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Not what I was expecting in the slightest, this anime stands out. I was originally intrigued due to his historical setting and context. I’m a huge fan of history in general, especially for areas of the world I’m not that familiar with. Once I got started in this show, though, it was the individualized art style and emotional punch that kept me going.

The art in this show is unique to say the least. Not to everyone’s taste, however I found much enjoyment in it. Usage of thick lines and geometric type backgrounds give the anime an artistic sort of feel, like we’re looking at ... an ancient painting or woodcut. I’ve heard that’s what the goal was; in my opinion, mission accomplished. Colors are beyond vibrant. The usage of such intense color stands out all the more against those thick lines I mentioned. This series is a work of art, hands down. While not to everyone’s taste, for the tone and subject matter of this anime, it’s very appropriate.

Sound is a mixed bag. I enjoyed the OP, even though there’s a part of me that feels it doesn’t belong with the tone of the series. It’s still catchy enough to hook you in, though. The ED though was out there. Having a rap-sounding song round out each episode was jarring, to say the least. It didn’t feel like it jived with the tone nor story of the series. Nothing stood out OST-wise. It met the needs of the show conveying emotion where needed, but I won’t be rushing out to by the soundtrack. I do have to give a shout out to the voice acting, though. So many big and recognizable names!! I watched the sub so I got to listen to the greats like Ishida and Koyasu. Hearing familiar voices in a totally new story made me smile.

Told in an episodic format each episode being self-contained stories, each one though ties into the others with recurring characters, themes, and mini-arcs. There is no epic nor grand story here, no battles for supremacy or struggles against tyranny. In my humble opinion, what makes this anime stand out is how gentle the stories are. Though set in a timeframe that was FAR from gentle with death at young ages and an extremely stratified society, each tale still conveys a sweet relationship-driven tale, be it romantic or platonic. Your emotions are drawn in by each doomed or uplifting story, feeling for each romance/friendship that won’t work out or each that does.

Our characters are real figures from the Heian period, the great poets of the era. While each is not in every episode, the audience can’t help but be drawn into their relationships and struggles as each episode progresses. One doesn’t need the characters in every episode to get to know each one in depth. I felt like I could feel each character’s struggle and emotions as if I had an entire season to explore them. With no particular favorite out of the bunch, I think I felt closer to our female ones, though. Their struggle stood out especially to me, given how history has been unduly cruel to our gender. Heian era Japan was no exception, with women placed behind screens and their intelligence downplayed to light poetry and motherhood. It’s amazing that some of their poetry and stories was admired enough to last through patriarchal suppression.

Where this series really stands out though, the main reason it’s been added to my favorite list, is the emotional impact it carries. While infinitely gentle, this series still packs a punch to the heart. I like that it illustrates that every relationship doesn’t always have a happy ending, as is true historically. With such a stratified society as Japan, romance is all the harder. Even so, our characters find a way to express their love and devotion in other ways: glances, stolen kisses, moon-gazing, and poetry. Each doomed love is captured in the beauty that is ancient Japanese poetry. So simple yet each verse/sentence conveys such a powerful message. The whole package together creates an anime aura that strikes into the emotional heart of the audience.

Yet for all that emotional heaviness, there’s also a bit of light hearted fun added to the mix. Occasional staple anime elements of SD faces and sweat drops add a touch of humor against all the doomed love. I liked the occasional jumps into modern day and alternate scenarios in the beginnings of some episodes and in the middle series episodes. All together, they give a touch of funny to counter balance the pain of the other elements.

While the sound elements may not be up to par with the rest of the series, this anime was a pleasant surprise for me. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much nor be as emotionally invested as I was and did. Art was absolutely gorgeous, if not your standard anime fair. In my mind, that makes it stand out all the more. Characters and emotions draw you in, making you click that “next episode” link all the faster. I’d definitely recommend this anime to any fans of emotionally driven shows with unique art and concepts. This one will stand out for me for years to come.

