Various Thoughts

This is a list of the various Anime series I’ve seen, along with a short description of why I liked/disliked them along with ratings for the ones I did like (6+).

Disliked series are listed first, and their titles are simply gray, while those I liked are listed second and linked to either their Wikipedia or AniDB page. The disliked list is in alphabetical order, and the liked list is in Minitokyo rating order (best to worst).

Disliked Anime

• .hack//Roots: All the pacing problems of .hack//SIGN, with none of the interesting storyline.
• .hack//SIGN: Beautiful animation, great story, atrocious pacing… the pacing completely ruins this otherwise great series. Lingering on one character’s expression for 5+ minutes is just not acceptable. I made it up to episode fourteen before giving up.
• Akira: I hated this movie. The animation style was bad enough on its own; I prefer the clean/sharp style to the round/realistic style. This was old however, so I gave it a pass and watched it to the end. That turned out to be a mistake considering that the story makes very little sense and is horribly clichéd. What really made me hate it though were those floating fat kids whom I kept wishing would just shut-up and stop ruining the movie with their rampant moralizing.
• Air Gear: I only watched the first episode, but I’m not really a fan of the Shônen genre to begin with and this series is by all accounts Shônen incarnate. I did like the character design though.
• Akane Maniax: This is a spin-off of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, but unfortunately doesn’t share any real similarities with that series. The new main character is basically a combination of the comic store owner from Lucky Star and the Baseball Captain from Tokimeki . As a supporting character, he’s fine, but as the main character his shtick gets old fast.
• All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku: I was hoping this would be one of those amusing shows like Tenchi Muyo GXP or Pani Poni Dash! or something. Unfortunately, it seems solely geared toward a younger audience.
• Ancient Books of Ys: This was basically a stereotypical "young hero defeats evil monster empire" type of thing. I wasn’t a fan of the animation style either.
• Angel Heart: This series is sort-of like a psychological thriller up to episode nine, then morphs into something like a ’slice of life’ series. The story is basically about an assassin (Glass-Heart) who jumps off a building after after her fiftieth kill only to survive thanks to a last minute heart transplant. The main crux of the series is how the transplant gave Glass-Heart Kaori’s (the owner of the transplanted heart) memories and feelings, and gives her a sort of split-personality. After the aforementioned episode nine, it deals with Glass-Heart trying to live something resembling a normal life. My main problem with this series, besides the rather strange premise, is the totally inappropriate humor (Read: physical/ecchi) used throughout.
• Appleseed Ex Machina: The animation style used for this OVA works very well for action scenes, but it’s god-awful for everything else. It probably would’ve been better if they went the full-CGI route rather then some bastardized CGI/cell-shading hybrid. As it stands, the character interactions look horribly fake and the characters themselves look a bit too much like plastic figurines.
• Ar Tonelico: It’s okay as a teaser for the game, I guess, but does not work well as a stand-alone OVA.
• Aria the Animation: This is a ‘Slice of Life’ series, meaning it has no storyline to speak of and instead just follows the characters around as they do normal everyday things. It’s a laid-back series with a very dry sense of humor, so if you’re feeling mellow or want to watch something just pass the time, you may find this series worth a look.
• Basilisk: I’m not sure what I didn’t like about this exactly… it just didn’t seem entertaining. Nothing really stands out as good or interesting, so it’s sort of bad by default.
• Battle Angel Alita: I couldn’t deal with the animation style.
• Blood: The Last Vampire: This movie gave no reasons for why what was happening was happening, or any form of realistic reactions from its characters. Random things happen to random people and I see no particular reason to care.
• Bokurano: Sort of like Basilisk , only instead of nothing being interesting, the interesting parts were canceled out by the annoying and/or boring parts.
• Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan 2: Wholly inferior to the first. There’s far more censoring going on (yes, even in the uncensored version), and the former extreme graphic violence was the show’s entire attraction.
• Brother, Dear Brother: I couldn’t deal with the animation style.
• Burn Up Excess: Too much ecchi with not enough interesting storyline.
• Burst Angel: Infinity: It’s OK, but it isn’t really on the same level as the main series. I never really liked the flashbacks to begin with, and since this is all flashback….
• Cardcaptor Sakura: Just this side of too little-girlie. A little more seriousness and this could’ve been a series for everyone.
• Clover – Preview OVA: I’m not sure as to the point of this very short OVA (6.5 minutes), perhaps it was made just as a proof of concept. I think the series could be very interesting, but it seems as though Clamp isn’t quite happy with the manga yet, so a full series is probably a long way off.
• Comic Party Revolution: This seems to have taken the basic story of the first season, and then overlaid it onto a Harem Anime. Well, that was a bad call, as the original story and archetypes don’t lend themselves well to the Harem genre.
• Comic Party Special: This little four 8-min episode OVA series took the stereotypes of the regular series and applied them to the plot. Which essentially makes it excessively stupid.
• D.Gray-man: Up to episode nine was quite good, but ten through thirty-six were mostly rather bland (although episodes seventeen & twenty-six were good). Road and Lenalee are by far the best characters in the series, and without them it would be utter crap… but they can only do so much. It starts off good only to descend into mediocre storytelling and stupid physical humor.
• Darkstalkers: It’s like watching someone play the video game. Plus, the humanoid characters’ faces are poorly drawn.
• DearS: An ecchi and emotionless (besides lust) version of Chobits.
• Death Note: The concept of the series is pure brilliance… however… the characters are just wrong on so many levels. Their personalities are nothing resembling believable and are rarely even consistent from episode to episode (or minute to minute for that matter).
• Desert Punk: Utter crap. Unless you’re a ten-year (or less) old boy.
• Devil May Cry: Various people have labeled this as a Hellsing/Gungrave hybrid and I have to agree with them. However, while those two had plotlines, this seems to be just gratuitous violence/action with no significant storyline. Around episode nine it gets something of a plot, but it’s rather lame and uninteresting. The final battle was also quite pathetic, as you never see Dante assume his half-devil form; it’s just implied a bit and then drowned out in a flash of light.
• Dogs: Bullets & Carnage: Only the third episode is worth watching, the other three are trash.
• Dragonaut: The Resonance: Sort of like the inverse of Witchblade; the first half is moderately interesting, but the second is not.
• El Cazador de la Bruja: This is the from the same company as Madlax and Noir, and shares some of their themes and plotlines… although the animation style and characters are a bit different. Nadie reminds me of Meg from Burst Angel, while Ellis is sort of a combination of Kirika (Noir) and Margaret (Madlax). Unfortunately, there isn’t the same sense of mystery and discovery/revelation as was present in Noir/Madlax (thanks to a narrator), and the series is done in a far less serious style. Overall, there wasn’t anything that really stood out as good and/or interesting. I think that keeping the Romeo/Juliet angle from the beginning of episode twenty-five might have salvaged it though.
• Escaflowne: I couldn’t deal with the animation style.
• Eureka Seven: I have no clue if this is good or not, but I can’t stand the main character. It’s like watching a monkey pretend to be human. So horrible.
• Fafner: So bad. It’s like they took the most boring parts of Evangelion and RahXephon and combined them. The Prequel OVA (Right of Left) is worlds better.
• Final Fantasy Unlimited: Strange, very strange. The premise is a touch too strange for me to like it though.
• Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: If you liked the series, you’ll hate this. I watched it after the series and completely despised it.
• Galaxy Angel: To little-girlie. Filled with nonsense for nonsense’s sake.
• Gankutsuou: I don’t know what it was exactly that stopped me from liking this series. I think it may have been the animation style.
• Genocyber: Reminded me of Akira.
• Ghost Hound: I was skeptical that the series’ premise could work with a 26-episode Anime, and the first episode only reinforced this feeling. Great soundtrack though.
• Gigantic Formula: Seems like just another generic Mech series. That’s sort of bad enough, but the real killer is the frightning animation style. The characters’ eyes are horrific and doll-like.
• Giniro no Olynssis: I don’t think I can adequately describe exactly why I dislike this series. Perhaps it’s due to the bland character personalities, perhaps it’s due to the Power Rangers-esque look of the Gardeners, perhaps because Tia looks copywrite-infringingly like Lacus from Gundam SEED… or maybe it’s all of those combined.
• Gundam 00 – Second Season: Stale rehash of all earlier Gundam series, a satire without humor.
• Happiness!: You get precisely what you might expect from the title.
• Heavenly Sword: This seems to be a sort of preview for the game. The animation is done in Flash, and it’s slightly interesting to watch. Each episode is only ~2 minutes long and the ending is a cliff-hanger designed to get you to want to play the game.
