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.

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.

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-.

Amagami SS & Amagami SS+

Number of Episodes: 26 with 2 OVAs / 13 with 8 OVAs / Special Episodes

What Wikipedia says: The series follows Junichi Tachibana, a second year high school student from Kibitou High who dislikes celebrating Christmas due to a past incident two years ago when his date stood him up on Christmas Eve which left him heartbroken. However, this Christmas will be different as his encounter with one of these six girls, Haruka Morishima, Kaoru Tanamachi, Sae Nakata, Ai Nanasaki, Rihoko Sakurai and Tsukasa Ayatsuji will finally open up his heart to love again. The anime adaptation is rather unusual as it is divided into several story arcs where each arc focuses on one of the main heroines who will become Junichi's love interest. 

 

On August 13, 2011, a second season of Amagami SS was announced.[4] The second season, titled Amagami SS+ plus, aired on January 5, 2012 to March 29, 2012.

What KoanMan says: Amagami SS and Amagami SS+ Plus are unique take on the serial (not parallel) romantic escapades of a schoolboy Tachibana Jun'ichi, apparently spawned from the PS2 dating game of the same name. His character seems to morph into whatever each of the six female love interests seem to need. And as each separate story unfolds with the girls, different aspects of his personality and theirs are brought to the fore. The storyline is well-paced and interesting in its diversity, with director Hiraike Yoshimasa keeping the relationship unique and engaging in its own right. No easy task. Well done.

Morishima Haruka is the senior class goddess, Nakata Sae is shy, quiet one with great taste in clothing, swimmer Nanasaki Ai and the strict class president Ayatsuji Tsukasa are the four that seem to stretch him the most from his natural state. These contrast well with his two childhood friends, the free-spirited and independent Tanamachi Kaoru, and the “overweight” and somewhat retiring Sakurai Rihoko, who accept him more as himself. One says “overweight” as the Japanese determination of this concept differs significantly from that of this round-eyed Gaijin - perhaps the term “not emaciated” might be a better fit for Rihoko’s still-slim figure. 

 

All characters are very well articulated, and even those in the periphery, like his caring but exasperated sister Tachibana Miya (who gets her own OVA - tTPO), and his porn-addicted, sushi-chef-trainee friend Umehara Masayoshi, who are perfect counterweights to the plot.

 

How About the Music? Music is fair, though art director Takahashi Maho has some fine scenery.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): In many different, and generally satisfying ways.

Overall Grade: KoanMan enjoyed these series, and did not feel lost, nor bored throughout. Very enjoyable. The score for this collective is a solid A.

Addendum by tTPO: Koanman got this mostly right. This is an excellent harem series that removes some of the 'main protagonist with many girlfriends' issues by simply dealing with each of the different girls in a parallel universe fashion. tTPO enjoyed the original series a bit more than the sequel simply because the original series being 26 episodes, gave the strories just a bit more breathing space. Having said that, if you watch the first season you cannot fail to watch to second I think to see where the relationships continued to (or failed to as the case may be). Where Koanman got it wrong was the music - the changing OPs (as sung by the different girls) in season one, with few exceptions, were great and added (for tTPO) to the different flavour of the arcs. As it is just a bit long and season two not quite as good as season 1, tTPO gives this a B+. Definitely one of the more watchable harem series.

One-Punch Man

Number of Episodes: 12 with 7 (yes, seven) OVAs / Special Episodes

What Wikipedia says: One-Punch Man (Japanese: ワンパンマン) is an ongoing Japanese superhero parody webcomic created by an author using the pseudonym One which began publication in early 2009.A television anime adaptation by Madhouse aired in Japan between October and December 2015. A second season is currently in the works.

On an Earth-like super-continent planet, strange monsters have been mysteriously appearing and causing disasters resulting in the world's superheroes rising to combat them alongside the local supervillains. Saitama, the protagonist of the series, is the strongest hero alive in the entire franchise, hailing from the metropolis of City Z who easily defeats the monsters or other villains with a single punch to the point where monsters just explode when struck. However, due to his immeasurable strength, Saitama has become bored with his power and is constantly trying to find stronger opponents who can present a challenge to him.

What KoanMan says:  One Punch Man is an easy watch. If you are looking to minimise your mental exercise and still get entertained, you might enjoy this. Described as an action-comedy, One Punch Man certainly delivers, with KoanMan coming very close to rupturing a lung simply laughing in Episode 2.

