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Although a seasoned otaku, I have only seen two war-related animes. And by war I mean an actual war, not the holy one—the concept not-so-rare and rather overused. The first one was Grave of the Fireflies, the movie that sent me sobbing. The second, First Squad: The Moment of Truth, also made me cry, although for very different reasons. (Hint: read the existing reviews.)

In other words, it's a genre I'm unfamiliar with and experience conflicted feelings about. To say I had any expectations or preferences would be incorrect, so my mind was completely open.

The only thing I was aware of is that it's another creation ... of people that made El Cazador de la Bruja, one of my all-time favourites. The similarities have been spotted at once.

First of all, I could not help but notice drawing style and general placement of the characters being very similar. Madlax and Margaret strongly reminded me of Nadie and Ellis, not just appearance-wise but also the kind of relationship they share. However, I must note, the latter two sure come from the more developed anime era. Who could have thought anime would develop so much in just three years?

Another similarity would be that both series have a similar set of characters—strangers that follow and watch over the growth of the mains, a couple of close friends, and one psycho that has an unhealthy obsession with one of the two antagonists. The pattern is clear.

I have noticed in the previous reviews people tend to complain it takes too long for the characters to meet. Truth be told, that's probably the most stupid thing I have heard in a while. Like, are you people familiar with Game of Thrones? That's where it takes long.

In my opinion, anime was a little slow paced in the first episodes, but this should be expected as we are being introduced to a whole new universe and the characters that will accompany us in exploring it.

What I found incredibly interesting is how it seemed to touch on sensitive political matters of the time and actually indirectly made accusations towards a certain country for being the puppet master of the blood-spilling civil wars. Since anime has not referred to any existing country, I shall not either, but those who were alive and mature enough back in the day the anime was released should also make very obvious connections.

Another aspect I found appealing was the atmosphere of war itself. It was well perceived and pictured. Although I have never been in a war zone, it made me feel as if I know what would it look like.

However, the best of the best things about the series is what got me in El Cazador as well—the soundtracks. Usually I don't even pay so much attention to them, but in Madlax they were absolutely flawless, well-timed and fitting.

The concept of the anime itself was pretty interesting and I quite enjoyed it. Not gonna lie, what particularly pleased me was development and eventual death of the characters. I though it was just a trick to keep us hooked in the beginning, and the fact the running gag has been forgotten midway through had only confirmed that, the final episodes proved me wrong.

Moving on to the cons of the anime I will start with my biggest pet peeve—art style. While in general it was not too bad for its time, Madlax had a peculiar skill of making the main characters look very retarded at certain angles. I'm quite sure it wasn't their intention either.

I was also annoyed how bits of the background stories of other key characters have been revealed briefly but never developed or completed. I've always had a feeling there was a lot more behind Vanessa and Elenore, and it made me growl to have my interest woken up yet never satisfied.

Another issue would be the entire book business which was meant to be main theme of the series. Let's agree it was not and the spotlight has been stolen by warfare, a far better developed concept which, I think, was meant to be the creator of a mood.

Similarly to the lack of development secondary characters received, the one that got close to none was the main villain. When it started off, Enfant and Friday Monday seemed absolutely badass and I was craving to learn more, even such details as where does the name Friday Monday originate from. We have not been given any of this, and the villain proves to be boring, basic and only put there to, well, be.

Generally speaking, Madlax is anime I could write a lot about (as you might have noticed), but I'm trying to keep it brief. Failing hard, as there are just so many things to be said.

Overall, I truly enjoyed the series, although I had a feeling the story had a very poor time management. Had it taken less time for introduction and warm up, as well as getting one-episode-only characters involved, it would have had more time to develop the ones that were sticking around for a while, especially the god damn villain.

Although peeved about the art style, later on I stopped noticing it and simply accepted the fact times were different. In fact, the story gets so captivating it's the last of your worries.

What these series gave me as a better insight on my own preferences through exploring a genre I'm not too familiar with. I found Madlax truly enjoyable and recognized the work of creators El Cazador de la Bruja, the series I'm a big fan of.

In conclusion, it's a very interesting anime though I would not recommend it to everyone. In fact, I would only recommend it to people who have already seen plenty, just so they can truly appreciate this great show.

How often do you see series listed on MyAnimeList have close to no reviews? The society of anime lovers barely ever leaves a show unattended and this particular oddity tickled my fancy.

I've started watching Suteki Tantei Labyrinth out of curiosity. The trailer and art suggested it must have been a great show of its time and now it was my job to reveal the mystery behind the absence of reviews. After all, it also meant a great opportunity to be noticed—if I wrote one, it wouldn't be lost in the sea of others. Was I any intrigued for the plot? Barely.

As the series begun, the ... first thing I've noticed was art. In my opinion, 2007 was generally the year of visually appealing series and the point when animation and digital art had completely taken over the industry and introduced the audience to the style most of the mainstream animes rely on today. Although a lover of old school, I'm a huge fan of the stereotypical millennium anime art style. Suteki Tantei Labyrinth, aired in the fall of 2007, had also adopted the back then novelty style, which made the series particularly pleasant to my eye. It was especially delightful after Gakkou no Kaidan I've reviewed a while ago.

The beginning gave anime a positive vibe of secrecy and a mystery filled story ahead, although I was a little disappointed to see no opening at the first episode. I'm that oddball who genuinely listens to the opening and ending songs, and often judges series by the soundtrack. As stupid as it sounds. Truth be told, the beginning made me tense with paranoia: will everything go wrong in the beginning or will the creators mess up by the end?

It did not take long 'til I found myself genuinely enjoying the show. Surprisingly, two episodes into the anime I found myself fully captivated and even gasping as events unfolded. As a person who's seen a handful of series, I must admit it's rare to have me on the edge and truly interested at the very beginning.

