI!

Art: 10/10
Truly beautiful. From the background to the characters, no small detail was spared. In particular, I liked their hair; their creative hairstyles were drawn so well that you can discern the layers, the braids and the hairpins.

Sound: 10/10
I usually skip the sound in my reviews because they all seem pretty standard to me. However, the music to this anime was well selected and suited, notably so and worth mentioning. The sound effects were also nicely paired and complemented the movie without detracting from the art or the story.

Story: 9/10
I'm not familiar with the manga ... and didn't know of the franchise before seeing Blame! on Netflix. I was pleasantly surprised by its originality and simplicity. More often than not, movies about cyborgs, machines vs. humans, and the like, tend to tout elaborate stories that are either unbelievable or so confusing that they end up full of holes and paradoxes. I'm not saying Blame's plot was perfect, but it took a refreshing and interesting approach to the popular theme that I found believable.

Character: 8/10
I had a hard time rating the characters because I don't actually think they were supposed to be significant to the anime. Of course, likable and credible characters are necessary to any great movie, but I think the art and story were more of the focal point. You don't really get to know any of the characters or their back stories. Yet, perhaps that was purposefully done. It could be argued that the characters weren't remarkable (for lack of a better word) because this could've happened to anyone. Regardless of who Killy had chanced upon, the outcome may have been the same. Speaking of Killy, though, I would have liked to know a little more about him because he remains an enigma, even by the end of the movie.

Take away: The plot makes sense even if you're unfamiliar with Blame (as I was). If you appreciate aesthetics and have an open mind toward cyborgs and humans and the like, then you'll enjoy Blame! the Movie.

When a friend first told me about this anime and manga, I was hesitant to give it a shot because it sounded ridiculously stupid or amazingly brilliant. Twelve episodes of the anime later, I still can't tell you which it is.

Story: The concept is original, there's no doubt about it. As the title clearly states, each episode ends with "one punch". If you're freaking out right now because I've just given a major spoiler, then you'll be sorely disappointed when you watch the show, because it's mostly anti-climatic. BUT, that's the point. One Punch Man is parody and satire at its best. I've been ... told I have a cheesy kind of humour, so maybe enjoyment from this show hinges upon my kind of humour. I was literally laughing out loud watching this anime.

Art: The original manga was drawn purposely simple and lackluster. Upon its recreation, it was drawn beautifully and the anime as well, EXCEPT for Saitama's face, which is kept in its original comically plain state. At first, I doubted if I could watch a whole series with such a funny looking (and unattractive) protagonist, but I came to love Saitama, even with his stupid-looking face. And Saitama aside, everyone else is beautiful.

Character: You don't really get to know the characters very well, but they are all very interesting. There are quite a number of them but the story doesn't dwell on them individually. Generally speaking, you meet someone, learn their rank/abilities, and then may or may not see them reappear in another episode.

Enjoyment: Depending on your humour, you're either going to laugh along and find the whole idea brilliant, or you're going to drop the anime, finding it ridiculous. Personally, I enjoyed it and would recommend that you at least give it a solid try.

Bottom line: One Punch Man isn't for everyone. You're either going to find it funny or not. Try at least two episodes. The concept is truly refreshing and unique.