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If someone asked me to sum up Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie In April) in one word, it would be "beautiful."

As I start this review, I find it difficult to really put into words what kind of impact this anime had on me. Perhaps you find it cliché to read such a phrase, or that anyone could truly have their real world life impacted by a 2D animation, but I am 100% without a doubt certain that this anime has changed me for the better.

Story: 8
As I'm sure you've read before, the story follows Kousei Arima, a piano prodigy who lost his mother ... and as a result had a mental breakdown on stage, rendering him unable to play the piano because he has lost the ability to hear the notes he plays. He sees the world in a depressing palette of monochrome, of black and white. There is no color, no joy, no excitement to be found in Kousei's world. He spends all of his days the same; going to class, transcribing music, and hanging out with his childhood friends, Tsubaki and Watari. This all changes when he sees a girl, named Kaori Miyazono, standing in a playground playing a melodica. As soon as he sees her, this strange, yet beautiful girl playing her instrument for a few excited kids, the world he sees begins to fill with color. The music she plays is wonderful, and as she barges her way into Kousei's life, he is set on a new course. From here the story is filled with an exploration of their relationship, the long process of recovery, battles between old rivals, and spectacular musical set pieces, among other things. Comedic and emotional scenes go hand in hand; there is definitely less comedy as the series goes on, but what is there is strong and pretty funny.

This isn't just a basic romance story with music thrown in for kicks though, as this anime goes deep. It delves into the idea of young teens dealing with adult topics, topics such as the idea of letting go, of moving on, of maturing, of stress and recovery, and of truly reaching someone, whether it be through your words or your music. "Did I reach you? I really hope I reached you." These topics are handled perfectly, and I'd be shocked if there was a dry-eye in the room come certain scenes. The conclusion itself is somewhat anti-climactic (in a good way), yet unbelievably emotional, appropriate and effective.

I don't want to talk too much more about the story, as I don't want to drop any spoilers, but rest assured that it is entertaining and very well told.

Unfortunately, it isn't all smooth sailing. There are some sections in which the story is repetitive to a fault, specifically involving Kousei's inner monologuing. Yes, it is important to the story, but it comes up so often in one sequence close to midway through the series, and lasts for such long durations, that it's hard not to be pulled out of the immersion and get mildly irritated that it doesn't just move on at this point. Additionally, it becomes fairly obvious early on what path the story will take, which may be an issue for some, as it lessens the surprise when big moments do happen. Finally, there are numerous misplaced comedic moments. In the middle of some emotional scene or conversation, there will be a completely random comedic interjection that ruins the moment. Granted these are still funny, I just think they're inappropriate where they are.

All in all though, this story is an intriguing and well told one, especially if you love music as much as I do. I have also not been this emotionally affected by an anime since I watched Clannad months ago.

Art/Animation: 9
The art direction and animation in Your Lie In April is extremely well done. Everything looks crisp, clear, and smooth. There are a couple episodes around the middle where the quality seems to drop a little bit, but you'll know why come the concluding episodes of the anime. The character designs are unique and well drawn, and everyone's design fit their character perfectly. Overall there are no real issues to speak of; only praise.

Sound: 10
Beautiful. Spectacular. Sensational. Amazing. Perfect. Breathtaking. Stunning. Fantastic. These are all words that could describe the sound in Your Lie In April. The first OP song is one of the best, if not the best, in all of the anime I've seen. I bought it on iTunes after hearing it for only the second time. The ED songs are very appropriate, especially the second one. And the original score? My god, I couldn't possibly write enough praise about the OST. Since I finished the series, I've hunted down all of the songs on YouTube and been listening to them near non-stop. Should I find the soundtrack on CD somewhere, I would buy it in a heartbeat. The emphasis on piano and violin, including classical music, is extremely refreshing. The ambient songs that play during the non-performance scenes are similarly fantastic; there is again an emphasis on piano and violin, with some light electronic elements thrown in to create such a beautiful blend of sound. If you've seen the anime, or are just looking for an example of the music which I can't adequately describe, look up "Spring's Melody," "I'm A Violinist," "I'll Never Forget Today," "A Presence Like A Little Brother," "Again," "My Truth," or "Truth And A Lie." I won't be able to hear "Love's Sorrow," or Chopin's Ballad No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 the same ever again. And the conclusion itself has quite possibly the best song choices I've ever picked up on. Following the conclusion of the anime, I immediately moved Your Life In April to my #1 OST of all time. Trust me, if you have any sort of appreciation for music in general, but especially classical music, you will absolutely love the music in YLIA.

