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You might be wondering. I gave all the rest of the criteria 10's. But why is the overall a 6?

It started a long time ago, when I got word of a highly acclaimed, super popular doujin game called Tsukihime. Although I was never a fan of the 'point & click' type of anime games, this game caught my interest, because of how several rave reviewers were praising this game's depth, plot and amazing characters.

So I got it and played it. Boy, did it have all of the aforementioned stuff plus a whole lot more. By the end, I was hooked. And something happened to ... me after going through Tsukihime that rarely happens; I fell in love with the characters and the story...particularly with Arcueid. It is one of those stories that touch your heart and inspire you to become a different and better person. And change me for the better it did.

And several years later, when I heard that TYPE-MOON were releasing an anime adaptation, I became as one might say, a giddy little schoolboy.

And when I first saw the teaser trailers, I got even more pumped. It seemed as if the anime was going to be magical. Finally, an adaptation where they were going to get it right...at least that's what I thought so initially.

And after finishing the anime for the first time, I was grateful that they made a lot of changes. They did kept the dark tone. And the soundtrack was amazing too. Again, it was dark and low-key. The opening song was particularly of interest. I often find myself repeating the minute-long song over and over again in my iPod.

However, much to my relief, they removed all the cheesy gadgets of the plot that were there in the original game. No longer, were there mentions about Marble Phantasm (an attack name in the original game) or any other cheesy vampire jargon like that. I was glad, because those elements made the game like a shonen (and anyone who knows me knows that I hate shonens).

So I finished watching the entire anime the first time. I was impressed by how well they kept true to the original story. The 'physical anime' interpretation of the last episode was perhaps the best. It overjoyed me to the point of tears. The way they brought Arcueid to life was also a joy. Her design in my opinion, was also superior to the original's, because here, she looks more mature, beautiful and elegant.

I wanted more. Seeing as how there are no sequels (something which I am actually grateful of), I decided to re watch the series again to relive the experience. And here's where things began to go wrong.

Mistake #1:
I began to realized that, although the story was brilliant, that it worked under the assumption that the viewer had played the game before. As a result, the brilliant story wouldn't be as appreciated by someone who hadn't played the game. No wonder there were many reviews that criticized the storyline for being incoherent and leaving a lot of loose ends. I understood the story only because I had played the game. Most people haven't.

Mistake #2
The story also meanders...a lot. There is a lot of filler segments where everything moves so slowly. Meaningless pauses during conversations also ruin the mood. These pauses would've worked so much better if the camera was shaky, or at least was doing something dynamic to compensate for the lack of action. Perhaps the writers were trying to create a certain ambiance to suit the dark story. Even as someone who appreciates silence as a means of tension, I did not like it. They try to create tension, but there is not enough release to compensate.

For instance, in one segment where the main character tries to look for a door to match the key he found earlier, the scene goes on for too long without any dynamics. Two minutes are wasted on one still angle of him going from door to door, looking for one that will match his key. That scene made me sick.

Mistake #3
Removing certain plot elements which could've actually helped. On one hand, they managed to simplify the story so that all the unnecessary mystic terminology was removed, and that really helped keep the dark tones of the story. However, on the other hand, a subplot involving Hisui and Yumizuka could've seriously added more impact to the story and the ending would've been much more tragic (and subsequently, so much better).

Wrapping it up, it seems apparent to me that the biggest mistake of this anime, was whoever the person who was directing this anime. He is no Miyazaki. A lot of his storyboards and camera angles simply were not effective and brought the anime's pacing to the equivalent of a drone.

It was evident that he had too much funds to waste. In the beginning, where the plot wandered the most, everything was slow and unorganized. However, according to the news, the studio had run low on money at the end of the series. And coincidentally, that was when the story started to become tighter and focused. The final episode is still the best episode. It was perhaps the one episode I can watch from start to finish without skipping parts.

I am sure that if the studio responsible was given less money, the anime would've been much better because the studio would've been much more focused. And, if there were less episodes, who knows that it might have been better.

