I just finished watching Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny. Yes, just finished. I actually never knew that I could like watching mecha anime.

I don’t want to offend any Gundam fans but the ending of GSD was beyond annoying and I blame Cagalli, Lacus and Kira. Out of all nonsense that came from these series (examples: the Yzak and Shiho engagement rumor, Athrun being a girl magnet, Stella in general) Cagalli’s hate for the Destiny Plan really struck my nerve.

First of all, Gilbert Dullindal’s character really shocked me. In a good way! He was intelligent, smart and strong. A perfect politician I might say. His Destiny Plan was something that I learned to admire as well.

Wouldn’t it be great for you to know what talents you have and what you are capable of doing? If we could know our hidden abilities there would be no more carrier choosing problems, no more terrible singers, no more absentminded doctors and policemen, no more bad teachers. And heck, people could actually enjoy their jobs instead of waiting for their workday to end.

So what is Lacus and Cagalli’s problem? Why does Kira support them? And why is the whole Archangel crew so stupid?

Gilbert Dullindal was offering a perfect world and yet a group of look-how-perfectly-saint-we-are people destroyed it.

It was quite a shock when Dragonaut the Resonance, anime series that I had been waiting for, turned out to be… crap. Alright, maybe saying “crap” is a bit too harsh, still, the series are no good. All my expectations were ruined because Dragonaut has all the cliches. Gundam 00, on the other hand, managed to surprise me and it took me 1 day to watch 12 episodes. I shall write a small review on the Gundam 00 characters later. Let’s stay with dragons for now.

First of all, I expected to see lots of organic mecha, fights, drama and maybe blood. But instead I got:

Boobs… and loads of them. Sometimes I thought that those female characters have problems finding clothes that would fit them.

Some emo action between two friends, both of which whine a lot and occasionally cry..

And absolutely stupid characters that either acted dumb or looked dumb.

Air Date: October 18th 2007
Companies: Production I.G
Official Site: http://www.ghosthound.tv
Trailer on YouTube: watch it

“This television series is created by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed) and Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Blood+).”

As a fan of Jigoku Shoujo and Ghost Hunt I really expect this anime to catch my attention and stay in my watching list. Masamune Shirow alone is a good reason to check out the series.

Dragonaut the Resonance

Air Date: October 3rd 2007
Companies: GONZO
Official Site: http://www.dragonaut.com
Trailer on YouTube: watch it

“In the near future, space-travel technology has made massive strides, but humans still haven’t figured out how to go beyond the solar system. So when huge space dragons attack Earth, mankind faces total extinction. Luckily, the International Space Development Agency has been secretly developing bio-organic weapons called Dragonauts, and a young loner named Jin is chosen to pilot one of their latest models. As if that weren’t enough pressure, Jin’s life becomes even more complicated when he meets a mysterious girl named Toa and falls in love with her.”

Needless to say that I liked the Spring season much better, at least I picked up 4 new series instead of 2. At least it’s better than Summer (I watched no new series at all).

I rarely ever talk about the anime series I hate but The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya totally destroyed the last year for me. It struck the anime world with a weird episode order, spineless or annoying characters and left thousands of nerds shouting “Haruhi is the GOD!” Honestly, the anime is a poison to the intellectual people. The plot has potential, the characters, however, kill the brain cells. So let’s take a quick look at the main people in the series.

Haruhi – the most self-centered, bitchy, immature idiot I have ever seen, both online and in real life. She does everything to get rid of her boredom: from sexual abuse to blackmailing. This girl has no morals whatsoever. She does whatever she wants, ignores how others feel and sees no differences between “cool” and dangerous.

Kyon – should be one the smart characters, but he does everything Haruhi tells him to. Kyon is totally spineless, it doesn’t seem that he has the courage to stand up against Haruhi. In a few words, get this guy some guts.

