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    First things first. My ""reviews"" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile. 
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I'm going to keep this ""review"" more of a opinion of Gintama's overall and then this season specific. 
 
Anyhow. What I have always loved regarding Gintama, is its content of everything. I love the comedy, its absurd, random, can be vile, dirty, sweet, anyhow, everything. Have laughed countless times in this franchise. Also the humor they have also is heavily reference based, a.k.a parodies of different anime, shows, manga, live stuff, real world, anime production and so on. Anyhow, comedy/parody side of this franchise i absolutely love. 
 
Now, -nd side of this show is the serious dramas, epic battle shounens and so on.. There are arcs that are fully comedy, arcs that are fully serious and mixtures of both. Serious side is usually quite dramatic and managed to somewhat tear me up now and then. Whilst the action sequences are absolute bliss as well. They are just presented in a really cool manner. And extra points when sometime the add artistic element. 
 
Of course it has its slice-of-life side and pseudo-romance. Those are weaker side, but ain't the focus. But when sometimes those are the ""focus"", then they are done in enjoyable method. 
 
To sum up overall gintama's, I love the serious side and the silly side. 
 
Art and sound (voice acting/ost/op/ed) is something I loved in all gintamas across the board. They just click with me, bliss to look at, bliss to hear. Music (op/ed) specifically are hyped up and upbeat, which generally I don't like, but gintama is the exception where I love them. Art is cool, sometimes artistic, sometimes simple. It has a bit of everything that makes it enjoyable. And gore is absolutely satisfying as well. (well, the blood to be specific) 
 
Well, the serious side of stories in this anime are superb in my opinion. (or the overall idea of story that moves now and then). But wouldn't say comedic side of series story is any worse.  When at times comedy side has ""story"". It's usually quite enjoyable. 
 
Regarding characters I don't have much to say other than that variety, stereotypes of ""off-stereotypes"" is very large. As well characters with depth but as well with oddity is as well in great selection. Main team. Gintoki the lazy dirty slob with superb second side of seriousness and caring about friends/allies. Shinpachi the poor straight-man-act sidekick, who adds great value to the team. Kagura, the battle race girl that doesn't act like girl almost at all, or in another words a dirty slob girl in a sense. 
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Now, to this season specific. 
 
I found it a bit disappointing. Mainly because usually in gintama we have overly serious arcs or fully comedic, whilst this one had a bit of mixture of both, which somewhat ruined the experience. Plus the artistic presentation felt this time around a bit lacking. Maybe because of another studio, who knows. But anyhow, it didn't feel as superb. Rather than gintama it felt as watching just another good battle shounen anime in modern day with simplified animation. 
 
I mean it definitely was not any bad, just didn't have the punch Gintama usually has. Might be because it was short series, maybe because it focused too much moving on with story. It'll be shame to see it finalized in this manner. 
 
Rest I pretty much loved as usual in Gintama franchise.

          
 
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    Let me start off by saying that Made in Abyss is a series that deserves to be bestowed with the title of a Masterpiece of an anime series. This may sound like I'm placing the series on a pedestal, and you could say that personal bias has influenced by decision to rate MIA a full --/-- for all the components, but please allow me to try my best to break down and pinpoint just exactly why it has earned such a place in my heart.  
 
Beginning with the first episode, which took me by serious surprise when I was left in absolute awe by the mystical vibes exuded by the astounding visuals and the beautiful soundtrack. MIA has one of the best first episodes I have ever seen thus far because unlike other shows where they bombard the audience with a complex plot in a desperate attempt to bait them into watching the rest of the show, MIA does that exact opposite. Instead, we tag along with our protagonist, Riko, and her adventures down into the abyss. Some things occur, and right off the bat, episode one was sufficient to leave me tense at the edge of my seat, yet the premise is simple and digestible enough for me to follow along. And at the end, we are treated with a stunning picturesque overview of the abyss, and that alone was enough to leave me desiring to be transported into their world and explore the abyss along with Riko. They had successfully pulled off their intended effect – to reproduce that sort of charm and mystery of the abyss, something that is so dangerous, slightly sinister, yet people, both the characters in MIA, along with the audience, are drawn to it.  
 
Moving on to the crux of MIA, the plot. The first few episodes mask the true sinister reality of the show and I was tricked into thinking this would be a cute adventure series with Riko and friends, but boy does that completely change in the next few episodes to come. Now don’t get me wrong, being ‘dark’ or ‘deep’ doesn’t necessarily equate to a good compelling story, as plenty of shows that seek to achieve such an effect often go beyond their capacity and all that remains is simply a cringefest of wasted potential. Yet, MIA absolutely nails in its execution. Even in earlier parts where there was a lighter more upbeat tone, the story never got stale and it was just downright entertaining to witness the happenings and adventures of Riko and those around her. And now that I think about it, it wasn’t really the plot itself that was unique or fantastic, rather, it's the perfect pacing and storytelling the series chose to adopt that really sold the show to me. I would go so far as to say that MIA is somewhat like a deconstruction of adventure genres and how behind the excitement and thrill of going on a journey of never return, lies the harsh brutal reality, something that even -- years olds are not immune to, and are in fact more prone to its effects due to their fragility.  
 
I could not have asked for a better two main characters, Riko and Reg. One is an enthusiastic fearless adventurer and the other a shy yet fiercely protective friend. This iconic pair are extremely well written characters that spoke out to me on a profound level, weaving my emotional attachment towards them, and thus cue the tears and heartache when misfortune befell them. The complement and supplement each other in so many ways that it is just really darn endearing to see them interact. And due to spoiler reasons, I shall not delve deep into the third main character that only appears in the later episodes, but she, too, is absolutely precious and I honestly cherish the chemistry and relationships that they foster over the span of the series. Even side characters, including the most minor ones, and even ones that don’t even appear apart from through flashbacks and recollections, are memorable and they have that sense of quirkiness and originality that is in its own way a breath of fresh air after so many reused anime troupes that we have seen time and time again.  
 
Every single Friday for -- weeks, this show was something that I really looked forward to. It was a spectacular journey and one that I am so happy I decided to start. It is absolutely magical and a feast for my eyes as with such a unique art style accompanied with the most detailed backgrounds. Every piece of music matched the scene so well and it was truly a beautiful symphony of sounds, visuals and storytelling. Thank you for reading my review of this Masterpiece and I hope that you will embark on the same journey as me and finish it with the same feelings as I did. :)  


          
 
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    Art -/--: It is great, especially the actions during the critical moments in the game. However, it doesn't WOW me like the best in class. 
 
Sound -/--: Very good voice acting, good sound effective during actions, good music that help bring out emotions and some of the op and ed songs are great. However, there is no sound track that are memorable. Can't give it a higher score. 
 
Character -/--: There are many very different characters. Most of them are real and believable. However, most characters are stereotypes and there is not much development. 
 
Story -/--: Overall this is a pretty straight forward plot with some twists. However, the pacing is a bit slow until the last --- episodes.  
 
Enjoyment -/--: Episode -- and -- are amazing --/--. There are other moments that are great.  But outside of those, it was just good, -/--. Overall -. 
 
In my own rating system, a perfect show gets -/--. If a show strikes me hard emotionally or teach me something that change my life, then it goes another +-. This is a -/-- show in my mind. Good overall, I may rewatch some episodes but I won't go out of my way to do it.

          
 
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    Story 
 
taking place - yr from where season - trailed off i really anticipated this series' return but was a bit disappointed by how everything seemed to restart just the way everything began with geass -. the only difference is that the catching up isnt far off since lelouch already have that military might he didnt have when code geass began. aside from that, i was a bit disappointed with how geass - somewhat deviated itself from geass - in the sense that the focal issue of geass has been resolved within - episodes, leaving some other secrets about it uncovered making the series lose the "essence" of its title. 
 
if geass - was able to brag about something, it would be the world domination schema that would really perk up strategy gamers' interests. alliances and forged, countries are colored red or blue and the world was torn between factions. as a personal fan of strategy games, i considered this plot influence a plus. 
 
 in the end, code geass - reverted to being another gundam series that ends with one massive war and a use of nukes/superweapons and i think that in itself made geass - unimpressive. however, it's overall flow was realistic. technology was discovered to counter an opposing country's technology. the world competed with one another through technology and development and that is another great influence of watching geass in the long run. it makes people realize that this overpowered mech came into realization in order to counter this other mech. 
 
overall, geass have been bluntly a strategic action anime. it could've been better if they involved geass too and put it much in detail but hey. it happened, the season ended and everyone watched. 
 
Art 
 
the art is always good since it came from clamp but some angles would make me remember some SeeD characters such as kira and athrun. well it's all nice though but it's somewhat distracting since you're too much focused in the development of the story itself.  
 
the knightmares themselves were definitely stylish especially this time around. they featured much sleek and glossy coating that made me reminiscient of --. there were also some knightmare designs that seemed to have been copied from Gundam -- but i think that's plausible sincesunrise made both series. 
 
there were also some episodes released with poor quality but regardless, geass - was still fun to watch. 
 
Sound 
 
with nakagawa kotaro responsible for the bgm heard all throughout, there is no way geass wouldn't stand out. the opening songs by orange range and flow were good but the ending theme with ali project is/has that weird, uneasy impact on me. though i did like AP when they did the rozen maiden series, it somehow doesnt fit geass. i also didnt like how the final ep ended in an ali project end. it somehow doesnt feel enough closure like how they decided to end it on s-. that or maybe im requesting too much 
 
Character 
 
there were plenty of characters introduced this season as well as recurring ones. it seemed that every fanbase was influenced by geass such as lolicons, yaois, yuris, incest, and even some other unnamed weird bases. 
 
aside from fanservice issues, im glad to see that a lot of the cast of geass have matured. from the young boy that wanted to make a world for her sister now fights for the rest of the world. the knight that holds his principles have finally decided to throw them away. there were lots of changes, both big and small, yet contributed to the development of the story. there were characters to raged at, to laugh at, to cry at and every last one of them contributed in the enjoyment of geass 
 
Enjoyment 
 
aside from the return of overpowered mechas that does spinkicks and heeldrops, im amused the most on the display of wit and strategy that geass used all throughout. one thing that code geass dsitances itself from its gundam counterparts would be the sheer execution of strategy that does not rely heavily on a single unit's power. while lelouch continued to throw away lives, he made every sacrifice worth it. that virtue itself is something that would interest me in as how flawless strategies are executed and how and individual carries the burden of his choices.  
 
despite being given the power of geass, despite the actions taken and the decisions made, we also see the conflict of a young boy as he turned into a responsible man as he continued to carry the weight of his sins. as his influence grew and the hatred spread and how he finally resolved everything in one go. 
 
if there were some things that season - influenced me with, it must've been the weight of one's sacrifice and the growing up of one simple ideal into another. 
 
the boy who fought for his own happiness in R- now fought for the happiness of the world in R- and that in itself is a good way to close things regarding lelouch's personal issues. 
 
as ive said however, lelouch's issue is over in this series but the issue about CC and geass is not. if there would be an s- it woudl definitely be a new story and a new cast 
 
Overall 
 
it was fun, it was depressing, it brought me to tears and rage and awe and dissatisfaction. even though the beginning was a bit good and the middle was totally off, the end topped it off but it still left most hanging. still, it never ceases to amaze me how much wisdom lelouch has. you can blame it to his experience in R- and the things he experienced in R- but still, the experiences he had cultivated him to make a "Jesus Christ" triumphant plan in the end and that totally impressed me with code geass. 
 
if this is the end of this series then i would surely miss the cast and crew of code geass.  
 
this is a job well done but i wished that they made something along the series to make it better.

          
 
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    Kyoto Animations greatest strength is being able to create amazing characters, and then torturing with Supernatural happenings and in this case also; life itself. It's about friendship, growing up, love and loss.  
 
Everything about this anime is amazing, but if I have to say what is the best part about Clannad: After Story, It's it's characters. 
 
I think everyone would want a Tomoya as a husband, a Nagisa as a wife, an Akio as father-in-law, a Sanae as mother-in-law, Sunohara as your best friend, Mei as a little sister, Ushio as a daughter, Yoshino as a Colleague and in the end; even a Naoyuki as a father.  
 
Tomoya is a huge role model for me, how awful his life might get he still keeps going. He has shown me how huge of a wuss I am. He cries a lot in this anime and I dont think he is less manly for it(Since I cried with him).I really enjoy the types of leads that are sarcastic trolls and gentlemanlike at the same time(Like Yuuichi from Kanon), which can lead to very humorous but also very dramatic moments. 
 
Some people might think the ending makes no sense, and to those people i say(I can't stand them): Pay attention! 
The anime gives hints to what is going to happen, Think of what happens after Tomoya helps Fuko, Kotomi, Yukine and Naoyuki but also the whole ""girl in the illusionary world"" arc. 
In my opinion the ending beautifully ties everything together, with help of the amazing song: ""Chiisana Te No Hira"", which I still cannot listen without getting goosebumps. Which also gives a great ending to the story of the relationship between Tomoya and his dad Naoyuki. 
 
Clannad has changed my look on life for ever, And therefore I give it a --/--, and have reserved the --/-- slot on MAL for the series and only this series, because It's a different level of masterpiece. 
 
I highly reccomend you watch it 
 
 

          
 
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    When I first saw Code Geass I was like omgzxwtf it's mecha! Being a girl, I never did like mecha animes, but somehow decided to give it a try. And I'm glad that I did, because this anime is simply a masterpiece! 
 
Story: The story was well planned, however it got a little rushed as the series went along. Despite that, the overall story is simply astounding. It got me hooked from the first episode and I finshed both R- and R- in - days. The plot twists and cliffhangers in every episode will leave you wanting much more it's hard to stop watching :D 
 
Art: As expected from CLAMP, the character designs was magnificent. The background and the machines were all drawn in great detail and did not disappoint me.y 
 
Sound: Code Geass BGM was one of the best I've heard. The music really sets the mood, and you would still be listening to the music despite all the action going on! The voice actors were also well chosen. Jun's role as Lelouch was the best I've seen, though I never took much notice of him in Bleach (Yumichika). He really pulls off the different faces of Lelouch through voices alone! C.C.'s voice fits her perfectly too, giving off the mysterious feel. In all, great sound! 
 
Character: I like the way they portray the characters, showing that they do have weaknesses too, and not the IM INVINCIBLE YO mindless thinking. Enough to score for me. 
 
Enjoyment: I really enjoyed Code Geass as it was the first anime that could keep me hooked on it so long and made me think about the themes explored in the story. It really shook my opinion of what justice really is, etc.  
 
Overall: A greeeeeeeeat anime! The mechas are there to help the story proceed, the main theme in this anime is not just fighting, but also shows what goes on people's minds from both sides of the story. A really amazing psychological anime as well! I WILL MISS CODE GEASS D:

          
 
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    As someone who loves Studio Ghibli and its movies, I expected to see something incredible and life-changing. However, this movie was kind of a disappointment as I found it hard to remain attentive or just care for the characters or the plot. 
 
Story: -/--. 
I noticed that I am not really interested in adaptations of legends and myths despite my interest in them, as well as cultures of many different cultures, Japan being one of them. It kind of reminds me of Thumbelina (to an extent, although I am fully aware that the Japanese fairy tale is way older than its counterpart from the --th century, please don't get me wrong). It's a story about a mysterious girl so beautiful that even princes were dying to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Kaguya's destiny has nothing to do with ordinary human life, even that of a noble. It's slow and overly complicated, which normally works in other Ghibli movies, but this time these unnecessary complications made this incredibly slow movie hard to watch. This movie is too long for such a short story. 
 
Art: -/--. 
The art style of this movie reminds me of old Japanese engravings, I am sure this is the image the animators and artists were trying to create and they did a great job as it fits the atmosphere of the story perfectly, I have no complaints about it, so let's give this movie's art a - it deserves. 
 
Sound: -/--. 
Shame on me, I forgot what the music in this anime was like so I had to look for it once again. And what can I say, Joe Hisaishi knows exactly what he's doing. Not his best work, but he is very talented and I give him credit for that, knowing what he is capable of. 
 
Character: -/--. 
When you take an ancient simple tale to work with, characters may be rather simple sometimes. It's not a rule, but it is to be expected. They were okay, but, unfortunately, I found it very hard to genuinely care for any of them. However, showing no interest in any of the characters is even worse than disliking them, at least you do feel something when you dislike or even hate a character. They were fine, but that was it. 
 
Enjoyment: -/--. 
I have to admit, I was bored. As much as I love and respect Ghibli and their attempt to turn this story into a decent movie, I failed to like it despite having such high hopes at the beginning, when I was just starting to watch it. 
 
Overall, I believe I should stick to other movies Ghibli has to offer as I enjoy them much more. Maybe this is not my kind of a movie, but this is the second Ghibli film (the first one being Tales from Earthsea, which is not that big of a surprise) I am not going to re-watch. 


          
 
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    Code Geass R- is sitting pretty on myanimelist with a score of -.--. The real question is, does it deserve this score? Sort of kinda maybe but not really. 
 
Story -/--  
The first season had a great story which I really enjoyed, but Code Geass R-'s story got so ridiculous at some points (such as that entire Sword of Akasha episode) that I couldn't help myself from laughing. They decided to throw in tons of random characters that are very very skilled at fighting among other things assuming that no one would question why the fuck they weren't helping Japan against the Black Knights in Season -. They topped this clusterfuck of a story off with probably the greatest and most satisfying end to an anime in existence, so that's nice. 
 
Art -/--  
Besides the triangle faces the art style is pretty basic and smooth 
 
Sound -/-- 
This show definitely has some good voice actors, that's including the dub Lelouch. His evil laugh gave me some serious chills. 
 
Enjoyment -/--  
Here is where the clusterfuck of a story is redeemed, the enjoyment factor of this show is strictly a ""dumb fun"" type enjoyment, where as long as you turn your brain off completely, you should be fine. While ""dumb fun"" enjoyment isn't as fulfilling and memorable as the enjoyment you'll get from storytelling masterpieces like Madoka Magica and Death Note, it's still fun in the end. 
 
Overall -/-- 
 
I feel like they tried too hard to appeal to the masses after the success of season -, but it's a good -- episodes nonetheless, and the ending will always be one of my favorites. 
 


          
 
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    code geass is one of those series that everybody recomends and once you watch it you know why. 
 
Mechas, war, romance, comedy, rivality, unexpected twsits, explotions, mindgames and more mechas! what else do you want!!! xD it totally deserver its place as one of the best animes ever made. 
 
the only aspect i see as a flaw is the art with a -/-- the people seem a little bit deformed or too skinny but once you get use to it is great! 
 
and it has by far the best story i have ever seen you just get hooked to it from the second episode and cant stop until finishing it. 
 
almost perfect serie, recomended to anyone who is a human beeing (nevermind, my dog liked it)

          
 
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    Okay, so I was pleased to see that Clannad actually had a second ""season"" if you'll call it that. Seems like it is more of another series but with the same characters, rather than a continuation of the previous plot. So far, I was enjoying myself up until the story got to be a bit weird, which was around episode -- or so. I mean that fact that Tomoya and Nagisa (main characters) are a couple that has been together for I'd say about - years and we still have yet to see them kiss, not to mention that fact that they get completely embarrassed about just holding hands?  
 
Soon after that, I think the writers of the series kind of wanted to see how far they could take things with the story. It gets very fast-paced, heavy, and somewhat depressing. Honestly I should've stopped watching after episode --. It gets very sad and depressing after episode --. But I applaude the writers for taking a chance like this. You don't see too many anime series end in the way that Clannad After Story did. Try it but be prepared for the unexpected (and Fuko (supporting character) doesn't make her ninja appearances)

          
 
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    This story was… well confusing. The problem was that they had a ‘puppeteer’ who was changing people’s thoughts and memories in order to use it for his own purpose to hack into official’s heads. I won’t lie, I don’t normally understand all that political stuff. The fact that this was so heavy in that made it more of a chore to try and figure stuff out. If I missed something that someone said, to bad, I couldn’t really go back and check it out because I wouldn’t know where to find it again.  
 
When we get to the characters, the only ones we really get to understand slightly are Batou and Kusanagi. The others just seem like background characters compared to them. Even then, we don’t get much about the two although you can tell that Batou really cares greatly for Kusanagi. When we do get near the end, it does get into a rather interesting and deep. It really dives into physiological problems and aspects to life. It might of still been a rather confusing show but I did enjoy it. 
 
The art style starts out with a lot of CG stuff in the beginning of the show and then going deeper into the normal animation after. I have to say they really took me off guard when they showed the naked body of the major in CG while she was working. Of course then they had to have an opening that expanded on showing a women’s naked body being created through electronic means. There were little scenes where they would do a bit more of the CG and half of it is rather pretty. Some of the characters designs seem a bit off from how they looked in the anime that I had watched part of before, namely the major. Still, the camera angles and some of the ways they showed the world felt very classic to the anime style of the late ----s.  
 
Some of the sounds are a bit off and the English voices sometimes don’t match lip movements but the voice actors really tried their best to make such a serious show work. You can tell just how they read their lines that they were trying really hard to keep it interesting but sadly, I keep feeling that they do a whole lot of talking and sometimes not all that much action or just a lot of shooting. When we do get action, its mostly slow movement, looped or over almost as fast as it starts. Now there are also some talks that feel more like a lecture about the problems with the cyber technology and a philosophy of having your own identity. These small parts were the only things that kept my attention as the others talks seemed a bit more complicated and I had no way of understanding the political problems. 


          
 
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    This anime (including season -) is almost a perfect -- but not quite there the art didn't really stand out at all but there wasn't anything bad. The charm of the series is the story it was full of sadness and heart break, but also some of the funniest moments in an anime i have ever watched. Without getting into too much detail this goes over the effects of season - (which you will need to watch to enjoy this anime) and the most amazing anime couple of all time. (although i did skip the episodes --- because i heard they were boring af). The character, story, and enjoyment were far better than a number can describe, this anime left a lasting impact on me and my outlook on life. finally just like this review the ending was really damn confusing. I wish i could erase my memories just so i can go back and watch this anime for the first time again. PS I've been told rewatching it is a total mindfuck because you see everything that caused the ending unfold. 

          
 
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    To begin with Clannad is a very peculiar anime from the usual stuff i watch. The closest being Spice & Wolf as the two belong to the ‘slice of life’ genre. This is exactly what Clannad is as we follow the life of a High School Senior in Japan who just doesn’t know what he is doing with his life. On the most superficial level Clannad seems little more than a frilly series about finding love and all the stereotypes that are associated with that. To anyone who has watched the series though they will rapidly come to know that this is so far from the truth. What Clannad does so well is bring these characters, their lives, their struggles and their pains to life to the point where I felt like i was going through it with them. One by one we get a peak into the interworkings of peoples lives from the strange to the heartbreaking as everyone tries to be in it together. After all this and the typical High School anime setting the show takes a surprising turn with Clannad: After Story, which is very much dealing with what happens after ‘Happily Ever After’. This is where the struggle of finding yourself in the world and becoming one with society comes to the fore along with the struggle of holding on to what you love and the inevitable compromises that come with growing up. Clannad is a love story, and so is Clannad: After Story, but After Story is very much life as we all know it, with the good times, the bad times and everything that comes in between as we try to go through each and every day. This isn’t a show about heroes or leaders of men, but people. With Clannad i laughed, i teared up and outright sobbed with these characters to the point where i was screaming at my computer that ""It isn’t fair”. Then again life is rarely fair and makes those happy moments all the more precious. Clannad in so many ways just made me feel human like little else ever has. --/--.

          
 
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    Imagery is such a powerful component of world-building. It’s that one image, frame, or symbol that encapsulates a series so fully and leaves a lasting impression seared into memory. Here, it’s an abyss. And it’s such a perfect, haunting all-pervading imagery of a series that drags you deep into its pitch black vastness that invites mystery, intrigue, and, inevitably, questions. 
 
Welcome to the Abyss, a gigantic and seemingly endless yawning chasm whose origins and nature remain shrouded in darkness. 
 
The great city of Orth is built around a mysterious hole in the ground, one without a hobbit prancing about. It’s a much bigger hole than that, one that houses several mapped layers, all with unique micro-climates and ecosystems. Don’t hold your breath however. Much of the upper layers are bypassed in the haste to the deeper layers. Such a format is utilized to avoid stunting the pacing into a glacial crawl. Strangely enough, it’s that haste that actually causes the series to meander in the middle parts as a setting that offered so many possibilities ended up giving so little. 
 
The expectation set when one begins this story is that the focus lies in the abyss itself. The stated goal of the protagonist is to reach her mother at the bottom of the chasm. It is understood that the goal is immaterial. It is merely a catalyst for a journey… for THE journey. 
 
And yet this journey isn’t really about the abyss. That must be corrected before one enters with the wrong expectations. Made in Abyss is about the people exploring the abyss, not the abyss itself. I think that actually makes the title poetic. These people are “Made in Abyss”. This story is about how the Abyss shapes those who brave it. 
 
And that highlights its choice of protagonist: a wide eyed kid who’s just as enthralled by the wonders of her world as we should be, a kid filled with the sense of invulnerability and utter fearlessness that reeks of the sweet summer of youth.  
 
That enhances the kind of story this is more than it takes away. All too often we have protagonists who are jaded by the wonders their world has to offer. To see the brave new worlds through the lens of a kid experiencing them just as we are is a treat that should not be missed. 
 
