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I can’t decide if I loathe this anime or love it.

The beginning was so strong and so much of it was good and interesting. And then the ending happened and it was so bad and it went on too long (well not that long I guess but it certainly feels like an eternity).

But then from time to time I find myself thinking about it and being fascinated by it. Then I forget the ending and consider re-watching it. Then I remember the ending and decide not to.

Honestly, this may have been one of my all time favourite shows if it wasn’t.

Maybe ... just read the synopsis of it instead.

Beautiful art style and a haunting story. This anime has really stayed with me over the years possibly because the voice acting was so well cast.

Besides the artistic design, the characters are the strongest element of the anime. They were interesting and engaging and I wanted to learn more abot them.

While the sound design was quite strong, the music may have been the weakest element of the series. Nothing was particularly moving or memorable and as a result it detracted from the overall quality of the show for me.

Don't be fooled by my "Good" (7) score, this is definitely worth your time ... and a watch. I suspect the manga goes into even greater depth with the plot and had I read it my score may have been higher.

I really liked the upbeat OP but the content felt very stream-of-consciousness ala Japanese humour.

It was pretty funny at times. I especially liked the karaoke scenes and references to other animes. In many ways it reminds me of a funnier, cuter Pop Team Epic. If you enjoy either of these things you will probably enjoy this anime.

There is no story or plot to speak of but the art style was fun, bright, and loud. The characters are really cute but did not have enough development for me to become invested in them.

For me, I need more of a story and more ... growth to enjoy myself but I can see the appeal of this if you are looking for something fun, cute, and relaxing.

This came to me via a recommendation of a friend/acquaintance after a short chat about 00:08 because of the similarity of their art style. Both are emotionally driven, hand drawn pencil ellipsoidal animations with a series of repetitions eventually coming to a kind of explanatory crescendo. The difference for me was that the narrative of 'Airy Me' has clarity that 00:08 was lacking.

The video was directed by visionary Yoko Kuno, an animator known for a highly stylized animation style of schoolyard drawings and large, feminine, soft eyes created the video using 3000 individual hand-drawn illustrations and utilized the look of a child drawing pictures to ... create a feeling of innocence. The colours are subtle and hazy, just like in a dream and the incorporation of butterflies as a method of scene transition was a nice way of connecting the artist's, Cuushe's newest album, titled "Butterfly Case", with the ideology of childhood fantasies.

The music for this video is shoegaze, which is very otherworldly and ambient. A bit like Aphex Twin, Beach House, or Black Tambourine with the vocals of Sigur Rós. Interestingly, the director decided to go with a fast paced animation style for the drawings rather than a more lackadaisical one that would have better matched the mood of the music.

In juxtaposition to the airy musical stylings, the action of the first 1:06 of the video happens very fast. Trying to keep up with it reminded me of the first time I watched Yojōhan Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy) with its speedy subtitles and speech patterns - it was difficult to keep up with it and I had to watch it twice in a row because I missed crucial elements from my first viewing. Oddly enough, the fast pace matches with the slower, transcendental one gave me the feeling of hurried panic - as though I was missing something fundamentally crucial that I could never catch up to. The next part is slower in pace, but the feeling of cruciality remains as the plot begins to unveil itself and fold back to the start. Suddenly the fast pace part makes more sense and we are left with a strong emotional charge.

The story reminded me a bit of Ōtomo Katsuhiro's “Akira” or Osamu Tezuka. I don’t want to spoil it, but you’ll see what I mean when you watch the video. There is a hopelessness that surrounds it, while keeping its audience entranced. The only real flaw I sensed was the lack of any connection I felt to it. While I found the content fascinating to think about, I would not necessarily call it memorable. I suspect I have more of a connection to the narrative of Foster the People’s “Don’t Stop”, but at least it is interesting while it lasts.

--WIP Review --

Ristorante Paradiso was an interesting little series. It's strongest points were the art style, which had broad European features to match the ethnicity of the characters. It was very interesting to see from this perspective and I very much enjoyed this style of animation and colour.

