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While the title character's eternal task of hunting stray demons lends itself to a "monster of the week" structure at first, Vampire Hunter Miyu reveals itself to be a fascinating character study. The teasing glimpses into Miyu's heart and past are fully satisfying in the final few episodes, making the anime far more rewarding than the mundane (though equally pretty) OVA. While I would have appreciated less of the episodic approach, it does give a feel for the "daily grind" of hunting creatures of the night that prey upon the weaknesses found in humankind. The high school sequences are lighthearted, but retain ... some shade, through Miyu's bemused detachment. Miyu seems destined to view her human "friends" from a distance, and a careful viewing brings out her constant melancholy. She is morally colourful, or rather, exists outside moral ethics.

The action scenes are interesting, but are clearly meant to complement the character moments, not the other way around. With tinges of nihilism and a taste of inevitable suffering, I found this series had a fairly moody tone. I recommend this one for the patient. ^_^

While seemingly a commentary about the American military presence in Japan, Tezuka's MW is a rather silly thriller, although refreshing in its unromantic focus on the sociopathic Yuki Michio. The principle influence behind the infamous Johan from "Monster", Yuki is a troubled but seemingly emotionless killer and manipulator. He seems to have only one real human connection, to Father Garai, a Catholic priest who tries in vain to resist his forbidden relationship with our pro/antagonist. The frank depictions of homosexuality (and sex in general) are refreshing, providing character development without seeming over-the-top.

What I found wonderful about MW was its lack of preachy ... morality. Every character is as they are, and there are no tiresome monologues. Garai, the closest thing to a "hero" in the manga, lies to himself and seeks solace in a God that doesn't seem to care. Yuki seems charming and kind for pages at a time, before reminding you again of his true face. Is there a greater purpose behind the crimes he commits? Although not entirely surprising, the path he takes is interesting enough.

While an interesting character sketch, I cannot say much for the story itself. Machinations and dramatic events often seem forced and unrealistic, compared to the more carefully plotted mysteries of "Monster".

The art is obviously delicious, with the breathtaking hatching on cityscapes being my favourite. Although decades old, the style serves its purpose.

I would recommend this work chiefly to anyone interested in where Monster got its inspiration. I bought this manga for that reason, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.

This is essentially a standalone episode of "Rurouni Kenshin" stretched to a running time that this story does not support. Yes, another tale of disgruntled veterans of the violent Meiji Restoration, coming back for blood! Such concepts work in the series (see the second arc) because of well-developed characters. Even the most simple plot idea can be made epic by a cast we care about! Almost all of my enjoyment for this movie was derived from my existing fangirl obsession for everything Ruroken. When viewed as part of the larger Ruroken story, this movie is certainly good for an afternoon ... of enjoyment, but that's it. Romantic tension and Kenshin's internal struggle are two things, for example, that shone in the series, due to the large episode count and the time spent on developing these ideas. But, uh, I'm completely repeating myself!

My verdict is simple. If you're never seen any Rurouni Kenshin, please stop now and go watch the OVAs and the series. But, if you've already proved yourself to be uttered devoted to our cross-marked ex-assassin, then you must watch this to satiate your addiction, you sick little otaku. ^_~x

If you were the captain of a highly advanced Japanese warship sent back in time to the Second World War, would you change history to bring victory to your people, or would you do everything to preserve the way of life you knew in the 21st century? The crew of the Mirai are torn, as they grapple with this very question, watching the legendary Yamato slink by them in the fog. "Zipang" is less about time travel and altering history, than it is about accepting the reality around you. While many hold out hope for a return to the "present", many others ... decide that they have no choice but to make the best of their situation, even if that means serving an emperor-worshiping dictatorship. The true drama comes from those characters who try to straddle the line between those extremes, finding that neutrality is a difficult position in history's most devastating total war.

In-between well executed naval battles (who doesn't want to see a modern Japanese warship take out several waves of American fighter planes, followed by their aircraft carrier?) you'll be entertained by the machinations of the Imperial army and navy, as they try to figure out what the Mirai is, and what its mandate is. Is it a secret project of a rival country? Something from another branch of the Imperial military? Seeing 1940s-era warriors (many of them historical figures) grapple with such concepts as guided missles is both amusing and moving. Indeed, these weapons seem like godlike miracles from a fantasy world, and I'm sure we'd be similarly baffled by future technology from the year 2100.

