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I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I first started watching this anime. All the warning signs were there, and I should have avoided it, but I figured I'd go ahead and watch it. What puts Elemental Gelade isn't any single thing, but more a combination of mehs and boring concepts and executions. But I digress, because we both know I put myself through this just to procrastinate. On with the show.

In the world of Elemental Gelade, there exist humans, and alongside them exist the Edel Reids. The Edel Reid are simply put, living weapons. They look just like humans, and their only ... distinguishing feature is a gem somewhere in their bodies, called an elemental gelade. These gems give them the power to transform into weapons when they React with a human, who is thereafter called a Pleasure. Reacting forms a contract between the human and the Edel Reid, so no other two can React as long as the pleasure is alive.
The main character, Coud van Gireut, has the good luck of Reacting with the most powerful of all the Edel Reid, Reverie Metherlance, who likes to be called Ren for short. Of course, many want the power of this Edel Reid, so Coud's life is often thrown into peril by those seeking to kill him. Along the 26 episodes this anime has, Coud meets several other Edel Reids and Pleasures, in a typical quest format that doesn't really create any lasting impressions or bond between the viewer and them. As is the usual for these type of series, Coud and Ren reform those who they run across, thanks to their deep bond of love.
Coud and Ren's entourage are Cisque, Rowen and Kuea, members of the Guardians, a group that seeks to protect the Edel Reid by giving them a safe, protected place. At first they try to steal Ren away, but eventually settle in with Coud and Ren on their journey to find the Garden of Eden, a place where Ren yearns to go, as she feels some strange sort of connection. This is spoilerrific, but the Garden of Eden is the base of the Chaos Choir, the main "antagonists" of the series. I put antagonists in quotation marks, because the show tries to draw parallels between them and the Guardians...and fails at really doing so. One of the methods the show uses to accomplish this is the appearance of the Edel Reid Hunter Wolx, the typical bad boy who gets reformed by the good guys. He only appears for about 2 or 3 episodes, so again, doesn't create a lasting impression, other than showing the perpetuation of yet another cliche in this type of anime.
This anime gets 6/10 from me, the concept is good, but the execution fails because of the many cliche developments this anime goes through. Good to see if you already watched better anime like Kiba, but you won't miss much if you skip it altogether.

I first posted this review here: http://otakuexperience.com/elemental-gelade-review-disappointing-short-f

So, for my first real cinema anime experience, I get to enjoy Sword of the Stranger! All you “otaku” out there might draw parralels to the story of Sword of the Stranger to that of Lone Wolf and Cub, or perhaps a smattering of Samurai X/Rurouni Kenshin here and there. If you know what I’m talking about, then this rant is for you!

We start off with some mysterious burning down of a temple, and one of the main characters, Kotaru, runs off with the aid of a monk. Yes, he just leaves his burning home with his dog Tobimaru in tow. I’m already not liking ... this kid and we’re only 10 seconds into this film. Cut to Kotaru and his dog Tobimaru, doing what they must to survive! After running away in direction of a temple the monk had sent them to, we see them living off the land….sort of. They’ve taken residence at an abandoned temple, where they find a slacker swordsman who later saves them from their pursuers. Yes, that’s how I meet all my heroes, at a run down old temple. What do a little boy and his trusty but rabid dog need saving from? Foreigners! Some imperial chinese folk to be precise. Oh, and one stereotypical blonde with blue eyes who also happens to be a master swordsman, better than even the Chinese or Japanese who have been practicing swordsmanship for centuries. The mysterious swordsman, from here on out referred to as No Name, tangles with this mysterious foreigner several times, all ending in one climactic battle. I sort of wish the movie had ended then, instead of the gratuitous riding off into the distance scene….but I’m getting ahead of myself. Don’t you want to hear more about No Name, the vagabond swordsman who defeats extremely skilled Chinese and Japanese warriors, and also has red hair and a troubled past? Wait…this is starting to sound a lot like some other super popular anime….X?

