Murasakisuishou's Anime

Seen all▲▼ Rating▲▼ Ai no Kusabi (OAV) Good I'm not really a fan of yaoi (it depends on the
characters), but this was an interesting watch. The animation and soundtrack are rather dated, but the
story is decent and doesn't revolve too much around the forbidden lovers both being men; it would
have worked just as well with any other kind of couple. It was a bit hard to follow at the beginning,
but as the plot moved along it was easier to understand. There were a few *barely* pornographic
moments (not graphic, but highly suggestive) but if that's offensive to you they're easy to fast
forward through. Air (TV) Decent So-so story, but fantastic art and animation. I'm not really a big
fan of the moe genre (I prefer my girls threatening and gun-wielding if at all possible), but I put up
with Air because it's just really pretty to watch. The story wasn't awful; it was enough to keep my
attention and make me want to know more about the characters, but aside from the Summer arc it
was a bit slow for my taste. Akira (movie) Good I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this movie. It
had an interesting premise and storyline, and the art still looked pretty good considering the film's
age, but it didn't really stand out as something I'd want to see again. Appleseed (movie) Decent One
of my favorite manga turned into a half-assed CGI movie, yahoo! This is great if you like two-
dimensional characters, jerky animation, bad guys with motives that make very little sense, and
TOTALLY KICKASS FIGHT SCENES. Watch the sub if you want to attempt to take it seriously,
watch the dub if you feel like laughing at cliched lines and overacting extras, and then go read the
manga. Seriously, Deunan and Briareos did not deserve this. I only rated it as high as I did because
the opening five minutes and soundtrack are amazing, and for the part where Deunan shoots Hades
right between the eyes whilst leaping off a building. Appleseed: Ex Machina (movie) Decent Tons
better than the first movie (animation-wise, at least), although still no masterpiece. The story is a
pretty straightforward standard action film plotline: good guys are good, bad guys are bad, good guys
find out bad guys have sinister plot, time limit to save the world, good guys kill bad guys, plenty of
quips. It's easy on the brain and pretty fun to watch, so I'd say this movie is worth checking out. Just
don't watch the horrid dub. My only real nitpicks come from the fact that I'm a die-hard manga fan;
Tereus =/= Bri (he should have dark skin and be like 8 years older!), Hitomi, once again, is not
immediately recognizable as Hitomi, and what the HELL is with everything Deunan touches turning
pink? Arjuna (TV) Excellent Soft, slow, a tiny bit preachy, and beautiful to watch, Arjuna is the
perfect melding of art, music, and movement. This isn't so much of an entertainment anime as
something to put on when you're tired and let wash over you. Arjuna also does a great job of
balancing its mahou shoujo heroine in between her regular life and her world-saving duties; instead
of shifting abruptly between the two, it's almost like the two lives are just sort of laid on top of each
other. Even if you don't care for the story, watch for the art. #8 on my top 10 list. Blood: The Last
Vampire (movie) So-so Castle in the Sky (movie) Good Aside from the awful dub (which I only
watch for the updated soundtrack), this was a pretty fun movie. Story was good, art was all right, and
the characters were so idealistic and stereotypical it was almost painful. I might bring this with me
next time I have to babysit. Chocolate Underground (ONA) Good Cowboy Bebop (TV) Excellent
One of the great classics of anime, and rightly so. What can I say about Cowboy Bebop that hasn't
already been said? What little story there is is dramatic and action-packed, and most of the other
episodes are a riot. The characters are unique and memorable and all have interesting stories. Last but
not least, the soundtrack is pure win (although admittedly it's not one of my favorite Kanno projects).
This anime is a fun watch in every way possible. #6 on my top 10 list. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Very good Den-noh Coil (TV) Excellent This started out as a simple story about kids playing around
with some highly advanced toys and evolved into a complex, emotional, tear-jerking drama. With all
of the studies of human relationships within a virtual world, it was almost like "what Section 9 did
when they were kids". The plot episodes were interesting and presented a many-layered storyline,
and the filler episodes were charming and funny. I really, really liked this. #5 on my top 10 list. Eden
of the East (TV) Very good Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (movie) So-so Eh. I've never played
Final Fantasy, so I had no idea who any of the characters were (except Sephiroth). This is up there
with Appleseed on my list of CGI movies that take themselves way too seriously and end up just
being silly. The Cloud-tossing scene had me and my brother in fits of laughter. FLCL (OAV) Decent
Pure wacky fun. The storyline is totaly convoluted and nonsensical, and the animation and music fit
right in with it. FLCL was also a great length; enough to work up something of a story, not so long
that it dragged or got weighed down by its own silliness. I had a lot of fun watching this series.
Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) Weak (dub), Very good (sub) Worth a watch, definitely, but not as great as
a lot of fans would have you believe. While the main characters can get a bit annoying at times, the
military drama plus the plight of the homunculi make FMA a interesting watch. The technical details
are also pretty good, with smooth animation and unique character designs. I thought the soundtrack
went a bit overboard at times, but the song Bratja made up for that. This series suffered from a lot of
out-of-place humor early on, but as things get more serious that's not as much of a problem. I'm also
going to be unpopular and say that the dub is horrific. #10 on my top 10 list. Fullmetal Alchemist:
Chibi Party (OAV) Good Totally random and funny as heck. This is a short animation about an after
party celebrating the end of filming for Conqueror of Shamballa, only all of the characters are
CHIBIS! Featuring drunk!Winry, kawaii!Envy, speedo!Breda, and many, many Black Hayates.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Kids (OAV) Decent A cute trip into the future with Ed's grandchildren going to
visit him on his 100th birthday, and plenty of other side characters as little kids in the background.
My only question after watching this is why one of Ed's grandkids looked like Winry. Fullmetal
Alchemist: Premium Collection (OAV) Decent While I wish that someone involved with the FMA
marketing beheamoth had decided to put out some OAVs about the backstory of all the minor
characters or something, this collection of shorts was pretty entertaining. That's about all there is to
say. Fullmetal Alchemist: Seven Homunculi VS State Alchemists (OAV) So-so The state alchemists
go up against the homunculi in an AU battle. WTF-ness ensues as the audience tries to think which
fanfiction this was based off of. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa Not
really good While well animated and posessing an awesome ending theme, this movie was a total
train wreck. Characters were introduced and left without any development at all, and the plot made
only the vaguest amount of sense. This was apparently intended to be a standalone film, but there are
far too many inside jokes/nods to the TV series or the fans to pull that off. The story had the potential
to be interesting, but like GitS: Innocence, it was so bogged down in its own seriousness and the
popularity of the franchise that it failed miserably at being entertaining. Galaxy Angel (TV) Good
Plot? Who needs plot, we've got cute girls with spaceships and identifying quirks! Galaxy Angel is
one of those anime that manages to survive on humor alone, and when it's funny, it's gut-bustingly,
side-rippingly hysterical. Helping the funny is the fact that the cast is probably one of the best in any
anime; they all play off each other fantastically, adding to the team spirit of the Angel Brigade. It
doesn't have much in the way of intelligent thoughts, but Galaxy Angel does just fine as a feel-good,
laugh-your-rear-off anime. #9 on my top 10 list. Galaxy Angel A (TV) Good Even more of the
adventures of the Angel Brigade! While I worried at first about the addition of Malibu and Kokomo
Peirot and their handler Major Mary, the trio actually helps the humor instead of detracting from it.
This is probably my favorite incarnation of Galaxy Angel because it contains so many classic
episodes; the magic wand, the one where Milfeulle keeps dreaming different versions of the Angel
Brigade, the chibis, and the memorable episode in which Forte becomes a man, to name a few.
Galaxy Angel Z (TV) Good More of the adventures of the Angel Brigade! This season continues in
exactly the same vein as its predecessor; cute girls, random scenarios, no plot, who the hell cares?
This season was more consistently funny than the first, I thought; fewer episodes that were only
deadweight with a few chuckles. The parody of Jaws had me rolling. Ghost Hound (TV) Very good
This started out as sort of a 'what the heck?' series and was something of a chore to keep straight at
the beginning, but once the plot really got under way it turned into an exciting, emotional, buddy-
adventure story. Ultimately the science fiction/fantasy stuff is really just a backdrop against which
the characters grow up, and perhaps a sort of cursory overview of how the Shirow universe got its
start. This is a great show for anyone who likes character development and lots of it. Ghost in the
Shell (movie) Good Another great classic anime which looks just as good now as it did when it was
made. My only complaint is that it was just a bit too fast paced, like there was too much going on at
once with the plot plus the social analysis. Still, the visuals were great, the story was interesting, and
the soundtrack was haunting. The only thing that would make it better is a redub with the SAC
cast :p Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (movie) Decent Stunning to look at, impossible to understand.