Character: 8
I greatly enjoyed the characters in Your Lie In April. They were well designed, as mentioned in the Art/Animation section, and all very unique while playing their own important role in the series. They were charming, entertaining, funny, touching, and realistic. Kaori beating around the bush, Kousei's struggles to move on, Tsubaki's mixed feelings, and Watari's desire to be #1 whilst being there for his friends are all on display in full force. Kousei's mother, Kousei's tutor (Seto), his two rivals, Emi and Takeshi, and his student, Nagi, also all receive their own backstories. It's quite impressive that in a 22 episode run time, I genuinely cared for all of the characters, and they managed to not only include backstories for everyone, but meaningful development (going with the topic of moving on and maturing mentioned earlier).

Kousei by and far has the most development and backstory focus, which makes sense because he's the protagonist. Unfortunately, as mentioned in the story section, sometimes they will repeat certain scenes from his backstory, which gets old and repetitive. For the most part though, his story is well done. Other characters whom receive the better treatment are Kaori, Tsubaki, Kousei's mother, Seto, Emi, Takeshi, and Nagi.

Watari, on the other hand, gets screwed over. He's definitely a good guy and genuinely wants to help his friends, that much is clear. However, he gets next to no backstory (only really shown with Kaori and Tsubaki as kids, and even then he's in the background), and gets next to no development (aside from a brief scene in the final episode and one other scene midway through). His backstory and development were definitely lacking, which was too bad as he was a character I wanted to get to know more.

Aside from Watari, the characters were well crafted. As mentioned, their backstories and development were intriguing and helped the viewer to connect to them in a personal way. They all had noticeable flaws and weaknesses that were key in said developments, and watching the characters work to overcome their flaws and weaknesses and truly grow as people was a delight.

Enjoyment: 9
Do you like music? Do you like character development and delving into emotional back stories? Do you like crisp art and animation? Do you like enjoyable and relatable characters? Do you like a well told, emotional story? Then you owe it to yourself to watch this. If you dislike melodrama, perhaps you should stay away, but we're dealing with late middle schoolers here; it's expected.

I loved the story. I loved the art and animation. I loved the characters. I was blown away by the soundtrack. Your Lie In April was a highly enjoyable, relatable, and emotional ride, and it's one that I'll be taking again and again in the years to come. This is certainly one of the season's best anime, if not the best, and deserves a spot on anime forums and "top lists" for a long time to come. I know it will be on mine, and I know that I'll be recommending this to all of my friends. It's hard to say goodbye to a series I enjoyed so much that I had to binge watch the entire thing in under 24 hours, but I have the soundtrack to bring with me wherever I go, and hope that this review has helped you in some way in your decision to watch Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, or Your Lie In April.

Overall: 9/10

Any feedback from you "helpful and not helpful" voters would be welcome!

Kyokugen Dasshutsu Adv: Zennin Shibou Desu Prologue is a brief introduction to the video game Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (available on the Playstation Vita and the Nintendo 3DS). Really, the only reason you should watch this ONA is if you have already played the game or are about to. Basically, it sums up the first 30 minutes or so of the game in a much quicker fashion.

Story: 6
Now, having played the game, I can safely say the story in the game is a definite 10/10. Complex, full of surprises and developments, long, and always extremely interesting. Because this ONA simply serves to provide a ... brief introduction, it barely gets even a minuscule sliver of that brilliant story into this extremely short run time. It does do an adequate job of summing up the beginning and main concepts, though it completely leaves out the time travel aspect of it, which is a major part of the gameplay and story of the game. I can't see this really piquing anyone's interest unless, like I mentioned in the beginning, they have already played or plan to play the game (which I do highly recommend).

Note: In case you're interested, the story of the game revolves around the protagonist, Sigma, trying to win the Nonary Game. This game is won when someone reaches a score of 9. They can increase their score by either allying with someone who allies with them, or betraying their partner who trusted them. (This is reminiscent of the Prisoner's Dilemma). Along the way, there will be murders, suicides, betrayals, loss, and a heavy sense of mystery and high level on tension with some really intriguing puzzles. There is a time travel component to it that allows you to rewind time and change a decision to see how the alternate choice (and accompanying timeline) would have resulted, which is honestly pretty interesting and leads to around 20 different "endings" (although there is only one true ending). I did write a review of the game, so if you're interesting in reading that, feel free to message me and I'll send you it!

Now, back on task: I think that this would do well as a full anime series, but unfortunately that's not the point of this ONA, so this only gets a score of 6 for the story. I think it could have gotten a much higher score here with just a few more minutes of runtime and potentially a brief mention of the time travel mechanic.