To cut the story short (and I really should, my ass was hurting from how long I had to sit in that chair) the foreigners want drain Kotaru. No, not in that Michael Jackson way, they just want his youthful good looks! Kotaru holds the secret to eternal life…Could it be the mysterious green stone that was entrusted to him by the monk as he fled the crumbling castle? Burning questions like this one, and the origin of the mysterious swordsman who save Kotaru, remain largely unanswered throughout most of the film, only being revealed in the last half hour. Yes, that’s how long this movie felt. Visually, it was stunning, but the pacing of the plot and the actual action left a bit to be desired at times. The characters just didn’t convey that much. It felt as if though your Uncle John who doesn’t know how to tell you a story was telling you about the most important battle of the century. The visuals keep you entertained while the story stagnates, the characters don't grow hair, much less a personality.

8/10 from me.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama is the tale of Noboru and Touru, two brothers who, unbeknownst to them, come from a long line of priests who use Water ki, or energy, to ward off and fight demons. Their mother’s side of the family, the Midori’s, imprisoned an astral fox hundreds of years ago, and the boys are forced to release this fox from it’s slumber in order to protect them from other demons after their lives. A small fact that is mentioned but not really capitalized on: It’s a transsexual mystical fox.

The series is 24 episodes long, and I honestly expected a much better resolution to ... this series with that many (or is it few?) episodes. The first few episodes seemed rush, in order to introduced Kuugen, the fox, and the boys and their family. An additional protector, a sentinel priestiess named Kou, is also introduced. A lot of random enemies appear, halfway throughout the anime seems to get some sort of structured plot, but it devolves to some generic fights between Kuugen and Kou against demons.

Some elements are thrown in which point towards Wagaya’s viability as a longer series. A love interest in the form of Noboru’s friend, and many other women who try to push her to him, and make him see her. Another friend who hides a secret…and that particular arc lasts two episodes. There’s so much about this anime which is resolved in about two episodes or so, when it could make for at least a 5 episode arc.

Kuugen’s brother/sister is introduced midway throughout, and you don’t hear much of him/her for the rest of the anime, aside from some of her disparaging comments against Noboru and Touru, and a very important appearance in the last episode. I understand the overarching theme of family would make the ending (which I shall not spoil) more complete than most anime, but it felt incredibly rushed.

Overall, a 7/10

This is one of the best anime I've seen in a long while. Now for my review

Story:
This is standard school plagued with spirits fare for the most part. The Holy Student Council, of which Haruto, Kazumi and Mutsuki are members of, is tasked with keeping spiritual harmony at their school, and they accomplish this by going after errant ghosts and helping them either move on, or at least stop their foolish behaviours.
Although the concept of some ruling body policing otherwordly beings isn't new, this anime pulls it off in a strict school setting, and in just 12 episodes, bonds are formed within the group through ... their misadventures that's a plain joy to watch. Haruto, being the unwilling President of the Holy Student Council, is able to summon all 7 school spirits at his choosing (yeah, whole new meaning to having school spirit). Kazumi and Mutsuki are son and daughter of buhddists/shintoists respectively, and all three houses for a triangle which grants Saito High its unusual paranormal phenomenoms.

Art
Eh, not much to say here, the art is standard for anime, although the sequence of summoning the spirits is fun to watch, reminiscent of Sailor Moon (yes, you enjoyed it when you first saw Sailor Moon and her transformation, admit it) and a little bit of fan service goes a long way in anime like this, which are usually overlooked in favor of more high profile paranormal police anime (Yusuke, I'm looking at you!)

Sound
There aren't really that many special sound effects or much, but a particularly funny and enjoyable part of this anime is the summoning sequence, in which Haruto says "Welcooooome" (yes, in engrish) and every episode except the sixth, which ends in a splendid "OH MY GOD" (also in engrish) for a variety of reasons.