And, more importantly, we start the journey tabula rasa. 
 
The anime did splendid job of circumventing the limitations it imposed on itself by the choice of protagonist. Riko, while chirpy and bright, simply cannot be expected to scale the chasm on her lonesome, or even with her little gaggle of friends. That’s where Reg comes in. Reg is a mysterious bio-mechanical relic of unknown origins saddled with his own limitations that both he and Riko must tango around. Yet even with Reg’s spectacular capabilities, one could still feel a sense of unease. A gut feeling says when push comes to shove, it’s not enough. 
 
Yet they persist. Along the way they are aided by the denizens and veterans of the pit: the jolly Hablog, the indomitable Ouzen, the troubled Nanachi, and the tragic Mitty as their lives are continually shaped by the calls of the great pit. 
 
Sadly however, much of the character progression is not felt. This is still a -- episode series (that is, -- normal episodes plus a one-hour special). But it doesn’t need such sweeping character arcs right now. This is the first of hopefully many adventures and it did enough on its own to establish the many characters with respect to the Abyss that captivated them. 
 
Much praise must also be lauded to the visuals, and especially the character designs. Such whimsical image serves to highlight the stark contrast with the brutal reality in a journey that strives to go deeper into the heart of the earth and innermost to the core of the yearnings that makes us human…  
 
 
…Into the abyss, with all of its attendant connotations.

          
 
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    Made in Abyss. It was an anime at first glance seem like some typical adventure kids show. However, we are at the end of summer, and I am having a fucken boner. 
 
The anime was made by Ninema Citrus, which aired in summer ----. By manga fans of the series, the adaptation was super hyped by the lot. However for us non manga viewers, it's a different story because of that chibi like art, which repels a bunch of viewers including me. I know a bunch of casuals who considered the anime trash because of it. But when I saw the anime being so high, I decided to watch it and let me just say, I saw why manga readers were hyped for this. It just did so many things right, hence delivering in every aspect to an extremely high standard.  
 
(Note: this was a repost of my first review, just tweaked.) 
 
Plot: -/-- 
The plot was done extremely well, I can't stress how much I loved it. 
 
The execution of the Abyss and it's mysteries were done excellently. I loved how we get just enough information to understand it, however doesn't give too much away. This allowed the Abyss to have possibly one of the best world buildings I saw in recent anime time, which must be credited. The story of Riko and the search for her mum was also executed well. I personally see this story as a way of revealing what the Abyss really is, and hence giving as a practical example of the dangers of it. The stories in between I found to be near perfect. They were engaging and at the same time, allowed the reader as mentioned to see the true dangers of the Abyss. Telling the story in the perspective of Riko was smart, as it allowed the reader to see how as an immature kid will she grow, which I'll get to how well this was done in the characters section. This story is quite complex, which is understandable since this is an anime for analysis. However it never felt too complex to the point of confusion, as the pacing was done exceptionally well. 
 
The pacing I found to be perfect. The slow beginning allows the reader when their minds are peaked with thoughts, to be given their first piece of information about the Abyss. After you are given your information, the anime immediately goes faster for you to experience these dangers, which in my books, is pure genius. However, I would had liked the beginning to be slightly shorter because it might had dragged on for far too long. 
 
I found the anime to stick to its genre. It was an adventure fantasy anime which was consistent throughout the anime. I found the main theme of the anime is being aware of what is real and what is words. The entire point of the anime is to mislead you to think something, however was really something else, which is a fairly great theme to explore. A sub theme is having friends which is a nice touch to this anime. 
 
Now the ending...ohhhh boy the ending was out of this world. It mixed the right amount of emotions to fully make the reader feel what the characters were feeling. It also built upon the characters that had yet to be built at that point of the anime. To add to the fuel of fire, the arc the series ended was what really made hardcore fans love this series, and I was no exception. I am sure this ending was a setup to get a second season of the anime. 
 
Overall, the plot was done to a brilliant standard. It had the right amount of execution of plot, pacing, exploration of themes and ending it in style to truly engage the audience into this anime. Despite things being off like the beginning, this anime certainly delivered in a plot aspect. 
 
Character: -/-- 
Characters were another very strong point of the series, and I'll explain why I believe this view. 
 
I found the characters to be very relatable. They all had reasonable motives into doing what they did in the series. Take this analogy, your friend is about to turn into Frankenstein or something through an experiment and you don't want them to suffer from this, so what would you do? Break them out, which did happen in some way in Made in Abyss, allowing these characters to be relatable. They were also realistic, especially Riko and Regu. The immaturity of Riko and Regular allows the readers to see them as themselves as a child, like I totally understand why she did what she did in the series, which is very good and should be appreciated.  
 
Development of characters was spot on. Riko definitely saw some development into a more mature character towards the end of the series, and certainly felt as though in the next arc, she won't commit the same mistakes she did in the first season. Her development was reasonably normal, as we can see how once she makes a mistake, it didn't happen again. Regu also developed as a person, gaining new skills as he journeyed with a Riko. Let me just say, these two as a partner has very good chemistry. They weren't the only characters fleshed out. Others such as Nanachi and Ozen also had their fair share of fleshing out. Without going into too much spoilers, I'll just say that Nanachi was what really made the series alive, which watching it will allow you to see why. 
 
Except the end, the antagonist wasn't really revealed, and I would had liked to see it more. The side characters were certainly an interesting bunch to me. They had the right amount of screen time to be seen, which made us not forget them for too long during their respective arcs. 
 
NanachiIsMyWaifuAndAllOfYouStayAwayFromHer-literally what it says 
 
Therefore, the character section of the anime is brilliant. The development and realism really sets the bar high for any other animes that can be closely compared to Made In Abyss, however I would had like to see the side characters just a little more than in the series. 
 
Animation: --/-- 
I actually found the animation to be the strongest point to the series for various reasons. 
 
To begin with, the designs of these characters were gorgeous, like holy sweet rabbit. The moment I saw some of these characters I immediately fell in love with them. I feel like the chibi designs were deliberate to truly show the immaturity of the main characters, and how they don't see the danger ahead of them. 
 
Animating the series was done well too. I did not see any sort of laziness and wasn't jarring to watch. The art style for this anime was very unique, like pretty much one of their kind, which is an art style I totally want to see again. 
 
The backgrounds were also out of this world. It gave an atmospheric view of the Abyss, and how there is something off with this world. I can't really complain too much about it. 
 
Overall, amazing designs. Animation, background and just the fact of the uniqueness of the anime truly allowed it to flourish in the animation department 
 
Sound: -/-- 
I found the song choices and voice actors to be chosen well, to the point where I had minimal complaints. 
 
The op is quite catchy, and gets you hyped up for the series.  The ending was also a nice close to the episode to me. Getting the voice actors to me was quite smart, as it further adds into the misleading nature of the anime. 
 
The voice actors played their part fairly well. No one really kept out of character, and they didn't sound too annoying at one point of the series 
 
Concluding this part, the sound was done well, however wasn't exactly an excelling point to the series. 
 
Enjoyment: --/-- 
Every ep reinforces even further why this anime is brilliant. The anime manages to engage the reader through it's unpredictable nature, which by the anime goes on, the less predictable becomes. At one point my predictions were the complete opposite of what actually occurred, which was kinda sad in my part.  
 
Another strong factor which engages the reader is the characters, especially Ozen and Nanachi. These two characters are what really brought the series fully alive, and were very entertaining to watch for anyone.  
 
Nothing else much to say other then how incredibly engaging the anime was. 
 
Overall: -.--/-- 
Overall, this was definitely the dark horse and best anime of the season. People should never ever get misleaded by art, otherwise they'll miss gem animes like Made in Abyss. This anime offers so much to get the audience thinking, which they handled it perfectly by giving us the right amount of information to build on their fragile minds. The character development is near perfect, the music was good and the animation had very strong symbolism, it was just an anime full of mystery, engagement and sometimes even fun. I sure hope they will be a season - and will be equally as engaging as the first. 
 
I'd definitely recommend this masterpiece to any non casual viewers. Casuals will find this boring because of the lack of action scene and ""questionable"" art, but for non casuals, this is a very veteran anime you should get into. This is because of how you have to see between the lines to fully reveal the true nature of this anime, hence why I consider this to be for those who had a watched a handful of different genres of anime. 
 
#Hypeforseason-

          
 
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    This show has got to be one of the most well developed stories I've come upon. What I was most impressed by was the despite the complexity and genre of this story the writing kept it's integrity. Once you complete the show you realize that the writer knew what they were doing all along (which you would think is obvious but so many unfortunately do not do this) The characters and world building are fascinating and so much fun. The ideas of alchemy and biblical references and moral complications are utilized to a great affect. The dialogue is funny and natural, but the show can get really serious too. A good balance and well paced. (At times it can drag a little but it's rare) You even learn a lot watching it. The art style isn't my cup of tea but it's tight and the production was given money so there's never a lag of quality really. This is definitely a good, palatable classic. I'd especially recommend this if you're just getting into anime. 

          
 
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An anime brimmed with action and flashy fights, the word EPIC truly fits what One Punch Man is all about. 
 
There's not much development in the story, at least, it wasn't the main focus. It mostly focuses on this overpowered bald man who seeks the thrill and enjoyment of battles that he had lost due to his immense power. Not to say it's a bad thing, but it did leave me questioning 'Is there more to it?'. While the plot did progress halfway through, I think the idea of only revolving around battles diminishes the interesting aspects of the world of heroes, monsters and aliens. A lot of potential is out there and I believe that we'll get to see more of the other non-battle things. A stronger aspect that One Punch Man delivers is in the characters, especially the master-disciple relationship. Many of the other characters have their own cool power and personality so there's that boost of enjoyment. Seeing more of them is something I'll be looking for. 
 
So, what about the battles? I can definitely say that Madhouse has the skills to make the word epic pop out. No arguments could be made about how eye catching, fluid and powerful the animations were. It was outstanding. The lighting and shakes made the scenes intense with all the explosions and power produced by the characters. All the more so, the sound effects amplified this even further. For the voice acting and OSTs, it was kind of average with the exceptions of a couple soundtracks. They did capture the personality of the characters, especially the main character. 
 
One Punch Man begins as a story that fleshes out the world. We see all this powerful heroes and villains, but the story didn't really delve more into them except for the battles. I have hopes that their origins and goals will be introduced bit by bit in future seasons. In the meantime, this anime succeeds as being highly action-packed.

          
 
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    One of the best anime I have watched. Characters are the FUNNIEST, yet powerful. I really feel bad for the villains :( There is no episode when someone is serious. 
 
The opening, oh my. It's very glorious, especially if you love rock/(sort of) heavy metal. These are the kinds of songs that you will love, even though you don't know the lyrics 
 
The story is just the best. THERE IS LITERALLY NO EPISODE WHERE IT'S SERIOUS. The shortness of the fighting scenes never get old. Yusuke Murata did a good job at making stories. 
 
So to conclude my review, i give one punch man an  ∞/--.

          
 
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    DISCLAIMER: This is my first review written on this site, and I have been holding in this review for two months now, so bear with me on this. 
 
Ah, quite possibly the most successful anime of ----, what can be said about it that already hasn't been? Like most shows that garner this level of hype, there are three distinct camps, two of which being the most prominent of them: those who praise the show as some messiah of anime, to an extent that sounds like their father had just come back from the dead or something, edgy hipsters that nitpick and bash the show just because it's popular, and the type that you find plenty of on MAL, but none in real life, the ones who say ""oh it's good, but not that good xd."" I happen to fall in the third, so here goes: 
 
SYNOPSIS 
 
- I will not address this too much, as everyone knows the concept: Bald guy seeks out opponents that he is truly matched by, because he beats them all in one punch, he gets his sidekick Genos, and a bunch of people come into play. I've had an interest in the series since it was shown in the ---- anime lineup, given the premise and none other than Madhouse itself. I wish I had watched it weekly, rather than binging it after the show's popularity blew up. The idea, and genre labels itself should tell you how much you're going to like the show. It's no more than a parody of the shounen genre that shouldn't be taken so seriously, which is unfortunately buried in that sea of --/-- ratings, and the #-- spot on MAL. Do not set your expectations of this show to be a masterpiece, or you will be massively disappointed. Set it as what you think the genre, and production credits entail. Half of the show relies on the joke itself, which is repetitive, and isn't one that most should be laughing at consistently.  
 
STORY -/-- 
 
- The story itself is quite simple, a proper introduction to our hero Saitama, and how he and Genos travel through short arcs with threats escalating in danger, and having more heroes, villains, and the ironic Hero Association slowly being unraveled over time. It's a formulaic cycle that relies on the distinctiveness of each arc's monsters/dilemmas, heroes, and set-pieces, which either hit or miss. There are genuinely funny moments, like the whole encounter with Sonic, some entertaining fights like the S-class heroes against the endlessly regenerating goons of Boros, but there are some failures like the moment where Mumen Rider is putting his life on the line against the Sea King in episode -, only to have nearly immediate intervention from Saitama and Genos, as expected. I also feel like I was the only one disappointed by the fight with Boros. Yes, it was gloriously animated, had a well-placed use of the theme song, and the heralded ""OK"" face. It was memorable, but not for all the right reasons. The fact that he was letting himself get hit so much, wasn't to gauge his strength, but to prolong the fight. As Saitama did nothing but get back to Earth from the moon, Boros was saying ""oh, I should go all out,"" like what the hell? I know I will get shit for this, but I enjoyed the dream sequence battle from the first episode, and the sparring match with Genos and Saitama more, as they have more rewatchability, and are a little more clever than, ""let Saitama wait it out and make the guy give it all before the punch"" (the punch was amazing, I'll give it that.) The ending itself too just leaves itself on an unsatisfying note, and is in desperate need for a season two, but at least it sticks true to the manga events. Overall, the show does it's best to distract from the fact that you know Saitama will save the day, with some comedy, and glorious action scenes to do so. The short arcs are more about the journey than the destination, but sometimes the journey just simply doesn't work.  
 
CHARACTERS- -/-- 
 
- If all the Saitama profile pictures on the internet tell you one thing, it's that the show delivered on it's characters. This is the aspect that the show handles best in my opinion, as it expands onto stereotypes with clever placement, and outstanding character design which I will get to in a minute, but first, our caped baldy, the protagonist himself 
 
Saitama- Compared to the rest of the show, he is the most unique, and is one of the selling points of the show. The plain, sometimes emotionless hero, who only fights for fun. He works brilliantly, as a hilarious converse of the shounen protagonist, fighting for himself, not ""muh friendship,"" being overpowered instead of struggling for the sake of ""muh friendship,"" and just being quirky, but not a deconstruction. Rocking the Mr.Clean look, his yellow suit with the red gloves is as plain and distinctive as it gets. His expressionless face works, but sometimes it's not necessary. I'd honestly rather see the face on the cover of Road To Hero more often, that shit is badass, especially would work in the fight against Boros (sorry for slamming that fight, it's plain overrated.) His character doesn't develop, no one would expect that, but much of his memorability is owed to his sidekick, Genos 
 
Genos- The fangirl bait cyborg sidekick, the one robot who wants to know more about himself, and be as good as Saitama, by going under his wing. He himself isn't too interesting, but the chemistry he has with Saitama is executed quite well. Genos is the almost typical caricature of the striving anime guy with good looks, and this personality goes hand in hand with the carefree attitude of Saitama, the one he wants to learn from. The lack of romantic subplots leave a lot up to this duo's chemistry, and in that regard, the show gets it quite well. (--- push ups, --- sit ups, - km run everyday!)  
 
The rest aren't exactly anything to write home about, the show focuses on them two, and the rest are relegated to side roles to propel specific episodes along. The thing is, they all embody some humorous spin on a well-known archetype, and what ONE does with these, makes for some really fun watching. Whether it be the endless wisdom of the Heihachi look-a-like, Bang, the endless justice pouring from the weak but courageous Mumen Rider, the characters will stick with you for how well defined they are. When you discuss the show with anyone, you will remember ""green haired brat,"" ""blue haired douche,"" ""gay prison dude,"" ""emo Sonic, with that inferiority complex tho."" In conclusion, the most well done part of the show, it doesn't need, but doesn't have any complexity warranting such a rating. 
 
ART -/-- 
 
- Look, it's Madhouse, it's quality. It's not their best, but it sure as hell works. It's not flawless, there are a few quips, like when Saitama fought that one monster underground in the white room, but overall, it shines when it needs to, such as the fight with Boros. Every character is well-done, in the style of the remastered art of the ongoing manga. 
 
SOUND -/-- 
- ONE PUUUNNNNCCCHHH!!!! *guitar riff kicks in* yea that's all there is to the soundtrack. Everything besides the opening is well-produced, and fits in, but nothing sticks after the two months since watching it. 
 
ENJOYMENT -/-- 
-It's not a perfect show, but it's a damn fun ride worth taking. I wasn't laughing as much as I thought I would, and I was sure let down by the hype, as anyone would be. It was still worthwhile and recommendable, and to  it's credit, it reinvigorated my love for anime.  
 
FINAL SCORE- -.-/--, go watch that shit. Just see it for hype's sake, there's something good you'll take from it.

          
 
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    There's almost a melancholic beauty to the way Clannad: After Story presents itself. It's very realistic, yet spiritual. 
It doesn't hold back on showing you the hardships of growing up, but there's almost a soothing quality to it. It's all got to do with the way they handle the atmosphere. The pacing is fantastic, which is amazing considering the story line spans the better part of seven years in twenty-two episodes. 
The series in general is a metaphor for growing up. In the first season the drama is often accompanied by humorously childish moments. It was a simpler and, for lack of a better word, happier time. In Clannad: After Story, the humorous moments mostly serve as means of nostalgia, for the characters to look back at the simpler days. But it's made very clear that those days are long gone. Nothing gold can stay, and it's time to look to the future. It's mature, it's realistic

          
 
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    Holy fucking shit. Seriously, what the actual fuck. THIS is the ""masterpiece"" that I ""had"" to watch? I pushed myself through the boringness of the prequel in order to experience the supposedly ""amazing pleasure"" that is Clannad: After Story, and THIS is what I get? 
 
Look, I'll be fair. Clannad: After Story is not a bad anime. It's definitely better that its bad prequel. However, that's really not saying much, is it? While After Story manages to give us a more interesting story than its prequel, it falls victim to plenty of the same problems and adds some new ones as well. 
 
Story: After Story starts out exactly where the prequel left off: boring high school crap. After we have to sit through even more boring arbitrary sadness involving all the female characters that didn't get used up in the prequel, the anime finally graduates and enters the rest of the world. The story really picks up there, and we get to watch a few genuinely interesting episodes. Most of the cast is put on a bus so we can focus on the characters that actually matter without annoyances, and the events that unfold draw your attention. Unfortunately, there's a climax soon afterwards, and everything goes to shit again. The anime returns to shoving arbitrary sadness down our throats. I pushed myself through the boredom hoping for a satisfying conclusion, but I was disappointed, as the ending throws all logic and coherence in the trash can in order to force something impossible to happen. After the story ends there are two additional side-story episodes, which I didn't watch and therefore can't tell you about. I'm assuming they are bad.  
 
Art: After Story looks good, just like the prequel. The problem of female characters (or feminine boy characters) having way too large eyes remains, but other than that, no complains. The settings look good, the male characters look good, the animation is good. 
 
Sound: The voice acting is good just like that of the prequel, maybe a bit better. The music is basically the same, but it feels more intrusive this time. It's not bad on its own, but the way it is used can be really annoying at times. 
 
Characters: The main character is definitely more interesting than last time. It's also nice how most of the cast was written out of the biggest part of the show, since we got rid of subpar characters that way. But in general, there's not really anything else to praise here. It's not like most of the characters that remain are actually interesting. Not to mention that some of the new characters did not pull their weight, either. 
 
If you liked the first Clannad, watch this. You'll definitely like it. If you didn't like the first Clannad but are thinking of watching After Story because you've heard about how it's significantly better and a masterpiece and all those things, don't. It's just a waste of your time, unless you plan on using the knowledge to argue with Clannad fans. 
 


          
 
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    I just finished the OVA's, which quelled a small fear of mine about the ending 
 
Holy mother of god... I haven't cried over a piece of fiction in a very long time. Hell, the only thing I can remember that actually made me cry was the Gary Come Home thing from Spongebob, and that was when I was, what, - years old? Now, -- years later, I am straight up sobbing over this show. I didn't think it could do it to me, but this show broke a streak of no tears over TV over a decade long. I've never laughed so much with tears in my eyes 
 
To be fair, when I originally started Clannad... I HATED it. I was only watching it because the guy who recommended it wouldn't let me drop it. So, I watched it... a couple of good episodes here and there but really nothing special. The end of the first season was alright but then episodes --- of After Story were so bad I almost dropped it again. But I kept going, and I ended up binging episodes ----- in one afternoon, then the rest of it just now. 
 
This show really suffers from it's first episodes, completely unrelated and superficial nothingness. I'd say to skip them but the small amount of character development is worth it. I'm also not a huge fan of the art style, but you do get used to it and it actually kinda grew on me by the end. I'd been a fan of more realistic art styles like those used in Naruto or Beck (Clearly still anime but not over-done) but now I can say I've broadened my horizons.  
 
This show has the type of music that ends up sticking with you. The music you'll play in your head on a sad day that you won't be able to shake. Don't get me wrong, this show has RUINED MY ENTIRE LIFE... but in a good way. I love and hate this show. This show should be shown as torture for what it does to you emotionally. It is heart-crushing and soul lifting. It is just...amazing.

          
 
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    ince there is no accurate description for this episode I'll explain it quickly here. It focuses on Nodame and Chiaki going to Vienna to visit the concert-mistress from Rising Star - Kiyora Miki- who is also getting ready for a competition in Paris. In the second half of the episode they are back in Paris and Mine [her BF from season -] comes to see her perform without telling her. She performs and makes it to the final round -- I won't say what happens after that.  
 
But it's a really funny episode and it definitely adds to the story. I'd recommend watching it before starting the Fianle [season -]. 

          
 
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    Im normaly dont shead tears during any shows/movies, But Clannad After Story really knows how to build emotional develepment towards the chars. 
 
As most of the reviews say there was laughing, crying and unexpected plot twists. Im not normaly one to watch these life type animes... but Clannad has made me want to start watching them. 
 
I know this is proble the worst review around, because its the first one iv written. But this is the only anime that has effected me this much so i felt like i had to write a review. Its changed the way i think and im sure that will change the way i live. Truly a outstand peice of work

          
 
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    When i tought u couldnt make clannad any better i was wrong the second season was Legendary for me.  
 
The romance got turned down but the drama got turned up by alot. This part of clannad focuses more on tomoya and his relationship to his little daughter ushio. So if ur looking for abit more drama then u will not be disapointed but if u want the same feeling as in the first season then perhaps you get alittle disapointed.

          
 
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    This animé is beautiful, it's a work of magic. 
As I begun to watch this series I thought it was nothing special but oh, how wrong I was. It seemed like one of those high-school dramas. It was, but not in the way you would think. CLANNAD After Story is filled with both humor and despair, something that's hard to fuse in an animé. However, in CLANNAD they succeeded with a perfect contrast. It may seem boring from the start and maybe you'll think about it like a direct continuation of CLANNAD, but After Story is actually a lot different and it definitely has a deeper meaning.  
One tip, watch it. 


          
 
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    So this is gonna be a really short review because most people lose attention in under a minute. 
 
The first season of Clannad really disappointed me because it was slow and boring. I came into the second season really expecting to find the exact same thing. 
 
The first maybe -- episodes or so are also like the first season. boring. However. after that is when things really start to get good. If you have dropped this series and only watched the first season, or the first -- episodes of the second season, I would HIGHLY recommend you to continue watching this until the very end. 
 
-SPOILERS AHEAD- 
 
I cry when watching just about ANY anime but I cried about -x as much during this anime. When Nagisa died I really did get depressed about the whole thing and wanted to drop it but I ended up watching the rest and really did enjoy it. When Ushio died on the other hand, I really didn't know what to think as I didn't think anything good was really gonna come of the rest of the series. I didn't understand what happened in episode -- for a LONG time but I really did enjoy the fact that this series got to have a happy ending. To this day I'm not really sure if that ending was implemented to prevent thousands people from committing suicide, or if they really wanted a weird ending as that. Also, the hidden world stuff seemed very sketchy throughout the whole series.  
 
Overall, I give this anime a -/-- because of the well-rounded characters and plot. I also very appreciated the happy ending because I was thinking of never watching anime ever again.

          
 
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    “If you feel like crying you shouldn′t hold back your tears. 
You should let it all out while you still can.. because when you get bigger sometimes you can’t cry even if you have something to cry about.” 
 
Without drama, how will our lives be now? Will we be all happy-go-lucky and not think of disappointing things? Maybe; Well, I′m a sucker when it comes to Dramas. No, really. I hate it. It′s not that I hate Dramas, what I hate is me being a crybaby and a sucker when watching Drama-Romance Anime. Especially when there′s tragedy involved. OH HELL NO. I can′t stand it, it′s like I want to bawl my eyes out all day; But nevertheless, Dramas are one of the most popular genres, which, I like a lot, next to slapstick comedy, that is. Drama has it's own excellent attributes, and one of it is to make us shed manly tears. 
 