What had truly impressed me were the plot twists and unexpected turns. On multiple occasions I would roll my eyes thinking I've already solved the mystery before the characters did, meaning the next two episodes were to drag, and every single time I'd be proven wrong. It was a pleasant surprise and something you'd expect from a detective anime.

Another highlight should be placed on the characters. Suteki Tantei Labyrinth has loads of them and yet we never know who (apart from Mayuki) are actually the main cast or who are side characters. In fact, it changed so much through the series it is simply impossible to tell now. My biggest compliments are dedicated to the villain, though.

A common thing to see in anime shows is that the villain is a bad guy no one wants to deal with as he seeks to destroy everything and everyone on his way. And so this leads to the fact the "good" characters only interact with the "baddie" when it's a fight time. In Suteki Tantei Labyrinth, however, the villain is actually pretty chill to talk even to representatives of the enemy. I was very pleased to see the antagonist being presented as a human being, capable to hold a civilized conversation instead of just yelling and destroying everything in his sight.

However, once the villain eventually stepped into the game, the anime went downhill. Although creators clearly tried to make it a transition in a new arc, even changing the ending song, I seriously wish they simply carried on with the primary mood of the series.

Now, where do I even begin with the cons? Probably the unnecessary episodes AKA fillers. Although Suteki Tantei Labyrinth is only 25 episodes long, holy molly, it's full of fillers. While I could understand the first episodes not contributing much towards the main story and are just there to hook the audience in, throwing absolutely unrelated episodes midway the series is just wrong, especially when the anime is so short.

Next step would be the characters. Although it's understandable the new arc will require new characters appearing, there was absolutely no need to throw so many of them in, especially with no intention of developing them anyhow. It felt as if the author just didn't know how to cope with another half of anime he produced—either it was too much for him, or not enough room he tried to squeeze everything in. In the end, the result stays the same: it sucked and lost its primary vibe. Worst of all, it became predictable.

Previously logical and consistent anime in the blink of an eye turned into an incoherent chaos with a bunch of new characters, new powers, new concepts, new backstories. Although I've somewhat enjoyed learning more about Seiran, whose story was probably the best of the lot, it was still pretty bad. The beautiful series that kept me tense and curious were long gone and replaced by what seemed like a sloppy fan continuation. It had so very little to do with the first episodes it was awful.

In the end, nothing really made sense and so many plot holes were left it made me sad.

When I've first started the series I did not think I would like it. I did not expect to dislike it either. All I wanted was to review it and to find out why others haven't done so. I can't tell if I came across the reasons, but I've come up with an assumption.

The series started great and from episode 2 I was mentally planning how I will praise this unnoticed masterpiece and recommended it to my boyfriend at once. However, midway the series it changed so drastically the previous joy of mine had vanished, leaving me nothing but a bitter taste of ash.

Such unexpected let down hit me harder than I thought and in fact, I felt like giving up on the review altogether. It was just painful how an anime with such great potential was ruined by what seemed to be a careless flick of a wrist.

Truth be told, I myself postponed this review for two weeks, now nearing the end of another series I watch, but eventually decided to share my insights.

In conclusion, I'm sure the anime was noticed and seen by many. The lack of feedback is likely caused by feeling cheated and general confusion of how a 10 went down to a weak 5. It is difficult to rate an anime half of which was brilliant, but the other half a disaster.

Did I enjoy it? Yes.

Am I disappointed? Also a yes.

Have you ever accidentally watched a show you have not intended to watch? See, that was an easy one. It happens to everyone.

Let's swiftly move towards a less common problem: have you ever watched the series you were convinced was a different show? Now you might be asking yourself, how is this even possible, or probably what kind of a nonce could even manage such stupidity? The answer is currently typing this review.

For about two years, I have been planning to watch an anime called Kaidan Restaurant, and eventually its turn came. Unfortunately, I struggled finding a living torrent for the series, and just when ... I was to give up, one of the anime sites reacted to the keyword 'Kaidan.' I was filled with joy and downloaded the series called Gakkou no Kaidan, for some reason convinced it must have been the Japanese name of it, at the time suspecting no folly.

As it happens, the theme of both animes is also similar—school children, ghosts, and urban legends. Both also target the same audience: children of middle school age, and so even as I've started the show and remembered the basics of description, I was still clueless it was not the show I was after.

Knowing it's a show aimed at children, I did not expect all this much. And Gakkou no Kaidan, indeed, did not offer much. Every episode was covering a different ghost story, either traditional or urban, and there wasn't an actual story line. On the other hand, you could see there was something to keep the series together as a continuous story rather than 20 unrelated episodes featuring same characters. Although the link was very small, shaped as a demon possessed cat, I must say it did fulfill its duty. Not too splendidly, but it did. Plus, Amanojaku is my by far favourite character.

However, now that I brought this up, I must say there wasn't any other character I liked. All of them were bland. Not even generic, just bland. Shells with no personality, unique traits or anything that makes viewers fond of the characters. I imagine this is why the humorously dubbed version of the series (the one I've discovered after completion of the series) has more success. Although an open mock, it actually gave those boring characters some.... Erm, character.

What peeved me the most was the drawing style. As an anime artist myself, I always get sensitive about anatomy, and while the body structure of characters was alright, it's often the size of their heads that concerned me. On the other hand, I reminded myself (or was rather reminded by a particular episode featuring the very first computers) the anime is nearly 20 years old and, for its time, it was great. I have checked its age on MyAnimeList, and even after checking the series on the database I have not realized that's not the show I thought I was watching. Although I admit that's when a hint of doubt flashed, as I distantly recalled the series being newer.

Now, my main enquiry with Gakkou no Kaidan is whether it is truly aimed at children or not. Once upon a time, I thought Narutaru was a lovely kid's show, but with each episode growing darker and creepier, I was soon stripped of my sweet delusions. This show, on the other hand, is not as obvious.

