Anime Reviews ⇢ Contributors ⇢ Atria35
Contributor Report: Atria35

The following is a list of all ratings and reviews submitted by Atria35. The links below can be used to quickly scroll down to a specific title.
5 Centimeters Per Second (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review This movie is divided into three parts: A Tale of Cherry Blossoms, Cosmonaut, and 5 Centimeters Per Second. Each tells a part of the story of the character’s lives. All have the director’s trademark themes of time and distance weaving through them.

In A Tale of Cherry Blossoms, you see the first couple- two children, Takaki and Akari, as they go through the later years of elementary school and jr. high together. Childhood friends, their relationships is looked on teasingly by their classmates and they were just friends- until a final move tears them apart for a while. There’s something about first love that’s poignant- we remember it fondly, with smiles and regret, since first loves are usually just those- firsts. This dove right into the relationship, most of it narrated via letters, and from Takaki’s point of view: The one who was being left behind as his first love moved, came back, and then had to leave once more. At the tender age of thirteen, he gives a final push to tell her his feelings and make them clear. It’s almost impossible to be drawn in as his struggle to tell her encounters little problems that soon become hurdles, ones that he does manage to overcome with perseverance but at a great cost to their relationship- one that she pays, too.

Cosmonaut is a slice of life later in Takaki’s years, told through the eyes of another girl that has come to love him. Now in his senior year of high school, Sakae doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life, and desperately wants to tell him how she feels. Takaki, though, has his eyes and heart elsewhere. Sakae’s story isn’t quite as sorrowful as the first one, but it nonetheless allows for us to see where he is in his mind, and how others see him.

5 Centimeters Per Second is where the conclusion is. Through music and montage, we see where they came from in life, the little things that they saw and did, and where they are going in the future. First loves are never quite forgotten, but we still go on to lead our own lives regardless. There may be brief moments of remembrance, but in the end, life is what it is.

One of the interesting things is seeing how all these come together to create a beautiful story- distance is told time and again: 5 Centimeters, 5 kilometers, 8 kilometers, 1 centimeter. Time has clearly passed in each of the segments, and at each stage of his life something is happening. And yet, you see how time hasn’t affected Takaki at all... Or one could say that he’s stuck in time, with that noted in a particular background song played in the third segment. There are little things in this that add to the beauty of the movie, such as the background music (exceptionally beautiful piano scores), and how realistic it can seem. After all, who really forgets their first love? However, this part on re-watch didn't really connect with me. It's disjointed, and lacks a certain something that would make me give it a 10.

There's no violence and no problematic theological themes in this movie.

Nudity/Sexual Content: There is one short scene where Sakae is wrapped up in a blanket, with one bare shoulder (and I do mean just her shoulder showing), along with the strap of her bra having slid down her arm. It’s a completely non-sexual scene, and in fact, I mistook her bra strap for the strap of a tank top or spaghetti-strap top at first. In the third segment there is a scene of Takaki and a girl (assumingly his girlfriend of 3 years) in bed, though it was so brief that I had to stop the dvd to really see what the picture was of- and it was him and her in the same bed, completely covered by the sheets and facing opposite directions.

Other Themes: Takaki as an adult is seen smoking, and a few cans are scattered around his apartment, though since in Japan those hold anything from beer to coffee to fruit juice, you can just assume they’re for pop. There are two brief scenes of him actually drinking in a bar that last for perhaps two seconds during a montage in the last segment.
Angel Beats! (Jump to title)
- Overall: 5
- Violence Rating: 6
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 5
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Animatrix, The (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 5
- Nudity Rating: 4
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review Each episode of the Animatrix is approximately 10 minutes long, and within those ten minutes, each director had to create a story that either built on the world that was presented in the Matrix movies, or stay true to the themes and ideas that are in it. This creates some very interesting scenarios. Some of them explore life for those inside the Matrix, others detail the fall of mankind and the rise of the machines, others go into the struggle of those living outside the Matrix. Each one varies on content, from very mild and inoffensive (Beyond), to rather disturbing and dark (Matriculated), and some that are firmly in between (World Record). The artwork on each varies and can be starkly beauiful, and both the dub and sub are perfectly watchable.

Violence/Gore: Some of the images presented here are very violent or disturbing, from people being gruesomely impaled to heads being crushed and exploding. Not every OVA has something violent happening, or has blood being spilled, but you can’t tell which ones will beforehand.

Nudity/Sexual content: Some have sexual undertones- in one, a woman walks around in little more than her undies, in another the couple are cutting off eachother’s clothes during training, turning it into forepay (he eventually is in nothing while she in nothing more than underwear, though you never see any genitals), and in a third, a couple are engaging in similar sexual teasing. In that same one, the characters are stylistically nude- that is, they are floating people-looking things made of different colored lights, and the nudity is like Barbie-dolls.

Theological Themes: AI's can be on the same intelligence level (or higher) than humans, but since the premise of the Matrix...


Other Themes: This can be very dark. Humans don't always win. Not everyone gets out alive. There can be some swearing and some smoking.
Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 5
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review Death is inescapable. How we deal with it differs, though. As adults, most of us have gone through various stages of grief and grieving. Children, though, are much more complicated. How can they deal with death when one of their friends dies? For this group of friends, they all still carry wounds from that day. Every one of them feels that they contributed to her death in some way. Mix that with complicated emotions that they were dealing with at the time, issues left unresolved, and all of them have had their lives affected in big ways.

In this anime, they have a chance to heal. Menma has appeared to one of them, and with that he realizes that she needs to move on. However, his emotions war with that. As a child he loved her, and those feelings haven’t died. His guilt over what happened- having run away from the clubhouse caused her to follow him, and she subsequently ended up drowning. All his friends deal with similar issues, from Anjou’s love for Jinta and guilt for being happy Menma was dead, Yukiatsu’s unrequited love for Menma and being unable to stop her as she ran after Jinta, Tsuruko’s jealousy over never being able to have Yukiatsu’s love… Even Poppa hides some serious guilt and agony over her death.

Jinta’s friends struggle to believe that Menma is actually back, they come together regardless to support each other because of their strong ties with one another. Their guilt over what happened and lingering bonds of nostalgia and friendship are what keep them coming back, even when they don’t truly believe.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that all is well. Each person has their own level of belief as to whether Menma is really there, and their grief plays into that. Yukiatsu was so driven by his grief that he has a tendency to ‘become’ her- he dresses in a wig and dress similar to what she looked like, and tries to use it to cast doubt on Jinta’s claims. Poppa is so driven by being unable to stop her death that he fully believes that she has come back and is unable to rest properly.

Trying to find out what her last wish was, why Menma is back and unable to rest, drives them together as their belief is sharpened through several unmistakable signs that she is there. Seeing it all come together is beautiful. Each step brings them closer to what her final wish is. Each episode shows more of their past and what fuels their guilt and brings them together so many years together. The last episode may leave some wanting, as the issues that they are dealing with were aired out, but they aren’t truly resolved. However, that’s the first step to healing, and they still have a lot of that to do. All of them do end up with resolution over Menma, and are able to say a final goodbye- something that they desperately needed.

Violence/Gore: Jinta and Yukiatsu nearly get into a fight, and Yukiatsu ends up strangling Jinta for a bit. You also see a scene of Menma's sandal floating in the river.

Nudity/Sexual Content: There is an allusion to Jinka getting ‘excited’ when Menma sits in his lap (the look on his face and the sound effect conveys it all). He also peers between his fingers to her covered bosom to mention that she hasn’t grown that much. Anjou is nearly forced into a love hotel against her will, and there are two mentions about her virginity. Rumors spread around school about her being a prostitute.

Theological Themes: Menma is a spirit that can't pass on, and the friends try to send her on in a few different ways.