After Story made a huge impact on me, I was greatly dumbfounded by it's perfectness. It changed a lot of things for me; on how I view Drama-Romance anime, how a certain death can lead your life to going down. It′s hard to not shed a tear while After Story is playing right before your very eyes. 
 
Afterstory is all about, Love, Family, Grief, Happiness, Sorrow and Relationship. 
And how they prove that not all stories have a happy ending and that not everything are meant to happen the way they desire. All of this will be told by a certain person′s point of view, or how he views these “ends” and “endings” from his current standing and his current life. 
 
After Story is the continuation of the not-so-sad CLANNAD. We′re still in Tomoya′s perspective and point of view of the story, which is, perfect for viewing a certain person's life and beliefs. Although here in After Story, a lot of aspects and points from the prequel had changed. But that's what made the story and plot even more outstanding. 
 
The latter continues from where CLANNAD left off -- the path where Okazaki Tomoya is walking at -- Tomoya confessed and asked Nagisa out. Isn′t that a happy thing? Yes, it IS. After watching this scene, you′ll start to think that, things are going pretty well. And sure that it′ll have a happy ending; All of us want to have a happy ending in our lives, all of us want to experience love--to love someone and to be loved. Loving someone isn′t just a simple game that you play. You′ll experience lots of hardships, you′ll need to overcome obstacles if you want to be happy; And that′s what Nagisa and Tomoya were experiencing during the time that both of them fell in love with each other. 
 
Finally, after decades of waiting, ROMANCE barges in! I know we′ve all been waiting for this. And it really was worth the wait. After Story, being a Romance Anime isn′t all about love or full of 'cheesy' moments. Do not forget the Slice of Life here. The genres in After Story were distributed and divided really great. I like how when there′s romance, there′ll be an insert of drama or comedy from time to time. 
 
I really like how all the genres were mixed in After Story, but the genre who′s in majority is the DRAMA. After Story is an absolute tear-jerker; understanding the story from Tomoya′s perspective and point of view is one of the most saddest things to witness. 
 
The characters involved in the story had great roles which left a great memory and impact on me. I really like the mix of characters in the story: A Tsundere? I approve. A loli. A kuudere. A normal guy. A pervert. A dandere. They had great roles! All of them were part of Tomoya′s journey. 
 
I wouldn′t really call this as 'Enjoyment', rather, for me, this story isn′t enjoyable at all - in a comedic way. Albeit, After Story is much that of a super tear-jerker story. But we′ll use the term 'enjoyed' here on: I really enjoyed watching and witnessing the story of the people involved in After Story. All of the relationships were greatly pushed down to leave a mark. 
 
After Story had taught us lots of things: Having your own family is on of the best things in the world. It taught us that even the death of one person can break you down. It′s not all about SMILES and LAUGHS. From time to time, you need to let it all out. 
 
All I can is, people who were dearest to you that are now gone, must not let you down. You need to stand tall and be strong, no matter how much grief you′re feeling. Surely, it was a huge loss to you - but look on the bright side, there′s an 'alternate ending' waiting for you. 
 
Who knows. It might just be a nightmare and you′ll soon wake up from it. Think of all the good things. Don't think that nothing would change; every little thing and person in the world undergoes changes. And you′ll experience something far from what you expected. 
 
So just sit back and let the one-of-the-most-outstanding story take you away from your little world.

          
 
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    If you watched the first Clannad and loved it, don't assume you'll love this one too. Clannad After Story is a completely different anime, while the first one is bound to appeal to audiences of all ages, this one is a lot more psychological and will not appeal to the same audience as its prequel. 
 
To put it simply, this is a tragic story and if you're not into that kind of thing I'd advice not watching this. 
 
It is by no means a bad anime though, I just feel like it is completely misleading, seeing as it is a sequel to a rather uplifting and jolly anime. I loved the first Clannad and I came to After Story expecting the same thing just with some final closure, instead I got something completely different.

          
 
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    This is my first review so bear with me. 
 
I went into watching Clannad ~After Story~ right after having finished watching Clannad.  I was intrigued by how the story had flowed and by how brilliantly its creator had managed to capture the energy that comes with life in this series.  I was amazed even further as the story continued beyond your typical slice-of-life anime to show the lives of the characters as they continued along their chosen paths. 
 
Clannad ~After Story~ is more serious than Clannad was.  It does not, however, step right into a serious atmosphere, but instead flows the storyline naturally into the serious atmosphere as our own lives do.  It retains the happy moments that make you burst out laughing so hard you almost cry, but not at the cost of the story or the serious moments.  It continues to deliver on the atmospheres that the anime creates, no matter how sad, happy, or weird they may be. 
 
Unlike the typical slice-of-life anime, Clannad ~After Story~ dares to be different.  Instead of focusing a little on the pain that life brings and the joys that there are to replace them; it focuses on the reality of life as it is and the mindsets that are sometimes born from the joy or harshness of reality.  Despite doing so, it's not worth turning one's back on this anime simply because it focuses on reality as it is, instead of how we wish it to be.  That is not to say though that this anime focuses entirely on the negative.  Quite the contrary.  Instead, it gets you thinking on how we truly perceive the world around us.  If you are negative, then yes, you will see only the negative in this anime.  Positive, you'll see the joy that's hidden here. 
 
This anime is a must watch.  It has the rare ability to worm its way into the hearts of its viewers.  Deeper in fact if they've seen Clannad beforehand.  Equally, it dares to delve deeper than most anime wish to risk and does so in a way that does not leave the watcher hating the anime for it.  --/--.

          
 
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    The continuation, with the part of the underworld. You immediately notice a change of style. If the first part (Hades Sanctuary) had dared, with some changes to the story and a bit of CG in the graphics, here we essentially stick to the manga faithfully, without even great animations. 
 
History manages to remain good, in the Underworld with Dante inspiration. The main problem is that that feeling of war is missing, the characters are scattered, and of serious battles, in true Saint Seiya style, there are very few.  
 
A fairly painful key is the characterization of the enemies. Except for Rhadamanthys, already presented in the previous part, most of the specters lack charisma, they save just a couple. 
 
Of course, there are some good parentheses (like that of Orpheus), some unexpected twists, some badass moments for a couple of characters, and an epic closure, but in general you feel that something is missing in this part. 


          
 
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    Also known as the Red Jacket Series, this second Lupin III TV anime appeared to combine elements of the manga with elements that were incorporated into the second half of the first series. Lupin's gang will steal from those who can take the loss and are either a criminal or some corrupt influential figure in society and will only resort to killing as a last resort or against criminals worst than they are. Fujiko making use of her body to get what she wants and Lupin's perversion are back, though these elements are somewhat toned down. Zenigata appeared to get the biggest shafting in this series as his character borders on incompetent and clueless in many episodes here, compared to when he was a more competent detective in other titles of the franchise who only fails to capture Lupin because of the thief being one step ahead of him when making an escape. 
 
Like the first series, many episodes in this second Lupin III series are non-linear and self-contained in their developments with each episode focused either on one of Lupin's heists, devoting focus to an element of one of his gang members/ Zenigata or dealing with a criminal threat within that episode. The writing in these episodes tend to vary ranging from subpar to very good as episodes that were grounded on a criminal element or Lupin's thievery were the highlight for me while any episode focused on some sci-fi or supernatural element got too out there for me with the show's comedy (most infamous case being an episode where Lupin and pals encounter a couple of giant ogres who make them into living shogi pieces). While the series is good at creating fresh episode plots to keep things from getting repetitive, the lack of any ongoing plot developments compared to modern incarnations of the Lupin III franchise may turn away some fans, especially with its lengthy --- episode length. 
 
As to be expected of a series this old, the animation style is quite outdated with drab colors, simple details with scenery and character designs, and noticeable animation shortcuts and errors. However, a few later episodes directed by Hayao Miyazaki offer the anime's best visual presentation as their quality is more smoother with lining and there is noticeably more fluid animation compared to most other episodes within this series. Music had a mix of upbeat, energetic and tense tracks to compliment funny and serious moments within the show, including the signature Theme from Lupin III track used in two different versions for the anime's OP sequence. 
 
Overall, this second Lupin TV anime has the typical humor of the show that will make it a joy for fans of the classic anime character, though be warned the show's ---+ episode length and non-linearity may keep you from watching the series for its entire run. 

          
 
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    In Anime, there exists a few great works that structured the road and pioneered the way for those who came after them. Lupin the -rd is one of those works. 
 
Starting the grandson of the first Lupin, Lupin the -rd. Known all around the world for his thieving skills, charismatic personality, and monkey face. 
His gang of The marksman Gigen, the samurai Goemon, and the charming cat-thief Fujiko all link together for what to be a humorous set of adventures. 
The plot mostly consist of single-case episodes. Familiar faces pops-up every once a while, like Detective Zenigata, whose sole purpose in life is see Lupin behind bars. 
The series will take you into a world-tour journey as the great Lupin's adventures know no bounds! 
so you won't get bored of the same stages every episode. 
but you might get bored of its the simple nature, as the show itself is considered primitive, and you will find yourself laughing sometimes on things that were not made for that! (lazy drawings, goofy sounds) 
The staff behind the show like the animators and producers didn't really make a good impression, but you will love the classic voice actors who've done a great job with their characters. 
So basically, if you didn't like the characters, then you better off not wasting your time on ---+ eps anime with no serious plot. 
but if you do , then you will have your fare share of fun adventures and comical situations. 
I can finally describe this series as being very simple, yet very fun! 
The red-jacket Lupin is the best amongst the - Lupin TV series! and it made it possible for all the movies the came after it, much to the joy of the fans! 
 
This franchise has carved its mark on anime history, and it's on of those fine classics that any anime fan might want to check out

          
 
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    Much like Part I of Lupin, Part II is Lupin and the gang stealing a variety of items from all over the world all while being chased by Inspector Zenigata.  
 
Compared to part I, this Lupin is more family fun oriented. Meaning, more comedy, less violence relating to murder, and more heists focused on ""operation-based"" stealing. The art and sound has significantly improved to the prequel, which has held up today. Our man Miyazaki played a role in a number of episodes relating to directing, art, and background art. 
 
Naturally being an episodic anime, some episodes are better than others. It isn't until episode -- where two-part episodes come in, and the series gets a boost in entertainment. 
 
This is a good anime running --- episodes to gradually watch over time. Nothing wrong, but I still prefer the more mature style that Part I had.

          
 
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    After completing the first series which I enjoyed pretty much I immediately started watching this second one. And it really began good. Great episodes like their stay in Rio or the adventure with Nessie in Loch Ness, Scotland, are what I now simply call ""classic"".  
The problem with this series, though, is, that the episodes don't relate to each other. Ok, just watching one parter again and again can be fun, if you have to watch --- episodes, though,  it can be really annyoing (I'm a Lupin fan ever since I watched some of the --'s films, so dropping was no option for me). This was also the reason I put this series on hold after about -- episodes. 
 
Well, I continued watching it of course, moreover, I stumbled across  some nice to great episodes. One of them I'd like to highlight is Jigen's escape from Russia with a prima balerina. Amazing! 
However, after about -- episodes the subtitles became horribly to read, why? Subtitles layed over other subtitles, really no fun. This continued until episode ---. 
 
As for the art and sound - don't expect anything too great. This anime aired from '-- to '--, besides, the music is mostly annyoing (especially the ""Super Hero"" song) 
 
In terms of characters...yaaay! Jigen Daisuke has become one of my most favourite ones while watching this series. Cool and calm, always ready to help Lupin, the womanizer out of his pinches. Lupin himself can be a pain in the ass, when he's trying to hit on women (and always fails xD). Goemon, who is cool, too and Fujiko complete the gang.  
Always persuing them is the (sometimes) lunatic Inspector Zenigata, a man who devoted his life apprehending Lupin bringing about more damage than he stops lol. 
 
All in all, if you watched the first series and you enjoyed it, this is a must watch, although there are so many horrible episodes. As a fan of the films I just had to watch this. And although I only give this a -/--, I really don't feel as if I wasted my time watching it. The last episodes, by the way, where so good, that I'm looking forward to watching the third and last of the series.  
 
Thanks for reading x> !!! 


          
 
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    _House of Five Leaves_ leaves me nonplussed. Not really jidaigeki, not really revenge epic, not really drama, not really slice of life, not a particularly good depiction of Edo, I still never adjusted to the faces... (_House of Five Leaves_ would be more interesting if not for the faces alternately looking taken from _Kaiji_ or patterned after frogs. This is a problem for interpretation - I thought the female member was supposed to be deformed or ugly until the protagonist said she was beautiful!) I want to like it for being unusual, but I have to admit it gives me nothing to praise it for. It's just sort of flat - like Ishi or the protagonist.

          
 
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    Story(-) - The story is set in a medieval traditional Japanese period of Edo where we follow a curious Samurai, the whole story merely tackles a character's past which is definitely unique.  
 
Art(-) - One can say the eyes and mouth were drawn weird, and it failed to give the required characters the ""look"" It has that style where it's very difficult to recognize characters unless you observe carefully.  
 
Sound(-) - Traditional Japanese melodies with flutes and such, it gave the subtle and the calm atmosphere. Also i love the way where the musician was able to manipulate the traditional music to suit particular moods such as ""humor"" and ""nostalgia"" The voicing was good, especially Yaichi's.  
 
Character(-) - The characters were interesting, especially the main protagonist and some members he associates, the situation where all the characters merge together is impressive. You can pry into different personalities and learn something.  
 
Enjoyment(-) - I enjoyed it in a calm fashion, everything is calm in that anime, there are no unnecessary fights, no commotions, it fairly gets to the point. There are some surprises here and there which captivates the audience. Humor-wise it's actually lacking, but there were some moments.   
 
Overall(-) - I wouldn't really recommend to anyone who needs a Samurai-like atmosphere as there is no excitement of combats, but it truly gives you a medieval atmosphere merged with elements of sadness,philosophy and calmness. 

          
 
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    A very unique art style to go along with its equally unique plot idea and story flow. In order to for one to happily watch his anime, you would need to be truly interested in character development. It follows a very bland main character into a world with the most unconventional people. It's historic setting (Edo Period) being very commonly used was not overly exciting to see again, but it was well done none the less. I found it enjoyable because of how each character had depth and  a back-story (even if not revealed totally or at first). The action part was low in quantity, but the surprise moments of violence were excellent and exciting enough for me to continue watching. = )

          
 
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    I gave this series a - rather than a -- purely because of the artwork and the music. The storytelling and characters were excellent in all respects and I was glued from start to finish (I watched the lot in a single day). However, whilst most of the artwork was excellent, the style of how the faces of some characters were drawn (particularly the females) - sharp pointed noses, large vacant eyes and gash-like lips, caused me to struggle to empathise with them. And the theme tunes were awful which is a shame as some of the music in the actual episodes was great. Thankfully, no annoying chibi characters, although the cat came close at times.

          
 
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    Let me preface.  This is my favorite anime.  If you enjoyed Kaiba, Cowboy Bebop, or Usagi Drop, check this out. 
 
That said, I am a fan of character-driven stories and storytelling consisting of more show than tell.  Above all, Saraiya Goyou is in my book a masterpiece because of the adept, layered plot and well-paced story.  I must warn you, since I love this show so much, this review will be long and detailed.   
 
Starting with story (--/--), a social outcast, but skilled sworsdsman for hire, Akitsu,  
 is introduced.  Many anime titles (generic ones typically) would attempt to redeem the character, with the character we love proving him/her to the world.  This marks Saraiya Goyou as smart, breaking conventions. The story unravels the psyche of the main character and others over time.  As it is a Slice of Life, it also attempts to offer a glimpse of the real, sometimes harsh samurai world.  Yet it does so in a slow and relaxing manner, forcing you to feel sentimental, perhaps even pensive.  Story is a major asset of Saaiya Goyou, as every aspect of it (music, characters, art, etc.) are interwoven  through the world, without inconsistency.  World building is the strongest aspect of this series.  The tremendous depth of characters as we see their emotions painted across their faces, lets us dig deeper into a time, setting, and ultimately an individual.   
 
The art (--/--) of Saraiya Gayou is strong, if it does not rub you the wrong way.  Many would most likely be turned off if only fans of moe, shonen, etc.  This title is much more serious, therefore art follows suit.  The art is difficult for some people  because, although original, it is stylized.  Really, it fits well with all other aspects of the show, as it is both unconventional, and easily conveys expressions and gestures of characters, and helps establish the setting (a difficult feat for art to accomplish).  For example, the color palette is dreary, adding to the melancholic mood.  
 Animation is similar to what would be expected in a late --'s-mid --'s  anime, but everyone knows that is the best time for anime anyway.   
 
Admittedly, sound (--/--) is not something I spend much attention to, unless a score is otherworldly.  The score is similar to Mushishi's, quiet yet memorable, minimal and appropriate.  
 
The characters (--/--) are basically the plot, in that they are integral to the story; yes, all of them.  I will say that each character has their quirks and background.  We learn about them over time.  We depend upon information about the characters for the story to continue.  Since we spoke about plot no need to write further. 
 
Enjoyment (--/--).  Why --/--?  It's my favorite anime of course.  Out of the anime I've watched there has been no other title, that offers as much of a complex or stylistic world.  It makes you happy you are smart, because Saraiya Goyou is extremely sophisticated.  Truly, this show treats us as if we were observers (flies on the wall), of an ethereally suspended place.  It unwraps to reveal a complex puzzle, candidly presented, with pieces faded and hinted scent of sweet, sickly passion.  Words like this better describe the show than using reasoning or logic. 

          
 
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    What an underrated and unpopular anime, which became one of my favorites out of the blue. I will get to the point immidiately. 
 
Story : -- 
Here is a story about a samurai with no self-confidence, who is gradually convinced to join a gang. There is barely any bloodshed, only the everyday lives of the members as they plan their new crimes. In terms of originallity, this anime is the top of the top of the samurai/historical genre. 
 
The purpose of this anime is not only to display the violence or the traditions of the time that it takes place. It is destined to recount the circumstances of each character and justify their way of life and their choices, which adds mystery and suspense to the story as well. 
 
Art : -- 
What can I say about it? I was completely taken by its landscapes, the details of nature-themed scenes as long as the town's buildings - I have never seen so detailed premises in an anime ever before. You may think that it doesn't make a difference, but it is really an eye-candy. 
 
Characters are designed in a very special and unconventional way, too. I found their eyes and hair very interesting, and as with the buildings, it was something I've never seen before. 
 
Sound : - 
I really liked the themes played subtly throught the episodes. What I found rather odd and not fitting were the opening and ending themes. I think they tried to combine an old era theme with modern music (like Samurai Champloo), but didn't manage to make decent pieces. It was a pity, but didn't affect the overall enjoyment whatsoever. 
 
Character : -- 
The creator of the anime just nailed it. Absolutely likeable and utterly interesting characters. If I ever got into the thug life I would choose these homies. Really. 
 
The main character is a shy ronin, whose lack of self esteem is always mistaken for unreliability and troubles his career. He is struggling to find a master who will keep him as a bodyguard for more than a few days. But, as the story advances, you find out what a heart of pure gold he posesses. He's the kind of guy each of us would like to have as a best friend - you could always rely on him during harships or when you simply wanted someone who would listen to you and encourage you. A guy pretty naive that everyone would tease but love to have around. 
 
He eventually explores the personalities, motives and interesting backrounds of the rest of the gang members, as he is very curious of the people who is involved with and likes to consider them as family. Their characters are not black or white, they may be thieves but each of them could give you the most outstanding lessons about honesty anyone could ever give you. 
 
Enjoyment : -- 
Ι was fascinated. I watched each episode with irreducible interest. I recommend it to everyone.

          
 
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    Perfect example of a hidden gem.  
 
Story -/--: 
 
Story is perfectly enjoyable, kind of slice-of-lifey. The pacing is done just right. Other reviews mention this: this isn't heavy on action. Instead the feel is more of an slice-of-life adventure. Love it. 
 
Art --/--: 
 
If your not used to seeing different styles of animation then it may be a little odd, but give it some time and you'll come to accept and hopefully enjoy it. Its *well executed, consistent, and fairly creative (the colors used are less so, but match well and I guess that's what matters more). Really enjoyed seeing a unique animation style that didn't feel ""experimental"" (not that there's anything wrong with that, but for some reasons they then can't seem to shy away from somewhat confusing mind games and narrative funkyness - this kinda show won't work with either). Love it. 
 
Sound --/--: 
 
Never feels super high budget but always, always on point. You can tell from the very first episode that the sound was meticulous and designed very well. The music - and this I feel is a little rare even for shows that do sound well - is *very well hidden* but still carries a lot of tone/style/etc in every scene. I need to emphasize *very well hidden, its almost hard to notice - unless for some reason you wonder why you didn't notice the music and why the tone seems so flawless and flowing. Love it. 
 
Characters -/--: 
 
Can't spoil much here. Not too many complaints - nice, realistic enough, unique, understandable characters. No wacky ideology, no weird meme beliefs, no dumb tropes, no not-so-dumb tropes, etc. Everyone just feels - *normal. And I think that's wonderful. Love it. 
 
Enjoyment --/--: 
 
In case anybody reading this couldn't already tell, i Love it. 
 
Overall --/--: 
 
Does a lot pretty dang well. Falls outside most of the other anime I've watched so far in feel and content, and even a lot of the manga. Its a little hard to believe its an anime but also has such a nostalgic ""anime"" feel. Feel like the ----'s - best period for these kinda shows idk why. 

          
 
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    Funny thing about coming across this anime, I originally thought it was named “House of Blue Leaves”, and I wonder after that, how in the hell did I get ‘five’ confused with ‘blue’? I guess I got “Kill Bill” on the mind when I thought of that title. Anyway, the anime is based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Natsume Ono and serialized in Shogaukan’s seinen magazine Ikki (from ---------). The series is animated by Manglobe, the same company that brought you Samurai Champloo and Ergo Proxy and this is completely different from any samurai-based anime you seen before. 
  
 
The plot or storyline is focused on a samurai named Akitsu Masanosuke, a skilled and loyal swordsman who has no master under him and once again, he was been fired by his lords and start to look for bodyguard jobs and he find one working for a guy named Yaichi, the leader of the gang “Five Leaves”. As he is delve inside the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated and involved with the people he associates himself with, especially some with many questionable past lives. 
  
 
You may wonder if there is going to be any action, thrills, or anything that expect from a samurai anime, well, you might want to keep on looking because it does not fulfill that need that you wanted. 
  
 
 
This is a samurai anime that is character and story driven and whiles the pace of the series does get numbingly slow in the beginning and it still gets that way towards the end and the amount of character development is adequate and well-needed but as for the story development, I never quite understand most of it halfway through the series’ runtime yet in some parts, I could make out some details of it. 
  
 
 
The atmosphere in the series including the main character design of Akitsu comes off as depressing and unenthusiastic, especially the latter. He really just looks like he doesn’t want to be here or just has the same emotionless, expression-less, Keanu Reeves look. However, he isn’t that bad of a character. I’m fine with him not being an all-mighty samurai. Not every character in every form of entertainment (especially Anime) needs to be this powerful character. All the other characters (especially Yaichi) are well-developed and practically carries the show. 
  
 
The animation done by Manglobe is non-traditional in character designs and backgrounds and while it looks fascinating to the eyes, it isn’t actually up to par and it can get very tiresome and I sort of gotten sick of that look during the --th episode. The upbeat opening and ending songs really does contrast from the rest of the show’s bleak and bland tones. 
  
 
 
FINAL VERDICT: The show does manage to get story and character development spot-on, it is different than the other anime that is close to this but it is enjoyable to watch? Well, at a time, you can but it has an unbelievably slow pace that can turn off most viewers but a bad show this is not. An underwhelming show it is but would I suggest this? Uhhhhh………I don’t know. This is something you need to figure out for yourself but I can’t help you on this one. 


          
 
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    House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyou) is a subtle, samurai tale in Edo-Japan. If you are planning to watch this, do not expect fight scene after fight scene (hence subtle). The story is a blend of five characters lives into one storyline that explains how they all met, why they are friends, etc. The character development of this anime is very prominent and one of the best I've seen in a ""basic"" samurai anime. The animation art is different and that can be seen in the characters' faces; it is definitely unique. The show's soundtrack is a mix of present day and classic Japanese music, which I really enjoyed. Also, the sound affects were above average. 
 
I watched House of Five Leaves in one day and I couldn't stop until I was finished. AGAIN, do not watch this for action, since it is more of a(n) animation/story/character based show. -/--, I really recommend this show, and since it's only twelve episodes it is very watchable.

          
 
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    “My time with the five leaves was nourishment for the soul. “don’t care about the past, enjoy the present” The man in front of me is yaichi-dono, the one who taught me that” 
  
  
Althought Saraiya Goyou is set in the Edo period, it does not attempt to capture the ‘historical’ realism of the background premise. That much is obvious from its odd artwork and animation style. Neither does it aim at being an action samurai anime. Instead, it’s more of a character-centric seinen drama with a strong attention to detail on the characters, their motivations, expressions, actions etc.  Perhaps that is why it is considered ‘slow-moving’; the way the story moves with its characters (rather than the other way round) could put off those who don’t prefer character exposition heavy stories, or those who aren’t able to connect to the characters of the show. Characters are the key here. It’s not about the story, but the people who inhibit it. If you don’t feel involved with the characters, you’ll find the story slow and boring. 
  
