Kantai Collection

aka KanColle

Number of Episodes: 12 + Movie (KanColle: the Movie)

What Wikipedia says: In a world where humanity faces the threat of the abyssal fleet which has taken over the seas, special human girls who don weaponized outfits and possess the spirit of historical naval vessels known as kanmusu (艦娘, literally "fleet girls" or "ship girls") are the only ones capable of countering them. The kanmusu live together at a naval base, where they spend their everyday lives as they begin training for battle.

The series features the destroyer Fubuki as the main character, with the storyline based on her point of view. Fubuki arrives at the naval base, where she meets other girls that she will eventually fight alongside. Despite lacking adequate combat training, she is recommended into the Third Torpedo Squadron by the admiral, and quickly finds herself sortied into battle. Upon being rescued by Akagi in a dangerous situation, Fubuki strives to do her best in order to train, with the hopes of eventually being able to fight alongside Akagi.  

What KoanMan says: It took some time for this to gel with KoanMan. The concept of girls skating around on water and firing guns strapped on detracted somewhat from KoanMan’s enjoyment. It is a key element of the story, that the girls are warships, and some will love it. One found the mysterious “Abyssals” intriguing, and somehow the concept worked better with them. The plot is predictable, but moves well without feeling too slow, nor rushed.

The action moved well, with good animation and some epic tropical scenery that helped the story along, blending well with steady character development and the maritime setting. Director Keizou Kusakawa does an adequate job following the trials and tribulations of the special destroyer Fubuki and the other girls.

Interestingly, theme music was left to producer WEST GROUND (an alias of Flying Dog music producer Makoto Nishibe).

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): The movie is both darker and a little more confusing than the series, and while probably less satisfying as a result, it really does try to make make sense of the ridiculous world that is KanColle, and resolve the major plot lines. [tTPO]

Overall Grade: Some risks were taken to make this, and it became more engaging as it moved through the episodes. Overall KoanMan gives this a B.

What tTPO says: Another entry in the anime genre of "she's a girl, but she's also a..." (gun? plan? ship? superweapon?) this managed to connect with tTPO, and encouraged me to go and look up how actual history played out in WWII (compared with the reimagined version in this anime). Unlike some reviewers who took exception to the revisionist history tTPO didn't find this disturbing, because, you know, it's an anime, with girls in short skirts, not a documentary on the History channel. The cast of thousands were largely one dimensional, and it's no future classic, but it was well paced, well drawn, has a a few platonic yuri tones, and me and Mrs tTPO enjoyed it. B.

Girl's Last Tour

aka Shōjo Shūmatsu Ryokō

Number of Episodes: 12

What Wikipedia says: The series follows two girls, Yuuri and Chito, as they navigate the ruins of civilization after an unknown apocalypse, and as they travel in their Kettenkrad, they seek food and supplies while surviving day-to-day.  

What KoanMan says: 

Talent hits a target no-one else can hit
Genius hits a target no-one else can see
- Schopenhauer

Girls’ Last Tour, like the quote above, is going to amaze those for whom it resonates, and will fall flat and mean nothing for others. It affected KoanMan deeply. It gets an A.

One immediate questions: why?

The story follows the journey of two girls, Chito and Yuuri, through a post-apocalyptic world in an endless search for food, shelter, and the higher levels in a multilayered hyper-urban cityscape. And like the philosophy of Schopenhauer, it is at once neither right nor wrong, neither positive nor negative, it simply is. Although, while Schopenhauer used negative language to relate his insights, Girls’ Last Tour presents a certain loss while simultaneously exploring the joy of simple pleasures. A hot bath, hunger giving way to a good meal. The shining spear of light that shines in the midst of desolation seems all the brighter for it, in spite of it, or perhaps because of it?

Chito and Yuuri are extremely well developed, and while very different, cling to each other for fundamental survival. The space afforded by their situation allows for far more depth than can usually be achieved in anime, like the view at the top of a mountain, with the entire world played out beneath, more is visible and the vastness is revealed without the distraction of detail. The manga, crafted by Tsukumizu, is faithfully reproduced in the anime directed by Takaharu Ozaki and written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu. The background and scenery is superbly rendered and well supported musically by Kenichiro Suehiro and Jin Aketagawa as sound director. Tsukumizu’s contrasting 'cute versus bleak' creates an interesting dissonance in both the art-style and the story that is expanded in the anime over the manga.
So How Does it End? (Spoiler free):  Much like the rest of the anime, there is still the spectre of just the faintest hope in the ending. For better or worse the manga pushes on further. You may or may not wish to go down that road. [tTPO]

Overall Grade: Girls’ Last Tour emanates an existential aura that provokes serious introspective thought. It did for KoanMan at least. It gets an A.

What tTPO says:  tTPO (and Mrs tTPO) also found GLT an extrordinarily affecting anime. In recommending it to KoanMan, who has not got the greatest track record for enjoying slow moving anime, I was unsure as to if it would get through to him. I shouldn't have worried because this anime gets so much right, despite the glacial pacing which is so essential to the feel, it is hard not to appreciate it. Very few anime are as bitter, nor as sweet, as GLT. A+. It's just that good.

Saikano, The Last Love Song on this Little Planet

aka Saishuu Heiki Kanojo (translated into English as Ultimate Weapon Girlfriend)

Number of Episodes: 13

What Wikipedia Anime News Network says: Shuji and Chise are two Hokkaido high school students barely starting a relationship with each other. Then, with no warning, a squadron of bombers from an unknown country destroy the city of Sapporo. All hope is lost when suddenly, the bombers are destroyed by a small red light floating across the sky. At this point, Shuji finds out that the one responsible for eliminating the enemy forces is Chise, who reveals herself as a cyborg engineered for mass-destruction. 

What KoanMan says: This sounds like it would be great. It sounds like it would be packed with action. It sounds like a schoolboy's wet dream…

However… it is “sorry”, “dummy”, “idiot”, a little bleak, and more “sorry”. Much more “sorry”.

The take-home message: don’t judge a book by its cover. The feel of this series is dominated by the story-line, which meanders through the relationship of the main protagonists, high-schoolers Chise and Shuuji. Plenty is left out, and much is assumed as the plot plods along at a dreary pace. Brief glimpses of excitement are thwarted as the story is dragged back to its original pace, and yet it somehow flows steadily and consistently - just don’t expect to be thrilled by director Mitsuko Kase's anime rendition of Shin Takahashi’s manga.