As I've first started watching it, I could hardly hold back a smile. As a kid I loved everything to do with ghosts, and whenever a cartoon had an episode with ghosts, mummies, or anything of the kind, it was my instant favourite. Up until the final five episodes, I was convinced a younger me would have had absolutely loved Gakkou no Kaidan.

However, I must admit, a few things about it did not seem so childish from the start. The ending theme "Sexy Sexy," seeing its translation and very sexual context, in my opinion, was not too suitable for a children's show. But actually it wasn't a big deal, and I only laughed about it. I've even showed it to my boyfriend, and both of us chuckled how cringe Japanese are.

Another thing I found mildly disturbing was Hajime's obsession with Satsuki's panties. Ecchi themes are not uncommon in anime, and probably can be seen as an essential part of it, but I have not yet seen another kid's show to have it. If it was just a single insert for the sake of laugh, I would understand it. Yet, it was a repeating theme and what was the most unsettling is that the characters are no older than 11.

As I have previously mentioned, it's the last few episodes that made me doubt. Episode 15, "Ritual of Darkness," was the first that gave me a spook and I have long stopped being a child. The next episode, on the other hand, had nothing significantly scary in it and I once again wrote it off as a simple mistake.

However, the mistake was mine. Starting episode 17, "The Horror of Bloodstained Lake," I swore that whenever my mother instincts kick in and I decide to reproduce, my children will not be introduced to this anime. As an adult, I found the following episodes scary and can only wonder how far would have my imagination gone had I seen them as a child.

A few goosebumps attacks is what made me double check the age category of this anime on MyAnimeList, just when I was two episodes away from completion. I swear my face was as scary as any ghost when the recommendation tab suggested if I like Gakkou no Kaidan, I will also like... Kaidan Restaurant. I will skip all the words I spewed out in shock, along the gasp attack I've had upon my discovery, and will simply voice my verdict.

It's not a bad show, and it does not deserve as much hate as other reviewers give it. It is quite entertaining, easy to watch, and not too demanding. There are plenty of logical mistakes an adult spots straight away, yet to children, at whom this anime is aimed, would not really notice it. However, the problem is I'm not convinced it's a kids how. In my opinion, it had too many sexual themes. Some may argue they were hardly any, but I strongly believe a children's show must not contain any. Plus, some episodes were actually scary and can give some adults (namely me) nightmares. I imagine those would scar children for life.

Oh, and I must add: I have eventually found Kaidan Restaurant and this time I'm downloading the right show.

The first time I heard of such thing as "Netflix original anime," I could not hold back a snort. Although a fan of most original content Netflix offers, I could not combine three words together. While there are plenty of great series made in Europe, such as my personal all-time favourite Oban Star Racers, I had no faith Netflix could do a good job. To save myself time and disappointment, I decided not to bother.

A while ago, I noticed the USB cable no longer connects my phone to a computer, thus I can no longer transfer myself new episodes of anime. I have sheepishly convinced ... myself I will find something online via my phone during a lunch break at work. It appeared to be more difficult than expected, and scrolling through ad-filled listings was unpleasant. Annoyed by the obvious virus sites constantly popping out as I tried to find a title of the series I had on MyAnimeList, I eventually decided to settle on something that sounded relatively familiar—Seven Deadly Sins. I was not sure if it was on my list, but the name rang a bell and so I went for it.

The beginning did not impress me a slightest bit. "Generic" was the only word that echoed through my head, as I watched endless and absolutely unnecessary ecchi scenes and had been introduced to the world's most boring characters. Apart from Hawk, of course.

Dropping the series sounded like the only solution, but my mom did not raise a quitter—instead, she brought up an OCD otaku, who must finish every damned series she starts. With a deep sigh, I carried on watching. After all, I have condemned myself to much worse shows before.

With appearance of other characters, the series was finally starting to draw me in. Although unimpressed at first, I found myself growing more and more eager to learn what the next episode had to offer. In fact, soon I even stopped noticing the irritating sexual scenes at all as my concentration was set on the story. That was when I have realized my soul had been stolen by the show I was quick to dismiss as cliché.

In my opinion, the strongest aspect of the series is its flow. The mistake most animes make is that the very first battles or small introduction stories (both are present in SDS) are forgotten as the show progresses and the original plot starts evolving. I was pleasantly surprised how Seven Deadly Sins actually included very minor characters to the main story, giving them extra screen time and somewhat of a development long after the viewer had forgotten them. What made me purr like a big fat cat was that it wasn't a one-time wonder, but has been continuously carried out throughout the series.

Another thing I give my praises to is character development. Probably not so much on the main characters who, in my opinion, had very little growth at all. I find it very interesting how creators of the anime put a much bigger emphasis on the side characters and their evolution rather than the main cast. The said evolution also resulted in great and unexpected plot twists that made me clap hands. Although far from a rookie when it comes to anime, I must admit it's the first time I've seen such approach. Normally, I would not expect it to work and the idea alone sounds mad. However, in Seven Deadly Sins it was executed so well it left me speechless.

The anime that started light and silly, filled with every cliché joke and element you could think of, was quick to start getting dark. I found myself deeply impressed how smooth this transition was, as myself I could not pinpoint it and yet it was happening. I like to believe the more serious themes started appearing around the time I found myself growing fond of the series, but again, it's just my ego demanding a few strokes.

Moving to the cons, I will once again mention character development. Although I welcome and cherish the idea of focusing on different kinds of characters, leaving the mains with close to no development should still not be a thing. Especially if, which is a serious case in Seven Deadly Sins, there is a hella annoying female character. Elizabeth is seriously everything I hate in a female antagonist and although there were brief attempts to make it seem as if she grows, till the very end she remains a damsel in distress with an overly squeaky voice. I guess being able to grope her was the only thing that made Meliodas tolerate her talking.