With episodes consisting of simple short stories, most of them within a single episode, the back story builds slowly but surely throughout the series. The series flows nicely and the pace is good. Supplemented by the OVA and the Special Episodes, and given the format, there is plenty of room for a second series.

Characters are magnificent in their depiction, each with character flaws that you will recognise immediately in people you know..... Nicely done.

How About the Music? Music is good throughout with the exception of the end credits for Eps 1-11, "Hoshi yori Saki ni Mitsukete Ageru", which seems strangely at odds with the style and feel of the rest of the musical score. The suspense music is really good.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): It finishes neatly with plenty of room for more.

Overall Grade:  KoanMan enjoyed this series. Solid A for One Punch Man.

Addendum by tTPO: One Punch Man is a rare series that get so much so right. Humour, action, pathos, mystery about in an immense world of seemingly endless superheroes and monsters. It is hard to believe at time all this just came out of one author. Even in some of the OVAs where Saitama barely features there is enough depth that the other characters more than carry the episode. Can't recommend it enough. 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-.

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. 

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-.

Attack on Titan Seasons 1&2

aka Shingeki no Kyojin

Number of Episodes: 25 + 9 shorts + 3 OVAs + 13

What Wikipedia says: "Attack on Titan is a 2013 anime series based on the manga by Hajime Isayama serialized in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. It is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous walls due to the Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason. The story centers around Eren Jaeger, his adopted sister Mikasa, and their friend Armin, whose lives are changed forever after a large Titan breaches the wall of their home town. Vowing revenge and to reclaim the world from the Titans, Eren and his friends join the Scout Regiment, an elite group of soldiers who fight Titans at the front lines."

KoanMan says (spoiler free):  Strap yourself in and hit the GO button! This is a great ride, not unlike being in the surf... in a hurricane! The action hits you like a giant wave, then a brief lull before the next wave hits you. The action is fast and furious for the first half of the series, with a change of style at about mid-way which almost seemed like a change of director, including changes to the opening and closing credits. Thankfully this quiet period ends quickly and gets back to the good stuff to finish off the series in spectacular style. The opening credits of the first 12 episodes is a visual feast, with some disturbing images in a frenetic montage which sets the scene well.

There are a lot of characters that appear in this series, only to disappear again to feed the tremendous body count. This one is NOT for the kiddies, but would probably be of great interest to anatomy students. The central character, Eren, is a driven individual, well supported by his childhood friend, the intelligent Armin, and adoptive sister, the more than capable Mikasa. Their interactions with each other, and with an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic scenario, make this a thoroughly enjoyable series. Plot is light on in the early episodes but you don't really have time to notice, and the character development is equally superficial, though plot and character growth does build nicely toward the end.

How About the Music? tTPO here as KoanMan was so excited by the phenomenal level of action he forgot about this. But he shouldn't have. The opening (power metal) themes by Linked Horizon are light years away from the usual J-fluff and capture the epic nature of the series perfectly. Just sit back and enjoy. 

OP1: "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen" ("Crimson Bow and Arrow")
OP2: "Die Flügel der Freiheit" ("The Wings of Freedom")

Overall Grade: KoanMan enjoyed is thoroughly and is eagerly awaiting Series 2. This gets an A. 

Addendum (by tTPO): This series is brilliant with perhaps its only drawback being then end of the anime is by no means the end of the story (OK, and maybe a few hanging smaller plot threads), though it does make for an appropriate stopping point. There are some unexpectedly brave moves along the way and at no stage do we get complacent about the threat to humanity. The backstory also gets satisfyingly deeper (and some surprising attempts at science) with the progression of the series. Grade A. With bells on.

Season 2 Addendum from KoanMan: After careful consideration, I really have nothing much to add re S2 for AoT. It is still good…. very good….

Season 2 Addendum from tTPO: Amen.

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.

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!

