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Before you read this review, I would like to say that before watching Major I have never watched or played in a baseball game before. (My country has no baseball love >_>) Despite that, I knew some of the basics from a few video games I've tried a little of before. I cannot vouch for those who are already familiar with baseball as I will be reviewing from the point of view of a newbie.

Story
This is actually pretty typical. Boy strives to become the best in something, which in this case is baseball. Honda Goro tries to take after his father as a pitcher who ... plays in the pro league in Japan. That's basically all you're gonna get. They play baseball to try to get to the next "level", fighting stronger opponents as they go on.

However there are various plot advances as well as drama thrown into the mix, so don't go in thinking this is just a tournament-after-tournament anime.

Art
Art is very solid and pleasing although the animation does get a little sloppy at certain times. However, it is well done during important parts, especially during games. I won't go so far as to say this is any ground-breaking animation, but it serves its purpose. After all, this is a baseball anime, not something that has flashy explosions.

Sound
I absolutely loved the soundtrack. Very few songs used in the background actually are able to make me find myself humming them unconsciously later onward. There are quite a few notable pieces used throughout the series and they all carry out their duty in helping to further emote scenes.

Character
This is where the series shines for me. I enjoyed the character development that Major had. As baseball is a team sport, there is also a lot of focus on developing relationships within the team, and how problems arise and are solved amongst one another. The characters are all very likable (well, with a few exceptions), and its fun to watch them interact with one another.

The show also focuses quite moderately on family relationships. There are a few issues which come up within Goro's family and it shows how he as a child, handles them. I found certain scenes to be quite touching also.

Enjoyment
Uh, I enjoyed this. A lot. It's my favorite sports anime. Although it isn't without its flaws, I found it a great watch. If you enjoy seeing a character "grow", then you will like this. Not too sure about those who are familiar with baseball though, as it helped as a device to pique my interest.

Overall
Amongst all the seasons, I found this one to be the strongest. (Though this is not to say the other seasons are vastly inferior.) You should give at least this first season a try, even if you don't like baseball, as the character relations are great to watch no matter what sport they are playing.

G Gundam, one of my favorite Gundam Alternate Universe series. Unfortunately, this series does not get the love it deserves as compared to the newer ones. Although it is named G Gundam, it is in no way a Gundam at all. (Excluding the designs and premise >_>)

Gundams get into one-on-one brawls in the tournament called the Gundam Fight and beat their respective opponents one by one until they win the tournament. The fights are very super-robot-esque, with lots of hot-blooded shouting and super moves, including finishers such as SHINING FINGER! They even come with their own cheesy incantations to be recited before execution.

Story
The show ... basically starts of as a monster-of-the-week, with one enemy being introduced every episode. However, near the middle of the series, the show uses the development in these episodes to reveal a plot gradually piled up from the beginning. Some parts of the story are quite touching despite the cheesiness of it all, and it has a number of twists as well.


Art
The art style stays true to the original Gundam hand-drawn style (back when CG wasn't used yet). Fans of the older series will immediately take to it, and newer watchers might be initially turned off by the lack of shiny computer generated lasers, but may grow to love it. The action scenes are pretty well animated and are quite constant, although some scenes you can clearly see how more effort was put into.


Sound
The music for this show is great. Music during fight scenes will pump you up, and more melancholic tunes during touching/sad scenes will jerk your heart real good. The songs are quite fitting, but can sound a little old fashioned at times. (They even have authentic Cantonese music for when they are at Neo Hong Kong!)

The openings and endings are also among the better ones, topped with above average animation. The openings really help to get you in the mood for the show.

The voices are very fitting. They can be serious when they need to, and perform crazy hotblooded move yelling when needed. The chemistry between Domon and Master Asia's seiyuus are very natural. Overall great voice acting for all characters.


Character
The characters are very well written, and the main crew and their fellows get superb development over the course of the 49 episodes. Don't want to spoil anything here, so I'll just say that their relationships are very well portrayed, especially that of Domon (protagonist) and his master, Master Asia (you have to have heard that before).


All in all, I enjoyed this show a lot more than I thought I would. As my second Gundam series, it's impact on me has not faded since I have watched it unlike many other anime series. In fact, I think I'll be rewatching it pretty soon. What are you waiting for? It's time for the Gundam Fight-o! READYYYY.. GO!!!

*buries head in ground*

Comic Party. If you've watched Doujin Work before, then this is pretty much the same premise. Basically, it's about a group of friends/acquaintances and their journey through drawing, printing and selling of their very own doujinshi (parodies of others' works or original comics).

The story is simple and fun to watch. It's basically a slice of life with minimal plot twists. Kazuki is introduced into the doujinshi community and the show depicts his growth. It does really well in that aspect, but don't go in expecting anything too complex or outrageous. It does provide some insight on how events work in Japan though.

