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Whenever a person writes a paper for school, they always start with a rough draft. They read it over a few times to check for grammatical and punctuation errors. Then, they will show their paper to their peers to get advice, take it to their school’s writing center for review, and perhaps read it out loud to themselves. Until the words flow on the paper just right, and the point of the paper is made clear, the paper should not be turned in.

The way the story of Air is told kinda feels like the rough draft for Kanon (2006), which would then become improved ... in Clannad.

So, if you look at my profile, you will see that I am very fond of Kanon and Clannad, being my 5th and 1st favorite anime respectively. Just in case you’re not in the know, Air is the first among three Kyoto Animation adaptations of Key visual novels (Air, Kanon, and Clannad). Going into Air, I knew that I had already experienced the cream of the crop, but how far behind in quality Air really was to its peers was very disappointing to me at the time.

Before getting into the review part, I will suggest that you only watch Air if:
a.) You’re a big fan of romance/harems
b.) Supernatural elements in a slice-of-life anime don’t bother you
c.) You have already seen Kanon (2006) and Clannad

Let me make it extra, extra clear that I highly suggest you watch Kanon and/or Clannad before you watch Air. It would be a shame if watching Air soured your tastes to the genre of anime, rendering you unable to enjoy its successors. I will also make some comparisons between the three anime, and there will be some spoilers coming up.

At the beginning of Air, the story shapes up to be a very straight-forward harem anime. We have the main-male protagonist (Yukito) who randomly gets caught up with a few females, but there is that one girl that sticks out among the rest (Misuzu). Then, after that, we have 13 episodes of Yukito helping all of the girls that wish they could be main characters with their respective problems until Yukito and Misuzu realize that they love each other, get married, have children and live happily ever-after.

Well, I wish Air could have gone down like that, but the thing is that Air tries to make things way too complicated for itself.

Now, for the first few episodes, that’s kinda how things happen. The relationship between Yukito and Misuzu is the main focus while two other girls make some brief introductions. Normally, these two girls would get their own arcs of 4-6 episodes to develop their characters, while also being long enough for the plot to progress adequately. The problem is that instead of arcs, each girl gets a whole two episodes to cram in some development for them so they can seem important. That’s not to say that these episodes are bad though. I actually enjoyed the first episodes of the show. Still, the ultra-fast pacing of these episodes sucks out a lot of the fun. Many will be outright turned off by this. In fact, there is something else about Air that turns me off.

Time to make the comparison between the members of the KyotoAni trinity, so some spoilers incoming.

All three members of the KyotoAni trinity have some number of supernatural elements. In Clannad, while they were there, they were by no means excessive. There was the end of Fuko’s arc, Misae’s backstory with the cat, the Illusionary World, and the ending. Supernatural was sprinkled around over 40 episodes to increase the depth of the story, but Clannad mostly just felt like a romance/slice-of-life. With Kanon, the supernatural was not used as conservatively. The arcs belonging to Makoto, Mae, and Ayu (especially Ayu) had a moderate amount of supernatural. With the exception to the end of Mae’s arc that revealed she has superpowers or something, it still didn’t bother me. However, Air has way too many supernatural elements for me to take it seriously.

The reason why Air ends up using so much magic in my opinion is that it tries to be more complicated and convoluted than it should be. There’s a decent bit of magic used in the beginning, but at episode 7, it starts to spiral out of control. Yukito starts getting all of these crazy flashbacks and whatnot, and that’s when the plot shifts from this century to 1000 BC. The sudden time shift is very shocking. While it does relate to the plot just a little bit, we go from harem anime with supernatural elements to a story about a cursed girl with magical powers being rescued by a samurai in medieval times. Still, once I got over the shock, I did enjoy the next two episodes a little bit. Next, the setting shifts to the present time, and you realize that the previous episodes have little to no impact on the main story. Yukito becomes a bird because lulz, and the remainder of the story is about the relationship between Misuzu and her mom. And it didn’t help that I found the last few episodes of Air to be pretty boring.

One could blame Air’s shortage of episodes available for the story not succeeding, but the truth is that Air really doesn’t know what kind of story it wants to be. It drastically shifts from harem/romance to some kind of fantasy anime, and then back to a drama between Misuzu and her mom that seems virtually unaffected by the rest of the episodes. If the anime just stuck to one of those things for 13 episodes, it probably could have succeeded at all of them.

As much as I just kinda trashed Air, I really did see Air as an insight to the process of creating Kanon and Clannad. Without it, we might not have gotten the quality of what turned out to be my favorite anime. There are also some good things about Air. If you’re tastes are similar to mine, you will find the sense of humor in Air’s first few episodes refreshing, and Yukito is a pretty good main in my opinion. I mostly liked the side characters, and the song in Air’s opening will stay in your head for days. Even so, I still have to come to the consensus that Air is just a bare-bones average anime.

Just to reiterate, do not watch this anime if you already know you don’t like the genre, or if you haven’t seen its successors. Watching Air is like reading a classic novel; you watch it as a way to see how it influenced others. But, if you don’t want to watch it, that’s fine too. I watched it just because I felt obligated to. But who knows? Maybe you will receive Air better than I did.

I’m not sure how it does it, but Gurren Lagann manages to be one of the most perfect anime I have ever seen. It knows what it wants to be, what it wants to do, and then it just does it. In all fairness, it’s not totally perfect, but I don’t think there is an anime that is totally perfect. Still, Gurren Lagann’s flaws are few to none.

While I normally start with characters and story, I’m going to flip flop and discuss the technicalities. Gurren Lagann is one of only two anime that I have given 10/10 for both animation and sound at this ... point. The soundtrack pulls off this unique blend of techno, hip-hop and soft core metal that fits perfectly. And that’s only the soundtrack. The flair of the sound effects used in action sequences can make the viewer feel like they’re watching Dragon Ball Z all over again. Still, Gurren Lagann would not be able to achieve its insane magnitude without the stellar visuals. Just when you think the animation can’t take it any further, it does, and it does it over and over again every single episode.