Another started out quite strongly with a great Gothic atmosphere and intriguing details. For the most part, the anime keeps the story strong and flowing smoothly. It's just towards the end where it starts to forget itself and loses its way; at least by the latter half of the last episode, the anime wrapped itself up with a final spine tingling thought and suspenseful scene.

As another reviewer has pointed out, this anime really knows how to set a scene. From gloomy skies to antiquated-feeling settings to enough gore to keep even Jason happy, this anime knows how to keep its viewers on the edge ... of seats with fingernails between teeth. Not many anime would pay as close attention to small details as this one did which speaks in its favor. You'll definitely feel like you're watching a true horror series.

The art and sound only help to enhance this feature. Characters and settings are all smoothly drawn. Everything flows seamlessly so that when the horror and blood start to flow, the audience doesn't expect it. The cutting needs to be pointed out in this category I feel. There were times where horrific or tragic scenes would be intercut with softer memories or scenes, which gave the pain/anguish extra weight. I liked how sound and music were utilized as well, at least during the series itself. Background music helps to enhance the gloomy scenes and also helps to key in the audience that poop was about to hit the fan. If memory serves me right, I also seem to feel that the absence of background music in some scenes helps to create a sense of tension as well. That mix of gloomy sound and the absence thereof created a neat mix for the story.

The opening and closing songs seemed pretty generic to me. The opening, actually, seemed a bit out of place. It was upbeat to a point where the series definitely wasn't. In my mind, I almost expected a more horrific sound like the opening of Walking Dead. Sound like that would have been more appropriate to this title as an opener. The closing was sweet and gentle, just what each episode of this anime needed after the anguish the audience has gone through.

Characters were pretty strong for the most part. Most of the students in Class 3 at least had individual personalities and were distinguishable from each other, a key factor when so many of them started to drop like flies. Yet, I think this anime really struck gold with its lead. Kouichi is a nice blend of vulnerable innocent and apocalyptic survivor. He's able to straddle those two extremes and grow as a character as the story progresses. Mei was interesting as well, though not as much as Kouichi. I like the mystery about her in the beginning; however, I felt like she was missing a vital element to make her an empathetic character. There were times where she just seemed flat. That might just have been a personality trait the creators we're trying to give her, yet, it made we dislike her to a degree.

The actual story of the anime was pretty unique; I at least don’t remember coming across something similar in 20 years of anime watching, to my recollection. I don't want to give too much away as this is an anime that needs to be appreciated for all the subtle clues and tangents. There are a lot of little tidbits that clue you in to the ultimate responsible party; I felt like smacking my forehead when this individual was finally revealed. Some of the hints had stood out to me, had felt weird when they were happening throughout the story. But the final reveal definitely blew me away. Let's just say this is an interesting mix of mystery, supernatural thriller, and horror. I will say one thing though, there really needs to be another addition to the series. I'll just say that by the end not everything is wrapped up and finished, far from it in fact. And it's driving me insane with curiosity to see what will happen in future!

The one area this anime has that is a downfall is that towards the end it starts to lose itself. To begin with, let me just put this out there, this is an anime that does NOT shy away from the blood. You will see fountains, arterial spray, pools, and rivers of the red stuff. So hope you have a strong stomach! Yet, this is also where this series suffers. By the time we get to the big finale, so much blood and death has happened that the audience becomes a bit desensitized. I was actually laughing like a loon during some of the deaths, a response I'm sure the creators of the series were not shooting for. It just got to be too much. With a final death count so high, even the anime itself lost count. While this detail didn't detract from the climatic ending and big reveal, it still brings the anime down a peg in my estimation at least.

