Review of New Series in Fall 2004

[Tiamat's Disciple]

Originally Posted by Wisely

Anime : Mai Hime
Rating: 7.3
Reason: Very cool graphics, still its a lesbian show from the episodes I watched, so unlikely to continue

lol i couldn't let this slide, since when did Mai HiME become a lesbian show?? So far this season only Kanna has the overt lesbian thing going on. Granted Mai HiME has the potential to go that way, but as yet there have been no romance entanglements, just a few hints as to which guy Mai likes and a few others. lol saying its a lesbian show is like saying Gankutsuou is a gay show cause thew main char blushed a few times (which some one has already said heheh)

Anyways, back onto reviews.

Gundam Seed Destiny - I didnt like this one. First episode was interesting, but after that it was nothing more than another mech show. I guess it appeals if your a fan of the Gundam series or mecha, but otherwise not really a lot going for it.

Yakitate only one thing to say on this zZzZzZz this show sent me to sleep within a few minutes.

Sunabouzu This show bored the living daylights out of me, avoid it like the plague.

Angelique If you can put up with the tons of over cute boys in the show, its really good, so far. We'll see what the future holds

Kakyuusei 1 i almost didnt watch this, and wish i hadn't. Slow to the point of depressing, strange animation at times, and terrible music

Kakyuusei 2 even worse than the first, i never made it past half way through the first episode. This show is so slow a snail over took it :P

To Heart, Remember my Memories Another great show. I havent seen the first season of this, which i feel helps a lot since alot of people are comparing them. If you watch and accept the show as a seperate entity in its own right you'll enjoy it. It has both a cuteness and good story line to it. Hopefully they'll keep it up to the end.

While reviews are good, always try a show yourswlf, ive found a few gems that have had terrible reviws both here and on other sites, but i've loved to bits. Enjoy the new season

[Roots]

I just watched the first episode of W-Wish because someone said it was even better than Kannaduki no Miko. LIES! I was like WTF is this brother-sister incest crap? It wasn't interesting, it was overly cute, and it was disturbing at some points. I give it 3/10 and I don't plan to watch any more of it.

Here are the series that I've decided to stick with so far this season:

- Bleach
- Beck
- Grenadier
- Kannaduki no Miko
- Gundam Seed Destiny
- School Rumble
- Final Approach
- Mai Hime
- Yakitate japan

Phew. That's a lot! I'm downloading Black Jack right now and I'll post my review of its first episode after I watch it.

EDIT

Black Jack is....different, but in a good way I think. The art/animation is like an old Popeye cartoon, and the girl named Pinoko has a particularly annoying voice. Yet somehow I was drawn to this series. The last part of the first episode had me feeling tense and anxious, and not many anime series can do that to me. For now I'll give it an 8/10 and I'll wait to see the next episode.

[LynnieS]

Originally Posted by LynnieS

Beet the Vandel Buster: 3.0/10 (from 4.5)
Rozen Maiden: 1.5/10 (from 2.0)
Kannaduki no Miko: dropped (from 3.0)
Gundam SEED: Destiny: 5.5/10 (from 7.5)

Mai-HiME: 6.5/10 (from 8.5) - See separate thread on this series.

Viewtiful Joe: dropped after one episode (no previous score)

No review forthcoming. Don't really like the series.

Black Jack: dropped after one episode (no previous score)

No review forthcoming. Ditto.

Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de Hachiyoushou: 5.0/10
Number of episodes watched: [however many that have been aired so far]
Continue: 5.0/10
Archive: 6.0/10

IMHO... Derivative storyline. Insipid 1-dimensional characters and development. Art, however, is lovely. A good way to shut the brain down for the night, I have found - just put it on TV, and ignore it as background noise.

Futakoi: 6.5/10
Number of episodes watched: ?
Continue: 7.0/10
Archive: 7.0/10

I was prepared, going in, to dislike - if not outright hate - this series with it looking like more of the usual harem comedy. I was surprised by its take, though, and found myself liking the characters introduced in the first episodes; I want to pick up one of the "Megumi" magazine now that comes packaged with one set of the twins figures. It's a nice feel-good series with potential.

Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters GX: 2.0/10
Number of episodes watched: ?
Continue: 4.5/10
Archive: 0.0/10

Think of a world in which "Duel Monsters" had taken over as one of the - if not the - most popular games. A world that has schools (at least one) that teaches kids how to play. Scared yet? That's this anime. Pure 100% fluff with no calories whatsoever. Bright, cheerful scenes with rather silly battles that are so unlikely to happen in real life (in any game that you can think of without cheating) you have to suspend your sense of disbelief to continue watching. Art is worse than the original series; the music isn't much better. Cute girls, though, if you like that sort of thing.

No review on "Fantastic Children", "Tactics", and "Zipang" as of yet.

[FireBorn]

Now.. I don't feel like going and making big reviews or whatever, but..

Viewtiful Joe
Rating: 0. NO. BAH. BLECH. HORRIBLE. ARF!
Episodes Seen: The first and last.

[Fighter Volk]

Tactics
Episodes Seen: 1
I watched the first episode because the art style seemed really pretty. I was right about that - the animation is excellent; it has almost a fancy Yuu Watase style, which is something that can never go wrong in my eyes. The plot, however, seemed rather cliche, and it has been done many times before. We have a boy who can see ghosts, and in order to be strong, he frees a very powerful demon and they go be strong together. The characters and voice acting was pretty good, and the music was decent (one great musical piece, the rest wasn't really noticeable). I think it looks rather interesting, but it's not something that I really want to follow right now - I'll pick it up once the batch torrents come around. Recommended especially for shounen fans.
Rating: 7.5/10

SunaBouzu
Episodes Seen: 1
I'm going against the flow and I say freely that I really enjoyed this one. I was first drawn in by the very misleading promo, which showed lots of desert action scenes with some really dramatic music in the background. I was immediately interested, maybe because I was hoping for another Now and Then, Here and There. To my surprise, this turned out to be comedy! But I, for one, found the episode really funny. Some things were overdone throughout the episode, but I enjoyed it throughout and am definitely following it (in fact, I'm getting episode 2 right now). Not for everyone, though, because it seems like an acquired type of humor that does not apply to all. The music and character designs were great, too. Has a strong Trigun feel.
Rating: 9/10

Gankutsuou -- The Count of Monte Cristo
Episodes Seen: 3
Interesting, to say the least. I'm a very devoted fan of the original work by Alexander Dumas which, despite the length that scares most people away, I enjoyed the hell out of. Definitely one of the greatest novels I have ever read, and hands down the greatest revenge story. So naturally, this anime caught my interest. The patterned clothing and hair doesn't bother me at all - in fact, I thought it was great and added a lot to the 'stylish punk' feel that this show has. So far, it's pretty faithful to the original, except for changes that are necessary to attract fans to the anime. Overall very enjoyable so far, and an especially great opening and ending combination. Highly recommended for fans of the original (so far).
Rating: 9/10

[auriya]

Gankutsuou
Episodes watched: 3
Rating: 10
Comments: I love this show. It's definitely my favorite so far this season. I find the art style absolutely amazing, though I know some people don't like it. All I can say is, try it--before I actually watched the show, I looked at screencaps and thought I wouldn't like it because of the strange art style, but I was hooked after one episode.

Tactics
Episodes watched: 2
Rating: 8
Comments: The manga is better. -_- But, on the other hand, the character designs and animation are lovely (particularly use of color and lighting), and Kan-chan is still adorable even though in the anime version he seems to have lost his devious personality. I just don't like how the show is dark and serious; the plot was light to begin with, so take away the cute humor and it's just generic monster-busting.