I’ve said it before that no matter how stellar an anime can be technically, it can never make a bad anime good (but if there was anime like that, it would be Gurren Lagann). In its own way, the story of Gurren Lagann is a work of pure genius. Now, I came into the show with quite a few misconceptions. While I was sure it was good, I thought I was going to see an anime with a story comprised of mostly gags and mindless nonsense. This could not be farther from the truth. I’ve heard the word “stu-ffective” thrown around to describe Gurren Lagann, since it is apparently both “stupid,” but also “effective.” Gurren Lagann is smart. Gurren Lagann is dark. Gurren Lagann takes every precognition you develop for it, and burns it up.

The initial plot of Gurren Lagann is equivalent to what people would expect. It starts as what could be considered a typical action/adventure anime. I won’t discuss the actual plot much because that’s what the synopsis in myanimelist is for. What unfolds is our main characters embarking on a quest to destroy the mechas known as “gunman” that threaten humanity. After discussing some of the characters, I will elaborate on the plot further.

Out of the main cast, the most important character is Simon (Yes, Simon is more important than Kamina). In the very beginning, Simon seems kind of underwhelming. Simon tends to take the backseat behind Kamina and Yoko, who are main characters that come off to be much more interesting. Kamina, who is the fan favorite of the cast, is a total boss from the get go. His actions and words are inspiring, and his fire fuels the early episodes of Gurren Lagann. Yoko is a sly badass that provides plenty of cleavage for the male fan base. Between the two, how could Simon succeed? Well, Simon is perhaps the most dynamic main character I’ve seen since Tomoya Okazaki. Going into detail would reveal spoilers, but there is a great coming of age story in Gurren Lagann.

There is a very climactic point around half way through the series where the brilliance of Gurren Lagann starts to shine. Characters that only really showed one side for the majority of the series become deeper than what one would expect. The reason why this is possible of course is that the plot of Gurren Lagann gets deeper. I wish I could tell you exactly how Gurren Lagann does it, but you just have to see it to believe it. Simply put, new themes are brought in the mix. Family. Government. Love. What surprised me the most was how many characters that didn’t seem too important suddenly become crucial to the story. Like many other anime, Gurren Lagann takes a couple episodes that aren’t directly related to the plot for the purpose increasing the cast size. Down the line, these episodes feel crucial.

My only real criticism for Gurren Lagann is in the character department. I did just say that a lot of not so important characters really shine in the latter portion of the show. Well, at the same time, there are a lot of characters that don’t go through such a metamorphosis. Now you might think, “Well, obviously Gurren Lagann can’t do that for every single character.” That is true. But you see, there are parts of the latter portion of the show where minor characters that aren’t so developed get put on the same pedestal as the main characters. It’s kind of like there are so many shoes that the story of Gurren Lagann needs to fill, and it doesn’t have quite enough meaningful characters to fill them with. This is a very small and forgivable problem, but it did bother me some, and it would be wrong not to include it in my review. The second part of that criticism would be that before some of the characters feel really meaningful in the latter portion of the show, they didn’t feel very meaningful in the early portion of the show.

After finishing my criticisms for Gurren Lagann, I think it’s time to talk about another thing I like about it. Now, every anime takes a while to get going. Steins;Gate takes 9-12 episodes to get to its best, and that’s half of the series. The original Full Metal Alchemist is often heckled for its filler episodes that are only a means of preventing the anime from catching up to the manga. Heck, Hunter x Hunter spends two whole arcs to get to where it needs to be. The first three episodes of Gurren Lagann are great. Four, five and six aren’t that great in my opinion. After that, every single episode manages to be better than the last one. You get through less than a quarter of the way through, and the rest of Gurren Lagann is upwards and onwards. For an anime that is 27 episodes, this is quite the feat.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is an incredible anime that has managed to once again raise my standards for a masterpiece. It manages to consistently grow into a story that is as good as they come, while always being a huge spectacle to watch. Any fan of anime should give it a watch, and many will see is it as a masterpiece as I do.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is perhaps the most intimidating anime I have ever watched. It has a somewhat harsh divide between fans and haters, and everyone that considers it thinks, “How exactly do I go about watching this?” The second season has a less than stellar score of 7.28 in the MAL community, and the first season’s score is only 8.07. With all of these things considered, is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya really worth all of the trouble it is to watch it?

Well, first of all, watching it really isn’t too much trouble. Secondly, MAL’s scores can be misleading. And lastly, hell ... yes it's worth the watch!

I think the first thing I should address in this review is also the most irrelevant thing. That is, how you should watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Just in case you’re not in the know, the order of the episodes that aired do not exactly follow the order of the events that occur in the anime’s timeline. For example, the events in the fifth episode occur before the events in the fourth episode according to the timeline of the anime. That’s when everyone asks: “Should I watch the episodes in airing order or chronological order?”

I personally watched the anime in its chronological order. That order would be:
1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Parts 1-6
2. The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya
3. Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody (2009)
4. Mysterique Sign
5. Remote Island Syndrome Parts 1-2
6. Endless Eight Parts 1-8 (2009, and yes, I watched the whole thing)
7. The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya Parts 1-5 (2009)
8. Live Alive
9. The Day of Sagittarius
10. Someday in the Rain
11. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, of which I have not seen at the time of writing this.
Even though I have watched both seasons simultaneously, I won’t consider the 2009 episodes as I write this review.

Regarding which route is better for the first watch…I’m not entirely sure. I mean, both paths have their downside. The downside to the airing order is that you will hear the characters discuss events in the story that haven’t actually happened yet, which is certainly annoying. The downside to the chronological order is a bit less simple. You see, in my opinion, the best episodes in the series (not just the first season, but the whole series) are The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Parts 1-6. And by best, I mean 20/10 awesome episodes! But if you watch the anime in chronological order, by episode 6 out of 28, you’ve already hit the pinnacle of the whole series. And while all of the other episodes are certainly good (except for Endless Eight), you finish the series off with Someday in the Rain, which is the most boring episode of season 1. My suggestion? If you don’t have friends that have seen it to recommend a route to you, I suggest you watch the whole series in chronological order once, and then become an airing order purist whenever you re-watch it.