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Make no mistake. This is an exceptional anime. It is way superior to a lot of animes that have been released over the years. And as an anime adaptation, it stands out by being superior to the original in many ways.

And I will still continue to watch this anime into the future to relive scenes from the game which would normally take hours to do (considering that the game was all text and that I had to spend an hour reading a scene).

However, I am disappointed in the creators for not making the anime the masterpiece it should have been, simply because it is not organized. It had the music, the characters, the design and feel. The 10's I gave were technically not for this anime. Since this is not an adaptation, not a original story, these points are actually for the game.

It should not have gone wrong. Shame on you Geneon.

No matter how you approach a review for this movie, this will always be one of the greatest animes ever made. It has fluid artwork and strong characters. And it eschews from typical anime stereotypes. Most importantly, it has a strong moral point about growing up.

For some unknown reason, I have heard a lot of criticism about this anime, in that people think that it's no different from anything else that Studio Ghibli has released. Any other anime by Studio Ghibli has not won an "Academy Award For Best Animation". Nor has any other Ghibli work been ranked as the best animation title by ... IMDB.

Naysayers will cite Western narrow mindedness. I say nay. By now, anime has become such a phenomenon in the West. And more than enough smart people in the West know enough about what makes a good anime. And most of them would agree that Spirited Away has the makings of a good anime and that it is one of the best animes they will ever see.

Give respect where respect is due. At least give this anime a try. It's a travesty that a piece of art like this is not getting the amount of fame it deserves. You know who to blame (are you listening Naruto fans?).

Final Grade:
A

Alright. Let me be straightforward and honest here. I have never been much of a shonen/shuojo/seinen/whatever fan. And it is obvious that this here is a shonen. Here's my handy-dandy shonen checklist:

Action plot - check
Cool (and oftentimes cheesy) attack names - check
_Ridiculously_ hot female characters - check (note the emphasis)
Outrageous costume designs - check
Strong harem implications - check
Guys with whacky hair - check
Guys with _Ridiculously_ large muscles - check (note the emphasis)
Geeky lead males who are somewhat oblivious to the advances of the beautiful women around them - check
... Accidental groping - check

No matter how you approach it, this is a shonen...meaning it is a form of entertainment aimed at a male audience. I have never been too kind on these types of stories. To me, they are simply too predictable in that they always have the aforementioned 'macho' elements. Entertainment meant to fulfill a male consumer's fantasies of guns, games and girls.

Some positive notes:

As is expected from series creator and illustrator "Oh!Great", this manga contains some rather beautiful female artwork. Always a plus in my book. And although the bodily proportions are really whack at the beginning, they do become more realistic as the story progresses. The Natsume sisters are a particular highlight :)

Unlike a lot of other shonen stories, Tenge follows a linear plot which will most likely end after a reasonable amount of volumes. Compared to the seemingly endless volumes of OnePiece or Naruto, this anime is seemingly going to end after 20 or so volumes (another Oh!Great hallmark. The guy knows when to wrap up a story.)

And despite the rather crude/macho dialogue, the plot twists are oftentimes original and surprising.

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I have given you a layout of what to expect in this manga. Now it is up to you to read it and give your own judgement of whether you like it or not.

It was quite enjoyable. It served it's purpose for me (which was to kill time at the local comic bookstore).

By the way:

I am highly aware of the difference between a shonen and a seinen. I know that Tenge is a seinen. But once an anime is in that direction, I don't really bother with being specific in categorizing an anime to either genre.

Because really, with the way technology goes nowadays and with how this website unabashedly asks people how many episodes they've downloaded, do all those legal stuff really matter?

Would a stereotypical 12 year old shonen/internet geek really care if there is an age limit for this manga? He's got curiosity and a fast internet connection (not to mention a lot of boyhood fantasies). What's gonna stop him from downloading? Illegal downloading laws? As if...

Final grade:
B-