[Fighter Volk]

SunaBouzu
Episodes Watched: 2
I just watched the second episode, and I think it was even better than the first. The humor was much more tasteful (less boob-humor, which felt overused by the end of the first episode) although somewhat more slapstick. The character development in this episode is fantastic. With this second episode to back my first opinion now, I know for sure that Sunabozu is a keeper.
Rating: 9.4

[dreamless]

some updated/modified scores :

Anime: Kannaduki no Miko
# episodes seen: 5
Rating: 9.5/10 (+0.5)

I now really love this series! the character development is fantastic, and the presentation of the complicated character relationship and mecha actions and comedy are all great! GO Oogami GO!!!

Anime: Mai-HiME
# episodes seen: 5
Rating: 9.5/10 (+1)

I love episode 3, 4 and 5, one is full of action, one is great comedy and character development, and one is great character and emotional development. GO Yuuichi GO!!!

Anime: Kakyuusei 2
# episodes seen: 5
Rating: 7.5/10 (+1)

episode 3, 4 and 5 are great! although unexpected, they are very very hilarious. Now it seems to be a great comedy series Oh and Chiho-chan is GREAT

Anime: Gankutsuou
# episodes seen: 4
Rating: 8.0/10 (-0.5)

hmm... it's still good, but somehow I think it's not as captivating as it first appears now...

Anime: Futakoi
# episodes seen: 4
Rating: 6.5/10 (+1.5)

I said I didn't want to continue watching this series, however since I got some free time so I continued, and now I'm kinda happy that I continued. It's kinda... different. the sheep is still as loveable as ever, the best character definitely however the main character seems more likeable than before, and it somehow seems to be a self-mockery at males instead of your standard harem show

Anime: School Rumble
# episodes seen: 4
Rating: 7.0/10 (-0.5)

the later episodes have there funny moments, but each has some not so funny moments that offsets the funny ones. But then love Yakumo-chan more and more As long as there's Yakumo-chan, I'll keep watching

NEW :

Anime: Fantastic Children
# episodes seen: 2
Rating: 8.5/10

It looks promising, great music and nice details in animation. the plot is promising too. I'm really eager to find out what the whole picture is like.

Anime: Tactics
# episodes seen: 4
Rating: 7/10

beautiful animations, beautiful characters, mediocre plot. Overall enjoyable if you like pretty boys and girls. So far it's at about the same level and same style as Matantei Loki Ragnarok, which is not surprising since they are produced by the same group of people. Great OP and ED

Anime: Grenadier
# episodes seen: 3
Rating: 7.8/10

Very fun to watch, and this one seems to become better and better with each new episode. GREAT OP!!!

[Archaic]

Originally Posted by Ashi-chan

Wait, so Yuugiou Duel Monsters has already ended? This a show under the Yuugiou name, but with a new set of characters? I've been out of the Yuugiou loop for so long, but I've been lazy to check up on it. Is there a manga for this Duel Monsters GX as well, because I remember seeing some sort of possible sneak peak at a new Yuugiou manga in the final Vol. 38?

Ended...what...a month or two back now? Only watched the first episode, which had a small cameo by a grown up Yugi. Other recurring characters are probably unlikely. Don't know if there's a manga, but I seriously hope not.

EDIT: Should probably include some reviews in this....

Futakoi
Episodes Watched: 2
Score: 7.5 / 10 (5.5, plus 1 for being able to understand the whole show without subs, plus 1 for personal bias due to translating this series for fansub)
Other than the twins bit, seems to be your standard harem anime thusfar. Still, at least the twins part is an interesting twist we haven't really seen before. Be interesting to see exactly how they're going to handle the ending. Will the "winning" twins really be able to share him? Somehow, I don't think this is going to have quite as happy an ending as you'd expect from the lighthearted stuff we've seen so far.
Even though I'm translating this series, I'd strongly recommend anyone who's learning Japanese to download a raw of this series if possible. It's not difficult to understand at all, and you'll enjoy it a lot more if you're not looking down at subs every few seconds.