The story is about a gang of kidnappers called “five leaves”, with which our main protagonist gets unintentionally involved. We see the story unfold mostly through the eyes of this new member. Masa is new to the Edo, and has desperately tried to cling on to his job as a bodyguard but he always ends up getting fired. On the outside, he looks like a samurai, but the problem is his timid personality; for some reason, Masa does not have enough self-confidence to even survive mildly aggressive social situations, and because of his docile nature has always ended up giving the wrong impression to his employers. It is this timid personality that has him involved with the five leaves, as its leader (yaichi) only needs a bodyguard for show to ensure minimum resistance.  
 
As the show progresses, Masa finds himself playing out a more important role in the gang.  The five leaves have some very interesting group of characters. The leader Yaichi is as cool as ice. Nothing seems to faze him and he always keeps a calm demeanor. But he has a mysterious past, and hardly anyone knows what his motives are. He isn’t doing the kidnappings for money, because he hardly spends the money on himself and seems to throw it around on people he knows. Masa finds this fact very interesting and most of the later half of the show follows him trying to understand Yaichi and his past. Then there’s the barkeeper, Ume, whose tavern is the most common meeting place for the gang and its members. Ume is a honest working man trying to support his daughter (Okinu) with clean earnings, but he has his own reason for being involved with the gang. Then, there’s Matsu, a former thief, and Otake, a local prostitute. All these people appear to be shallow at first, but they all have their own background stories and their own reasons for being involved with the gang, at the center of which is yaichi. 
  
In the beginning, it’s really hard to see what the story is about. You keep getting hit with flashbacks and subtle character expositions via dialogues and character interactions, and it could get a bit confusing. It was not before the fourth episode that I started piecing together the flashbacks and the present events. The show keeps giving you bits and pieces about the people and the gang, and you have to put up the pieces together to understand it. The show is often compared to Mushishi, and I suspect it’s because of this quality and the calm, unusually confident, pace of the anime. Just like an episode of mushishi, the show drops you in the middle of this situation and starts giving you clues, and in the end everything falls together. For that reason the show requires you to be attentive. If you’re an emphatic viewer who always looks for a deeper answer behind the things you see and hear, then this just might be the show for you. 
  
The background art for the anime -whether it be the trees, cherry blossom, the rain, a steaming tea-kettle, the bridge over a river, the houses, walls or the occasional countryside- is just stunning. The art is a bit simple, yet seems detailed; modern, yet fairly traditional. The color palette is deep and strong, and rather pleasing to the eyes. The character designs, however, may not be to everyone’s liking. With big round eyes, lean faces and slits for mouths, character art may turn off some people. Personally, I think the character designs are rather fitting; and if someone can stand those ridiculous moe characters, this should not be a problem. The art is quite detailed in some ways; you can see by looking into those eyes what kind of personality the character has, and all their body language and expressions deliver their emotions perfectly. 
  
The show also delivers well in the sound department. Background music goes well with the situation; some tunes are quite up-beat or buoyant, and some very subdued. The subtle pieces are rather beautiful, some hauntingly so, and all the tracks add a unique ambiance to every scene. The voice actors have done an excellent job, and the background sounds are quite decent. 
  
The calm pace and overall presentation of the show makes it quite relaxing. The show is perfect for someone who wants something soothing to unwind. Although I’d like to put a disclaimer here again, if you don’t like the art or the characters, then there’s good chance you’ll be bored to death instead. But the show is worth a shot just for its unique concept and its imaginative presentation. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 


          
 
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    This anime receives far less attention than it deserves. If you've never heard of Saraiya Goyou, definitely take a moment to see if it's up your alley. 
 
The anime follows a strong, innocent, and timid samurai as he joins a enigmatic group in feudal Japan. The interactions between our uncertain protagonist and the group's charismatic leader resemble ""Of Mice and Men."" Overall, the story focuses on uncovering mystery, loss of innocence, and slow-paced atmosphere. 
 
One strength of the anime is that---while it has few action scenes---each of these scenes are crisp and impactful. Characters are nuanced and develop into more complicated individuals over the course of the show. Foreshadowing is well done. The show blends its slow-moving plot with a sense of increasing mystery. 
 
Perhaps one reason that this anime is not better known is the art style. The plot is slow moving, and it is sometimes unclear where the show is going. The anime does a better job of capturing its characters than telling a story. 
 
I would recommend this anime to viewers who enjoy slow-paced, introspective anime, or anime that are based on mystery and complex characters. This show is suitable for people in their --'s. 
 
If you are looking for more action, or want a positive, uplifting vibe, then I would look elsewhere.

          
 
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    Set in the Edo period in Japan (from ---- to ----), this languid but engrossing anime focuses on a mysterious yakuza gang called the Five Leaves, whose members hang out in brothels and bars, drink lots of sake, and kidnap people for a living.  
 
Yaichi, its cool and seemingly careless leader, hires an extremely mild-mannered and hesitant wandering samurai (ronin), Masanoskue, to be his bodyguard. Masa spends the anime learning about each of the four members (a former geisa, a bar owner, a former robber, and of course the enigmatic leader, Yaichi), and searching his own moral principles to determine whether or not he wants to become the “fifth leaf” of their gang. 
 
The unusual art style is probably what makes this anime stand out most: the characters are all animated with very pointy noses and this horrible blankness in their eyes, as if to suggest a kind of existential emptiness, but it’s somewhat misleading, as most of the characters are quite emotional under their own particular moral structures. 
 
The slow pace was almost too much for me at first, but I’m glad I stuck it out because I really loved Yaichi with his pale, constantly half-lidded eyes and mysterious backstory, and he has great chemistry with everyone.

          
 
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    I really, really love Lupin III. I'm definitely a biased reviewer, because Lupin is my favorite anime franchise out of everything I've seen, but I really can't express how much I adore it.  Red jacket can really be considered the essence of the Lupin franchise, and is often the one that people think of when anyone says Lupin. 
 
Story: -- 
Personally I'm a big fan of episodic type shows, and that's definitely what Lupin is.  The story isn't always captivating or original, because after --- episodes it becomes impossible to not reuse the same gags, but I really enjoy it just because of the fun, casual writing and the characterization. 
 
Art: -- 
The art isn't exactly extraordinary, but it's an older anime- I love it because it lends to the feeling of the show and the franchise, and it really wouldn't be the same any other way. 
 
Sound: -- 
One of my FAVORITE parts about Lupin. The Lupin VA, especially in this series, do a fantastic job, and Yuji Ohno has been producing music for this franchise the entire time it's been airing- don't get me started on the music scores for the new Italian blue jacket series. It doesn't feel right without Ohno's gorgeous jazz composition, and they're the kind of OSTs I'd listen to in their own right, as music separate from the show. 
 
Characters: -- 
The piece de resistance of Lupin is definitely the characters. Because it's so episodic in nature, the characters are really what set the Lupin franchise apart. I can't say enough about how much I adore all the characters. They are very much stereotypes- a cocky ore-sama type thief, a Girl With Boobs, the best gunman and the best samurai, and a cop- but at the same time, they subvert their stereotypes in a way that makes them all the more engaging. Lupin treasures the loyalty of his friends more than anything, Fujiko has the brains and the brawn to seal the deal, Jigen is a secret romantic, Goemon's biggest weakness is women, and Zenigata loves Lupin to the point where he doesn't want him to die, despite and because of being his greatest rival. The uniqueness of each character in their own right is one of the biggest things that keeps me, personally, coming back. 
 
Enjoyment & Overall: -- 
I really, really love this series and this franchise. I'd say it's definitely a quality watch, and if you're interested in getting into Lupin but don't know where to start, either this or the ---- blue jacket series (if you're hesitant about jumping straight in with pre-----s anime) is a great place to jump off. Before you know it, you'll be like me, downloading every TV special and OST... ;)

          
 
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    This is a classic that any anime fan should see. In my opinion, this is the jumping off point for Lupin. Watch this series fist! When I was first alerted to the Lupin franchise, it was through this series on Adult Swim's late LATE block. They seemed almost awkward about showing this, like, ""Here you go. It looks kind of funny, but it's hilarious. Could you maybe watch it? You know, if that's ok with you. I'll just leave it here where it won't bother you..."" 
 
A friend told me to watch it and I rolled my eyes.  I was iffy about it based on the strange animation style. And I wasn't too crazy that the show seemed to be just about a thief and an inept detective. But it's far from that.  
 
An inept detective? Well, I suppose that depends on the director or writer. In quite a bit of the first Lupin series Zenigata is a VERY good investigator who just happens to be dealing with someone who is even better. 
 
SOUND: This series also features some of the best voice acting in an English dub out there. While made in the ----s-----s, the references are heavily updated (at least, to when it was released in the early --s) without seeming intrusive (with the exception of one episode that featured a ridiculous amount of celebrity name dropping). The VA cast is the same cast that went on to voice the video game. They also pronounce the names in the same fashion as the Japanese version and ALL the Lupin songs, which is great. Zenigata's voice is classic, although it borders on foolish instead of a serious detective. Lupin's is iconic, especially with that laugh. I don't know who voiced him better, his original Japanese VA or the English dub. Jigen's is great as well, although Goemon's is better (and less stilted) in later dubs. Fujiko gets the breathy voice that really suits her character and Michelle Ruff has been Fujiko's go to voice actress. 
 
ART: The animation for this series (the red jacket series) is all over the place. While the characters look the same for the most part, when Miyazaki takes over his episodes always have his distinctive look. Also, some episodes have blatant mistakes in animation or sloppy coloring. Others have some very detailed sequences. The style is, of course, skinny and definitely different from most anime you'll see. Monkey Punch had tried to make his style more Western. I'm not sure that comes across in the anime, but it's definitely unique.  While the art is out there, it fits with the manga. I think the style of this series was better than some of the later Lupin specials put out in that two-tone style from the --s. It definitely takes some getting used to. 
 
CHARACTER: The issue with this dub vs sub is that some characters come across completely differently. Jigen, in particular, has much more of a sense of humor in the dub. The dub of this series is downright amazing, but we'll get to that later. The manga upon which this anime is based is non-canon, with the characters sometimes not seeming to know each other (or meeting each other for the first time in each chapter under different circumstances). The anime pays a bit of homage to that in terms of some of the cheap disguises, especially when Zenigata can't see through them even when, for instance, Lupin just throws on a fake mustache.  
 
STORY: The creators of the anime have a thing for religion and nazis. So many, many episodes have to do with one or the other. What I love about the Lupin series is that there's almost --- episodes in the RDJ, plus other series and specials, and very rarely will them be too similar or unimaginative (despite the nazis). Almost every episode has a moment that makes me laugh out loud, and the crimes are usually very creative (even if they don't just bend physics, but destroy them).  
 
ENJOYMENT: I think Lupin is an anime staple. Watch it. Especially this series. In my opinion, this is the jumping off point for Lupin. Watch this series fist! 
 


          
 
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    I am surprised no one has written a review of this anime yet. Its kind of intimidating being the first one to write a review about a classic Anime like Lupin the third Part -. 
 
Well lets get onto the review.The plot is about the adventures of famous thief lupin the third and his partners Jigen ( one of the best marksman in the world) Goemon (the samurai and thief that can even cut steel) And Fujiko ( a beautiful thief spy who often betrays Lupin and his partners) There is no real overall story just like Lupin Part - its basically episodic unless there is a two part special (which is rare but good). Its more light hearted than the first series and from what I heard also the manga. The first series was kind dark gritty and action packed, but Lupin the Third part two has more humor and a lot more operations based on stealing. It also has some serious moments that make the episodes good. 
 
The art is excellent for it time and I think it aged well. You can also tell that some of the newer anime might have gotten some of their inspiration from the character designs notably Lupin and Goemon. Also the background scenery from different places around the world look really good. 
 
Sound. The sound is amazing from the explosions to the car chases everything is done well. The best thing about the sound is the music they Got this Jazz thing going and it works really well for the series and they know how use the music and how to time it. The seiyuus are the best part of the anime, they don't miss a beat and really work well together and take their own character to a new level even some bad episodes are watchable cause of them. 
  
The Characters are best the thing about the series I believe. 
Lupin The Third- Greatest thief in the world, also really hard to kill and catch. only weakness though is women mainly Fujiko. 
Daisuke Jigen- The best marksmen of the group he is also pretty kool himself. He is also doesn't trust Fujiko. 
Goemon- The strongest swordsman in the world and he can cut anything even steel. he is very loyal and follows his own honor code. He also doesn't trust Fujiko. 
Fujiko- A sexy thief, spy and a traitor usually to Lupin. Always looking to get Lupins skills involved and then rip him off. She knows she can get away with it since Lupin is madly in love with her or just really attracted to her. 
Zenigata- the man that chases Lupin with limited success but never gives up. Always there to make it harder for Lupin and the Gang. 
The kool thing about the characters other than their skills and style is that they have a great bond and have each others backs (even fujiko sometimes) and they rather die than betray each other it really shows in certain episodes. 
 
I really enjoyed the series but i am not going to lie there are some episodes that flat out bored me but I think it might have to do with the person who directed those certain episodes. The humor is great but I do wish there was more blood and more episodes about people trying assassinate Lupin the Third or one of his Partners. Really enjoyable though if you looking for something to kickback and enjoy some laughs and clever heists and not think to much about. 
 
Overall i gave it a - I easily give high scores and I know that but I resisted giving this a -- because some episodes were just not that good, but I still gave it a - because it is a classic and one of my favorites. 
 


          
 
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    I can't believe it's taken me so long to watch these. Straight off the bat, I'll say that the second episode is better than the first. The first episode, to me, was a sort of give-or-take situation as it didn't really mean anything for the characters or their progression.  
 
Before I get back to all that, I wanna also mention that the art is a step down from the usual series' art because these are OVAs. They aren't going to look as nice as the main series, so beware of that. Obviously, the music is always bomb, so that's a given.  
 
The second episode specifically was nice to watch because it did have some semblance of character development. Rather than a one-off, funny episode like the first episode was, this episode had a few sweet and contemplative moments that gave a little bit more insight into these characters and how they feel about each other.  
 
The first episode, like I said, wasn't much. The story wasn't really there for me, and it was just an episode meant for watching Yato screw around in Hiyori's body. Nothing special. 
 
These episodes were nice to watch to revisit the characters, but overall, the tone is much different than the main series'. Not getting those series moments with Yato that you'd normally get through the main series makes these OVA episodes lacking. But what can you really ask from an OVA, right? I've seen exactly one seriously good OVA, but otherwise, they're usually mediocre. I'm not gonna revisit these episodes in the future, but I don't regret watching them in the first place.

          
 
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    Noragami. The anime full of repentance, emotion, sin, and forgiveness. Of course the OVA will be emotional as well... right? 
 
-Overall 
WRONG. It's hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. An OVA should remind the viewers of the original series. This OVA was definitely reminiscent of the comedy of Noragami, which arguably was one of the biggest parts of the show. So with a score of - in Story, - in Art, - in Sound, - in Character, and - in Enjoyment, I give the Noragami OVA a score of -. It's very good, just like the show. 
 
-Story 
Yato possesses Hiyori's body now that she's in high school. (wait, she wasn't in high school during the main series?? wut... Japan, you've disappointed me.) Yato does all sorts of crazy things together with Kofuku (who's - kawaii - me). It's all fun and games until Tenjin shows up... 
 
-Art 
It's the same as the Noragami series. It's good, the character design shifts according to scene mood, which is great. Well, the Sakura trees also look really good. 
 
-Sound 
Same old good Noragami voices, soundtracks, and opening/ending. 
 
-Character 
Same enjoyable characters. I feel like Hiyori's cooler than she usually is. 
 
-Enjoyment 
That was one of the funniest things I've seen in my entire life. --/-- would funny again. But actually -. 
 


          
 
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    The Noragami OVA's or, in this case OAD's were pretty decent. You all know already OVA's are usually fillers and in Noragami's case that concept doesn't change. While they are fillers they're not bad though, they don't really have continuity with the story but there is enjoyment here.  
 
I personally really liked Noragami, and just the same I really liked these OVA's despite the fact that they aren't really story associated. Both episodes take place after the events of the anime i'm pretty sure, and that's actually cool considering OVA's usually happen sometime during the show in between episodes. While it isn't story heavy, the first episode does explore a bit more of the God's lore. The first episode mainly showcases Yato's antics and it's pretty entertaining to see with some appearances from the anime's side characters which is nice to see. The episode wasn't anything special at all, but it entertaining and a fun watch nonetheless. The second episode was better, showing alot of chemistry and interplay between the other God's. While it didn't have action, i really enjoyed seeing the Gods all come together and interact with eachother. The characters are fleshed out a bit more and like I said it's nice to see them all hang out with eachother. There is a bit of a plot twist that makes things a bit more interesting but again it's nothing spectacular. It was funny to see things so light hearted and then take a crazy turn towards the end. The Gods all had funny moments and i'd say that and their interplay together entertained me the most. The animation and sound goes without saying, they are fantastic just as they are in the show. 
 
Overall i enjoyed them, they're nothing that great but I did like them and I don't feel I wasted my time at all. If you liked the show i'd give this a watch. It's full of lighthearted funny moments and further develops the characters of the show. 
 
If you agreed with my review give it a thumbs up (:

          
 
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    This was a little different from what I was expecting after watching the Noragami TV series.   
 
Exactly the same characters show up, but the tone of this story was entirely of the character driven comedy that punctuates the TV series instead of the ""serious"" tone of the battles and phantom/god issues tackled there. 
 
But the story feels like fluffy filler instead of something that was written to push the plot forward.  It does not introduce a new sub plot in the background for a at-this-point-theoretical season -.  Nor does it address any of the hinted future subplots that were introduced in the last episode of season -. 
 
This OAV, or OAD as they call it, actually gives me hope for the series:  The writer(s) are willing to go outside of the standard battle manga formula that dominated much of the series. 
 


          
 
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    Wow, way to shit on a series. The OVA that should not have been. 
 
The first episode just fucks up the series royally and after having watched the series it is hard to see that as canon. 
 
The second episode is a bit better but in the end still feels off-canon and weird. Also, it includes spoilers since it skips quite a few volumes. 
 
If you like Noragami, do yourself a favour and don't watch this till you've watched everything else. 
 
Since this review was supposedly still not long enough, I'll have to write some more. 
I really don't understand for who the second episode of the OVA was meant for since it was in the middle of some situation which the viewer who came straight from the series wouldn't know.

          
 
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    First of all, do not attempt to watch this directly after or before the first season (Noragami), you MUST only watch these two episodes after seeing all first - episodes from the second season (Noragami Aragato), or else, major spoilers are going wrap. Make sure you watch the second episode of the OVA first, then the first. I know that's an odd order, but trust me, that's the right order to follow. 
 
- Story (-.-/--): 
Pretty decent side stories for fun, no particular big plot surprise or anything aside from containing spoilers of the first - episodes of Noragami Aragato. 
The first OVA resolves around Yato taking over Hyori's body while he goes into a carefree spree around her school doing all sort of stuff in her name, with the rest of the folks trying to stop him. 
The second OVA contains some major spoilers, but let's say the crew in its entirety goes on in a picnic, and have some actual fun until Yato pulls off a surprising highly-wished-for stunt. 
 
- Art (-.-/--): 
The same slick and smooth art style and animation from the first season, really, nothing too spectacular and beyond decent I'd say. 
 
- Sound (-.-/--): 
I'm more happy to hear the first season's opening and ending theme songs, these OVA focused on a more comedic light hearted stuff, so there was no inclusion of the fantastic dark soundtrack, but the comedy makes up for that. 
 
- Character (-.-/--): 
I love the cast of these OVA, all lovable characters. and Hyori isn't as annoying as people see here so often. Everybody was easy going and invested in the comedy, good days to remember. 
 
- Enjoyment (-.-/--): 
Ahh, the time went by like a fly, and that only happens when you're having fun. I really liked these side stories and hopefully, I get to see more of these soon because nothing can make up for the sad fact of you ending a spectacular show like this than having to see some extras. 
 
- Overall (-.-/--): 
I could actually highly recommend watching these, not like most OVAs who provide dead content, these ones had a lot to offer, and I'm specifically talking about a certain moment on the second OVA, god bless.

          
 
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    Noragami, as I really liked the anime series, I really couldn't wait to see how the story continued, so I read the manga. Then I discovered there was an OVA. I didn't expect much, as most OVAs are kind of like a filler episode, without much of a story. 
 
This OVA was absolutely great! One of the best OVAs really, and that must be because the OVA follows the continuation of the manga. The story itself isn't much, I think it was kind of like a small filler arc in the manga. Yet it's really enjoyable, it's funny to see how Yato possesses Hiyori, and to see how he enjoys the ordinary high school life of a human, as a God ofcourse. Given Yato's funny and outgoing personality you wont be disappointed by the humour of the OVA.  
The sounds and art is the same as with the series, same amazing opening, and very good animation.  
There isn't much to tell about the OVA, since it's just one episode yet, but if you liked Noragami you'll like this extra episode for sure, for if you can't wait for a second season, like me.  
 
There will be - OVAs of Noragami, yet there has only been released one. The second OVA will also follow the story of the manga, so I can't wait. 
 
In short, it's just really a refreshing, good episode, with the humour it should have. If you like Noragami, it's a given you'll like the OVA as well. 

          
 
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    So, first of all let me say one thing: If you have not yet read the manga, watching the second OVA is not recommendable as it takes place immediately after the next big arc in the manga. It thus contains major spoilers for this arc. 
Additionally you won't be able to understand the deep meaning behind these scenes under the cherry tree. 
As many over OVAs, this one, too, is aimed at the manga readers and not the anime audience. 
 
Story: - 
It is a very precise adaption from the manga. This goes for both OVAs. They both take place between two arcs in the manga, thus there is no thick plot but instead they show hilarious scenes from the everyday lifes of the characters which sometimes have a deeper meaning if put into the correct context. 
 
Art: - 
The art is as good in the OVAs as it is in the anime series. 
No complaints here. 
 
Sound: - 
Opening and Ending are great, the voices fit the characters. The OST is used throughout the OVAs in a fitting way. 
 
Character: - 
Well, I absolutely adore most of Noragami's characters. They are very unique - which is shown best by Yato in these two twenty minute OVAs. Every action is just such a typical thing for him to do. 
 
Enjoyment: -- 
I've loved it in the manga and I still love these scenes in the OVAs. The Second OVA was hilarious but sad at the same time, considering the previous events. 
 
Overall: - 
It's nearly perfect, but - as expected of an OVA - it does not have any real plot. 
 
So, enjoy watching the Noragami OVAs, guys~

          
 
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    Story and Characters 
It of course picks up exactly where the Sanctuary oavs leave off. This time as opposed to the Gold Saints being the central focus, the main featured characters in this series are Seiya and Shun as well as one certain Gold Saint I can't mention due to spoiler reasons in relation to the original TV series, though Hyoga and Shiryu aren't exaclty useless, they are still busy fighting their battles respective battles. And Ikki is still rarely present, but whatever presence he has will be overly significant to what happens in this story. The newer main villains that were introduced in the last oav such as Rhadmantys, are now part of the battlefield as well as a handful of other new characters. And who are some of these new characters? I feel that you have to see it to find out who some of them are, but I can tell you that some of these characters are bad ass. 
 
What also makes this story very great is that it expands the darker tone and atmosphere and still uses intriguing plot twists as it did in the Sanctuary Arc, but I thought what this installment offers I never saw coming many cosmos away. And the ending I thought was a very fitting and suited the themes of bravery, sacrafice, friendship, and brotherhood very well in the tradition of Saint Seiya.  
 
Art and Animation 
Well, the qualities that made the animation and coloring in the first oav is still present here. The lighting is still appropriate and I can't say much. The only negative thing I can say about the animation are the dead bodies serving as slaves to Hades. They look super cheap as hell, but in the end, they really don't matter. 
 
The new characters featured are really breathtaking to watch. Granted the diversity of the design for some of the main villains is getting weak, they all have their own unique traits and techniques. The features of the armors are appropriate with the underworld-hell theme. And of course there will be some interesting gimmick characters, though these charcters were kind of done before, they were featured in fillers of the original series, but this time, the characters with this kind of gimmick are a Kurumada-sensei original and he adds his own unique detail and feature to it.  
 
The quality of the action is still pretty awesome and the moves that will be demonstrated by the newer characters are very cool and the namings sound kind of weird, but this is one of those instances where such bizarre Engrish phrases can be sweet.  
 
Music and Voice Acting  
The most controversial thing about this anime is the changing of the seiyuus from the Bronze Saints and Athena. Apparently, Kurumada-sensei wanted to change everyone except Furuya Tooru because he thought they were too old for their roles, but the only exception is Suzuoki Hirotaka who passed away between the releases of the Sanctuary and Inferno oavs. I heard he especially wanted to change Shun's original voice actor Horikawa Ryo. Furuya Tooru wanted everyone to stay aboard, and he decided to quit. The fans were very angry about this and tried to petition to Kurumada-sensei to not go with this change, and it got severe to the point where Kurumada-sensei got his legal team to speak on behalf of him to accept the changes.  
 