Art: 7
The art is good, but nothing special. Character designs are very good and look just like their video game counterparts, though at times the animation seems slightly choppy or sudden and then doesn't go back or explain anything. The colors are mostly dark aside from character designs, which are a bit boring to look at (while this is the same in the game, the game at least spices it up with bright areas here or there and has a nice graphical style to keep it from being boring).

Sound: 6
Again, like the art, the sound is good, but not great. The voice acting is pretty good, specifically for Sigma, Phi, and Zero III, but it seemed to me as though the voices and sound effects were not quite synced up with the animation, which was a bit distracting. Aside from the voice acting, there aren't really any sound effects or OST samples to speak of.

Character: 7
The whole purpose of this ONA was to set up the story and characters, which it did a relatively good job of. The little blurbs that popped up for each character gave pretty good, albeit brief, insight into each character's personalities. The actual designs for the characters were also pretty good, and the VA choices were appropriate.

Enjoyment: 6
I enjoyed seeing this animated introduction as I have already played the game, and I'd imagine that anyone else in a boat similar to mine would think the same way. However, if you have no interest in the game, I don't think you'd enjoy this, as it doesn't tell a big story, have character developments, have an exceptional art style or soundtrack, etc. It serves solely to accompany the game.

Overall: 6
It is an interesting and relatively well made ONA, but I don't see it capturing the attention of anyone other than the small audience who played the main game.

(I would, however, strongly recommend playing the game, which is a sure 9.5/10 in my opinion. By far one of the best stories, with some of the best characters, in recent memory.)

Hataraku Maou-sama!, or The Devil is a Part Timer!, is an anime that's been on my list for a while, thanks to it's interesting concept, but I'd just never had the drive to start because I was wrapped up with something else. Sitting around bored yesterday, I decided to start it, as I saw it on Netflix, and figured why not. I am so, so glad I decided to take the plunge into the hilarity that is The Devil is a Part-Timer!, because quite simply this anime was amazing. It is easily the funniest anime I have seen, and one of the funniest things that ... I've watched in general.

Story: 7
The very first thing I heard about this anime was its absolutely ridiculous concept; the devil and his right hand man appear on Earth after escaping a large battle in their native land, Ente Isla, and have to adapt to life in Japan. They do so by renting a one room apartment, and the devil gets a part time job at the local MgRonalds, while the right hand man, Alziel, plays housewife. This gets crazy as they make human friends and other characters from the mystical land of Ente Isla come to Earth to hunt them down, and everything spirals from here.

This concept is executed unbelievably well. The story was interesting, and the way different characters played off of one another to advance their development, and the story, was an absolute joy to watch. Humor, drama, and slice of life (to a degree) were all mixed together and pulled off without a hitch.

Well, almost without a hitch. As much as I loved the plot and concepts, I feel as though certain components could have been improved. Yeah, we got some cool backstory about Ente Isla and the characters while they were there, but I wish they had delved a bit more into that. The war-torn land these characters originated from seems like it could have been explained more, and while I enjoyed the flashbacks, I just wish there had been more (either from a longer season, or second season). Yes, I understand that this story is primarily about these characters adapting to Earth, but that leads into my second problem; I feel as though certain actions and relationships shown on Earth were slightly abrupt and would have gone over better had we been given a more in-depth introduction to them ahead of time (or even after, to help clear it up). But, all in all, the flashbacks that are there are great, and the main part of the story, their shenanigans on Earth, are very interesting and I was definitely invested in seeing what happened next.

Art: 9
The art is great. The animation for the characters looks very good, and the battle scenes were always a pleasure to watch. The bright colors of Earth contrasted the darker, muddier palette used for Ente Isla, much like how humans and the hero had a brighter feel to them while the demons (well, at least when they looked demonic) were dark. When the art shifts were used, they were definitely appropriate and well placed, as they definitely conveyed the feelings and tone for the different characters and locations quite well, and each character was undoubtably designed just how I would have imagined them.

Sound: 9
First things first, the OP is awesome. Really, really awesome. The song is great, catchy, and memorable, and the accompanying art is also great. The OST isn't something I honestly picked up on much at first, but as I got more invested I definitely noticed it and find it to be very well done. Both the battle scenes and casual hang out/humor filled scenes had great music going along with them. Finally, the voice acting was also top notch (both the sub and dub). Personally, I would recommend watching this in your native language if possible, as I feel that for a comedy, you should hear the jokes and inflections on the character's lines fluently rather than reading at a different speed than the lines are delivered; what's the fun reading a joke before they finish saying it? In addition, some of the subs for jokes aren't quite as funny, because the jokes will be adjusted in the dub to flow better than a sub would allow. If you really desire to go subbed, then by all means go for it as the sub and original Japanese VAs are great, though I would really suggest at least giving the dub a shot. I think the english dub was really good, and every VA actually put their all into it which resulted in some great punchlines and deliveries.

