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The year is 2007. "Neon Genesis Evangelion" has been out for over a decade, and has taken Japan by storm, surrounding the country in an/ almost "Eva-phenomena" for otakus, spawning video games, merchandise, and over 19 million dollars in the box office for its "End of Evangelion" film, even cementing the age-long tale of which girl is better, Asuka or Rei. However, Hideako Anno has an idea to "Rebuild" the series, recreating it after his initial spout of a three-year depression that caused the creation of the beloved mecha-anime. He needs to build off of his original idea, improve, and yet, keep the original idea ... intact. And the result was "The Rebuild of Evangelion", specifically, the first of a four-movie series.

"Evangelion 1.0", plot-wise, is essentially a shot-for-shot (as well as pretty much a line-for-line) remaster of the first six episodes of the original "Neon Genesis Evangelion". It follows Shinji Ikari being summoned to Tokyo-3 to pilot an Evangelion - a giant biomechanical robot - against oncoming Angels - essentially extraterrestrial beings. If you've seen the original series, the movie ends after the fight against the Angel Ramiel. However, there are some slight changes to the plot - which I will talk about later.

Character-wise, as always, we're brought with the original cast of characters from the first six episodes, such as Shinji, Rei, Gendo, and Misato. All are the same in this shot-for-shot remake regarding their personalities, stories, etc. However, since we've - mostly all of us - seen the original series, it's refreshing seeing how they were in the past in the nineties versus now in the twenty-first century.

Now, where the movie of "Evangelion 1.0" really shines is in it's visuals. "Evangelion 1.0" spares no expense regarding animation, color, visual beauty, and even having the money to use actual product placements now, such as Doritos and UCC canned coffee. The astonishing effects of the updated animation, how characters move - specifically the Evangelion Units - explosions, gun firing, everything just pops, and watching it for the first time can remind a lot of people when they play remastered versions of video games like "Bioshock" or "Call of Duty", giving a sense of watching something they've already seen, but for the first time.

Music, as always, has been taken over by the masterfully perfect Shiro Sagisu, and like the visuals, he's also done remastered versions of his original soundtrack of the original series. Done in either more masterful, more intense rock or metal versions of the original songs, or changing the instruments slightly so that the pianos echo more, or the string instruments sort of "plink", as a sense of familiarity with the songs we've grown accustomed to for 26 Episodes and a movie. Yet, they're new, and like taking a fresh breath of new air that we never knew we needed or craved.

And the art of The Rebuild of Evangelion that I love, is that it was made for the viewer to know all of the plot twists from the original series. For example, the movies know that we all know what's happening and what's being hidden in Terminal Dogma, so they waste no time in telling Shinji - who doesn't know in this "universe" - what's down there, so they can get to the new storyline. They expect you to know all these plots and twists from the original show so they can throw more interesting ideas at you. They trust the viewer to know, and thus, we get rewarded with an even deeper storyline and are left with a sense of catharsis and enjoyment for being trusted as a viewer, and a lover of this series.

All in all, I enjoyed it as a remaster of a series' original six episodes. It was like rewatching them for the first time, and even with the surprise aspects of them throwing the original plot twists in our faces, almost as if saying "We know you know, so let's do something new about it" left me with a sense of respect for Anno, showing us that this new take on a series we love - beautifully remastered visually and audibly with its music and voice lines - is going to be different. In the same "universe", and yet, in a different one, and to get prepared for a new path on a land we're already familiar with; one that will get more wild with each movie.

It is now 2024, and Dragon Ball and Hunter x Hunter have exploded in popularity in the anime industry. Regarded as some of the best in the industry, it makes me feel upset that most people aren't actually aware of Togashi's YuYu Hakusho as much as I think they should. Combining Togashi's masterful craft of storytelling and characters, as well as battles that rival onto Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, YuYu Hakusho is a work that everyone should experience at least once in their anime-watching careers - especially if you're a fan of the old eighties and nineties style of anime. For those who adore Hunter ... X Hunter, they will come to see how YuYu Hakusho really was the blueprint work for Toriyama, his "concept sketch" if you will. For those who are not familiar with Hunter X Hunter, you're still in for a wild ride.