The basic animation smacks of low budget, and possibly indicates a lack of artistic interest on the part of the production team (lead by Naoko Takahashi), although the artistic effects in the opening and closing credits were uncharacteristically well done. 

How About the Music? The music generally is average, and the music for the opening and closing were in keeping with the general mood, although those more musically attuned may find the 1/8th flat notes of the singer irritating, but it does add a little more to the disjointed feel generally. Perhaps sound director Keiichirou Miyoshi has achieved the desired audience response? KoanMan is unsure.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free):  All endings are not created equal and while there won't be a sequel anytime soon, the ending perhaps lacks a little clarity. Reading the last chapter or two of the manga explains things a little more fully and is recommended. [tTPO]

Overall Grade: If you are after a borderline existential story that does not require adrenaline, then this could meet your needs. Despite the flaws KoanMan kept watching through to the end, indicating a certain something, perhaps the futility… ohhh the futility…

KoanMan rates this a C.

What tTPO says:  tTPO has a soft spot for romantic anime. What I have not said previously is I also have a soft spot for slow moving existential post apocolyptic romantic anime also, and Saikano fits this description. There is little to enjoy here as the glacial car crash that is this anime grinds to its conclusion, and yet like any car crash, I found it difficult to look away. The basic artwork (it was 2002 when it was produced) and muted colours that annoyed KoanMan I thought appropriate for this often emotionally cold production. 

Needless to say I rate it a bit higher than KoanMan, though Mrs tTPO would agree with him. I considered the possibilty I was wrong. Not possible though, is it? Grade B-.

My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute

aka Oreimo, Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

Number of Episodes: 25

What Wikipedia says:  Kyosuke Kosaka, a normal 17-year-old high school student living in Chiba, has not gotten along with his younger sister Kirino in years. For longer than he can remember, Kirino has ignored his comings and goings and looked at him with spurning eyes. It seemed as if the relationship between Kyosuke and his sister, now fourteen, would continue this way forever. One day however, Kyosuke finds a DVD case of a magical girl anime which had fallen in his house's entranceway. To Kyosuke's surprise, he finds a hidden eroge inside the case and he soon learns that both the DVD and the game belong to Kirino. That night, Kirino brings Kyosuke to her room and reveals herself to be an otaku with an extensive collection of moe anime and younger sister-themed eroge she has been collecting in secret. Kyosuke quickly becomes Kirino's confidant for her secret hobby. The series then follows Kyosuke's efforts to help his sister to reconcile her personal life with her secret hobbies, while restoring their broken relationship and coming to terms with their true feelings for each other.

What KoanMan says: When looking to the next anime to spend time with, Oriemo (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai - My Little Sister Can't be This Cute) almost didn’t make it for KoanMan. This series also flies close to the sun with some of its concepts, and as such, almost did not make the watch list. It seemed to be difficult to find, with Season 2 more available than Season 1, obviously, the decision was made to go forth and watch Oriemo anyway, or because of?

Once underway, the story ebbed and flowed in a refreshingly unpredictable manner. Characters came in and out of focus according to the needs of the story, and provided good support for the brother-sister team of Kyousuke and Kirino. Director Hiroyuki Kanbe has adapted the story well from Tsukasa Fushimi’s light novels. Characters evolve and deepen over time, and the pace is steady without ever feeling slow or rushed.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free):  It ends. Perhaps controvertially in many ways. But it ends. Any more I think would be redundant. [tTPO]

How About the Music? Music is OK without being anything notable, though some of the scenery is beautiful and poignant, perfectly complimenting the moment in which they appear. KoanMan found this anime an enjoyable, easy watch, and likely to resonate on many levels with anyone with siblings.

Overall Grade: This will not be to everyone’s taste, but KoanMan gives this an A.

Addendum by tTPO: Incest, incest, incest, incest incest, incest. That's all people talk about in respect to this series. And yes, the brother / sister relationship is probably not within two standard deviations of the mean, however, the reality is that there is nothing any more than G rated that goes on in this series between them. And to simplify the series to a single word and write it off would be a disservice to the plot, the rest of the cast and the pacing of an otherwise very very watchable series, even if it is a bit long for the tTPO. And if you can't put up with some family drama just stop watching and shut the hell up, calm down and go and watch something less controversial like Fist of the North Star, or some hentai. A

She and Her Cat: Their Standing Points & She and Her Cat: Everything Flows

Number of Episodes: 1 & 4

What MyAnimeList says: Do you believe in love at first sight?

This short but sweet film revolves around She, a woman whose name is never uttered, and her pet cat, Chobi. Their first meeting was beautiful. One rainy day, She found Chobi abandoned outside and decided to bring him home with her. Chobi instantaneously fell for his kind and gentle owner. He had not only found a home, but also the love of his life. But can their relationship ever become anything more than just pet and owner?

What KoanMan says: A very short film, followed by a four part series, "She and her cat" manages to cover a lot of ground in a very short time frame. A gentle, cat's view upon a transitional and somewhat troubled time in a young woman's life. Every scene, every word of dialogue is and integral part of the whole, with nothing superfluous - director Makoto Shinkai has created a masterpiece of efficiency.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): Everything flows. 

Overall Grade: For the time-pressed otaku, this is a must. This gets an A.

Addendum by tTPO: With a total running time of 37 minutes for the five episodes there can be no better feels per minute series than this. It is beautiful, breathing, no action magnificence. 

If you have anything resembling a heart (and don't mind just a little anthropomorphism) see this. A.

Megalobox

Number of Episodes: 13

What ANN says: In the not too distant future, boxing has become a sport enhanced by “Gear,” machine exoskeletons worn over the shoulders and arms to allow boxers to punch farther and harder than before. Known as “Megalobox,” the sport is popular as both a regular sporting event and as one during which underground bets are laid, with dramatic differences between the fanbases. Junk Dog, a young Megaloboxer, is struggling both to make a name for himself in the underground fights as well as with whether he's really happy with his current situation. When he hears that the upscale Shirato Group is sponsoring a worldwide Megaloboxing tournament in a special arena, he's largely ambivalent, seeing it as both not worth it and beyond his grasp. But he's getting tired of the rigged fights he's forced to participate in. Then he encounters Yuri, the reigning champ of the sport, and might change his mind.

What Wikipedia says: Megalo Box (メガロボクス Megaro Bokusu) is a 2018 anime television series created in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the manga Ashita no Joe.It is produced by the studio TMS Entertainment, who also produced the second Ashita no Joe anime in 1980.