Other Themes: I can only remember one swear in the entire series- one instance of the ‘d-word’ in a very appropriate situation.
Another (Jump to title)
- Overall: 5
- Violence Rating: 7
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 4
- Other Negative Themes: 4
Review Another has been a small phenomena in the anime community, a true supernatural mystery not unlike Ghost Hunt, but managing to be far more brutal in execution (sorry, bad pun!) than that show ever was. For me, this show started out on a pretty high note, with a boy who’s been hospitalized, while his classmates come and visit. There’s something that they’re not telling him, but what could it be?

From there on, it goes downhill. This works far better as a survival anime than a mystery one. It’s really not that difficult to figure out who’s going to die; the first three people even have a little ‘tell’ for it. There was only one character death I was genuinely surprised by. This anime made it by purely on how brutal the deaths were. The moment I stopped focusing on that, it was a matter of figuring out who the person was through the clues presented in each episode. And believe me, they are there from the beginning, but it’s easy to be distracted by the red herrings that the characters keep focusing on and throwing out. Even I got sidetracked one or twice, but then something popped up that got me back on track.

The grand finale was pretty inevitable, from the very announcement of the class trip. Unfortunately, that last episode was so bad that it actually had me laughing. A lot of these deaths are supposed to be horrible and shocking, but instead it seemed like a terrible parody of movies like Final Destination. I don’t care if it makes me a terrible person, but I was laughing during it. When the boodbath is over things got resolved pretty quickly and rather unsatisfactorily. The amnesia that was implied in the first episode ends up being a convenient Deus Ex Machina in order to let this mystery play out.

The characters make this far more tolerable. While there are a good amount of stereotypes, they’re pushed to the limits of changing by the events that are going on. That’s where this show really works; seeing all the characters being driven to paranoia and near-insanity by the stress of the deaths and finding a way out. As logical and foregone as that ending was, it was still fascinating to see their psyche’s breaking.

One of the main characters did drive me up the wall, though. At first this character seemed to be perfectly sympathetic. However, the complete inaction – indeed, complete indifference – to the suffering of this character’s classmates once the key to ending the deaths was discovered made me hate her with a vengeance. Who’s more guilty of a murder – the person who commits it or the person who does nothing to stop it? That’s pretty key in whether you’ll be okay with this character overall. Since it’s a main character, that will probably effect how you feel about the rest of the anime.

This still will be a good anime for those who aren’t as quick to pick up on the keys to telling who’s going to die. There are enough wrong leads and mistakes made by the characters that those who aren’t watching closely will be genuinely surprised, and the deaths will only enhance that effect. It doesn’t change how unlikeable one of the mains is, but it will affect what you decide to rate it.

Overall, poor characterization and a virtually nonexistant mystery make this a sad excuse for an anime.

Violence/Gore- This is a very violent, blood-filled anime. People are killed in brutal ways, from necks being impaled on umbrellas, to being crushed in elevators, to being chopped up by boats. You do see the body, you do see the death, and while there's no gore, there is a lot of blood, and there's no way to mistake what's going on even if it's not in detail. People do murder each other. Lots of blood spatter everywhere.

Nudity/Sexual Content- A few of the dolls are anatomically detailed (chest-wise), but the dolls aren't everywhere nor in each episode.

Theological Themes- This does deal with an actual, at-work curse, and people do come back from the dead.

Other Themes- If it isn't apparent from the vioence, this is a dark title. There often seems to be no hope, and the ending can barely be considered happy. I wouldn't consider it happy, considering the circumstances. Terribe things happen and people are worse off for it.
Aoi Bungaku (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 5
- Nudity Rating: 0
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 4
Review As these arcs are essentially six different stories, they each deserve a paragraph to themselves. Overall, though, this is a fantastic adaptation of literature. While I can’t attest to how accurate they are, I was nonetheless intrigued, horrified, and touched by this anime. It has everything- stories that draw you in, art and animation that’s above par, and music that only adds to the experience.

No Longer Human was an interesting experience. I take that back- it was mind-bending. The worst scars to heal are the ones that you can’t see, and this man had ones that never did. As both a study of a man, and almost an autobiography of the author, it reveals depths of insanity fostered by someone who had a traumatic past and was never able to overcome it. It is the longest of the arcs, and perhaps the most horrifying as a psychological study.

In The Forest was just outright horror, with an interesting execution (ha, ha, ha). What happens when love goes very, very wrong? This happens. A man is willing to give everything, the lives of his wives, the heads of local nobles, etc, to get a woman to love him- and the sad part is, he was just caught up in her madness and vanity. Trust me, just because you’re cutting the heads off of people doesn’t make you instantly insane. And this was also a surreal experience due to how the animators and writers decided to stylize the violence as a Noh drama, with screens and popping red flags to indicate death. And the opening for the entire arc? Completely misleading. This…. Is not a happy story.

Kokoro was fascinating because the writers decided to add a part of the story that wasn’t originally in the book. Since it was told from first-person, and they decide to show the story from both POV’s, the person watching gets to decide who the unreliable narrator is- or decide that neither one is trustworthy. IS it the story of a man who sees his friend intimidate a woman into intimacy, and marries her to save her from it? Or is it the story of a man’s friend who falls in love with a woman, but sees the man steal her away out of jealousy?

Run, Melos! came the closest to a ‘happy story’ out of all these- a story of best friends and a betrayal that nearly broke one of them. How can one write about friendship when he no longer believes in it himself? When writing a play, he finds himself seeing the story from both sides, but not believing that the other side is sincere. Interesting as the writers/animators decided to insert the characters into the play that was being written, and thereby showing how closely they paralleled.

The Spider’s Thread- As this was written for children, it is perhaps the easiest of themes and ideas to understand. A man, a killer with no remorse or regrets is put to death, but is so consumed by his anger and narcissism that he is unable to escape hell when salvation is offered by a lone creature that he spared. The hell scenes are trippy, but very effective, and overall is an interesting story.

Hell Screen: while in real life the story is unrelated to Spider’s Thread, the anime keeps a character from the previous by choice of the writers and animators. It was also chosen to be portrayed in the same story universe that Spider’s Thread had. As a story, it’s also an interesting look at people- how much suffering and despair do you see before you go mad? Before you start to subvert those in power that are causing it? An artist is ordered by his tyrannical king to paint the city as it is on the walls of his mausoleum, and the artist does…. With a different interpretation of ‘as it is’. Unfortunately, you see the depths that the madness has driven him to, so that he no longer cares about showing the King how wrong he is, but you also see the madness that the King possesses.

Overall, this has a lot to offer someone looking for insights into characters and people. Or people who just want mind-bending stuff that could easily be considered nightmare fuel. Either way, this will satisfy!

Violence/Gore- There's somewhat graphic murder, suicide, and death. Implied child abuse for one arc. You will see blood and bodies, but thankfully there is little gore to be seen. Some of the violence ends up being highly stylized (Under the Cherry Blossoms, where it's made to look like it's part of a play).

Nudity/Sexual Content- This has one one semi-graphic sex scene (a few implied).

Theological Themes- One story, The Spider's Thread, is a cautionary tale with Buddhist influences. The story of 'Run, Melos!' could be taken to have slight homosexual undertones, but given the time period that it was written in, it's probably more just like the friendship between Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings.

Other Themes- This is a dark title. There's no two ways about it. None of these really have what you could call a 'happy ending' except for 'Run, Melos!'
Aria the Animation (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Bunny Drop (Season one) (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review When the grandfather of the family finally passes away, he leaves behind a 6 year old daughter that nobody knew about. No one really wants to take care of her... so Daikichi steps in. A 30 year old bachelor, he knows nothing about kids or girls, but knows that Rin deserves a home. He opens his heart to her, and she opens his to him. This show shows them becoming a family, negotiating all the obstacles that come with single parenthood and not being directly related. It's sweet, it's loveable, and it's absolutely adorable!