The story of YuYu Hakusho blasts off instantly from episode one, with the death of our main character, Yusuke Urameshi, who, in a random act of heroism, jumps in front of a car, pushing a small child from certain death, and replacing the fate with his own. Soon, after his ghost is greeted by Botan, a pilot of the Sanzu River guides the delinquent teenager to be judged, and, soon comes back to Earth to be given a job as a "Spirit Detective"; investigating supernatural activity in our world. Throughout his journey, he makes new friends, rivals, and enemies, as well as uncovers secrets, twists, and, arguably the best tournament arc in any piece of anime history. Martial arts are a big point of this anime, as mirrors how Dragon Ball does its training and tests.

To be honest, the characters in YuYu Hakusho is the main reason I loved the show so much. Togashi has an art for making an expansive cast of characters, and they never get dry or dull. As stated above, there's Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is the Spirit Detective, and who's the main character. He also bears a striking similarity to Gon Freeces, Togashi's main character in Hunter x Hunter, which Gon is clearly based on. Yusuke is an absolute savage, which is why I enjoyed having him as the main character, as he never got bland - his constant roasts and complaining were amazing. Along with Yusuke, we have Kazuma Kuwabara, Yusuke's rival, and eventual good friend, who joins Yusuke in his journey. Kuwabara bears another striking similarity to Hunter x Hunter's Knuckle, and his character's constant voice cracks when he screams and argues makes him a hilarious character to witness. We also have Kuwabara, a shapeshifting Kitsune demon who joins the journey, and takes on the role of the calm and collected member of the team - like Togashi's future Kurapika. His quips that he shoots back at the others in a calm expression, as well as his main fighting abilities - a whip made out of a rose stem - is a very unique and fresh take on many martial arts users in animes, and is never tiring to watch. Lastly, out of the main group, we also have Hiei - who would eventually become Hunter x Hunter's Phantom Troupe's Feitan. He's the main swordsman of the show, as well as the belittler of the group, mocking them, rolling his eyes. He is one of the most popular characters among fans for his personality, action scenes, and "cool" or even "monotone" appearance.

When you watch YuYu Hakusho, you can clearly tell it has that classic early 90's anime palette and color sequence. But that doesn't take away from its charm, but rather, adds to it. That 90's look adds to the humor and pleasant scenes when they're there, and when there are dark themes, or even some classic fighting and martial arts scenes, the visuals follow through perfectly where they belong. For those who don't like that classic look, it could take an adjustment to get used to it, but once you do - or even look past it - you'll realize it fits the theme very well. Same thing with the character outfits. If anything, YuYu Hakusho knows how to create awesome character outfits - well, later on, in the first bit, they're all wearing their school uniforms, and look more like color-coded power rangers, as most animes used to. But soon, they take on more different outfit changes like the characters in One Piece do.

The voice acting in this show is absolutely incredible. Each character delivers his or her lines with such personality, and you can tell that, this hard work, it reflected in the show and adds that extra something from the manga of the same name. Kuwabara's voice cracks add to his hilarious personality, Kazuma's calm voice shows just how collected his mind is. You can practically feel Hiei's eyes rolling twenty-four-seven through his words alone... Just, everything about the voice acting is amazing. I would recommend watching the subtitled, as the voice acting is a lot more serious, funny - when needed - and gets the job done way better. When watching the English version, I couldn't get over how goofy a lot of the voices sounded - specifically Kuwabara's - don't even get me started on that voice and the fact it doesn't crack - and Hiei's.

The soundtrack is very well done. It's not the best soundtrack in the world, but it's certainly above a soundtrack that "gets the job done". There's beauty in the soft moments when those calm, serious ones play, and the action sequences have a lot of fun synthesizer moments that add to the suspense and action perfectly. As well as the opening sequence that a lot of anime lovers know, "Hohoemi no Bakudan", or, "Smile Bomb" is an opening song that you will never get out of your head for a while, and it's an opening you'll never forget.

When everything is finished, YuYu Hakusho is an anime that everyone needs to see if they're a fan of action, amazing characters, martial arts, training, or anything done by Togashi - especially Hunter x Hunter. After watching, you can really tell how he wasn't quite fulfilled with YuYu Hakusho, and he took all of the great and made Hunter x Hunter - one of the best animes of all time. YuYu Hakusho is an important milestone in any anime viewer's life, and it's a great watch that everyone should experience.