With all of that out of the way, it’s time to answer the big question: What is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya actually about? Well, it is about a girl named Haruhi Suzumiya, and it would be no understatement to say the world pretty much revolves around her. She is beautiful, flamboyant, eccentric, and she wants nothing to do with the mundane and the routine. And the best thing is that when she wants something, she gets it! Yes, the desires of this young woman have the power to unravel the rules of the universe and change them according to her will.

Part of her will includes meeting some strange and unique people and living life to the fullest. Three of these people include the shy and beautiful Mikuru Asahina, the quiet and distant Yuki Nagato, and the witty and mysterious Itsuki Koizumi. All three of them have something very special about them for our main male protagonist to discover. That man is none other than Kyon!

Kyon, who for some reason has no last name, is either the luckiest or most unlucky person in the world. Unlike Haruhi and the other main characters, Kyon is just a normal guy. A big trophy for him is that he’s the first normal person that Haruhi has ever let speak to her. Once this happens, the you-know-what hits the fan, and living a normal life will no longer be possible for Kyon. He usually acts as a voice of reason among the group, and he is also quite funny and charming in his own way. One of my favorite things about The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is that he consistently acts as a narrator for the series, and is quite effective at doing so.

Cast-wise, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya does a great job at deviating from typical character tropes. I guess Haruhi is a tsundere, seeing how she shows up on MAL’s list of best tsunderes in anime, but I didn’t really see her that way. Yuki is a flat out kuudere, but I think her backstory and development make for realistic explanation for her behavior. Kind of like Rei Ayanami from Evangelion, she’s a kuudere because she’s not just another regular person. Now, Mikuru is just so wonderfully adorkable. She’s not airheaded or anything. She’s just a beautiful girl whose really shy, which makes it easy for Haruhi to take advantage of Mikuru’s beauty. There’s also a special twist to Mikuru’s character that allows for some extra dynamics that aren’t seen in the rest of the cast. Lastly is Itsuki. While I think he is a good character, he didn’t strike me in the same way as the rest of the characters. Still, his role was very much needed to balance the cast out.

More about the story, it is mostly comprised of school antics rather than having an over-arching conflict. Episodic content is one of its strengths. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is in fact a school anime, as everything interesting always happens at school. Haruhi is dissatisfied with the monotony of the school and starts a new club, which becomes filled with the main cast. The club’s goal is anyone’s guess. It may just be a club for satisfying Haruhi’s boredom. Regardless, the setting is perfect for a romantic comedy. Notice that I said “romantic” comedy. And, if you look at the show’s page on MAL, it has the romance genre tagged onto it. In all truth…I don’t see it as romantic. While Kyon does “like” Haruhi, I never saw him as being attracted to her in the romantic sense. Now, he certainly is fond of Mikuru, but that’s a different story.

The technicalities of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya are certainly up to KyotoAni-standards. Also, the show definitely has its moments visually. I never pay too much attention to a soundtrack unless it’s the focal point, but sound was never an issue. In fact, I enjoyed a lot of the show’s tracks.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has a lot going for it, including fun episodic content, a unique cast that transcends norms, as well as an undeniably effective sense of humor. It is not perfection however, as the multiple watching routes present confusion to a new viewer. A couple episodes fail to live up to the standard it sets for itself, and the lack of conflict may turn people off. While I wouldn’t label it a masterpiece, it has certainly raised my standard for what a masterpiece is, and the legacy it leaves is one to be respected. Please consider watching it, as it is among the best of the comedic genre, and I’m sure you will agree.

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*Edit
After re-watching, I have come to have quite a lot of respect for FLCL, and I very much enjoyed it. Still, these were my original thoughts, and I will let this review stay as it is.
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Anime has certainly pumped out weird stuff over the years. People look at these weird things and say, “This is why I don’t watch anime.” While FLCL probably isn’t the weirdest anime to come out, it has set sort of a standard.

“Hey dude, I watched this weird anime!”
“Is it as weird as FLCL?”
“Well…no…”

Now, weird doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Some anime that could be compared to FLCL include the dark mentality ... of Neon Genesis Evangelion, or the visually over-the-top Kill la Kill. If you value anime as a medium of art, one might say that FLCL is like an abstract painting. You look at it and develop an interpretation of what you are seeing. The thing is, FLCL is not like an abstract painting. FLCL is more like a canvas that had paint splattered on it by a fan.

Before I start hammering FLCL, I’ll talk about what I like about it. Firstly, I am a huge rock-and-roll fan. From the hard rock sound of Led Zepplin and Deep Purple, to the progressive rock of Rush and Pink Floyd, up to the punk and grunge of the early nineties. I happen to very much enjoy the soft-core rock and punk soundtrack of FLCL, and I think the songs fit well without overpowering what’s on the screen. I repeatedly found myself tapping my foot to FLCL’s music. Still, I usually felt like I was listening to the same songs over and over, and as time went on, the music became hypnotic rather than engaging.

Now, about the animation. Things I look for in animation beyond its actual quality include its use of cinematography, if it is versatile at using different art styles, and if it can do something with visuals that make it unique from other anime. FLCL accomplishes these feats. Even so, while I think FLCL succeeds on a visual level, I will soon discuss why the initial shock of FLCL’s visuals work against it.

Ok, that ends the portion of this review where I discuss what I like about FLCL.

The story of FLCL fails at every level. You’ve probably heard things about it like, “FLCL really has no story,” or, “FLCL is a tale of coming-of-age,” or even, “the story of FLCL is all up to one’s interpretation.” You see, the writers of FLCL deliberately squeezed out as big of a mess as they could have to make for the story. The story in of itself is just a big ruse. They want you to think you’re trying to pull meaning from a hidden symbolism, but there is nothing there to begin with. When Picasso and Dali painted, they didn’t just throw paint at their canvas. There was an actual method to their madness. Trying to gather a hidden message from FLCL is just as big a waste of time as watching FLCL in the first place.

