A musician who also loves anime. I first got into anime late into high school, when I would watch Naruto on Cartoon Network, and also DBZ at times. In college, I started to broaden my horizons to other things that people recommended to me, and I now watch a wide variety of anime. I also enjoy writing, and reviewing what I have watched, hopefully for the benefit of others.
A few notes about how I rate shows:
10: The standard by which I judge all other shows.
Shows with this rating are what I base all other ratings off of. This show in some way was able to define or revolutionize its genre in a presentation that is leagues better than most titles out there. A 10 certainly doesn't mean flawless, but it means that the show overcame it's flaws in a way that made it greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, how much did this show draw me in and make me "love" it? Conversely, a show that I "loved" which had plot holes or poor character development, etc., probably won't receive this score. Shows with this score had no glaring weaknesses, and are a MUST watch.
9: Excellent show with very few or insignificant flaws.
A 9 signifies that I tremendously enjoyed this show, but noticed a few things that could have been done better. This show was unique and refreshing compared to most other titles, and managed to firmly hold my interest the entire way through. A 9 is often a show that I almost gave a ten, but felt that it fell just short in some area. 9 's come highly recommended.
8: Well above average, with relatively few flaws
This show was far from perfect, and may have fallen slightly short in some key areas, but is still a cut above most shows out there. 8 means that the creators still presented something unique, and pleasing to watch. 8 's are recommended.
7: Above average, with forgivable flaws
I enjoyed this show, but may have found it hard to watch at some point, found it significantly lacking in an important aspect, or perhaps found it a bit cliché in some facet. 7 is still slightly above average, and still worth watching, but nothing to get immensely excited about. 7 comes recommended, but with minor reservations.
6: Average, has significant flaws and does little to stand out
I still enjoyed this show, but had to force myself to keep watching once or twice. The show had some fairly significant flaws which detract from the enjoyment value, and isn't terribly fresh or unique in many aspects. 6 is recommended, but with significant reservations.
Note: I typically do not finish anything below a 6
5: Mediocre in basically every facet
Either I didn't finish this show, or wondered why I even bothered in the end. This is so mediocre in almost every way, that it has little, if anything going for it. Not really a BAD show, but not really worth the time either. I'm rather ambivalent toward 5's and won't recommend, nor caution people away from these.
4: A very poor effort
This show has major flaws in most of its aspects, and doesn't really have much redeeming value to it. If I somehow made it the whole way through, I chastised myself for wasting my time at the end. This show probably had a lot of content that I found irritating or offensive. You probably won't see me award this score very often. Avoid 4's.
3. Just downright bad
I didn't even bother to finish this show. It has major flaws in basically every aspect of the show, has almost no redeeming value, and likely something that I found very disturbing or offensive. AVOID a 3 unless you want your brain to melt from the awfulness.
2. I could barely finish an episode of the show
Not sure why I ever STARTED watching this piece of garbage in the first place. It may have just been made extremely poorly, or I found the content so disturbing and offensive that I refused to allow any more of it into my mind. No redeeming value of any sort, and should be avoided like the plague.
1. Why did they even bother to create this atrocity?
This show is so abysmally, glaringly horrible that I don't know what convinced me to allow even one second of it into my mind. In fact, I genuinely cannot think of something good about it. This rating is reserved for only the most frighteningly awful, outrageously hideous shows in existence. I have yet to give this as a score to anything, and I'll probably kick myself for even watching whatever it is if I ever do award it. Don't watch this show even if it's the last piece of entertainment in existence.
All Comments (84) Comments
Not really. Its actually World End by FLOW fandub. She does GREAT work, I downloaded most of her music. Phenomenal.
A while ago it changed. I don't know how. But I left it because it makes random conversation easier and I'm lazy.
I'm finishing it NOW!
I was quite unaware of this...
1) You didn't like Sora no Woto because it didn't have a plot...Ano Natsu does. It's basically completely centered on developing romance(s), but it definitely has a plot, and it actually has a beginning and a conclusion. (At least I'm assuming it does, given I can see exactly how the last episode will end from the road it's headed...but that's OK, because it's great). It even has some action in it, and no, it's not flashbacks either. I won't pretend the plot is incredibly complex, because it's not; but it is distinct, and when it's not driving the show forward, it's providing tension and occasional reminders of potentially sad future events that pop up at all the right times (i.e., as soon as you think things are starting to take a happy turn). :P
2) You and I seem to share an affinity for anime that is able to make us cry. Rest assured that if you watch Ano Natsu, you *will* cry. There is no question about it. My eyes were not dry for almost the entirety of the show after episode 3 or so, and I had to stop watching two nights in a row because I was about to start bawling my eyes out.
3) The production values of the show are great. The cast is voiced wonderfully, the visuals are strikingly vibrant and beautiful except when it rains, and at those points it is drab for a very good, albeit emotional, reason. And best of all, the characters are not moe archetypes or stereotypes, not in the least--they are very much individuals, not cardboard cutouts (which, admittedly, was one of Sora no Woto's weaknesses); it's one of those shows that you could see actual people you've met filling the roles, which speaks not only to the show's excellent writing, but also to its extremely empathetic characters.
I dunno, maybe it's nostalgia or longing for something I never experienced during high school, or maybe it's just that I'm a loser who's never had a girlfriend or really been in love, but this show got to me. Maybe you won't even like it, I really can't say. But it's already forced me to lower Sora no Woto's rating to an 8, simply because I'm probably going to rate Ano Natsu a 9, and Sora no Woto, in almost every respect, is completely and totally out of Ano Natsu's league. I'm actually wrestling hard with giving it a 10, because I really really want to, but I'm not quite sure I can call it a "revolutionary" show on the level of, say, Cowboy Bebop or NGE, or perhaps even Spice & Wolf.
I really stinkin' want to though.
Anyway, you should give it a try if you find yourself alone with some spare time. Just make sure you're alone when you watch it, if you want to come away from it with your manliness intact. :P
I started watching Ano Natsu de Matteru today. In the second episode, the main protagonist's sister announces, of his new (live-in) friend, "Since she's a girl, she can cook and do the laundry!"
Men wrote this show. -_-
Also:
It's really good. :D
Also.