What KoanMan says: Gritty, grungy, unkempt and seedy, Megalobox captures the rough and brutal nature of this boxing underworld. Inspired by Ashita no Joe, director Yo Moriyama brings Chikara Sakuma’s story to life in authentic fashion, following Joe, a young upstart with a simple dream, and tenacious spirit.

The plot moves steadily and builds to an intense climax, with good music, good character development, and a slightly rough, worn style that fits perfectly with the story - like old sweaty gym shoes and gloves long past their prime. A tribute to masculinity and fairness, struggle and ambition, that may not be well understood in the politically correct, tree-hugging society of today, it is never-the-less a timeless and enduring tale.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): Well. No sequels here. 

Overall Grade: KoanMan gives this a solid A.

Addendum by tTPO: Not surprisingly, Megalobox is unashamedly old school with the animation style more consistent with 1998s Cowboy Bebop than anything more recent. The basic linear nature of the plot reflects this also but this is not a drawback with the pacing of the series kept just right. The inevitable climax avoids cliches and the ending was, for tTPO at least, both not quite what I expected, but very consistent with the characters motivations. 

With all of that, this series was almost faultlessly executed, but with nothing profoundly original to say the rating remains a solid B from me.

Shirobako

Number of Episodes: 24 & 2 (truly great) OVAs

What Wikipedia says: Aoi Miyamori and her four best friends, Ema Yasuhara, Shizuka Sakaki, Misa Tōdō, and Midori Imai, were all part of their school's animation club, promising to make an anime together. Years later, Aoi is now working as a production assistant for the animation production company, Musashino Animation, where Ema also works as an animator, while Shizuka, Misa, and Midori are working as a voice actress, 3D computer graphic, and an aspiring writer respectively. The story mainly focuses on Aoi and her team at Musashino Animation as they work on two different anime projects; an original anime series and a manga adaptation, facing the various obstacles that each project brings with them. 

The title Shirobako refers to videos that are distributed to the production staff members prior to their release. These videos were at a time distributed as VHS tapes enclosed in white boxes and are still referred to as "white boxes" (thus the meaning of shirobako) despite the fact that the white enclosures are no longer in use.

What KoanMan says: Shirobako, written by Kenji Sugihara, is very different from most anime - it is more reality documentary, and very educational. Interestingly, Shirobako means the white boxes that contained the VHS video tapes used by production crew. As such, it s a detailed and comprehensive look at the duct ion of anime, and the pressures and challenges faced in the delivery of an animated series. KoanMan found this fascinating.

There is, however, no action until you get to the Specials (OVA's), which are also extremely well done, each creating an entire world, defining characters and providing a satisfying story, and each Special is unrelated to each other, except that they are made by the same fictional Musashino Animation.

In the body of the series the characters are well drawn, and exhibit all the traits and foibles likely to be well-known in a cloistered industry. The affably gastronomic Musashino Animation President, Masato Marukawa, the production and various animation staff, and the dedicated newby and later production desk Aoi Miyamori and her eager anime club friends, and the capable though, at times distracted and procrastinating director, Seiichi Kinoshita, are all uniquely interesting.

The real series director Tsutomu Mizushima has captured the mood well, with good music, steady pace and provides a tantalising view of a world that KoanMan realises must exist to create the Japanese animation the world watches, though had honestly never thought about, nor encountered directly.
 
So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): The series itself ends in a satisfying way, with room for another season. On the other hand the OVAs leave the viewers hanging and wishing for more. I would still watch them though and dream about what could have been.  

Overall Grade: No action, but KoanMan still gives this an A. 

Addendum by tTPO: This is a compelling series for anyone who watches anime. It gives an insight into the creative process and there are many thinly veiled references to real life series, studios and people (a bit like Robert Altman's 1992 movie The Player did for Hollywood) which further increase the enjoyment of the series. tTPO got some but am pretty sure there were still many more that were missed. The story does not need much artificial assistance to keep moving - the tight deadlines that are part of the anime production process keep the pace and drama up from beginning to end. tTPO would lump this in a rough trilogy of series (the other two being New Game and Re: Creators) that come at the creative process of anime / manga / games from slightly different angles but are all watchable, complimentary and give insight to the creative and production process. 

In any case tTPO also gives this an A.

Made in Abyss

Number of Episodes: 13

What Wikipedia says: Made in Abyss is a series about a young girl who finds and befriends a humanoid robot and descends with him into the titular Abyss in search of her mother.

What KoanMan says: When KoanMan began watching, the cute chibi style generated expectations of a quaint little story, with little kids walking in green fields. Don’t be fooled, there are indeed little kids, though they are walking into the ‘Abyss’, definitely not taking a ‘walk in the park’. The plot build slowly at first, setting the scene, before building in intensity and drama as they descend.

When one says ‘they’, one means the main characters Riko and Regu, two young children on what is referred to as an adventure. Characters seem a little bland initially, though they grow in depth and intensity as the story unfolds. Character development is so successful that the emotional attachment and revulsion that occurs with various characters is almost palpable for the viewer… or KoanMan at least.

Director Masayuki Kojima has done a tremendous job with a lush, colourful style contrasting with bleak environments, with each scene well rendered to amplify the mood of each situation.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free):  All good, but hanging for season 2. (tTPO).

How About the Music? The rich and dramatic soundscape created by You Yamada is nothing less than spectacular, and this is coupled well to great musical accompaniment.
 
Overall Grade: After early reservations, this anime morphed into a stand-out - a visual, auditory and emotional feast.

Watch it.

Totally A.

KoanMan

Addendum by tTPO: When I initially read the synopsis of Made in Abyss I was underwhelmed and did not care to watch it. And then the series finished. And then the reviews started rolling in. So then I watched it with Mrs tTPO and we were so glad we did. It took a little encouragement to get KoanMan to stick with it for the first few episodes, but after that, well, you can read for yourself. 

So be patient - the payoff is well worth it. A.

Gangsta

Number of Episodes: 12+ 1 recap episode

What Wikipedia says: The series revolves around two "Handymen" who take on jobs for both the mob and the police force that no one else can handle. The two, named Worick Arcangelo and Nicolas Brown, work in the town of Ergastulum, which is full of mafia, hoodlums, prostitutes, and dirty cops.

What KoanMan says: As the name suggests, this is a story of mafioso, and the associated lifestyle, focussing on two men who have survived the rubble of their lives. They are “The Handymen”. Nic and Worick survive on their particular skills, which make them both dangerous and valued, thereby also requiring neutrality amongst the various criminal organisations…. Good storyline, and pace that starts slow, building to a climax...

