Before I begin, I need to establish one thing: you can't rate anime series from an absolutist viewpoint.

This is a common mistake that people make when they judge the quality of anime series. You can't just say a given series sucks because it's different from the types you like to watch. Every anime should be judged within the genre it belongs to, and within the context of the time period it was produced in. You can't give Love Hina a rating of 1 just because you're a mecha fan and there aren't any mechs in it (Well okay, there are, but you get my point...). You can't say Galaxy Express 999 sucks just because you're used to the state-of-the-art animation and graphic that you get to see in anime series nowadays.

The question that should be asked is not "Is this a good anime?" but rather "Is this a good fantasy anime?" or "Is this a good 70's anime?" Love Hina is a damn good romantic comedy, and Galaxy Express 999 is a superb series produced 20 years ago. You have to try to look at anime series from within the categories to which they belong, and judge them accordingly.

The reason why I have gone on and on about a seemingly irrelevant issue is because Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is exactly one of those anime shows that get treated differently than they should. A lot of anime fans, particularly male fans between ages 11 to 16, give Sailor Moon horrible ratings because either (1) they're not into shoujo animes and they think the series sucks, or (2) they fear that somehow their manhood would be threatened if they didn't think Sailor Moon sucks, and/or failed to let the world know about it. (To be consistent, I'll also point out that Sailor Moon also gets unduly large amount of high ratings from female fans, which isn't the right way to judge an anime series either.)

You have got to try to look at this anime from the perspective of its main target audience: girls from ages 7 to 16, or somewhere around there. It's a GREAT shoujo anime. Easily one of the best, if not the best ever. And that's because it has a magical power to allow young female fans to associate and identify with the characters. It touches all kinds of things that girls like to fantasize about:

- An ordinary girl, just like them, becoming a superheroine, and yet still struggling with her emotions, and all kinds of emotional trials she has to undergo because of one man she has fallen in love with.

- A lover who is always there to support her no matter what ordeals and trials she has to go through ("Kimi wa tatakae, kimi no ushiro ni wa boku ga iru" -- the one line that has fascinated many young ladies who were fortunate enough to catch it).

- Love and friendship the heroine gets to enjoy in the company of four other girls of her age, etc.

Sailor Moon is a show that made its young viewers realize that all of these things are in store for them and great things like that await them in their future. And the catch is, the show did all this in a marvelously elegant way, using captivating plotline, a few unexpected turn of events, and some of the greatest emotional scenes that have graced the screens of shoujo animes. Yound ladies who watch the anime are captivated by one Tsukino Usagi, a character who in many ways may be just like them. Usagi grows on them as the plotline advances, and they eventually identify with Usagi as the series reaches its climax.

They become Usagi when she cries in Tokyo Tower, distraught with the emotional shock and trauma of finding out that her tuxedo-worn lover is Chiba Mamoru who she could never have guessed, and then promptly having him taken away from her by villains. They are Usagi when she finds out that Mamoru is brainwashed and now working for the bad guys, and desperately tries to reach him and get him back. They hurt every bit with Usagi when she (they) witnesses her dear friends protecting her powerless self and meeting horrific deaths.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a shoujo anime that was able to move so many young girls more deeply than Sailor Moon did.

This is a great shoujo anime that was superbly planned out and produced. The seiyuus are all top-notch voice actors/actresses as well, and some of the best voice-acting talents are featured in minor roles such as the Monster-of-the-Day's and the daily "guest" characters. And the music/soundtrack is quite possibly the best of the entire 90s, period. No matter what your age and gender may be, this is more than a worthy anime to watch if you're willing to step in Usagi's shoes just a little bit and try to identify with her throughout the series. You will cherish the experience.

Overall Rating: 10
Animation:9 Plot:10 Humor:9 Sound Track:10
Weight: 10
Date: 11/30/2004 02:22:17 am PST

Replies: 0

This is probably one of the most overrated animes of all time.

The reason is pretty simple. The characters are drawn very neatly, and they are all loveable characters. There are four of 'em, really. And each and every single one of them is a bland, boring, hopeless stock character with predictable lines and even more predictable behavior pattern.