As for the ""too old excuse,"" I think it's flatout bullshit. Furuya Tooru still plays -- year old Amuro in the new Gundam games and so on. Horikawa Ryo I thought still did an excellent job in playing Shun in the Sanctuary Chapter. I always loved the tone and the articulation he brought to the character. And I can't speak much for Shiryu's and Hyoga's new seiyuus since they weren't featured enough or gave a certain kind of performance in which I felt they could capture what I think is the essence of their characters. So who was replaced you might ask? Seiya is now played by Morita Masakazu, who might know as the voice of Kurosawa Ichigo from Bleach. But he was casted as Seiya because Kurumada-sensei had him casted as Takane Ryuuji, the main character in the anime adaptation of his first manga, Ring ni kakero. I can agree that Morita does sound appropriately youthful and brings a distinctive kind of energy to the role of Seiya in which it does suit his character, but I think he really lacks this dignified-heroic quality in his voice that Furuya Tooru has and I don't think he comes across as leaderlike.  
 
But the new voice actor who really won me over was Shun's, Kazuya Yuuta. The performance that had me convinced was in the second episode about when he ""testifies"" to the judge about what sins he's committed and how sin is natural in human nature for such and such reason. He really showed the emotion and compassion necessary that defines the Shun character and I was able to embrace him with that. The only problem I have with the voice is his pitch. It's soft, but yet still high, while with the original performance by Horikawa, it had the low voice where you could tell that he was a man despite his very feminine appearence. Another performance I liked was Konishi Katsuyuki as Ikki. I thought he captured the character well in his own way by being the lone wolf who sticks out and being the ""I do things my own way"" kind of guy.  
 
The new opening theme featured is Megami no Senshi by Marina Del Ray, who also sings Asu He No Toushi, the opening theme to Ring ni Kakero. The brief church organs that play is very dark and gets you hooked and then all of a sudden the guitars play and you see the saints running at the screen along with the title in the background and you got something that lives up to the original theme song, Pegasus Fantasy. In comaprison to that song, it's still pretty sweet hard rock, but it has a certain kind of diversity with the intensity that it has with being gloomy, but yet there is still hope. The imagery, the panning, and the sound effects that go with the panning just add so much to it and I must say that the quality sometimes makes me argue with myself of which is the better theme song between the old and new one. So the opening theme itself is an instant winner.  
 
The background music is actually still the same so I can't say much about it that I haven't already have said in my previous reviews.  
 
Overall 
This OAV will have you pumped up for the next oav and the true ending to the original manga of Saint Seiya. If you want plot twists, then you got what I think is one of the best plot twists in anime history 


          
 
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    The middle act of the Hades Arc, Inferno, is a major step down from Sanctuary in almost every way.  
 
Whilst quickly going through many of the battles and several Celestial Star Spectres quickly being diposed of allows it to stand out and be less repetitive when it comes to combat with it's side villains than the Poseidon Arc was, it also makes them a major disappointment when Terrestrial Star Spectres such as Myu proved a genuine threat to the Gold Saints. Instead of being a true step up in power, only the Judges, Pharaoh and Rhadamanthys' underlings prove much of a genuine threat. The reveal of Shun's secret was an interesting twist that explained how he survived his fatal battle with Aphrodite, but it came without foreshadowing from previous arcs and Ikki's lack of knowledge on it was from as poor a plot device as amnesia. Beyond that, the plot was as typical of Saint Seiya Arcs. 
It did have some interest in the setting with it being a mix of both the Greek Underworld and Hell as described in Dante's Divine Comedy, which lead to some nice creative liberties in locations and the theme of life being finite and thus precious was a decent way of making the idea of holding onto hope less generic than usual. However, the regular lives of the Spectres weren't explored enough for the setting to be more than pretty backgrounds and the theme of hope and finite life weren't explored too deep, just being a reiteration of Shaka's words in the first act of this arc. 
 
The characters at least make up for this somewhat. While most of the villains within the arc were bland loyal henchmen, Pharaoh at least had some goals beyond serving Hades that allowed him to at least be more engaging than most of the Marina from the previous arc. Hades also carried himself well in displaying the power of a God, far better than Poseidon did in the previous arc where he was defeated twice by Gold Saints. As for the heroes, allowing Kanon and Orphe to have their moments to shine was a breath of fresh air after having two arcs of the Bronze Saints hogging all the glory and prevents it from becoming repetitive. Kanon VS Rhadamanthys also had some pretty good build up in the formation of a rivalry between them. Speaking of the Gold Saints such as Kanon, the ending of this -nd act carries far more consequence and emotion than any of the previous arcs combined. That said, the character appeal is enough to even out the disappointing elements of the plot and make the writing for this arc average overall. 
 
As for the more superficial elements, even these strong points for the series went a step below it's predecessor. While the still pieces of art remain as good as prior, the animation became far more limited with many shots being reused constantly and character movement becoming far less fluid. Even the sound was a step down from before as while the soundtrack remains unchanged and as great as ever, the changes in several seiyuu such as all of the Bronze Saints was something that would be offputting for returning fans who had grown so accustomed to the iconic deliveries of Toru Furuya or Ryo Horikawa, especially when many of the seiyuu had yet to fully become accustomed to their roles.  
 
That said, Inferno is a step down from Sanctuary, though still has it's moments to warrant continuing the series to it's climax.

          
 
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    ""A dirty stray cat"" 
 
Story (--): This is one of the most sober animes I've seen. In a quietly daily basis, it presents you with a society filled with hardship, cruelty, injustice and yet, people struggling to survive between cynicism, indiference and a little bit of hope, as fragile as a candle light. 
 
Art (--): The art is very particular and mesmerizing. This is one of my favorite aspects of the anime. It suits the entire feeling of the characters and story perfectly: lazy deep eyes, expresive innocent eyes, mouths that look like translucent sketches of expression, gorgeous dark landscapes... not mentioning the atenttion to detail the artists paid to develope parts of the story without needing to use dialogue. 
 
Sound (-.-): Although I'd have liked the op and ending to have a more traditional sound, the sound as a whole does an excellent work, sometimes to simply acompany the scenery. And other times, to tell in a subtle way a whole different story, when you are only watching two people drinking. 
 
Character (--): The characters are very well developed, they are not stereotypes, you can really see flesh and bones here. From the straight forward Masa, to the enigmatic Ichi, they all have a very rich inner life, that moves their actions and reactions in very particular ways. Showing the greys in white and black, or perhaps; turning from black to white and from white to black over and over. 
 
Enjoyment (--): Well, I got to tell you, if you don't enjoy slow paced animes or expect to see fighting, well... you might not enjoy it too much, but give it a chance, this is a real psychological/artistic candy. 
 
Overall (--): I'd really suggest you to watch it, this is a nice piece of work, artistically and philosophically. I mean, just watching the way the titles were chosen made me chuckle with pleassure.

          
 
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    For an anime with a samurai and a criminal gang you would expect an action packed series, however, instead it is slow moving focusing on the characters rather than hiding its flaws behind action and copious amounts of blood 
 
Saraiya Goyou follows an unemployed yet highly skilled samurai, Masa, in the Edo period who because he has a personality that is difficult to warm to is unable to hold down a job or make friends. A chance meeting with the mysterious Yaichi, the leader of the criminal gang House of the Five Leaves, leads to a one-off job as a body guard for a ransom drop for a kidnapping the House of the Fives Leaves did. Surprising Yaichi with is skill with a sword Masa is then chased by Yaichi to join the House of the Five Leaves.  
 
As progress through the series we see Masa, although never actually officially join the House of the Five Leaves, help the gang with various kidnappings and return find a sense of belonging, regular work and close friends in the members of the House of the Five Leaves all of whom have a reason to be grateful to Yaichi. However, Yaichi remains an enigma. Who is he, where is he from and why did he start the House of the Five Leaves. Masa attempts to find out making him a danger to Yaichi. 
 
Although the story is entertaining despite its slow pace is engaging with interesting and likable albeit somewhat shady characters there is a flaw with the direction which lets it down. We begin with the focus on Masa then suddenly there is a huge jump to a focus on Yaichi. Now I don't know if this was a production decision where they decided a series longer than -- episodes wouldn't work but it affects the flow of the story and has a negative affect on the story where I never really got too interested in learning about Yaichi's background. 
 
I can't write a review of Saraiya Goyou without going into detail about the animation. Great animation is about detail and the background artwork in Saraiya Goyou is absolutely stunning whether it is the simplicity of a Japanese house or the wide Japanese landscape there is so much attention to detail. The use of colours is even thought about  with darker colours used for night scenes and lighter colours for during the day.  
 
With such detailed background they have been able to get away with some unusual and simplistic character designs with their wide mouths which never seem to move when they talk.  
 
The music sets the mood well and the opening song is very good putting you in the right mood to watch the series. 
 
Despite its problems with the big change in focus of the story Saraiya Goyou works very well and is worth watching for the animation alone.

          
 
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    While indubitably a good one, this anime might not be just everyone's cup of tea. Speaking of cups of tea, Saraiya Goyou is very much like a good cup of tea on a winter's evening, when you're snuggled up in a chair with a warm blanket and a good book. It's a cup of green tea, gently warming your freezing palms, with delicate yet sweet taste and subtle fragrance.  
 
While one may call it slow-paced, and there's not much action to be seen there, its beauty lies precisely in its slow, meditative storytelling. It's a genuine drama in its portrayal of people with unique circumstances, how their fates, pasts, motivations, hopes and fears cross, clash, grow together. It's a show about forgiveness and reconciliation, with the world and with yourself, a show about how everyone starts out with different dreams and goals but, in the end, is just searching for a place in this world that they can call their own, about how letting people in and loving people is so hard, how it doesn't happen smoothly or easily, but how when it does happen, it's what matters most. It's a show about how what one may perceive as one's grave fault may very well be one's merit. It's a great slice-of-life in a historical setting of late Edo period (for those who are studying Japanese, it gives a nice sample of Edo period dialects), showing the frailties of everyday life and how unimportant and mundane things are often the best in life. One of the greatest strenghts of Saraiya Goyou is that while this is a show featuring samurai, yakuza and geisha, kidnappings and (some) swordfighting, it successfully escapes the tropes that usually go with it all. It discards the bombastic, bathos-laden, overly dramatic, move-flashing, testosterone-flaring, tear-jerking, over-the-top moves for a softer storytelling which makes everything a lot more believable, relatable, and manages to deliver a lot of impact. To continue the drinks analogy I started, it might be like a cocktail in a way: deceptively light and sweet, but packing a punch when you cease to expect it. 
 
The art style is... unusual, especially the character design with angular faces and weird rectangular eyes. The color palette is muted, with a lot of greys, browns, yellows and blacks, underscoring the overall subdued atmosphere of the show. Yet let that not scare you away: the backs are drawn beautifully, you get treated to realistic representations of Edo street life and architecture, and character design, if not always easy on the eye, grows on you over time and is a nice change of pace from the stereotypical huge-eyed brightly-colored too smooth almost-no-nose faces you see everywhere lately. It adds this nice, tingling touch of uniqueness to the show. 
 
The sound is absolutely fantastic. I will no doubt buy the soundtrack for Saraiya Goyou given the oppotunity. The score is heavily influenced by traditional Japanese music, using many traditional instruments, but retains a modern feel to it. It is very atmosperic, brimming with emotion, and compliments the action perfectly. Not only the music is outstanding, but the VAs did a damn good job too, conveying the complicated characters and their emotions perfectly. Masanosuke is completely believable with his soft, low voice, and Yaichi shines with his contolled intonations.  
 
The characters are the core and the driving force of this show, so, naturally, for the show to work, they have to be good, and they are indeed. It's a shame that the show contains only -- episodes, because there is not enough time to provide a proper background and exposition for everyone, but it's getting to know the cast and seeing them interact, clash, soothe and change each other that is the most enjoyable. The tones of their voices, their clothing, the faces and poses they make, their silences and gazes even, there's a lot more to the characters than just what they say, and it looks way more real and interesting than endless dialogues or narration. It's a shame that not everyone gets to shine, but everyone gets a unique personality constructed with love and care. 
 
If you like fast pacing and action, this is not something for you. But if you're looking for a deep story with a lot of character development, room for thought and emotion, this is definitely something for you. This story might make you reconsider your own life - for, really, how many small coincidences, meetings, word exchanges that seemingly mean nothing occur every day in your life? You might not know it yet, but it is those small meaningless things that make up our lives and that weave the threads that will someday show bright and strong on the tapestry of your life. What is later perceived as fate always begins small and insignificant. This show teaches one to treasure it.

          
 
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     The story is set in Edo period Japan, where a highly skilled but highly gullible and unreliable samurai is finding trouble securing a job as a bodyguard. The starving ""ronin"" soon catches the attention of the misterious and charismatic leader of a local criminal gang known as the ""Five Leaves Gang"" who hires him to serve as his bodyguard and soon, starts persuading him into officialy joining the gang. Though reluctant at first, the samurai ends up joining the gang, partly due to his critical financial situation but also due to his growing interest in the gang and its members; as time goes by and their relationship deepens he discovers that there's more to each member than meets the eye, especialy the always elusive and misterious leader. 
The beauty of this anime isn't in its art style which accurately depicts the landscapes of feudal japan to the tiniest detail; or in the beautiful music which is a perfect mixture of contemporary and classical japonese; its in the characters and their development. That is the keyword in this anime, development. The pace in which this anime progresses is absolutely perfect, the pieces start falling into place at the perfect timing, resulting in a smooth and crescent experience that, just like a roller coaster, will carry you softly to the top only to send you crashing down to the floor.  
Those are the strongest points of animes such as House of Five Leaves, and don't misjudge, I'm not saying that crazy fantasy, battle, oriented, superpower, samurai stories aren't good; most of my favorite animes fall into those categories. What I'm saying is that there are such a vast collection of these types of manga already, and that is precisely what makes more obscure, down to earth animes like House of Five Leaves such a special and unique genre. So give it a chance, you won't fall in love with it at the first sight, but talk to me once the ride is over.

          
 
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    Now don't get me wrong by looking at the mark i gave this anime. On my scale, - is very high, way above average. And Saraiya Goyou really is just that. It is not a masterpiece, or even close to that, but it beats the majority of the anime we get to watch.  
 
The story is the best part of this anime. It is not linear. Even though it is told in a chronological order with a few flashbacks, you can't discern the series of events till the very end. And even then, when you can remember all of the events, and put them together systematically, the story that appears in front of your eyes is not generic or simple. It involves a lot of completely different and unique characters. And they are unique compared not only with each other but with the whole anime medium. A sissy skilled samurai, a prostitute with a sense of justice and so on. While some characters might seem generic when you first get to know them, they appear to be quite original and well developed later on in the show. Yaichi could be a good example of that. A mysterious and cool chick magnet who is also awesomely skilled in fighting. But later on, we get more development on him and the real truth is revealed. But if we consider character development as a whole, I'd say it's not exemplary. I've seen better and deeper characters, but like anime, it's way above average. 
 
The art might repel a lot of potential viewers, but I liked it. A lot. First of all, it's very original. I don't think there are any more anime with such art. But if we take a closer look, it's only the characters that are drawn originally. They have goofy eyes an such, but it kind of adds up to the whole atmosphere. However, if you look at the background, and things around the  characters, you will see awesomeness. Detail everywhere, textures, lighting - everything. It was really spectacular. 
 
Another aspect of this anime that I loved a lot, is it's sound track. It was amazing. It built up such a relaxing mood. And if we add it together with the soothing coloring of the anime, we might just fall asleep watching it. The music itself was not something spectacular. I would not download and listen to like a song. But what makes it good in the anime is the matches with everything else. 
 
I enjoyed watching Saraiya Goyou. It did not make my brain melt, it let me relax after a hard day and just forget the world around me. But an important thing is that you have to catch every little detail there is to fully understand the story. So a complete relaxation is not an option. You should just turn of your muscles and let your mind do the work. 
 
To sum up, Saraiya Goyou is a fresh whiff of air among all the crap we get. I wish we could watch more anime like this. But then again, it is not and it won't be popular for quite some time and therefore, we should not be expecting that. That's why people who like such intelligent anime with no fan service, dumb action scenes and generic storylines and characters should not miss any of the good ones like House of the Five Leaves.

          
 
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    When you think of Samurai, what images flash into your mind first? Courageous warriors clad in their traditional hakama? Fierce sword fights to the death? Or maybe a lifelong journey to achieve some form of enlightenment? Saraiya Goyou, or The House of Five Leaves (I’ll refer to the show as “Goyou” for the rest of the review), is none of these. In fact, it doesn’t come close to anything our culture has widely perceived about the behaviors of these swordsmen.  
 
Story (-/--): 
 
Akitsu “Masa” Masanosuke is a ronin, or a masterless samurai, who lives in Edo period of Japanese history (a time period that lasted from the early ----’s to the late ----’s). Despite his swordsmanship skills and his humble personality, Masa never seems to be able to hold down a secure job as a bodyguard. His slightly naïve nature and aloof presence is his Achilles heel, and he often finds himself being fired because of them. One day, after being fired from yet another job, Masa runs into a charismatic, white-haired individual only known to the viewers as Yaichi. To Masa’s dismay, Yaichi beings to gain interest in Masa’s character and offers him a bodyguard position. However, it doesn’t take long for Masa to realize what he’s getting himself into. Yaichi reveals himself as the leader of the mysterious group, “The Five Leaves”(Goyou), and he expresses his desire to admit Masa as a new member. 
 
What plays out from here is a bit odd. 
 
It’s extremely difficult to pinpoint a specific genre for the series, since the story plays out as a sort of pseudo-mystery that has light dose of drama, slice of life, and very limited action. With that said, the show is definitely not what one would expect from any samurai show. It is heavy on dialogue, and it relies on its characters to drive its plot rather than relying on a coherent storyline. Although the show does work with the aforementioned “mystery” through carefully placed flashbacks or hints through conversations, there really isn’t much else when it comes to direction.  
 
However, this is what makes Goyou such a unique and entertaining experience. It’s different to a point that the premise becomes a risky task to execute well, but it really doesn’t do anything noticeably wrong. Throughout the series, we get to learn a good amount about the show’s main cast, and the way we find out about each individual’s pasts and reasons behind joining Goyou comes off naturally, without any unnecessary drama or nonsensical development. Unfortunately, that is the extent to its unique nature. Despite providing such a different experience, the series doesn’t do anything in particular to “wow” viewers. As a result, the series will draw a niche crowd, but it will likely be doomed for obscurity. Nonetheless, the story of Goyou relies on its execution, and it definitely delivers. It does just enough to keep an interested viewer interested, but it doesn’t go the extra mile to draw in a larger crowd.  
 
Art (-.-/--):  
 
Manglobe has always been a studio that doesn’t shy away from taking risks with its art style, and Goyou is no exception to this pattern. Unlike the studio’s other samurai-related show, Samurai Champloo, the atmosphere of Goyou gives off a heavy, melancholic feel. Covering a wide variety of locales from the Edo countryside to its red light districts, the richness of the setting is often overlooked due to this gloomy atmosphere. As a result, the color palette limits itself to duller colors in order to consistently fit the almost depressing setting.  
Matching this sullen tone are the character designs of our main cast. Characterized by their detached stares and wide mouths, the designs aren’t the prettiest anime have to offer, but they surprisingly fit the equally sullen environment of the series. Animation is decent throughout the series, but it doesn’t really stand out (mostly due to the lack of sword fights, the most common form of showing off animation skill in a samurai-related anime). As a whole, the art and animation of Goyou is solid. Defined by its uniquely dull (sounds counterintuitive, I know) atmosphere, Goyou makes its visual achievements noticeable and appreciated.  
 
Sound (-.-/--): 
 
At this point, I should stop trying to doubt Manglobe’s ability at composing quality soundtracks that match the show perfectly. The OST of Goyou is comprised of -- tracks, most of which enhance the gloominess of an already dreary, dreamlike atmosphere. Tracks like “Umaku Ikusa” give the viewer a sense of regret, melodic yet haunting. Such tracks are amongst the most common in the OST, with the anime’s main theme of the same name as the title seem almost like a tango remix of the aforementioned track. Even the more lighthearted tracks such as “Chokko Tokurri” possess the same melancholic tone as the others, despite its attempts at being a bit more upbeat. Despite being the near perfect addition to the technical set of Goyou, the OST’s limited diversity in tracks is a flaw that, although doesn’t deter much from the overall experience, is still a noticeable flaw. 
 
The opening sequence, Sign of Love, is in a genre probably somewhere in between electronic pop or trance that, although does not fit the time period of the series at all, is still a very catchy and uncharacteristically upbeat song that surprisingly, works very well with the anime. The ending, All I need is…, plays out similarly to the opening but is a bit more generic and forgettable. Voice acting is cast well in general, with each voice seeming almost reluctant to play the role. However, the disinterested tone of each voice is again a characteristic of the series that after a while, I just began to simply accept. Sometimes the voices seem as if they are being performed through a filter, which adds to the atmosphere.  
 
Overall, the sound set of Goyou is both strong and memorable. With few and almost unavoidable flaws, everything from the OST to the voice acting is done with the utmost attention to detail.  
 
Character (-/--): 
 
If there is any other category that stands out in Goyou as much as its OST, it’s the amount of depth put into its characters. The series boasts a very strong cast that, although may seem to be dull at first, are all properly fleshed out and have distinct personalities. From the humble and awkward Masa to the cynical, yet caring Ume, each character’s persona is built off of well-developed backstory and feasible interactions. What really surprised me other than the diversity and odd likeability of each character was that each individual had a certain human aspect to them. Every character is multifaceted, and it’s hard to describe them using a simple archetypal word or phrase. The series does a wonderful job at making the characters interesting enough to not only drive the series, but to provide the needed depth in order to make the overall experience a well-planned out one.  
 
However, it’s this very mature handling that somewhat dooms the cast. Despite the very human approach at developing and reasoning out the motives of each character, the results might be blander than a typical viewer would expect. To put an example to this reasoning, viewers won’t remember a character like Yaichi as much as they will remember a character like Lelouch (Code Geass). Despite both being charismatic leaders of their respective “groups,” there’s no “selling point” to the cast other than their realness. Although this is by no means a fatal flaw, it’s an unavoidable gaffe that unfortunately just happened to hurt the experience.  
 
Nonetheless, even the lack of flashiness in the cast isn’t enough to discredit the thorough characterization and overall quality of the character crew. Although you won’t be seeing Masa or Yaichi skyrocketing to the top of the favorite characters list on this site, you will appreciate the care put into their personalities.  
 
Enjoyment (-.-/--): 
 
I’m a sucker for slower paced shows because I love kicking back after a hectic day to slow things down. Goyou does just that, but it doesn’t bore you to death doing so. As stated in previous sections, the story has some drive and direction and keeps it present enough to keep a viewer slightly pulled into the experience. Although it’s by no means a psychological thriller, the languid pacing was a welcome change of pace that I happened to enjoy a good deal. Although I had no problem getting through the series, if you’re walking in expecting something like Samurai Champloo, you’ll definitely be disappointed. 
 
Overall: 
 
At the end of the day, Saraiya Goyou is a thankless anime. Despite its excellent execution of multiple categories, its achievements will likely be as hidden and humbled as is Masa’s personality. It’s aimed at a rather niche crowd, but it does a great job at satiating that crowd’s desires. Nevertheless, I would urge viewers to give Saraiya Goyou a try if you’re willing to try something pleasantly different.  
 
Average score: -.-/--  
Weighted score: -/-- (Liked it, recommended) 
 
(if the rating confuses you, take a glimpse at my rating system on my profile for clarifications) 


          
 
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    First of all, some people seem dissapointed in this series due to its lack of action. Don't let the edo setting fool you, this is no samurai epic. It's not about fights and blood, it's more interesting than that. 
 
Story -/--. 
 
Our hero is a bit of a pussy. He's a sumurai, but so unintimidating that he can barely hold his head up without running away. His hidden skill rarely surfaces, but somehow he still manages to impress a local bandit enough to be invited into his group. Forced to betray his morals due to poverty, he befriends the members and joins their kidnapping ranks. 
 
So starts the series. Later episodes focus on the leader of the gang, Yaichi, and his mysterious personality. Along the way the other members are also exposed in a somewhat limited fashion. 
 
It's all done very nicely and extraordinarily elegantly. 
 
Animation -/--. 
 
The subtlety of the plot's delivery is only matched by the fabulously detailed, gorgeously believable backdrops. The edo-era wooden buildings are charmingly  stunning and accurate. The warmth of the lantern-lit streets and shops is exactly Japan, equal parts past and the best of the modern. Even in Tokyo you can find little streets illuminated only by lanterns, lined with wooden buildings. If and when you do, you'll be reminded of the sumptuous images from the House of Five Leaves. 
 
The character designs are also excellent. One of the big failing points in modern anime is the lack of original (or even particularly convincing) facial expressions. Natsume Ono creates faces with a grown-up eye towards realism without pushing too hard. The elongated mouths and droopy eyes, both with recognisable Japanese features, portray emotion far more convincingly than the vast majority of other efforts, and need massive credit for that. 
 
Sound -.-/--. 
 
The music was so good and I'm so rarely impressed by anime soundtracks that I could barely focus on anything else. The tunes are varied, but invariably upbeat and original. Predominantly traditional instruments with more modern beats; every track was great. 
 
The Japanese seiyuu did a good job, too. 
 
The OP and ED are rubbish, however. I see what they were trying to do, but it failed. The result was like putting Geri Halliwell's version of ""It's Raining men"" at the start of Monster, finishing with Lionel Richie's ""Hello"". 
 