Kannaduki_no_Miko
Episodes Watched: 4
Score: 9.5 / 10
Lesbians, giant mecha, an 'interesting' group of villians, and a surprisingly stable plot. The animation's top notch too.

W Wish
Episodes Watched: 4
Score: 6.5 / 10 (7.5, less 1 for short running time)
While I don't exactly understand why there's so many sibling incest stories in recent years, I don't really have a problem with "unnatural" romances, so long as they're written well, so I certainly won't be marking it down for that. The series seems fairly well written, and it's certainly building up to something plotwise. It's not going to be the next Koi Kaze, but it's certainly not an unenjoyable ride.

Yakite Japan
Episodes Watched: 4
Score: 6 / 10
It's an anime, it's about bread making. Not much more to say about it. I can see why it's popular, it certainly makes an effort to appeal to a very wide base of people, but that also means that there's not much to distinguish it from any other anime besides the gimmick. It's not like it's the first story based around cooking either.

[LynnieS]

Originally Posted by Archaic

Ended...what...a month or two back now? Only watched the first episode, which had a small cameo by a grown up Yugi. Other recurring characters are probably unlikely. Don't know if there's a manga, but I seriously hope not.

I have heard of something about a new manga series being out, but haven't seen it anywhere as of yet. I wouldn't pick it up anyway. With November 3rd's episode, though, there may be cameos from the original series.

Spoiler for November 3rd episode:

Yugi found himself in the middle of a Yami duel with someone holding the Millenium Puzzle and is disappearing piece by piece as he loses.

To review...

Tactics: 7.0/10.0
Number of episodes watched: ?
Continue: 6.0/10.0
Archive: 6.0/10.0

Well-drawn characters, but I think the male leads are done better than the girls. Storyline is, to be totally honest, nonexistent; it's strictly an episodic show so far with the usual pacing. A "magic boy fights evil with good-looking followers" show like "Matantei Loki - Ragnarok".

[neovu79]

Story:

From the producers of "Ai Mai Mi ! Strawberry Egg" comes a series where destiny brings two girls, Himeko and Chikane, from opposite social classes come together on their mutual 16th birthday. Together, they discover that they are the reincarnation of the Sun and Moon Priestess. With the help of their friend, Souma, they must find a way to survive the vicious attacks by the Orochi whom are bent on revenge on the two priestesses.



Character Review:

Himeko is an extremely shy girl who can be quite ditzy. Chikane is obviously has romantic feelings for Himeko and gives subtle hints to her about it. Himeko greatly admires and does have feelings for Chikane but gives mixed signals on whether she reciprocates thoughs romantic feelings. Thoughs feelings are also clouded by her feelings for Souma, her childhood friend whom also has strong feelings for her. Chikane is jealous of the fact that Souma and Himeko go way back and their closeness.

Ironically, Chikane and Souma are the most popular students amongst their school peers whom believe that they would make the perfect couple. They do not understand why Himeko, a class nobody, is suddenly hanging around them.



Overall:

Really good anime. A mesh between "Maria-sama ga Miteru" and "Gravion". I love animes that not only has a good story line, but will also focus on character developement and everyday life. I think it gives us viewers something to relate to. Make sure that homosexuality, specifically lesbianism, is not a problem for you before you watch it.

[Fighter Volk]

Grenadier
Episodes Watched: 1
This series is very well described by 'Female Trigun'. I like the premise, I like the music, and overall I enjoyed the episode. I like the direction in which it seems to be heading, and some of the opening sequences look really awesome, especially the floating guy near the end. I'll definitely be sticking with this one for the time being. Those who hate 'girls with guns' should stay away from this one, but fortunately, it's not only 'girls with guns'. I'll post back after watching 2 and 3, once I have them downloaded.
Rating: 7.9

[Kanna]

Kanna's reviews in simple one to two line sentences:

Gakuen Alice - Looks to be a fun series. Mikan's energetic personality will probably keep me watching.

Grenadier - Boobs too annoying, no.