(And I don't wanna hear one of those "You forgot Megumi" stuff... she does absolutely nothing of significance in any of the five episodes, so she counts as nothing more than an extra. A real CHARACTER is someone who gets actively involved in plot lines, grows and develops, shows real emotion, and attracts the viewer to develop a real set of opinions about him or her.)

This OAV gets such undeserved praise because the so-called "characters" are all somebody's dream girlfriend or boyfriend. Take Belldandy, for example. She is so damn pretty and has a killer body. She is a great cook. She has a great personality (if you ask me, I'd much prefer the down-to-earth, lively, human-like personality of Narusegawa Naru in Love Hina to that of this artificial Barbie-doll, but sadly 90% of anime-watching male demographic has a ridiculously unrealistic view of women in general, and the creators had to cater to those types when they decided to make this anime). She is taller than you. And most of all, she obeys her "husband" like a slave. Think you saw her somewhere before? In your wet dreams when you were 13, you bet.

And how about our hero, Mr. Morisato Keiichi? This guy is so not stuck up! And he's so sweeeet, he would work overtime job at a construction site just to get his girl a ring! You can hear a bunch of groupies swooning and AWWWWing right about now.

Not only is this anime boring, but it also paints a ridiculously erroneous picture on romantic relationship. A sweet little Barbie-doll who works like hell day and night in and around the house, obeys every single word out of the guy's mouth with a heartwarming smile (good thing this wasn't made into a movie featuring human actresses, whoever playing Belldandy would look so fake) takes absolutely no exception to anything you spit out? Are you living in freaking medieval age?

The supporting "characters," Uld and Skuld, are a couple of bad jokes, as well. Trying to personify two polar opposite qualities that we men seek from girls -- innocent cuteness and uninhibited sex appeal -- the shortsighted creators of this atrocity of an anime decided to make sure those are just about the only qualities in the personalities of the respective sisters. The result is two more boring, predictable characters that add nothing to the substance of the series other than cracking bad attempts at humor every now and then by having them fight each other or something.

The message from the creators is very simple: they take us for a bunch of no-brain groupies devoid of sense of humor and reality. They thought they would be able to draw a lot of attention and good reviews just by presenting to us what we (or our alter-egos with the mental capacity of amoeba) think is the perfect model of girlfriend and boyfriend. And the unfortunate thing is, they were right.

Overall Rating: 6
Animation:10 Plot:4 Humor:4 Sound Track:8
Weight: 10
Date: 02/07/2004 02:59:25 am PST

Replies: 0

This is a very difficult series to rate as a whole, mainly because the last one-third of the series is really bad compared to the first two seasons (62 episodes). Normally long anime projects on TV have well-conceived structures and plot lines that are adopted specifically within the framework of these structures. (A good example of this would be Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon, whose 200 episodes are partitioned into five separate seasons, each of which has its own plot development, mid-season climax, and multi-episode finale to wrap it all up before continuing into the next season.)

However, Rurouni Kenshin's third season lacks such a substructure, resulting in an abrupt and awkward ending. This is probably due to the fact that the series got canceled in Japan after 94 episodes aired. There were to be more episodes featuring the return of Saito Hajime to the series, the immensely popular archrival of Himura Kenshin, but such was not the case as the master of Gatotsu makes his last appearance at the end of episode 62. Such inconsistency is a bit disturbing, since the first two seasons are beautifully done, and the 35-episode second season beginning from episode 28 is one of THE most exciting story arcs of all of anime.

Its not-so-impressive final season notwithstanding, Rurouni Kenshin is still one of the most popular anime series up to date, full of intriguing characters and heartrending plot lines. Action, romance, and humor are all there, plus some of the deepest philosophical themes and wonderfully accurate historical notes. This is certainly an action-packed series, although it doesn't shove machismo violence down your throat the way Dragon Ball Z does, and it leaves you plenty to think about even after all the fireworks are over.

The first season starts out with a bang, as the first episode -- one of the most popular among all RK episodes -- introduces our two main characters, Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru, in a most graceful style. Up to episode 27, the series alternates between up-tempo subarcs and some very nicely done filler episodes -- smoothly inviting the viewers to get to know each main characters in depth while setting up nicely for the rollercoaster ride of the second season.