Along with the art style, the characters were one of the best parts of the series. I was particularly stricken with Gigi as he reminded me of a curious and quiet cat, but each one was interesting in their own ways.

While it was beautifully animated and had talented seiyuu, it's weakest point was definitely ... the music. I did not feel as though the OP and end themes fit the style or mood of this series at all, and the whole end sequence was so banal I just skipped it after the first viewing and the OP, although nicely animated, was generally skipped as well because I didn't enjoy the pop ballad the studio chose for the theme. The sound wasn't bad and fit the feeling of a ristorante, but the music just did not move me at all. :(

I was also disappointed that there was not more food in the series. There were a few scenes or episodes that kind of hinted at food and a couple that were kind of about food, but really there was more talk of being a cook/chef then emphasis on the food itself. It was terribly done, but I've certainly seen other anime do a better job of it (such as Antique Bakery) and it would have been nice to have seen a day at the market episode or one that was dedicated to flavours. One episode came pretty close, though in the end it was still more about being a chef and the relationships of the staff than really about the food, but it was close enough.

Overall, this was a nice little anime and it could easily been an 8 or 9, despite how predictable the plot was and the lack of emphasis on the food (NOT enough food porn for a Restaurant/cooking anime!), had they thought to pay more attention to the music.

Funny & cleverly written, but pretty subtle about it because most of its "real" jokes come from other anime and cultural references that are hidden beneath the other comedic elements.

Every so often I am lucky enough to come across a series or a short that gives me a reason to sigh and say "This is why I love film/anime" and "There She Is!!" by Korean Flash animator and comic book store clerk, Amal Rock (or Amalloc on MAL) and picture book author/illustrator, Pore ​​(Sogong) - the series art director (two of the three members of the animation's small Korean production company: SamBakZa) is one such love story; guaranteed to go down in history as one of the best shorts ever made, if it ever gets the recognition it truly deserves.

It begins as ... any star-crossed love story should, overly enthusiastic girl meets boy and stalks him with love until he succumbs to her loving embrace, but soon we learn that there is so much more and these characters become catalysts for their era (or at least their town). The real brilliance of the shorts is not only their length, but how much emotion they contain in very simply drawn and animated expressions.

Another important element of the series is the music, which seems to have been hand-picked and matches the character's emotions and the mood of the series beautifully. I was particularly impressed by the choice of "떳다! 그녀!" (There she is!) by Witches for Episode/Stage 1 and"월식" ( Tabu or Eclipse) by Wolsik for Stage 4.

Poignant and and striking, through a series of five "silent" (no dialog), 5-min. episodic music video "Stages," we see the introduction and development of what happens when a girl, Doki, falls head over feet in love at first sight with a boy, Nabi, who's not stereotypically "her type." The shenanigans that ensue through the series takes us through emotions of bliss, heartache, anger, loss, fear, and love - the kind that only words like Truly, Madly, Deeply could convey.

Teikoku Shounen aka Imperial Boy has a very unique and colourful art style that packs a real punch. He's something of a national treasure in my eyes, because his work is just so darn beautiful! The details can be rich and overwhelming in one moment, and then have an "unfinished" quality in the next, because the draft lines of the animation are still showing. Yet somehow [because it is Imperial Boy] all that managed to do for me was add to its charm.

There is an interesting quality to this anime that felt a bit like being inside of a ticking clock tower. I think ... it was the music, which reminded me at times of the Spirited Away soundtrack - it was fluid and whimsical - appropriate, but somehow gave a quality of time passing by.

And like the passing of time, the background animations were cleverly drawn in such a way that they could suggest either a bleakness, due to the dreariness in their colour palette, or when coloured in splendor, a kind of ebulliency - a thirst for what will be!

This is also demonstrated in Imperial Boy's method of creating a world that is familiar in many ways to our own, but with so many new details! Here a unique transportation system or there a bizarre and wonderful timepiece! And of course an overall more colourful setting for the background of our everyday life. In his world, it isn't just a train station or a side walk - it is made of beautiful tiling and glass or stone. There are canal bus still connected to old tram wiring. And the houses remind us not of Japan or America, but of shops in China and old European architecture. And everything is JUST SO STYLISH!

