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There's one thing you should keep in mind when watching Adolescence Apocalypse: absolutely EVERYTHING is a metaphor, usually for some part of adolescence. This is a movie that was made to be analyzed. Usually I don't analyze the symbolism of anything I watch, but Adolescence Apocalypse makes analyzing symbolism fun, crazy as that may sound. As for as anime symbolism goes, Adolescence Apocalypse can't be beat, even by the series.

That's not to say the symbolism's the only thing worth watching the movie for. Every moment of screentime is purely entertaining, whether symbolism is the focus or not. The only real complaint I had with the ... TV series was that some episodes felt repetitive and didn't seem to contribute much to the main characters' development or the overall plot. Here, however, every fight scene, every conversation, everything really matters. The movie is not content to simply have a fight: at the same time the fight is going on, there is development for Utena, Anthy, whoever she's fighting with, and even background characters.

The backgrounds themselves also deserve a mention. The school puts Hogwarts to shame, as it's constantly in motion, and there's always something interesting to look at. Everything is constantly in motion, and while this is partially for symbolism, it helps to make the series very pretty. Though some of the reviews complain about the music, I had no problems here. Absolute Destiny Apocalypse is as awesome as ever, and the rest of the music is also great. Perhaps not as wonderful as in the series, but still very fitting.

Other than the symbolism, the main draw of the movie is the characters. Utena herself is even more magnificent than in the series, simultaneously vulnerable and strong. And not vulnerable in the way typical strong anime females are often vulnerable, but in the way you'd expect any middle school girl to be. That vulnerability causes problems for her at times, but she deals with it in an appropriate and realistic way, as it contributes nicely to her development. Utena's relationships, especially with Touga and Anthy, are all interesting as well, as they help her grow in interesting ways throughout the movie, and their interactions are always clever and witty.

As a final note, I should add that this movie works best when you've seen the series first. Almost nothing is the same as it was in the series, but a lot of the minor characters are better understood with the series' development behind them. If you've watched the series, the movie is a splendid treat.

Samurai Champloo is frequently compared to Cowboy Bebop, but there's one thing that really sets it apart: the action. There wasn't anything bad about Bebop's action, but Champloo's action is among the best of any anime out there, especially among TV series. Though the main characters both use swords, they fight with wildly different styles (Mugen's use of shoes is particularly brilliant), and the fights against enemies with various weapons throughout the series all manage to make themselves interesting and different. Even if the rest of the series were terrible, it would be worth watching simply for the action.

But the rest of the series manages ... to be entertaining as well. The main story's not anything special, but the stories told in individual episodes range from hilarious to heartbreaking. Each story is genuinely unpredictable due to the bloody nature of the series, and you can never tell whether the encounter's going to end well or not. That's not to say that the show revels in violence for the sake of violence, as conflicts are frequently solved peacefully as well.

The main characters themselves are all solid, but where they truly shine is in their interactions with other characters. The series is never content to just follow one character's story. All three of the characters will often split up, meet separate characters, and go through development of their own while the tertiary characters develop as well. Sometimes the stories will all be related, while other times they share only thematic links, but this structure keeps the show interesting and fast-paced at all times.

The style of the show likewise contributes to making everything more interesting. The artstyle is gorgeous, and the animation is always pretty. More important is the way hip-hop themes are integrated into the show. I'm not a fan of hip-hop in general, but the style here is absolutely perfect, contributing greatly to the humor of the show. It never dominates an episode completely, but it provides little touches that make otherwise ordinary characters and scenes special. A rumor might be told as a rap, and the episode might otherwise be completely devoid of hip-hop references. The music does have some hip-hop influences, but they never dominate the score, so don't worry that you'll dislike the music if you don't like hip-hop.

The humor of the show in general is likewise top-notch. The comedy episodes are some of the best in the show, partly because they tackle serious themes (such as Japan being invaded) in very comical ways. These episodes are also just as violent as the rest of the show, and include the same hip-hop styling to make things stay fun. Mugen is frequently the source of most of the laughs, but Fuu and Jin also frequently amuse, as does the side cast. Even the serious episodes often have jokes at very inappropriate times, and because of the style of the show, those jokes work.

I watched Samurai Champloo for the action, but every other aspect of the show completely surpassed my expectations. While I wouldn't call it perfect, as one or two of the episodes aren't very good and only a few are truly exceptional, I will say that I was never bored, and I usually had a smile on my face. Samurai Champloo is just plain fun.