Few stories that are viewed as complete, especially regarding back story of the main characters, in my opinion are too rushed. With Ban and Elaine, who live through a tragic love story, I failed to suffer the pain that was meant to be inflicted on my feels. No, it did not happen because I am insensitive—in fact, I'm a notorious anime-cryer, but it was just not presented the way it should be to evoke one's feelings. It was short and clearly rushed, giving the viewer no time to actually get drawn into. At no moment I could feel the pain of the characters, it was only my common sense suggesting the story is actually very sad.

The part I have most complaints on is the end. I have spent days and days trying to figure out how I felt about it. The episode before the last was when emotions filled me so badly I was physically weeping, and I was, in fact, stressed to see how it all ends. Most series I was so into were forever ruined to me due to a stupid, ridiculous ending (I'm looking at you, Occultic;Nine), and goodness how I wished not to be disappointed. To this day, I can't tell if I am or not. It is difficult to put it in words without any spoilers, but let's just say I would be devastated if it ended the way I wanted to end, thus I am happy it ended the way it did. On the other hand, I would probably be devastated but satisfied, while now I am happy, yet rather annoyed.

Despite the cons, I still genuinely enjoyed the series, and once I've finished them I did not wait to start looking for a new season. That's when I came across Wikipedia article on Seven Deadly Sins, and for some reason decided to skim through it.

No words could describe my amazement when I saw the same three words I refused to put together: "Netflix original anime." I stared blank at the screen for nearly a minute, letting the idea to sink in. The series I liked more than the most (and I've seen a lot) were actually the ones I rejected before even giving it a try.

Lesson has been learned. The mind has been opened. All that is left now is to wait for a new season.

I have no clue how did this anime appear on my planning to watch list, but, heck, I'm so glad it did!

As it always happens with the animes I fell in love with, I started with being extremely sceptical about Jyu Oh Sei. I'm not entirely sure why, probably there is an anime with a similar name, but I instantly thought it will be yaoi related. With my history of being an underage yaoi fangirl (guilty), it'd make sense, given the fact for how long I've had MAL account and how recently I've returned to anime. Long story short, I was not too eager ... to watch the series. However, this anime did something the most are incapable of - it caught my attention at the very first episode. From there on, I was hooked on the series, impatiently waiting for the next gym day just to see more of it. At first I was sure 11 episodes won't be even near to enough to cover the plot - I blame my bitter experience with the most of 13 eps long animes that carry rushed, half-arsed endings. But, to my pleasant surprise, the story was masterly put into those very few episodes, leaving me absolutely satisfied and fulfilled. The pace is, as it's to be expected, rather fast. However, it did not feel rushed to me - it gave an impression of it being just the way it should be. By episode 7, when the major changes in the characters occurred, I clapped my hand in excitement. To some it might have appeared too far-fetched, but I found this major change extremely yummy.

I'm usually highly peeved with the older style of drawing and, as vain as it may sound, genuinely enjoy the generic animation. I tend to stick to a belief that unique does not always mean good, hence why, despite great story lines and major enjoyment of the series, I was particularly annoyed with Revolutionary Girl Utena,Soul Eater, One Piece and others alike. Naturally, upon starting the anime, I frowned at how the characters were drawn, especially noting their noses. It reminded me of Princess Mononoke in a sense, but soon I was so engaged into a story I forgot about those little annoying things. As an anime artist myself, especially the one who's quite bad with the backgrounds, you can guess what I've appreciated the most. Yes, the details of the universe, which would vary from the wild, human eating jungle to space ship laboratories. Generally speaking, the art of Jyu Oh Sei is definitely not my cup of tea, but I was too busy with the admiration of the story to get irritated.

Now sound is what made me even happier. It's one of the openings I've downloaded straight away. I loved the energy in it, and it is now one of my favourite work out tracks. Thank you, Jyu Oh Sei! Usually I forget the openings quite easily, although I watch them all. Normally, I don't take much notice of the soundtracks, but with this anime I've actually did (because I knew I'm definitely reviewing it). They blended in just fine, and with all carrying a tribal theme, I believe soundtracks helped greatly to build the atmosphere. None of them are too loud nor too persistent, therefore serving as a great background - just what a soundtrack is meant to be. As for the ending, although I'm not a big fan of it, I can't complain either. The tune sounds more like an opening of some other, probably more female aimed series,but when you're taken back by all the strong points of the anime, you seriously can't complain about the ending, therefore I loved it, too.

Jyu Oh Sei is one of the animes that offers such clear and fast paced character development, you pretty much have it rubbed into your face. Especially by episode 7. The characters that seem like they don't develop are a trap. Their development is forcefully stopped by the creators of the series, just so they suddenly bloom and expose their true selves at the very end. It's similar to a trump card principle, to blow your mind with the brilliance completely. At least that's what happened to me. Very few and only completely minor characters were left with no actual development, but you can't be mad about that. In fact, it bugged me slightly why were they kept alive if they, unlike the others, lacked even interaction with the mains, but it was just a thought I had for a second. I'm actually very content with the characters in this anime. It is truly amazing how well their personalities and growth were exposed in a period of 11 episodes, without making it super rushed.

If you are still reading up to this point, you must very well have guessed I truly enjoyed this anime. So much, it's been re-watched on the same day of the completion, all in one ago. Also, I found myself fangirling over Sado, which is always a good thing. If I create a bond with a character, it means the anime is worthwhile. Usually, this phenomenon occurs with longer anime, thus it is the first time known to the history a character had charmed me in such short series. I liked the majority of plot twists, I liked the violence, I liked the tragedy, I liked the romance. Basically, this anime summed up all my favourite things in the series, offering a great blend. I would compare it to espresso - tiny, but strong and will keep you on your toes.

In conclusion, I will undoubtedly call it a masterpiece - not a word I use very often. Despite my scepticism, this anime had proven to be a real gem and totally justified its presence on my enormous planning to watch. Heck, I'm definitely grateful to myself for adding it to the said list as missing out on such great series would be a definite loss.