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya + The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya movie

Number of Episodes: 24 + movie

What Wipipedia says: "The story follows the narrator and male protagonist Kyon, a cynical and incredulous student entering high school who is dragged along by the title character and female protagonist Haruhi Suzumiya (who is Kyon's classmate). She is an eccentric girl seeking supernatural phenomena and figures such as aliens, time travelers, and espers. With Kyon's reluctant help, Haruhi establishes a club called the SOS Brigade, to investigate mysterious events. Haruhi later recruits three additional members: the laconic bibliophile Yuki Nagato, the shy and timid Mikuru Asahina, and the extremely friendly transfer student Itsuki Koizumi. These members soon reveal themselves (to Kyon) to be the types of extraordinary characters that Haruhi is seeking. The three additional members have been sent by their various organizations to observe Haruhi, who is unaware of her own destructive reality warping powers and to prevent these powers from being unleashed. This leaves Kyon the task of maintaining the illusion of a normal life for Haruhi."

KoanMan says: KoanMan watched this series in the broadcast order, which meant some initial confusion re plot and characters. Starting with the least watchable episode straight up meant that if one did continue onto the next episode, it was all good from Ep2 onwards. In the end, watching in this way did make it a more interesting watch, as one felt just a little behind the storyline, trying to keep up with changes in direction that at the time presented as totally random. In retrospect, they still seem a little random, almost like they threw the episodes into a hat and let chance reveal the next episode. Character development did, however, seem perfectly done this way, so there must be some "method to the madness".

On that note, KoanMan found the characters difficult to associate with early on; the whining and sedentary Kyon, the OTT Haruhi Suzumiya, the uber-quiet bookworm Yuki Nagato, the "yes-man" Itsuki Koizumi, and the cutesy mascot girl Mikuru Asahina. Unusually, for KoanMan, all these characters grew on one, to the point where even Ep12 to Ep19 [Ttpo: that would be the infamous Endless Eight episodes] were watchable! Far more so than Straight Title Robot. The reader will know what this means by Ep13, suffice it to say that Ep13 to Ep18 could have been condensed by more brutal editing, however, this would beg the question....Would it have been the same series? Would it have had the same impact? The jury is out at this time.

The movie certainly had a far more cohesive plot and better direction to the story, most likely as it was based on The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, the 4th in a series of light novels by Nagaru Tanigawa. Thoroughly enjoyable, but do watch the series first.

How about the music?: The music was OK for the first few episodes, then the same music seemed to get better, and by the end, the very same music was something I looked forward to each episode. How did this happen?

Overall Grade: Between the unusual jumbling of episodes, well out of the story's chronological sequence, the mysteriously improving, though unchanging, music, and characters that grow on you, coupled with good delivery of a good story mean that series director Tatsuya Ishihara, and movie directors Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto have done well.

KoanMan gives these series and movie a collective A. 

Ttpo says: This series is not perfect but is brilliant. The fan service gets a little grating sometimes and the bullying of Mikuru occasionally a little uncomfortable. But these are minor gripes in a series that balances big questions in a deep world spanning mystery with day to day slice of life triviality with seeming ease. I loved the music (esp OP1, OP2 and insert song God Knows), and also the cheesy (and the oft mimicked) choreography over the ED1 (see here in live format by the seiyuu).

There are some very brave directional issues that KoanMan has already pointed out but these serve to further differentiate this series from the also-rans. The movie is everything good about the series in slighly higher resolution and is excellent from beginning to end, though without having first seen the series much would be lost to the casual viewer. An A for sure.

Kill la Kill

Number of Episodes: 24 + OVA

What Wikipaedia says:  "Kill la Kill is set at Honnouji Academy, a fictional high school in Tokyo Bay set in Japan that is dominated by its fearsome student council, led by Satsuki Kiryuin. The council members wear special uniforms called Goku Uniforms that grant them superhuman abilities, which they use to oppress the rest of the school's students and staff. Ryuko Matoi, a student wielding half of a scissor-shaped longsword, transfers to Honnouji Academy in search of the owner of the other half of the scissor blade, the person who killed her father, Isshin Matoi."

KoanMan says: Kill la Kill. The name implies a lot. And KoanMan believes it delivers.

Blood is a common feature of this action-packed anime, as is the fanfare that goes with the life-fibre (Goku) suit transformations. KoanMan had just completed the Freezing series immediately prior, so the fanfare went almost unnoticed until it came time to write the review of Kill la Kill.

It is apparent that the characters are pretty tough lot, as the punishment dealt to various characters is prodigious. That said, KoanMan could only spot two deaths in the whole series, with one other suspected, though not confirmed one way or the other.