This movie is a classic example of doing it wrong; the story is fairly straightforward and could have
been good, but when the characters stop every five minutes to quote bible verses or something some
psychoanalyst said a hundred years ago it quickly turns into a yawn-fest. The sub-only US release is
also annoying; with all the text from the constant quoting, it's hard to look at all of the eye candy.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) Excellent This anime is made of pure win. Finally, all
the action, intrigue, and thought-provoking monologues of Ghost in the Shell in a format that gives
the story and characters room to breathe. I have to say, I prefer this series to the original movies; with
the plot all spread out and a decent amount of filler episodes, I got more of a sense of all the
characters and the relationships between them. It was also more of a relaxed approach to the GitS
universe, with plenty of subtle (and not so subtle) humor, and, of course, the antics of the
tachikomas, possibly the best mascot characters ever. The animation is spectacular to watch, with
CGI nicely blended into cel animation and plenty of little background details (it's fun to watch a
second time just to play 'spot C.E.O. Jameson' - I.G really had fun with that guy.) The music is
outstanding, and easily my favorite Kanno Yoko soundtrack after Arjuna. This is just an all-around
awesome anime with something for everyone, from people who love analyzing to people who like
seeing chicks with massive breasts wail on people. #2 on my top 10 list. Ghost in the Shell: Stand
Alone Complex 2nd GIG (TV) Masterpiece This series just keeps getting better. The new storyline is
more intense than the first season, and almost nothing is filler. I also appreciate the fact that Motoko
took the time to put pants on. This season is probably the more emotional of the two; while SAC
spent most of its time introducing us to the characters and their nuances, 2nd GIG puts those nuances
to the test. We also get to learn more about Saito, Pazu, and Ishikawa, although still no love for
Borma. The soundtrack has been ramped up as well with the addition of a new 'exciting stuff is
happening' piece, Torukia, which more than surpasses Run Rabbit Junk, Spotter, and Stamina Rose
from the first season. 2nd GIG is an extremely satisfying continuation of the SAC storyline. Ghost in
the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society (movie) Very good I was really excited to
watch SSS after burning myself out on SAC and 2nd GIG, but I was kind of disappointed by it. There
was far too much going on all at once; it seemed like the movie jumped from fight scene to plot point
to other fight scene to new plot point way too quickly, and it was hard to keep up. The end made
hardly any sense; I think the series works better when the bad guys are corporeal bureaucrats instead
of just thoughts and....old people. Grave of the Fireflies (movie) Good This isn't a movie to watch for
entertainment. I'd say it's one of those otaku rite-of-passage type things. It's also not something I'd
want to own; I think watching it once is more than enough. Haibane Renmei (TV) Masterpiece
Entertaining, heartwarming, and beautiful to watch. I bought Haibane Renmei blind because I'd heard
so many good things about it, and I'm glad I did. The story is so sweet and the characters are so
sympathetic that I cried even more at the end the second time I watched it. It's a classic tale blending
coming of age with friends and forgiveness that everyone needs to watch. #4 on my top 10 list.
Howl's Moving Castle (movie) Decent My brother thinks this movie is really boring, and while it's
not the best thing I've ever seen, I thought it was cute. As with anything Ghibli, the animation and
scenery are top-notch and there's an anti-war message in there somewhere. While the dub is fairly
average, Christian Bale is drool-worthy as Howl. Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the
Looking Glass Very good I'm not a big fan of Inuyasha, but this movie wasn't bad. The story was
interesting, and I actually cared what happened to everyone, which is more than I can say for the rest
of the series. InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler Good I barely remember
anything about this movie other than the fact that it was okay. Inuyasha the Movie: Affections
Touching Across Time Not really good True to form, the first Inuyasha movie is totally filler! I
watched this at a sleepover and consequently went to bed early :p Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade
(movie) Masterpiece Kaiba (TV) Masterpiece Kamikaze Girls (live-action movie) Very good This
movie was really, really fun. It's a basic odd couple setup, but the exaggerated characters and colorful
costumes and sets make it unique and charming. Worth a watch. Kiki's Delivery Service (movie)
Good This is probably my second favorite Ghibli film; instead of being some not-so-subtle save the
environment/anti-war piece, it's just a story about a girl growing up and finding her way in the world.
The art is colorful and the animation is fun to watch, which makes this a great feel-good story.