Story: 10/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

OVERALL: 10/10

It is the first time I give a such high score whilst reviewing, yaaaaay! And, once again, I'm rocking the unpopular opinion. Double yay! At this rate, I believe, I will soon turn into a hipster.

Story: 10/10

Let's start with a confession of mine - out of the trio, Robotics;Notes is my favorite, and it brought me much, much more joy that the over praised Steins;Gate (those of you who read my other reviews, must know I did not find it as astonishing). I was extremely sceptical about this one as, well, it has something related to robots in the title, as I hate mechas. Plus, ... the major disappointment in Steins;Gate. The first episode made me grind my teeth as I was certain there is no way I can keep up with this anime for solid 22 episodes. However, the second episode offered a different theme, which, although still distant from my preferences, appeared to be much better than mecha. AND THEN THE THINGS STARTED. Oh my god. I'm a big, big fan of conspiracy theories and stuff of the kind, so as soon as I've started recognizing the existing themes in the anime, my curiosity grew very, very large. While the conspiracy by the government is pretty much the main theme in all three animes, Robotics;Notes, in my opinion, was the most tied to the real world. While first two episodes made me facepalm about my anime-related OCDs, I soon got so into it I forgot about everything in the world. Oh yes. The part with a grandfather. I was literally crying, as in having to stop my work out as I was starting to sob uncontrollably.

Art: 10/10

Although Robotics;Notes does not use my beloved blanked colours palette, I still found it to be very, very pleasing for my eyes. The colours are bright, but not the eye-cancer bright. They are used in nice schemes, therefore they don't irritate the viewer. Anatomically correct characters was a plus, too. As I've stated multiple times before, I can't stand mecha, but the robot design deserves my praises, too. My main problem with mecha is all the drawing clutter when it comes to robots - Robotics;Notes managed to avoid that, hence why mecha haters such as me were capable to appreciate the anime.

Sound: 8/10
Being a rock chick to the bone, I've appreciated hints of heavier music in the series. The opening was lovely, although it gave a promising start, it still appeared to be some cheesy Jpop. I liked the fact the main theme in Tetsuharu's shop was heavy metal. Growing up with a plenty of metalheads in my surroundings, including my dad, I know very well how related heavy metal and all those obsessed with screwdrivers and micro-schemes are. But here my praises end, as, well. The rest of the themes, including the ending, were nothing special, really.

Character: 9/10
KONA IS MY SPIRITUAL ANIMAL. Just like probably everyone familiar with the series, I fell in love with this little freak and omg, I recognize myself in her. The main difference is that I can't program of the life of me and, well, ain't so smart. Oh, and my life story isn't as interesting. Other than that - spot on. The rest of the characters...Hmpf. It's one of the cases when the mains are quite...Blank, not to over praise them. The supporting characters, on the other hand, were great and given much more personality. After skimming through the reviews, I noted many bashing the villain, but that's where I highly disagree. I LOVED the concept, and how the discovery of the true bad boy evolved. It was a great plot twist and hey, it'd be very,very stupid to expect any physical actions performed by him. It would ruin the anime. They kept it quite subtle, exposing him as a puppeteer and a master mind he was rather than the bad guy who'd openly cause offence.

Enjoyment: 10/10

FINALLY I got the darker themes and violence I wanted! Unlike Steins;Gate that would give me false hope, this anime in fact got some tough sh*t going on. Although I already enjoyed the anime, one moment it got very, very sinister, instantly earning my undying love. That episode I watched with my eyes widened, as I honestly did not expect it to actually happen. My prayers had been heard! Eventually. As I've stated in the beginning, I had low expectations for Robotics;Notes and was mentally prepared it will be a difficult one to watch, but boy! It's one of the best animes I've seen.

Overall: 10/10
A ten from me! A very, very few animes had ever been given this score from the spiteful and demanding little arse known as Shira-Yumi. Which can only suggest Robotics;Notes is truly something, or at least it is to me. I've gladly rewatched it again with my boyfriend. It definitely beats Steins;Gate for me, and I believe it is highly underestimated and underrated. I mean, look at me - I honestly hate mecha and always have. This anime has mecha. I love this anime. Essentially, it got a mecha hater to be squealing over a mecha-ish anime. Yes, it is fairly special.

I'm glad it was the last anime of the triad I watched, as otherwise the other two would disappoint me only more than they originally had. Robotics;Notes, the only one of the three I was not eager to watch, proved to be the best one and restored my faith. The conclusion is the following: robots can be cool.

Oh, the mighty god of anime, save my soul from the fandom who is likely to tear me apart for giving SUCH LOW score to SUCH BRILLIANT anime!

I've been seeing the hype about Steins;Gate going around the net for years now, and never got time to come around it. But, as the odds dictated, I've started watching Chaos;Head, and so inevitably ended up with Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes. I won't even try to hide my disappointment. Knowing how critical the anime society is, and seeing such high score on MAL and generally reviews on the net, I expected to be swept off my feet. Needless to ... say I was not.

Story: 6/10

Now, feel free to spit fire at me, but I did not like the story. I admit it was very well thought through and there isn't much I can complain of as no plot holes (Shira's #1 pet peeve) were left uncovered. My problem is that I didn't find it interesting. In fact, I ended up quite bored at times. I was starting to get somewhat interested only when Okabe processed in fixing his previous reckless actions, but then the part about a certain character's death had begun and I was starting to lose concentration once again. Although I'm not a fan of romance genre (duh, killing and violence is what this gentle 160cm girlie digs!), I did enjoy it a lot in Steins;Gate, and this fact definitely deserves a credit and a big pat on the back. And yet, I did not like the story. Sorry, angry fans.