Characters -.-/--. 
 
Although I did like them, I would have liked to see a lot more development all round, and especially from the promising female characters. The lead could also have done with being slightly less of a pussy. A dimension of the storytelling I also would have improved would be the lead actually being the lead at all. Seeing as how Masanosuke's part wasn't actually as big or significant as it was initially presented to be, I would have started from the perspective of the gang first. In this way perhaps we wouldn't have expected him to deliver where he ultimately didn't. 
 
One character I was impressed with, however, was Matsukichi. A tenderly treated vision of depression. 
 
Overall -.-/--. 
 
Very good series. Though not particularly inspiring in its premise, something happens to this anime which makes it attract and engage the viewer (i.e. me) surprisingly well. I can only call it the sum of its parts. The art, firstly, draws an interest both in backdrop and character; the music chipperly increases momentum, and the sly story ties it all together in a charming and satisfyingly dignified package. 
 
Not a lot happens, and it's hard to see this series as anything other than an introduction to something longer (despite its low ratings let's hope we can see more manga-material animated), and as that it is an excellent piece of TV. A longer, faster-paced sequel would be an great way to continue this anime.

          
 
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    House of Five Leaves is an utterly mesmerizing Samurai drama that follows the dealings of a gang of thieves called Five Leaves in Edo Japan, who focus on kidnapping and ransom to make a profit. Despite the intriguing premise the show sadly went overlooked by most at the time of its release. This is likely due to the focus on dialogue and character interaction rather than swordplay and large-scale fights. It's a real shame too because the characters themselves are really something to behold.  
 
 Each member of the Five Leaves gang receives a small character arc that delves into their motivations and attitudes towards thievery. The show constantly explores the idea of when it is and isn't okay to commit a crime. Some are earning money to support another, others are following a code of loyalty, but each of the five members has their reasons. The audience is really allowed to reflect on what they would do in the situations of these characters and that is why the drama is so easy to resonate with. House of Five Leaves understands the importance of family, and the limits one would go through to maintain a relationship. The fear of isolation looms over everyone in our cast, and abandonment is a demon that can inflict scars deeper than those on one's skin.  
 
 These scars come to light little by little through the character Yaichi. A lot of times mystery-box characters are handled poorly because they're too distant to care for, but in Yaichi's case his cool composure and mysterious aura just add to his overwhelming charisma. He is drawn with a long face and snake-like eyes, which speaks volumes about his character's constant scheming. His distance actually makes him all that much more intriguing, and it fits very realistically within the realms of his character considering his history, which all comes full circle in the show's very emotional finale.  
 
 That isn't to diminish the rest of the cast however. The main character Masanosuke is clearly depressed and suffers from social anxiety, but he never wallows in self-loathing and is always doing his best to better himself which makes him extremely likable and relatable. His depression never overpowers the show however, as it's handled in such a subtle way that it blends into the background, which keeps the tone from getting too morbid. His honest and innocent yet cowardly nature gives him great chemistry with the aforementioned Yaichi, who acts as his composed and secretive and foil. Masanosuke also has a nice dynamic with a cop named Yagi, who acts as somewhat of a mentor figure to him, and allows Masanosuke to discover a lot about himself. His gradual growth towards the Five Leaves members is something really pleasant to watch, as by the end it feels like they've created their own little family inside Ume's bar.  
 
 While Take, the girl of the group, got the short end of the stick in terms of screen-time, (as she is the only one who isn't fleshed out through an arc) she and the other members add some very valuable life into the series. House of Five Leaves opts for a very relaxed and slow paced atmosphere rather than one of tension and excitement. Despite its slow burn feel the show never becomes dull due to the brilliant character interaction. In fact, this atmosphere gives the show a very unique identity. It exudes the same feelings one would receive sitting by the fire, and smoking a pipe as the clouds float gently through the sky, and the feeling is sold through its masterful presentation.  
 
 The mystery and serenity generated by the music harken back to a simpler Japanese time, while the earthy yet faded colour pallet simultaneously captures the clouded and distant minds of the characters as well as the natural beauty of the time period. Characters are designed with unnatural eyes and triangular noses, creating a feeling of unease; a feeling that something is clearly not right with these people.  
 
 This really shows how well directed the series is. There are no long bouts of exposition or inner monologues used to tell the story. Instead, the show utilizes the environment to give itself depth. Little things like curtains creating barriers between characters, wide shots displaying isolation, or dark lighting conveying scheming and negativity. It's these little nuggets of cinematic expression that keep House of Five Leaves engaging.  
 
 The biggest issue I have with the series is the ending. It is very emotional ride and even has a clever throwback to the first episode, but there is a lack of closure regarding Masanosuke. I would've liked to see a more distinctive change in his attitude, and while it seems like he's found his place in life amongst Five Leaves, he hasn't fully worked through his social awkwardness. That said, the other character arcs were all tied up nicely, and for a show so small in scale the ending is satisfyingly humble.  
 
 Overall House of Five Leaves is a very rewarding experience with a very tranquilizing atmosphere and a well written and mature cast of characters. I would recommend it to almost anyone as the drama has such a wide appeal, but if you're in the market for raw spectacle then you should look elsewhere. 

          
 
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    Saraiya Goyou is a distinctive, mature work that takes a refreshingly honest look at the Edo period, romanticising it in the only sense it should be idealised; an aesthetic sense. We follow an oddly honourable band of kidnappers in Japan’s Feudal age. Yaichi, the leader of this group, the Saraiya Goyou, and the bashful ronin that becomes involved with them, Matsu, are the central characters. The pace of the series is intentionally slow, allowing it to be a completely character driven, subtle, perfectly crafted narrative. If you are looking an anime that is  clash and slash, hard rock- look elsewhere; this is a skilful, meandering zither solo. 
 
Artwork -/-- 
The first aspect of the series that might catch your attention may be the artwork. It has a Ukiyo quality to it; perfectly reflecting the Japanese artwork created at the time the story is set. This woodblock-print style (from which all anime styles have descended), set against an accordion score that would be more at home in ----s France, welcomingly but unexpectedly settles you into this distant time and place. The art direction lets the series down somewhat; though it’s good, it isn’t superb. 
 
Character --/-- 
Character truly does drive the series and though every character is a well rounded and unique, three-dimensional person, much of the series centers on the interaction between two characters in particular. Little more need be said than that one has naïve, circular pupils that sit in his saucer shaped eyes, while the other has small, perceptive, green globes that peer out from behind intelligent slits with quiet, ambivalent menace.  
 
Story -/--. 
The plot is by no means spoon fed to the viewer, the majority of the important plot points are in fact left only implicit. The story itself is, however, only as complex as an engaging narrative need be. The perceptive viewer is always given enough information to see one step ahead of the story, but never beyond that to where the real questions lie. Japanese media doesn’t pander to its audience and is often as complex as the writers choose it to be, but narratives like Saraiya Goyou show that how powerful a narrative is has no relation with its complexity.  


          
 
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    After seeing the last episode, I've now added this anime to my top - favorites. 
 
The first word I'd use to describe it is ""quirky.""  The art style is quirky, the music is quirky, and so are the characters. 
 
A shy, sensitive, and naive samurai (Masa) who can't keep a job is hired to be a bodyguard for the boss of a small gang called The Five Leaves.  The boss (Yaichi) is an utter mystery to most of the other characters, especially Masa.  At the heart of the story is Masa discovering who Yaichi really is.  And the need each human has: the need to be loved and wanted. 
 
I watched this anime as it was coming out.  I gave it a rating of - until the very last episode.  The ending was so good, I had to raise it to --.  It really packed a punch, and gave me a lump in the throat. 
 
I began watching it because of the style.  I LOVED the quirkiness of the art, and the music.  And the beauty of the animation in general, which has a sort of dark, film noir-ish look.  The sets and backgrounds are beautifully realistic, albeit the general color scheme is natural colors (browns, black).  It also takes place in winter, with chilly clear days, and no foliage but for the red-leafed maples.  At the end comes the frost and snow. 
 
I appreciated that it's easy to tell which scenes are flashbacks.  They are green-tinted. 
 
And the music is quirky (think of the music in xxxHolic; I'd call that quirky too) just with a folk-music style. 
 
As I said, it was the style that hooked me.  But then I started to like Masa.  Or identify with him.  He has to come to grips with his social awkwardness, and decide if he really wants to work with an illegal gang.  He envys Yaichi and his contentedness, and hopes that attitude will rub off on himself.  ""I wish I could smile like you do,"" he tells Yaichi. 
 
As the series nears the end, we begin to discover clues about who the enigmatic Yaichi really is; this man who goes about with an air of ease, sliding through life, carrying his constant smirk.  Masa begins to delve into Yaichi's past, despite warnings to not get involved with him.  And Masa discovers that the most influential things in a person's life often hinge on the simplest things.  One choice by one person can forever change someone's life: for good, or evil; for happiness, or for tragedy.  And that even the strongest-seeming person has the same needs and vulnerabilities that everyone else does. 
 
The only detraction for me was keeping track of the characters.  I have to admit that I have a hard time remembering Japanese names.  And since this is supposed to be fairly realistic historical Japan, the characters look realistic.  They don't have purple or red hair to help you tell them apart.    So I kept mistaking some of the characters for others.  Yaichi is the only exception--the creators make him really stand out.   
 
The overall feel of this anime is slice-of-life.  The pacing is pretty slow.  This is a drama.  But it doesn't drag too long, since it's only -- episodes.  If you ONLY like action, romance, or conventional anime styles, it probably isn't for you.  But if you're willing to relax, take it easy, be sensitive, and appreciate something different, I definitely recommend it! 
 
EDIT: After watching it a second time, I wanted to share another thought.  It's as if the entire series was created for the sake of the final - minutes of the very last episode.  Nay, for the last -- seconds.  Everything builds up to that very final scene.  As I said before, it packed a punch.  And it was a lot easier to keep track of who's who the second time around. 
 
And again, this series is pure drama, and rides on emotions and human interaction.  If that doesn't interest you, you probably won't enjoy it.

          
 
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    Contrary to popular belief this anime is not calming...If anything it made me angry at how annoying and pathetic the protagonist is.  In fact he is so pitiful that nothing ever progresses in the plot.  
 
The one good thing about Saraiya-goyou is its unique art style. Saraiya-goyou is set during the Edo period in Japan and the art style is sort of a modern reflection of the art style from that period. Unfortunately I would never watch or recommend  an anime solely for the artwork so if you are thinking of watching it disregard this paragraph and move on. 
 
I understand some people are going to say "But I really just want to watch calming anime and I&#---;ve heard that this fits thats description..." As I have said above, that statement is horridly incorrect, its not calming...only tiresome and dull. If you want something calming, watch Aria.

          
 
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    Story & Characters: - 
A rather timid and shy samurai, Masa, comes across a yakuza, Yaichi. For the first time he isn't ridiculed for the frightening gap between his personality and occupation and is offered a job. When Yaichi notices Masa really has skills he tries to pull him into the Yakuza.  
This is a realistic story about how someone gets sucked into a yakuza group, and about becoming 'nakama'. While Masa struggles with his own demons he gets accepted by the - members of Sarai-ya Goyō. 
Within these twelve episodes we get to know fragments of their past and how Sarai-ya Goyō came to be.  
 
Art: - 
The backgrounds are done beautiful. This is a style looks drawn. The faces of the characters are ...not realistic. Watching the anime however, it all fits. When I looked into it I found out those faces were typical for the mangaka's (Natsume Ono's) work. 
 
Sound: - 
The opening tune was a shock to me. Some electrical beat for an anime placed in the Edo era? WTF?! After a few episodes I've come to like it and found out the songtekst couldn't be more fitting.  
Overal the sound is nicely done. The rain pours realistic, floor boards that make sounds etc. The music is fitting to the scene and the voice actors really seem to fit their characters.  
 
Enjoyment: - 
For the very first time I have come across a seinen anime that has adult characters without flashy fighting moves. The story is simple and has a nice slow pace. Watching a realistic, slice of life, yakuza story without unnecessary violence and all that jazz? It really is possible. The way awkward emotions are conveyed is also nicely portrayed. 
 
Overall: - 
Looking at the whole picture it is a story that is nicely set and really grabbed my attention. This is the first time I went ballistic searching for the manga after watching only the very first episode. This anime really grabbed my attention.

          
 
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    This is a most perplexing anime, one that waits until the end to tie everything together. It’s actually very boring at first, and what redeems it is that the show keeps throwing out little bits of exposition and development, keeping an interest going while moving at the pace of a turtle. I would expect most action-oriented and plot-oriented anime fans to be bored our of their skulls, and character-oriented anime fans to be frustrated at first.  
 
If you notice the details, it is even more perplexing. It is an extremely high quality anime, the art is in this strangely solemn style, where the characters all have very low set jaws, large empty eyes, and a sort of thick-stroked gauntness which is somehow extremely emotive (a mere shift of the eyes is enough to convey as much emotion as an gasp/cover mouth in surprise would in other anime). The quality of animation shows a good budget went into this. The incidental music is very fitting, although the OP/ED music is completely in a different style than anything else in the anime. Despite that, the OP/ED is very good and somehow refreshing.  
 
So, why all this effort to make such a boring anime? Well, the trick is, it isn’t actually like nothing is happening. It’s actually quite a tense anime, but the tensions aren’t revealed until the end. Throughout the series, lots of meaningless actions and gestures will go right under our noses if we aren’t paying attention, but in actuality if we had been paying better attention, we would have caught the tensions that these actions and gestures really conveyed. A sideways glance in episode - might have actually revealed what we learn in episode -, and in that way, I’d have to rematch the series to be sure, but I think there wasn’t any such things as meaningless actions or gestures, that every thing had a purpose, and that’s part of what made this series great. 
 
I can’t talk too much about the ending, but suffice to say, it ties the anime up, reveals everything that had been under the surface up until then, and quite frankly the way the ending made the rest of the anime make sense was literary. So, beautiful art, literary story, good music... yeah, I’d say this anime is pretty good :)

          
 
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    Saraiya Goyou is a very sedate work that received less attention than the noitaminA time slot generally receives, and was something of a critical failure for this reason. Some people were put off by Saraiya Goyou, and more ignored it entirely.  
 
 A year after it's airing, the show deserves another look.  
 
 Story: - 
 Sairaya Goyou's story is understated and slow paced, with little of the action that might be expected from a period samurai drama. Much is expressed through silence, and scenes unfold lazily, interspersed with brief segments of tension. The primary focus is on the mysterious Yaichi and his criminal associates, and the curiosity masterless Samurai Masa and Yaichi regard each other with. The plot is character-driven, and gradually learning more about the cast, their motivations and past becomes the primary focus of the anime.  
 
 Art: - 
 The artwork is extremely distinct, to the point of being off-putting to those more comfortable with traditional anime styles. The illustration lends itself well to the moody, contemplative nature of the characters, and acts as an additional means of characterization for the cast.  Edo is lovingly displayed in a realistic manner. I found the strange art reminiscent of the Ukiyo-e and nostalgic of the period Saraiya Goyou sought to portray.  
 
 Sound: - 
 The sounds are at once out of place and at purposes with Sairaya Goyou's feel, and the first indication of this is the opening. Electronica that would seemingly be completely out of tone feels a natural fit- and in the show itself, jazz and other surprising influences can be detected in the soundtrack. For the most part, the music is subdued and subordinate to the events unfolding (slowly) on screen, and makes for an excellent fit. There is nothing astounding here, and I would not call the soundtrack memorable, but it does serve the series well.  
 
 Character: -- 
 Characters are this anime's greatest strength, and the compelling force around which the show is built. Masa is a gloomy protagonist who never wallows in his misfortune, but quietly suffers with concerns about his own inadequacy and failure as a Samurai. Yaichi's motivations are inscrutable, as are those of the burglar Matsu. Some characters, such as Masa himself, Souji, or the tavernkeep and his daughter are immensely likable.  
  
 
 Enjoyment: -  
 The show lacks fanservice or flashiness, but is extremely good to sit down to with a hot cup of tea for a quiet evening. It is thoughtful, and promotes feelings of calm and contemplation as each episode ends. In this respect it is similar to the Iyashikei moé slice-of-life series. Although Saraiya Goyou is filled with tense moments and conflict, it ultimately leaves the viewer more at peace than they started.  
 
 Overall: 
 There is a fine line between ""at peace"" and ""bored"", and Sairaya Goyou will never have a wide fanbase for this reason. I owe the show a debt for helping me through a difficult time, entirely thanks to its capacity for calming disquiet and engrossing the viewer in the lazy, dreamlike intrigues of an Edo-period tavern. Sairaya Goyou deserves praise for telling a story without pandering to audience expectation or action for its own sake. The art, music and events all feel designed to work to a specific purpose in the story's mood, and nothing is allowed to remain solely for its own merit or flashiness.  
 
 I would absolutely recommend this anime to anyone who likes Japanese  history, a good character-driven drama, or someone interested in a distinctively drawn and painstakingly-developed story.   
 
 

          
 
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    The streets glow with a crimson hue. 
 
Upon closer gaze, a pattern of five-pointed leaves stained with a fiery red flutter in synchronized elegance, encapsulating the essence of an enigmatic tale told in the ---episode anime titled Saraiya Goyou or House of Five Leaves. Based on the manga by Natsume Ono, Saraiya Goyou tells a slow-burning narrative revolving around an unemployed samurai named Masa, who in simple desperation, finds himself hired by Yaichi – the leader of a small band of thieves who call themselves the Five Leaves.  
 
The bulk of the series focuses on the dynamics between the members of the Five Leaves, specifically Masa and Yaichi. Naturally then, this series is an entirely character-driven drama that entices with a very clear handle on its ambitions. Surprisingly enough, the fundamental strength of this series comes from its ability to deceive; from the characters to its progression. The series keeps itself under a veil, revealing in perfect doses, what’s necessary to tempt and assume, only to taunt those assumptions back into their flawed origins. It is in no way a standard samurai tale featuring spectacular sword fights or thrilling wars between conflicted states; rather it aims to do something far more basic than that and that is to tell an unassuming story about individuals trying to find their place in a fragmented society, where meaning is lost, and relationships are forged through coin and sin.  
 
The character’s journey to find sanctuary, belonging, and one’s self - when there seems to be very little hope - is a premise that echoes throughout time and land, and can be found really in every medium. What sets Saraiya Goyou apart in its story-telling is the mechanics it uses and the subtlety it does it with. All of the characters that are part of the “Five Leaves” find themselves together, bound by an unspoken contract and sense of camaraderie, but what’s important here is: why? The manner in which the series examines each individual’s motivation for doing so is nothing short of magnificent. Under the ruse of “criminal activities” whether its kidnappings, or thievery, or blackmail, the activities of “Five Leaves” are never the focal point, but rather it’s the interactions, reactions, and the impact of each respective crime on the band, and the individual characters themselves and that's what elevates the series. Thus, the show is able to streamline what it wants to do at all time, which is fleshing out the characters with every scene, and it does that, without skipping a beat.  
 
As the crimes escalate in risk, so do the vulnerabilities and traits of the characters regardless of how deceptive they may have seemed, initially, which brings up the strengths in the development of the individual characters. From the naïve, black-eyed Masa who suffers from a lack of confidence in his craft and himself; to the enigmatic white-haired, powder-blue eyed Yaichi with a seriously deceptive smile;  to the reserved, lone-wolf-type Matsu – the gang’s spy – who is as reckless as he is reserved; to Take, the sultry geisha with a sharp tongue and undying loyalty to the gang; to Umezou, the unofficial member with a stained past trying to clean up his present and future, yet offers the Five Leaves his tavern as their meeting place. All of these characters with their idiosyncrasies and quirks are a pleasure to witness as they try to fulfill their own goals while maintaining the House of Five Leaves. It is astounding the amount of meticulous effort that went into each gesture, interaction, and conversation when evaluated elementally, and how those come together to give dimension to each character, and the relationships that come as a product. 
 
The last defining point of the characters is their design. Saraiya Goyou is not only unique in its content, but also in technical achievement and aesthetical quality. The art-style of this series is very peculiar. Uneven lines, big circular eyes blobbed with a simple pattern and one color, mouths drawn in a way to make the Joker envious - the way the artistic design comes together is indeed very different, but for a series as out-standing, as it is, it complements it perfectly.  
 
Even the background art and the music that accompanied the story-telling were equally fitting such as the subdued use of color except for very intentional markers such as the crimson leaf, or Yaichi’s eyes, or objects that consistently enhanced the mood or scene, contextually or situationally. The serene shamisen accompanied by the jubilant accordion and flute seemed to be the instruments of choice and bode well, as they really heightened the time-period it was depicting. Overall, every element seems to have been crafted only to tell this story, and Saraiya Goyou is that series where everything just came together in just the right way. 
 
As slow-burning as this show is, it’s worth experiencing for all those who enjoy a well-seasoned, character-driven tale. It isn’t flashy. It isn’t in your face. Saraiya Goyou is more like an impressionistic painting, which requires patience to fully appreciate the details. The strengths lie deeper than a first-look like within its stylistic choices, its clandestine characters, its simplicity, and unparalleled elegance.  
 
Though, don’t be deceived; even though it may run at a relaxed pace and seem indifferent to action, the impassioned crimson-hearted House of Five Leaves and their members will surely persuade you to stay until the end… 
 

          
 
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    Peace and serenity, independence of the mind, graceful beauty, resting, & death; the rich magnificence of a maple leaf as it falls at the closing of its years. Before we begin, I would like to say that no other symbolism can effectively associate itself with Saraiya Goyou moreso than that of a satin maple leaf. 
 
At this very instance, the broad versatility of references that exists within this beautiful piece of nature constructs a focal point for everything that Saraiya Goyou is and stands for. To me, it simply opts to convey every aspect of the rich symbolic context of a maple leaf through its character driven drama, plot, and art. 
 
For story, I want to take note of the way that Saraiya Goyou handles its episodic nature by overlapping many of the stories into other episodes to effectively condense the series and maintain a level of fluid consistency between each episode and cleverly allowing minor points in these plots to serve a purpose later on in the series. Building on that, what I am more particularly fond of is the fast-paced ""snappy"" style of storytelling. For example, in many cases an episode will go into immense depth on tactics that will be used to carry out a crime that the characters are planning to execute and then suddenly, after this discussion of tactics and such, the actions that they were discussing have taken place and in the very next scene the characters will be dealing with the consequences or an issue that was encountered in the off-screen event. It's not a generally favourable story-telling style but it allows room for more development of the characters that is far more down to earth. 
 
This style also allows room for heavy interpretation of many events that take place off-screen and is essentially fast-paced, focused story development that never looses an ounce of its vigour. It's a case where the producers seemed to know exactly how long to make the show which is a problem that I have had many times with anime. 
 
Another thing that I wish to emphasize is how the show adapts its dialogue in such a way that it is constantly melded into each characters personality and essentially never falls into the pit of telling the story rather than showing it. Sure this kind of observation has been made on other series before, but in my mind Saraiya Goyou is one of the best examples of dialogue driven storytelling that show-cases an equilibrium between the audience and itself. 
 
Another dimension that I appreciated of Saraiya Goyou was the Robin Hood nature of the scenario's that it looked at, but unlike Robin Hood, all the scenario's were not left morally ambiguous but were ""heavily in the grey"" from the criminals perspective (e.g. the entire main cast) or the one's being subjugated to the criminal activity. In many respects it is quite suspicious that many of those at the receiving end of the criminals activities were more or less deserving but the best thing about it, is that it doesn't make a clear cut judgement on the themes that it explores, which are (at their core) very mature and sensitive topics and Saraiya Goyou takes a stance for a tasteful perspective on the mature themes that it explores which earns it extra credit in my book. 
 
 I rarely hand out a perfect score for anything, but this is one part of Saraiya Goyou that I really cannot find a flaw, simply put, its characters are nothing short of remarkable. Saraiya Goyou is essentially a character driven drama and the series comes across as completely aware of that. It is rare to find an anime where the characters are so well developed with such little time, so the character development I can allegedly say is masterful, no member of the cast is left out of the equation (yes including minor characters that are only on-screen for an episode or -) each character has a fully orchestrated history that is highly detailed. Taking it a step further, to truly emphasize the beauty of the characters within this series is that the show has not one occasion where any character does anything ""out of character"" and when questionable actions take place, the context of the series steps in to justify those actions fair and square. 
 
The art in Saraiya Goyou whilst it is an acquired taste, is nothing short of beautiful in its detail with lavish background settings, the character designs are very interesting and hardly comparable to anything with a possible exception of Kaiji and Fantastic Children's noses (those noses, I can't get them out of my head), that said the ending product in the animation department is fascinating in that whilst it does not allow itself to revel in an exercise of romanticism of the Edo period what it does do is somehow allows an attachment to be built that tugs at my ""heart-strings"" inviting me into a world of rich depth, making me wish that I was a part of the whole ordeal unfolding between the characters. That said, I cannot quite put my finger on what it is about the art that makes me feel that way, is it perhaps a combination of its art and the simple exchanging of words as one hikes down the main road or even partaking these everyday activities through the streets of an Edo suburbia? 
 
I haven't got much to say on the sound department except for the fact that it gets the job done. The OST is oozing with tracks that set the mood and allow me to become engaged and invest in the emotional aspects of the series. Like the rest of the series, the music used remains sincerely reflective of a story that is constantly providing subtle questions from the grey area, and the music recognizes this, with that taken into consideration it kind of pains me to say that the score is the series weakest point. 
 