• ICE: This OVA series is like some unholy combination of Wings of Rean, Noein, Karas, and Simoun. While I liked three of those series, combining them all into a giant mish-mash is clearly not a good idea. The storyline is relatively easy to follow, but the setting and character behavior is quite strange. It’s a curious series, but not all that interesting.
• Ichigo 100%: Only watched the first episode, not my type of Anime.
• Ikkitousen: Great Guardians: Eh. The ecchi reaches new highs while the storyline and battles get shoved to the wayside. Very unfortunate.
• Janguru wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu: Amusing, but there wasn’t enough of a plot to keep me interested.
• Jigoku Shôjo Mitsuganae: The series feels as though it became a parody of itself.
• Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade: I’m not sure what exactly this movie should be labeled as… ‘Psychological Drama’ would fit I suppose. It was vaguely interesting, and seemed to be sort-of like Texhnolyze with a higher dialog to symbology ratio, but was just a little too dull to appeal to me.
• Kämpfer: Amusing, but far too ludicrous.
• Kannazuki no Miko: This seems to want to combine Mecha Action with Drama/Romance and it just didn’t do it for me. The Mecha portions felt overly forced.
• Kemonodzume: Interesting concept, basically Romeo & Juliet with a twist, but I hate the animation style.
• Kikoushi Enma: At first I thought this to be very similar to Requiem from the Darkness, but while the premise is the same, the story-telling and characters are much worse. The animation for the first two episodes was okay, but in the last two they used some half-assed 3D rendering that looks like shit for the backgrounds.
• Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~: It was okay, but it really doesn’t hold a candle to the first season. Everyone getting a happy ending just seems to run contrary to what the series was about.
• Lemon Angel Project: The plotline isn’t all that bad, but the choice of voice actors is horrible and ruins any sense of believability or immersion.
• Mahoraba ~Heartful days~: Too ridiculous. Far too much of the Harem genre without anything to balance it out.
• Mahou Shoujotai: Interesting animation style and character design, but the storyline really rubbed me the wrong way.
• Martian Successor Nadesico: Seemed like a much less serious version of RahXephon. I’m not generally a fan of Mecha series to begin with, and with this lacking both a decent storyline and believable characterizations, it just fell flat.
• Melody of Oblivion: Lets see… how to describe this horrible, horrible series? I think it can be summed up by listing a few names. The Greek Gods that the Humans fight against are called ‘Monsters’, the group of humans that help the monsters are called the ‘Monster Union’, the main characters yell out poker hands as their attacks (Flush, Straight Flush, etc.), and the enemies generally take the form of giant robotic versions of harmless animals… like a chicken. The main storyline idea was decent, but the execution was an utter failure.
• Minami-ke: Far too much of the Slice of Life genre for me.
• Monster: Geared toward an older audience, it was just a bit too boring. Sort-of felt like I was watching Murder She Wrote.
• Mushishi: This takes an episodic approach similar to Jigoku Shôjo only with none of the relevancy. Each episode has no effect on the later ones, making each one more or less pointless.
• Naruto: I’m not sure what people see in this series. The fight scenes and character design are interesting, yes, but the plotline and dialog are terrible and overly clichéd.
• Naruto Movies: Worse than the series. The Land of Snow one is the best of the bunch… though that’s not saying much.
• Naruto: Shippūden: Better than than Naruto, in that the plotline and dialog have been cleaned up, but also worse thanks to the seeming adoption of .hack//SIGN ’s patented ‘focus on one scene for minutes on end without anything happening’ storyboard style.
• Naruto: Shippūden the Movie: Roughly on par with the first Naruto movie; the Land of Snow.
• One Piece: Basically just like Naruto; disposable afternoon fare with no depth.
• Otogizoshi: Very nice animation style, but I just couldn’t get into the story. If you like Samurai/Historical series you might enjoy it.
• Persona: Trinity Soul: The Personas’ appearances really kill this series. It tries so hard to be serious, and then a Persona appears and it’s like you’re watching Voltron.
• Princess Mononoke: It’s a Bambie-esque fairy tale. I dislike fairy tales; good is good, evil is evil, and morals will be learned by all. Plus it has the overplayed Progress vs. Nature theme.
• Princess Resurrection: This seems to be the spiritual predecessor of Murder Princess. It has vampires, werewolves, androids, the titular demon-eyed princess… and horrible, horrible, storytelling. The character design and personalities for Hime and Rerei are fantastic, but the animation takes some rather severe shortcuts and it isn’t exactly what one would call ‘quality’. I wanted to like this series, I really did, but the various episode premises were just far too badly presented.
• Prism Ark: A horrible fanservice based school-life series. Its only redeeming quality is the feeling of nostalgia for Scrapped Princesss that you may get from watching it.
• Ragnarok the Animation: This may have been good, particularly if you’ve played the game, but it reminded me far too much of .hack//SIGN and Record of Lodoss War for me to like it. Roan’s entire design greatly annoyed me as well.
• Record of Lodoss War: Cliché upon cliché upon cliché. Utter trash.
• Red Garden: This is a series about four random girls who died and were resurrected to fight a family of weredobermans. Now, if that premise sounds silly… that’s because it is. The ridiculous premise isn’t all that important however, as the series is character based and focuses on how the girls deal with their new situation. This stands out from other series of this nature (like Gantz) in that it’s done in a semi-realistic style. In other words; the girls don’t magically become bad-asses, and they don’t get any sort of superpowers (though toward the end of the series they learn they can jump really high). The ending was very strange and, during the first half or so, various characters have a tendency to spontaneously break out into song for unexplained reasons. I’m forced to lump this together with Basilisk ; not bad per sè, but nothing about it appealed to me.
• Rental Magica: Not worth the time. Couldn’t even get past the first epiosde.
• Rozen Maiden: Quite possibly the best animation around, but I couldn’t get into the story. the various character’s motivations were mysterious and the plot in general didn’t make much sense.
• s-CRY-ed: Seemed decent at first, but no characters were given believable reasons to act the way they did. They all just kind of meandered around doing what they were because the plot told them to. Very afternoon-cartoonish.
• Saiyuki: To little-boyie. Very few of the episodes made any sense, and there doesn’t really seem to be a point to anything that’s happening. Season 2 is slightly better than Season 1, but they’re both just as pointless.
• Samurai 7: This is a very odd series that combines Samurai with Mecha. I have no idea why the Bandits of the series all have Gundams, nor do I really care, but the various characters’ personalities all fall extremely flat. There didn’t seem to be any depth to them, although I only watched it up to about episode eight.
• Samurai Champloo: Was a meh series. Nothing about it appealed to me… possibly because I’m not a fan of Hip-Hop culture.
• Seirei no Moribito: Another period piece like Ironheito and Chevalier, although this one is based in a fantasy world instead of being mildly historically accurate. What makes this series stand out a bit from many others is that it focuses on spear combat instead of sword-fighting. The storyline isn’t all that original though, and it plays out a bit like a classic fairytale/epic poem.
• Shining Tears X Wind: This series is very… I suppose ‘juvenile’ is the word.
• Shinigami no Ballad: This is sort-of like the polar opposite of Jigoku Shôjo. Momo is similar in personality to Ai, but the storylines are much more upbeat and are about redemption rather than damnation.
• Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica: I’m not sure how to categorize this. The setting is a world where spirits and humans live more or less side by side, and can enter contracts/partnerships with each other through song/music. The series follows the main character, who has formed a bond with one of the most powerful types of spirits, as he works for a sort of spirit centered detective agency/odd job type place. There isn’t any sort of over-arching plotline and it seems kind-of like a Slice of Life hybrid.
• Shugo Chara!: It starts off nice, but quickly sinks into a mire of cheesy cheerfulness as Amu’s ‘true personality’ starts to be revealed.
• Silent Möbius (Movies): Decent, but they weren’t anything special. Nothing really surprising happens and the characters are rather average.
• Slayers (TV Series): As with several other Anime in this genre, the token ’strapping young moronic hero’ ruins it for me.
• Sola: It seemed interesting at first, but didn’t hold my interest for long. The whole action subplot throws off the series’ entire rhythm.
• Sora No Otoshimono: Reminded me of DearS. I wanted nothing to do with it after the first 10 minutes.
• Soul Eater: Fantastic battle choreography and animation, but the character design, setting, and overall tone are abysmal. It’s heartbreaking.
• Soul Link: Meh. I didn’t watch past the third episode because it simply wasn’t all that interesting.
• Star Ocean EX: Well… I’ve already beaten the game several times, so I know the story quite well. This incarnation holds quite closely to the game’s plot, so it wasn’t all that entertaining for me to watch. It might be interesting to watch if you haven’t played the game though.