Art: 10/10

Those who read my other reviews must know by now I'm a big fan of not-too-bright themes. In other words, I like soft colours that aren't too dark but don't rape my eyes either. Calmness and greyish accent is the key, wish I was better at using this in my fan arts. Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed the colours in Steins;Gate, probably more than in the other two animes of the trio. I loved how each character was given that little detail that made them stand out ---- can't help it, but the brightest of them was Mayuri's eyebrows.

Sound: 7/10

There was definitely nothing significant about the sound. It blended in fine, I guess. Not that I paid attention...I was too busy trying to remain concentrated on the story as I kept on losing my focus. Again, I apologize, but it was boring.

Characters: 8/10

Yasssss, the characters is what I liked! Ruka is a little sweetheart, omg. It's rare to see characters like this put into animes that aren't directed at 13-years-old yaoi fangirls, who will love any series as long as there are "kawaii bishies kissing". Also, you won't often see one of the main character being obese - usually those are supports, as the mains, stereotypically, are perfect looks wise. BUT WHAT KILLS THE SCORE IS MAYURI. I swear to god, it's one of the most bloody annoying characters in the world. Throughout the series I sorta wished she died. Horrible, horrible me.

Enjoyment: 6/10

Nah. I didn't enjoy it as much as the most seem to have had. Interesting concept, nice art, vivid character....And a boring story. I watch my animes while working out, therefore I need something to be truly astonishing and addictive, so I forget the physical pain and tiredness. Steins;Gate failed to provide me that, and I suffered every minute of my work out. So, as you can tell, I did not quite enjoy it.

OVERALL: 7/10

The more reviews I write, the better I learn how unpopular my opinion is. In all honestly, I believe this anime is strongly overrated. While I can't deny it being truly good, with a decent and complete plot, alongside the variety of characters and unexpected twists, there are LOADS of better series out there that don't get even a half of attention Steins;Gate generated. Someone on the Internet once complained about "the empty feeling after finishing Steins;Gate", and that's when I got convinced it will really be one of the best animes. But I finished the series, and I feel nothing. I'm even somewhat glad I finished it. And that's definitely not what one feels upon completing the worthwhile series.

Now, fandom, feel free to crucify the non-believer me.

It was the anime that got me watching two other animes I wasn't intending to. Although it seems the MAL lot proclaims Chaos;Head as the worst of the trio, I found it quite enjoyable. Had I not, the other two would remain undiscovered, as they were not on my planning-to-watch at the first place. While I agree about it being incomplete and vague, I suggest to remember there is a new season coming. Who knows, maybe it will be a game changer?

Being a massive sucker for darker themes, the brief of the anime hooked me up at once. However, although I have plenty of experience ... in this field, I never learn - the reality often differs from expectations GREATLY. I did expect some gore and killing and generally a lot of darkness, just like any absolutely sane and sweet female in her early twenties would. What I was offered, however, included the latter so briefly it almost felt like a mock. It did tickle my fancy for I was given at least HINTS of what the description promised, hence why I carried on.You can't deny presence of the plot, but it is quite...Vague? Probably what got me truly interested and inspired to watch the other two animes was the conspiracy theory theme. I'm quite a big fan of those and usually have a documentary playing on the background, so naturally once the theme was introduced, I became very interested. I liked the concept of action taking place online via chat, considering the main character being a shut-in, which was another strong side of this anime. I can't help but love delusions of Taku, for it's so otaku-ish I fear that one day it might hit me, too. I don't mind Arystair Krory cuddling me and calling me his wife though, but people already think I'm borderline weird, so I'd rather not have the matters pushed any further. The inter-dimensional thing and rambles about technology, however, gave me a mild headache and belief my brains will explode as I'm well trained on Serial Experiments Lain and Interlude. And yet, it was nothing but big words to describe the obvious things. The anime started becoming predictive, which I'm not a fan of - plus the amount of clichés it included was making me roll eyes. However, nothing annoys me more as little sub-plots that are literally there for 10 seconds or so, just so certain things that were causing questions and wonders get explained...And usually none of those explanations are even close to satisfactory. I will just mention the nurse here. Or the leader of the opposing political party. Get my drift? Hmpf. The story wasn't an UTTER disappointment, but hell, I understand all the low ratings now.

The art, on the other hand, complimented my standards. After Casshern Sins and the drawing style that was making me shiver every second I spent watching the series, Chaos;Head was an eye candy. I think I'd appreciate it even if I had not watched an old-school drawing anime beforehand, because the anatomy game in the series was fairly strong. It also a palette I've anticipated, as well as the modern digital colouring I dig loads. The design of characters wasn't entirely special, considering Rimi and Sena's appearance and colour choice itself were a huge clichés, but I did like Ayase. Being a rock chick myself, I couldn't help but appreciate her stage outfit and how they actually gave her some dark make up. The Di-swords were quite beautiful, although as a digital artist I could easily tell how easy it was to draw them. Overly, I'm quite satisfied with the art. The quality is high, the anatomy is well, the colours did not make me want to gauge my eyes out. No complaints.

Sound wise, I will just state the opening was annoying. A cheesy J-pop song that would go with a harem anime, a theme of which Chaos;Head DID have, but it wasn't quite the main point. The anime tried to find a middle ground between funny and serious, and sort of failed in that, but given the other two adaptations of the visual novels we know it's meant to be focusing on the serious part rather than the fun. For that reason I dislike the opening even more now, especially after being familiar with Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes. Despite that, ironically, I loved the ending. Not because it'd suit the anime, it was even worse than the opening in terms, but I somewhat liked the song. And the Japanese attempts to English in cheesy pop songs never fails in giving lulz. Miracle baby, ftw. The sounds in the series itself were alright. I hardly ever pay mind to those, really. So if I hadn't - it means they were okay. If they did come to my attention, it means they've probably irritated me.