Initially, I did enjoy the humor of FLCL. At the time, I wasn’t sure why I enjoyed it. After an episode or two, the humor didn’t change, but I stopped enjoying it. Why is that? It’s because the humor of FLCL is just as big of a ruse as its story. The goal is to use shock value to spike a reaction. Now, this has worked in anime like Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill, so why doesn’t it work in FLCL? It’s because the only thing FLCL has is shock value! It doesn’t have a story or humor, just mindlessness! Watching a boy getting pooped out of a robot might be funny the first time, but as the story of FLCL makes less and less sense, what is at first perceived as humor really just becomes a psychotic mess.

Also, about FLCL being a coming-of-age tale, it has nothing to offer. One might praise FLCL for going beyond the normal bounds of everyday taboos, but sick and twisted doesn’t equate to “good.” The initial premise is a young boy and 17-year-old girl and the sexual tension between the two. Oh, there’s also an even older woman in the mix! This comes back around to FLCL and shock value. “Wow! No other anime would dare cross over such bounds!” Yeah, no. In this anime, the perverseness of this plot element is just a piece of the travesty that is FLCL. Oh, and the sexual innuendo of FLCL is disgusting! I mean, I don’t particularly love the bouncing breasts in anime like Gurren Lagann and Konosuba, but it’s almost as if FLCL is trying to make you gag on the repulsive dialogue that sometimes happens behind closed doors.

Oh wait…FLCL is trying to do that! It’s all it ever does!

Character wise, I can’t necessarily say FLCL is totally awful. I mean, there is the obnoxious and perverted Kamon, the unrealistically insane Haruko, and the overly dramatized Mamimi, but our main character Naota is actually a pretty cool kid. In fact, he’s the only character in the cast that I like. Still, when he starts growing robots and cat ears, you’ll probably forget all about the things that make him seem realistic. Aside from Naota, Haruko and Mamimi, everyone else in the cast is forgettable. Also, the fact that this anime is six episodes long helps the supporting cast feel even more forgettable. The plus size to FLCL only being six episodes long is that it will only suck up a mere two hours of your life.

All in all, FLCL is nothing but a collage of scraps of trash that is attempting to present itself as abstract art. Still, while I am hammering the life out of FLCL with this review, if you can find it in yourself to like this anime, I will be happy that you did not waste your time like I did. For all I know, I just might not have the mental capacity it takes to comprehend the enigma that is FLCL. Besides, opinions are subjective in the anime community. I just happen to have a very strong and negative one, and it won’t be changing any time soon.

You know how everybody keeps saying that there is nothing they can say about Hunter x Hunter that hasn’t been said before? Well, they’re all right. While this is technically a review of Hunter x Hunter, this should probably be treated more like a memoir of my thoughts on the show. If you want a really detailed review that thoroughly dissects all of the odds and ends of Hunter x Hunter, you might as well read its most helpful MAL review.

Now, what is it about Hunter x Hunter that makes it so special? At face value, there really isn’t anything going on that makes it ... stand out. The initial conflict isn’t very innovative, and for a while, it seems like it’s on the same level as other shounen. It should be said that I am very familiar with long-running shounen. I have seen all of Naruto, all of Bleach, and even though it’s not on my list, I have seen 20-30 episodes of Fairy Tail, 40-50 episodes of One Piece, and at least 200 episodes of Naruto Shippuuden. I’ll say here that I will make lots of comparisons between Hunter x Hunter and “the big three.” The reasons why Hunter x Hunter is so special among shounen, as well as anime in general, are very simple. Hunter x Hunter does things that other anime don’t do. Hunter x Hunter gets things that other anime don’t get. Hunter x Hunter goes places that other anime don’t go. Hunter x Hunter gets what a good story is. Hunter x Hunter gets what good characters are. Hunter x Hunter gets anime, and Hunter x Hunter gets people.

While I would normally start off talking about the story, I think I’ll start off talking about the characters. Now, the big three have humungous supporting casts, and so does Hunter x Hunter. The thing about Hunter x Hunter is that it uses its supporting cast in a much more effective way. For example, in Bleach, there are lots of soul reaper characters that get screen time sprinkled all throughout the series. It seemed like tons of these characters got an episode or two (or three) that consisted of either filler to provide backstory, or a fight scene with a forgettable bad guy where they would monologue and/or have flashbacks while fighting. Also, One Piece dedicated entire arcs to introducing supporting cast members. I think Naruto did a much better job at integrating backstories in a way that seemed to benefit the plot, but giving backstories to every single minor character grows very tiresome. Not only do all of the minor characters of Hunter x Hunter feel meaningful, they all just kind of slip into the plot without much effort. For example, in the fourth arc of the series, a group of body guards is assigned to protect someone. At first, it just seemed like Togashi wasted his thinking juices on creative designs for characters that wouldn’t make any difference in the story. By the time the arc was over, all of the guards felt important and all you really learned about them was their names. They were only in that one arc too! And later down the line when one of the characters would pop on screen for a few seconds, a lightbulb would blink in your head and you would remember them! By the way, while Hunter x Hunter does suffer from characters having monologues during fights to discuss their abilities, the problem is much less prevalent compared to the big three.

Next, I’m going to talk a bit about the main cast, as well as some of the supporting cast members I felt stood out more.

First up is Gon! Gon has a lot of characteristics you would expect from a young protagonist. He’s tough and talented, but not tough enough. To protect his friends and find his father, he’ll need powers that will take both work and experience to achieve. His friends and father are in fact the main things that push him. While becoming a hunter because his father was a hunter isn’t the most original thing in the world, the story does a good job at keeping that plot point in play. In fact, the beginning of just about every arc has something to do with Gon taking the next step to find his daddy. The arc would then find its own shape and Gon’s daddy quest would take the back seat for a bit before the next arc. I’ll hit on this again later, by the way.