Violence: Rin and her friend lose a tooth, and you see a little blood dripping. That's it.

Problematic Theological Themes: Daikichi's grandfather never married the woman who had Rin, though he did offer it. She turned him down. Rin's mother also (apparently) has no problem giving Rin up, though there are small flashes of remorse.

Other potentially problematic themes: There are three swears at most in the anime, none worse than the 'd-word'. Daikichi and Rin go to a company party where there is some drinking.
Cardcaptor Sakura (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 4
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review This is absolutely one of my favorite anime of all time. Sakura is the sweetest heroine I've seen in anime, and her counterpart, Sayoran, makes a great foil. He's out for the cards for entirely different reasons, and competes with her even as he falls in love with her. Following Sakura is her protective older brother, who adores her but is more of a 'tough love' sort, her adoring cousin Tomoyo, and her crush Yuki, who has a secret that even he doesn't know about. Other, more minor characters do come in from time to time, fleshing out her background and family situation in interesting ways.

This is all about her becoming the Master of the Clow Cards, and then gaining her own power in her own right. It's a fantastic show, with great lessons on friendship, forgiveness, family, working hard, and all those things you'd like your kids to do.

Violence/Gore- There is some minor fighting and "life-threatening situations" (but it's a kids show, no one dies or is ever seriously in danger).


Nudity/Sexual Content- There is one scene of Sakura in the bathtub, she's covered though.

Theological Themes- The story centers on magic and Sakura's use of the Clow Cards. Magic is apparently hereditary, there are no pacts made with demons or anything. She does use them once to try and tell the future. There is reincarnation in the second season.

Other themes- Tomoyo is Sakura's cousin, but she does have somewhat romantic feelings for her. This is not obviously apparent and is a very minor subplot in one of the episodes. Sakura's brother is in love with his best friend, and those feelings are returned. Nothing ever occurs between them, just the statement by Yuki that this is so. There is an occasional swear, mainly the d- or h-word.
Castle in the Sky (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review For something that starts off with a rather fast-paced pirate attack, this anime is overall pretty slow-paced, with quick bursts of action throughout. From getting a look into Pazu’s life, to the walk through the mines, to being imprisoned within the army base, not much happens. Unfortunately, that means the story is also a bit hampered- the dialogue that occurs often adds nothing to the story, either in character relations or in the backstory of what’s going on.

That’s not to say that this is a poor film- it’s filled with humor and adventure, and some parts that can really warm your heart and get it pounding! While not my favorite Ghibli leads, Pazu and Sheeta are fascinating and fully realized characters. Their roles are turned around for this film, with Pazu being the energetic and sweet one while Sheeta is more serious and determined. Usually those descriptions are reversed for the guys and girls in the films. Sheeta remains a wonderful lead, having faced many hardships and having been tempered by them. There is still a spark of hope that things can get better that remains alive, protected by Pazu when all seems hopeless.

The side characters are as charming as ever, with the band of air pirates being loveable goofs that swoop in at the last minute to save things. Muska is perhaps the most identifiably evil villain that has ever come out of Ghibli. He’s thoroughly determined to take power for himself and is willing to do anything for it, including getting rid of Sheeta and Pazu-permanently.

When this story gets on its feet and really rolling, it’s brilliant. The action, the story, and the characters all come together to make this one heck of an adventure film! The danger seems palpable, while the world that’s built in Laputa truly seems magical. It may be a more typical children’s film in terms of plotline, but that doesn’t take away from how great it is.

Violence/Gore- There is the typical cartoon violence and some rather exciting arial battles, but except for a robot being destroyed there’s no one getting hurt or killed. When on the island, some soldiers do fall off into the sky (this isn't lingered on and the impications aren't explored, it just... happens)

Theoogical Themes- The islands do seem to float by magic at first, but it seems that there are special rocks that were mined that allowed it, and a few words said by anyone with the royal bloodline can activate them. It's not really magic per say.
Clannad (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review One of the hardest things to do is to travel to another country, to someplace where the language is strange, as are the people and customs. It was even harder a hundred years ago, when this anime takes place, when the only way to communicate was via letters that took months to cross the ocean- if they managed to arrive at all. This anime takes a special look at how different things are in different countries, with Yune being surprised and dismayed at the differences between the nations. She isn’t the only one who is at a loss, though, with those around her often confused by her actions and customs. This gets in-depth into Japanese culture from a historically accurate Western point of view, where bathing every day is strange and wasteful, soy sauce is unheard of, and kowtowing is distasteful.

Yune slowly grows to know the family that she’s come to stay with, with Oscar as the diplomat between the gentle Japanese girl and his harsh and unyielding nephew Claude. Their interactions provide much of the drama in the show. They really don’t know how to deal with each other, because their cultures and histories shaped their personalities so much. Watching them come to understandings and expanding their worldviews can be a joy to watch.

As others join the cast and Yune’s world expands, she finds that there are commonalities between their cultures as well, and she finds allies and friends that are willing to understand her in turn. Each of the relationships grows in its own time, feeling natural and unhurried. Yune herself can feel a little too sweet and perfect at times, but this might be my on ignorance of cultural appearances. The supporting cast makes up for it most of the time, with characters that have other, more severe burdens on their shoulders that are shown- even if left unresolved at the end.

This is very much a slice of life series, but has an underlying plot that becomes apparent around halfway through the series. There is tension between Claude and the Blanche family, but what exactly caused it remains a mystery until later in the series. Soon after that, Yune and Claude must deal with the lingering effects of their families, the guilt they feel, the anger and sorrow that it’s left behind. This particular plot feels a bit rushed and leaves the anime with an ending that, while decent, doesn’t feel as complete or final as it could have been.

Nudity/Sexual Conent- You see Yuna's bare shoulders at one point- they're trying to give her a proper bath.

Other Themes- There's one d-word in the entire show.
Erin (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review Erin and her mom are outcasts from their village, her mom a foriegner and Erin by virtue of being related. Her mother's duty is to protect the animals that they breed for war- but soething goes terribly wrong. A disease wipes them out, and Erin's mother is put to death by the law of the land. Erin, left with no one to take care of her, is set out into the world.

There, she meets friends, discovers creatures she would care for more than the Touda, and wants to be the best healer for them in the world. As a student, she is drawn into the politics that swirl around her and the war that is going on. The kingdom isn't as peaceful as it may seem, and she and the creatures she tends are at risk of being pawns.

For a children's show, this shows an amazing amount of depth to the story, wholly likeable and realistic characters, and truly stands out as a great show.

Violence/Gore: Erin's mom is killed- you see her being stabbed in silhouette, and then disappearing under the water. Another person is stabbed, but you don't see it actually occuring. Erin ends up having her hand bitten off, but the actual bite isn't shown, nor is the aftermath. War injuries are shown with red on the shirt and bandages.

Potential Theological Problems: Erin's mom and guardian show up in one of Erin's dreams after their deaths, and reassure her that she's doing well, and that they are doing well.

Other Problematic Themes: There are one or two uses of the 'd-word' after the person is gravely injured.
Fractale (Jump to title)
- Overall: 4
- Violence Rating: 5
- Nudity Rating: 0
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review Violence/Gore: There are people killed onscreen quite a few times. Some of them are innocent bystanders.

Nudity/Sexual Content: Constant references are made to men being perverts (“naughty” in the subs). In one episode Clain wakes up to a pair of knockers in his face, and the lady teases him about what a wild night they had the night before (nothing happened, as it turns out). She says she has a collection of date rape drugs that they could take and have a wild time with. Phryne’s father figure insists that the only way to make sure she’s fit to be the ‘key’ is to see whether she is still pure- she ends up getting into stirrups (if you don’t know what I mean, ask your mother) but is saved before the examination can take place.
Fruits Basket (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 4
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Gallery Fake (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 4
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review Art class is dreaded by many- and I’m not talking about the ones where you actually get to paint and draw. How exciting can a class covering the history and importance of certain works be? This is the anime world’s response to this- very exciting. This manages to weave human drama with the artwork, giving them importance that would otherwise be overlooked and ignored, and mixes it with a touch of adventure and drama. It helps that this has one of the catchiest, classiest openings I’ve heard in a while- an immediate hook for me!