Displayed in a style that would be something like Groundhog Day, or even Happy Death Day, Link Click is a fantastic anime regarding two young detectives solving, originally, smaller problems of people's for hire with their hidden abilities of one being able to enter a photograph, taking over someone's body for information, while the other guides, and views the timeline. Things eventually go into more serious territory with higher crimes, cases, and even murders. I absolutely loved the series, what with it's storytelling, excellent characters. insane plot twists, and the emotional baggage it leaves on you.

The other thing that the anime is not afraid ... to show is, not only about how we can't change the past, and one can't change the past from the butterfly effect, but also about the heavy-weighted topics we wish we could change, however, in the long run, they eventually mean something bigger. In the end of the show, they leave the viewer absolutely hungry for more with season two with amazing plot devices, abilities, and plot twists.

Also, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing.

Because of its short number of episodes, I recommend this to everyone, especially if you love a good mystery show - it'll blow your doors clean off its hinges.

Bakemonogatari is best summed up as a piece of modern visual art. Watching it, I was interested in what kind of story it would tell. Visually, it's freaking breathtaking, and very experimental, which some will either love or hate. It will go from anime to random shots of still life, to suddenly random words of kanji on the screen - which you don't even need to pause or read for, because they really don't even mean anything.

The show's characters had their fun moments, but I felt like they were lacking something. While the show is separated into multiple-part short stories all in a small package, ... it's a nice, refreshing taste for the genre. But, as stated before, the show is very experimental. As an example, a very bloody and gory scene in an episode experiments visually by changing the color of the blood with each hit the character takes, the shot changing it from blue to green to purple.

Episodes also adhere to a strict color template. One could be mostly dark greens and blacks, one can be an all-white cement part with colored iron poles for children to play on, all in multiple quick cuts that can feel overwhelming to some. The best way to describe the whole show is like either the last two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, or the Third Impact in End of Evangelion. Very experimental, quick shots, handpicked colors, and scenes that will make you wonder what the hell is even going on.

All in all, it was a very fun and interesting anime to watch. If you like experimental modernism, definitely give it a try - especially if you like the supernatural.

This series is truly an amazing, one-of-a-kind BL series. Taking place right after its Umibe no Étranger counterpart, Harukaze no Étranger continues Mio and Shun's story as they travel from Okinawa to Hokkaido, and the upcoming volumes deal with Shun's family life, and from there, his relationship with Mio.

There aren't many BL manga like this series, ones that don't fetishize guys or homosexuals and are just told as an average romance - despite how horny Mio constantly is, which makes me laugh sometimes. Just like it's prequel story, the manga is very beautiful visually, and focuses a lot more on characters, and their stories ... and relationships between Shun and Mio, and even introduces more prominent and important characters, such as Shun's adoptive brother, his parents, a previous ex, crush, and so many more characters, as well as how gay individuals live in everyday situations with others who may judge them.

Moments can be very cute and funny, as well as serious, deep, and even a bit... sexual. It adds an emotional impact that other yaoi don't have, and honestly, I love it.

There is one thing to beware of about this series, that I know many people will agree with, is the updates for new chapters or tankobons take a while to come out. Depending on where you live, and fan translations of officials, you could be waiting anywhere from one to three years for the next volume to come out, sometimes with setbacks. For example, the newest book in the series, Volume 5 - or Volume 6 in the West as they merged the two series together here - was set to release back in November, then they said December, and now it's March. The previous book came out the November before. So it can be pretty crazy, and there aren't many places to read it online.

If you can get past that, Harukaze no Étranger is a great, romantic, and beautiful BL series that should be read by any lover of the genre.

Umibe no Étranger - or Seaside Stranger - is one of the rare few boys love mangas that I actually genuinely enjoy and love. Kanna Kii writes a story that, unlike many BL in Japan, whether in manga or anime, doesn't fetishize guys or homosexuality. It displays a simple love story between two guys, the troubles that they face along the way, oh, and lots of cats as well.