While I can tolerate the merely adequate art, I ultimately found the story the most disappointing, specifically towards the end of the series. I felt a lot of questions were left unanswered (in a rather typical "life goes on" sort of way). There was little hint left as to what would happen, leaving the feeling that the series simply ran out of money and just opted to roll credits and pack up.

Ultimately, this is an anime designed for war geeks, although anyone with an appreciation for history will be intrigued by the moral issues dealt with by the cast, a group of characters who are interesting in their own right, but largely serve to fill the roles made by the historical debate. It is a solid concept that carries this series, though I imagine in more capable hands, this could have been a masterpiece.

Infinite Ryvius is essentially "Lord of the Flies" on a spaceship, although with students old enough to be in high school (surprise, surprise). Once the students are stranded without their teachers, in various hostile situations, the anime becomes a microcosm for the problem of governance. We have the authoritarians, we have the democrats, and everyone in-between. Most striking for me, about this series, was the slow descent from happy-go-lucky "let's try our best at being space heroes" to chaos, mob-rule, and abuse of power. Having gone to teachers college, I'd hazard that many students would do well to watch this anime, ... just to gain an understanding of the different political systems that countries choose to adopt (often for reasons mirrored in this series).

For me, what made the characters interesting wasn't so much their innate personalities, but the way they handled the situations around them. Ultimately that is what defines the cast in this series. After all, many people find their true colours emerge in life-or-death situations, and I took a strange pleasure in seeing everyone change, stay the same, or reveal their true selves as everything began to crumble. While some of you might think about boys running amok doing all sorts of bad things, the instance that disturbed me the most involved perpetrators from my own gender. There are no groups in this anime that can easily be seen as victims or oppressors... everyone loses their grip a bit. We are all human, and there are no monsters to blame everything on.

The production, though nothing earth-shaking, adequately supports the story and characters, such that I never felt myself cringing due to quality issues. Certainly we're not taking about a Miyazaki film here, but we spend so much time listening to dialogue that it never grated on me.

Infinite Ryvius is a look at the politics of a confused society under threat. Any student of history or politics would do well to watch this title. For those non-politically inclined, you might find yourselves drawn in by the character drama, thinking a lot about the world you live in, and that's always a good thing, hmm? What would you do in the same situation? I think I'd probably cry, but then, that's why I watch anime instead of actually piloting space ships. ^_~

This is a girly Neon Genesis Evangelion, about a special school full of magical girls who summon giant mecha-animals in order to fight their way through a rather sadistic once-every-three-centuries tournament of woe. Like Evangelion, the real story is about the psychological state of the characters as they grapple with the apocalyptic insanity around them. After several episodes of monster-of-the-week romantic comedy, you'll find yourself openly weeping at the onslaught of melodrama. But fear not! The light-hearted episodes of the first act are full of lovingly developed character moments, delving into both backstory and the individual girls' quirks and desires. By ... the time the badness comes, you'll be so invested in the characters that you'll be wishing the melodrama would stop, not because it is over-the-top, but because you don't want to see anyone hurt anymore.

The plot itself is a cobbled together mess of ideas that have been done better elsewhere (including Evangelion), but this ultimately does not matter, since the focus since episode one has been on the characters. Character, character, character. Who really cares where that red star came from, or why there's even a competition in the first place? I want to know if anybody can find out what true love is. By forcing the cast to deal with their own issues, we feel for them in ways we might not have otherwise. If the plot had taken more of a front seat, I think I'd care far less. By the time somebody actually won the tournament, I was all, "What tournament? What? They're fighting a tou... OH YEAH!"

I can't say much more about the series without giving away the best parts, but I will say that no character is left behind. Even the supporting cast has life and spirit, refusing to be pawns and foils for the protagonists.

The soundtrack, by Yuki Kujiura (Noir, Kara no Kyoukai) is brilliant, with her trademark mixtures of pop sensibilities with a touch of the operatic. The animation is also quite good, especially when it comes to subtle expressions and looks. In some scenes, you could watch without reading the subtitles, just because of the tone of voice and the look of the face. Everything in this series is geared towards the feelings between characters.

If you were one of those people who appreciated Neon Genesis Evangelion for both its psychological melodrama AND the sci-fi end-of-the-world fighting robot insanity, there's no reason you won't enjoy this. Supposedly the target demography for this anime is young boys (although there is plenty of fanservice). I know none of my male friends would want to watch this. But, if you're interested in getting in touch with your true feelings with us ladies, please consider this series. I give it nine EEEEEEEEE~! out of ten.