At first, Reiji comes off as a smooth operator. He has little compunction in holding a gun and shooting if necessary, and knows a dozen tips and tricks in order to get what he wants. When he’s going for a piece of art, he is at his finest, knowing exactly what he’s looking for and able to tell the best from the rest. The rest of the time… maaaybe not so much! He’s thrown off-guard and kept on his toes by his young assistant Sara, who also happens to be in love with him.

The further into the anime you get, the more of their relationship is revealed, and the more you root for them to get together. The recurring characters that show up are also interesting in their own right. There’s the jewel thief with a passion for unusual art, and the curator that both respects Fujita’s knowledge and skill but is frustrated by his dabble in illegal activities. Her respect and fondness for him grows over time into a good friendship.

These characters get into all sorts of trouble and events. There’s action, from having to restore a painting during a plane hijacking, a kidnapping of the descendent of a famous subject of a portrait, a race to prevent an art theft, and even the discovery of a lost city in the Amazon. There’s the human drama, from a painting that reveals the love of a father for his estranged and grieving daughter, to the restoration painter that desperately needs to save an inheritance, and even touches on Fujita’s family’s past. There are even episodes that are just fun, like the one about a mechanical crab.

All the while, little bits of information about paintings and painters are sprinkled in. It gives it a feeling of authenticity, and never feels truly boring. I think my own appreciation of art was deepened because it’s given in such a way that it’s hard not to find merit in the paintings and painters they present.

Overall, except for some blatant and terrible emotional manipulation in one episode, this is a fabulous anime.

Violence/Gore: There is some violence- one man gets shot in the arm, a girl is kidnapped, and in the war episode, there are people depicted being attacked and some bodies are shown. Discretion is used in these shots, so no one is actually seen killed, but there are shots of people that are close to photographs taken during that period. Someone gets stabbed in the back, and you see his back covered in blood.

Nudity/Sexual Content: There is one shot of a woman in a bathtub- I didn’t realize what was happening until later in the episode, but apparently she is masturbating, Everything is covered, though, and it’s not obvious. In another episode, the same woman has sex with a boarder, and this is depicted briefly though not pornographically or blatantly. It also seems that she has some sort of S&M relationship with her butler, who’s in love with her. There is one scene of fanservice where Fujita looks at a woman’s bikini-clad behind, and the camera does zoom in on it. Two scenes depict couples in bed together, completely covered by the sheets.

Theological Themes: None!

Other Themes: There only one f-bomb dropped during an episode that features Vietnam and the Vietnam war (due to how this is depicted, it might be wise to watch this away from any relatives with sensitivities to the war) with barely any minor swears during the rest of it.
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 4
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 5
Review I admit it; I have not read The Count of Monte Cristo. That being said, I still was able to understand, appreciate, and wonder at this anime. While I can’t judge on how good an adaptation it is, I know that I still was amazed at how good it is. I know the premise: The count is a long-lost friend of several important people in town, was betrayed by them, and sets out to wreak revenge upon them in the most hulimilating, devestating ways possible. The anime sets out to tell the story of how this happens via Alberr, the son of one of the men the Count betrayed. He’s captured by the Count’s charisma, intrigued by the man’s immense wealth and power, and looking for a father figure since his own father is distant.

It’s easy to see him drawn into the Count’s claws, unwittingly becoming the harbinger of destruction for his friend’s families and his own. The Count isn’t just looking to destroy those who betrayed him – he’s looking to destroy anything and everything connected with him. The ploys he uses are clever, preying on the weaknesses they have, be it an adulterous wife, or a desire for money that goes beyond the rational. The Count makes himself an utterly unlikeable character, but at the same time can be sympathized with because of the horrendous things that happened because of what his friends did. However, he’s a man who slowly and systematically not only brings them down but the innocents that surround them, making him a villian of immense proportions.

Albert, his unwitting accomplice, is unable to or refuses to see until there is no other choice, when he accidentally sees something he shouldn’t and starts piecing together clues his friends provide. He takes on the responsibilty of saving those he can from the Count’s clutches, a difficult task to bear. His growth from blindly trusting youth to determined (and possibly slightly jaded) man takes a while, but when circumstances call for it he does what he can. There’s little wonder this is often considered a light shounen-ai, because often his interactions with the Count take on a slightly homoerotic tone and the Count’s betrayal seems almost one of a lover instead of a father. Nevertheless, watching their relationship take a dramatic and terrible turn is fascinting to watch.

There are a number of noteworthy side characters, such as Haydee, an unfortunate victim of the Count’s former friends, who was saved and restored to her proper place… perhaps his one true act of kindness in the devastation he wreaked. Her story was heartbreaking, and her devotion to the count sparked no surprise once it was told. The tragedy of her love only added to the overall sorrow of the story. Mercedes, the lynchpin of what happens, is a somewhat shallow addition – since the story doesn’t revolve around her, she actually seems more detatched from the scenario. In many ways, she is, since it’s the destruction of her husband and her friends that brings her down by association.

Watching this show is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know horrible things will happen – it’s how they come about that makes the story interesting. Political intrigue, adulterous romances, daring escapes and broken hearts litter this show like confetti. It’s not a happy show, but it is incredibly well-put together. I do have a few minor complaints about pacing near the beginning, and how blindingly naieve Albert can be at the most critical moments, but this was a show I don’t regret watching.

Overall, this is a show that takes an interesting twist on a well-known story, and pulls it off brilliantly

Vioence/Gore- There’s some death that goes on onscreen, none in a gory manner. There is some frothing at the mouth and then they fall over.

Nudity/Sexual Content- There are implications of sex and affairs, some scanty clothing (the important bits are covered, but it’s definitely racy), and a scene of a naked (important bits covered) man rolling around in his money.

Othere Themes- This is dark. It's all about revenge, and the Count makes sure to drag it out and make it the worst possible revenge that he can mmuster upon his victims. There is occasional drinking.
Ghost Hunt (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review As far as supernatural shoujo anime goes, this is among the best. You have an interesting cast of characters, interesting supernatural happenings, some genuinely creepy moments, and the hints of a romance between her and the lead.

What this does best is present a girl who’s trying to do her best as the assistant to someone who investigates supernatural occurances. Through her clumsiness she comes into an internship of sorts- one that she’s fairly intuitive at. Often she’s one of the first people to notice something’s amiss, and later discovers that she does have some spiritual ability herself. All the characters do get their day in the sun, with an episode that features their particular skill or ability. They are a rather motley and unusual crew, though- a Catholic priest, a miko, and a Buddhist monk. They all have particular specialties and make for a somewhat interesting group.

The supernatural mysteries that occir are also fairly interesting. Sometimes things are set up to appear like they’re supernatural, and often there are actual supernatural happenings underpinning it all. The great thing is that this does have creepy moments in it. The music and atmosphere combine to make what’s happening deliciously spine-tingling. It just goes to show that it doesn’t take loads of gore or “surprise” moments to make you jumpy! And some of the mysteries are outright creepy- such as the former hospital they investigate. You also have some that are touching, such as the haunted orphanage.

Th thing is that it does start out slow. I’ll be honest- I was *merely* intrigued through the first case. The stories get better as you go on. I think that my personal faves, and the ones that tend to be the most popular, are the Doll arc, the Christmas arc, and The Bloodstained Labyrinth. Those are where the stories shine. The great thing is that this show has high re-watch value. I could watch it -and have watched it- multiple times, and haven’t been bored by it.