• Strike Witches: Far more horrible than I imagined it could possibly be. The character design from the waist up is nice, but everything else is abysmal… particularly the character design from the waist down.
• Tactics: Too contrived. Why is the main character seemingly the only one who can do what he does? Why does no one else seem to find what he does odd? Why do things work the way they do? Basically just disposable afternoon-fare.
• Tales of the Abyss: A dumbed-down combination of Scrapped Princess and Naruto.
• Tenchi in Tokyo: Avoid this like the plague. It’s completely inferior to both the Tenchi Muyo OVAs and Tenchi Universe. If you’ve watched either of those first, you’ll weep (or rage) upon viewing this travesty.
• Texhnolyze: Full of symbology with very little dialog. Such an incredible amount of symbology… far too much for me.
• The Twelve Kingdoms: This started out brilliant; the entire first part of it that deals with Youko’s story is very well done. Once it ties up her story and starts drifting to other characters around episode twenty though… it just falls apart. The series gets hopelessly bogged down with characters that got essentially no mention up to that point and really aren’t all that interesting to begin with.
• Those Who Hunt Elves: Far too cartoony.
• Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpuchou Tou: Dai Ni Maku: Nothing at all like the first season. Bad dialog, nonsensical plotline, and blank characterizations.
• Toward the Terra: Eh. There’s just something that feels wrong about it. Despite being released in 2007, it seems more like something from a decade (or more) earlier.
• Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: If you liked the series, you’ll hate this. Since I watched it after the first season of the series… I despised it.
• Vampire Hunter D: I couldn’t deal with the animation style. Plus, the female-lead made no sense.
• Vandread: It has an interesting theme, but relies far too much on absurdest and situational humor to appeal to me.
• Wings of Rean: This is an incredibly strange six-episode series. I couldn’t follow what was happening… at all. The animation is quite good and the characters aren’t noticeably problematic in any way, but the storyline is incredibly convoluted. Far more convoluted than even Karas.
• Wolf’s Rain: Far too much moralizing. If you want your story to have a moral, fine, but don’t go shoving morals down people’s throats each episode. I got up to the episode with the Moon Maiden phasing through walls before I had to turn it off in disgust.
• Xenosaga the Animation: It follows the main storyline decently, but then, that’s not difficult as the game itself is over 50% FMV. What it utterly fails at, is doing any justice to the fight scenes; the general action/choreography is the same but they may as well be a storyboard with the amount of effort put into (re)animating them. Albedo’s appearance was also rather off… he just didn’t look right at all.
• YuYu Hakusho: I couldn’t deal with the animation style.
• Zero no Tsukaima – 2nd Season: This has the same type of humor as the first season, only more exaggerated. The storyline isn’t all that interesting either as Louise, despite finding out about her power last season, still seems to be rather ineffective. And then just as the final few episodes were getting good, they had to go and ruin the ending. The beginning of the ending was perfect, and they should have just kept that angle, but instead they went for the cheap humor and ruined it.

Preferred Anime

1. Elfen Lied (10): The best Anime in existence, hands down… and I’ve seen quite a few series. You cannot convince me otherwise so don’t even bother trying. Shockingly realistic violence, a Romeo and Juliet -ish love story, more unique and believable characters then should be possible, and a real uncensored look into what humans are truly capable of. Watch this Anime; even if you have to kill yourself from despair after seeing what it brings to light.
2. Soukou no Strain (10) – Fantastic series. I never thought I’d watch another series as good as Elfen Lied , but this one manages. Dark and emotional with hints of light throughout along with detailed battle choreography. Easily the best series in the Mecha genre.
3. Bakemonogatari (9.75): The only thing keeping this series from a perfect score is the fact that the final two episodes are hanging in limbo.
4. Code Geass (9.75): Brilliant series. Great character design, great storyline, and an interesting setting. The only problem it suffers from is the way its characters have a disturbing tendency to completely abandon their personalities and go temporarily insane with rage for a few minutes every now and again.
5. The Third (9.75): Fantastic series. It mixes and matches elements from numerous other series into a surprisingly good fit. It’s similar to Full Metal Panic! , Shakugan no Shana , and Elfen Lied , in that it switches between the serious storyline/character development and humorous interludes.
6. Lucky Star (9.5): A very funny and laid-back series. What stands out about it the most though, I think, is its fluid style of animation.
7. Shakugan no Shana (9.5): Here’s another of those rare combination series that work so very, very, well: Drama, Action, Humor, and great character design.
8. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (9.5): Quite possibly the best all-around genre Anime there is. I love the character design, I love the storyline, and the humor is actually funny instead of the general awkwardness most series pass off as humor. The one issue I have with it is that the episodes are not in chronological order, so I would suggest watching it chronological order first. Though, honestly, it’s just slightly confusing in its natural order and I prefer things to happen sequentially.
9. Code Geass R2 (9.25): Great finish to a fantastic series. Events skip around a lot though, and it feels rushed as a result.
10. Da Capo II: Second Season (9.25): Far better than season one, D.C. II: SS even manages to outdo the first Da Capo series by narrowing the story’s focus and stripping away most of the elements normally associated with the Harem genre.
11. Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid (9.25): A continuation of Full Metal Panic! . This focuses more on Sosuke’s mercenary life and downplays the humor for a much more involved and serious plotline. Just as good, if not better, then Season 1.
12. Pale Cocoon (9.25): A nice concise OVA that tells an interesting story about a man who’s trying to unearth the secrets of the past, before the Earth was seemingly rendered inhabitable.
13. RahXephon (9.25): This series is stellar… unparalleled (unless you count Evangelion , which it blatantly parallels). The characters, story, depth, animation; all are top-notch. If you want a serious, thought-provoking exploration into the human psyche (and have already seen Evangelion ); watch this. Now.
14. Solty Rei (9.25): This would’ve joined Elfen Lied in perfection if it weren’t for several illogical events. The main one being the catalyst for the entire series: Solty lightly bumping into a girder and getting knocked out. Still a phenomenal series.
15. Darker than Black (9): This is an interesting and rather unique series somewhat in the vein of Witchhunter Robin , though it has a few elements similar to Tokko as well. The animation style is very crisp, and the characterizations are believable. Episodes seven and eight, however, were completely different in mood/style from the rest of the series and didn’t really fit well. Besides that hiccup, the series progresses at a decent pace and is engaging throughout. The ending didn’t really clear up all that many mysteries though and seemed a bit improvised.
16. Druaga no Tou: the Aegis of Uruk (9): A surprisingly interesting series based in the same world as the old Tower of Druaga arcade game. Crisp animation, nice battle sequences, well-fitting comic relief, and good pacing. I particularly like the opening at the beginning of each episode, even though it apparently doesn’t have anything to do with the actual series.
17. Fafner – Right of Left (9): This is a prequel to the main Fafner series, and has animation and character design quite similar to Heroic Age (or should I say that HA ’s design is based on this?), and a storyline that’s like a combination of the best parts of RahXephon and Evangelion .
18. Full Metal Panic! (9): Now, originally, this series’ Wikepedia article had a rather misleading description of it under the Overview section. I put off watching it for a few months because of this, and what a horrible mistake that was. After fixing the article, I went back and watched it again. This series is outstanding and combines Gundam Wing ’s seriousness and plot depth with humor similar to that found in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya . Words of Warning: DO NOT WATCH THE DUBBED VERSION. Sosuke’s voice is quite possibly the worst choice they could have ever made. Hearing it will completely ruin the series and character.
19. Heroic Age (9): This is a very interesting Space Opera-like series. The storyline (as far as I can tell) is original, the characters don’t fit into any obvious stereotypes, and the animation is well done. The only hang-up is that the Nodos battles feel rather repetitive.
20. Kara no Kyōkai – The Garden of Sinners (9): Very stylistic series with fantastic animation that combines the Romance, Action, and Mystery genres. While its storyline and characters are top-notch, it has some severe pacing issues at times and ends on a jarring note.
21. Kaze no Stigma (9): This series is reminiscent of Shakugan no Shana in that it combines action with a romance subplot with humor infused throughout. The main difference between them is that the relationship dynamic is significantly different here. In Shana you had one strong dependent and one weak independent, while this has one nigh-invincible independent and a strong dependent. The animation is well-done for the most part… except the CG effects they threw into that one demon fight, which looked rather unfinished. Kazuma is an interesting character, if only due to the fact he has a rather mature personality. This is a nice change from the standard male-character stereotypes in this genre. Another refreshing quality is the way he has godlike power right from the start without any cheesy ‘training montage’ or ‘he’s special’ justifications for it. The Earth Clan story arc in the middle of the series wasn’t very interesting, but the final story arc with Kazuma going all homicidal made up for it.