Next is Killua, who in my opinion is the best character in the cast. Killua has the most fleshed out backstory out of everyone. He also has very intriguing character traits. While Gon’s problems are pretty easy to deal with, Killua has a whole family of problems (ba-dum-ch). His tale is one of coming of age and learning the meaning of friendship. Also, Gon and Killua form a tag team that stays together for pretty much the entire series.

The other two main characters are Leorio and Kurapika, of whom I will discuss at the same time. Gon, Killua, Leorio and Kurapika form kind of a fab-four during the first arc, but after that, Leorio and Kurapika kinda part ways. They both show up in the fourth arc, where Kurapika does some badass fighting. After that, Kurapika doesn’t get much more screen time while Leorio doesn’t make much of a difference to the story until the last arc. Both of them are still good characters even though they don’t get as much screen time as Gon and Killua, but I have one big problem with each of them. My deal with Kurapika is that his defining characteristic is his quest to avenge his clan, of which he is the lone survivor. We’ve seen that before. With Leorio, it’s that he probably wouldn’t have gotten to be a hunter without his buddies helping him out during the exam. Still, even though we never really see him fight someone, he gets a little clip down the line that reveals he has some fighting strength.

My favorite supporting character would be Hisoka. He may be a “bad guy,” but he’s the kind of bad guy you root for. His motives for his “badness” are hidden for the duration of the series, but that only makes him more mysterious. Early on he takes interest in Gon because he sees his huge potential. Hisoka wants to see Gon grow up, get stronger, and then...??? Yeah, that’s for you to figure out for yourself. Anyway, he still isn’t the Madara Uchilla kind of villain whose goal is to enslave humanity for whatever reason. Hisoka shows up when he wants and does what he wants, only to slip back into the shadows…

The last character, or characters, I want to talk about is the Phantom Troupe. The Phantom Troupe have this Akatsuki thing going on with a club full of criminals. Their motives are somewhat explained. The gist is that they are an elite bunch who want to steal stuff. Why they steal what they steal is for you to discover. The troupe is a prime example of having creative characters without dedicating twenty minutes of backstory to each one. Also, they all have really cool powers that you learn about by watching them fight, rather than having them monologue about their powers to their foes. And the last reason I like them is a good bridge over to my favorite thing about the characters of Hunter x Hunter: the depth of the villains.

I think that Hunter x Hunter has the overall best villains of any anime I’ve seen. Now, I have already talked about some general things I like about Hisoka and the Phantom Troupe, but all of the villains have certain characteristics that other anime villains don’t have. These characteristics are value for life and duty to one’s friends. Minor spoilers coming up btw. So, there is a point in the story where a Troupe member gets killed by a main character. After that, the rest of the Troupe mourn over their lost friend. Yes, friend! One of the members actually brings up the length of their friendship with the deceased. These criminals that have killed countless people have a level of depth that I have never seen in anime villains. Another example would be in the sixth arc of the series. The main villain of that arc is as bad as they could possibly come, and even he learns to love a person that is as very weak and feeble. It should also be noted that all of the bad guys in the sixth arc have a diverse pallet of emotions that is not seen elsewhere.

After talking about the characters, it’s story time! I’m going to give some thoughts on each arc without spoiling anything.
Arc 1: Easily the worst in the series. Well, I guess it’s not bad. It's actually kinda good. Still, everybody will tell you it’s a poor representation of the show, and they are all right. I actually had to force myself through some episodes. Still, it did set up some very important characters, as well as plant a seed for the rest of the series to grow from.
Arc 2: While it is technically an arc, it’s more like a short story to develop Killua’s character. It still isn’t wasted time, as it gives Hunter x Hunter the push it needs to get going.
Arc 3: This is my third favorite arc of the series. It’s where we really see the world of Hunter x Hunter develop. My main reason for liking it is that it is short, sweet and it gets a lot done. Coupled with some good battle sequences, it sets the foundation for the combat abilities of the characters.
Arc 4: It is what I think to be the best arc of the series, and many will agree. It introduces the Phantom Troupe and reveals the dark tone of Hunter x Hunter. Also, much more is at stake in this arc compared to the first three.
Arc 5: It kind of lost me a bit. While it was certainly good, the shift in tone compared to the previous arc was a miss. It also seems to lack importance when compared to the other arcs.
Arc 6: It is actually my fourth favorite, but many fans see it as their first favorite. All things considered, it is fantastic. However, the 61 episodes that it was left me exhausted, and there were a lot of episodes heavy on the narration side that kind of disrupted the arc’s flow. Still, it’s a fantastic arc with a fantastic story.
Arc 7: This arc was my second favorite, which is good, seeing how it is the last one in the series. The tone shift from the previous arc was very refreshing, and it gave me all of the things that I needed before Hunter x Hunter ended.

Now, about the actual story, Hunter x Hunter has a very cool way of doing things. The main conflict is Gon trying to find his dad, not that that is much of a conflict. What Hunter x Hunter does is use that as a guide for taking the characters to different places, proceeded by inventing a completely new conflict for the current setting. It’s almost like watching what would be considered filler arcs in other shounen, except they’re not filler arcs. The story of Hunter x Hunter had a billion directions it could have gone in, and the possibilities are still open.

The really great thing about Hunter x Hunter’s story is that it is not afraid of taking things too far. After the first arc, it seemed like a nice and happy children’s show. A couple of arcs later, the stuff on the screen had me think things like, “Oh…crap…that really just…happened.” I’m not saying that death and darkness is what makes a story good, but a story without fear of where it’s going is nothing but exciting. Also, few to none of the conflicts are solved through the power of friendship. It became clear early in the series that characters weren't able to do magic tricks and make a happy ending come out of nowhere. Knowing that pumps out lots of suspense into the air.

Time to talk about the ending. Lots of people say the worst part of Hunter x Hunter is that it’s over. I kind of agree, but I also disagree. When I look at what we got, I think what we got was good. Has the story ended in the sense that an official ending has been announced? Well, no. It’s not called Hiatus x Hiatus for nothing. Still, I think if we got more, it could disrupt what is actually a pretty sound ending for a very good anime.