Macross Frontier (TV) Good (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) Very good Believe the
hype, or at least some of it; while this isn't the anime to end all anime, as some fans claim, it wins
purely on technical details without even getting into a storyline which makes it win even more. The
animation is smooth, with character designs that are very well integrated into the backgrounds. The
story is quirky and quite interesting, and all of the filler episodes are just plain fun. As far as
broadcast vs. chronological goes, I say broadcast, but that's probably only because that's how I first
saw it. (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV 2009 renewal) Very good Millennium Actress
(movie) Very good Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit (TV) Excellent Aside from the occasional bouts
of idiocy suffered by the main characters, this was a very tightly plotted, enjoyable series. The story
is stright forward and interesting, the characters are sympathetic, and the animation is gorgeous. My
only real complaint is about the ending; it made me want to kick something. Mushi-Shi (TV) Very
good Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (TV) Good Pure fluff, but what's wrong with that? Colorful
characters, thoroughly wacky situations, and a bare minimum of plot make the oft-episodic Loki
quite enjoyable to watch. The last three episodes also present a nice turnaround in mood, with an
ending as sweet as the rest of the series. I also recommend picking up the soundtracks; they're totally
bipolar, but they contain some gorgeous piano solos and string ensemble pieces. NANA (live-action
movie) Bad I can't believe how jaw-droppingly bad this movie was. The acting was horrible, the sets
were dull, and no one got any lines unless their name was Nana. Also, large chunks of the backstory
were left out. The worst part, however, was the six-foot-tall, broad-shouldered Shin who had to stoop
to make it through the door of Jackson Hole and growl out his request to join Black Stones. Ugh.
NANA (TV) Excellent I usually don't like drama/slice of life series like this, but NANA is pure gold.
The characters are so well developed that you almost start hurting with them, and the story is
believable yet magical. Another strong point of this series is that the music the fictional bands are
making is actually really really good. While I was sort of disappointed to find out that Paku Romi
wasn't Nana O.'s singing voice as well (BLASPHEMY!), Tsuchiya Anna is great too, and a worthy
opponent of Olivia. This is a great anime for anyone who loves music or even just a good story about
friendship. #3 on my top 10 list. NANA 2 (live-action movie) Worst ever After watching the first
abomination of a live-action NANA I didn't have particularly high hopes for the sequel, but still my
hopes were dashed. This movie is worse than its predecessor in almost every way possible; the story
is both rushed and drawn out at the same time, the script is stupider, the music is more horrible, and I
swear Nakashima Mika's acting has gotten even worse. The new Shin was all right; I think they
realized that football player!Shin didn't work at all, and once again we had a marvelous performance
from Sakagami-san. Other than that, utter trash. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) Decent
Dated, certainly, but still good. I prefer the manga, if only because it's a bit less pedantic and there's
more going on. Oh! Edo Rocket (TV) Very good While I thought the last six or so episodes fell a bit
flat, this was a really fun, goofy, charming anime, and I enjoyed watching it very much.
Recommended for anyone who enjoyed the Galaxy Angel franchise, as it has the same kind of off-
the-cuff feel to it. Also, the cast contains Satou Yuuko, so that's an automatic win in my book.
Paprika (movie) Excellent Princess Mononoke (movie) Decent While this movie is wonderful to look
at, almost everything about it annoyed me, other than the prettiness, the music, Lady Eboshi, and the
fact that Moro was voiced by Gillian Anderson in the dub. The brief duet between Kate T. Vogt and
Mary McGlynn also scores a few points. Anyway, I really dislike the 'nature or GTFO' attitude of
this movie; I think that the humans have as much right to expand their industrial town into the forest
as the gods have to live in it, and the boars and wolves should just learn to live with it. It's been a
while since I've seen this, though, so I might be forgetting something else about it that I liked. Real
Drive (TV) Good Revolutionary Girl Utena (TV) Very good I...have no idea what to say about this
anime. At times it's so boring you can almost feel your brain trying to escape through your ears, and
at times it's so morbidly surreal and beautiful that you're left breathless. The gorgeous character
designs and backgrounds are another point in this series' favor. As a whole I was amazed by it, but I
know if I go back and start watching it from the beginning I'll wonder what I saw in it. Revolutionary
Girl Utena: The Movie Masterpiece Rideback (TV) Very good RIN - Daughters of Mnemosyne (TV)
Decent Hmm. While ultimately this anime's plotline actually turned out to be halfway interesting,
and I've been in love with Ishida Akira since I saw him as Shin-chan in NANA (speaking of which, I
had NO idea that he, Paku Romi, and Hayashibara Megumi were all in the Butsu Zone OAV! I wish
there was a copy of that floating around on the internet somewhere...) this was ultimately just a
delivery system for sex, violence, nudity, yuri, voyeurism, more sex, more violence, violent sex, and
sexual violence. It also disturbed me to no end hearing sweet little Kugimiya Rie squeaking her
displeasure at forced lesbian intercourse as a price for information. Not recommended unless you
really, really like this sort of thing; there are absolutely no redeeming aspects, aside (of course) from
Ishida Akira and possibly Ohara Sayaka. (The) Rose of Versailles (TV) Very good I liked this a lot
more than I thought I would. It's old, and the animation is noticeably dated, but it's still a wonderful
story about growing up in adversity. While I was watching I actually drew many comparisons to GitS
on the basis of studying social structure and politics, plus the number of characters whose stories
were all intertwined. It's also a very historically accurate (and shiny) portrayal of the French
Revolution. This anime is worth the watch; if it can interest me in France, it has to be good. Samurai
Champloo (TV) Masterpiece I saw one episode of this anime on TV a while ago and didn't really like
it, but now that I've had the chance to sit down and watch it start to finish I really, really enjoyed it.