My one negative for sound is that I was not a big fan of the ED. I really liked the art, but something about the song seemed off to me. Don't get me wrong, I think it fit with the tone of the show and the accompanying art, but I just wasn't much of a fan.

Character: 9
This is another part where The Devil is a Part-Timer! really shines. I LOVED the cast of characters. The protagonists were perfect; as previously stated, the art/animation and VAs for each character were exactly what I would have wanted, and the characters themselves were all relatable, hilarious, and experienced genuine growth. The villains were also great, and I loved the way a certain one changed after his big battle. There was one character I didn't particularly like for a couple episodes, but even that was resolved by the end. Ashiya was my favorite, but really I could see there being endless arguments about which character is best because they're just all so lovable and entertaining. This is a cast I wholeheartedly want to see more of, and I'll certainly remember their crazy shenanigans for quite some time. I really can't put into words how much I genuinely enjoyed this cast.

My one criticism of the characters is that there are two who are introduced, would seem to be important, and then basically entirely disappear for the remainder of the season. There is not mention or explanation of them, which was a little disappointing. They're even in the OP with the other main characters, and I feel like they don't have a place there because they're so uninvolved and not really important to the story.

Enjoyment: 10
Despite some previously mentioned issues, like an underdeveloped backstory and two characters seeming out of place, I thoroughly enjoyed The Devil is a Part-Timer!. The humor was consistently funny and had me bursting out laughing multiple times, the cast is amazing, the art/animation and sound are both great, and the concept and resulting situations the characters get into are a riot. I would wholeheartedly recommend this not only to people who like anime, but also people who like comedy. I will without a doubt be purchasing the bluray collection and hope to see a season 2 sometime soon, as I want to go back into this world. Anyone looking for a truly great anime should be quite pleased with The Devil is a Part-Timer!.

Overall: 9/10

To the helpful and not helpful voters, feedback is appreciated!

tl;dr A truly amazing show with brilliant art and sound, and an intriguing and massively entertaining story with great characters that can only be summarized in one word: Epic. You need to watch Gurren Lagann.

Gurren Lagann. What a ride it was.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the mecha genre. I've never seen the big appeal in it, but the animation and action is usually good enough to keep me entertained, even if I don't care for anything else.

Gurren Lagann is a special kind of mecha anime. Not only is the art/animation absolutely phenomenal (as expected in an anime such as this), but ... so are all the other components. The story is gripping, the sound design (both the ost and voice acting) is great, and the characters are relatable and massively enjoyable.

Story: 9
The story in Gurren Lagann was something special. Gurren Lagann's motto seems to be, based on comments I read in the forums during episodes and my own conclusion, "Throw logic out the window and do the impossible!" - and while normally this would be a problem for me, it just seemed to work flawlessly for it. The exaggerated, absurd nature of so many of the things you see makes Gurren Lagann a truly memorable and special show. However, don't think that the story is just purely exaggerated and ridiculous, scenes - there are some surprisingly deep scenes and underlying conflicts that will unfold to shake things up.

The first 2/3 of the show are basically setting up most of the characters, providing amazing action and battle scenes, and humor abound. There is a brief lull in the middle where things slow down severely, but it was necessary for the story to progress. Other than those 2 episodes or so, Gurren Lagann moves at a breakneck speed that will leave you speechless and entertained.

The final 1/3 of the show is, without a doubt, one of the most epic arcs I've seen in any medium ever. Every episode ratcheted up the tension to unbelievable levels, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Throughout the course of its 27 episodes, you experience all sorts of battles and trials with the main cast, and by the end, I can guarantee you'll share in both the elated feelings of accomplishment in the face of the greatest odds, and be punched in the stomach by the emotion present in other, simply put, beautiful scenes. While not a sad anime, certain scenes in the last few episodes left me tearing up because of the brilliant art direction, score, writing, and voice acting that formed an amazing combination.

IAmSovereign said in his review, "The show that turns boys into men," and I have to say that I wholly agree with this statement. At its core, this story is one of growth, of the main character Simon breaking out of his shell as a 14 year old boy and becoming someone else, someone more mature. But he's not the only one to experience growth - basically every significant character throughout the series experiences wonderful and relatable character development, and I can guarantee that by the end, no character is the same as they were when they were first introduced.

IAmSovereign (go read his review if you haven't, it's very good) also said it best with "An endlessly thrilling ride from the most humble beginnings to the most fantastic of ends." I couldn't agree more with this line. The escalation of the intensity and story is quite remarkable.