Yakitate!! Japan - The manga is the one you'll want to read. Anime is for staring at Tsukino.

Genshiken - Exploring the world of otaku. You know you're one of them. Watch it!

Gundam Seed Destiny - It's Gundam Seed. Either you love it or you don't.

Zipang - Needs death.

Rozen Maiden - Another anime that should've been kept in manga form.

Ring ni Kakero - Never was a fan of these boxing anime.

Futakoi - Cute, but that's about it. Needs more doujins.

Tactics - Something about this draws me into it. Dunno if it's the demon sealing thing or the kitsune woman.

Gankutsuou - It's visuals might turn some people away, but I'm enjoying it. Need more.

School Rumble - Yay for school rumble. Another series that deserves space on my hard drive.

Sunabouzu - Fun series. The big breasted woman isn't very distracting either. I love it.

Tsukuyomi - Neko mimi modo~ AHH CATGIRL WANNABE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE

Uta-kata - Yay Ichika~

W Wish - In prolog code: No.

Nanoha - I'm biased since I time this, bite me. I like it, I need more doujins, and you need to get it.

If you want me to explain why it's so good/bad it'll be a waste of my time. Since once I start other people will be arguing against my taste of anime. Besides, I think rating anime is plain dumb. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

[AndrewLB]

Basically, I'm watching
Ring ni Kakero (obviously, if you've seen my site),
Seed D (It's fucking hilarious),
Tsukuyomi (been watching it raw, it's okay),
Gankutsuou (as I like artsy stuff like that)
and Fantastic Children (This image itself got me hooked.)
Zipang too, though the first ep... well, my Japanese is far from being good enough to understand everything going on in that show.
Oh, and Yakitate. Random as hell. Oh, saw the first episode of Gakuen Alice too, it was funny.

There's some okay stuff this season. But as usual, there's a lot of shit. Grenadier (it's NOT like Trigun, as Trigun was actually decent), Rozen maider (first 5 seconds scared the hell out of me), That lesbian show, Futakoi (Easily the worst show this season, if you ignore the lesbian show), etc.

Whatever.

Oh, and in terms of American TV, I'm watching Scrubs and that new show Lost, which is fucking FANTASTIC. It's an ABC show, I think. Seriously, watch it. Give the first few episodes a try, it's amazing.

[clem-kun]

Some rarer series of this Fall season:

Meine Liebe: (8/10)

So far, the plot progression has been slow, but I really like the art. The OP theme has also been playing in my head for the past few days. I especially like the non-Japanese feel, how many names are German-based. The only change I would make if I were the producer is liven it up a bit; this anime has more dialogue than any other Fall anime.

Zipang: (4/10)

I gave this anime a try, but only skimmed the surface of it. From what I saw, I didn't really like it - overloads of war terminology (bleh) and men in uniform (bleh x2). Who knows? Maybe this anime will rub off on me soon and my perspective will change.

Gakuen Alice: (8.5/10)

I am a sucker for cute things. I really am. And this anime just appeals to me tremendously. I love the pair of loud, obnoxious girl and coolly-composed girl. I like the references to humor, and I love the turtle note-sending device. The cons? The episodes drop off at strange places and the OP/ED aren't really catchy.

Futakoi: (5/10)

I don't really like the whole twin hype. The only thing that boosted this score was the OP. Easily one of my favorite this season.

Onmyou Taisenki: (4/10)

Extremely typical Digimon/Pokemon anime. I hate such anime.

More to come soon.

[DaFool]

Since I watch pretty much anything (I am following 22 series, 14 of which started this season), it's better to list down what I do NOT watch (i.e. dropped) and the reasons. I watch both subbed / even raws if I really like the show.