22. Neon Genesis Evangelion (9): The flagship of psychological Anime. Utterly Brilliant and unmatched by all… with the possible exception of RahXephon . It isn’t without its flaws though; namely the ending. The ending of the series is utter crap and episodes twenty-five and twenty-six should not be watched. Thankfully, the End of Evangelion OVA was released and addressed this deficiency; it essentially replaces those two episodes.
23. Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuioku Hen (9): I saw this listed as #1 on Animenfo’s Top Rated Anime list, so I thought I’d give it a look. It’s quite good and is easily one of the top Samurai related series I’ve seen. The pacing and storyline get a bit jumpy in the 2nd half (episodes three and four), but besides that there aren’t any major flaws.
24. Black Lagoon (8.75): Awesome series; it’s what Coyote Ragtime wanted to be. There isn’t a storyline to speak of until later in the series, but the action, dialog, and character development are well done.
25. Chrono Crusade (8.75): Very, very, very good. Fantastic series.
26. Ga-Rei: Zero (8.75): A slightly hard to follow series that tells an interesting story of a friends to sisters to enemies pair of demon hunters. The character-driven storyline aside, the series also has some very nicely choreographed combat scenes.
27. Ghost in the Shell (8.75): Great movie. Complex and involved plotline with incredible combat animation and extensive philosophical discussion.
28. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (8.75): I stumbled across this after reading an article over on Anime News Network that asked if the mainstream media was going to label all Anime fans "perverted, child-abusing, pedophiles" because this series was going to be released in the USA soon (The answer was: "No, as Elfen Lied had already been released without incident"). So, naturally, I had to see this series myself. This is a twisted, twisted, series that tells several different stories involving the same main characters. It has murder, insanity, paranoia, mystery, and a bunch of character deformation humor to throw you off-guard. In short: Brilliance.
29. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (8.75): I originally liked this season slightly better then the first, as the first had you wondering what the fuck was going on, while this one comes right out and tells you what’s going on. It’s not as bone-chillingly creepy as the first one though, nor does it have the same level of humor/horror contrast. So all-in-all I find myself liking both seasons about the same amount.
30. Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ (8.75): Here is the type of series that you’ll rarely find a duplicate of. The story and dialog is well written, and the comic relief is blatant and segregated so as not to dilute the main storyline. A must see.
31. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS (8.75): This takes place ten years after Season 2 of the series (four years after the epilogue), and has a vastly different style. This installment has a much more… professional… air to it, and is far more similar to an agency-type series (E’s Otherwise , Kiddy Grade , etc.) than a Magical Girl series. Episode eight was particularly good, as Nanoha drops her generally cheerful attitude and just completely rapes Tea. The series also get a bit more direct with the Yuri undertones of previous seasons. The final battle was suitably epic as an ending, so this series also gets to join the exclusive ‘good ending’ club.
32. Noir (8.75): This series grabs you from the first episode and doesn’t let go. Gripping storyline with plenty of action interspersed throughout. My one complaint is the blatantly unrealistic nature of the vast majority of the enemies… and the almost complete lack of blood.
33. Saikano (8.75): This is a surprisingly good series. It deals with the transformation of a young girl into the ‘ultimate weapon’; a cyborg of immense, though mostly uncontrollable, power. Overlaying that background is a romance storyline between her and a guy who can’t bring himself to acknowledge what she’s been turned into. The animation is rather slow and subdued, which fits the tragic theme of the series well, but breaks out into nearly real-time speed every once in awhile… which comes as something of shock whenever it happens.
34. Scrapped Princess (8.75): This is a spectacular series with a great concept and execution. It’s like Planet of the Apes with a new twist.
35. Strawberry Panic! (8.75): If you like character driven relationship/romance/drama series, and don’t mind (or prefer) an all-female cast, this is the Anime for you. Surprisingly (and thankfully), I noticed very little fan-service beyond the premise istelf.
36. Air (8.5): At first glance this appears to fall into the Harem genre, but it turns out to be so much more. Rather then being focused on romantic relationships between the characters, it’s focused more on friendship and familial relationships. The series is split into three arcs; the main one is focused on Yukito’s search for the ‘Winged Girl’, while the other two are much shorter and deal with what set the stage for the series and what happens after Yukito’s visit. The style is somewhat similar to Kimi ga Nozomu Eien in that the main storyline is rather serious (and at times quite tragic) and broken up here and there with more light-hearted moments.
37. Blue Drop (8.5): I generally find myself liking split-genre series, and this one was no exception. The story flips between Sci-fi spaceship combat, School Life, Romance, and Drama, and does a surprisingly good job at integrating them all. It does start off a bit shaky in the animation department though, but thankfully manages to sort things out by the fourth episode.
38. Claymore (8.5): This is a very cool series reminiscent of Berserk , Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust , and Blood+ . The fight scenes are animated well and the characters have very defined appearances, with the eye-morphing being particularly striking. This is basically what Berserk wanted to be, but couldn’t pull off. I originally was going to give this series a 9, but the final battle was kind-of crappy.
39. Darker than Black – Gemini of the Meteor (8.5): The whole Magical Girl element knocks this down a notch from the parent series. Other than that it’s a fairly faithful continuation of the first’s style.
40. Excel Saga (8.5): Hilarious. The Monty Python of Anime. If you like Anime and have watched multiple series the jokes just keep coming.
41. Hellsing (8.5): Great series in the vampire genre, easily one of the best. Both Alucard and Seras are incredibly well done.
42. Hellsing OVA (8.5): A retelling of Hellsing to more closely fit the manga. The first two were just as good, if not better than, the regular series. The third one took a turn for the worse in the animation department, while the fourth and fifth thankfully returned to the standards of the first two.
43. Honey and Clover – 2nd Season (8.5): The first episode is a recap of Season 1, and does a good job of explaining the various characters’ relationships. The storyline and pacing are well done, as is the character development. My one major complaint with this series is Hagumi’s character design; she looks 10 at best and acts that way most of the time (there are a few scenes where she does actually look her age though, generally when she’s depressed). The only time I can usually look past/ignore lolicon is if it’s gothic lolita.
44. Nagasarete Airantou (8.5): An interesting series that starts off with a bang, and then falls into a nice steady rhythm until about episode twenty-one or so, where you get a few episodes that don’t seem to fit (like the school-house one). One thing stood in the way of my really liking this series though; the nose-bleed gimmick. I hate the nose-bleed gimmick. I will admit that it was used well in the hot springs episode though.
45. Tenchi Universe (8.5): An overall more consistent and sensible take on Tenchi Muyo! . While it has more humor then its predecessor, it’s far more believable and doesn’t include many of the Deus Ex Machina of the OVAs.
46. Tokko (8.5): This is a very, very, good series with an interesting plot. The ending was a bit rushed though. It seems as if they were planning on a second season, but I’ve seen no sign of one.
47. Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations (8.5): All the positives of Reservoir Chronicles , with the few negatives (like pacing issues) purged. A great addition to a fantastic series.
48. Azumanga Daioh (8.25): A very funny series that makes excellent use of comedic pause. The facial morphs were right on target and Kimura-sensei is a great, great, character. The various reactions whenever he pops up are pure gold. Chiyo-chan is a perfect example of how a younger character should be added to a series, as she fits in quite well.
49. Bamboo Blade (8.25): I liked this series quite a bit. The character design was good, the storytelling was good, and the fanservice was (relatively) subtle while lacking an ecchi focus.
50. Da Capo (8.25): This series has a rather unique approach to the Harem genre. It starts out a sort of School Life Comedy, then slowly expands into a School Life Harem, and then ends with love triangle Drama. The supernatural backdrop serves to enhances this uniqueness, and surprisingly doesn’t feel out of place. It does have one flaw though; about halfway through the series the episodes get cut in half, with the second half being a mostly unrelated (to the main plotline) short story.
51. Eve no Jikan (8.25): Sort of like a non-combat mashup of Ghost in the Shell and Pale Cocoon. It ends up turning out rather well.
52. Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (8.25): Very good. It’s much more like Season 1 of S.A.C. , and much less like Season 2, which it picks up about two years after. However, I’ve always been slightly curious exactly why they replaced the Major’s diving hobby with a skydiving hobby… I guess it just lends itself to better visuals.
53. Karas (8.25): This is the trippiest thing I have ever seen. I have no idea what to make of it, as there is nothing that it can be compared to. Astounding.
54. Kino’s Journey (8.25): The main character of this series is the first True Neutral character I think I’ve ever seen. Neither Moral or Immoral she takes a nearly completely impassive look at all the various things she sees. Great series with intriguing ideas.