Yet, at the end of the day, this anime serves as a great addition to the body of horror anime series. It knows how to use setting, art, music, and atmosphere to create a tension filled story that audiences just can't help but be pulled into. I felt along for many of the characters and was saddened when many of them met there grisly demise. While this title could go overboard with the whole gore and blood thing, I guess when you're watching a horror series, that's just par for the course. If a second title came out in the series, I’d definitely be interested. The last scene just begs for more exploration for the future of this town and class in particular. If you're looking for a grisly anime to get lost in and looking for a few shivers up your spine, give this title a look. It's well worth it

Riding on my recent wave of nostalgia, I decided to re-watch this anime classic. I first dove into this series in the late 90s, while I was still in high school. It was my introduction to mainstream anime, outside of the offerings on network television. I remember being enthralled by the story, characters, and animation. Compared to what I had been exposed to previously, FY was an experience. After re-watching however, I don't feel it was able to stand the test of time in most areas. I actually took down my overall numerical score by one point after this re-watch.

One area this anime still holds ... up in is the characters. Now some of this feeling might be based in my nostalgic past, yet I still feel the anime holds true in character development, at least when it comes to the secondary and semi secondary characters. Even back then, the anime did a fantastic job in giving each character no matter their standing in the story an individual background and personality. Everybody's motivations and thoughts were distinct unto themselves.

I fell in love with my previous favorites all over again. Nuriko, Hotohori, Nakago, Amiboshi, and Tasuki still hold as fantastic, well-rounded characters that have installed their ways into my heart again. Even ones that I could have done without years ago like Soi and Suboshi I could grow to appreciate given a more mature outlook while re-watching this series.

Yet, I also see the glaring flaw in an aspect of this area, watching from the point of view of a middle-aged woman versus a teenager. That area is Tamahome, Miaka, and their cluster *beep* of a relationship. I seem to remember even back then being irritated by their whole relationship drama. Now, decades later, it's to the point of being unbearable. There is absolutely nothing admirable in Miaka's character. I have no idea why so many characters fall in love with her or want to have sex with her. Point blank, she's an idiot and in no way admirable. Their whole shouting matches at each other is irritating, so much so, that I fast forwarded through every exchange. If they were having a lovey-dovey seen, I skipped it.

Story wise, I think you have to keep in mind the timeframe this manga and anime came out. The whole Japanese teenager traveling to a different world stick wasn't as commonly done. Unless there are relatively unknown 70s and 80s manga or anime out there I'm not aware of with this storyline, I think FY might have been among the first to introduce it. So keeping that in mind, I feel the story in this series is pretty strong. There's a lot of growth, conflict, and emotional turbulence to go through. I felt the series kept audiences engaged with plenty of obstacles to overcome and maturing characters. This aspect, I feel, has held up against the test of time.

Again you have to remember this anime is on the older side when it comes to the art. For the time, some of the artistic techniques were revolutionary. When you compare FY to other contemporary titles like Sailor Moon, you'll notice that fight scenes and general animation flow stand out. Colors are bright and fight scenes draw you in, especially when tied in with the high emotional content of this particular title. Yet, when compared with anime from today, one can say the art doesn't stand the test of time. It's obviously dated; though emotionally driven, fight scenes can appear clunky and sometimes facial structure gets boxy. If I was someone new to anime and this was my first title, I might not notice the now substandard art. However someone who's been around the anime block now and then will definitely notice.

Sound I felt was fairly good, especially the opening theme. There's just something about that opening number that gets you excited for the upcoming episode. It's just so iconic and doesn't sound like anything else I've ever heard. Maybe that's a bit of the nostalgia talking; yet, I can't help but be revved up by that opening number. Whoever put this musical score together also knows how to use music for emotional moments. For an anime that has as many tragic moments and emotional turbulence as this one, that's a key point to success. Other sound effects like for fighting and other exchanges are fairly common, like most other anime. Nothing too awesome stands here.

Even after 20 years, this title still holds a special place in my heart, despite it's now more glaring flaws. Even with the dated artwork and the whole freaking Miaka/Tamahome thing, I still felt myself enjoying FY again. Thankfully some of those aspects that are irritating now I can fast forward through. I was still moved by the other characters, their trials and fates. I think an even score of seven is about right. FY will always hold a place as an anime classic, despite its many issues. It's a part of my personal anime history so stands out for me. Whether anyone else will find enjoyment out of it, I think they'll need to just keep in mind that this series is an older one. I think with that thought percolating in the back of anyone's mind, this title could still be enjoyable to anyone.