Unfortunately, the story is incomplete. While it does end on a good note, there are several things about the girl’s employer that remain a mystery, and some plot threads that are left unresolved. Too bad this doesn’t have a second season- I’d watch it!

Violence/Gore- Well, all the ghosts are from dead people. There is the implication of severe violence in one arc, where a man is said to Spoiler: have lived because he bathed in blood. In another arc, a boy Spoiler: apparently froze to death, and in another, the spirit is said to have Spoiler: killed children through illness, and nearly drags Mai away

Nudity/Sexual Content- I don't recall any

Theological Themes- There are ghosts. Some are more like demons. The people who try to exorcize range from a Catholic priest, to a Shinto priestess, to a Buddhist monk. Mai learns a Buddhist chant that she uses to exorcize the spirit from someone, and is told she has great spiritual power. One character has ESP.

Other Themes- There is some mild swearing, the worst is one instance of the word for illegitimate child.
GOSICK (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review This anime was quite a surprise- one part mystery anime, one part character drama, one part romance, GOSICK manages to blend all its elements surprisingly well. None of these elements overpowers the others, and all are important to the overarching storyline. From the beginning you’re drawn into the mysteries that are presented. They all are given facades of the supernatural, from the ghost ship where children were massacred in an evening, to an undead alchemist. However, in the face of Victorique’s logic and ability to unravel a mystery (with the help of her trusty sidekick Kujo!), none of the mysteries remain unsolved. What can be frustrating is that since it isn’t a straight mystery anime, the viewer isn’t presented with all the clues that could help solve the case. This relies on some Dues-Ex-Machina on the part of Victorique.

However, it would be wrong to say that this weakens the story. The mysteries often tie together and reveal something about Victorique and her circumstances, such as her relationship with her brother and why she is stuck in the school. The mysteries aren’t the main part, they just help supplement the main storyline.

The main story is actually Victorique herself- her past, her parent’s past, her future. There are strange things going on in the country of Sauville, and she is at the heart of it. From the third arc onwards, the mysteries reveal the history of the nation, the ongoing war between the factions within it, and why Victorique herself is both reviled and needed by her father.

None of this would work well if the characters weren’t likeable or understandable. It’s hard not to like a tsundere in a Victorian dress, apparently. Victorique is far more likeable than many of her counterparts- she is logical and practical (for the most part), not flying into rages at the blink of an eye. Yet she still has her moments where she’s flustered and frustrated, not liking to ask people for help. And when she has her warm, caring moments, they might embarrass her, but they are still genuine. Kujo is a little less memorable. As an all-around nice guy, he’s often confused by Victorique’s pouts and moods. However, the relationship between the two is firm and strong. He’s willing to get right in the middle of family issues, calling out her brother when he’s wrong and doing small, thoughtful things for Victorique. The way his and Victorique’s feelings grow and change for one another is quite believable and makes you root for them at the end. While the rest of the characters get very little development except for Victorique’s brother, they do play important parts in moving the story along.

This anime held true to the light novels that it was based off of, telling the stories well and having good pacing and characterization. However, when the mystery arcs ended towards the end and went straight to a drama of two lovers torn apart, the story suffered.Spoiler: The war was highly condensed, and this made for some scenes that were glassed over in a way that made no sense- for instance, there was one where Kujo’s legs had disappeared and he was in a sea of sand. How did he lose his legs? Were they really lost? Where was he? And in the next scene he’s getting off a boat in Japan and meeting Victorique. While that was nice to see, it didn’t stop the previous scene from making no sense whatsoever and being completely unexplained.

Even with these issues, on the whole the story was strong, and was a good adaptation of the source material.

Violence/Gore: Some of the deaths and dead bodies are shown but not in graphic detail. Some could be slightly disturbing (one man is burned alive, for instance), though since he's covered in sheets you don't "see" his death. Others have the situations surrounding them be even more disturbing, as apparently one deals with children that were made paranoid enough to kill each other. There are also a few other scenes that are violent- a beheading is done offscreen, you see a head roll onto the floor, some people are stabbed onscreen (this is not prolonged, the actual stabbing is offscreen or with the figure in shadows), and there is a burial on the seas.

Theological Themes: One man apparently can be possessed by the ghosts of ancestors to tell the future. This is only relevant to one story arc, and is not pertinent to the storyline… only a relationship within the story.

Other Themes: Victorique is kidnapped at one point. Some people are drugged to make them hallucinate.
Grave of the Fireflies (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 5
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 4
Review When people get caught up in the idea of war, it’s all about the soldiers- the people who are actually fighting. It can be hard to remember that there are more people who are affected by it. When the US was attacking Japan, far more civilians were harmed in the fire bombings than soldiers were. This anime tells the story of two siblings that are caught up in one of them, losing their mother due to burns and being forced to travel to the country to live with their aunt, and awaiting the return of their father.

When a movie starts off with a boy dying and seeing the ashes of a young dead girl, you know that it will not be a happy movie. It’s the tactful way that it is told, the gentleness and honesty of the scenes that make this memorable and heartbreaking. Things are told from the beginning, the story of the siblings starting out in their home with a mother who loves them and a father that is overseas. Getting ready for the bombing is surprisingly not worrisome for the family. They’ve obviously drilled for it, and know what to do. Their mother goes on ahead, but the children stick behind for a while longer, and end up in a shelter that’s distant from where their mother was supposed to meet them. It’s a blessing as disguise, as after they discover their mother has been burned badly and might not make it. Scenes like this don’t need blood and gore to make them horrifying. Their mother is covered in bandages and is shriveled with the heat and injuries. Overnight, she ends up dying. Seita decides to keep it from his sister, in order to keep her spirits up, and they travel to the only person they know who might be able to help them.

Things only get worse for them. They face indifference, theft, malnutrition... This is not a movie for the sensitive or faint-hearted. However, it is a movie that everyone should see at some point. The issues addressed, how they are told, are beautiful in their own ways. Some things should not be ignored, and the way war affects regular people is one of them.

Violence/Gore: There are the firebombings, and Seita gets a bit beaten up by a soldier as he steals food. You see maggots falling off their mother's wrapped body, and several bodies being tossed into a mass cremation. You also see some of the cremation for Seitsuko. This isn't gruesome in the least. There is also the scene in the beginning where you see Seita die.

Nudity/Sexual Content: He helps his sister bathe in the river.

Theological Themes: The spirits of the boy and his sister lead you through the tale of their lives before they move on.

Other Themes: This is a dark title. War isn't pretty. Innocent lives are lost.
Gunbuster (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 4
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This is a landmark title for all the right reasons. This is a compelling story of a girl who needs to fight her own weaknesses in order to go into the military, like her father did, and by doing so discovers her own inner strength and determination. While this does have some of the anime clichés, such as calling out attack names, hidden ‘inner abilities’ that are only apparent to a mentor, etc, this still manages to use them in a way that really doesn’t detract from the story. It’s also one of the few anime to keep the realities of science in mind, using theories and facts that are still well-known and believed today in order to move the story in interesting directions.

Noriko is an oddity- a female lead in a shounen anime. She seems to be a more fleshed-out character for it, with an inner strength that you would normally find in shounen stories, while the writers also have her navigating the issues that come with being a girl. They manage to do this remarkably well! There was a scene in the baths where the girls were sitting around and talking, and it sounded just like other conversations my friends and I have had. I was both startled and pleased by how real it sounded- something that is usually lacking in this sort of thing. Her friends are as well-rounded and interesting as Noriko is, with ambitions and fears of their own. While their growth is shown in moderate doses, and not in the same amount or depth as Noriko’s, it really shows the passage of time and makes them characters you can sympathize with.