55. Mnemosyne: Daughters of Mnemosyne (8.25): An extremely graphic series that tells the story of an Immortal, who works as a detective, being hunted accross time by a highly sadistic angelic being.
56. Noein (8.25): This is a pretty strange series that deals with time fluxes, variations, warps, and just about anything else relating to the timestream. Very interesting to watch if only for its theories and depictions of the various timelines and time-travel itself.
57. Romeo x Juliet (8.25): This feels very similar to Le Chevalier D’Eon , only without the mystery. The beginning is a bit slow and boring, but things get more interesting once Juliet finds out that she’s a Capulet. The fight choreography is also similar to D’Eon’s , and is very well done. Don’t watch this expecting to get a retelling of the play though, as this series has made some drastic changes to the classic storyline. I’d say for the better. Especially the rather shocking revelation or two in the last episodes.
58. Welcome to the NHK! (8.25): An interesting series that deals with several sociological issues from a rather unique angle. The characters are designed in a realistic fashion, no rainbow hair color or expression morphs, which is nicely offset by the unrealistic design of the various hallucinatory characters Satou talks to from time to time.
59. xxxHolic: Kei (8.25): Builds upon the first while managing to feel like a new series. The various tasks Watanuki undertakes have a decidedly melancholic tone to them which serves as an effective contrast to the sporadic bouts of comic-relief.
60. Allison & Lillia (8): This is just an all-around good solid series. It has an interesting relationship angle, decent amounts of excitement, and just a touch of comedy. There really are no noticeable cons.
61. E’s Otherwise (8): This series is incredible. It starts off a bit slow, but right around episode six it comes into it’s own. The main character is a bit too idealistic, but other than that the characters are well done. Asuka happens to strongly resemble Sakura from Tsubasa Chronicles , which was a nice bonus. The ending was a bit of a letdown… but with everything else being so good, I suppose it isn’t a surprise.
62. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (8): Expands upon the philosophy of the first. I don’t think it’s as good as the first, but then that might be an impossible accomplishment.
63. Gundam SEED (8): The startup takes a bit, and I actually stopped watching it almost immediately the first time I tried viewing it. Once you get past the first two episodes or so it takes off, and is just as good as Gundam Wing (which it is essentially a retelling of), if not better.
64. K-On! (8): A ‘making the band’ kind of Anime that’s similar to Azumanga Daioh with a splash of Lucky Star and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
65. Kurau Phantom Memory (8): A serious series focusing on relationships and ethics in science. Very well done characterizations and action sequences, with a fairly original plot.
66. Last Exile (8): I’m not a fan of this particular hybrid animation style; one or the other is fine, but when they mix them I tend to get headaches watching it. I think it’s due to the higher base contrast on the CGI parts. Animation aside, I was rather neutral toward this series until Dio showed up, then it started getting interesting and graduated to ‘Good’ upon the introduction of Delphine. Delphine is just perfect. I also completely wasn’t expecting the world to be the way it was at the end (Exile; yes, the world; no), so that was a nice surprise.
67. Le Chevalier D’Eon (8): This series was rather interesting, although it had very strange pacing. It basically worked out to be a bunch of excitement, followed by an episode or so of dragging, then more excitement, followed by more dragging. It made up for this by telling an interesting and twisty story, as well as having some extremely well choreographed fencing. It’s similar to Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto in that it’s a supernatural take on actual historical events.
68. Lovely Complex (8): A romantic comedy with humor and animation similar to that found in Haré+Guu . It focuses on the relationship between a tall girl and short boy who each have height complexes. It lags a little toward the middle, when it takes on numerous romantic elements, but it gets back to its comedic roots at the end and actually finishes quite well.
69. Night Head Genesis (8) – This was basically a grittier and more realistic E’s Otherwise . It’s a mind-fuck of a series that has a decently interesting storyline that I think is an allegory about how sheltering your children leads to ruin. I didn’t really like the brothers’ personalities though.
70. Pani Poni Dash! (8): This is Excel Saga taken to the max. The jokes keep coming and don’t stop, ever. There are actually comprehensive joke notes for each episode that the fan-subbers put together, as you will almost certainly miss at least half of them the first time through. Particularly if you aren’t Japanese.
71. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom (8): The first third of this series is quite good and similar in some ways to a cross between Noir and Kite. The second and third parts aren’t quite as good however, and may be best avoided depending on your genre preferences (the second is like most of Gungrave, while the third is school-lifey.
72. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (8): This was a great, great, movie. Very interesting world, impressive action sequences, and unique characters. I also like how they depicted vampirism.
73. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto (7.75): An interesting historical series. It’s sort of like a more realistic Samurai Deeper Kyo , although it deals with a different time period. The battles are done in a believable style, and the story follows historical events rather closely… but it does have a tendency to drag from time to time. The last four episodes almost seem to be from a totally different series due to breaking from the historical focus of the earlier episodes, which makes them seem much more like SDKyo . As for the ending; I didn’t really like the way Akidzuki’s personality completely changed… but it would seem that good endings are very hard to come by.
74. Bleach (7.75): Kubo Tite has a real winner on his hands here, this series is amazing on so many levels. It does suffer from god-awful fillers though. This rating is based on the non-filler episodes, meaning that seasons four, five, and nine were ignored completely. I hate the fillers.
75. Blood+ (7.75): So much better than the movie. So much better that it’s unbelievable they even involve the same character. They thankfully make zero references to that abomination of a movie. Very believable characters, well choreographed action, and a deep storyline combine to bring you a great series.
76. Chobits (7.75): Although the main character starts out as the stereotypical ’sex-crazed, incompetent, and hopeless-with-women student’, the underlying themes and the serious questions this series poses raise it above other simple ‘boy meets girl’ stories. I can’t seem to find the correct words to describe just how good this is, so I can only advise to check out the first few episodes and decide for yourself.
77. Da Capo: Second Season (7.75): This season is quite similar to the first one in the way it switches from one genre to another, but I think it did a pretty good job continuing the storyline without rehashing things too much. It thankfully got rid of those short-story things that the second half of the first season had, though I was rather put-off by the large amount of blatant fan-service that seems to have been added in their place.
78. Full Metal Alchemist (7.75): Here’s another enjoyable series that combines a well thought out world/plot with solid character development. The characters are even all shockingly likable… a rare occurrence in most Shônen series.
79. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (7.75): This series is also known as Rumbling Hearts , and it’s a rough one. Very, very, serious subject matter with little to soften the blow. Extreme and realistic (besides the few comic relief portions) romantic tragedy.
80. Kite (7.75): This strongly reminded me of La Femme Nikita , and as such I liked it almost instantly. Similar in concept to Gunslinger Girls… only a bit darker.
81. Nabari no Ou (7.75): This could be billed as a realistic take on Naruto , but that may be oversimplifying things. In any case, it’s an interesting Action/Comedy/Drama that remains entertaining throughout most of its runtime, despite being mostly predictable. The events of episode twenty-five, however, were notably disappointing and bring down its rating a bit.
82. Read or Die (7.75): This was completely unexpected. I’m not sure what I was expecting exactly, but Secret Agent Librarians was not it. The OVA’s that take place before the TV series are perfectly done. The TV series itself suffers a bit from lack of focus, as well as lack of Nancy, but the characters it introduced were varied enough to keep things interesting.
83. Trinity Blood (7.75): This was a very good series in the same vein as Hellsing . Though, unlike Hellsing , this takes place in a more believable world (strange, I know) with more believable characters. I’ve always liked the Cain/Abel mythos and this series does it justice.
84. xxxHolic (7.75): I seem to really like Clamp’s work, and may have to check out their other series as well, because both their dialog and character design are incredible. Yûko was great in Tsubasa Chronicles , and her incarnation here is also fantastic.
85. Armitage III (7.5): This four-episode OVA series is in the same vein as Ghost in the Shell , with a little bit of Ergo Proxy thrown in. There’s also a condensed movie version called Poly-Matrix , but I’ve only seen the OVA version so I have no clue which is better to watch.
86. Candy Boy (7.5): A nice little series with perfect pacing, decent characters, and a good animation style.
87. Ergo Proxy (7.5): This is one of those original ideas that come around once a year if you’re lucky. Well crafted story, visuals, characters, and world. Lots of interesting sub-themes and mysteries to think about as the main plot progresses.
88. Ghost Hunt (7.5): This was an interesting detective-like series. The characters are rather unique and the comedy parts are humorous. It doesn’t really have a plotline of any significance though.
89. Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny (7.5): I liked this season slightly more than the first, probably due to its lesser focus on Hakufu. It still sticks to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms storyline overlayed on ecchi-heavy fight scenes, with comedic intervals spaced between the bloodshed.
90. Jigoku Shôjo Futakomori (7.5): The second season of Hell Girl , and it’s quite good. The cases they get are a touch more convoluted then the ones in Season 1, and they throw in some interesting twists. Lolicon normally does does nothing for me, but it seems that they attempted to make Enma Ai far more seductive in this season… and they succeeded.
91. Karin (7.5): An interesting series about a reverse vampire and her family of normal vampires. It’s mainly a comedy with a bit of seriousness here and there, and is surprisingly good.
92. MADLAX (7.5): Brilliant series. Poignant, original, storyline that encourages you to actually think about what is happening and why.
93. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s (7.5): Much better than the first season. It picks up much faster, and the fight choreography is more detailed. There’s also a much greater focus on how the ‘magic’ is just highly advanced technology as well as a storyline that’s slightly more serious overall.
94. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (7.5): Perhaps a bit dated, but the story and characters are top-notch. It does suffer from the bane of almost all Action series though: constantly recycling the same animation sequences.
95. Onegai Twins (7.5): Similar to Kimi ga Nozomu Eien , only much less tragic. What stood out about this series was that the main male character didn’t fit into one of the standard Anime stereotypes… which was quite refreshing.
96. Samurai Deeper Kyo (7.5): While this has the same issues as Gundam Wing does with repetitive animation, plus some minor pacing problems, it completely makes up for it with character and plot design/development. It also gives you a useful history lesson while your watching. Standout character: Yukimura Sanada. Watch it for him if nothing else.
97. Tenchi Myuo! (7.5): This is the twenty episode OVA series. I recommend watching this before watching Tenchi Universe , as it tells things a bit differently and in a more serious fashion. Possibly the most well done series in the Harem genre, though it does suffer a bit toward the end of the first half.
98. Tokimeki Memorial – Only Love (7.5): This is another series that has been converted from a Dating Simulation. It transitions periodically between comedy and awkward romance befitting it’s Dating Sim roots.
99. Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpuchou Tou (7.5): This was surprisingly good… even the ending. It deals with a group of high-school seniors who fight against zombie-like creatures and demons that are infesting Tokyo. The pacing is decent, as are the characterizations, but where the series really excels is the main villain. He’s very well designed, as is his ‘companion’.
100. Trigun (7.5): This at first comes across like a standard Shônen series; action for action’s sake. As it progresses however, the characters’ personalities become more pronounced and the storyline takes a more serious tone. Very well done and thought provoking.
101. Vampire Knight Guilty (7.5): A perfect continuation of season one. All the previous themes remain intact while many of the earlier mysteries are revealed and one-note characters are given depth.
102. Winter Garden (7.5): This is a quick little two-episode OVA series about a spontaneous romance. It uses facial expression exaggerations for humor, and does a pretty good job of fitting the entire relationship arc into only about 45 minutes without feeling rushed.
103. Witchblade (7.5): The first half is odd and slightly disturbing/creepy. In fact, it seems to be aimed specifically at Vore fetishists. It thankfully gets better in the second half. The fight scenes are still as crappily animated as ever, but the storyline and character development now take center stage and the fighting is downplayed. The ending was even decent, so I think this was an okay series overall.
104. Yami to Bôshi to Hon no Tabibito (7.5): I’m not really sure how to explain this one. It seems to combine elements of both Tsubasa Chronicles and Haruhi Suzumiya .
105. Appleseed (7.25): Fantastic movie. Great animation style, interesting characters, and a well developed plot.
106. Burst Angel (7.25): Once you wade through the heavy ecchi, you come across a surprisingly well-written and deep storyline. The main characters strongly resemble (in appearance) the main characters of Evangelion , so that was a plus for me.
107. Geneshaft (7.25): I don’t remember where I heard about this series, Anime News Network perhaps, but it’s a hidden gem. Great characters, relatively unique setting, and a coherent plot.
108. Ef: A Tale of Memories (7.25): This series bears a resemblance, style-wise, to both School Days and Rumbling Hearts , although it differs greatly in both the execution and overall mood. Where-as those two have a pointed negative air about them, this one’s relationships are built around hope. A rather well-done series, though the excessive use of camera effects and jump-cuts gets annoying at times.
109. Ghost in the Shell SAC (7.25): A brilliant series. Fits in surprisingly well with what was already shown in the movie while expanding upon the different character’s personalities. Season 2, however, is nowhere near as good as Season 1. It’s still good, but it has nothing to recommend it over any other series in this genre.
110. Gungrave (7.25): While the vast majority of the series takes place in flashback, that surprisingly doesn’t reduce it’s hold. The storyline is interesting and characters are well thought out with rational motivations behind their actions.
111. Jyu Oh Sei (7.25): They really do know how to make some fantastic visuals. A unique storyline filled with interesting characters.
112. My-HiME (7.25): While watching this I kept getting flashbacks to Best Student Council. It’s basically a much better take on Sailor Moon .
113. Rozen Maiden: Ouverture (7.25): Much, much, better than Season 1 of the series, and far more concise than Season 2. This small OVA series explains the reasons behind Shinku’s erratic actions.
114. School Days (7.25): This is basically a sexed-up and slightly less emotionally painful Kimi ga Nozomu Eien with a younger setting and characters. It seems to attempt to compensate for the lowered emotional drama with an increased awkwardness in its romantic and comedic portions. The last episode was delayed, but finally ended up getting released… albeit with quite a bit of blood removed and/or darkened in color. It was a pretty good ending, all things considered.
115. Serial Experiments Lain (7.25): Another entry into the philosophical genre. This one, however, deals more with the nature/existence of god then the nature of humans. Very well done overall, with some well thought out ideas.
116. Simoun (7.25): This is a curious series… very strange. The world itself, the focus on aerial combat, and the character design all reminded me of Last Exile . The background animation is in a strange style; rather simplistic and almost watercolor at times. Their method of explaining the Yuri theme was rather interesting though. Essentially, the entire population are transsexuals who only chose their final sex after going to a Spring following their seventeenth birthday. This Spring isn’t magical though, so the change is similar to a sex-change operation, or hormonal therapy, and the men tend to still resemble women.
117. Tsubasa Shunraiki (7.25): Not as good as Tokyo Revelations, but is still somewhat interesting and moves the plot a bit further forward toward what appears to be a conclusion.
118. Vampire Knight (7.25): A nice little melodrama that just so happens to involve vampires. Nice character design, pacing, and effective use of comic relief. Has the added plus of not containing any blatant and/or awkward fanservice.
119. Witch Hunter Robin (7.25): This was a series with the same overall style of Ergo Proxy , only with the first half being incredibly boring. The characters all seemed so flat… and there is no way in hell Robin is fifteen. Around episode ten or eleven they become more three-dimensional, and the last five episodes are the best by far. An interesting approach to the standard ‘persecute those who are different’ plotline.
120. Blassreiter (7): When I first started watching this, I had no clue it had a sports theme… and that threw me pretty badly. But around the mid-point it started to focus a bit more on the overarching plotline and character backgrounds than the whole sportsbike aspect and finished more or less on neutral ground. It’s a good solid series, but there’s nothing that really stands out to make it great.
121. Buso Renkin (7): The main character is like a cross between Ichigo and Naruto, and it’s sort of like Bleach with sillier powers/abilities. Toward the latter half it takes on a rather large DBZ -ish vibe.
122. Cowboy Bebop (7): Now, most people sing this series’ praises until they’re hoarse of voice and have deafened everyone within earshot… I hate those people. It’s certainly good, but there’s nothing here to write home about. The characters are well done and the animation is top-notch, the story however… well… the story needs some work. If they focused on either the Noir aspect or the Space Western aspect they might have had two untouchable series, as it is they have simply an above-average cross-genre series.
123. Da Capo II (7): This series breaks from the first two seasons in a rather noticeable way. Instead of switching between two genres, it stays mostly in just a modified version of the school-life-harem genre. This reduction in both the mystical and drama/tragedy aspects strip away some of its uniqueness.
124. Elemental Gelade (7): This reminded me of Full Metal Alchemist for some reason. Possibly because Coud looks exactly like Ed from that series. It has a token plot, but it’s mainly character driven with the relationship between Edel Raids and Humans (and Coud and Ren) being the the main theme of the series.
125. Gundam 00 – First Season (7): The first half to first two-thirds of the series is rather boring and seems to recycle many storyline and character elements from both earlier Gundam series and even Full Metal Panic! . The closing portion really takes off though and manages to save the series from being a total let-down. One notable ‘innovation’ in the series is the lack of the repetitious stock animations that have historically plagued the franchise.