Character:
It is interesting to see the interactions between Haruto and his fellow Holy Council members, seeing as how he just wishes for a normal life. These interactions add a great deal of depth and conflict to what would otherwise be a happi-go-lucky anime of high school students having fun chasing after various ghosts

Overall Enjoyment
Lately I've been seeing a lot of short anime, like BPS, Maburaho and some others, but this one is the most that struck me, as it has real character development, interesting side stories and a lot more I don't wish to spoil. So hurry up and watch this anime! You'll be glad you did!

I can't believe such a hyped anime doesn't have a review. Well on with the show:

Story:
I absolutely loved this anime storywise. It begins with a young boy named Zed, who lives in a strange, polluted town known as Calm. One day, a spirit, Amil Gaoul, appears to him, and he is dragged into another world. This of course, might seem cliche within the genre of time/world-traveling hereos, but where Kiba sets itself apart is in the concept of shard casting, the main magical ability of the people of the alternate world. Shard-casters can produce from their body small shards which unleash an elemental attack. Other ... anime have similar concepts, but to use items like this is something that to me is rather new, and I liked it. Also, shardcasters may summon spirits using special shards, and there are six Key Spirits, which are far more powerful than other spirits. Without going into too many spoilers, once the six Key Spirits are brought together, a great power is unleashed, and much of the anime is spent in this quest by multiple factions to obtain the power of the Key Spirits. This makes for a truly epic anime, with a rather interesting ending.

Art:
During the first episode, you get the feeling that the art is dark, due to the nature of Calm, but once Amil Gaoul appears, you see the real art style of this anime. Most of the characters are drawn in rather conventional anime form, but the real artistic value of this anime can be seen in the ethereal forms of the various spirits. Amil Gaoul resembles an angel, but there are also spirits which resemble devils, warriors, mythical creatures such as phoenixes and centaurs. Most of the spirits are bipeds, which really adds to their appeal, in seeing ghostly, two-legged forms of many different beings. The places where the shard casters draw their shards from, can resemble anything from an intricate tattoo to jewelry, to some sort of disease-ridden boil, depending where it is, or the very character of the person.

Sound:
The voice actors are great, although personally I found Roia's voice grating on the nerves sometimes. The battle sequences with Amil Gaoul all have a beautiful chorus to them, so you know when the tide of the battle is going to turn. This is really the only highlight in terms of sound in this anime, the rest could easily be attributed to background sounds.

Character:
I didn't like some of the characters, mostly because they often contradicted their own actions in extreme ways. Zed remains for the better part of the anime, a hero, he takes to his role readily, then experiences doubts about himself, and his mentor, who although appears to have a grandfatherly aspect about him, has a dark past that doesn't come out until the last 5 or so episodes. Zed's best friend is another source of frustration, in that he so easily and completely changes himself into the opposite of Zed.

Enjoyment:
As you are watching the anime, you are completely absorbed in it, and maybe once it ends is when you really start questioning things such as characterization and such, but meanwhile, this is one wild ride. The rather novel concept of shard casting sets this anime apart, and I highly recommend it to everyone

Story: Unfortunately, the story was cut off after 15 episodes, and although the 15 episodes do tend to stick out on their own, the story quickly falls into a routine of Shirase being in his house, through some accident ends up in an uncomfortable position, and his next employer(always an Akizuki) walks in and sees him like this. The story quickly progresses through the various cybercrime cases Shirase takes, this routine repeating itself across each one.

Art: Standard anime artwork, nothing new or innovative

Sound: The voice actors for this anime are spot-on. No men with girly voices, rather, they all have the voices corresponding to their ... characters. The sounds of everyday life such as that of Shirase's fingers clicking on a keyboard add a small sense of realism.