Characters are exceptionally well developed, and the storyline is superb. The animation itself is much less polished than most anime productions, though this is soon forgotten as the pace sets sail from the start and steadily builds over the initial episodes, before settling into an almost perfect rhythm. The underlying character relationships add an unusual depth despite some humourously cheesy scenes, and equally cheesy one-liners sprinkled throughout. KoanMan is not generally a fan of super-cutesy, but when it does happen, it fits almost perfectly with the high-action, high-stakes, serious stuff - not because it fits, but precisely because it doesn't fit... and somehow it all works!

How About the Music?: Opening and closing credits had little relevance for KoanMan. Although the closing credit music was OK, music is not a feature. But it does not matter!

Overall Grade: This is a great watch. KoanMan gives this A.

tTPO says: tTPO liked this series a lot. It started out with a fairly standard fight of the week format (OK but nothing too special) but then became so much more. Along the way there is high humour and more than a little fun poked at the nature of fan service in anime, as well as some serious character development, an epic plotline, many arterial spurts and more than a couple of shout out loud moments for several characters doing their best. For such a great series though the emotional climax was really the second last episode, leaving the last episode just a little predictable, though not without its own emotional journey. And it wasn't even a bad last episode - it just couldn't quite stack up to the second last one. As much as I would like to give this an A then I can't bring myself to do it. So A- it is, but only just. You should still watch it. And the OVA too.

Kids on the Slope

aka Sakamichi no Apollon

Number of Episodes: 12

What Wikipedia says: "The beginning of summer, 1966; because of his father's job situation, freshman high school student Kaoru Nishimi moves by himself from Yokosuka to Sasebo in Kyushu to live with relatives. Until then, Kaoru was an honor roll student who tended to keep to himself, but meeting notorious "bad boy" Sentaro Kawabuchi starts to change him. Through his devil-may-care classmate, Kaoru learns how much fun it is to play jazz and finds the first person he can call a real friend."

KoanMan says: Every once in a while, a story catches you in an unexpected way.  This is an engaging and personal story, and somehow kept KoanMan riveted throughout, without the need for explosions, violence or carnage.  KoanMan generally loves those things, and yet they were not required here due to the strength of the story-line.

It begins in a fairly standard way, with an isolated young teen, Kaoru, arriving in a small provincial  town.  Tough-guy Sentaro, and classic girl-next-door Ritsuko, befriend Kaoru, and so begins a troubled journey through their developing relationships to each other and those around them.  These characters almost became part of KoanMan's life during this series, they are that well developed.  This is remarkable given the limited number of episodes in which to get this done. 

Pace is excellent, and the storyline cohesive and complete, thank you director Shinichiro Watanabe.

How About the Music?: The music is a standout as well.  The opening title song is seriously catchy, and some of the jazz that features within the series had this KoanMan tapping and swinging to the beat.  Composer Yoko Kanno has done well.

Overall Grade: Well crafted, free-flowing, short and sweet.... KoanMan cannot give anything other than an A.  

Addendum (by tTPO): I can't do much else but agree with KoanMan's assessment of this series. There is just the right balance of justice and injustice, things that go right and things that go wrong, joy and sadness, failure and redemption and all in an amazingly paced pocket sized series. Also, while the jazz is not a central theme to the story, it is the canvas on which this story is painted and it works just so well. I want to explore more jazz because of it. Ultimately, while this is a million miles away from their previous pairing on Cowboy Bebop, Shinichirō Watanabe and Yoko Kanno deserve nothing but an A for this.

Girls and Panzer

aka Girls und Panzer

Number of Episodes: 12 + 2 catch-up episodes + 5 OVAs

What Wikipedia says: "Girls und Panzer...is a 2012 Japanese anime television series created by Actas...Takaaki Suzuki, who has earlier acted as a military history advisor for Strike Witches and Upotte, has revealed that he is involved in the production of the anime...The story takes place in a universe where girls participate in Sensha-dō (lit. "Way of the Tank"), the art of operating tanks, as a traditional martial art. Miho Nishizumi, a girl who has had a bad experience with Sensha-dō, transfers to Ōarai Girl's High School to get away from it. However, soon after joining, the school revives Sensha-dō and Miho, being the only student with any experience in operating a tank, is ordered to take part. Despite being initially reluctant, Miho soon comes to enjoy Sensha-dō again and, joined by her new friends; Saori, Hana, Yukari and Mako, enters a national Sensha-dō championship where they face off against various other schools."

tTPO says: After a few false starts it seems we finally have the definitive schoolgirl x miliary anime. Reading the blurb you could be fooled into thinking this is just another poor excuse for a show with too much gratuitous fan service and not enough of anything else. What you get is completely the reverse. There is so much this show gets right it is hard to know where to start.