Are there some issues? Sure. Sometimes it feels like the mechas gain certain powers for the sake of advancing the story or convenience for the characters, and some plot devices aren't fully explained (well, they are explained, just much later than one would expect - but at least even some of the crazier things get some logical explanation as the meanings behind things are revealed. It's pretty impressive that just about every absurd plot device/hole is explained later on in a way that makes sense). But when the story is just this much FUN to watch, you can't let these things detract from it too much.

The themes throughout the anime are ones of companionship, growth and maturity, and courage and sacrifice, and the way they stay consistently present over the entire duration is truly remarkable. The ways that each character comes to terms with these themes is a joy to watch, and I feel like I myself understand these values more having watched this anime.

In summary, Gurren Lagann's story is a fast-paced, breathtaking, enjoyable romp through the space time continuum that can only be summarized in one word: Epic.

Art/Animation: 9
The art in Gurren Lagann is also quite good. The character animations are good, but what really shines in a show such as this are the very frequent battle scenes. The animation in these scenes is spectacular, and left me in awe at some of the pure insanity going on on-screen throughout. Emotion is portrayed well, and every character has a significant trait that defines them. One of the best things about the art direction was the way two main characters were paralleled in design towards the end, and I guarantee it has the potential to choke up even the most toughened veterans of the genre, and anime in general.

Sound: 10
The OST in Gurren Lagann is nothing short of amazing. The OP and ED were perfect choices that just ooze epicness every time you hear them. Every time the OP came on, I got pumped up for the inevitable chaos and rollercoaster of a ride that each episode was. The score is perfect - some songs fit more towards funny scenes, others toward serious scenes, others for casual scenes, others for development and speeches, and others for the most epic scale battles of all. As I sit here listening to "With Your Drill, Pierce The Heavens!", off the OST (the 3:38 version), I'm on the verge of tearing up as I remember the journey the characters went through, the lives that were lost, and the scenes it was played in (it is a prime example of a perfect OST song). Other standout tracks include "Viral's Theme", "With Your Drill, The Heavens..." (a beautiful song from one of the most emotional scenes of the entire show), "Adai Village's Decosuke", "Sorairo Days", and "To Hell With Gattai".

Not only was the OST amazing, but the voice acting was also brilliant. Having compared both the sub and dub, I can say that regardless of which method of watching anime you prefer, you're in for a treat - though I must say that this is one of the best English dubs I've heard - every character was cast absolutely perfectly and brought to life, especially Viral, Simon, Ron, Kamina, and Kittan.

Character: 10
The characters of Gurren Lagann were simultaneously some of the funniest, most relatable, and most entertaining characters of any anime I've seen. As mentioned under the story section, there is significant character growth, and the way each character grows and changes will leave you satisfied. The personalities of them are so diverse, and yet each one was perfect in the overall picture. The sheer cast of personalities that make up Team Dai-Gurren leaves me impressed and cheering them on every step of the way.

The writing of the characters was amazing, and the dialogue they delivered was nothing short of absolutely spectacular. There are so many quotes that I was jotting down throughout the show, especially in the first few and last few episodes. "Just who the hell do you think I am?", "Believe in the me that believes in you", "Let's see you grit those teeth!", one of the final speeches delivered that I won't post here... all are quotes that will stick with me for a long time. The way certain quotes were repeated over the course of the show, like the three listed above, also just raised the meaning and impact behind them more and more each time.

I was attached to each and every character, even the minor ones, down to the last seconds of the show and even now, after having finished it. I feel like I can't do justice describing just how wonderful the characters are. You need to watch it to understand how I feel about them.

Enjoyment: 10
Frankly, you just need to watch it. This was one of the most entertaining animes I have ever watched, and likely ever will watch. The story is so, so entertaining, the art and animation are amazing, the sound design, from the OST to the voice actors, are perfect, and the characters make up one of the best casts of any anime to date. If any piece of my review has resonated with you or piqued your interest, you owe it to yourself to give Gurren Lagann a shot. You won't regret it.

Overall: 9.5/10
(Note: When originally writing the review, I rounded down to a 9, but after the lasting impression it's given me over the past 2 months I've decided to round it to a 10).

(To the "helpful" and "not helpful" voters out there, feedback would be appreciated)

tl;dr Sure, you may have to suspend belief about or overlook an occasional plot hole or character annoyance, but in the end this is a highly entertaining anime with great art and sound, an enjoyable setting and characters, and a solid story.

NOTE: Just because you don't agree with my score, don't vote "not helpful"! Please read the review first and judge the review for what it is, not if you agree with me. That's not the point of those buttons.

Ah, Sword Art Online. An anime that has caused a massive division among anime fans - some hate it, others love it. Where do I stand? ... Somewhere towards the love side - I really enjoyed it, but there were still a few issues that bugged me at points.