Time for the boring stuff. Does it look good? Visually it isn’t any different from the big three. Now, the soundtrack is very good. There are tons of tracks, and I love each one.

So, final verdict time. Hunter x Hunter is a huge journey. I certainly think it is worth the watch, but I would be lying if I said I’m sad that it’s over. I’m actually very happy to get to watching something else. Despite the score and praise I give it, it won’t get a very high place on my favorites because I don’t see myself re-watching it for a long time. I may re-watch the fourth arc at some point, but once again, it will be a while. Still, be sure to put this on your plan-to-watch list. Hunter x Hunter is something really special, and you won’t be able to understand that until you see it for yourself.

Over the years, time travel and anime have developed a very good relationship with each other. Many of the highest rated anime on MAL have something to do with time travel. Some prime examples are Steins;Gate, Erased, Re:ZERO, and Madoka Magica. Yet when you look at all of them at the same time, it becomes clear that the only thing that they really have in common is the plot device of time travel. A single plot device cannot make an anime stand out. Something that means an anime is truly great is if it uses a concept that has been used time and time again ... while still shining bright among its peers.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a movie that succeeds at everything that it does. It appeals to all age groups, has good quality from both critical and technical perspectives and it has a story that burrows deep into your heart. My opinion is subjective of course, but The Girl Who Leapt Through Time doesn’t have any actual weaknesses. Something that I found surprising about the story is that compared to other time travel anime, it feels much more fun and relaxing. It may be impossible to have a time travel anime that isn’t mentally strenuous in any way, but The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is as pleasant a story as they come.

In terms complexity, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is somewhat lacking. It’s about a teenage girl that learns to time leap. After that, she time leaps while doing teenage girl things. Obviously her actions have consequences, thus providing a conflict for the movie. Also, the concept of time travel as a whole is treated very simply. We see one timeline and time always shifts along that single timeline. This is very contrary to the acclaimed anime Steins;Gate that insists that time flows along many parallel lines. Even in Madoka Magica, the actions of time leaping have backlashes on the single timeline. Also, while The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is not dark, it is not like watching a children’s movie. In fact, it is a very deep story about coming of age.

Leading the main cast is Makoto Konno. She is the kind of character that you can’t help but to love. She’s cute, nice, outgoing and adorkable. Like many anime characters that are seniors in high school, Makoto doesn’t really know what she wants to do with herself after graduation. With adulthood around the corner, she makes the most of her time spent with her best friends, Chiaki Mamiya and Kousuke Tsuda. The three of them together almost seem like the perfect group of friends. They are all different people, and even though they crack jokes at each other a lot, they all have each other’s backs. Aside from them and Makoto’s family, the rest of the cast is composed of various students and bystanders with little screen time. Considering this is a movie, two or three well developed characters is really all that’s needed. That being said, while the main three are great characters, there is virtually no backstory for any of them.

When I watch The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I feel attached the people on the screen. We all have had a time in our lives when we’re young and we wish that youth would last forever. You see, after Makoto learns to time leap, she kind of uses her power as a means to prolong her youth. “Remember that karaoke session last night that we wish we could experience again?” With Makoto, she gets to experience it as many times as she wants to. Also, the power of time leaping allows her to take advantage of things like knowing the answers on the pop quiz the next day, or knowing when not to cross the sidewalk to avoid getting someone thrown into her…yeah, that really happens. Still, as much as she tries, she realizes that she can’t be a child forever. Her actions lead to consequences she must take responsibility for, and her relationships with her best friends may extend to levels that she didn’t expect…

The quality of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’s visuals manage to be above average while maintaining a simple art style. Things like faces and clothing usually lack texture and use simple pallets, whereas the settings are filled with great detail. There are also some very appealing effects throughout the movie to emphasize time leaps, as well as some CGI here and there. The only thing that bugs me animation wise is that sometimes it feels like the animators are trying to cut back on cash. There are a few scenes that really lack in movement. Also, when the characters appear farther away, less attention is needed to animate faces. Still, the actual animation and art style mask these problems very well. Sound-wise, every track has its own personality. The songs feel appropriate for the times they are played, and lots of thought is put into every track.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a movie that has no weaknesses. It’s enjoyable for every viewer, and it leaves a light-hearted feeling in the air. Being among the greatest anime movies, it deserves a place on your shelf and a place on your list.

Everybody has a few anime they watch to relax with. I personally use Clannad and Kanon (2006) to wind down. Others may use Wolf Children or Usagi Drop. After a while though, I just need to watch something to get my blood pumping. Something to give me the kind of wild and crazy feeling that makes people do unspeakable things. I don’t think there is a single anime better suited for that job than Redline.

The story of Redline is very, very straightforward. There’s this race that happens every five years called the Redline (hence the name of the movie), and every five years, billions ... of people around the universe tune in to watch it. Or at least, a bunch of people watch it. I’m not sure how big the universe is. Anyway, you kinda get this impression that it’s the biggest thing that ever happens when it does happen. As to be expected, the main character is a man trying to win the race. Yes, “Sweet” JP has been trying to make it as a racer since who knows when and this year he’s trying to win the Redline. Aside from JP trying to win the race, there is only one other conflict in the movie. The Redline is being held on Roboworld this year and Roboworld is not happy about it. They attempt to use every means necessary to stop the race.

In Redline there is no unforeseeable conflict. If you want a deep plot with very developed characters you will be disappointed. Speaking of the characters, they are very one-dimensional. There is one little bit of backstory for JP, as well as some backstory for “Cherry Boy Hunter” Sonoshee McLaren. Sonoshee is quite the badass, and she takes the role of female lead/possible love interest. Aside from those two, every other character can be summed up with few words. Now, none of the characters are by any means bad. In fact, most all of them are very interesting. Once again, you don’t watch Redline for deep character development.

Alright, time to talk about the main reason you will want to watch this show for.

