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We've had quite a few edgy shows this season and this is one of them. However, I did keep an open mind while watching it and it was pretty enjoyable.... For a very very little amount of time.

[Story: 6/10]
So the story surrounds a group of 12 warriors, representing 12 families, who're called by the names of the 12 zodiac signs and they each have powers related to the creature that their sign is. They participate in a battle royal, held once every 12 years called the, "Juuni Taisen," and whoever wins, gets a wish of his or her's granted. Now, if someone enjoys shounen and ... has watched a couple of famous shows, they've come across this kind of plot, specifically because of the Fate Series and let's be honest here, the Fate Series isn't always always good but it's pretty enjoyable. Juuni Taisen tries to be the edgier cousin of Fate but it fails. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about each character and delve into their background, we also learn about their individual powers. However, the series mostly follows the 'show and kill formula,' where they show us the past of the character they intend to kill off in that very episode, or in the next episode, this makes the show very predictable as we know who's going to die, for the most part. The answer to who's going to be the final winner is fairly obvious if one pays enough attention as, being the clichèd show it is, the show tries to put less attention on the important character and hence because we know we have the least amount of information about the Rat, we figure out that he is going to win very early on.

[Art: 6/10]
There's not much to share about the art to be honest, it's not bad but it's not good either. They do use a little bit of CGI here and there but it's so minimal that it isn't bothersome. The character designs aren't groundbreaking but they do help you remember who's who and what their powers are. The hand to hand combat scenes are well choreographed for the most part, especially in the first couple of episodes.

[Sound: 6/10]
The sound track tries to make the atmosphere tense and it does succeed in some cases but overall, it doesn't draw a lot of attention to itself. The OP is an electric guitar laden song, not exactly the type that hypes you up, it has more of a melancholic feel to it.

[Characters: 6/10]
Shows like Juuni Taisen rely heavily on their characters because with such a big and diverse cast that demands equal attention, there's really no way to make an overarching and complex narrative that relies solely on the story itself and not the characters. Juuni Taisen throws at us 12 people with varied motives that aren't explained. Simply put, we slowly figure out why these people are fighting but we don't know what they are fighting for. We don't know what they want, sure we do find out in the case of Nezumi but, for the most part we don't know and I refuse to believe that everyone is like Nezumi and they never thought about what they wanted. In the case of Sheep however, we are aware that he is fighting in the place of his grandchild and so we can assume that he doesn't have an ulterior motive.

Since almost every character is explored within the confines of an episode, it's very difficult to figure out wether we like them or not. The actions of these characters have had a profound effect on the battlefields of the world and yet it feels like they're inconsequential. Simply put, Juuni Taisen fails to make us care for these characters.

By far, the most interesting characters on this show are The Rabbit, The Ox and The Monkey. The Monkey makes the interesting character list because of her understanding of the way that peace works, her non violence beliefs should disqualify her as a warrior but she still is one, a rather good one at that. The Ox makes the cut because he is the most level headed out of all of them and he is different because he doesn't have a special power but he has experience and technique. The Rabbit is just bat shit crazy and a crazy factor is needed in shows like these. Nezumi would've made the cut had they put more attention on him and his very interesting but overpowered ability.

[Enjoyment: 5/10]
Juuni Taisen is pretty enjoyable in parts but these parts are few and far between. Being predictable isn't necessarily a bad thing but in this case, it makes the show uninteresting. The fight choreography can be enthralling and do give us moments of joy but that's about it. One isn't really attracted to the OP not the ED.

[FINAL SCORE: 6/10]
I won't call Juuni Taisen a massive waste of time or anything but I would suggest that you only watch it if you're hard pressed to find anime that you actually want to watch. If you enjoy a predictable plot that has some moments of good action then sure, give this a go.