These great characters are given an equally great plot. Not much is known about the alien invaders, and various troops are being gathered around the world, undergoing specialized training and only the best of the best being taken into space. More about them is revealed as the story goes on, as various encounters and clues appear. Alongside this, there is the struggle Noriko has, trying to consolidate the feelings about her father with what’s happening now, and gathering the courage to fight like she needs to. While the death that sends her into a downward spiral feels like a contrived plot device, her emotional downfall and climb back out of it feel real and had me rooting for Noriko the whole time.

Set to a soundtrack that sounded a little like a Star Wars rip-off, the battles and choices Noriko makes are touching, moving, and exciting through and through. Once small measures are no longer enough against the enemy, she makes a decision that is bittersweet for everyone involved- her companions, her peers, her friends on earth. I couldn’t help but tear up slightly at the sacrifice that was made and the implications of the ending. It still managed to be hopeful, and that was the best part.

Violence/Gore- Violence is kept to explosions and offscreen death.

Nudity/Sexual Content- What will concern people is how much boobage is shown. This brought about mixed feelings, since actually showing breasts can be considered fanservice, but the scenes where it happened didn’t feel exploitive or dirty at all- they were scenes that for the most part happen in real life. The bathing scene, for instance, brought about memories of the high school locker room, changing during slumber parties, and discussions that my friends and I have had about our own bodies. Which is a good thing, since those scenes were never meant to be fanservice anyway, but have become so because of changing perceptions in nudity and acceptability.
Haibane Renmei (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Hanasaku Iroha (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review Ohana is in a tough spot. Her mom has decided to run off with a man, leaving her with no place to live and nothing to fall back on. While her mom’s thoughtlessness is nothing new, this time it’s above and beyond what she’s had to deal with. She sets out to a distant town, to a grandmother that she never knew about, to stay in the onsen. Little does she know that family ties have been severed, and she’s going to have to earn her keep and fest it up herself!

You get a good feel for the characters right off the bat, which is excellent- this is a show that depends on its characters to move the story forward. Ohana is a bit stubborn but kind, and genuinely wants to do a good job. Her friends seem typical stereotypes, with one a bit of a wilting flower (yay! Breaks out of the mold and has genuine love and talents for stuff!) and the other a tsundere. The rest of the cast are just as lively and interesting, though they exist mostly in the background. Over them looms thesadow of Madame Manager, Ohana’s grandmother, who started Kissuiso with her late husband.

Things start steamrolling from there. Ohana learns what it’s like to really work, making mistakes but discovering that there can be fun to be found helping people enjoy themselves. She makes friends with the granddaughter of a fellow onsen manager. Bits and pieces of family history fall into place about why she’s there and what the tension between Madame Manager and her son Enishin are. A confession of love from her friend Ko weighs on Ohana’s mind, as she tries to figure out whether she likes him back and whether a relationship can happen between them.

Up to episode 12, this had everything going for it. There was a solid cast, some beautiful episodes with learning to do duties, making friends, finding joy in work, and a suspenseful romance brewing in the background. About this episode, it hits a mid-series drag. Plotlines are conveniently forgotten about for some pointless filler, and the episodes just aren’t very interesting. Minchi goes from being slightly frustrating to downright obnoxious and annoying a number of times, and other characters that could have used the development don’t get it.

Thankfully, about episode 21, things pick up again. A romance that had been hinted at between Enishin and the woman he hired to improve Kisuissho’s image comes into full bloom, and the plotlines are picked back up to be resolved. Tension that’s been building between Minchi and Ohana, over a perceived crush that Tohru has on Ohana, comes to a boil. Ohana makes a decision concerning Ko. And Madame Manager comes to a decision concerning the future of the onsen that changes things for everyone.

Unfortunately, the epilogue could have been really good, but falls just on this side of average because of moments that were added simply to make the series more melodramatic. Everyone comes to decide that Ohana is taking Madame Manager’s side when she never clearly did any such thing. After a halfhearted speech by Enishin, everyone suddenly becomes just hunky-dory with letting the Ryokan go. One of the big plotlines, Ohana’s relationship with Ko, ends up being very badly handled all around.

I am pleased with the majority of the anime. It has wonderful moments, between the girls, between the staff, between family members, between the staff and the onsen itself. The characters are overall very likeable and fun to watch, and the things they have to deal with hit close to home (though some might be slightly exaggerated for anime’s sake). I would definitely watch it again sometime.

Violence/Gore: Ohana is slapped once or twice. Ohana and Minchi tussle once, but no punches or slaps are thrown.

Nudity/Sexual Content: There is some slight "fanservice" in how the woman who tried to increase the onsens' popularity makes the girls wear somewhat skimpy dresses in one episode, while in another the girls go shopping for some clothes and one of the girls is a little... bustier than they thought (as someone who has dealt with that in real life, I actually sympathized and found the situation hilarious). One of the residents, a writer, writes…. Sketchy material. Unfortunately, this ends up with a lesbian scene between the three girls (purely imagined) that doesn’t go beyond innuendo and a scene in the baths where nothing shows but the shoulders, and Ohana helping him figure out how to tie some S&M knots (fully clothed, since she’s the one who gets tied up!). There are also a few scenes in the baths. The water covers everything, and the rest of the time the shots hide everything else- except in one scene where you see a little butt.

Theological Themes: One of the big events talked about from the beginning is a festival for the local god. This event is shown, but the religious part is a bare minimum- perhaps 5 seconds of it, while the rest is other things that take place during it, like ordering food.

Other Themes: There are one or two minor swears. Ohana pretty much raises herself, and at the beginning of the show, her mom runs off with a guy, leaving Ohana to deal with the fallout.
Jungle Emperor Leo (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This is definitely a shining adaptation of one of Tezuka’s most beloved works, Kimba the White Lion. This is definitely nowhere near the entire story – it actually only covers a short arc – but it does so brilliantly. Think of The Lion King, but if it had focused on Mufasa instead of Simba, and you’ll have a decently solid idea of how this goes.

This movie has two storylines going on at once. First, there’s the story of Lune, who has an interest in humans and by accident ends up having a little adventure to where they live. At the same time, it’s dealing with the stories of Ham Egg, a somewhat notorious bad guy that is on the quest for riches hidden in the jungles of Africa, and Dr. Mustache, who is disgusted by the poaching and is determined to help the animals while he’s there, and Leo, who’s determined to help Dr. Mustache when he saves the animals from plague.

It’s interesting since we can see the humans from Lune’s eyes. He really had a thing for them after finding a music box, thinking that beings that made a thing that created such music couldn’t be all that bad. Humans are idealized, and his encounter with Dr. Mustache, who saves his life during a fire, furthers his desire to visit and meet with more. A flash flood sweeps him out to sea, where he’s caught and sold to a circus. That’s where his illusions about people are shattered – there are humans that are nice, but there are also ones that don’t hesitate to whip the circus animals. This doesn’t really sugar-coat the abuses that happen. They aren’t as graphic as could be, but the animals aren’t getting the best treatment. Thankfully, Lune is sent back after showing off that he really does have some ability to be king, even if it’s undeveloped at this point.

This is where the storyline between Ham Egg, Mustache, and Leo takes over. Ham Egg (yes, this is a character recycled from some of his other works) happened to find a stone that has powers beyond imagining, able to create power that’s cleaner and more effective than nuclear, and he’s sent on a mission to find more. Driven by greed, he sets out to find the trove of stones at whatever cost, sacrificing men and goes slowly insane as he goes through terrible struggles to reach it. He’s a fairly stereotypical bad guy, but is far more compelling than most Disney villans. His heartlessness is not left offscreen or in hidden innuendo. He openly scoffs at the men who die following him to the treasure and has no problem committing murder himself. Mustache and his assistant Lemonade hate Ham Egg’s methods, angered by poachers, and feel that there is no good from following Ham Egg’s methods. Mustache is separated from his assistant when he discovers some animals that are dying of plague. Thankfully he has the means to save them, and with the reassurance of Leo, who saw Mustache save his son, he is able to cure most who are sick. Mustache was the comedic hero, contrasted with Leo’s noble hero. Mustache was passionate about trying to stop Ham Egg, determined to save the animals, and put his all into doing what he thought was right. He let his emotions show all the time, loudly and clearly.