Redline was in the making for seven years. Produced by Studio Madhouse, which in of itself should speak volumes for the movie, Redline utilizes over 100,000 hand drawn frames. Yes, this movie took a ton of work just to make the frames for the animation. So, after all of that trouble, you would think the animation would be good, right? You would in fact be absolutely right. The style of animation somewhat resembles cell-shading. Bold lines and rich colors fill up every single shot. But it’s not the style of animation that makes Redline so great. Redline can’t always be packed with action every single second, but every single action sequence is filled with light and movement. Bright and creative textures are used when necessary, and every object and background is filled with detail. I think that out of every single anime I have seen, Redline takes the cake for best looking anime. Also, I don’t think the praise should stop after discussing the actual animation of Redline. I happen to really love the character designs. For a movie that lacks in deep character development, the designs really help side characters stand out.

Also, I really can’t believe I am about to say this, but…*sigh*… So, normally, I am not a one for fan service. Fan service is actually something that has turned me off from some really wonderful anime. But you see…the fan service in Redline…actually kinda turns me on…just a little bit. Especially Sonoshee and the twins (a.k.a. The pair of walking breasts).

Something that Redline has that is almost just as good as the animation is its sound and music. UNCE-UNCE-UNCE-UNCE-UNCE. And the theme song, man, that theme song. There aren’t too many tracks in Redline, but every single one is awesome. That is to be expected. What good is the speed and power of the animation of the action sequences if the music lulls you to sleep?

After talking a bit more about the technicalities, you may be asking yourself what kind of action sequences there are. You see, in Redline, the only rule is to get to the finish line. Racers can use any means necessary to do so, and that includes, you guessed it, weapons. The writers and producers put a lot of thought into the racers and their respective gadgets. It’s not as simple as one racer using rockets and one racer using lasers. Everyone has some really cool tricks up their sleeves.

To finish things up, Redline is quite the spectacle. If you have the choice between watching Redline and watching fireworks while skydiving, I suggest Redline. Well, not really, but Redline is really cool. :P If this review gets you interested, then go get some friends (assuming you have friends), a bag of chips and enjoy the show.

Over the years, many anime have come out that have helped define the genre. Full Metal Alchemist will often appear at the number one spot on any top-ten list you come across. There are the classics from the 90’s such as Cowboy Bebop, Trigun and Neon Genesis Evangelion that constantly remind us of an older generation of anime. And who could ever forget the big three of Bleach, Naruto and One Piece? Many of us became interested in anime because of their influence. Still, although these names have left their mark on the history of anime, one stands above them all. That anime is a ... true masterpiece. That anime is Akira.

Akira is considered to be a landmark in Japanese film, as well as one of the most influential animated films of all time. Not only has it influenced much of the art of the illustrators in the manga industry, but it also helped to open a gateway to anime for those outside Japan. The movie has also garnished a huge cult following since its release.

Now, don’t think that I think Akira is a masterpiece just because it’s old and influential. The presence of Akira was initially what drew me to watching it, and I can assure you that Akira is worthy of its following.

Starting off with the story, the setting of Akira takes place in the year 2019 in a city called Neo-Tokyo. Thirty years prior was a nuclear explosion that demolished Tokyo and sparked WWIII, and Neo-Tokyo was built on Tokyo’s ashes. If you want more than that, read the synopsis, although I would recommend not doing so. The story of Akira is one of the most complex I’ve ever seen. If you read its synopsis, you’ll just get spoiled a few things and still be confused. From what I can see, the main thing that turns people off about Akira is just how convoluted it actually is. You see, the writer of the source material (who was also the writer of the movie btw) still had not finished the story yet. Along with that, there was tons of material to fit in one movie. I read about a third of the first volume of the manga and I could tell right away that the writer had to change a lot of things and cut a lot of corners to make the movie possible. All things considered, Akira’s adaptation to a movie was spectacular. Also, I think that Akira’s complexity works for it as the movie has a lot of re-watch value.

Without going very in depth, I will discuss the characters. Backstory is minimal (which is logical seeing that it’s a movie with a large cast) but the amount distributed is appropriate. We get a general sense of what drives the characters’ actions, and that is enough. It would be appropriate to say that the characters fall in certain “groups” during the course of the movie. Characters find themselves in different places and do their own thing, all while coming together at the end of the movie. While the cast size is moderately large, there are several members that make big impacts on the story. The less forgettable characters the better.

I will talk about art and sound at the same time, as they are my favorite parts of the movie. A big reason why people like to avoid older anime is because, well, they look old. Also, if an old anime doesn’t have a big enough budget, the animation suffers even more. A good example of this is Neon Genesis Evangelion. You would have these scenes filled with movement, only for the movement to stop, exposing the animations age. For an anime from 1988, Akira has aged wondrously. Your blood begins to boil as the song “Kaneda” starts playing while the biker gang moves out, leaving behind a trail of light. You quake in fear as a helicopter is thrown down a street while you hear: DUUUUUUN. DUUUUUUN. DUNN-DUNN. Suspense hangs in the air when an unstoppable foe crushes a tank with sheer mind power as a crowd cheers, screams and wails.

I think I made it clear how big of a spectacle Akira is by now.

As you already know, I enjoyed Akira a ton. When I look at Akira I see a timeless classic. In fact, whether you like it or not, that is what it is. Even if just to appreciate its impact on anime, it is certainly worth your time. Akira is a landmark in anime, movies and entertainment.

Pop Quiz: Which anime makes you laugh, makes you cry, and has teenagers mercilessly fighting each other with giant weapons and explosive magic? No, it’s not Kill la Kill. Its Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!

There is something about Chuunibyou that is really special. There are many comedy/romance anime about kids in high school, and some of these anime are quite masterful. But Chuunibyou goes somewhere that these other anime do not. Most of the time, the struggle that our character’s face has something to do with coming of age. “What are we going to do when we graduate?” “How is our romantic relationship going to ... progress?” The thing that is different about Chuunibyou is that the main characters aren’t teens struggling to become adults. They are actually teens struggling to stop being kids!