Riding on a wave of nostalgia, I've found myself indulging in rereads of favorite books/manga and rewatches of favorite anime/TV shows. KKM is one such. I remember it being an engaging mix of zany characters, hilarious elements, and compelling story and relationships. For the most part, the series holds up. Given a distance of a decade from the initial watch, I can say now, though, that I've noticed more definitively the downsides to this series

STORY: 8

To me, this was one of the strong points for this anime to begin with. Once you get through the excessive amount of filler episodes, the overall story of ... building alliances, growing up, and finding one's place in the world still held my attention. The beginning still holds the space for doubt; I mean, the whole Japanese teenager being transported to another world, usually a fantasy one, has been done to death in anime. Yet, you've just got to give this anime some time to get past that initial rocky start to get to the meat of our story. Yuuri becomes the Maou during a turbulent time for Shin Makoku, with enemies surrounding her and racist hatreds running deep. I loved seeing how Yuri’s personality helped to change that, all the while facing enemies both expected and not. Unexpected story turns and alliance shifts help to keep this plot fresh and new.

MUSIC: 5

After re-watching, this is one area where I feel KKM is just mediocre. The opening and two closing songs are just your average J-pop songs. Even now, I find I can't remember lyrics or exact tunes. I guess they do the job of getting viewers into the anime in the beginning and finishing pepped up. Yet, I don't feel these will stick with viewers long after watching an episode. Also, the general soundtrack and sound mixing are also pretty blah. Nothing really sticks out for me. In fact, some parts of the background music feel recycled and reused. So nothing spectacular or out of the ballpark here.

ART: 6

This stands as another area that falls in the mediocre territory. With quite a bit of static background footage and awkward distance animation, this anime doesn't stand out as among the best of the era. I will say the colors are bright where they need to be; I liked how the animators also use other factors like light and depth perception to add to the overall artistic look. Why this area got a six versus a five, though, is how the animation looks tons better if we're doing close ups of the characters. Somewhere about the region of the 20s or 30s in the episode count, more careful attention was paid when animating the characters faces, especially the eyes. Things got tons more fluid and expressive. I feel this added to the emotional pull of the series as emotions are so evident in our eyes.
CHARACTERS: 8

I always felt that this was a strong area along with plot since day one of watching this. While there are some usage of caricatures and stereotypes, I find myself not minding all that much as character development plays a key factor as the series went along. I could see definitive change in character personalities and outlooks as the story progressed, changing as circumstances and events happened. Occasionally there would be backsliding as stereotypical portrayals were used for humor, but again, I felt myself not really minding. I think this is why I was drawn in so much to the various relationships possible in KKM., too. No matter who stands as a favorite character for you, there's a relationship for you with evidence to back it up.

OVERALL ENJOYMENT: 8.5

KKM is one of those animes that you have to look at as a whole when it comes to overall enjoyment. While music and art may not be up to snuff with everything else, character stereotypes make an appearance for humor’s sake, and filler episodes become excessive, this title still turns into a series you just want to binge on. I got sucked in by the great characters, possible relationship choices, and engaging storyline. Now, if you don't have a taste for shounen-ai, your score for this category will probably be lower. Yet, I personally don't mind it. I initially gave us title a 7 ten years ago; at the end of the day, it's still pretty much where I stand. I think I can safely say I wouldn't be adverse to a future re-watch someday.