Mikuru – the big-boobed dummy. The pretty girl in the series with absolutely no brain. Gets abused by Haruhi, wears a bunny costume, squeals and screams. She can do nothing besides her “Mi-mi-mikuru beams!”

Yuki – the smartest alien who does… nothing. What can you say about a girl who rarely ever speaks? You can put her in a corner and announce her missing!

Itsuki – a person who is probably close to being normal in the series. Polite, rather intelligent and yet is practically licking Haruhi’s shoes. Disgusting.

Save your brain, don’t watch this anime; kick a Haruhi worshiper, God will forgive you. And yes, I have watched the entire series.

Since many people where talking about how awesome Claymore is I decided to check the series. It’s a magnificent anime so far! I’m not even talking about the manga. Claymore ties gore, blood, monsters and fights with love and dedication. The main warriors are cold blooded yet beautiful women while the fights are simply boiling. It’s a must see for any action fan.

Sadly enough, one anime is leaving my watching list and that’s Romeo x Juliet which turned out to be an absolute failure in my eyes. I still remember GONZO working with The Count of Monte Cristo and creating Gankutsuou. The later was a breath capturing anime with the most spectacular art. Romeo x Juliet, on the other hand, has no eye-catching art, no drama filled scenario and most importantly, only the names tie the anime and the original creation. I believe that GONZO has went too far when twisting the scenario in their own way.

Plot Synopsis
Mai Taniyama always loved telling ghost stories but Kazuya Shibuya, the owner of Shibuya Psychic Research (SPR), changed that.
Ghost hunters from SPR come to investigate paranormal activity at an old school building. When an accident happens and Mai accidentally injures Lin, Shibuya’s assistant, she fills his place and starts working at the company. The part-time job turns into various meetings with evil spirits and even devils.
Plot: 8/10

Story and Characters
25 episodes present 8 ‘files’. One file solves one case.
The story isn’t a fast evolving one; the creators show more of the investigation thus thickening the plot of a single case. The further the anime goes the creepier and more serious the files get.
You won’t see swords, guns or anything similar to physical weapons. Paranormal beings are destroyed with chants, prayers or with the help of the very same spirits, “fight fire with fire” they say.
There are 7 people who appear to investigate the paranormal activities: Mai, Shibuya (or Naru), Lin, a monk, a priestess, a spirit medium and a priest from Australia. All of them take a part in the 8 files so the character development simply can’t be expected to be wonderful. However, as the episodes start and end we get to know more about their past, their character, abilities and relationships.
Story: 8/10
Character development: 7/10

Art
The character art is rather typical and plain. On the other hand, colors, lighting and ghosts cover up any faults. The creators blend dark purple and bright blue to illustrate the spirits. Evil spirits are drowning in dark colors while human ones are pure white.
You can see another interesting effect when one of the characters (mostly Mai or the medium) feels a strong disgusting smell or a spirit. Then the room swirls and is darkened to create an eerie feeling.
When something is realized the frame freezes and is shown colorless. The same thing is done when an important event happens.
Art: 7/10

Sound
Personally, I’m a big fan of the music. It might not be so amazing when listening to the soundtrack alone but it plays a big part when creating the atmosphere. Moans, growling, pulsing sounds and hums mix with the music and fill the background but never become the main theme.
The opening and ending themes are calm but have this magic feeling to them. With no lyric they fit the series nicely.
There’s practically nothing to note about the voice casting, but only if we ignore the Australian priest. You can actually hear an almost natural accent instead of perfect Japanese which is rather common in anime.
Music: 9/10

Presentation
If you are looking for an action filled anime then this is not for you. The creators are targeting the more intellectual people. There’s no meaningless fan service and no sickening romance. The viewer is given a mystery that has to be solved.
The good thing is that one case doesn’t get solved during one episode. The investigation takes at least 3 episodes and the first part of a new case gets you hooked because cliffhangers are just cruel.
If you ever liked detective and ghost stories then be sure to check out Ghost Hunt!
Overall: 7,8/10

Darker Than Black

Studio Bones + Yoko Kanno = instant win. I’m not kidding either. The very first episode was enough to hook me. It’s dark, a bit violent and mysterious. Honestly, this goes to people who liked such spectacular anime as Ghost in the Shell and Ergo Proxy.
Hei, the main character, alone is enough to keep you watching. Cruel and cold he is while working, soft and geeky when living his normal life or just pretending to live it.