The rest is the quest for the stones, the sacrifices that are made, and how greed is a terrible, dangerous thing. Honestly, the quest for the stones is one of the best arcs I’ve seen in a while, with real dangers and a feeling that they really could die at any time. Leo and Mufasa have very strong similarities they sacrifice themselves to save others. In a way, Mufasa’s is more personal since it was for his family. Leo’s is more… noble, for lack of a better word. He realized that he probably would not come back from the journey alive, and in return, thanking Mustache for essentially saving his kingdom, gives the ultimate sacrifice. He knows how important those stones are, and deeply wishes for Mustache to make it back. His emotions weren’t always easy to read, but through his actions he was clearly defined as a character, and made a fantastic hero to balance out the comedy that Mustache could have easily overwhelmed the story with.

Watching these characters interact and deal with the problems they have is interesting, compelling, and really got the emotion going. I know I made the comparison of Mufasa to Leo, but there really aren’t many similarities to each other within the story – they are unique characters, and both stories are equally fantastic. I really was moved by the ending to this movie. It was really worth the watch.

Overall, this might be a bit graphic for a kid’s movie, but it still manages to be a beautiful story nonetheless.

Violence/Gore- As young as you thing can deal with non-graphic deaths. A number of them happen, with a character that sinks into a swamp, one that falls off a cliff (implied to be slightly drunk), another that falls into a river, one that is swept away in an avalanche, and yet another that is shot by Ham Egg. Actual death is depicted four times, when Lune’s mother dies from the plage (just breaths her last), when Lemonade is shot in the back (no blood, just he falls over, gives his journal to his uncle and breathes his last), Ham Egg’s death (attacked by Leo, there is some slight blood on his face after but he just falls over dead), and when Leo sacrifices himself (tosses himself onto Mustache’s knife, no blood is shown, but he “asks” Mustache to eat his flesh and wear his fur to survive).
Kaiba (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review This was an experience. From the art, to the world, to the story being told, this is one heckuva thing to watch! First off, this is not your usual anime style. This looks like your simple children’s cartoon. However, it’s very far from that.

This world is incredibly different from ours and takes perhaps 3 episodes to get used to- and only if you really keep an open mind and just accept things for what they are. Luggage can look like a giant dinosaur. People can switch into bodies that are lime green and have horns. Blood is green, and weird space plants are coming to destroy the world!

And yet, within this complicated world, there is an incredibly simple story about a boy who has amnesia and is looking for his lost love. He encounters many things he only partially understands, such as people tossing away memory chips that aren’t of any use to them and deciding which family members can be stored in the house memory banks. He himself undergoes many trials and tribulations, such as losing his original body and needing to take refuge in that of a young girl- and faces forgetting himself and who he originally was in the process. He encounters many people who have done both good and bad things, and sees both the deep sorrow and happiness that people can experience with eachother.

It's a thinking anime, for sure, with lots of good questions brought up. It doesn't really answer them, but even with some things unanswered, it was a great show.

Violence/Gore- People tend to die very easily- one after being overloaded with sex! Blood tends to splatter a lot.

Nudity/Sexual Content- This deals a lot with sexuality, from Kaiba’s original body being used for sex (you see the covers moving and it's obvious what happens), Kaiba dealing with confused sexuality, lots of people wanting to get with Kaiba in his Chronika body.

Other Themes- Language isn’t that bad, a few d- and h-words, maybe a b-word or two in there. And drugs are very much in use.
Kiki's Delivery Service (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Last Exile (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Le Chevalier D'Eon (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 0
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 6
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review This is a title that is not afraid to play around with history, yet still manages to stay true to the stories, personalities, and politics of the time. Virtually every character in this story existed in some form or another, from D’Eon, who had existed, to his sister Lia, who was his alternate personality in real life. The characters are all fantastically brought to life, with each having their own motivations and stories that are brought to light over the course of the anime. All of this has to do with the Royal Psalms, and ancient book that foretells the future of the world and gives power to rule it to those that possess it. Each character’s story weaves around it, from commoner to noble, and no one is left untouched by its power.

The story itself is ingeniously done. Politics of the time hold very true to the era and what was happening then, and things that seem insignificant at one point can later have great consequences. And the line between fantasy and reality blurs with each political move made and historical figure introduced, as real events are often accurately depicted, with some bits of imagination thrown in.

The pacing is very slow and deliberate, with bits and pieces of the story behind the psalms and the politics behind them coming to light with each episode. It isn’t until the last four episodes that most of the clues and information that were givenares brought together for a heart-pounding climax. Even so, the anime can seem to move at a snails’ pace, with a decent amout of action to liven up a story that is mostly political.

However, the sheer complexity does have its downsides. I found myself needing to marathon it and write down people and connections as I did to keep track of what was happening. Some of the answers seem stretched to fit the occurrences. Some answers seem nonsensical… and sometimes the answers don’t come at all. Not all the symbolism- such as the passages used to create magic- are explained fully within the show. However, for all the things that happen, a remarkable amount of the story is explained and makes sense within the context of the story. And most of the plotlines also lead to the heart of the story- what it truly happening in France, and the future that is coming for it.

Overall, if you’re a fan of historical or political anime, you might want to look at this.

Violence/Gore- There is a decent amount of violence- people get shot and stabbed, though none of it is graphically violent. You do see dead bodies and hear about how they’ve been desecrated, and rather terribly at that.

Theological Themes- This does have something that could be considered sacrilege, in that some Bible passages can be used for magic. This doesn’t hold true for every Bible, only special ones. There is a specific one, passed down from great leader to great leader, which holds the ones that can change nations.

Othere Themes- There is some mild swearing, but it's rare.
Love Hina (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review Love Hina is considered a classic anime, that sparked a thousand imitations. Yet, for all its reputation, this still managed to surprise me. The characters are definitely prototypes for many you see today, like Keitaro's sheer idiocy. He's really not that much of a pervert - he's more often a victim of obliviousness and circumstance when it comes to accidentally getting into trouble with the girls. He's also fairly likeable (if an object of pity more often than not), only wanting to meet the girl from his past, and just not really smart enough to get into Tokyo U. to do it. He still works hard and studies harder, desperately trying to reach his dreams, and feels a whole lot of conflict and guilt when he finds himself possibly harboring feelings for a girl that isn't the one he met in his childhood. And while a few of the girls end up with romantic feelings towards him, not all of them do, and that's a nice change from most modern harems.

The girls that live in the hot springs are also cute and interesting. Naru, the main love interest, is the 'girl next door'- she's pretty, but she's practical and tough. She has no time for Keitaro's shennanigans, but still is a bit immature and doesn't handle it well. Kitsune is the 'playful older sister' with no feelings towards Keitaro, and masking a heart that's been hurt more often than not. When all her cards were laid on the table I really felt for her, and would liked to have seen her romance subplot work out. But she's a troublemaker, no doubt about it! Su looks up to Keitaro as an older brother, is a genius, but is running from her own troubles stemming from the culture she was raised in. But she's reaching for her dreams with all her might and the support and friendship of the other girls in the hotel. She tends to be responsible for most of the wackiness that happens in the dorms by virtue of her inventions and general airheadedness. Go figure, she's also a magical girl in disguise! Shinobu, Su's friend who ends up moving in, does have a crush on Keitaro but is very low-key about it. She's the most practical, but the most shy of them all. It's Keitaro's aunt that speaks up and gets down to business when she appears.