The art style ... isn't anything too special, but it isn't bad either. It remains constant throughout the series. Since there aren't much action scenes, don't expect the art too be too explosive either.

The soundtrack is pretty standard fare for slice-of-life shows. It helps to improve the mood in different situations, but is not very special or noticable. Opening and ending songs are J-pop, so you might find those enjoyable.

The characters are where this series focus is on. Each of them comes with their own personality whether introverted or quirky. (Especially Taishi, who loves Engrish very, very much, as you will see) The development is well spread although the main characters do receive much more than the supporting ones, though it is to be expected. The relationships are also not blown out of proportion, and are what you'd expect to find between friends in real life.

I feel that this series was pretty enjoyable to watch. It's always fun to watch a work of fiction about creating works of fiction, as there aren't too many of this genre. Don't expect too much going in and you may find yourself liking it more than you thought you would.

Ayakashi Ayashi is set in the Tenpou era in Edo, Japan. The events in the story occur before the arrival of Commodore Perry. The leads of the show are a band of warriors known as Ayashi, who are commissioned to fight beasts from the other world, known as Youi.

Story
The series starts out a little episodic (monster of the week, if you will). However, it comes off very well in blending fantasy into real history. The plot starts to pick up near the middle, but feels a little rushed near the end due to the fact that the series was originally planned for a 50 ... episode run. Being cut in half due to the unsatisfactory ratings required of a "primetime" show really hurt this area. It still is pretty enjoyable, though I felt it would have been much better given a few more episodes.

If you are interested in Japanese calligraphy/word study, this series will appeal even more to you. Ryuudou can draw "Ayagami" from people and youi, which are basically their names and depending on their meanings (current, and original meaning of the word), he is able to magically create weapons, armor and whatnot.

Art
The art style used is very aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and remains constant throughout the series. The action scenes are animated very well and the style blends really well with the mood of the series. It also gives off a very 'classy' Japanese feel. Very beautiful and one of my favorite parts of this show.

Sound
Personally, I found the OPs and EDs to be great. The ED animation might not be very flashy, but it fits well with the songs and the show in general. The OPs are quite fast paced and are animated quite well.

The soundtrack fits the show to a "T", and although not one of the best, still really helped enhance the mood of many scenes.

Character
Characters are generally likable and have quite a few focal episodes where they are well developed, including their pasts etc. Voice acting is also superb for most roles. I liked how the main character was a middle-aged man and not a young child like most shows in this slot (Gundam SEED, Blood+, Eureka Seven). However, the lack of a main where kids can relate too probably helped contribute to the lack of popularity for the show.


Overall
I found myself enjoying this show quite a bit. If you enjoy a little history or Japanese mixed into your anime, then you might wanna check this one out. But if the premise of the shows doesn't interest you, then you might want to save your time and watch something else.

I still feel it was a waste that it had to be cut though. Could've done much better with twice the showtime. Off to watch the OVAs now.

This show can simply be described using two words. "Beautiful" and "Masterpiece".

Story

Based of the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, you can expect the story to be well put together. The setting used however, is a futuristic era where man has already set off into space. Despite that, it is very well molded into the story and does not come off as too outrageous.

The pacing of the episodes was also very well done and made full use of the 26 episodes without being too quick-paced or dragged on.


Visuals
...
To be honest, this art style will not suit everyone. I however, found it to be particularly enjoyable past the first episodes when I became used to it. The visuals are very vibrant and do well to captivate the viewer. It also seems natural when used in Gankutsuou, and is probably one of the few shows that are able to utilize the textiles and distinct art style without coming off as being too forceful.


Sound

The soundtrack is simply amazing. The music used for various scenes are very well suited and will definitely catch your notice. There are also various pieces of classicals used within, so fans of classic music will be pleased. Overall, it matches the theme of the story as well as the situations used.

As for the voice acting, the Japanese voices were perfectly done. Especially that of the Count. Nakata does an excellent portrayal of the Count which cannot easily be topped. The whole cast generally does a good job, except Fukuyama (Albert's VA), whom I'm a little biased against from hearing too much of his other roles.

Can't comment on the english dub, since I've never watched it.


Characters

This is where Gankutsuou truly shines. The characters are very well fleshed out. The characters are very well written with quite an amount of depth, and easily serve their purpose. Characters which are meant to be hated will make you hate them. Pitiful characters will be pitied, and so on. The relationships between some of the characters are truly beautiful and will not fail to get through to the viewer.


Summary

Gankutsuou is one of my favorite (and probably most) anime. I was hooked throughout each episode which was beautifully done. Sometimes when I have higher expectations for a show, I get a little disappointed after I watch through it. This was not the case for Gankutsuou.

Although you might not find it to your preference, no harm giving it a try. Just as many have done before, you may find yourself enjoying this more than you thought you would.