Set on the island of Okinawa, Japan, gay author Shun Hashimoto meets Mio Chibana, and, although distant at first, the two eventually begin to grow closer to each other. It shows real-life examples of many homosexual ... couples, such as Shun's constant rejections and pushing away of Mio's advances, after his parents' reactions to his coming out, and bullying in school. In contrast, Mio doesn't share those kinds of feelings and keeps trying to tell Shun how much he is loved, and that he should be comfortable with his sexuality. The two discuss many subjects of gay relationships, such as sex, the struggles and worries of how others think, and why those ideals exist, as well as upcoming drama from Shun's past that come back to soon haunt him.

The art, while in black and white, looks absolutely gorgeous, and really pops with the feeling of the tropical climate of what Okinawa shows. Waters, flowers and plants, and the beach are shown very well even in a black and white counterpart. Characters, however, besides Mio and Shun, don't get as much importance. As it focuses on mostly the two boys, the other characters are shown for maybe a few pages, and that's it. Also, Mio is an incredibly horny guy, I must say that.

On its own, the story by itself could be rather shallow. In Japan - and in places here like MAL - it's known as one book, and the next part of the story is its own series, while here in the West, it's all one story. Umibe no Étranger is one book, and Harukaze no Étranger has a book one, two, and so on. In the west, Harukaze no Étranger is book two, and so on. I think on its own, Umibe no Étranger could be rather bland, but if you continue the series, it's a lot more meaningful. It has a very cute story with amazing characters and is one of the best BL stories Japan has to offer.

Destronaut is hard to summarize what exactly is being read into words. Try imagining if H.P. Lovecraft wrote either "Apollo 13", or the horror film "Apollo 18". The profound emptiness it leaves you while reading, much like the endless void of space in which the main character is is amazing.

Unsettling, eerie, and yet, extremely beautiful, Destronaut tells the story of an elderly samurai sent to the moon to recover a governmental disk from a wrecked space station. Once there, he is settled upon the corpses of year-old cosmonauts, possessed by some sort of biological component not known to Earth's organic structure, and must fight to ... complete his mission. The author knows very well how to portray a sense of foreboding emptiness that mirrors the cold, black, endless cosmos that surrounds their protagonist, which reflects in not only the creepy, empty geography of the moon but also the hollow, lifeless views of the possessed cosmonauts, as well as their empty space station, half covered in some sort of biological material that's overgrown it.

The story, while quite simple and short, does not need to be much more complicated than how simple it is - especially for a one-shot. It gets the point across and leaves the reader interested, satisfied, and eager to read until the end - even its small plot twist at the end. Destronaut would make a fantastic anime movie or OVA. If it could be really fleshed out, maybe a short tankobon set, or an anime series. However, dealing with the story alone, I think the more fleshed out it is, the blander it will be. Some works are better as short stories, otherwise, they lose their sense of creepiness, horror, or mystery. And for that, I give it major props. The only downside I would have is that the characters are fairly bland, but I can see from a stylistic point of view as to why that is. For one, it's a one-shot - the big idea is not the characters to begin with, and for something around thirty pages, there's not much time to flesh out characters. Two, the story isn't about characters, really, but more of an expression of atmosphere, art, and mystery.

As a one-shot, I think Destronaut did very well. It's short, creepy, has an absolutely beautiful artistic feel, and the voidness of space as well as the "creatures" in the work, mixed in with beautiful action make it absolutely worth the read. And, as this work reminds me a lot of the author himself, the quote from H.P. Lovecraft fits the style of Destonaut perfectly, and why you should definitely go and read it too:

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
-H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature

We all have experiences in life that we've shared together; something everyone's done. Whether that's having a secret exposed, feeling embarrassed, a dedication to something that you love, or even just the quiet, lovely moments that only you and your friends really cherish, it's all of a feeling we can relate to. Keiichi Arawi's Nichijou - My Ordinary Life takes those experiences we all know and remember, and injects quite possibly the most exaggerated dramatization of what the experiences, no matter how large or small, feel to us in our head. And I think that, in its entirety, is where the magic lies in this ... anime.

Nichijou involves the everyday lives of three high school girls, and the interactions they hold in their high school and outside of class, as well as an intertwining story of a small girl, who has built a human-robot to take care of her, along with a talking pet cat for company. While, on paper, it could seem very bland, that's where the magic happens. While, yes, there's no long overarching plot like in your everyday shounen anime, each and every small section of comedy and relatable experiences gets their point across, and makes you want more and more.