One thing that is possibly wrong with the series; is that it lacks entertainment value. Now I for one enjoyed the series immensely but as I mentioned before in my comment that the art in this show is an acquired taste, this statement also applies to the entire series. That said, to fully appreciate the series you may need to be a more experienced anime or manga fan, so it is not favourable for many that Saraiya Goyou excels in every other department except for high-octane stimulation but with all of this said the fact that Saraiya Goyou takes up this bold sense of direction remains a benefit to the show. It serves as a reminder that simple stimulation can only achieve so much and sometimes we need to step back and take our time to divulge in a shows inner essence, which is something that Saraiya Goyou does very very well. 
 
 There really isn't much else in the way of negatives and to be honest I am scratching my head trying to find a major flaw (there are - or - unbelievably-obscurely minor flaws that the only way that they would become major problems is if you kicked out logic in the first place). That said, there was one major flaw but quite contrarily the series managed to effectively rectify it in the end which makes it even more easier for me to say that this series is deserving of every bit of praise that it gets. 
 
Saraiya Goyou is a great anime, almost no flaws, amazingly well developed characters and top-notch execution all around. 
 I believe that a review should let you decide whether or not you should watch a show, and if I was the ronin in this series, I would invite you all to spend a quiet moment with Saraiya Goyou. 
 
Story -/-- 
Characters --/-- 
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    Saraiya Goyou, or House of Five Leaves, is the latest work by cult studio Manglobe. Now, while it isn't generally a good idea for a critic to speak personally, it bears mention that this is the first time I have ever seen anything by Manglobe, so I can't really comment on how it compares to their previous works. However, the fact that Manglobe already have a cult following in spite of only having four previous works to their name (Samurai Champloo, Ergo Proxy, Michiko to Hatchin and Seiken no Blacksmith) says quite a lot about this studio. Now, I don't know if Saraiya Goyou is in the vein of their other works, but this is likely considering that Manglobe are known for having a completely unique style and presentation, both in story and visuals, and Saraiya Goyou not only delivers on this, but it does so in spades. 
 
The show revolves around a swordsman for hire. Right now, you may well be thinking of some underrated master swordsman, a badass with amazing skill, who slays men in their thousands. This could not be further from the truth. Whilst the swordsman, our main character Akitsu Masanosuke (usually called ""Masa"" for short) is a competent swordsman, he is completely human. There is nothing truly special about him. He is, however, rarely hired, in part because he looks so harmless. But this all begins to change when he meets a strange man calling himself Yaichi, who actually agrees to hire him. However, as Masa soon discovers, he's been hired to work for a group of kidnappers. He initially tries to leave, but soon finds himself more and more immersed in the criminals' world. 
 
Now, it's worth noting that this show has a very unusual art style. This can be extremely offputting to some people, which, alongside with the slow pace of this show, probably account for the incredibly low ratings this show had upon airing. This is a great shame, because as of writing this is probably the best anime of ----. It starts off quite slow, making it hard to rope viewers in, but it slowly but surely hooks the viewer. The pace is often considered to be the best and worst thing about this anime. It seems boring, but at the same time, utterly captivating. It's strange, but no matter how slow the show is, you never want to stop watching. At the same time, the slow pace can make the important moments all the more impressive and memorable. 
 
When it comes to the cast, most of them are good characters, and there are no bad characters in this show. However, the ones everyone remembers are the leading pair, Masa and Yaichi. Lesser characters like Ume and Matsu are memorable, but they aren't nearly as impressive. While Masa starts out as awkward, spineless, and mildly annoying, over the course of the series he gradually comes out of his shell. He comes to impact the plot strongly, form bonds with the Five Leaves, and prove his worth repeatedly in a fantastic display of character development. While he isn't as impressive as Rock from Black Lagoon, another character who started out in a similar fashion, he's certainly a character worthy of praise. Yaichi, on the other hand, is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. He is the mysterious leader of the Five Leaves, and a highly interesting character. To speak of his past is to ruin the entire plot of the show. 
 
Now, while the art style is offputting for some, it is by no means bad. It doesn't take long to get used to, and the art is produced to a high standard, as is the animation. Both are joined with an interesting style that focuses on a subtle, yet rich darkness. A large amount of the series is set at night, viewed only by candlelight, if even that. The daytime scenes are often indoors, under shadow. And the high-quality production extends to the soundtrack as well. The background music is distinct and memorable, giving a unique feel to the show. The opening theme, ""Sign of Love"", is a great song that grows on you more with each passing episode. The only problem I have with the soundtrack is the ending theme, a fun, bouncy song that invariably seems completely out of place at the end of each episode. 
 
While Saraiya Goyou is by no means a show for everyone, it is a great watch for those who can appreciate it. Some patience will be necessary for viewing it, but it will not go unrewarded. 
 
Final Words: Watching every other Manglobe show just shot up significantly in my priorities. 
 
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    Every now and then a show is needed to unwind to. Something to break the monotony of the typical over-the-top anime shows with ""in your face"" color pallete and the overused tropes. We seek these melancholic shows to provide temporary release from the norm, a sort of meditative experience if you will. House of Five Leaves is that kind of show. A show that understands its audiences' desires and executes it with a delicate balance. This certainly isn't for anyone seeking an adrenaline rush or intense action flick but rather serves as an oasis for anime fans that want to just kick back and relax.  
 
 
Story: -/-- 
 
The story follows our protagonist Masanosuke as he searches for a purpose in which he can excel at. However being a wondering ronin limits his options to bodyguard duty and through this he becomes acquainted with the ""Five Leaves"": A band of kidnappers that target affluent people of questionable business behaviors to receive ransom. It isn't structured as a clear cut point A to point B narrative but more of a character driven one.  The show follows several mini arcs, each either involving the mission of the team or showing the main overarching story, which involves slowly unveiling the gangs' boss Yaichi's life and backstory. This slowly exfoliates  throughout the show's duration with a ending that wraps everything up nicely by coming full circle. The effectiveness of the story is within its simplicity. Since its structured in such a simple way it allows the characters in it to breath life into their world as they remain the primary focus throughout. It's simple storytelling done right.  
 
Art/animation: -/-- 
 
 Everything from the opaque backgrounds to the character's visual aesthetic was handled with great care. It's like a painting brought to life. The world building was also handled well, as you're immediately sucked into the setting and time period that the story takes place in. You can also tell that the animators had a grasp of capturing a sense of depth of frame, as there was a clear distinction separating the foreground from the background, something many shows tend to neglect to do. They use an acid washed color palette accompanied with rich blacks and other textures to help build an aura that looms over the entire show, bathing in a distinct tinge of melancholy while still being easygoing. They were also aware of when and how to use color, as they would limit color choices given the kind of mood they're trying to capture and convey. This was evident with flashbacks and key episodes throughout the show. It's an impressive display of color theory and color placement that was spearheaded by a talented and impassioned crew of creators.   
The character designs of Five Leaves are far from conventional. They all share a distinct facial structure with gaping looking eyes (as shown on the anime art cover), which, despite the obtuse expression, was actually pulled off well. They become a part of the environment they're presented in and are uniquely designed when compared to the ""run of the mill"" brightly colored haired bishounens we're used to seeing. This unique character design gave the show its trademark identity that made it stand out from the crowd. Whether you like it or not comes down to preference but there's no denying its distinct look. 
 
Sound: -.-/-- 
 
It's hard pinpointing the soundtrack for the show. Sure It had its somber piano ballads, traditional Japanese song instrumentals and other pieces to accompany its usual easy going setting, but there are some tracks that are clearly inspired by French/European flavoring with an Accordion playing throughout certain songs. Seeing that this anime is set during an Edo period Japan, the cultural clash of European influenced music seems like a rather odd choice. One would think they would stick to only traditional instruments of that era of Japan's history, such as the more common placed Biwa or Koto stringed instruments for example. This does not take away from the music used but it would have certainly set a better tone if the show would have taken a stricter cultured route. If they were going for a self-aware cultural mash-up like Samurai Champloo it would have been understandable but they clearly wasn't. It's certainly a unique choice but sometimes it doesn't fit the mood as well. Seeing that music is subjective to one's tastes, how much this bother you as a viewer will vary. Hell, it may not even register with you at all, which in any case it doesn't do much to hinder the show's overall quality to begin with. You can see this as more of a personal nitpick than an actual problem. 
The voice actors were also well composed. Everyone came across like they were in their element, this made the character interactions to show great chemistry. Almost like listening to a conversation between old friends, which in turn allowed for great immersion.  
 
Characters: -/-- 
 
   Our main protagonist Masa suffers from a clear case of inferiority complex. Although this approach isn't new it's handled well and not made out to be simple melodrama. It's nice to see him strive for self-worth without sacrificing his ideals as a person, with him being a man with a decent moral compass. Another refreshing aspect is that he doesn't throw this ideal around like a bishonen MC would, but rather expresses it to show his distaste for certain actions. Due to his timid behavior, however, he doesn't seem to fight against the actions his companions take. This may make him out to be a push over but due to the character interactions it's never abused for unnecessary drama. Slowly but surely he opens up to the lifestyle of the group and proves his worth. 
   Yaichi is by far the most enigmatic and captivating character, mostly due to his ambiguous and collective personality. He always steals the spotlight in whichever scene he's in, as we as viewers are constantly trying to piece together his true motives. He isn't simply clear cut as ""the cool guy"" but more so a person that seem to dabble in the grey, which makes his presence unnerving at times.  
   Ume is a man of stubborn pride that only seem to care for those who he's close to. He takes on the role of big brother to the others and is often the one with the sharp tongue. He isn't afraid to speak his mind but is also protective of his friends and family. Just like Masa he has a moral compass, but unlike him, he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty if it means protecting the ones closest to him. 
   Matsu seem to be a closed off individual that is all about business and fulfilling his obligations. He's the information gatherer of the group and his job reflects his personality. He can be summed up as a lone wolf. He only show respect to those he's indebted to and shows loyalty to the group but never brings up anything regarding his personal life. Due to his detachment to others he isn't quite explored until later into the show with his individual arc.  
   Otake is a rather carefree woman, she doesn't seem to take anything too seriously but still composes herself to a degree. She seems to go about things on a whim with a smile always on her face and always find pleasure in the company of others. Her past, like the others in the group, is revealed later on, which brought another aspect to the story involving Yaichi. There isn't much to her in layered characterization but she is still a nice addition to the group.  
 
the rest of the supporting cast also play their roles well and don't need over the top quirky personalities to be understood. They simply play their roles in the story without overstepping their boundaries.  
Together these characters are all subtle in execution and are down to earth enough that their presence feel natural. The air of maturity complimented the melancholic tone of the show quite well. This brings forth nice organic character interactions between them, making all their time on screen a pleasure to watch. All the characters show a sense of honor as to be expected among Japanese customs. This mutual comradery for each other is what makes this cast among the better ones anime has to offer. 
 
Enjoyment: -.-/-- 
 
I entered this anime to seek escape from the usual dime a dozen shows and that's exactly what I got. It's soothing, got to the point and didn't overstay its welcome. For that, I can easily recommend this to anyone seeking the same kind of escape as myself. 
 
Overall: -.-/-- 
 
Don't be fooled, this anime will not be everyone's cup of tea. It's not trying to impress the audience nor is it trying to be more than it is. It's simply an anime that slowly unfolds a simple story on its own pace. If you're looking for a show to relax to or just something to offer a break from anime's usual tropes then this might be just the remedy. But if you're looking for intense samurai action flick and a grandiose story I advise you look somewhere else.  
 
As for other recommendations, I point you towards: 
 
Mushishi: A show that also captures the familiar melancholic atmosphere, accompanied with unique character designs and tranquil presentation. It also takes its time exploring its world and individual stories. However, it lacks an overarching story as oppose to House of Five Leaves.  
 
Shigurui: You won't find the tranquil easy going nature of House of Five Leaves here but what they do share in common is that sense of mutual comradery, slow pacing and similar Edo period world setting with samurais. Also, it has a slowly unfolding backstory of certain characters as well. Be warned though, it's a VERY bloody show and follows more of a grittier approach. If you're one who doesn't want to see a bloodbath, stay away. 

          
 
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    Saraiya Goyou is about a gang called “Five Leaves” during the Edo period in Japan.  There is very little action, the artwork is nontraditional, and the story moves at a snail’s pace.  So why should anyone pay attention to this?  Actually, I’d say that those points work to Saraiya Goyou’s advantage, resulting in a well-written, mature story.  
 
 
Story & Characters 
 
The members of Five Leaves make their money through undercover jobs such as kidnapping, but they are not the usual rough and tough gangsters. Most of them appear to be friendly, thoughtful people who spend their time lounging around in a relaxed environment, discussing personal issues until their next job. The gang includes a charismatic leader, a shy swordsman, a shop owner, a metallic ornament craftsman, and a woman.  Their varied personalities make them an unlikely group to hang out, but they manage to work together on behalf of Five Leaves. 
 
This series is completely character-driven and wastes no time in exploring the member’s personal backgrounds, revealing each of their motives for joining the gang in the first place.  Perhaps the most intriguing member of Five Leaves is the leader himself, Yaichi. He is admired for his calm demeanor, yet he is perceived as mysterious because he seems to hide a lot of information about himself.  The show delves into how the other members feel about Yaichi, particularly the shy swordsman who is new to the group. 
 
The scenes move slowly and quietly as you watch the characters contemplate about things, plan their missions, and embark on a few short travels.  You won’t see a lot of sword fighting or other eventful action here.  Even when the members carry out a job, it is more about information gathering and sneaking around places rather than fighting.  That is not to say that the show never has its intense moments though; it masterfully weaves in tension and drama just at the right times. 
 
The characters are so down-to-earth and believable that the pleasure of this series comes from observing their close interactions, facial expressions, dialogue, and the subtle changes in their personalities.  If you don’t particularly enjoy concentrating on such details, this series might be perceived as a bit dull. 
   
 
Artwork & Animation 
 
I know a few people who thought that Saraiya Goyou was quite interesting, but they couldn’t continue watching it because they were distracted by the character designs. They're distinguished by having dark, gloomy eyes, pointy noses, and low, wide mouths. Some people just say ""frog faces.""  Even though they are a little odd, I find the designs to be personally fitting in the context of this series.  I've also known them to grow on viewers who have given them a chance. 
 
The amount of detail in the animation is very impressive.  For example, I appreciate how well they animated the momentum of water in a cup while it was being swayed or tilted, the breeze effect on a lighted candle after a door was just closed, and the fluid movement of the characters.  The artwork is finely detailed as well and really captures the look and feel of the Edo period. 
 
 
Atmosphere 
 
There always seems to be a dark cloud looming over the characters.  Their minds are heavy with thoughts of their pasts and current responsibilities.  Some viewers say that the show is merely all about ""gloomy people,"" and they are right to a certain degree.  The characters aren't that upbeat, but despite that, the atmosphere doesn't feel depressing all of the time.  I found that there's also a lighter air of relaxation and occasional amusement which adds to the enjoyment of watching. 
 
 
Sound 
 
The opening song, “Sign of Love” by Immi, is a melodic, electronic beat which surprised me.  I took a liking to it, so I had high hopes for the rest of the soundtrack.  Fortunately, the background music has been superb.  Nearly every musical piece is a calm, soothing melody that enhances the show’s atmosphere.  Some of the tunes are also catchy, and I’ve found myself randomly playing them in my head. 
 
 
Overall 
 
Without a doubt, Saraiya Goyou is a must-see from the Spring ---- season.  Rather than relying on action to tell its story, the show excels in rich characterization, detailed animation, sound, subtleness, and realism.  Saraiya Goyou is an example of maturity in anime at its best.

          
 
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    What if there was an anime, an anime that was about samurai. This anime wasn't about ""the strongest samurai"" or ""the path to glory"" or even a ""demon sword,"" but instead it was about meek looking samurai with slightly above average skills. He wasn't looking to fight the strongest fight, or defeat the overlord and free his people, but maybe, he was just looking to make his living and help his little sister back at home. That would be, if not anything, interesting. That's exactly what Sarai-ya Goyou (House of the Five Leaves) is about. This anime isn't for those who live to see explosions and special effects and isn't even for people who want to see some fight scenes - there's only about two or three in the entire series, and for an anime that has its main protagonist as a bodyguard, that's pretty strange. 
 
Story: -/-- 
Welcome to the Five Leaves, an association of almost chivalrous robbers (I say almost because, well, they keep what they ""earn"" but do their jobs for the greater good). The story follows our already stated protagonist, Masa, the not-so-scary swordsman. Masa is in need of a job, since he keeps getting fired, because well, he just isn't good at being a bodyguard. It doesn't suit him. This is when he runs into the Five Leaves. The leader of the Five Leaves, Yaichi, is a bouncer at the local brothel. After a chain of events Masa joins up with Yaichi to take on jobs such as smuggling, theft, kidnapping, and so on. Also in the group are many other interesting characters - Ume the tavern owner, Okinu his daughter, Otake a local prostitute, and Matsu an unfriendly swordsman. The stories behind each of these characters are all eventually divulged, thus I don't want to ruin any of the fun here. All I can say about the story is that while at the beginning of the series it looks pretty weak, and by the end, it comes and hits you in the face pretty dang strong. 
 
Art: -/-- 
Er well... If you don't like the art then well, there's no hope. You won't like this anime. The art I believe, is incredibly important to setting the mood of the anime. Awkward. No not like ""that's so awkward"" but like... It brings you out of your comfort zone of what you usually see in anime, while not being CrAzY like Trapeze or Yojou-han. The Animation is fine, but there really isn't a whole lot if it. The anime heavily relies on dialogue to explain things, unlike other samurai anime like Sword of the Stranger that heavily relies on animation to tell it's tale. If you liked the artist behind Ristorante Paradiso, you're in luck because well, it's the exact same one - Ono Natsume!  
 
Sound: --/-- 
Simply brilliant. Each track of this anime got me snapping or tapping my finger, even if just a little bit. Every song sounded original and interesting and just... fun! The sound is like elevator music, infused with light techno, and a little jazz. It doesn't distract you from the anime, but you simply can't ignore it. The opening song, ""Sign of Love"" by immi is also just awesome - a light technopop opening in MY anime about samurais? Magnificent. The ending was nice too, but barely compares to the soundtrack and opening. The voice acting was great too. Namikawa Daisuke (Hohenheim from FMA:B) and Takahiro Sakurai (Suzaku from Code Geass) voice the two protagonists, Masa and Yaichi. If you like either you now have a very good reason to sitting your arse down and watching this anime. But fear not! The rest of the casts voices are also just so... right! So spot on! Takahiro Ai (who I've never heard of before until this anime) voiced Okinu, the young girl who assists at the tavern where the Five Leaves meets has such a cute voice it's deadly! I hope to hear more of her in the future. Overall, the sound is a feast for the ears and skipping out on it is like saying you don't like your ears. Your ears would be very sad if they heard that. 
 
Character: -/-- 
I've actually addressed most of the characters at this point. Yaichi, the ""lone mysterious cool guy"" actually gets some of the most character development I've ever seen and part of the second half of the anime hinges on him alone. To be blunt, he isn't as cool and suave as he is first introduced to be. Masa obviously is a deeper character than first presented and I noticed a lot of people complaining how much of a ""wimp"" and ""loser"" he is. Let me say this, if all the protagonists in anime were AWESOME and COOL then anime itself as a medium would suck. Masa actually doesn't even whine or complain at ALL throughout the series, and saying he's a wimp is like calling Shinji from NGE cool. It's just not gonna fly. He undergoes some serious character development and by the end of the series he well, can be seen in a different light than before. Matsu is another character I'd like to talk about. He at first appears to be another cold and unfriendly character, but by goodness this anime manages to make even him look good. The secondary characters are all strong and interesting in themselves but a few here and there are kind of shallow (not many, but some). Whilst not perfect, House of Five Leaves has some of the most realistic characters I've seen to date that are simply just - human. 
 
Enjoyment: -/--: 
Even with all these awesome aspects, the show can at times be a mixed-bag. Flashbacks at confusing times, with confusing material addressed, in a confusing way, and backgrounds that usually don't have much color or vibrancy in them (but seeing as a lot of the anime takes place at night I can accept that). The weird pacing that takes place early in the series, while very different, can be a major turn-off. The latter half of the series is totally amazing and ties off and puts a nice bow on top of everything occurring at the start of the series. It's not hard to miss something in this anime too, which was kind of a problem, because if you space out for a little while, you can miss some serious plot. If you don't like heavy dialogues and minimal action, then I don't recommend you try this anime, but if you could see yourself giving it a try, then heck, go for it. 
 
Overall: -/-- 
There's nothing disappointing about this anime while I believe there could have been improvement. It's an intelligent anime that is better watched alone, and focus is definitely necessary, but a rewarding anime it is. You'll be glad you checked out House of Five Leaves. 
 
This anime will never be popular. You will never see someone wearing a Sarai-ya Goyou T-Shirt. You will never see someone pretend to be Masa and do his samurai techniques. It's not that kind of anime. It's an anime that is doomed to be unpopular and only spoken of on the smallest portions of internet forums and be referenced as ""a hidden gem."" I don't know why all gems have to be hidden, but the statement stands true with Sarai-ya Goyou. It's an anime that can easily be overlooked if you didn't take the time to check it out, so go take -- episodes of your time (and a fast -- it is) and enjoy yourself with House of Five Leaves.

          
 
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    masterpiece. 
""We're always together. We said that we'd always be."" - Nagisa Furukawa. 
Is Clannad another""crying game""? If you want a long answer... Unlike Kanon, Clannad has a lighter touch to it. It does not focus too much on boy-girl love(although in some character's route it does), but more on thefamily love and the sweetness of friendship. 
Also Clannad has a very clean cut in touching moments. They make you cry slightly, but not like Air and Kanon where you'd cry to exhaustion. Also the humors in Clannad is pretty good. I have a count of spitting tea on my monitor for at least four times due to laughter. 
Touching moments does not necessary occur between the main character and the girls. You(the main character) actually got the most touching non-boy-girl moments. Listen to the BGM'to the same heights'to get a better idea of it. 


          
 
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    This anime is absolutely amazing. It made me laugh, it made me cry, I couldn't stop watching it! I had to take my mind off it by watching other animes so it didn't pass so quickly, I wanted the experience to last forever. I am a big fan of romance, so I personally prefer this anime to nearly any other anime I have ever watched. The character development is just outstanding. The plot confused me slightly at one point, and there were quite a few points that they left open and haven't finished. I'm not sure if they are making another Clannad sequel, but if they're not, it would be a massive shame to not have those loose ends tied. Overall, I think this is a must see anime. It is breathtakingly good. You MUST watch this!

          
 
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    *Before I start my review, I would like to say that I strongly encourage you to watch Clannad first. If you are wondering if you should watch Clannad for the pure reason of watching After Story, I would not encourage you to do so. Clannad is not something that should be treated as a stumbling block. Also, After Story will be much less enjoyable if you haven't seen Clannad, or if you didn't enjoy Clannad. 
 
What does it mean to watch a truly great anime? When I finished After Story, I was watching it on my laptop in the student center of my college. The show ended, and I found myself in a state of euphoria. I looked around and saw all of these people, going about their day, all completely oblivious to what I had experienced. This left me with something that many call ""the void."" 
 
The void is a feeling of emptiness. You feel like you have lost something, and you want to find something else to make you feel whole again. You can get this feeling from anything of course, whether it's music, a movie, a book, or maybe a real life experience. And what makes the void so bad is that you may fear that you will never experience something so great ever again. Clannad: After Story probably gave me a bigger void than any kind of media ever had.  
 
Something I hate to hear is when people say, ""After Story is better than Clannad."" Is it? Well...yeah, but it is not so simple as just being better than its predecessor. You see, they are both the same story. After Story doesn't just become written better or introduce different characters. The characters in Clannad are for the most part the same ones in After Story. So if that's the case, why is After Story better? 
 
When you watch a romantic anime, there is a tendency for it to end with questions left unanswered. Sometimes, the love interests just kiss. Sometimes, they just tell each other that they love each other. Heck, I've seen a show where the characters just look at each other and then realize in their heads that they like each other. However, After Story gives the viewer answers to what happens after our love interests finally get to first base. 
 
*Minor spoilers for Clannad ahead, just in case you haven't seen it yet. 
 
At the end of Clannad, Tomoya and Nagisa finally tell each other their feelings, but they don't kiss or anything. If you watch the OVA's, you know that it took weeks for them just to hold hands. But their lives move beyond that, and After Story shows us how.  
 
After Story takes place directly where Clannad stopped. The first nine episodes are very similar to the arcs in Clannad, so at first, you don't even notice the show change. Then, the characters’ graduate and move on with their lives. Simply put, they become adults. Crazy for a romantic anime to take place somewhere outside high school. Telling you more than that would start spoiling things. But letting the story move beyond the standard setting of school allows for more creative writing and character development. That's not to say the writing of Clannad was bad though. But when you experience the trials of the characters, you will understand what I mean.  
 
In my review for Clannad, I mentioned that a big problem with it is that it has a hard time breaking away from its visual novel roots. With After Story, you wouldn't have known it was a visual novel in the first place. My second problem with Clannad is that all of the arcs involving supporting characters inhibited the show from letting the main story and main characters’ shine. In After Story, there only is one story...kind of. 
 