So How Does it End? (NOT Spoiler free):  ...that does not ever happen.

The reader should be aware that Manglobe, the company that produced the anime, went bankrupt in late 2015. The series ends part-way through, at Ep 12. Just when it was really getting going…. To be clear, there is no end to the anime - just no more episodes. The manga will have to suffice, although the gods of fortune have not been smiling there either, as the author, Kohske, has been ill since 2015 and has not been able to continue the Gangsta manga since then.

Be that as it may, GANGSTA is an enjoyable watch was only marred by a few minor issues. The main points were repeated a few times early on, and the “recap” Ep 9.5 seemed redundant. Some animation appears to be of lesser quality. 

How About the Music? KoanMan found the music, by Tsutchie, to be spot-on for the sleazy underworld feel that series director Koichi Hatsumi was going for. 
 
Overall Grade: Interesting characters that develop well throughout, an intriguing plot, and interesting twists in the story-line make this abortive series worth a watch, though all more frustrating for the lack of an ending. KoanMan scores this a C, though with a complete series it may well have been a B or even an A. Who knows?….

Addendum by tTPO:  Grade D. It's not that tTPO did not like this series while it was there, but I cannot recommend the investment in viewing time without some sort of payoff at the end. The journey alone is good, but unlike say, Spice and Wolf (which KoanMan still needs to see), it's not enough to justify watching. Save your efforts for Black Lagoon or Darker than Black.

Psycho Pass & Psycho Pass 2

Number of Episodes: 22 & 11 (this review ignores the rerun 1st season compilation) and 1 movie

What Wipipedia says: The story takes place in an authoritarian future dystopia, where omnipresent public sensors continuously scan the mental states of every passing citizen. Collected data on both present mentality and aggregated personality data is used to gauge the probability of that citizen committing a crime, the rating referred to as that citizen's Psycho-Pass. Authorities are alerted whenever excessive ratings are detected, and officers of the Public Safety Bureau are dispatched with weapons called "Dominators", energy pistols that modulate their power in response to the target's Psycho Pass. The story follows Akane Tsunemori and Shinya Kogami among other members of Unit One of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division.
 
What KoanMan says: Psycho-Pass is a detective/police action sci-fi that delivers on its brief. Supervising Director Katsuyuki Motohiro knew what he was doing when he employed the writer of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the talented Gen Urobuchi. Interestingly, rather than give director Naoyoshi Shiotani artistic carte blanche, Motohiro gave him a brief to ensure everything they did could be adapted into a live action film. Well-read creator Tow Ubukata's story has been brought to life in a cohesive, well defined and complex plot. Arguments for and against the control of the state are played out in a dramatic style that keeps one coming back for more each episode.

Character development is organic, with personalities being revealed "on the job", as Investigators, Akane Tsunemori and Noguchika Ginoza direct their attack dogs, the Enforcers, primarily Shinya Kogami. They track their villains through a Sibyl-sanitised, and somewhat frightening, future Japan throughout seasons 1 and 2, and venture overseas in the movie. The apt name may be an acknowledgement of the multiple personality book and 1976 movie, "Sybil". The references do not stop there, with everyone from Plato and Marcel Proust to George Orwell and the Bible, getting a look in. Characters are believable and dedicated, and present their part of the story's societal comment with very few light-hearted moments, which might make this intellectually heavy for some. Good news is, there is plenty of action if one prefers to sit back and simply be entertained. 

How About the Music? Opening and closing credits music is great in series 1 and the movie, though sound director Yoshikazu Iwanami may have gone a little too heavy with series 2. Otherwise, the music throughout is well suited.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): Both seasons 1 and 2 end satisfactorily though there is still enough in this rich world for more.

Overall Grade: A thoroughly enjoyable series, on so many levels. KoanMan gives Psycho-Pass a well-earnt A.

Addendum by tTPO: tTPO agrees. This is a series dense with ideas but with a distinct identity from Ghost in the Shell, probably its nearest comparison. There are some genuinely tense and shocking moments, moreso in season 1 for me, which I think mark a quality production. Season 2 was a bit weaker than season 1, but still well worth the time watching. A-.

School Live!

Number of Episodes: 12

What Wikipedia says: Yuki Takeya is a cheerful school girl who, along with her friends Kurumi Ebisuzawa, Yūri Wakasa, and Miki Naoki, is a member of the Megurigaoka Private High School's School Living Club. As Yuki seeks out fun school activities every day while living at school, the other girls work to keep her safe, because in reality, they are the sole survivors of their school after a zombie outbreak overruns the city.

What KoanMan says: A "cutesy" first episode, with what appeared to be very little substance, had KoanMan wondering "why watch this"? Then the second episode starts to show small cracks in the delightful world of Yuki Takeya. Cracks that reveal a world of ZOMBIES!! Awesome! 

School Live! is a carefully crafted journey into the lives of Yuki Takeya, Yuuri Wakasa (club president), Kurumi Ebisuzawa (shovel wielding tough girl), Miki Naoki (troubled junior), Megumi Sakura (class teacher) and the ever-perky Taroumaru (the club canine mascot), and by perky, KoanMan means annoying. Oh, and about a billion other local residents and school-goers..... the "z-o-m-b-i-e-s"..... (say that with a ghoulish voice). In keeping with most Zombie apocalypse stories, there is an endless supply of undead corpses that need dismemberment. However, unlike most of these stories, this one delves much more deeply into the minds and feelings of those few remaining alive. It is this story that really carries this series, although the pace a few flat spots, and is never rushed nor particularly action-packed. That said, a lot happens, and the flash-back style fits well and adds to the journey. Kurumi is a favourite - anyone who has their own gold-plated shovel for beheading has be cool right? Or at least respected..... And Yuuri is the warm heart of the group that keeps everything together at all times. 

How About the Music? The music is OK, and mostly fits the mood. [tTPO: The OP is fantastically moe and gives little indication of the true nature of the show.]

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): It is not a let down.

Overall Grade:  With a bit more action and faster pace this could easily have been an A. So close..... KoanMan liked this, and gives a solid B.

Addendum by tTPO: tTPO has just a little more patience than KoanMan, maybe because Koanman has a tendency to marathon and tTPO watch a week at a time. In any case tTPO and Mrs tTPO were big fans of this series, and while is may have missed that little bit of magic that makes and A, it was not far off. A-.