The comedy in this is amazing. Nichijou places in so many relatable, and hilarious scenes that make us all laugh so hard because we've all been through them, or something similar to them, and the dramatic reactions show how it feels to the mind makes it better. Scenes such as: Dropping your camping dinner, and trying to hide the fact you majorly screwed up. Dropping your favorite food on the dirty school floor, and your entire world goes in slow motion. Accidentally pushing the wrong end on a mechanical pencil, and absolutely screaming. Losing your wallet at the fair, and having to pretend you're still having fun. Having your friend find out you draw yaoi-

It's these small moments when it's very refreshing to watch an anime just for a good laugh, and you realize that there are no big plot points, no reason to turn your mind on and remember anything - because we've subconsciously remembered all these feelings from our pasts, so we can just turn our brains off, react, relate, and laugh.

In terms of characters, the three main girls of the story are fantastic, relatable, and funny. There's something very refreshing in an anime where the characters are so vibrant that they themselves can carry the show to extraordinary levels without the help of anything else. Besides the humor in relation to the situations, you watch this show for the vast display of characters.

All in all, Nichijou shows you don't absolutely need to have something including a beautiful visual style and an amazing soundtrack to have an almost perfect anime. Especially in comedy. If you haven't seen Nichijou, you need to try it.

In 2020, The Stranger By The Shore was released, a beautiful gay romance story based on the first book of the still ongoing Seaside Stranger series written by Kanna Kii. Visually beautiful, with an amazing soundtrack, an investing story, and very few drawbacks.

The story, while quite simple, is a very impactful one. Living on the tropical island of Okinawa, Japan, Shun Hashimoto is a gay novelist working on his next work. One night, he meets the quiet Mio Chibana staring at the beach one night. After interacting, Mio admits that, while they have some sort of feelings for each other, he has to move back ... to the mainland for a few years, and that he'll come back. A few years later, he fulfills that promise, and pursues his relationship with Shun, while the latter is a bit hesitant towards it at first because of his past. However, as the story moves forward, the two pursue their relationship and troubles. For a film of only 55 minutes, it is very worthwhile.

If there's one criticism I have with the film's version of the story, it's the reason why Shun is very bitter to Mio at the beginning of the story. I may once or twice compare scenes to the manga, but since this film is essentially the first manga's volume, I feel it's important. In the manga, the reason why Shun is originally mad at Mio is that Mio promises to write or call Shun when he moves away for those few years. In the movie, we see that Shun has a postcard Mio sent him, so we are left kind of confused in the beginning about why he's so against Mio originally. However, in the manga, Shun makes it very clear he's upset with Mio for never calling or writing once while he was away, leaving Shun wondering for all those years, and then Mio coming home and saying pretty much, "I'm finally ready to date you." As much as Mio is one of my anime crushes, what he did was a huge dick move.

Soundtrack-wise, it's absolutely beautiful. Mina Kubota did a wonderful job with the music, most being very somber, beautiful, or heart-gripping piano pieces that fit like a jigsaw piece right where the scene is - except for the sex scene... The entire album of fourteen songs is available on most music streaming services, so I highly recommend checking it out.

Visually, this movie is absolutely beautiful. It takes the feeling of the tropical setting of Okinawa and sets it alight. With bright, vibrant colors such as the green in nature, the eye-popping tropical flowers, the blue of the sky and the ocean, and even the soft blues of the night scenes are very soft, and make the entire movie burst with feeling and astonishment.

The feeling of the social outcasting the two both have to deal with, both together and in their pasts, as well as the wondering of why it's so bad to be with someone of the same gender, society, and other norms forcing them to be with opposites, and then eventually realizing that there's nothing wrong with it, as long as they're in love, is not something you see a lot in BL anime. A lot of BL seems to fetishize homosexuality, and this is why Umibe no Étranger seems different. It was very emotionally gripping. Just a story about two boys falling in love.

Oh, and many cat scenes, so if you're a cat lover, then you're in luck!

Now, if they followed the story more thoroughly like the manga, or maybe made it into a more fleshed out series like "given", then the score would've been higher for me.