If you think you have already fallen in love with this anime during the first season like I did, you have no idea you could actually get to love it even more during the second season. Kicking off with a mini-arc featuring great fight scenes between Kenshin and Saito, the second season invites you deeper to take a look at the nature of Kenshin's inner struggle, and the way he resolves it by meeting new allies and fighting new opponents. The ebb and flow of the masterpiece plot line will keep you on your toes for the entire 35-episode joyride... I'm telling you again, this is one of THE most exciting story arcs ever animated, Japanese or otherwise. Full of surprises and unexpected resolutions, this second season will make you breathe and sympathize you with its characters as each episode unfolds itself before you.

Which of course sets up the most disappointing third season, which is basically a collection of several sub-storyarcs. One thing you will notice is the recycling of the characters from the previous two seasons, and that's usually bad news, especially when they don't even play central roles in their respective storyarcs. About the only redeemable plot line appears in the Amakusa Shougo and Magdalia arc, as the change of scenery it presents makes it a little fresh. However, the other storyarcs are pedestrian at best, and sadly, in the end, you find yourself looking forward to the last episode, when the RK producers had to close out the series quickly and decided to throw out unsolicited hints at the future of Kenshin-Kaoru couple. It's a lame way to wrap up the series with superb first and second seasons, but maybe it wasn't possible to keep up with the excitement and flare of the second season.

This is still a very good anime series, every bit deserving of the fanatical love and support shown by its fans over many years. The casting of Suzukaze Mayo (a woman seiyuu, and a very pretty one at that) as the voice of Kenshin turned out to be a great move (although Ogata Megumi might have done a better job), and familiar voices of Tominaga Miina (Izumi Noa from Patlabor) as Yahiko and Ueda Yuuji (Urashima Keitaro from Love Hina, Tenkawa Akito from Nadesico) as Sanosuke provides a nice change-up from the otherwise unfamiliar voice of Kenshin. This is a very well-done series from the thematic and philosophical point of view as well, and if you're one of those anime fans who like those animes that leaves you with something to think about, you will enjoy Rurouni Kenshin at least as much as I did.

Overall Rating: 9
Animation:9 Plot:10 Humor:8 Sound Track:10
Weight: 10
Date: 02/06/2004 03:34:20 am PST

Replies: 0

If you're like me and prefer down-to-earth anime series with good character developments and a nice little lesson in life or two, you will like this series.

If you're like me and pride yourself in being a baseball nutball, you will like this series even more!!

Well, maybe not if you're too much of a baseball junkie. It is apparent that the animation part of this series has been done by people who don't follow baseball seriously, as the movements of players in this anime doesn't look at all like the real thing you get to see on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. So that's one of the few shortcomings of this series.

However, it is full of interesting and lively characters who really grow on you as you progress into the series, and the plot line is superbly done -- instead of pushing the characters into some lame plot and shoving it down your throat, the creators of this series let their exciting characters CREATE and DEVELOP the plot line themselves, and it looks really natural and smooth. They start out by introducing the main character, a down-to-earth, pleasant 15-year-old pitcher Hayakawa Ryo, and then quickly setting up the stage for her foil, a proud, honorable, and cold-headed tennis star Himuro Izumi. The conflict generated by these two girls, who are polar opposite of each other in just about every way imaginable, attracts the viewer right in from the start and provides plenty of momentum right till the end, with plenty to spare.

I also like the ending -- probably one of the more heartwarming scenes you'll see in anime -- and the way it perfectly summarized the whole series and its theme. The voice acting is also superb, but when you go out and cast such big names as Sakakibara Yoshiko (Cylia Stingray in Bubblegum Crisis), Koyasu Takehito (Hotohori in Fushigi Yuugi), etc., it's hard not to make it so superb. All in all, a very nice, heartwarming drama with a dozen intriguing characters and a great final scene that will last in your memory for quite some time.

Overall Rating: 9
Animation:8 Plot:9 Humor:8 Sound Track:9
Weight: 10
Date: 02/05/2004 12:33:10 am PST

Replies: 0

If you like RPGs and the dynamics among lots of characters playing different roles in them, you will definitely like this early-90s classic. Record of Lodoss Wars is THE prototype of RPG-type anime series, never short on action, exciting plot, and in-depth character development that allows those characters to really grow on you by the end of the final episode.