Elfen Lied

Number of Episodes: 13

What Wikipedia Anime News Network says: "The Diclonius, a mutated homo sapien that is said to be selected by God and will eventually become the destruction of mankind, possesses two horns in their heads, and has a "sixth sense" which gives it telekinetic abilities. Due to this dangerous power, they have been captured and isolated in laboratories by the government. Lucy, a young and psychotic Diclonius, manages to break free of her confines and brutally murder most of the guards in the laboratory, only to get shot in the head as she makes her escape. She survives and manages to drift along to a beach, where two teenagers named Kouta and Yuka discovers her. Having lost her memories, she was named after the only thing that she can now say, "Nyuu," and the two allow her to stay at Kouta's home. However, it appears that the evil "Lucy" is not dead just yet... "

What tTPO says: This is an extreme series - extreme violence and gore, nudity, and much victimisation of innocents. This alone is enough to turn many people off, and understandably so. As Koanman points out below, character development is not profound for most and the plot, based on a much longer manga, ends up being hard to follow at times as to everyone's motivations. 

Despite all of these imperfections it is a compelling and thought provoking series that treads similar thematic ground to Shiki in that it questions human nature and asks the same question - who are the monsters here?

How About the Music? I'll let KoanMan talk about this. 

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): The ending is not made perfectly clear, but it is emotionally satisfactory and surprisingly, just a little optimistic.

Overall Grade: This is an imperfect series, and not an easy ride. But somewhere in there is a story that needed to be told and questions that needed to be asked. Grade B

Addendum by KoanMan: Elfen Lied has loads of cool ideas and concepts, starting with the visuals right from the beginning, and coupled with the hauntingly brilliant choice of theme song by music director Katsunori Shimizu, "Lilium", by Kumico Noma. The closing theme "Be My Girl", by Cheiko Kawabe, is also a good choice, and certainly finishes each episode on a light note.

The plot is interesting, if not somewhat convoluted. This is where the first half of the series feels a little disjointed, and the storyline does not flow well from one scene to the next. Everything is there, but just a bit clunky. The invisible hand thing doesn't really appeal.

Similarly, character development falls short. All the elements are there, however, director Mamoru Kanbe just misses the mark. The main female characters all have plenty of quirks that could have generated legendary status, however, Kouta comes across as plain weak. That said, Yuka comes across weird and jealous, Mayu is a bit of a non-event, and Nana is confused, although with daddy issues, this at least gives her some interest. 

Lucy/Nyu is the only character that really gets development, all the others get attempts at development. Lucy starts as a killing fiend humming a cutesy song, a disturbing blend of efficient murderous innocence. Then, as her dual personality becomes obvious it seems she becomes moody and bitter... No cutesy malevolent humming at all. KoanMan is not sure why she was a innocent and happy cute killing machine at first, then a dark and moody cute killing machine later.

KoanMan really wants to love this series, although it just doesn't quite get there. It is OK, but it could have been so much more- a solid B for this one.

Flowers of Evil

aka Aku no Hana 

Number of Episodes: 13

What Wikipedia says: The story follows a middle school student named Takao Kasuga who's forced into a "contract" by fellow student Sawa Nakamura, after being caught stealing the gym clothes of his crush Nanako Saeki, and the series of events afterwards that follow these three characters. The title of the manga comes from Charles Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal.

What KoanMan says: KoanMan has some mixed feelings about "Aku no hana". Firstly, it bears mentioning that the "rotoscope" technique used makes the look of this series unique. It is a method of animating real film images projected onto a frosted screen and originally each image was hand-traced to create the final animated image, although computer software has now been developed to convert images. Besides the style, it allows animation to present characters with natural movement, and it delivers here. A more more normal animation format was originally tabled, however, to allow the audience to focus on the story/characters and not the actors, director Hiroshi Nagahama used the rotoscope technique.

The story is itself unusual. The central character Takao Kasuga is a hyper-anxious, hyper-reactive, moronic simpleton who rarely thinks much beyond himself. If one can tough out the first few grindingly tedious episodes, the slow, agonising pace actually becomes tolerable, and almost unnoticeable by about Ep7. Sawa Nakamura is his rebellious muse, challenging him to confront himself and her perceived view of him, while Nanako Saeki is the muse he imagines inside his own head. The main characters are very well developed with a realistic approach. Other characters are not important to the myopic worlds of the main characters, and are not explored, not do they need to be.

How About the Music? Music at open and close is good, and is completely unrelated to the "Aku no hana" song released in 1990 by Japanese rock band Buck-Tick. In fact the opening and closing credits contain almost all the music in the series, and thinking back, KoanMan did not notice anything other than mood audio at any other time.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): After a dragging, painful start, the simple plot is executed with a storyline that somehow managed to keep KoanMan watching to the end. An interesting watch, more for the moods it engenders that had KoanMan reminiscing about the internal angst associated with teenage life. Ahhhhh, the angst...... Beyond that there was little in the characters to connect with, and perhaps the intent in this "Aku no hana Part 1" series is to do just that, or simply to engender the keen desire to strangle the characters? Not sure.

Overall Grade: Interesting, moody, different - gets a B. Laboriously slow and Takao is an imbecile - gets a D. 

It all adds up to a C.

Addendum by tTPO: tTPO liked this more than KoanMan and it is clearly going to be a polarising series for viewers. There is little doubt that Takao is a largely spineless fool, but doing dumb things, being self-involved and being bored is pretty much what teenage life is about. Whether watching this immensely slow car crash makes good television is debateable, but I found somewhat compelling the brave directorial decisions about the rotoscopy (which immediately put off Mrs tTPO), the universally unlikeable characters, the long stretches without dialogue (which peaked with an epic 8 minutes of nothing in Episode 8) and repeated views of the decaying town. I also appreciated the positively atypical depiction of largely functional and caring parents who, in contrast to most anime series, are actually at home and involved with their offspring.  

The OP /ED are worth a special mention as being quite disturbed and I think set the tone of the series well.

In summary: Interesting, moody, different. Laboriously slow and Takao is an imbecile. It all adds up to an A-. 

I can only hope there is a second season so I can see the wreckage finally come to rest. 