Story: 8
The story is certainly an interesting one, one that grabbed my attention the moment I first heard someone talk about it - thousands of players logging into a new VRMMO (something I wish existed!) are suddenly trapped in the game, unable to log out; and if they die in game, they die in real life, as the VR headset the players wear in real life will fry their brains. From the first episode, I was hooked - I wanted to see more of the world, learn how this all managed to happen, and see what the cast of characters (further discussed below) got themselves up to.

I do agree with a common criticism in that the second half of the season wasn't quite as good as the first half (the concept of dying in game = dying in real life is removed!), though I will vouch that it still has the same feel as the first half - the same great components making up the show as well - and I was just as interested to see the progression of the Alfheim (ALO) arc as I was the Aincrad (SAO) arc. While some character changes seemed a bit large, they were required for the progression of the story and honestly it didn't seem too strange based on the context they happened in.

There were certainly some amazing build-ups throughout the anime, and the crescendos of these scenes were always a joy to see play out. However, I was a bit bugged by the way certain plot devices would be dropped or overlooked or seemingly forgotten so as to move the plot forwards. I was also oh so slightly disappointed by the last few minutes of the concluding episode, because while it was still strong and had a good message (for the characters and the viewer), I wish it had focused on a different character (you'll probably know what I mean when you see it). However, the last few seconds basically make up for that, so it's not a major negative in any way. There were also a few plot twists that I did not see coming, which I always enjoy. What's important in the end, though, is that I still found the story to pretty pretty damn enjoyable. So in summary, while there was a bit of a drop in quality in the second half, along with a few convenient plot devices left out, he story was pretty enjoyable and I was always interested to see what happened next to our cast of characters and in the worlds of Aincrad and Alfheim.

Art/Animation: 9
The art and animation in Sword Art Online really is quite impressive. The character designs were strong, as were the enemy designs. There were lots of bright colors that popped off the scream and darker colors that set a brooding or tense mood. The worlds of Aincrad and Alfheim were both a treat to look at, and my god the battle animations: those were amazing. I looked forwards to every battle despite the danger to the characters because of how wonderful they looked, they were a real treat. Emotions were well depicted - happiness, sadness, anger, fear, etc; for example, the fear a player would show when encountering the boss was really quite believable, as were the emotions conveyed throughout certain character's relationships. The only, very slight negative I have is that I wish one or two certain battles were animated rather than still images, but they were still great to watch so it's not a huge deal in the end.

Sound: 10
The sound was another really, really strong part of the SAO package. The OP and ED were both very good (though it changes at the beginning of the ALO arc to different songs, though I still enjoyed them). The soundtrack was wonderful; I'm actually listening to it now as I write the review. Some convey great emotions and struggles, others convey the feeling of epicness we get during battle sequences, and others are just played as the world is explored and characters converse - every track is strong and I'm actively searching for a way to (legally, of course) download the soundtrack (I already bought the OP on iTunes). Some favorite tracks of mine include Swordland, Luminous Sword, At Nightfall, A Tender Feeling, Aincrad, We Have To Defeat It, Fight!, Gracefully, With My Friend, Critical Phase, and Dance With Me. In addition to the score, the voice acting was also quite good, both in English and Japanese - the voice actors were very strong in their roles and you could hear and feel the emotions that characters were portraying. (Fun fact: in English, the voice actor who plays Kirito also plays Eren in Attack on Titan, which was kind of cool as they are similar-ish characters).

Characters: 7
Looking back on SAO subjectively, the characters are the one component that I felt was slightly lacking. I did really like certain characters, but with the "perma-death" effect, others were killed off before I really began to care about them. Other characters seemed interesting but weren't quite developed enough, or just as they began to be developed they would be killed off. Certain characters just aren't particularly strong overall; a bit underwhelming to be honest. There was even one main character who I was not particularly fond of when they were first introduced, but they later grew into a character I enjoyed. I loved some characters, I hated some characters (in a good way!), but there were some that just weren't developed enough for me to get an opinion on or disappointed me because of said lack of development. Keep in mind: it's not that the characters who are there are bad! I liked the vast majority of them. It's more of a lack of time with certain characters that I was a bit disappointed with.

The relationships portrayed throughout the course of the story are pretty good; Kirito does seem to have a harem of sorts, but it's not overbearing: the side ones come in and out very quickly, and it's quite obvious who Kirito actually cares for early on. Seeing their relationship develop was really entertaining and emotional; certain scenes made me smile and others made me share in their sadness. Some side characters are pretty strong as well - not all are underdeveloped! I enjoyed Klein, Sybil, Leafa, and Heathcliffe a lot.