DaFool's drop list:

* Zipang - men in uniforms. I'd rather have girls in uniforms.
* Bleach - OMG did I drop this! Long-running shounen fighting anime not my thing.
For shows like this give 6-9 months and this will be playing DUBBED in local S.E. Asia TV station, which detracts from the need to collect it.
* School Rumble - another OMG did I drop this! When there is no anime parody and when Harima Kenji is not professing his love, the cultural-injokes stump me and I stop to laugh. Which is not a good thing.
* Sunabozu - the actual show is less artistic than the promo made it out to be. I didn't want this to be a silly comedy. Seriously.
* Tactics - Though first ep was good, it quickly became monster of the day.
* Harukanaru - Very nice animation. Very boring too.
* Viewtiful Joe - WTF. Don't like the style.
* Onmyou Taisenki - spells children's lil' monster anime.
* Musumet - despite the girls, the school uniforms, and the flying panties, there wasn't that "OOOMPH" factor. Also known as charm.
EDIT: I have to add more as I missed some.
*Yakitate - I dislike the main character ("yosh"-boyishness). And the feel of the show is so non-otaku.
*To Heart 2 - the first one at least had nice classical background music. This one doesn't even have that. Story is too straightforward.
*Fantastic Children - best part of it was the ending, I just love Origa. And the best part also was that the show actually ended. Yah.

So if your favorite show didn't fall into this list, you can be assured it is idiot-proof[tm]

[Umbrae]

Anime: Bleach

So far this seems like a quite promising anime. The show takes an interesting view on life death, and how they interact. A good ammount of action. Also, for people that tend to hate fan service, this show actualy seems to try to aviod it. Personaly I think they go overboard on this, for example, some in a pleated skirt doing backflips will probaly show some panties, but not in bleachland.
For people looking for a good action series with a plot, this seems to be one to check out.

Greniader
Alot of fan service. Yet above, or below that (depening on how your mind works) seems to be a decent story line. The main character seems to have been trained to try and bring peace to what seems a war torn land. A gun slinger with a heart of gold so to speak. Even when assulting a town/fort, having every one with a gun shoot at her, she attempts to simply disable and not kill them. Luckly for them, she is a good enugh shot to be able to do so. Unfortunatly they do not seem to be utilizing many of thier characters. for example her side kick, who is a sword wielding type, has not done much since the first episode. In the first episode he was up aginst six people, deflecting bullets with his sword, and using hit an run attacks. . . focusing more on the run part. Yet since then the most contribution he has had to the series was to heat the main characters bath water. . . It seems as though the animators are focusing mainly on fan service and letting thier decent, but loose plot die off.

[Fellini 8.5]

Originally Posted by clem-kun

Some rarer series of this Fall season:

Meine Liebe: (8/10)
....The only change I would make if I were the producer is liven it up a bit; this anime has more dialogue than any other Fall anime.

You have seen .hack//SIGN, haven't you? Koichi Mashimo's work is practically all dialogue...

My initial Meine Liebe review: (also 8/10)
Mashimo's Bee Train takes on gothic drama, bishonen-style. All the classic ingredients that I recognize from his past work can be found here: it's cinematic, with deliberate pacing, lush colors, attention to detail, characters who's facial expressions communicate a great deal about the character's thoughts and provide a narrative above and beyond the dialogue.

The only thing "missing" is an in-your-face Yuki Kajiura musical score -- this time it's a more subdued and well-crafted instrumental soundtrack that fits perfectly into the gothic European tone of the series. A bit of a surprise!

The story seems to be about political intrigue, hidden dastardly doings, factions at odds with one another. Since we've really only gotten the character and setting introductions so far, it may be another two or three episodes before we really find out what the plot is about. And then by episode 10 or so, we'll find that "plot" was just a ruse for what the real plot had been all along. Heh.

The duel in this episode was particularly well animated, with realistic movement and no resorting to extreme poses or hyper-action sequences. Good old fashioned dramatic action.

As a big fan of Mashimo's, I'm biased towards wanting to watch this no matter what. But even if you didn't like his previous work very much, this show will be different enough that, if you aren't put off by the overall setting/style, you should give it a chance.