Holy flippin' A!!! Where to even begin with this anime?! There is so much here that I look for in an anime; I even added it to my favorites list before I was even done watching. It's got beautiful and THICK plot, hidden meanings, a GORGEOUS musical score, wonderful and zany characters, and enough emotional hitting power to make me keep a tissue box handy for those sad and happy tears. This would be my first review to be an absolute 10 in score if there weren't just a few unanswered questions and assumed understanding after everything was said and done. Even with ... those there, though, this anime is one of the best things I've seen in a while, even better than Hikaru no Go which had be so wrapped up spring break. I'm sad to see it end 'cause I want more of this world, but, on the other hand, I'm glad it's got a definitive ending and isn't really leaving us cliff-hanging.

STORY - 9

The story of this show is something else. There's just so much depth, and it's so cerebral. I'll definitely have to do some re-watching to get all the little nuances and plot points down. I wouldn't recommend this show if you're just looking for some simple anime that would kill an afternoon. This is a thinking anime that touches on a ton of dark and deep issues. You'll also need to be paying close attention to all the plot twists! These little suckers come out of NOWHERE and twist the story into a completely different direction that one would expect. I was left gasping like fish more than once here. For me, that's one of the best aspects of this story is those little plot twists. I never know what I'm going to see when watching something like this. Now that I've mentioned the good, let's talk about why I couldn't give this aspect a perfect 10. After watching the ending, I was left with some unanswered questions regarding some of the details here. While these details didn't sour the complete story for me (hence the 9), they might sour it for someone else. One detail that they didn't address did leave me a bit peeved, but my mind made a connection with another story aspect that I could guess was the answer. If everything had been addressed here, this would have been a DEFINITE perfect 10.

ART - 10

A simple word here. BEAUTIFUL!!!! The animation flows so gorgeously in this anime. From the fight scenes to humorous antics to zany parties to heart-wrenching death scenes, absolutely everything here is flows so smoothly and sweetly. An aspect I noticed a lot in this anime was lighting. I don't see that a lot in anime and found it very appropriate for this title. If the characters were experiencing a dark and horrific scene, shadows and reds played big parts. If they were experiencing light-hearted birthday parties or servant antics, colors were bright, vibrant, and day-filled. Besides just the lighting, the art conveyed the atmosphere so much. It almost seemed to reflect character emotions and fates/destinies as well as set the mood for the anime. You will not be disappointed here! Just a slight warning, though, this anime doesn't shirk from blood. Not that it's gratuitous, every scene with it almost requires it and the blood adds to the atmosphere. But do be warned; I wouldn't let kids watch this.

SOUND - 10

This is the crowning glory in my opinion. Every single piece of music adds to the atmosphere of this anime and leaves a person breathless. It's so haunting...... It's full of fast consistent beats for the fighting, chants and drones for the dark, plot-filled moments, sad female-filled melodies for the gut-wrenchingly sad parts, and a soft operatic finish for the final anime finale. There was use throughout the anime of a really fast beat chanting/droning thing used towards some combat and many plot-revealing scenes that I found particularly innovative and unusual. It added something really unique to an already beautiful track of music. The opening and ending themes fit the anime to a tee; the 2nd ending, Lacrimosa by Kalafina, especially fits the ominous ending the anime is barreling towards when this ending comes in. It's haunting, lyrical, and so emotion-filled. Just beautiful!! Besides the glorious musical score, this anime exhibits very good character voices. I especially loved Sebastian's dark and low voice. I could imagine my demon butler having that voice. *shiver* I can't think of any misplaced vocals at all. Everyone was distinct and complete unto themselves.

CHARACTERS - 9

There were so many hidden depths to most of these characters that absolutely no one seems two-dimensional. Everyone is fleshed out to some degree with emotional back stories and plot twists. Oh the plot twists!! There were a lot where it came to character development. I only wish that there had been equal attention to all characters. For some of them, the viewers were left wishing fervently for more. I personally wished the back stories of the servants at Phantomhive were fleshed out more. We are given some back hints in a few episodes and one episode almost completely devoted to the four of them, but not really a lot and I was curious! Oh well. The gradual building of Ciel's character and his relationship with Sebastian is more than enough to make up for it. There were some characters who I thought I had pegged when something radical happens and their intents and motivations turn in a completely different direction. Again, oh those plot twists!! Gotta love 'em!!