126. Gundam SEED Destiny (7): It gets a little ridiculous toward the end as it keeps topping its own power levels, but overall, it’s a good ending to the series.
127. Jigoku Shôjo – Season 1 (7): This is a great series for someone who likes to question morality to watch. It dissects it from several different viewpoints while preserving an adequate amount of uniqueness to each ‘case’. The ending was particularly well done, finally explaining why Enma is the way she is and revealing her true motivation.
128. Kiddy Grade (7): The first eight episodes are episodic in nature and are more or less disposable, though they do offer some introduction to the characters’ personalities. From episode nine on the main story takes place, and a much more serious mood is set. While the source of the various characters’ powers is never explained (with the exception of Éclair’s Speed/Strength), they are adequately specialized and well-defined.
129. Phantom the Animation (7): This is a series similar to Kite , though not as dark… and with a worse ending.
130. Saikano – Another Love Story (7): A companion story to Saikano , this OVA series lacks most of the gravitas of the main storyline but makes up for it by giving the military’s side of the story. I do not suggest watching it before the parent series.
131. SoulTaker (7): This is a rather interesting series set in a noir-like world that deals with various morality-based themes while still telling something of an original story. It does have several issues preventing me from rating it higher based on storyline alone though. The fight-scenes bear a depressing resemblance (given this series’ subject matter) to Gurren-Lagann , named attacks and all, and there are spontaneous unexplained time/location jumps scattered throughout.
132. Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann (7): At first, I thought this was going to be a parody of Mecha series in general, but it takes itself a touch too seriously to truly be called a parody. It’s extremely over-the-top, in every way imaginable, but has some very good (and poignant) episodes scattered throughout.
133. Toaru Majutsu no Index (7): Something of an action-centric romantic comedy with a touch of the Harem genre. Fun series with few glaring flaws.
134. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles (7): This series is beautiful, I could watch Sakura all day. The story is vaguely original and the different worlds they visit are adequately varied. It does suffer from some serious pacing issues however, though not on the scale of .hack//SIGN. My main complaint is that they never specify how many feathers are missing and so could theoretically stretch this series on forever without a conclusion.
135. X/1999 (7): While the premise is a bit sketchy, and the terminology easily confusable, this is a pretty good series. The storyline is explained well and the characters are detailed, each generally getting an episode to explain why they are the way they are. (Aside: this is one of the few series where I couldn’t watch the subbed version; Sorata’s Japanese voice is far to grating to listen to) Oh, and the series also has a decently heavy Yaoi theme, so if you’re homophobic you probably won’t like it.
136. Zero no Tsukaima (7): A funny series with a rather unique premise. The setting has several similarities to some Marie Brennan novels I read a few months or so ago, so I can’t help but wonder if she got some of her ideas from here.
137. Angel Sanctuary (6.75): I really liked this series and wished they had finished it, but that may because I have a thing with people who have a ’sister complex’ (possibly because I have no siblings… I don’t know exactly why). The sister complex subplot aside, the story is generally quite engaging.
138. Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (6.75): A hyper-violent comedy. Dokuro is an Angel Assassin sent from the future to kill the protagonist, but she decides to try to save him from his future instead. This doesn’t stop her from repeatedly beating him to death with her large spiked club, followed by a quick resurrection, though.
139. Gantz (6.75): This is another series that suffers pacing issues. It thankfully isn’t too noticeable as the characters/dialog is original and interesting while the action is surprisingly realistic. However; the series also has a horrible ending that isn’t an ending… although the journey up to the last episode is quite well done.
140. Gunslinger Girl (6.75): It’s like Kite meets Noir … or something, I don’t really think this fits into any set mold. Great, great, story with well developed and believable characters.
141. Ikkitousen (6.75): This series is basically Tenjho Tenge with Aya replaced with Excel from Excel Saga , only with far more ecchi (including a very well done oral sex scene, like the kind you’d find in a R rated movie) and situational humor. However; the plotline is much more interesting and it doesn’t leave you hanging like Tenjho did. Although the ending does seem rather contrived.
142. Mai-Otome (6.75): An alternate dimension version of My-HiME . Definintly watch My-HiME first, as this takes a more light-hearted approach and is generally less serious.
143. Moyashimon (6.75): This appears to be one of your standard ‘make learning fun’ type of series at first glance, but it turns out to be a bit deeper than that. While the first half is certainly laden with quite a few dissertations about microbes, the second half all but ditches its educational overtones to focus completely on the characters. The situational/shock humor interspersed throughout works as a great foil for both halves.
144. Nurse Witch Komugi (6.75): Similar to Puni Puni Poemy , this is a parody of the Magical Girl genre, though each episode tends to parody an additional genre as well. I like this series better than that one partly due to the better storyline, and partly due to the better character design.
145. Outlaw Star (6.75): This is sort-of like Tenchi Universe , if that series took place in space. It’s very light-hearted with a token philosophical note at the end. Nothing too extraordinary, but watchable.
146. Rozen Maiden: Traumend (6.75): Many things that didn’t make sense in the first season are thankfully explained here, and the storyline picks up a bit in both interest and pace. The ending was rather strange though, and seemed somewhat rushed.
147. Shadow Star (6.75): I would’ve given this series a 7, but the sudden cutoff and randomness of the last few episodes ruins the flow of its storyline.
148. Shingetsutan Tsukihime (6.75): A vampire series cleverly disguised as Mystery/Romance series. Very interesting, but I didn’t really like Arcueid’s clothing… which was compounded by the fact that she’s the only one in the series that never changes .
149. Stratos 4 (6.75): This is a character driven series, with the vast majority of the story being the relationship between, and temperaments of, the four main characters. In addition to the main focus, this series has a very interesting background plot that starts slowly but takes off toward the end of the main series. The two-episode OVA sequel doesn’t really add all that much to the series, but it does set the stage for the next series of OVA’s (Stratos 4 Advance ). Advance isn’t as character driven as the original, and I think it loses a lot of it’s impact by focusing too much on the (formerly background) conspiracy.
150. Touhou – Unofficial Doujin Anime (6.75): All I know about Touhou is what its characters look like and that it’s a series of shooter-games. This is a fan-made series based on one of the fan-made Doujins, and it’s pretty damn good when you take that into consideration. However, if you know literally nothing about Touhou then it would be best to avoid it.
151. xxxHolic Shunmuki (6.75): Tells the other half of the Tsubasa Shunraiki storyline. Doesn’t add much of note to the xxxHolic storyline.
152. 009-1 (6.5): This is a Sci-fi spy thriller similar to Najica Blitz Tactics , only with less ecchi and a style more like James Bond instead of Chobits .
153. Armitage III: Dual-Matrix (6.5): This is the sequel to the Armitage III OVA series, and I’m not sure why, but I just didn’t like it as much.
154. Best Student Council (6.5): This was a fun diversion that boasts the almost unstoppable combination of humor, action, plot development, and Yuri.
155. Comic Party (6.5): A comedy focusing on the events that surround an independent manga artist. It’s decent, but relies a bit too much on character stereotypes. Each character is a specific stereotype, and carries that stereotype to rather extreme ends. The ending was a bit abrupt as well.
156. Fate/Stay Night (6.5): This was an interesting take on the ‘Ultimate Tournament’ theme, with many well designed characters… except one. That one, however, happens to be the main character. He combines my two least favorite character archetypes; hopeless idealist and the Protector variety of chauvinist. I hate him oh-so-much. Thankfully, the rest of the cast (as well as his future self) are far more interesting.
157. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (6.5): Basically a side story to Full Metal Panic!. Nothing that takes place has any lasting effect on the series as it does away with the seriousness of the main series to focus on the humor. It has some truly hilarious moments though, so it’s worth a look.
158. GUN×SWORD (6.5): This reminded me of both Cowboy Bebop and Trigun . If you liked either of those you will most likely enjoy this. Nice backstory with believable villains whose motivations aren’t easy to deduce. It also has an appreciable philosophical aspect.
159. Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino- (6.5): I don’t recall how the first season played out, but this one was a bit too haphazard. The Pinocchio subplot was fairly interesting however, and the series picked up some cohesiveness in the second half.
160. Night Wizard (6.5): Better than I thought it would be. The fight scenes are rather short and the comedic portions are basically the same couple of running gags, but the characters are somewhat interesting and varied, and the storyline takes a surprisingly serious turn and doesn’t wear out its welcome with filler content.
161. Puni Puni Poemi (6.5): What Excel Saga is to Anime, this is to Hentai. Still amusing.
162. RAY the Animation (6.5) – Up to around episode seven or eight this is a decent series, as long as you like medical themes. However, at that point the main storyline takes hold… and the main storyline is incredibly stupid.