Being an 18 year old male, I found it pretty easy to identify aspects of my own personality and beliefs in Kirito and sympathize with him and his plight, and I'm sure many others watching will be able to identify with other characters as well, as many have their own personalities and struggles to deal with that will resonate with many different types of viewers.

So, while it was slightly disappointing that certain characters were underdeveloped, I did still enjoy the main characters, as well as some of the primary side characters. I, for one, enjoyed how the relationships played out, and a certain relationship that develops in the second half leaves Kirito confused, but the way it is dealt with is also quite appropriate.

Enjoyment: 9
If you enjoy a show with extremely good art and animation, a beautiful and epic soundtrack, and an entertaining story with characters you may be able to see parts of yourself in, you'll certainly like this. If you don't particularly like romance or some comedy in what could otherwise be a very serious show, you probably won't like this. However, most people with an open mind who go into the series (and do not simply join the hate or hype train) will probably find themselves pleasantly surprised, much like myself.

Personally, I found the show extremely enjoyable. I was thoroughly entertained throughout and I'd happily recommend this to all my friends. The sound and art are phenomenal, the story is intriguing and has a few plot twists to keep you wondering, and a majority of the characters are pretty strong, and the relationships that develop between many of the characters (both romantic and friendship wise) are well done. There are epic moments, happy moments, sad moments, very emotional moments, hilarious moments, and intense moments. I watched the entire first season in just a few days, and I'd do it all over again. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I'd mind being trapped in the world of SAO. I can't wait to watch Season 2.

Overall, I'd give the show a 8.5/10 (rounded to 9/10), and will certainly be recommending it. To anyone reading the review, please give Sword Art Online a shot. Maybe watching it a second time (for those of you who were disappointed the first time) will give you a new perspective. And to the fresh, new viewers like myself, who simply knew it was a divisive anime about being trapped in a virtual reality MMO: Go in with an open mind (clear it of any negative connotation you heard going in), and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

To all the helpful/not helpful votes, feedback would be appreciated! This is only my third anime review.

tl;dr: A masterpiece in art and impressive in sound with relatable characters, though the short 45 minute runtime slightly (only slightly!) hurts the story and overall impact of the film

Story: 7
Another film from Makoto Shinkai, Kotonoha no Niwa (Garden of Words) follows Takao, a student who dreams of becoming a shoemaker one day, and the relationship that develops with the mysterious woman Yukino, after a chance meeting during a rainstorm. The story revolves around just these two characters, as they end up meeting every day that there is rain because they both enjoy rainstorms (but it isn't rainy year round!), and it really is nice ... to see how their relationship progresses over the course of the movie. Unfortunately, this film is a bit short - at only about 45 minutes, I feel like the story really could've fleshed out the characters more and gotten more character development with a longer runtime, but it is what it is. In addition to this, a major scene in the ending did feel kind of sudden - it worked, but I feel like it could have been done in a slightly different way that would have been more effective. However, despite these shortcomings, I feel as though the story is pretty strong, and despite not knowing the characters as well as I could have, I still cared about them. The story is easy to follow; there are no complexities to worry about. The ending also does feel as though a sequel could be made, but it probably won't be, which is admittedly a little disappointing - it end sin an open ended manner that lets the viewer think for themselves what happens, but I would have liked to see Shinkai's official take on it.

Art/Animation: 10
This is the single most beautiful anime I have seen. The art is so realistic at points that it looks lifelike, and I genuinely loved seeing every second of this movie - every scene was practically an "eye-gasm". Never have I been this impressed about art. Everything from rain falling and splashing onto a river/pond, a tree swaying in the wind, the character designs, the emotions they portrayed, every little animation and color - absolutely everything was beautiful. Even if every other component was awful (which they aren't), I would recommend watching the film just to see the art design.

Sound: 9
The soundtrack is simplistic yet beautiful. I loved all of the original compositions, and the closing song, "Rain", by Motohiro Hata, was perfect. The sound of the falling rain was soothing and impactful, other ambient noises were a treat to hear, and the voice acting was well done in both English and Japanese, fitting all the characters well. There isn't much of an original composition, due to the nature of the film and story, but in the scenes in which it is present, it is amazing.

Character: 8
Despite only having a short, 45 minute runtime, I actually cared about the characters by the end. I wanted their relationship to deepen, I cared when they were sad, hurt, or angry, and I shared in their happiness. They were wholly believable and realistic characters that I enjoyed watching progress through the story. Takao's aspirations to become a shoemaker, despite the negative response he gets from others, was admirable, and Yukino's struggle was sad and relatable. These are characters that many will identify with. Other than the two main characters, there are a few supporting characters with small roles that help provide context to the story but don't do much else otherwise - but that's ok, because in the end this is Takao and Yukino's story, and no one else's.