ENJOYMENT - 10

I thoroughly enjoyed this title, unanswered questions and all. My mind can find connections between points where there may be no connection and so I can answer those questions in my own little mind. It was a beautiful and haunting ride that took me on an emotional rollercoaster and through a thorough mind-wringing. There was so much content here, from plot to wacky humor. I loved every bit of it. And the music!! Ack!! I'm going to be haunting ebay and the net in general looking for this OST ASAP!!

OVERALL - 10

I think I pretty much summed it up in the enjoyment section. Everything just came together beautifully and created an anime that has made it to my favorites and re-watchable list. I absolutely adore it and wish there was more!!

Wagaya no Oinari-sama was an anime that I was highly anticipating from reading the plot summary provided here at MAL and the small details I could learn elsewhere. I love an anime that involves the Japanese supernatural elements like youkai and people trying to protect each other (i.e. Noburu with Tohru in this case). The character designs looked pleasing as well. After watching, I have to report that Wagaya has failed in meeting my expectations. When it comes to plot and story, this anime just doesn't meet its hype. And while there are some redeeming features in terms of musical score and comedic elements, I ... will probably not be re-watching this anime any time soon.

STORY - 5

Like I mentioned above, this anime fails miserably for most of the anime in storyline. The first episode leads the viewer to believe that something special is in the offering as we get pushed immediately into the need to protect Tohru from the hungry youkai. The family Sentinel and a powerful youkai are enlisted to help in this task and the episode climaxes with a BANG as a fight for survival is acted out. HOWEVER, for about the next eleven episodes, what do we have? FILLERS!! Gak!! That's pretty much it, folks. We are introduced to new characters, but this stretch is very episodic. Now while fillers are to be expected from time to time, an anime that exists solely on them for eleven episodes straight is failing in the story department. I'm sorry. As we hit episode 12 and 13, we do get into episode arcs where a story does develop from arc to arc. Things start to get interesting and I actually enjoyed this last half of the story. Again though!! The last two episodes..... FILLERS!!!! So this anime went from good first episode..... to fillers..... to good and interesting arcs...... back to fillers and ends there! Massively bad story telling. And in those arcs where the story does get interesting, we're still left with plot holes that I could drive my friend's truck through. So at the end of it all, is there really a story here? I'd say there's episodes and then "mega" episodes, but no story throughout the entire series to tie everything together.

ART - 8

The art here is pretty good with defining character designs and very pretty graphics. Backgrounds are lushly defined and fights are beautifully animated. I loved to watch the magical elements when the fighting scenes played; the way they flowed so wonderfully into the physical movements of the characters made for very nice fighting scenes. The colors are vibrant and rich, both in the characters and backgrounds. I don't remember that much reused footage either; but then, I didn't exactly look that hard for it. There was one area where the artwork made me cringe. The second ending animation made Kou, Kuu, and Tama look sick to me, like they hadn't eaten in ages and were pale.... Maybe it's just me, but they just looked weird to me. So all together, the artwork was nicely done and rendered except for that one ending.

SOUND - 9

In my humble opinion, the musical score was the best part of the series. It was beautifully haunting and melodic when the story called for it, yet fighting music was heavy and had a great beat. It was the haunting bits that actually got my attention first in this anime. I remember I first started paying attention hard to the background music in episode 4. During the last half of the episode, this beautiful Japanese-style poignant melody plays and just accents the sweet emotional aspects of that episode perfectly. This evocative music continues throughout the anime and sort-of saves it for me from dropping it which I thought of doing a few times. I actually enjoyed the opening song, KI-ZU-NA ~Haruka Naru Mono e by Hitomi Sora. It was very catchy and upbeat; I found myself not minding having to listen to it again and again as I watched this anime streaming. The two ending songs I could have done without, but I didn't hate them. They didn't register that hard with me.