Zetsuen no Tempest

 aka Blast of Tempest

Number of Episodes: 24

What Wikipedia says: "The story revolves around Mahiro Fuwa, a teenager whose sister was mysteriously murdered one year before, and his friend Yoshino Takigawa. Mahiro is contacted by Hakaze Kusaribe, the leader of the Kusaribe clan who was left stranded on an unknown deserted island by her followers, and agrees to help Hakaze in exchange for her help to find out the culprit for the death of his family. Upon learning of his friend's intentions, Yoshino joins him on his quest to stand against the Kusaribe clan who intends to awaken the "Tree of Exodus" whose power can bring ruin to the entire world. 

Several dialogues and plot elements in Zetsuen no Tempest pay homage to two works of William Shakespeare, Hamlet and The Tempest, which are two stories about retribution, albeit with completely opposing outcomes."

KoanMan says: Logic, magic, and really powerful trees. This series is an interesting tale of two average high school friends, Yoshino Takigawa and Mahiro Fuwa, that find themselves tormented by the murder of Aika Fuwa. Events then escalate from normal to holocaust as magic is used as a weapon in the war between two trees representing opposing philosophies on human civilization and its future. The boys are quickly introduced to Hakaze Kusaribe, the princess Mage of the Tree of Genesis.

There is a lot of time for characters to develop, although most characters have an unusual quirk somewhere in their make-up which adds a little light-hearted fun to proceedings.

Logic is a central pillar of the story, and besides magic, mostly holds up. Dialogue is important, with one discussion spanning several episodes. It is so well done, KoanMan barely realised until 3 episodes into this conversation that it was one conversation. The pace is a little on and off, and the story is a little disjointed, although overall the story ebbs and flows well. Plot is convoluted though does follow a solid central direction.

How About the Music? Music is OK, with opening and closing credits music quite average, however, the inclusion at times of selected classical music pieces added greatly to the mood. This was not consistent enough throughout the series for KoanMan and this could have been a stand-out feature if done well.
Special mention goes to Michiru Oshima for his orchestral arrangement of Beethoven's "Tempest (mvt 3)" - fantastic. 

Overall Grade: KoanMan liked this series, and it gets extra marks for keeping interest throughout some very long blocks of dialogue. Zetsuen no Tempest gets a B. 

Addendum (by tTPO): Both tTPO and Mrs tTPO like this series a lot. The long slabs of adversarial dialogue taking place in small areas that punctuated the series had more ebbs and flows than many many more physical fights and as such made a refreshing change for the medium. It really did reflect the theatrical themes on which the story was based. The plot was complex without being too complex or self indulgent and the only letdown for tTPO was the inevitability of main conclusion which was not bad by any means, but given the excellent journey to get there was just not quite as good. 

Blast of Tempest gets a B from us too. 

Akame ga Kill

aka Akame ga Kiru!

Number of Episodes: 24

What Wikipedia says: The story focuses on Tatsumi, a young villager who travels to the Capital to raise money for his home only to discover a strong corruption in the area. The assassin group Night Raid recruits the young man to help them in their fight against the Empire to end its corruption.

KoanMan says: Looking for action? Looking for some violence? Look no further. This fast-paced, action-packed series is just the medicine. It should be noted that while many will see pointless blood, KoanMan found that all the violence was well within the plot and kept to the story-line. There was nothing especially gratuitous at all. That said, this is not a series for the kiddies.

The characters are reasonably developed, though there remains plenty unknown about them, however, with this much action and plot to push through, there seems little time for further development. The unusual twists in character presence early on do go some way to preparing the viewer for events as they unfold later in the series. A parallel may be drawn to the popular TV series involving thrones and a game.... You will understand this when you watch. The story-line proceeds with some gusto, and there is certainly a lot of story to get through - all thoroughly enjoyable. Pacing, while fast, is steady throughout - very nice. Only one major flaw presented itself, with a missing fight that should have occurred between Ep19 and Ep 20 - perhaps an addition will produced/released? Ep19.5 maybe?

As an aside, Prime Minister Onest and Esdeath get special mentions as two of the most principles driven characters, in their own way, right up there with Doctor Toshio Ozaki (Shiki) and Satsuma Kiryuin (Kill la Kill). To be fair, the principles that drive Prime Minister Onest are very different to those that drive the others listed here.

How About the Music? The music is OK, though during the adrenaline-filled action fight scenes, can be a little cheesy - tTPO did not even notice the music during the fight scenes, probably due the high level of adrenaline coursing through him at these moments. It was probably Ep11 before KoanMan even noticed! Such good action....

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): (tTPO here) It ends and ends definitively. Though having said that the ending is anime original, and it seems rather likely at this stage the manga ending will be a) different and b) better. As KoanMan implied above, events seem to get a little more incoherent towards the end and the series suffers a little because of this. But such good action...

Overall Grade: The result? KoanMan rates this page-turner an A. Viva la Revolución!

ADDENDUM (by tTPO): Despite the flaws of this show it remains compelling for the action fan for most of its run, aided at least in part by the somewhat more complex moral nature of most (though by no means all) of the 'villains'. The series seems to have divided the blogosphere but I think the trick is just not to overthink it - just sit back and enjoy the ride. This would have been an A if I didn't know about the manga, but instead just a little less: A-.

Sora no Woto

aka Sound of the Sky

Number of Episodes: 12 + 2 OVAs

What Wikipedia says: "Sound of the Sky revolves around a young girl named Kanata Sorami who is inspired to join the military after witnessing a rendition of "Amazing Grace" by a mysterious trumpeter of the Helvetian Army. Becoming a bugler, she is assigned to the 1121st Platoon stationed in the town of Seize in Helvetia, where she is taken into the care of 2nd Lt. Filicia Heideman, M/Sgt. Rio Kazumiya and the rest of the 1121st Platoon. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world after a great war regressed humanity's technological capabilities back to early-to-mid 20th century standards."

KoanMan says:  KoanMan thoroughly enjoyed this short and sweet series. The characters are well developed, and interact well, with well defined personalities and the right amount of cohesion and abrasion between those characters, while they are all still "comrades".

The plot is at once simple, and complex, with a depth to the storyline and the world in which they live that echoes well beyond the last episode. One wanted more, and certainly there is plenty of room in this new world for another series.

How About the Music? The music is simply great. The production team did very well integrating an esoteric suite of music that must have involved a very broad musical knowledge, or extensive research at the very least. Superb.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): Very satisfactorily. If in a slight rush.

Overall Grade: KoanMan rates this an A.