Here's what I like about this OAV series:

Characters. Lots of strong, active, and unique characters are definitely what make this anime a classic. There have been many series trying to follow the footstep of Record of Lodoss Wars and mix in lots of different characters, but the ones that did it as elegantly and smoothly as this OAV series are few and far between. When you think about lots of characters, for example, you may think of Fushigi Yuugi. But while FY has its own handful of impressive characters such as Chichiri, Yui and Nuriko, way too much of the focus is given to the love story between Miaka and Tamahome (boring!!) and soon enough other characters are put aside to the backstage.

Record of Lodoss Wars does hint at a romantic relationship between two of the main characters in Parn and Deed, but they never let this dominate the entire series, as it was the case with FY. Instead, they focus on other characters as well, giving plenty of spotlight to Ghim's lonely battle to rescue Leylia, the old friendship/rivalry between Fahn and Beldo, and the mysterious prequel saga involving six heroes (Fahn, Beldo, Fleve, Wort, Neese, and the nameless one - Karla) slaying a dark lord resurrected somewhere in Lodoss. The end result is a well-balanced anime series that doesn't shove a one-dimensional love story down the viewer's throat.

Plot. This anime starts off with one of those nifty out-of-sequence tricks, with the first episode happening somewhere between the 5th and 6th episodes. This first episode is really the turning point of the entire plot, and I think it was a great idea to expose the viewers to that crucial part of the plot first, then go back to Parn's village to explain how everything got started.

In every well-written anime there is one character whose main job is to add a few additional wrinkles in the plot, and the Grey Witch Karla serves that role almost to perfection in this anime. You never understand her true motives until towards the end of the series when Parn and his comrades finally confront her. And it turns out that she isn't the ultimate enemy... It all adds to the flavor, making it a 13-episode roller coaster.

Action. There is plenty of action, and while animation in general may not be one of the best, they did a great job in making the fight scenes dynamic and explosive. And they enhanced the action without making the characters jump like flees either. Rather, they did subtle things right, like Slayn casting his spells very urgently in the middle of the battle. They also didn't overdo the BGM during the battle scenes, making it easier for us to concentrate on what's going on on the screen.

Voice acting. There is some great voice acting done in this OAV. Deedlit's girlish charm blossomed with the best voice acting in the career of Touma Yumi (Yui in Fushigi Yuugi, Uld in Ah! My Goddess, Sylphiel in Slayers) and Sakakibara Yoshiko was her usual greatness as the voice of the witch. Parn's reckless abandon was perfectly personified by the vulnerability of Kusao Takeshi, who also did the main character in Slam Dunk. Kamiya Akira, who later played the voice of two scientists in Tomoe Souichi (Sailor Moon S) and Natsume Kyusaku (Nuku Nuku) did the voice of a black knight this time, and you can also find the early work of some of the great natural voice talents like Nakata Joji (Folken in Escaflowne) and Wakamoto Norio (Vicious in Cowboy Bebop).

Likability factor. This is a very likable anime. It features one of the most revered females in the anime universe in Deedlit, some of the best fighting scenes that you'll ever find in any series, and the great, in-depth character development, particularly in Parn's case. His struggles and trials en route to becoming a heroic knight are very well portrayed (a la Van Fanel in Escaflowne), and by the end of the series you will feel strong bond to this character, because you've been through everything with this guy. And I think the ending was done very, very well, with Parn choosing the life of a free wanderer (and having a beautiful, attractive, elegant high elf as his companion -- hard to beat that!) rather than living in a castle while being worshipped as a hero.

All in all, this is a wonderful OAV series and a must-watch for any series anime followers. It's funny I'm giving an overall rating of 9, causing the average rating to drop a bit, but the only reason why I don't give it a 10 is because I reserve my 10's for some of those really special, once-in-a-lifetime masterpieces. I'm a Tough Rater, and getting a 9 from me means it's a damned good series. And Record of Lodoss Wars is definitely one.

Overall Rating: 9
Animation:9 Plot:10 Sound Track:9
Weight: 10
Date: 09/27/2002 12:55:45 am PST

Replies: 0