Characters...NOW WHERE DO I START. Clichés, clichés everywhere but with Taku himself. He had no development really, and that's what actually made him unique. Instead of a shut-in becoming a super duper poo-per (hahahaha see what I did there hahahasomeonedatemepls), he remains a helpless whimpering bum for the entire anime. While most found it irritating, I actually found it soothing, given the fact all the other characters were bloody cliché - driven. Also randomly killing characters that were randomly introduced and existed for no actual point is quite lame. In general it seems as if many characters were introduced solely to fill the time of the episode and they never really played an important role. Their existence, after you finish the anime, just makes you tilt head to the side and go "eh?". The further I write this review, the better I'm starting to understand all the rage you guys felt when writing earlier opinions of this anime.

BUT despite all that, and how much I'm angered at the moment, because upon writing things down I'm starting to realize I somehow overrated the anime, I must admit I'm guilty of enjoying it. I guess I'm still recovering from my 2nd year of university, and my brain don't enjoy pressure such as thinking applied to it. And this anime did not really demand much of it, even if it tried to convince me I needed a degree in physics to understand what the hell is going on. Despite my dad having one, I was failing physics miserably during my glorious times at school, and yet I understood pretty much everything THAT WAS ACTUALLY EXPLAINED, AND NOT JUST RANDOMLY MENTIONED. So yeah. This anime is a lie.

Overly, I don't really regret watching it. It's somewhat of a guilty pleasure to watch something not so good once in a while and be able to go on without hating it. Plus, thanks to Chaos;Head, I've discovered Steins;Gate (which I actually refused to watch earlier for it being so popular) and Robotics;Notes (which finally gave me the darkness I demanded). I can't say the anime was WOW, considering I've ended up lowering all the scores as I went on writing the review, spotting all the potential flaws I've somehow managed to ignore before, but I still did enjoy it quite a bit.

And so the final scores are:

Story: 6/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Characters: 4/10
Enjoyment: 9/10

OVERALL: 6/10

This anime caused me a headache, especially when wondering if I should review it or not. After all, my opinion was changing with every episode, and quite drastically most of time. Hence why this review will be fairly short in comparison to my usual walls of text.

The very first seconds of the anime made me cringe. The drawing style. Oh, at this very early stage I could tell the series will equal a torture for I'm very sensitive when it comes to art. It got me wondering how did I end up having Casshern on my planning-to-watch list at all. First, I tried to justify ... it being old, as the style resembles ol' good mecha animes television was filled with when I was little. But checking the dates on MAL told me the anime was not /so/ old. Did it try to mimic those old animes, being based on one? Was such style chosen to set the atmosphere? I don't even care, as I found the art horrible and no excuse would fix it. Sorry, old school fans. It goes back to my childhood and mecha animes on television that I completely detested.

In fact, my opinion about mechas had not changed ever since, and so the beginning for the first episode nearly made me cry out loud, again wondering how did this thing sneak into my sacred list of animes I'm yet to find. The second thought was making a relation to Power Rangers. Don't ask, I don't even know. But I've buckled up, mostly led by my OCDs that suggest I complete every anime I start, and carried on. First few episodes were making me acknowledge the problem I have, as I swear, watching this anime was very difficult for someone like me. But eventually I started getting deeper into it. I enjoyed a concept of few small stories, especially about the girl who loved to fight. That very episode was the breaking point for me, when I finally started understanding the anime was not as simple as I thought and there were a lot of messages hidden along the lines. This is when I started paying more attention to the things said rather than how they were drawn. Although, I admit, I struggled with the art for the entire series.

The sound was alright. I can't say I was particularly fond of any of the soundtracks, but they did not irritate me either. As I've watched the subbed version, I had a grip of the translations of both, opening and ending lyrics, which, I'd say, matched the theme of the anime itself. That's a plus, really - most of time lyrics of the soundtracks are hardly related to the series. The tracks within the anime itself were well timed and suited the situations. But that's pretty much all I can say about it.

The characters were truly the best thing about Casshern Sins. The mains were given a proper development, as much as it was possible with not too many episodes. The supporting characters that Casshern would encounter once and never again were the ones that deserve all of my praises. They were a living example of the struggles we all go through at some point of our lives, offering to see how do our feelings and actions differ from how we see them and how do others perceive them. Although, they were being shaped as the robots and were hidden in tangles of metaphors not everyone can make out, therefore this anime is meant for the audience that likes to think. Otherwise, it will leave an impression of a weird and incoherent anime that makes no sense. I especially loved the concept of Luna and how the world perceived her existence and how that perception differed from her own. Again, for the ones who expected some mecha fights that require no second thought it'd make no sense, but if viewed as a piece that requires deep insights, Luna's phenomenon leaves you thinking about yourself and the world for a long time after you finish the anime.

It's still difficult to say how do I feel about this anime. It was a difficult watch, mostly because of my preferences in regards of art and not being a fan of mechas and post-apocalyptic settings. I did enjoy it to some extent, that's for sure. But in the same time I was not drawn in enough to stop noticing things that bugged me and occasionally I'd start regretting giving the series a go all over again.

Overally, I must say Casshern Sins is definitely a good anime that makes you think. It wasn't as action packed as I thought it will be, but I'm only grateful for that. If not for the deep ideas it harboured, I'd have a REALLY bad time watching it. Now, time would go past a bit faster as I'd be spotting the subliminal messages and decoding them. I guess I was mostly getting put off when those things were lacking. I don't think I'll ever rewatch the anime. If the offered ideas were presented in different settings, I would definitely return to it. Sadly, they are not.

And so, here's my scores:

Story: 8/10
Art: 4/10
Sound: 7/10
Character: 9/10
Enjoyment: 6/10

OVERALL: 6/10

Unpopular opinion: Soul Eater NOT! gets more hate than it deserves.

I understand most were looking forward to watching something strongly related to the original series, but even the tittle suggests it's NOT happening. I mean you get a warning STRAIGHT AWAY, so why even bother if you already know it's NOT what you're expecting to find?