Cyberpunk: dystopian futuristic science fiction, neon lights, complex ideas, and a certain style of music that I've always loved. One of the best examples of both written fiction and film of this genre is Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 anime film Akira, based on his own manga series of the same name released in 1982. Showing a beautiful spectrum of animation, neon colors, and trippy music, this animation is one of the best examples that "just because something is animated, doesn't mean it's for children."

Akira's story takes place in the futuristic city of Neo-Tokyo, in a dystopian version of 2019, where it shows the power breakdown or ... relationship and psychological telekinetic powers between the teenage Shōtarō Kaneda, leader of a bike gang known as The Capsules, and his childhood best friend Tetsuo Shima, the latter of which gains these supernatural abilities after a motorcycle accident during a gang rival battle. The film's plot deals with their friendship through these challenging times, and how militarism and dystopian society handles these events. Supernatural events, human experimentation, psychological trauma, and even fun laser beams are shown in this one-of-a-kind animated feature.

The anime revolves around two main characters, as stated above. First is Kaneda, a sixteen-year-old bike gang leader. While he acts cocky, tough, and rebellious on the outside, some find him to be quite a funny little dork a lot of the time, and grow to love his character in many ways. He's seen as facing the main problems, and the main antihero - his best friend - with bravery, but also determination - almost to the point of being plain stubborn about it. Also, the fact that he has that badass red leather jacket and everything else he wears is red, it's just such a cool look for his character.

Kaneda's best friend Tetsuo takes on as the film's antagonist. But really, he is more of an antihero, or, more of the unfortunate victim of the militarism and scientific experimentation of the anime, and the story's byproduct showed that through his character. He's an example of giving someone destructive power in the wrong hands. Pretty much, his ego boost doesn't help him, so he has to learn to play God in a different way. However, his character shows that he's impulsive, rash, and has a big superiority complex, showing he clearly doesn't like to be overshadowed by his best friend. The baby boy has a lot going on for him, and in the end, his character really does present itself very well, as you don't really know who you should be rooting for as the hero and the enemy.

Visually, the anime is absolutely beautiful. Even though it's not as fleshed out or lacks eye-popping colors, the contrast of the bright red of Kaneda's character, or the neon lights showing throughout Neo-Tokyo, or the absolute beauty of the animation is shown. Smooth transitions, complex styles in the telekinetic powers, the small details, emotions in the characters' faces, and let's not forget the infamous "Akira slide" that's been replicated throughout many media now, make the movie an experience that many never forget. I honestly wish I could experience this movie for the first time just for the animation and visuals alone.

Just like the animation, the voice acting is incredible. All the characters drive their lines with such emotion and have such an impactful voice that really adds depth and feeling to their characters. Akira is one of those few animes where I actually don't mind watching the English dub at all - however, we do not mention the horrible 1989 dub. Mitsuo Iwata and the 2001 counterpart of Johnny Yong Bosch deliver their lines as Kaneda very well, portraying him as the serious but dorky bad boy we all know and love. Tetsuo's voice actors of Nozomu Sasaki or 2001's Joshua Seth absolutely nail his character almost to the damn microfiber of his being. You can sense the rage, hatred, betrayal, and confusion in his voice, as well as the power that's gotten to his head, and not knowing how to handle things correctly.

In the soundtrack department, I think honestly is what makes this movie from amazing, to absolutely god-like. Shōji Yamashiro and Geinoh Yamashirogumi had this under control totally. Kicking off the amazing ten-minute start as the motorcycles race down the highways in a brawl as the theme of "Kaneda" starts playing, mixed with different soft drums and distant chanting really sets the ominous and mature mood to the movie. "Battle Against Clown"'s deep, ensnaring hyperventilating that comes after "Akira" sets the very serious tone to the first few minutes, and while some might find the music repetitive, I think it's more about adding the experience to the movie than the actual music itself. And even the well-known "Tetsuo", played at the hyper-most climax of the movie, with loud, impactful preaching-like singing that screams raw power really pulls the watcher deep into the immersion of the anime, and I think that's what was most important.

All in all, this work is not only an amazing anime, it's an important work of animation and cinema out there. It's known as one of the first animes in the West, and what really popularized anime in general for us here. For that, and it's amazing voice acting, visuals, soundtrack, and story, everyone needs to experience this movie at least once.