After Story also continues the side story about the girl and the garbage doll. I can't say what it is about, why it is there, or when it will make sense. If I said anything, it would spoil something. I do have a suggestion: pay attention to the side story, as well as the main story. I can't say what exactly to look for, but pay attention. It may prove fruitful later. 
 
I have to give you one warning: After Story is a slice of life anime, but it does have a tiny little bit of magic or whatever in it. Some may be disappointed by this. Still, not of a big deal.  
 
As far as technicalities go, not much has changed. We are given the same -D graphics seen in the Illusionary World, the same pretty flower petals floating in the wind, and the same soundtrack. Is that bad? No, absolutely not. I will however say that we are given a couple more tracks along with the old ones, if that makes any difference to you.    
 
Out of any anime of this genre, After Story is the best of the best. There is nothing so unique, well written, or emotional. And oh boy, THIS SHOW IS EMOTIONAL. You see, most shows only hit you once or twice with the proverbial baseball bat, but Clannad: After Story does not know when to stop. 
 
Clannad: After Story is a true masterpiece, and I think that any fan of anime should experience it. 


          
 
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    Clannad: After Story how many say this anime influenced and changed their lives I decided to review this anime and point out both the good and bad aspects of the anime. 
 
 
Art: -/--   The art is very good nothing bad about it. I've seen better but also has the Key style art theme so I like it. 
 
Sound: -/-- Great Voice Actors/Actresses and the soundtrack was great but a bit repetitive. 
 
Now for the real part of the review. 
Story: -/-- 
The story is about Tomoya who is acting like a spoiled brat who cries every few minutes about his dad. Tomoya develops slightly as the show progresses but very slowly. He even has to take out his anger on a child.  The development of the story was just horrible. I really don't understand how people consider this a such a beautiful story. 
 
The Characters: -/-- 
 
As a fan of the visual novel they pretty much adapted all of the characters correctly in terms of personality with the exception of one but i'll get to that in a bit. The characters are all fairly likable and easily able to be attached to if the show actually had character development. 
 
Tomoya: Horrible protagonist in the anime. He cries about his father trying to take good care of him and doesn't understand anything about being an adult. He takes his problems out on others. He is a good friend to the few he has is his only positive trait.  
 
Nagisa: Nothing bad about her except her taste in men. She is nearly a perfect heroine you are really able to get attached to her as the story progresses. 
 
Ushio: The character that I feel sorry for the most. Unlike Tomoya she isn't a crybaby who has a legit reason to cry yet she shows more maturity than Tomoya ever has. 
 
 
The Enjoyment: -.--/--  
 
I enjoyed - episode of After Story, Ushio, Nagisa, and that is pretty much it. 
 
I am grateful for seeing this anime because it introduced me to the visual novel of Clannad which I gave a -.-/--  but I really don't know why people enjoy this anime. 
 
Overall -/-- I recommend this anime as a comedy on how they tried to make a serious anime but failed horribly and turned it into a mockery.

          
 
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    Definitely the most touching thing I have ever experienced. If someone told me I would cry watching an anime a year ago I would have told them they were crazy. Since I started watching anime I have only seen a select few which made me experience such emotion. 
 
Spice and Wolf almost made me cry one tear. 
 
Air almost made me cry one tear. 
 
FMA Brotherhood made me cry one manly tear. 
 
Kanon (----) made me cry one manly tear. 
 
Guilty Crown made me shed one manly tear. 
 
Code Geass made me cry one or two manly tears. 
 
I guess at this point the tears stop being manly. 
 
Clannad: Afterstory made me cry at least SIX tears, four of which came simultaneously. 
 
If that doesn't say enough about Clannad Afterstory, then here's the actual review: 
 
WARNING: SPOILER FOR FIRST SEASON OF CLANNAD 
 
Story --/--  
 
The story follows the life of Tomoya after he graduates and is in a relationship with Nagisa. I am not sure how to describe much more of the story without giving spoilers because we already know who the characters are from watching the first part. 
 
Art -/-- 
 
Sound --/--  
 
Sound done by Jun Maeda/KEY Sounds Label, very well done... The opening song is incredible and very emotional. The Dango Family song... just watch the show and yeah. The ending song: I actually think the ending song is quite good... HOWEVER BE WARNED: it is extremely upbeat and when it plays after a certain episode you may be tempted to punch the computer/TV screen or shut off the volume immediately.  
 
Characters --/-- 
 
The characters are all so loveable. You will always be rooting for them, part of the reason why this anime is so heartbreaking. 
 
Enjoyment --/-- 
 
Easily one of the greatest anime of all time, definitely deserves the MAL score of over -. 
 
Overall --/-- 
 
One of my all time favorites. Just don't let anyone tell you to skip Clannad and go straight for Afterstory.  


          
 
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    It's amazing how an anime can change the way you think. After Story is a truly amazing and touching anime. It is one of a kind, a true masterpiece in my opinion. I didn't have too high expectations of After Story after watching Clannad. But don't misunderstand me, Clannad is a great anime, but it also lacked a lot. After Story though, is flawless.  
 
Story (--/--): After Story begins where Clannad left and revolves mainly around Tomoya and Nagisa's relationship, even though the other characters sometimes pop up. We get to dive in into their lives and focus on their growth, love, grief and happiness. The days, months and years pass by. They go from students to adults and realize how wonderful life can be. But at the same time, life can be very cruel. 
 
The pacing is perfect. It's not too slow, but it calmly tells the story and leisurely moves from one arc to another.  
 
Characters (--/--): After watching Clannad you already know the characters. In After Story you get the chance to know them better and grow with them as the story goes. Their backgrounds are revealed, mysteries gets their answers and little by little you feel as if you're there with them. You laugh and cry alongside with them.  
 
THAT, people, is what a slice of life story should be like!  
It's almost scary, that's how realistic the characters seem to be.  
 
Sound (-/--): I have absolutely nothing to complain about here. They have picked great pieces for the somewhat sad story. ""Dango Daikazoku"" has a memorable melody and is played several times trough the series. I don't think there's anyone who've seen Clannad and isn't moved to tears every time that piece is played. It eches onto your heart.  
 
Art (-/--): The art is mindblowing.  
The cherry trees, the great fields filled with sunflowers and the cute firefly-filled nights. Everything is so beautifully drawn down to the smallest details. The mood is created beautifully through both art and sound.  
 
Enjoyment (--/--): After Story swipes you off your feet and grabs your heart. I strongly recommend everyone to watch Clannad and After Story. This is an amazing anime and should be a must for anyone to watch.  
And remember; never, EVER, take ANYONE you love for granted. You never know when they're gone.  
 
Overall (--/--): What do you learn from this story? 
 
You learn not to take anyone for granted. You learn to cherish your loved ones. You learn about the difficulties of life and the importance of being thankful for what you have. Life isn't always about living happily ever after. There is so much more to it. Even if your fairy tale didn't go as planned, never give up. Look at what you have. Life holds many surprises.

          
 
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    Clannad ~AS~ is one of those few of animes that I can really put into my list of Likes. Anybody who drops this show I can first-handedly call you a idiot. I know, maybe you guys read about the summary saying that Okazaki and Nagisa are together and are looking forward to it.You all watch the first few episodes and nothing happened, but when it starts happening, the show can get only more and more awesome than what it is. 
 
Clannad ~AS~ is a anime that talks about the truth of the world, how most people lived (mainly focuses on teens, in this anime). It talks about the joy, sorrow and every dang feelings we will experience when this is happening.

          
 
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    Ahhh Clannad After Story, there's very little praise I could give to this that hasn't been said before. It's funny when it wants to be funny, depressing when it wants to be depressing, and flat out amazing when it wants to be amazing. It starts out a bit slow but when it gets into gear it REALLY gets into gear.  
 
In After Story, most of the characters from Clannad really start getting the shaft, with Nagisa's parents really being the only ones other than the main couple that stay a consistent presence throughout the series. I'll say that Clannad has one of my absolute favorite cast of characters in pretty much any anime I've ever seen, so seeing a lot less of them in this series is in a way, sort of disappointing. But it's also realistic, and really makes the impact of moving on all the more effective.  
 
After Story at its core is basically just about two young people being forced to accept change and trying to become adults in their society. It brings up a lot of powerful points, and is one of those animes that really gets you thinking about your own life. This is one of the many reasons this show is so powerful for people. 
 
NOTE: THIS PARAGRAPH MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS 
 
But... if there is one thing I'll say about this show, quite frankly, the ending kind of sucked. It's hard to say what I disliked about it without saying any spoilers but seriously. It was handled really well, and in some ways it was downright beautiful. But when you take a moment to think about what actually HAPPENED in the ending... umm... yeah, just bullshit. The paranormal aspect of this show is pretty much my absolute least favorite part. It just makes things more confusing and takes away from the realism that made some of the scenes so emotionally affecting. And then they somehow make THAT happen... just... what. Everybody loves a happy ending, but in this case it's an ending that pretty much just gives a middle finger to all of the events that lead up to it. It is one of the absolute worst ways to end it I could even think of, because it sours up some of the amazing scenes and made me question why the F those even happened in the first place. 
 
END SPOILERS 
 
The slow start and the ending stop me from being able to justify giving this show a --. But that doesn't mean it's a bad show, it's still amazing. Beautiful from start to finish even. If you haven't watched it yet, do it. Even if you didn't like the first season all that much. And if you haven't watched the original Clannad... well watch that first :P

          
 
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    Clannad was very, very good, but Clannad ~ After Story was the apex. Until this season, I was proud of myself by not feeling absolutely anything in any movie, series or animes. Clannad ~After Story came to change that. The story isn't the most creative around, but it's the way it's told that really touches you. Seriously, if you watch this entire series and still doesn't feel anything inside, then you are a true cold-hearthed monster. 
 
I seriously recommend the entire Clannad series not just to anime fans, but to everyone interested in movies, theater or any other medium. It's extremely satisfactory and may even make you drop some tears.

          
 
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    As it may seem i am writing this review long after i finished After Story. The first season, Clannad, gave off some good character development and background to some other minor things that set up for the continuation of the story at hand. 
 
Story: -/-- 
The plot or story of Clannad: After Story was fairy just a continuation of the first season. Key did a good job transitioning from the school life of the characters and into the adults they become at the end of the series. Overall it made a good impression on the watcher and made me feel like i was there. The emotion string were pulled and thats always a big plus. 
 
Art and Music: -.-/-- 
The art and animation of After Story was fairy good. The music was also up to par with the the art. The Dango Daikazuko was the song that will really pull your strings as it plays. There were some spots where the animation felt unnecessary or they could have added something different or changed a few things with character expressions. 
 
Characters -.-/-- 
The characters were just about the same this time around. The development into adult for the characters added more depth and feel to them. Okazaki learning how to be responsible was a big step in his development from being a lazy person hating school. Nagisa made improvements and became a stronger person within herself over coming some obstacles. 
 
Overall -.-/-- 
Clanand After Story delivered a bunch of good, bad, and ugly moments as well as tearful ones. This is an anime i recommend to anyone who has the heart to watch it. It will leave you with lasting memories.(in my opinion at least). But dont forget to watch Clannad before though. Otherwise it might be confusing to watch.

          
 
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    What does it mean to lose someone who is very close to you? Is it the world's way of punishing you for something you've done? Or perhaps it may be a way to delve deeper, to find that Illusionary World within ourselves and to embrace the secrets and truths we find there. 
 
Clannad: After Story weaves a deep and heart-breaking tale of the events following the end of Clannad. While watching, you will laugh, you will cry, and most definitely, you will be moved and touched by the way the story is presented and how it progresses. 
 
Now, if you're looking for a cutesy after story that gives us the ""happily ever after"" ending that we all yearn to see, Clannad: After Story does something that I have never seen before. The way the characters are, as well as the added affect of watching them move forwards in their lives lets us, as viewers appeal directly to what happens in the anime.  
 
Evaluation: 
Story: --/-- 
Amazing, heart-breaking, realistic, and a true masterpiece. These are only a few of the words that would accurately describe the storyline behind Clannad: After Story. As I briefly explained above, After Story follows the lives of Tomoya and Nagisa as they move forward with their relationship and onwards to something more significant and special. The scenes are just about perfect, with both happy, funny, and agonizing moments.  
 
Art: -/-- 
Alright, I was being a little picky with art before, but after I really got into After Story, I realized that the art was really, really good. The landscapes, especially that of the Illusionary world were done beautifully, though my low-resolution videos didn't nearly show off all of its splendor. In After Story, what really made the art appeal more to me was Ushio's character. Let's face it. No matter how manly, tough or uncaring you try and appear, you will admit that Ushio is just freaking adorable. 
 
Sound: --/-- 
Once again, the music was great. It was even better than the music from Clannad. I loved the light and barely audible sounds of ""Dango Daikazoku"" in the background, as well as the various scenes where there was no dialogue, just music. The music was just simply, a work of art, and helped me truly appreciate After Story. 
 
Character: --/-- 
I feel that the characters and their personalities in Clannad: After Story is what makes it so good. Every one of them has a quality that we can identify with, essentially putting us in that character's shoes. With that, it is easier for us to, in a sense, ""become"" the character at various places in the story. I don't know about you, but being able to relate to at least one of the characters in a slice-of-life anime like this is what makes the anime so enjoyable. 
 
Enjoyment: --/-- 
Definitely have to give full marks for enjoyment. Though it was extremely heart-wrenching at points, After Story spins such an amazing story with it that you will love it either way. I especially loved the ending, since, well, it wasn't sad. The side story of the girl and the robot was also great, confusing at first, but as the series progresses, you begin to understand the significance of that little story. 
 
Clannad: After Story has definitely been one of the more intricate and worthwhile animes I've watched. Watching has shown me a new way to live my life, teaching me an important life lesson.  
 
Clannad: After Story is definitely a masterpiece to watch. However, I would recommend watching Clannad first, to get a better understanding of what will happen. Beautiful, touching, and heart-wrenching, After story is one series that you cannot miss out on. 
 
""I hold it true, whatever befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all."" 
~Lord Alfred Tennyson 

          
 
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    This OVA had great potential to be extremely cute and wholesome, however the team decided to sour the episode with very questionable fanservice. 
 
The anime itself has occasional questionable fanservice, the main target being the preschooler Kanna, but this OVA had more than one uncomfortable fanservice scene. Kobayashi herself, Kanna and Shouta fall into the main anime's more problematic fanservice/shipping themes without the wholesome story to overpower them. 
 
The first half of the OVA is about chocolate gifting. The implications of Kobayashi's actions on Kanna, and later her actions to Tohru, definitely ruined the entire OVA for me personally. 
 
The animation and music are wonderful. It's a shame the story didn't utilize its characters, or the fanservice, in a more appropriate way. 
 
With its cast of attractive adult women, with strong platonic and romantic connections established in the main series, there is no excuse for Tohru's 'gift' or the joking(?) implications after Kobayashi eats it.

          
 
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    Why am I writing a review for bloopers? Because I'm OCD, that's why. Essentially, what this set of episodes is is a bunch of animated bloopers, each ranging from --- minutes long. 
 
They're all together quite funny, and I think the thing that was enjoyable to me about them is that they really helped me to let go of the series once I had finished it. It lets you go back into the world of these characters without having to rewatch the entire series. Not to mention, you actually get to see some stuff that you wouldn't get to see in the series (like Kuroko laughing). Other than that, though, it's just lighthearted, good fun to watch.  
 
This season of bloopers is probably the best set, in my opinion, and I don't know if that's due to the season's material or not, but I enjoyed this set the most. 
 
Obviously, there's no character development or anything that benefits the story, but it does lighten up some of the more intense moments of the anime, so it's nice to be able to let go of some of that tension. 
 
If you wanna watch it, go ahead. It's fun at the very least. 

          
 
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    The entire point of this OVA is getting the ""Hokago Tea Time"" members performing their very first Public gig. They were invited by Maki, one of the drummers in the band called, ""Love Crisis"" and is also friends with Ritsu and Mio.  
 
Story: -/-- 
Already mentioned It above that basically the entire OVA is getting the girls to perform their first public concert to celebrate the New Year's Eve. 
 
Art: --/-- 
Still the same across all the K-ON Episodes. 
 
Sound: --/-- 
Something you can already hear from previous Season - Episodes. Nothing too important. 
 
Character: --/-- 
Its really great to see them working their way to become Pro players. I guess having their first public gig will motivate them even more to reach their goal to go ""Budakon"" as what Yui says (also mentioned at some point in Season -). 
 
Enjoyment: -/-- 
To be honest, they should have played all - songs instead of -. Probably Its because of time constraints, but in my opinion, It wouldn't hurt to make one more OVA to continue off from this. Basically, a Part II for their Live House! concert.  
 
Overall: -/-- 
Still a great OVA, nonetheless. Like I said about more music, I would have liked It to see them Perform all - songs. They should have just made this particular OVA a introduction to the Live House! event as well as preparing for the actual concert. Then they should have released a Part II of the OVA to continue off from last Episode where they play all the songs.

          
 
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    Who doesn't like to know a little history about their favorite characters of their favorite anime? This third InuYasha film, following my favorite one, The Castle beyond the Looking glass, contains a lot about Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's past. We also get to see what their father looked like, which is something you don't get to see at all in the anime. Each fragment of their past was portrayed in a way that was tied in very well with the anime series, it almost makes you believe that it is canon.  
 
The story is very good, and the action is amazing! Especially the attacks coming from InuYasha's father's sword, the Sounga. Which shows you how great the art in this movie can be. As for the sound, well it's the usual very good, not too different from the OST in the anime seeing as how it was produced by the same man, Wada Kaoru. Although I really enjoyed this movie, I didn;t enjoy it the same way I enjoyed the second movie. It's just a little lower than that. The second movie has everything I wanted in it LOL. 
 
 
Hope you guy enjoy it. It's awesome!

          
 
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    we meet again Hidamari Sketch ☆☆☆  
- specials or extra episodes: 
 
-.""June --: Yay, Family Restaurant!"" 
""Roku-gatsu Jū-ichi-nichi: Famiresu Wasshoi!""  
+ 
""April ----: Natsume..."" 
""Shi-gatsu Nanoka ～ Jū-shichi-nichi: Natsume..."" 
 
-.""June -----: Back Home"" 
""Roku-gatsu Ni-jū-san-nichi ～ Ni-jū-go-nichi: Kaecchatta"" 
+ 
""July --: Barbecue"" 
""Shichi-gatsu San-jū-nichi: Babekyu""  
 
Both lovely episodes , long live the consistency of Hidanari Sketch:)... 
 
Episode - is hilarious concerning Miyako ( ever wondered what she would look like if she was a squirrel) + First day of school for Natsume ( meeting Sae for the first time) 
 
Episode - equally great, Yuno has a quick visit home + Bbq with Natsume 
 
I enjoyed myself, hopefully you will too... 
 
 
Ps There is talk of a third Special ... meaning more 
 
HIDAMARI SKETCH : http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/----------/hidamari-sketch-gets-new-special-edition

          
 
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    This was a well done recap. 
It provided it's purpose in making the viewer remember ""Wait, what happened in the first season?"" 
 
It's been so long since I watched the first season, and I really didn't feel like rewatching it to entirety because of how long that would have taken. 
So instead, I've watched the first and second recap movies. 
If you still remember what happened during the first season, this is something you can skip. 
But if you're like me and have absolutely forget the entirety of the story it definitely helps you prepare for season -. 
 
It smooshes together the first season of --- minutes, into two movie recaps of --- minutes. 
So needless to say, there is a lot of detail missing. So if you haven't watched the first season at all and thought to replace it with the recap movies, don't. 
This show is amazing in many ways the recap movies simply can't capture. 
Overall the recap movies are a -/-- for me, they're just fine. Not a masterpiece in any way and they're only to serve one purpose, not provide new or interesting content.

          
 
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    GochiUsa was and always has been one series that I've grown particularly fond of since I'd first watched it long ago. It's a sweet moe series that'll probably give you diabetes and heal your soul at the same time, and this movie is essentially not that different from the main series itself. 
 
The plot of the movie is pretty simple and straightforward: Cocoa goes back home for a week to help her mother and sister at their bakery, and of course as a result she and her friends have to have a brief departure from each other. With Kokoa's absence from Rabbit House, we got bits and pieces of character development and backstory glimpses both with Kokoa & her family and Chino & Rize prior to before Cocoa first appears in season one. This movie prioritizes the situation present by having Chino get a chance to properly reflect a bit on her relationships with both Kokoa & Rise separately; with Kokoa's absence, it becomes more apparent that she'd finally had more of an affect than Chino thought, however now that there is a break from Kokoa, this time is used to reflect on how close she'd been with Rize as well, from the moment they first meet to the present moment of this movie. 
 
The characters are the same as their usual selves from the main series for the most part with the exceptional additions of Kokoa's sister Moka & their mother. While Moka made an appearance in the anime for a while, here we not only get a chance to see her more, but all three of the Hoto girls as one and get more of a feel for how connected Kokoa and her family are with each other. 
Along with the main roles besides Chino comes Rize. 
Now, I always felt that Rize might've secretly had the most interesting character of everyone on the main series from what we learn about her prior to this, and here this movie took a good chance to poke a little more into her combat soldier personality and shows more of her true colors outside of her rough love. And her moments were probably the most notable thing in the movie for me because she gets a chance to stand out more than ever. 
 
The animation and sound are on par with that from the main series, even with a new studio behind the series for it's future adaptations, the aesthetic pleasure of the main series' environment are back in play with the scenery of France looking as beautiful and clean as ever along with the simple skippy and cheery background music accompanying it. The song played the first -- minutes into it and the ending song give the same feeling as the OPs & EDs from before.  
 
Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister does a good job keeping itself consistent by giving off nearly the same vibe as through the first two season, for the most part this movie felt like I was watching an - part OVA of the series more than anything because despite this being a movie I never felt like this was one since the main plot of it is something that felt commonplace with the series instead of being much of a standalone work. 
 
With this movie's completion, I can say that I'm confident with the studio switch and look forward to seeing how production doA do with GochiUsa later on through the OVA & -rd season in the future. 
 


          
 
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    Surprise! 
 
Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister plot is fairly simple, in which Cocoa goes back home to help her sister, Mocha who has been introduced in the anime series and mother with their new bakery. With this however, the main cast especially Chino feels a bit cocoa sick in the process and within this Chino reminiscence times before Cocoa mainly delving into Rize before the anime series. On Cocoa's side of things well we get to know more about Cocoa's life before the anime series but with the added bakery element into it but mainly Cocoa's screentime is to do with her family, mainly her sister Mocha, her mother does get some screentime but not as much as Mocha does (let alone the interactions between Mocha and Cocoa are much more prevalent than Mocha and her mother). 
 
Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister like many of Manga Time Kirara adaptations has the slice of life element and moe elements down and this movie is no different. Better yet, Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister is like it still kept the essences of the anime series intact even when the movie was going off in something entirely new, in a ways it feels like one entire arc of the anime series taken into one piecemeal hour. 
 
LA really liked the interactions with many of the cast members, from Chino talking about her first interactions with Rize to Rize now being the ""older sister"" to Chino, Maya and Megumi when Cocoa has gone home to Cocoa's interactions with Mocha. The ""Dear My Sister"" of the title is apt to say the least what with Cocoa wanting to be the older sister to Chino but Mocha is also the older sister to Cocoa when she came home and LA's aforementioning of Rize taking up the ""older sister"" in the cafe. The anime series touched on this but Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister is all the more prevalent with this as the theme of the movie. 
 
The animation done now by doA Animation (previously done by White Fox and Kinema Citrus for both anime series'), well doA for the most part kept to the aesthetic of the Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? with it's European scenery and buildings. The movie's character designs were the same as the anime series but with some level of flair considering what some of the characters go to (as in a festival so some Japanese aesthetic and costumes comes into play). The animation overall was LA expected and returning to Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? even with a change in studio. 
 
The voice work, well LA really doesn't need to say much considering ALL the voice actors returned for the movie. The only thing would be Mocha voiced by Ai Kayano gotten a bit more screentime in the movie compared to the anime series but that was a given and Ai Kayano is as eccentric as Mocha as ever. LA's favourite character in Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? and voice actor?, well it's always been Rize and Risa Taneda so yes LA is quite happy that Rize gotten screentime in this movie almost equally as Mocha in this sense. 
 
Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka??: Dear My Sister was what LA expected from a Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? movie, but with some backstory between certain characters here with ALOT of interactions and hijinks between it's cast and that only sweeten the deal. Yes LA was satisfied with the movie all things considered, from it's character interactions, slice of life plot and the entire ""older sister"" theming the movie had going, it was a pleasantly cute experience much like the anime series.

          
 
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    Very brief version of a review. The best and worst I observed.  
 
BEST 
-Now's the Empire's turn. Less content for Yang Ling-wei and more for the ""blonde boy"". 
- A new character has appeared. Very expectant. 
- Less battleships scenes, more nasty and bewildering scenes. Be patient at the start. 
 
WORST? 
-It's a summary of the original so they skip a lot with an old-fashioned narration (that I respect, because it keeps the original essence). 
-Things go slow in palace. We have to see the rest for relationships to develop a little more. 
-Some characters just exchange regards or look up to the sky and speak around... one word, aproximately. 
 
 


          
 
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