Romeo x Juliet

I was never a fan of Shakespeare but the idea of turning one of the most famous dramas into an anime is quite something. Even though it seems to be messed up… Juliet’s family is nowhere to be seen and she’s pretending to be a boy. Romeo’s family, however, is as rich as in the original creation but has a dark history.

The first episode wasn’t what I expected, even the pegasus weren’t so stunning, but time and a few more episodes will tell, I suppose.

Lovely Complex

I haven’t seen a single episode yet but I’m pretty curious about it. The anime is about a very tall girl and a small guy. Can they love each other? Looks like they can.
It appears to be a comical shoujo but I really have nothing against series like that!

If you happen to be interested, Lovely Complex is originally a manga by Aya Nakahara, it was licensed in the US and will be out on July.

Since I love both of these bands I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between them.
The GazettE – a male JRock band with visual kei elements.
Linkin Park – a male rap-rock/alternative rock band from the US.
Even though the continents, number of group members, appearance and lyrics are different they still have some things in common. Let me point out just a couple of a handful.

Faint and SHADOW VI II I
Both of these videos are practically identical. Of course many fans assumed that The GazettE simply copied Linkin Park. But even if they did I still don’t see a problem, actually, I feel rather happy that a Japanese band “copied” my most loved guys.

Albums
If we don’t count side projects like the one with Jay-Z and Reanimation, then Linkin Park has released two studio albums (Hybrid Theory and Meteora). The same goes for the GazettE, they released Disorder and NIL.
Hybrid Theory and Disorder: there are no drastic differences between the songs. Both albums are heavy and very well composed.
Meteora and NIL: two albums that brought confusion but showed how both of the bands have progressed.
Now these two albums have heavy, slow and energetic songs. The difference between the 1st and 2nd releases is huge. Both LP and GazettE demonstrate an amazing variety of moods.
Sadly, Meteora and NIL was a hit to fans who loved heavy rock. The change in music was both welcomed and hated. Quotes like “I used to like them”, “they sold themselves to the media” and “they play pop now” came up. Not everyone can keep up with guys who are progressing in such a fast pace.

Plot Synopsis
Peach Girl is about a normal school student, Momo Adachi. She is mistaken for a play girl because of her tanned skin; no one really remembers her being in a swimming team and how easily she gets tanned. Momo has a crush on a boy named Toji but she was told that Toji doesn’t like dark skinned girls… so all the time Adachi tries to get her skin light again. However, Momo has a “friend”, Sae, who likes to take everything from Momo, even her loved Toji. In the end Momo is torn between two boys: Toji, a boy who she always loved but fell for all Sae’s lies, and Kairi, who was always close and loved her dearly.
Plot: 8/10

Story and Characters
Being shojo series Peach Girl revolves around the main character’s emotional life and tries to figure out the relationships between 3 people.
The story line is rather exciting (at least for girls), the drama isn’t very tensed, some affairs of Sae’s can get annoying though, it’s also unbelievable how so many characters in the series are so extremely gullible. Even though the plot isn’t very unique it’s still pretty amusing.
The characters development is pretty good but it surely could be better. Of course the most well know characters are Momo, Toji, Sae and Kairi. Everything revolves around them; we barely know anything about their families and not much is revealed about their childhood. The creators leave us with the present days of their lives and let us judge their actions to create our own images of the characters. Out of all seen “good characters” Toji might just be the most annoying as he’s not only gullible but also looks weak even though the devotion for Momo is admirable.
Story: 8/10
Character development: 7/10