The characters: If you looked up Shirase on a dictionary, you'd find him associated with ecchi and other such words. He is an easygoing rouge programmer who only cares about his programming and Misao-chan. Shirase is great-uncle or something like that to Misao, and she is just barely finishing elementary school, which might feel very improper to mainstream audiences who aren't accustomed to this aspect of japanese culture (lolicon).

Enjoyment: I personally enjoyed this short series, although the rather abrupt end was a source of disappointment to me. When you see the ending, you just know they could have kept this series going a bit longer. All in all, it leaves you wanting more, even if you feel it gets repetitive after a while, it does add a certain light-heartedness to this genre of hacker anime, typically dominated by anime similar to Ghost in the Shell. The inclusion of a possible love interest in the last 2 episodes is something I enjoyed, but again, due to the abrupt end, you are left wondering what might happen after, especially with the subtle hint at Shirase's future in that last image they show.

Overall: A decent anime, considering it is only 15 minutes long. Don't expect much, the abrupt end will leave you feeling cheated, even though the episodes are only 15 at 12 minutes each. Recommended to the hard-core programmer crowd for a few laughs, and to everyone else, this is rather a parody of programmers.

Although I haven\'t seen much of this anime, I feel I have to express myself about it, so I\'ll make this short. The story itself is certainly a refreshing change of pace from other anime which either ignore placing fantasy elements, or go overboard and spin a wild tale of youkai and miko. The art style is definitely top notch for a modern anime, especially taking into account it is not an OVA. As for the character development, I\'ve seen about 10 episodes or so, and I find the character development quite lacking, the main character simply meets up with the others and they quickly ... join forces. Also the main character\'s past is shrowded in mystery, too much, you hardly even know why he does what he does. I certainly don\'t get the feeling that he does it out of the goodness of his heart, although it is hinted at a duty of his, I want to see more, but not too much, otherwise the mysterious aura around him vanishes. Overall an enjoyable historical anime with some dash of demons, interesting sword styles, and sometimes a bit over the top action sequences.

This is a great anime for vampire lovers. The ending as is to be expected is pretty open-ended, although Blood+ can give you an additional fill if you want.

Over all this OVA excells. The story is so well-written, it might not have that much in the way of character development due to how short it is, but the way they present the vampires is very believable, the director himself stating how he wanted to present vampires as in-between evolution, something few anime do, or overdue as is the case of Trinity Blood, where there is evolution, but it is accompanied with near magical powers. Blood ... has none of this. The transformations are gruesome, and the end result a bat-like creature not unlike the one found in Batman. This is why the story and animation are great, they pull out all the stops to present this version of chiropterans (vampires) as something that might indeed exist.

The main character is silent, so in terms of sound there isn\'t much to say about her, but the screams of the chiropterans can be to some bone chilling, and the dialogue wastes no time ensnaring you in the story, with pretty well cast voice actors, and an ocassional scene thrown in to leave you confused and wanting more, you\'ll know when and if you have seen it, particularly towards the end.

Excellent story, inspired artwork, great battle scenes and loads of vampire goodness make this a must see for anyone into vampire or horror anime

This anime is great for anyone who likes fighting animes. The main character Kenichi, gradually changes from a weakling into quite the formidable fighter, as of the time I'm writing this, the latest episode is episode 47, and all througout you can see a consistent improvement on his character, as he develops confidence, and the skills to back up that confidence.

Overall a great anime, the animation itself is pretty much like most anime, except during dramatic moments, when the use of shadows is greatly enhanced. The sound is perfect, all the character's voices ... fit their personalities, and you can really feel the emotion in Kenichi's voice. Again, a great anime if you are into martial arts stuff, or just a growin pains anime with a hint of romance

The story is very interesting, in that we see a culmination of everything in the last few episodes. We see why Kenichi is so driven to learn martial arts, and the depth of this drive, with how he pushes himself through inhuman training. Definitely, the characters of this anime are unforgettable, each makes a lasting impact on you, from Kenichi and his friends, to his eccentric masters, and his enemies.