Everything about this anime is cool; the characters, the music, the fighting, the wacky stuff the main
gang does on their journey. It's a lot of fun, and there's plenty of heart behind it too. A must watch for
everyone. Serial Experiments Lain (TV) Very good "And you don't seem to understand...." Never has
the first line of an opening theme so utterly explained the anime to which it belongs. Lain is sort of
like the extremely creepy older sister of Haruhi Suzumiya, only without the bunny suits and with
laughter being replaced by the hair on the back of your neck standing up. It's creepy, it's trippy, and
it's worth a watch or five, just to make sure you got everything. Shaman King (TV) Not really good
(dub), Masterpiece (sub) Despite the fact that it falls neatly under the heading of generic shounen,
something I usually can't stand, I love this anime to bits. All of the fun and warmth of this series
completely overshadows the mediocre art, repetative incidental music, and cliched plot. The
characters are all unique and memorable, and there's really no one worthy of outright hatred. The cast
is just as outstanding, with all of the seiyuu being perfect for their characters, especially Inuyama
Inuko, whose Manta is absolute genius. Unlike many other shounen anime, Shaman King doesn't
take itself seriously at all, and it's just a lot of fun to watch. #1 on my top 10 list. Sonic the
Hedgehog: The Movie (OAV) Not really good Waste of time. The only reason I watched it was
because my brother rented it and I was supposed to be watching him. Spice and Wolf (TV) Decent
Bleh. The landscapes were cool, the character designs were pretty, and Horo was awesome, but other
than that this came across as a thinly veiled harem anime. I'm sorry, but Lawrence is an idiot, and his
interaction with Horo is just mind-crushingly stupid. Also, I wasn't too fond of the focus on
economics; I thought it would be more about Lawrence and Horo traveling around trying to stay out
of the church's way, and I was horribly disappointed. Spirited Away (movie) Masterpiece This was
the first Ghibli movie (and the first anime, I think) that I ever saw, and easily the Ghibli movie I
enjoy the most. It's beautiful to watch, and the story is like something I would have come up with
when I was Chihiro's age and not all bitter and cynical like I am now :p While the detailed and
colorful backgrounds made every aspect of the story interesting, the part that really sticks out for me,
even now, is the scene with the journey on the train; I cried at it both times I saw this movie in the
theater. #7 on my top 10 list. Steamboy (movie) Good I ended up seeing this because, funnilly
enough, my dad wanted to watch it. Although the story was sort of blah, the animation was amazing,
particularly all of the machines and their moving parts. All in all it was enjoyable, but not really my
thing; I prefer cyberpunk to steampunk. Tachikomatic Days (OAV) Good A collection of animated
shorts featuring the Tachikomas and a big, white landscape. Humor ensues. Tokyo Godfathers
(movie) Good Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (TV) Good Tweeny Witches (TV) Decent (The) Twelve
Kingdoms (TV) Masterpiece Watching this anime is like sitting down with a plate of rich, gooey
chocolate chip cookies; you start off with one, and it's so good you want another one, and another
one, until you've finished the whole plate and you feel so full of the rich goodness that you could
burst, but you still want more. Dazzling backgrounds, costumes, creatures, and music make the world
of the twelve kingdoms nearly pop off the screen, and the accompanying storyline is deep and
thought provoking. This is a wonderful anime that no one should miss. Vexille - 2077 Isolation of
Japan (movie) Good Voices of a Distant Star (OAV) Good Witchblade (TV) Excellent xxxHOLiC:
Kei (TV) Excellent