Addendum (by tTPO): This series felt more like a long movie than it did a series. The production values were outstanding, the detail of the city stunning, (as KoanMan said) the music, which is fundamental to the series, is outstanding, and the backstory of the world at once both epic and also unknowable. As with the characters the details of how the world got to be as it is now have been lost and as viewers we can only guess these details that are hinted at. In some series this would be frustrating but in Sora no Woto not so much, even with musicians inexplicably taking over as the mainstay of military communicaton (over say flags, or lights, or any other more efficient means of communication that may not get drowned out by the sound of war). It just doesn't matter because thats just how it is. Overall, the series is to a large extent a slice of life series which acquires a plot towards the end. Some may complain it all happens a bit fast but its all there and the OVAs return the series to its somewhat more innocent roots. Amazing Grace has never sounded so simple nor so good. Grade A.

Clannad & Clannad After Story

Number of Episodes: 44 + 1 Extra + 1 Recap + 3 Alternate endings + 1 Movie

What Wikipedia Anime News Network says: "Tomoya Okazaki is a third year high school student resentful of his life. His mother passed away from a car accident when he was younger, causing his father to resort to alcohol and gambling. This results in fights between the two until Tomoya's shoulder is injured in a fight. Since then, Tomoya has had distant relationships with his father, causing him to become a delinquent over time. While on a walk to school, he meets a strange girl named Nagisa Furukawa who is a year older, but is repeating due to illness. Due to this, she is often alone as most of her friends have moved on. The two begin hanging out and slowly, as time goes by, Tomoya finds his life shifting in a new direction."

tTPO says: Clannad starts out as a somewhat conventional somewhat comedic high school harem series but it does not take long before other supernatural, emotional and family elements start veering this away from the conventional.  The prominent roles of the parents of the main characters deserve special mention - more often than not parents just don't hae a significant role to play in most school anime, and if they are there are just in the background, always at work, or annoyances. 

Where Clannad really differs is where it goes with After Story. So many series simply resolve the high school romance and leave that as the conclusion. But After Story is different and follows through in the years following school and the consequences the decision made there, ultimately leading to the karma filled, emotionally satisfying but slightly confusing, finale. 

tTPO loved this series. I watched it some time ago but occasionally just randomly watch an episode to experience the inevitable feels that this series is packed with. Now I am a father the emotional impact of the parental roles in this series, as well as nearly all the events of After Story has only increased not decreased with time.

It is important to make some notes about the movie here. The short piece of advice is just don't do it. It is a largely joyless affair that focuses on Okasaki and Nagisa, and leaves out the whole karmic redemption theme that is so fundamental to the series which makes the darker moments more tolerable. Admittedly Nagisa's school play performance done much better. But that alone is not enough to watch it. 

How About the Music?: For this tTPO, the music to this series is near perfect. Years after first watching it still elicits a pavlovian bittersweet response. All the themes deserve a mention. Except maybe "Torch". Sorry Lia.

OP1:"Megumeru ~cuckool mix 2007~" by eufonius

ED1: "Dango Daikazoku" by Chata
ED2: "Ana" by Lia

OP2: "Toki o Kizamu Uta" ("A Song to Pass the Time") by Lia

ED3: "TORCH" by Lia

So how does it end? (Spoiler Free):  The ending brings everything together leaving few threads dangling. Though saying that, it would be a lie to say that the events as we head towards the end are particularly easy to understand. A rewatch or two puts most of the big points into context, though there still remain some significant debate on the interwebs as to the finer details. ie. You feel you know what just happened but explaining it to someone else may not be so easy. In all of these interpretations though, despite their disparity there is a significant point - this is NOT a deus ex machina ending, it is a a conclusion that brings together the events leading to this point. 

For your and my convenience, the best of the explanatory links are here (long), here (diagrammatic), here (short) and here (point form).

Overall Grade: Clannad and Clannad After Story set the benchmark for harem and romance, and that doesn't even touch the genuine drama, comedy, and supernatural elements this series has. Despite the length (or perhaps because of it) this is well worth the journey, even for the tTPO. Though you could skip the extra, the recap and the movie. For the love of god though do not skip the alternate endings. While this series seems to divide the viewing public, for tTPO this is one of the best series ever. Grade A. 

Addendum by KoanMan: For the TPO, this series may be a little long, but as a depiction of school life for friends facing their own challenges and discovering their own dreams, this has a lot to offer. Nagisa Furukawa and Tomoya Okazaki are the primary characters, and their relationship meanders around and through various goals and the lives of their friends as they tackle school and then then real world after school. As gentle as this begins, there are some seriously gut-wrenching moments. The "other world" parallelism is interesting, and adds some depth to the storyline. Series 1 [Clannad] has a goodly serving of humour, and the "kick count" is an inspired touch - look out for it! Great! Series 2 [Clannad After Story] is a lot more serious, with much less humour, although no less engaging. Throughout, Nagisa's father Akio Furukawa is a standout, and unsurprisingly, to those who know KoanMan, Tomoyo Sakagami and Kyou Fujibayashi rounded out the three favourites.

The music is OK, although the opening credit score of the second series is awesome. The final credits the first series "The Dango Song" took almost the entire first series to grow on KoanMan, who likes it now..... although it did not start out like that.

KoanMan loved this series, and for a non-action, non-violent story, this is impressive. Despite the length, this one was worth it. KoanMan gives this an A.

Little Busters! + Little Busters! Refrain + Little Busters! EX

Number of Episodes: 26 + 13 + 8

What Wikipedia MyAnimeList says: "When tragedy struck Riki Naoe as a child, he was rescued from grief over his parents' deaths when four other kids "recruited" him for their group—the "Little Busters." Now in high school, Riki and the other Busters are still fast friends, and though their vision of being heroes for justice may have faded, they'd still do anything for each other. Which is why Riki is now on TWO special missions. The not so secret one: recruiting new members so the Busters can form a baseball team. Preferably FEMALE recruits, as the current dude/babe ratio is an inconvenient 4 to 1. The OTHER mission, though. That's the strange one. Because Riki and Rin, the group's singular girl, are receiving odd messages, delivered by cats, concerning the existence of a "secret world" and assigning them tasks they have to complete. Were their youthful dreams of being crusaders not so fanciful after all? Or is there something even more vital at stake? Between steeling his courage to talk to girls, dealing with his own narcolepsy and facing his feelings concerning Rin, Riki may just need the strength of a superhero to solve the ultimate mystery of the Little Busters!"

