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I watched this entire series in one shot. I really wish I could give it a higher score, I really do, and up until the last episode, it easily had an 8... however, the lack of any real conclusion, and dropping of certain story elements was just too disappointing.

There is no romantic conclusion, the point card system of the Love Me department just sort of disappears, she doesn't even get to make a real debut (the seeming point). There is a half conclusion with her ex-boyfriend Sho, but I would have liked to see more, seeing as they kept going back to him after his ... arc should have concluded.

It really is a pity, since there was a good range of characters and character development, and the animation wasn't shabby in the slightest. It was just really annoying to watch the first 18 episodes have very solid plot directions, and the last 7 waver about as if they didn't know what plot line to go with. Episode 25 felt like a 22 minute spot for a season two, not a finale. :(

I read 源氏物語 (Genji Monogatari) last semester for school, and absolutely fell in love with Murasaki Shikibu's work. Naturally, when I discovered an anime based off the tale, I had to watch it. (It can be found on YouTube)

The anime adds a very unique twist to the tale, focusing most on Lady Rokujo's venegeful spirit. With that slightly horror-esque environment, Genji's liaisons have a whole new element, and Genji himself seems more dimensional than in some translations of the tale. If you don't know what I'm talking about, this anime may not make a whole lot of sense to you. The story is vastly ... enriched from allusions to the text, which is why I can give the enjoyment a 9 and the story only an 8. The anime does not go into the arc with Niou and Kaoru.

Overall, my recommendation is:

If you've read the Tale of Genji and enjoyed it: WATCH!
If you haven't read the Tale: Get some background info on his various lovers and then watch. You'll want to focus on Lady of the Evening Faces (Yugao), his wife (Aoi), Lady of the Plum Blossoms (Murasaki), The Empress (Fujitsubo) and Lady Rokujo (subtitled differently in the anime).

Having quite enjoyed my viewing of the second motion picture for Fatal Fury, I thought I would check out the first (as some flashbacks were given to events within this movie). I have to say, it's been a really long time since I forced myself through 45 minutes of anime just so I could write this review.

Fans of the KOF game series might be interested in viewing this anime (I'm one of them), but the action and/or character exposure you're looking for won't be coming. The film is 45 minutes long: giving the director little more than 2-3 minutes per event he wants to take ... care of. After watching the intro (up to the title screen), if you find yourself cringing or laughing at how badly it was handled, do not continue. The Japanese voice cast is weak, as are the emotions of the characters, and overall, it seemed like they had taken cut scenes from the game and strung them together- forgetting that the energy from playing the game is lost in the process.

Filler Ratio: LOW
Dub Quality: AMAZING (see below)

Eureka 7 is simply one of those anime that must be watched for the experience of feeling the aspects of character, soundtrack, animation and story all blend harmoniously. The anime itself is a beautiful symphony of imagination and color. The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in a long time and the animation (as expected of BONES) is fluid, smooth and exquisitely done. Eureka 7 had me hooked on its concepts even before I started looking into the characters.

The characters of Eureka 7 are NOT flat. Each has their own psychology, their own space within the series, ... and side characters feel just as real as Holland or Renton. The female characters are strong; the development the characters experience from episode to episode is retained (each of the main characters change throughout the series as events happen to them- a departure from the Naruto or Usagi complex*) Villains have actual motives- and at times, you feel as if some of them truly aren't 'villains' at all.

I am not a huge mech fan, but the concepts behind the mechs for this series were well conceived and executed. The show is NOT about the mechs- they exist within the story and have their own histories, but it is yet another element that blends seamlessly into the overall story arc. The only reason I gave this show a 9 instead of a 10 for Story is that the ending seemed to meander a bit- though it quickly gets back on track.

Highly recommended- I watched the English dubbed version (which is way more than tolerable- the voice actors did a fantastic job), but both versions are great!

*-I don't mean to "hate" on Naruto and Sailor Moon's main characters, but the psychology for these characters -is- low. Usagi is roughly the same character she was in episode 200 as she was in episode 1. This is not the case for the main players in Eureka 7.