Enjoyment: 8
I did really enjoy this film for the most part, though as mentioned previously, I wish it was a little longer. I think that anyone who enjoys Makoto Shinkai's films will also enjoy this one, as it is in a very similar vein as the others. If you're looking for a story or characters that will leave your jaw dropped, this isn't it, but it is a story filled with realistic characters that are certainly ones you will identify with in some way or another. If you like a good looking anime, you're in for a treat, because this is one of the best there is, and the soundtrack works very well.

Overall: 8
Overall, I would give Kotonoha no Niwa (Garden of Words) an 8/10 for the reasons outlined above. While the art and soundtrack are beautiful, the story is interesting, and the characters are relatable, it is hindered by it's short runtime, which would have allowed the story to become deeper and longer and the characters to be more fleshed out than they already were - though what is achieved in the given runtime is certainly impressive.

TL;DR: A solid yet short offering that entertains but leaves a little to be desired.

Longer review:

Deadman Wonderland follows Ganta, a teenage boy who witnesses his entire class be brutally slaughtered, only to be blamed for the incident and sent to Deadman Wonderland, a prison/amusement park where guests have to fight to survive.

If you're like me, you found the brief summaries floating around like that reasonably enticing. It's not necessarily the most original story out there, but it gets the job done. There are a couple plot twists thrown in in the first half of the season to keep you guessing as to the identity of ... the Red Man (the person who killed Ganta's class), but these don't extend as long as I'd have liked. The story moves along at a reasonably fast pace but ends on a scene that makes me wish there had been another season, or at the very least another episode or two to wrap things up. I found the second half of the season more interesting than the first half of the season, mostly due to more plot development and better characters being introduced. There is more humor in the first half than the second half, but it's still present here or there. Overall, I'd give the story a 7/10

The art in Deadman Wonderland was very good. The character designs were strong, the animation was of a high quality, and I found the show to be pretty pleasing to the eye, especially some of the fight scenes. Emotions were conveyed pretty well, and I liked the stark contrast of the happy amusement park above ground and the dark, bloody underground where prisoners are put in battles to the death to survive. I'd give the art a 9/10.

The sound in Deadman Wonderland was also pretty strong. The OP was amazing, and some of the score that plays throughout the show is very strong (especially Track 5: DW28A (if you've seen the show you'll instantly recognize it)). The voice acting was pretty good - I watched it dubbed and found all of the character's voices to be pretty well done - Greg Ayres as Ganta was an interesting choice and worked well, and it was a treat to hear him as it was a very different character than that of Sunohara in Clannad, whom he also voiced. I watched a bit in Japanese audio as well for comparison purposes and also enjoyed that, so whether you prefer dubbed or subbed you should be happy. The sound gets an 8/10.

The characters were a bit divisive for me. I really liked certain characters (like Senji, aka Crow, Nagi, and Karako), but others were lacking (such as Ganta, Yoh, and Toto Sakigami (Mockingbird)). Ganta felt like the stereotypical, weak teenage boy who has to discover what it means to be strong through fighting and standing up for others. This isn't necessarily bad, but it's been done before and been done better. Other than not being a huge fan of the main character, I also feel like Yoh had some interesting developments but was just completely removed for a few episodes despite still being around. I didn't really get why they wouldn't have one of the more important side characters not show up for the final few episodes, but oh well. Finally, Toto immediately struck me as very interesting, but was never really developed beyond the initial introduction and one or two other scenes. This left a bit to be desired. But it wasn't all bad, and as I previously mentioned there were some pretty good characters to invest in that kept me entertained. Overall, because of missed opportunities, yet still a few redeeming qualities, I'd give this a 6/10.

And now we are nearing the end of the review. I found the series to be pretty enjoyable despite a few shortcomings, which include some lacking parts of the story and missed character opportunities. However, the fighting and gore was well done, as were the emotions portrayed by the main characters, and I was on the edge of my seat for a large part of certain episodes - I watched the entire show in just a few days, which displays that it kept me coming back for more. I really did want to know what happened in the next episode, what happened to the characters, and to see if their big plan would actually work. I caught myself jamming along to the OP and admiring the art direction and character design. For these reasons, I would give me overall enjoyment of the show a 8/10 (as I tend to put a greater emphasis on story and characters than art and sound).

I would recommend the show to anyone looking for something with an entertaining premise with great animation and sound, but to not expect too much of the story or characters. In the end, for the reasons summarized in the last paragraph and previous sentence, I would give Deadman Wonderland an overall score of 7/10.