What TTPO says: It's hard to know where to start with this series. In the past I seem to have been a little plagued by some really good anime series with disappointing endings, which inevitably leave just a little sour taste in the mouth afterwards. Little Busters! turns this around. The first 26 episodes are really just a pretty average setup for the next much more emotionally intense 13 (Requiem) leaving the 8 OVAs (EX) the icing on the cake. And this is where the problem lies - can the TTPO really afford to get through 26 episodes which are by and large just average to get to the meat of the series? 

Well, there is a large cast and it took most of the first 26 episodes to just introduce and spend enough time with them to then care about what happens in Requiem. Which is important, because as with many of Key's previous productions (this show is also a visual novel adaptation) there is a fair amount of hardship the characters go through before they (and I) got to the end, and this improved the emotional payoff. Bittersweet is a good word to use to describe this, and is a word I will shamelessly use again in this review. The other good thing about the characters was they were all distinct - I did not have to try too hard to remember who did what in the mini-arcs that make up the first series. There are implied harem overtones to the story but these are not well developed nor are the focus of the story.

The OVAs are an interesting bunch focusing on 3 side characters from the main story with 3 mini-arcs that occur variously before and after the events of Refrain. While in no way essential to the plot they flesh out the world and these characters well, and I generally preferred them and their far more focussed nature to the character overburdened original series. 

How About the Music? The music is largely by Jun Maede and once again he manages to create music that is catchy without being trite, and still manages to trigger a near pavlovian response of bittersweet emotions associated with the series. The OP ("Little Busters!" by Rita) and ED ("Alicemagic" by Rita) are standouts, and almost up the the standard of the music of Angel Beats. Note quite though. 

So how does it end? (Spoiler free): As previously stated the events of Refrain which is like one long ending to the series are what make the series are good as it is. Very satisfying indeed. 

Overall Grade: If you had plenty of time of your hands I would give this a B or maybe a B+. But half a good series does not a good series make, even when it is the most important bit that is good. So in answer to my own question above, no I don't think I can in good faith recommend this if you are time pressed, and for that this will be the series probably remain the series I will have enjoyed the most to ever get a D.

Black Lagoon

Number of Episodes: 24 + 5 x OVAs

What Wikipaedia says: The story follows a team of pirate mercenaries known as Lagoon Company, that smuggles goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia in the early to mid 1990s. Their base of operations is located in the fictional harbor city of Roanapur in southeast Thailand (somewhere in the Amphoe Mueang Trat district, likely on the mainland north/northeast of the Ko Chang island or on the island itself). The island is home to the Yakuza, the Triad, Cuban and French cartels, and a wide assortment of pickpockets, thugs, mercenaries, thieves, prostitutes, assassins, and Gunmen of all sorts. They transport goods in the 80-foot (24 m) Elco-type PT boat Black Lagoon. Lagoon Company does business with various clients, but has a particularly friendly relationship with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow. The team takes on a variety of missions—which may involve violent firefights, hand-to-hand combat, and nautical battles—in various Southeast Asian locations, even going as far as Phu Quoc island of Vietnam and when not doing much, the members of the Lagoon Company spend much of their down time at The Yellow Flag, a bar in Roanapur which is often (tTPO. Spoiler!). 

What KoanMan says: A. Yep, an A. 

It is uncommon for KoanMan to lead with the result, but this series warrants it. Just go watch it. For more review, read on, but if this takes precious time away from watching, then ditch this review and go watch it. It's good!

Still reading? Okay, so how did one arrive at this score? Well, pretty much by the time the opening credits music had started. Red Fraction by Mell is a great choice, and sets an edgy mood that continues throughout. It is counterbalanced by the haunting Don't Look Behind by Edison - an odd choice that is unexpected at first, but really works. The music is good, and has been chosen to fit the mood on-screen. Superb.

Rei Hiroe started the Manga Black Lagoon in 2002, inspired by news reports of piracy in the East China Sea during the early 1990's, and the work of greats Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers, James Elroy and John Woo (read the interview in Otaku USA with Rei Hiroe). There is a lot of inspiration here, and it shows in the results - Black Lagoon, Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage, and Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail. Gritty, dirty, violent....awesome! This is not to say that it is not subtle. Subtle? Like a rock to the head you say? Nay, one replies! There is some seriously deep soul-searching and intensely personal moments. These moments are often painful and dark, though exceptionally well crafted. Beyond that, there are some of the toughest "moments" in anime that KoanMan has ever encountered. There are two such moments early in The Second Barrage. Although these moments were different for KoanMan than for tTPO. Confronting none the less. 

The general feel is similar to the weekly adventure/hero serials that were popular from the 1920's through to the 1960's. A modern take on the swashbuckling tales of old. Director Sunao Katabuchi has given a superb storyline real punch. This has been enhanced by the collaborative efforts of the english dubbed version director, James Corrigal and his North American voice-over crew, who took some liberties to provide new options to the editing team, particularly when it came to Revy. Having watched the the english subtitled version and the english dubbed version, KoanMan can say absolutely that the dubbed version is more enjoyable. Revy has a harder edge to her language, and there are english subtitled translations that do not work nearly as well as they would in Japanese. The significant changes in the dubbed version include a mistranslation in Ep18 with Shenhua telling Eda in Ep18 that she was an "atheist" (she is actually Taoist), and Revy calls Shenhua "Chinglish" ("Yes Lady" is the term used in the Manga and the subtitled version). KoanMan thinks this is an improvement, as the term "Yes Lady" lacks impact in english, although in Japanese it may be very abusive? Maybe? Abuse can be very culturally specific....

Character development is amazing, Rock (Rokuro Okajima), the meek outsider, kidnapped into the seedy underworld of the South East Asia, is balanced by Revy (Rebecca), the gun-toting, hard-living, trash-talking tough girl. Mmmmmmmm. Then there is the leader of "The Lagoon Company", the cool, man's man, Dutch, and the computer geek Benny (very "Shaggy"-ish). Chang and soviet soldier girl Belalaika, Shenhua, "the twins", Roberta... Awesome. 

It is not hard to understand the popularity of this series in north America - there are a lot of guns. Interestingly, all the main female characters are seriously powered-up! To our knowledge only one girl is a bit normal, that is to say, not rabidly detonating stuff, although in this setting she comes across as almost pathetic - see if you can spot her. She may also be the only character that does not smoke; one can only suppose the tobacco lobby bank-rolled this whole production, as everyone has a durry, all the time. Smokers will surely feel loved and embraced. 

Overall grade: Bottom line.... an excellent watch! Can't wait for season 3, which is coming soon (tTPO. Is it?). KoanMan gives this a A

Go watch it! Now!