163. Requiem from the Darkness (6.5): This is like a combination of Jigoku Shôjo and Mushishi . It has the visual style and morality plays of the former with the focus on folklore of the latter. Overall a pretty good series.
164. Shakugan no Shana Second (6.5): Nowhere near as good as the first season. The first half is little better than a low quality Harem, while the second half ends just as the series is starting recapture some of its earlier form and excitement.
165. Sketchbook ~Full Color’s~ (6.5): This series is basically a combination of Aria and Azumanga Daioh with a touch of Lucky Star .
166. Slayers (Movie Versions) (6.5): I liked these mainly due to the way Lina and Naga played off each other so well. They’re funny, and don’t fall into many of the clichés that this type of series usually do.
167. Spiral (6.5): This is a detective-type series full of mind games. The first few episodes are a bit annoying because they all follow the same formula, but soon the main storyline takes hold and it becomes pretty interesting. The character design, personality-wise, is a bit strange… but other then that it’s a pretty good series.
168. Vampire Princess Miyu (6.5): I don’t remember much of this series besides that the first couple episodes are pretty bad. It picks up halfway through as more of Miyu’s personality starts to show.
169. Zombie Loan (6.5): This is an odd series. It has an animation style similar to Ghost Hunt , and the characters are somewhat interesting (Yomi is great), but the plotline seems to be generic Shônen. It ends just as strange as when it began. It was okay … but just wasn’t cohesive enough for me to like it all that much.
170. .hack//G.U. Trilogy (6.25): Doesn’t suffer from the pacing issues that plagued the other .hack series… but does suffer from an acute case of DBZ -itis. It’s still rather entertaining though.
171. Berserk (6.25): Similar to Coyote Ragtime , the first episode is a rather large bit of false advertising… since the entire rest of the series is a flashback. Still, the story itself is quite interesting and the visuals are well done. The ending needs some serious work, though this is likely because they were never able to make the final episode.
172. Black Blood Brothers (6.25): This suffers from a rather large amount of ridiculousness, but the story is rather enjoyable and it’s an interesting take on the vampire genre.
173. Canaan (6.25): What could have been an interesting series is bogged down with three too many awkward romance subplots. Alphard is a great character though.
174. Chaos;Head (6.25): The series starts off as an intriguing phychological mystery, but dissolves around the halfway point into a mindless actionfest lacking any kind of realism of believability. Still, I didn’t feel as if the time spent watching it was a complete waste.
175. Demonbane (6.25): Just this side of watchable. The cthulhu references are interesting and they even offer explanations of each at the end of each episode. The storyline finally picks up about halfway through and it becomes rather gripping.
176. Murder Princess (6.25): Not a very serious series, but it is fun to watch and reminds me a bit of Samurai Deeper Kyo . The animation style is nice, although the characters are a bit flat, so this is one of those series you can watch just to pass the time.
177. This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (6.25): This is one of those cross-genre series. It has elements of Kashimashi , Elfen Lied , and Tenchi Muyo! all rolled into a ball. Nothing too profound, but a nice short diversion.
178. .hack//Dusk (6): Far less serious then .hack//SIGN , but it thankfully doesn’t suffer from the pacing issues that plagued that series.
179. Coyote Ragtime Show (6): The first episode is amazing… and is also a horrible case of false advertising. The series is fun to watch as long as you don’t pay attention to the story and focus on the eye-candy visuals and (non-Mister) character dialog. If you ever try to make sense of the story though, you’ll run screaming from the room.
180. Goshūshō-sama Ninomiya-kun (6): This is a series about a love triangle involving a succubus with a fear of men and a slightly stuck-up rich girl. It is, first and foremost, a fan service series… which is unfortunate… but it does have a decent backstory which is enhanced by some nice character design and animation.
181. Hitsuji no Uta (6): I had thought Kimi ga Nozomu Eien was depressing, but this is so much more-so. A very harsh look at relationships in general and vampirism as a psychological disease more than a physical one.
182. Innocent Venus (6): Here is another interesting series with a twisty plot. It has decent character design and enough clues scattered throughout to piece together what will happen if you pay attention. My one complaint is that Jo is basically a carbon copy of Jo from Burst Angel… only male.
183. Jinki:EXTEND (6): I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s certainly not bad, but it is very confusing. It seems to jump from the past to the future at various times for no discernible reason, and the character designs blend together making it hard to tell who’s who. Still, an interesting Mecha series… although the ending sucked.
184. Legend of DUO (6) – This is a very short series (twelve episodes at 5 minutes each) with a strong Yaoi vibe. I didn’t much mind the Yaoi theme because Duo looks like a girl. The storyline is rather interesting, but the ‘ending’ was pretty bad.
185. Lucky Star OVA (6): It was decent enough, but only one of the six or so vignettes matched the highs of the main series.
186. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (6): The first few episodes were basically just like Cardcaptor Sakura, then it gets a bit interesting once Fate is introduced and stays moderately interesting until episode ten or so. The ending was unfortunately rather cheesy.
187. Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro (6): A cartoonier version of Spiral. It has a couple of good characterizations though, and nice animation roughly half the time.
188. Maria Holic (6): Has its moments, but don’t expect anything other than random physical and situational humor from it.
189. Melancholy of Haruhi-chan (6): An okay series in the vein of Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, but it doesn’t come anywhere near the level of the main series.
190. Moekko Company (6): This is a rather strange series about a training area for android combat maids. Though it’s more comedy focused then action focused, and its few episodes leaves many things unanswered and assumed, I found it amusing.
191. Najica Blitz Tactics (6): It’s like Chobits meets Noir. While extremely heavy on the ecchi, the storyline is actually rather interesting. Najica is sorta like a female James Bond… if James Bond was gay, as the Yuri is rather heavy as well.
192. Nurse Witch Komugi Z (6): A sequel to Nurse Witch Komugi, this OVA suffers from bad joke-translation and an overabundance of randomness. It’s not all bad though, and still contains many of the good parts of the first series.
193. Onegai Teacher (6): This is in the same genre as Yoake Mae yori Ruri Iro na, which is a genre I’m not all that interested in. As with that series, if I was a fan of this genre I would have probably given it a higher score.
194. Rosario + Vampire (6): This series is similar in many ways to Goshūshō-sama Ninomiya-kun. It’s basically that mixed with a bit of Princess Resurrection.
195. Rosario + Vampire Capu2 (6): For the most part this is just mindless fanservice, not even having the token plotline the first season had. But if all you’re looking for is an amusing time waster… then this will certainly fit the bill.
196. Sisters of Wellber (6): This is a moderately interesting series (at first) with a setting similar to that of Scrapped Princess and character design similar to El Cazador. The storyline isn’t anything all that original, but the character personalities aren’t too grating and the action is animated well. The fourth episode has the storyline degrading into utter blandness, but it fortunately picks back up almost immediately. It unfortunately degrades once more around episode seven or eight… but the final three episodes are rather hectic and mildly interesting. The ending, though, is horribly anti-climatic.
197. Tenchi Muyo! GXP (6): Technically a cannon continuation of the OVA series, this is to Tenchi what FUMOFFU is to Full Metal Panic!. It’s basically disposable humor with a mostly new cast of characters, although it can be quite humorous at times.
198. Tenjho Tenge (6): This series, while heavy on the ecchi, starts out stellar. Unfortunately the entire middle 50% or so is a flashback. While that alone isn’t so bad (unless you watched the separate Past Chapter OVA, which encompasses just the flashback, first), it’s compounded by having nothing be resolved when the story returns to the present. The Ultimate Fight OVA simply adds to the disappointment as there is no ‘Ultimate Fight’ to speak of. I recommend either watching just up to the flashback or just watching the Past Chapter OVA, anything else will only lead to disappointment.
199. Venus Versus Virus (6): This was a strange little series about a girl who kills evil spirits called ‘viruses’ that consume human souls, and a second girl that was thrust into the battle against the viruses by what appears to be total chance. Lucia is your stereotypical tough outside/soft inside character, while Sumire has a personality and appearance quite similar to the main character of Kashimashi. It’s an okay series, with a subdued Yuri theme running through it, but the terminology is a touch childish (the spirits being called viruses, while the serum that kills them is referred to as ‘anti-bodies’) and the ending left much to be desired. I assume there are/were plans for a second season, but I’ve seen no sign of it yet.
200. Yoake Mae yori Ruri Iro na (6): Well done for its genre. Not my particular cup of tea though, as it’s a bit too silly. If I was a fan of this genre, I’d probably give it around an 8.