Everyone once in a while we come across a modern master piece that makes us feel like we are part of a journey and this is where the film,"Kimi no Na wa."(Your name), impresses. There's something rather alluring about this movie. Love that transcends all boundaries of space, time and memory, it is this kind of love that this movie so brilliantly portrays. No wonder that at the time of writing, this is the highest rated anime on MAL. This film was a revelation in mant ways, a revelation as to just how good an animated film can be.

The movie introduces us to two characters ... with different lives but the same feeling. I don't want to mention a lot about the story sinceI don't want to give out any spoilers. However, take it from me, the story is absolutely brilliant, the narrative is masterfully crafted, so much so that it makes me want to just jump into it's world. The story does have a few moments where it doesn't impress but these moments are so few and far in between that it is hard to notice them. Whatever shortcomings the story has, which as I mentioned are very few, are absolutely steamrolled by the beauty of how the world of Kimi No Na Wa looks. The art style is just so amazing. I almost screamed like a fanboy pining away for his idol when I first saw what the film actually looked like. The film looks absolutely stunning. There's just nothing that is bad with the animation. The soundtrack, oh the soundtrack, it is just such a huge part of the film. The sound conveys a lot of emotions that sometimes the dialogues can't. Every high point for the two characters is just wonderfully portrayed.

Now let's move on to the most important and undoubtedly the best part of Kimi No Na wa., the two main characters. There's just so many things that make them great. They may appear to be the clichéd city boy, small town girl, characters at first but as time progressess, we get to delve in the complexities of these two people. They are just amazing, coupled with the story and the soundtrack, we just get drawn into their characters. We feel there anguish, there elation and all the other emotions they feel. Before long, we start identifying ourselves with these people even if we have absolutrly nothing in common with them. That's what sets this film apart and makes it a an amazing one.

Overall, this film is just awesome to the core, be it the weird beginning or the hopeful ending. This film is highly enjoyable and i reccomend it. It is something that will hold the top spot for quite some time.

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu or Assassination Classroom, a peculiar name for an anime which proved to be equally peculiar and yet highly entertaining. Assassination classroom tells the story of a group of students who have the daunting task of killing their teacher who happens to be an octopus like creature who is powerful enough to destroy earth.
Even if it sounds ridiculous, the anime is something which is great. The story progresses at a reasonably fast rate and ... yet doesn't lose even a minuscule ammount of the narrative elements a story should have. It is almost a vicious delight to watch Korosensei(the octopus like creature), dodge bullets and knives all the while teaching his class of students. Students who have been deemed unfit for regular schooling, students who possess extraordinary skills which make them perfect candidates for killing their teacher. The story is well written and holds both, action and life lessons. In almost every episode, we learn something new about a character, be it a student or Korosensei himself. The progression rate of the story is impressive, it does have a tense undertone, as there is a deadline for the students who want to kill korosensei, but, the story somehow throws the spotlight on how good of a teacher korosensei actually is. As far as characters go, korosensei is an enigmatic one and is supported by equally interesting charactes. Nagisa Shiota, who happens to be a lead character, perfectly fits the cap of an unlikely hero. The characters of Karma Akabane and Kaede Kayano are also well written. There is a huge amount of character development all throughout the series. Nagisa, a boy who is often tease for his androgynous appearance, quickly develops into a person who is the most talented at Assassination. Also intriguing are the characters of Karasuma, a government employee, and Irina Jelavic, an assassin, both of these people teach different things to the class while trying to kill korosensei themselves but by the time this season ends, it is evident that they have grown to respect and even admire korosensei as a teacher.
Ansatsu Kyoushitsu is an anime which is both enjoyable and fun, along with being a story of growth and understanding. The series shows how each of the students grow also throwing great focus on the class working together to come up with ways to kill korosensei. The anime is higly enjoyable, portraying a lot of complex emotions in a simple manner. I highly reccommend this to any and every perso who has had an enigmatic and encouraging teacher in his or her life. Overall, it is truckloads of fun and doesn't feel boring even for a little amount of time.