For starters, the technical research by Suzuki-san is impeccable. The variety and scope of tanks that appear in the show is fantastic and for anyone even vaguely interesting in the history of the tank there is much here to see and learn. Certainly for me, as new tanks appeared that I was unfamiliar with I googled them soon after watching the episode to find out their historical role.

Without giving too much away, the show takes place in an alternative history where schooling occurs...differently. It may not necessarily be realistic (neither are the mechanics of tankery, though this is explained a bit more in the catch-up x.5 episodes) but the third OVA expands and how this came about. While a certain amount of willing suspension of disbelief required to watch the show, it is clear that the Girls und Panzer reality has actually been pretty well thought through. Between the accuracy of the hardware and the depth to the setting, there is clearly a lot of love for the series, as well as respect for the audience, from the creators.

Keeping that in mind there is remarkably little fan service in the show and that only adds to the appeal. There just isn't time for those sorts of distractions. The only time we get mild fan service is in OVAs 1 and 2 and this keeps it well away from the main series. But for those that want it then you are catered for as well. The rest of us can just skip over it.

There is a huge cast of characters for a 12 episode series, and to an extent I mentally grouped these into the various tank teams to try and keep up. The most well developed not surprisingly are Miho and her team, and they all get little arcs away from the main story which, considering how quickly this series moves from beginning to end, is just amazing. Even with the lack of development, the non-core characters still remain often memorable, including Saki on the first-year team, who never says a word throughout the series (but ironically has a considerable fan following in Japan). (Edit and spoiler warning: She does say a single line in the last episode.) There really are no annoying characters - there are many many hearts of gold here. K-on!! with tanks anyone?

The pacing of the core-episodes of this show are also near perfect (if you forget about the catch-up episodes which were a result of production running late) with the show moving fast where it needs to advance the plot, and slow when it needs time to breathe.

The plot itself is pretty straightforward (with a couple of reveals along the way) but this is not the focus of the show really - we all know how it will finish but the key is how they get there. The tank action is magnificent with the right amount of tension and each of the tankery battles stand out in their own way. Again, a bit of willing suspension of disbelief is required here but by now this is not an issue - just sit back and enjoy the ride. We did.

How About the Music?: The OP ("Dream Riser" by ChouCho) and ED ("Enter Enter MISSION!" by Fuchigami Mai & Iguchi Yuka & Kayano Ai & Nakagami Ikumi & Ozaki Mami) are just perfect accompaniments to the series and set the tone perfectly. That's all there is to it. 

So How Does it End? (Spoiler Free): As expected. But it's the journey that counts.

Overall Grade: Perfect feel-good action entertainment with enough depth to keep you discussing and thinking about it afterwards. My only gripe is the lack of t-shirts available right now. Grade A from myself and Mrs tTPO. Roll on season 2. (Edit: Looks like we won't be getting a season 2 but will will be getting an OVA - the battle with Anzio - and a full length movie. Would have preferred season 2 but much much better than nothing!)

Koanman's thoughts: Who likes tanks? Come on.... Show of hands please..... Well I do, and for a goodly portion of my juvenile years they held my attention. The tanks really are the feature here, and to see them filled with school girls is a good thing! The attention to detail is superb, with most tanks displaying the quirks and flaws that plagued the original items during the 1930's and 40's. It also features some very rare tanks - for those interested it is a feast (check the girls' favourite tanks). There is even a nice reference to Heinz Guderian - well done.

The plot is a little light-on, and the characters could be developed a lot more, particularly given the large number of them!  I am certainly hoping for another full series, as this one was so full of tank action it left little time for full exploration of the world in which they live and background to their story. It starts way slow, and very girly, but by Ep3 it is really getting good and continues to accelerate through to the end with very little breathing time. The action is a joy to watch. The girls are heartwarming and they love tanks - this is the first military girl anime that gets it right for me. More please.

KoanMan gives this an A. 

(By the way, I love "the angler-fish dance". The first time I saw it, it made no sense at all. After a second go later in the series.... it still made no sense but I just cannot get enough of it. I don't know why I love it, I just do. KM.)