[fcuk-femme]

I only started three brand new series this season and they were Mai Hime, Bleach and Windy Tales.

Mai Hime: 8.5/10
Great series for those who enjoy shows centering around a very independent, optimistic and happy girl who has had to endure a lot of tragedy in her life, while fighting monsters and demons haha. The show for the most part is comedy/action i believe and there are a lot of interactions between the characters that are amusing, also some great fighting. I have no complaints with the animation and the music is great. And for those who like a little romance in the mix, there is definitly some romantic feelings developing between the characters in the show =D.

Bleach: 9/10
I dont know if its just me, but the lead character reminds me of Kyo from Fruits Basket o_O hah which is a little factor that attracts me to the show =P. Umm yeah, its a great show that has an original plot. One of the main themes is death, and the show does a great job at setting the tone for some sad and dark moments while balancing it out with light funny humour. I can't complain about the animation as well, and each episode seems to introduce a new element to the show.

Windy Tales: 7/10
This show threw me off guard because of its um unique animation. I have to warn those who have never seen it, the animation takes some getting used to. The animation is unlike other series in the fact that the characters are not perfectly drawn and it appears more sketched, and the proportions of the bodies of the characters are kinda different as well. The show can be little slow at times because for the most part the plot centers around a young digital camera photographer girl who is obsessed with taking photos of the sky because of the wind. Yeaaah, its kinda hard to describe this series but nonetheless check out at least one episode.

[domino]

Hmm, this fall has had a lot of hit-or-miss series....

Bleach - Score: 4/10
The OP and ED are great, but everything in between is SO BORING. It's the most predictable anime I've ever seen. "Oh, I have powers. But this man... he has BETTER powers! OMG some monsters aaah". On the bright side, the animation is pretty good, and I have kind of a soft spot for Chad. I think I'll drop this though...

Beck - Score: 10/10
Wow, I was not expecting to like this. Anime about bands aren't my thing (even great music and prettyboys couldn't keep me interested in Kaikan phrase). But somehow I'm in love with this series. The animation, the plain-but-unique characters, and overall "down-to-earth" feel of this series is a pleasant change from all of the other magic/mecha/weird stuff that's been the focus of anime lately. I'm also a sucker for Engrish, and this series has a LOT of it. The OP song is great, too (but I HATE the ED song).

Gankutsuou - Score: 8/10
I love the fantasy feel. The coloring style is kind of weird, but I'm getting used to it. The story seems interesting and has inspired me to read the book it was based on. I love the wealthy European atmosphere. However, I don't like how they chose to add technology to this series (space travel?). It looks like there's a ... random mecha-like thing in the ED animation. If this means there's going to be a mecha added to this series later, I'll drop this series like a rock. But so far it's good!

Yakitake Japan - Score: 3/10
Um... bread! I like the way the characters are drawn, but a show about baking just doesn't interest me, and the "comedy" scenes didn't make me laugh at all.

Tactics - Score: 6/10
Whoa, this series is PRETTY. I thought it was so boring that my brain hurt from watching the first episode all the way through, but the art was lovely. But it reminded me too much of that Loki Ragnarok series that I didn't like (since it was made by the same person). If this series starts showing signs of real plot instead of going into more pointless filler adventures, it could be interesting.

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Score: 10/10
FINALLY! A shoujo series with excellent animation and fantasy plot! Though the basic backstory is like Fushigi Yuugi, the series really isn't like it at all. Fushigi Yuugi is more tragic, while Haruka has more of a fluffy feel to it. The animation and music are very impressive, and the story captivates me. I love "other world" adventure stories~.

Tsukiyomi ~ Moon Phase - Score: 3/10
Nekomimi mode de! The OP sequence was cute, the ED was pretty, but... the vampire cat girl thing has a potential to be cute, but somehow she rubbed me the wrong way and I found her very whiny/bossy/annoying. It didn't help that the other main character (an ordinary Japanese photographer guy) isn't interesting at all.