Story: 6/10

The story is quite distant from the original Soul Eater, and is much more laid back, less packed with action and, unlike the original, aimed rather at the female audience. In my opinion, the creators intentionally aimed at the lighter themes and slice of life genre, given the ... fact the story takes place before the main series, when things in Shibusen get quite tense. It would seem the story starts developing only by the end, but when you give it a second thought, you realize things were leading towards the final along the entire anime. Only, ugh, it was so vague you have to dig in quite deep to figure those things out. It's not necessary a bad thing, but with the animes that don't ask much of thinking, I prefer not to think much over.

On one hand, I'm keen to think it would be more plot driven had it the similar amount of episodes as the first Soul Eater did, but then I highly doubt I'd have patience to watch 50 bloody episodes of it. 12 is probably the best number after all. The story is so light and almost non-existent I was cleaning my laptop with Soul Eater NOT! playing as a background, yet I followed the plot. It's only two last episodes that demanded my full attention. Here comes the confusion of mine - theoretically, I'm glad it demanded so little dedication - it's been a while since I'd watch a relaxing anime which would allow me to go brain numb and giggle at silly jokes. On the other hand, I love plots and Soul Eater NOT! had not really developed any until a couple of the last episodes. Rating story is quite difficult with this one due to near absence of it. But, meh, it did follow some pattern and covered most of things, so I guess it deserves a medium score.

Art: 9/10

Although I LOVED the original Soul Eater, the drawing style there was constantly pissing me off. ESPECIALLY how little effort they put into character shoes, making them look just like lumps of colors and lines, not to mention being terribly disproportional. The colouring was an entire different story...Therefore Soul Eater NOT! actually pleased me with the art quality. Say all you want about how it was no longer unique, but I seriously preferred it over the original style. Remember, kids - unique does not mean good, and in this case I prefer the generic anime style of popular shite rather than the original Soul Eater art. This season had most of the original characters hanging around casually (although I definitely missed the reaper himself), and that was truly flattering to see them keep the unique traits only in the better quality. Usually, when upgrading quality, animes tend to redesign the characters and it ruins them most of time, so I'm grateful to the old gods and the new for regarding the old designs in here.

Sound: 8/10

The opening matched the theme of the anime very well. It was as light and carefree as the series themselves. Just like the tittle, it suggested it won't be exactly the Soul Eater we'd expect to find, and rather something of a filler season. The song itself was quite addictive, although I did not take liking in it at first. The ending was fine. Most of time I watch both, but here I was skipping the ending, because meh. It's one of the animes I'd watch at home and not while working out, so ending was optional, unlike most of time. What made me truly happy was music in the anime itself. Usually I get annoyed when characters start singing (Guilty Crown, ugh.), but for once I've changed my views. The songs were not so irritating and the voice actors performed them well, therefore it actually turned into a pleasant experience. Heads up for that!

Characters: 4/10

Here I will agree with the most of people - it sucked. The only concept I liked was Tsugumi defining herself as a "girl who's in love with love", as it's rare for the main characters to acknowledge their problems. I liked Anya's outfit and her fetish of buying crap, but that's about it. Her being all noble and then tearing up the other moment for a silly reason was ehh? But the worst of them all was Meme. I don't give a flying heck that she was possessed and it caused her dumb behaviour - it was getting on my nerves, along with the slow talking manner and general denseness. A person like this would not survive and ffs, people like this don't make friends, not as easily at least. I did enjoy the episode of her winning in casino, but that's about it - all the other time I was annoyed with her, and actually yelled "YES", when Tsugumi finally snapped at her. The other characters were shite as well. No one expects development in this kind of anime, but leaving nothing but blank shells roaming around the anime, such as Clay, Akane or Cana is no good. Explain me purpose of Cana, someone? Well, there is none. She's just a random very young character who does "fortune telling" no one cares about and it makes no sense. Is she even a student? No one knows. AND THIS IS NOT OKAY. The only thing that sorta saves the score from being fully negative is the original characters of Soul Eater. Stein alone brings it to a new level. He is generally my babe, but in this season he was a star. Also I liked how much Sid was featured and how this sub-story merged into the original series....Which still wasn't too smooth, as although we see Sid die by the end (which happens in the early episodes of Soul Eater), his death reasons named in the earlier series are different. In Soul Eater, he dies by hands of a witch and on a mission, while in Soul Eater NOT! the story of his death is quite different.

Enjoyment: 7/10

I followed my own advice and opened my mind to not expecting the series to even resemble the original anime. It helped a big time. Usually I watch anime in gym, but I saved this one for home viewing, mostly when doing house chores as it did not demand for my full attention yet I was capable of following it. I did enjoy it to quite some extent, although usually I struggle with animes of the kind and end up suffering whilst attempting to complete it. Surprisingly, Soul Eater NOT! went very smooth with me and I did not experience hardships completing it. It's easy to say I did enjoy it, but had it required more of a focus, I'd probably not. Hence why I can't really rate it very high, but a lower score would be uncalled for as I experienced no discomfort either.

Overall: 7/10

As I've said in the beginning, this anime gets more hate than it deserves. It's definitely not perfect, but let's face the fact the most seem to dislike it for it doesn't meet their expectations of being a proper prequel of Soul Eater. And that, my friends, is why the tittle says 'NOT' in the capital letters and even has an exclamation mark - so you know that what you expect is NOT what you should be expecting. The anime was not designed to be of the same genre as the original franchise, even if it takes place in the same universe. It lacked action and was more focused on slice of life on purpose. The original series did not tell us much about life in Shibusen nor the universe itself, did they? And this season did. Instead, unlike Soul Eater, it did not have much tension and fights. While those two animes are related, they should not be viewed as the same for they are different in so many aspects. Embrace the fact. Open your mind. Maybe then you can find something good about it.