At first, Chuunibyou is kind of strange. Some of the characters have suffered from chuunibyou, or, “Middle School 2nd Year Syndrome." Yeah, I had never heard of that either. Basically, when they were kids, they pretended like they had super powers and superhero-like aliases. It’s kinda like cosplaying. The story follows the misadventures of two of these children (now teenagers) in particular: Rikka Takanashi and Yuuta Togashi. While Yuuta is a boy who has given up his childish tendencies, of which he is now embarrassed by, Rikka still clings to the power of her “Wicked Eye”.

Something I like about the Chuunibyou is that it has a moderate cast size considering its length, but the characters all seem fresh and creative. Some may disagree, but I don’t think any of the characters immediately identify with any particular trope. That being said, there were a couple things about them that did bother me, and I don’t think it’s possible to discuss these problems without first discussing the characters themselves.

Firstly, I’ll discuss Yuuta and Rikka some more. The relationship between those two are the core of Chuunibyou. Just to reiterate, Yuuta has just given up on his old persona just before his new classmate, Rikka, comes into his life. Yuuta has no obvious incentive to befriend her other than being her classmate. Oh, and they’re neighbors! Yeah, I think they might have borrowed that from Toradora!, but it’s not a big deal. Although Chuunibyou has no immediate conflict, we see conflict arise as Yuuta and Rikka get closer.

Talking about the rest of the cast is pretty straight forward. There are few school girls that float around our main pair, a male best friend for Yuuta, and some relatives of both Yuuta and Rikka. Here, I’ll discuss my problems with the cast. First of all, there is this girl named Shinka Nibutani that I think painfully resembles a character from Toradora! named Ami Kawashima. If you haven’t seen Toradora!, that probably won’t bother you, but it bothers me. Also, I won’t tell you why they are alike as to not spoil anything. The second problem I have is with a character named Sanae Dekomori. Although she is clearly distinct from the rest of the cast, her defining characteristics almost replicate the alter-ego side of Rikka. The way Rikka acts when she is in cosplay mode is essentially the way Sanae acts. I wouldn’t call that “cheating” or anything, but I feel like it takes away her potential to stand out among the cast. Aside from those two things, I don’t think there is anything wrong with the other characters. Also, I need to give a shout out to Yuuta’s best friend Makoto, as I usually see characters like him being little more than the comic-relief punching bag.

Now, remember what I said in the very first sentence of the review? You see, when some of the characters embrace their inner chuunibyou, they have these intense battle sequences. You’ll see them fighting each other with guns, giant hammers, great swords, and explosive spells. Then, what’s on the screen will change to them hitting each other with a kitchen utensil or an umbrella. After that, it will go back to the SAO-level action sequence. The glorious battle on the screen is all in their imagination! Not only is this a super creative idea, but the visuals get pushed to the limit. All the art would be at least passable without these scenes, but Chuunibyou goes beyond what is expected.

Sound wise…yeah, its good. The soundtrack isn’t Chuunibyou’s focal point or anything, but it certainly sounds just fine.

Lastly, I have some final thoughts about the story. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! does a really good job at being a romance and a comedy. Its always funny, but it does an excellent job of letting the fun step aside in the latter portions of the show. I shouldn’t talk about the romance itself, but it’s there, and it is balanced very well as Chuunibyou progresses.

All in all, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is an excellent school romance/comedy that leaves its own little touch on the genre. Its small length compounded with its entertainment value is certainly worth noting, and it certainly deserves a place on your shelf.

I really wish there were more anime like White Album 2. Nothing about it is overly complex or ambiguous, and it makes for a relaxing show. My favorite genre is slice-of-life, and I tend to watch one whenever I finish an anime that is very mentally strenuous. White Album 2 made for a very pleasant experience in a very short period of time.

Starting with the story of White Album 2, we find our characters in generic Japanese high school #1978650. The main male protagonist is Haruki Kitahara, a kind and responsible young man with a passion for music. His wish is to revive the ... Light Music Club after its disbandment and play in an upcoming school festival. In my opinion, Haruki is somewhat generic. His design is lacking of any distinct characteristics, and he really is just a normal guy with a normal life and normal goals. That's not always bad however, as it is more realistic than a main who is overly bombastic, perverted or lazy. He's just average is all, but that is ok for this kind of story.

Very quickly we see a simple love triangle form between Haruki and the other main characters. The first of which is Setsuna Ogiso, a kind girl who is a talented singer, as well as the idol of her school for winning the Miss Houjou Academy pageant. The second is Kazusa Touma, a very reclusive girl who is also a talented pianist. Haruki finds himself between these two ladies as he needs both of their support to revive the Light Music Club. Conveniently, Haruki is the guitarist, so the singing of Setsuna and the piano playing of Kazusa is the perfect fit.

My main problem with White Album 2 is the cast. It’s not that they are bad characters, but rather that the anime kind of "plays it safe," so to speak. The supporting cast is very small, and they get very limited screen time. Like Haruki, they lack defining characteristics, and their development is little to none. The only characters that I feel stick out are the two female leads. This is partly due to them being the only characters with backstory that isn't directly related to the plot. However, the lack of character development is not a hindrance, as the story is not so complex as to require such depth.

The thing that makes White Album 2 better than other love triangle stories is the music. I don't necessarily mean the soundtrack, however. It’s just that for the majority of the show, music is what drove our characters. Music is what brought them together in the first place. And yes, the soundtrack is quite good. Although a bit overplayed, there is one song that appears several times during the anime that is especially good. Appropriately, it is called "White Album."

Now, I did lose a little interest in the latter portion of the show. I did just say that the music is the most special thing about White Album 2, and the second half was primarily about the romance between our main characters. This makes sense of course, but it is saddening when your favorite thing about an anime takes the back seat for something else. Still, nothing about the second half is bad. In fact, it’s fantastic. The story is paced very well and it leads up to a satisfying conclusion.

White Album 2 is not a masterpiece, but it is certainly well done. Being able to watch a good story in such a small amount of time was very refreshing. If you are not a big slice-of-life fan like myself, there are certainly better anime out there for you to watch. But if your tastes are similar to mine, you should put this anime on your list.