Art
The art in the series isn’t stereotypical (extremely pointy chins and big breasts) but isn’t unique either. Clothes are pretty well designed, chibi scenes are rather amusing but that’s all what is good about the art.
The paper-thin Sae (after an emotional breakdown) can be found interesting at first but seeing her like this for a whole episode is more than annoying, it’s an emotional expression after all.
Art: 7/10

Sound
Personally, I skip the opening and leave the ending. There’s nothing interesting about both of the songs, they are average j-pop pieces but nothing more. The soundtrack is fair but nothing stunning.
The voice acting makes up for the music. Well chosen voice actors indeed. Sae’s evil laughing and Momo’s frustrated screams are rather remarkable.
Music: 6/10

Presentation
Even with quite a few shojo clichés the anime is enjoyable. Peach Girl series being based on manga gathered quite a big fan base which states that the series could have been longer as some things are missing. But still the anime can be addictive and get you cursing Sae without you knowing it. All 25 episodes carry an equal amount of tension and will be loved by any shojo fan and not only.
Overall: 6,6/10

Plot Synopsis
There’s a website called the Hotline to Hell. If you want to revenge someone you have to enter this site at midnight and write down the name of the person you want to revenge. The Hell Girl will answer your call and give you a doll made out of black straws with a red ribbon around its neck. If you untie the ribbon the Hell Girl will deliver your vengeance by taking the person’s soul directly to hell. But when one is cursed, two graves are dug, after your death your soul will suffer in the pits of hell.
Plot: 10/10

Story and Characters
Jigoku Shoujo captures the viewer with its extremely original concept. Every episode tells a new story of a suffering person. Every one of them is in a totally different situation and when everything seems to be falling apart they access the Hotline to Hell. The one who called the Hell Girl is told about the two sided curse but in the end they all pull the red string killing the hated person. Some of them do it with shivering hands, thinking about their own future in hell while others need just a little push to end one’s life. It seems that every episode follows this formula until the rumor about the Hell Girl reaches a freelance reporter who starts to investigate the story which makes a major turn in the plot.
The character development is weak though. Practically nothing is known about the Hell Girl. Just as the her job requires she is cold and emotionless, every time she tells the same lines about hell and every time she gives the same question to her victim: “how would you like to die?”. We get some background information about the girl in the end of the series which is caused by the reporter and his young daughter.
While we don’t know much about the Hell Girl we don’t know anything about her helpers at all. There are three characters that help out the Hell Girl by scaring the victim and forcing him to confess one’s sins (which rarely ever happens). All three of them have different powers for this kind of service.
Story: 9/10
Character development: 7/10

Art
The animation is good and doesn’t go down throughout the series. Some parts can become a routine though, for example we can practically predict a character’s expression when the Hell Girl tells about the other side of the curse.
The character design is detailed and the best example is Enma Ai, the Hell Girl. With big red eyes and a kimono with a flower pattern she seems to be innocent but has a mysterious glow around her. We see no expressions on her face until the very end of the series.
Art: 9/10

Sound
The opening of the series is Hakasama no Chou which is performed by SNoW. The calm melody pretty much fits the series.
The OST is not only calm but is also mysterious and sometimes creepy. The music keeps the action tensed but gets a totally new pace when the Hell Girl goes to deliver the vengeance or when her mood changes.
One of the most spectacular tracks is Jigoku no Kawa Nagare. The 5.1 system helps to enjoy the clear voice of the singer and the feeling of space that the track creates.
Music: 9/10

Presentation
Even though the genre of this anime is supposed to be “horror” the series aren’t scary at all. While the revenge idea is unique some scenes become a routine and skipping them doesn’t hurt.
However a few flaws don’t destroy these series.
Overall: 8,8/10

Important: there’s NO real site that would send people to hell. Stop mixing real life and animes you f*cking geeks. Any comments regarding it will be removed.