CHARACTERS - 4/5

I can't be exactly sure which one of those above scores really belongs here. I don't think characterization was a really big priority here. There isn't really any back story given for the characters except for one. However, that one is dead so do they count? There are hints and ideas splashed throughout that, if fleshed out, could have made these characters stand out so much more! But sadly, they weren't, and most of the characters are forgettable at best. There were even a few times I was wondering who this person was because I'd forgotten when they'd been introduced. Even though they weren't fleshed out enough to make them stand, the one aspect of these characters that saved me from dropping the anime completely was the comedic aspects of them. Some of these guys are just so WACKY that I couldn't help but laugh hysterically at their antics! Whether the fact that the redeeming factors of most of these characters is because they're just really funny is a good thing or bad, I don't know. But they made me want to continue watching until the end.

ENJOYMENT - 6

All together, I kept watching this anime because it made me laugh, hysterically even at times. I just loved to watch as Misaki angst-ed over whether Noburu was two-timing or what kind of sexual escapades where happening in the Takagami household. Her insecurity was pretty darn funny. One aspect of this anime that kept me from enjoying it to its fullest (besides the lack of a good plot) was the EXCESSIVE use of boob and panty shots. It seemed every time I turned around, I was looking at a girl's behind or taking a massive head dive into her cleavage. This aspect of the comedy was extremely heavy-handed and almost seemed to be bashed over our heads with a two by four. It got to the point where I'd fast forward past these parts and get to more funny things. And what about the guys, huh? Any butt shots there? Nope.

OVERALL - 6

Overall, this anime provided some comedic relief and nice music and art. I wouldn't recommend this piece to anybody looking for anything serious or deep. This anime was the exact opposite of those two qualities. But if you're looking for something to kill time and want to laugh and look/listen to pretty visuals and music, you might want to take a gander in Wagaya no Oinari-sama's direction.

Hikaru no Go is one of those animes that seems to push the bar for other animes to follow. In almost every aspect, this anime provided entertainment, thought-provoking ideas, great comedic moments, and the eternal drive for the better game that exists in some fashion in every sports/game orientated anime. The character-driven action and emotional resonance creates one of those gems of anime that would have culminated into an anime classic except for a single glaring aspect that prevented stardom. I enjoyed this series so much that I made a marathon of it and the hour and fifteen minute special within a three day span. ... Thank goodness I decided to pick this anime up on spring break, or I think my brain would have melted trying to balance the want to watch this anime and the need to study. :)

Story:
This area of the anime is one of its strongest, yet weakest, features. Most sport/game animes have a pretty basic plot that any watcher of this genre can catch, eternal drive to better a game, head for the *insert title here* championship, and grow as a result of playing. HnG has this in spades; yet, it has so much more. I actually started to understand the game of Go by the end, but that is definitely not the reason I stayed watching. Hikago delves into the character's motivations for playing and shows very deeply how those motivations affect the player's game, inner self, and the world/relationships around them. I think that's one of the prime driving forces of this anime, relationships, be they rivals, friends, or the occasional romantic (though there's really not that much there). I kept watching episode after episode, hour after hour, pretty much because I wanted to see how far Akira and Shindou pushed each other closer and closer to the top of the professional Japanese Go world.

I mentioned that this is one of the strongest features, yet sadly, one part of it is the only reason I'm not giving this anime a perfect ten. In the mid-60's range of the episodes, the forward momentum of the plot almost crashes to a halt with about 5 to 6 straight episodes of fillers. There's even about two episodes where the main character makes cameos. CAMEOS!!!!! I'm sorry, this story is about Hikaru's drive towards pro, the perfect Go game/move, and Akira's acceptance as a rival. It is NOT about a side character's training out of country and his re-finding of the game. Now this little plot twist and deviance I might have been able to accept if it hadn't completely taken over the story and moved the anime in a different direction. Thankfully, this little weird direction change only lasts for about 6-7 episodes and then we're back on the track of Hikaru vs. Akira. I can enjoy the advancement and growth of other characters just fine, but it's the rivalry and relationship between these two main characters that provides the main incentive for me to keep watching.