And yet, the people and the animation of them still manages to remain a bit clunky and slap-dashed. Which isn't to say the animation is exactly poor, however there were times when it seemed as though everything were drawn just so and that the characters or people are drawn only as an afterthought. It is an effect that I suspect was done on purpose, particularly when once sees the animation for transportation systems in rain, which are fluid and seamless.

Those who particularly enjoy the spectacular art style of this piece will be qually impressed with Tekkonkinkreet, another anime that Imperial Boy worked on as an original concept artist. His style is extremely apparent in the design of the fictional city of Takaramachi (Treasure Town) and was a major factor in the details.

Speaking of details, while the story is your typical boy-meets-girl in high school fair, once rather nice detail is the way our protagonist deals with this. I found it to be particularly refreshing and I would have loved to have seen a longer film representing her future goals.

In this we only see a fraction of what is to come of her and the major deal-breaker of this anime for me was: IT JUST WASN'T LONG ENOUGH! While we catch a glimpse of the world and our characters, (enter the chorus:) it just isn't long enough for us to get particularly attached to anyone. Despite this, however, the two "main" protagonists manage to be each intriguing in their way and I suspect I would have grown quite fond of them had the anime been longer. The real feeling I got from this anime was: "what will the future bring? I can't wait to see!"

My overall impression of this anime is that the real draw is in the backgrounds, the tiny detail, which isn't surprising given Imperial Boy's own background in concept design. Each scene of this work gives us an insight into the makings of this incredible world, similar in style to Iblard Jikan, the Studio Ghibli short based on the paintings of Naohisa Inoue. We see an interesting school system, new mechanisms for clocks, and a magical book shop. I wanted nothing so much as to walk through this world Imperial Boy has created and experience its secrets. To sit down and have its protagonist spin my a story. And like the works of Kunio Katou, we are left wanting more than we are given and with the hope this is not the last we see of it.

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated! ^_^

Well, besides being funny the obvious draw to this OVA is hearing our favourite characters sing.

1. Heart Nibun no Naisho (Live Version) - Secrets of the Heart Split in Two - Akane Song

2. Little★Date (TV Service Version) Ranma, Akane, Shampoo cover of OP2

3. Musabetsu Kakutou Itchokusen ~Panda Wa Uta Wo Utaenai - The Direct Path of Anything Goes Martial Arts ~Pandas Can't Sing - Genma Song

4. Wo De Ai Ren - My Lover - Shampoo Song

5. Niji to RINKU no BARAADO ~Itoshi no FURORENSU - Rainbow and Rink Ballad ~Darling Florence - Azusa and Mikado Song (very nice treat, not usually ... available for Azusa/Mikado fans)

6. Kawaiku nee, Iroke ga nee - You Ain't Cute, You've Got No Appeal - Ranma Song

7. Mori e Ikimashou - Let's Go to the Forest - Kodachi's rendition of Polish Folk Song

8. CHAINA Kara no Tegami - Letter from China - Ranma & Ranma-chan (girl-type Ranma) Song

9. Yume no Balloon - Dream Balloons - Ranma-chan (girl-type Ranma) Song

10. Akane no Komoriuta - Akane's Lullaby - Akane Song

I find myself particularly drawn to this anime for nostalgia purposes of a time where it was popular among anime to showcase your cast in a singing competition - my other favourite example being "Magical Girl Gigi."

This is an OVA for those who enjoy a good talent show.

This is my favourite of all the OVA story arcs because I believe it is truly the funniest. Seeing Kuno running around with a giant bird on his head really takes the cake and I'm sure this will be fun for everyone who views it!

This particular OVA features my favourite OP theme of the series:"Where do we go from here? (You and me)" by DoCo. Poignant and catchy, "You and me", captures a very adult perspective of how difficult adolescent relationships can be. The ED,"Red Shoe Sunday" by DoCo,while not my favourite does have a pleasant melody and it's lyrics give some nice ... allusions to future relationships.

I highly recommend this OVA, but further still, I recommend watching the OVA SET which has all of them.