Art:
This is actually what caught my attention in the first place, though probably not in the way one would expect. The first time I saw Akira's and Hikaru's children faces, the first thought in my mind was "Fushigi Yuugi eyes!!!". That was enough to make me do a bit of research on this anime called Hikaru no Go that looked so much like an anime from my nostalgic past and put it on my to watch list. While the animation part of Hikago isn't going to be leaving you awe-inspired, it does the job beautifully and actually gets better as the anime progresses which I find very refreshing as more often it goes downhill. The characters faces are all completely distinct and wonderfully rendered; the background settings and surroundings are all unique to their individual places. I don't think I saw any repeated footage, but then I don't really notice that unless it's blaring.

I actually enjoyed watching the Go matches as well since the animators created some unique ways to make watching Go interesting, from light shows to picture layering to computer screen simulation. Something was always done to make a tad bit more interesting for us viewers who may not know the game that well and couldn't possibly remember all those moves and definitions we were provided with (I personally only remember the names to about two moves and don't ask me how they would relate to an overall strategy and placement. ^_^;;).

Another little aspect of the animation that helped the story flow so seamlessly was how the animators created the differences in ages of the characters. Since they grow over four to five years (through puberty no less) in the anime, the art reflects this with the faces and bodies of the characters growing up with them. And this is done so seamlessly that I almost didn't notice. It was like my eyes just followed their growth naturally as I was living their lives with them.

Sound:
The music in Hikago fits it perfectly where in another anime it might be a bit melodramatic. There were a few times in the beginning where I raised an eyebrow and wondered why the heck I was listening to music I thought more appropriate for an epic siege or swordfight between two samurai when these two kids were playing a board game. It wasn't until I got used to the huge musical score that everything dropped into place to flow seamlessly with the story and the emotional ambiance that the music portrays. Now I can't imagine Hikago without the musical score that puts Lord of the Rings in the shadow. ^_^ The actual sound effects of an anime is something I don't really pay too much attention to. As long as I hear the sounds where I should, I'm good and don't really notice them. However, the sound of the stones hitting a Go board started to become a symbol for the game itself. It became so much a part of my watching experience that I expected the sound and actually listened for it.

Characters:
Like I pointed out in analyzing the story, the characters are what drives this anime and is it's other extremely strong point; they are the heart and soul of the entire thing. The anime demands that the viewer feel for the characters and to understand why they do what they do. How the characters portray their thoughts and feelings and interact with the world around them is pretty much how any real person would, given the same situation. This especially becomes apparent when the emotional pitch of the story reaches one of its highest points in the late 50 to early 60 episode range. I could understand exactly why characters reacted the way they did; I probably would have done the same. So overall, the characters are extremely fleshed out with past stories revealed and motivations that can echo with a viewer's emotions beautifully.

Enjoyment:
I think this can be a given since, like I've already mentioned, I devoted a three day marathon to this anime just because I couldn't stop myself. ^0^ My hand had a mind of its own when it clicked that "next episode" link. I found myself captivated by the characters, the story, and the game itself. I probably prompted a few thoughts in my neighbor's brains about how they wished I was quieter when I was cheering for my favorite player and yelling at the screen "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT MOVE?!?!" even though I really don't know what the moves were. ^_^;; I just couldn't sit still for this anime; I constantly moved, wiggled, cheered, and cried. This anime, as evidenced by the many actions I mentioned, pulled at all my heartstrings and reached emotional depths in me that definitely makes it one of those animes I'll need to keep for future viewing.

So all together, with a very strong story, depth of emotion, very fleshed out characters, a musical score epic enough for a Peter Jackson movie, and animation that got better as the anime progressed, this is one of those shows that everyone should give a try. You WON'T regret it!