The whole plot revolves around the wacky antics that happen in the Springs. I'm not talking about Keitaro accidentally walking in (though that does happen), I mean Naru being scouted as a pop idol, finding a labyrinth of tunnels underneath the springs, and fighting off giant, evil, mechanical turtles! Nearly anything goes when it comes to this show. Mixed in with the giant mechanical turtles are everyday issues that face the residents, like losing rent money, taking Tokyo U entrancec exams, and dealing with family. Those things make up more of the show than anything else, but still manages to be interesting through the stregnth of the characters and their interactions.

Keitaro and Naru are the main couple, but a third wheel does come into play about halfway through the series. It turns into a mess of accidental identity, childhood friends, and misunderstandings about who the girl in Keitaro's memory really is. It works out in a pretty interesting way, but things get heated for a while when Keitaro tries to stay true to his childhood friend.

What hurts it more often than not is the fanservice jokes have been done in later anime repeatedly, and those get tiring. But overall, there are enough unique and fun parts where I don't regret watching it. I won't watch it again, but it wasn't a waste of time.

Violence/Gore- Typical slapstick comedy. Keitaro gets slapped and sails off into space. There aren't any serious injuries.

Nudity/Sexual Content- This is a lot tamer than I had been led to believe- Ah! the differences between 2000 and 2012. The recurring joke is that he walks in on the girls in the hot springs, but they always have towels or covered by water. He occasionall falls over Naru in an awkward position - they're almost always fully clothed. One of the girls grabs his hand and puts it on her breast to try and get free rent for a month (entirely her fault, Keitaro had no part in the plan). T=While doing a play, it's implied that Keitaro accidentally rips off Naru's bikini top - it's totally an accident and he wasn't going for that at all, but you do see the start of it, though it cuts away before you see anything. The worst is when a girl accidentally stumbles and falls out of the shower, naked and on top of Keitaro, but again you don't see anything and nothing sexual actually occurs.

Theological Themes- One of teh girl seems to have the magical ability to grow into an adult under certain circumstances. This is really only pertinent for two episodes. There is talk of a cursed sword (it's not). And one episode features a doll and a legend that after 99 years, if an object has been loved and cared for it gains a soul. The doll does seem to get one, but it 'passes on' at the end of the episode.
Macross Frontier (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review One of the latest installments of the Macross franchise, Frontier was made for the 25th anniversary of it, and they pulled out all the stops. This has everything that you could want in an action/romance anime, from fantastic, well-rounded characters with interesting histories and goals that they’re fighting for. The alien attackers, the Varja, are genuinely terrifying. You learn little about their motivations or goals until late in the game, and the not knowing mixed with how deadly they are makes for a truly involving story.

The visuals are fantastic, with bright, vibrant colors, great CG, and spaceships that look pretty darn good. The music is also fantastic, and voice acting above par. Unfortunately, this also works against the series, due to the sheer amount of songs that there are- the royalties would be astronomical! There’s not much more that you could ask from this series, which does very well as a stand-alone (there is one episode where you get a tie-in with something earlier, though), but unfortunately, as good as the ending is, will leave a lot vaguely unsatisfied. I can’t say anymore without spoiling it!

Overall, if you’re a mecha fan, or even if you just love a good story, this show will not fail to deliver!

Violence/Gore- There are somewhat gory deaths, usually off-screen, but the blood spatter can be somewhat graphic.

Nudity/Sexual Content- One character does wear some rather skimpy clothing a lot. There's also sexual innuendo, and the implication of an affair between two unmarried characters.
Millennium Actress (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review The late Satoshi Kon was known for his clever symbolism and beautiful storytelling, and this movie shows it beautifully. This is a story where reality weaves interchangeably with movies and memories to recreate the story of Chiyoko’s life- a life filled with hope and unrequited love.

Not only do her own memories narrate her life and the story of her search for her love, but her movies do, too. We’re put into one scene after another from her movies, in chronological order. These movies, or scenes from them, mirror her life so completely it’s hard to imagine that they didn’t actually happen, that they aren’t past lives or future lives where she is still searching for the man she lost. What keeps us in the realm of reality are the narrators of Genya and Kyoji, the filmmaker and the cameraman, who narrate as they become wrapped up in the scenes and, indeed, occasionally become minor characters themselves.

But Kon was also remarkably good at creating sympathetic characters. Whether your original fondness is for Kyoji, who has an incredible amount of snarkiness and disbelief in Genya’s adoration for this old woman, or Genya who has some pretty hard hero-worship for an actress who will never grow old for him, as they are drawn into her story, so is the watcher. You see her grow from a shy girl with a crush into someone who deeply loves a man she may never see again. Her trials and tribulations are like the movies that she made- the slings and arrows that others cast on her search, the fact that to find him she may have to leave everything behind, the knowledge that she would leave everything and everyone behind to find him again.

These mix to create a story that is powerful and compelling. Life, love, heartbreak all come together as her story is told from beginning to end, from childish hope and beginnings to old but firm beliefs. This is a story for those who’ve lost someone precious, who still keep a burning torch in their heart, who love a good love story.

Violence/Gore: The artist was injured (you see blood in the snow), she visits one of the prisons where torture is implied to happen, there is some bombing. All deaths are merely said, not shown.

Theological Themes: There’s an instance in one of the first movie flashbacks where she’s talking to a spirit, and this pops up later. If you’re paying attention to the rewind of the movies when the title comes up, then you’ll realize this isn’t actually a spirit- it’s a scene from one of her movies that we’ve been plopped into, and there’s symbolism in it (she never does get to see her love again). These words are brought back to haunt her later in her life.
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 4
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This anime started off with a bang- pretty much literally, as the bridge that the Prince was crossing collapsed, and Balsa dove into the river to save him. It was a great way to hook me in- there was action and the introduction of two of the main characters. From there the story snowballs into an adventure filled with ancient lore, old magic, forgotten culture, and the fate of an empire.

The story drew me in- I saw the danger that the Prince was in, and rooted for him and Balsa to escape their pursuers. It was hard not to feel for Chagum as he encountered a world and culture that he had never experienced before- as he and Balsa hid in the countryside, he learns more about the people in his country and how different his life in the palace from theirs. He and Balsa, and two others that live with them, learn more about each other and become a family as they travel to different places and learn more about the spirit egg within him.

This isn’t necessarily action-packed, but the action that is there is incredibly fluid and well-done. The characters all are fairly developed- even the ones that don’t appear for very long. It was great to have a strong but not tsundere woman taking the lead role as protector and fighter. Chagum may have been a sheltered prince, but he held a strong respect for his people and good-naturedly (though somewhat awkwardly) started to learn how to fit in with them.

The bonuses to this anime were the great acting and OST. The VAs really did very well in this. I was very pleased with Mabuki Andou, who voiced Balsa. Her voice was a nice change to the high-pitched tones of most female leads. Instead, she had a very mature, deep-toned voice that fit the character perfectly. The OST is filled with beautiful background pieces that are reminiscent of traditional folk songs.

My only nitpick with this is that during the middle of the series the pacing goes from good to verrrrry sloooow. I really did enjoy the episodes where Balsa and Chagum are living in the village and learning to fit in, and some important things did happen during those episodes. However, the rate at which those happened made those episodes drag on more than they needed to.

Overall, this is a great anime that should appeal to many, many people.

Violence/Gore- While there is some violence, there is a minimal amount of blood and gore. Actual death is rare, and when there is in a proper somber light. Actual death tends to be offscreen.

Nudity/Sexual Content- Saya, a somewhat minor character who is about 11 or 12, nearly goes through an arranged marriage. You would need to explain to younger kids about cultural differences and expectations for the time period that this takes place. Luckily, the marriage doesn’t go through, and she is able to make a home with the boy that she cares for (their relationship is shown in an entirely innocent light).

Also, near the end of the story, Chagum suggests that Tanda (a childhood friend of Balsa’s who is in love with her) that he just sleep with her, and suggests that they have children and marry. This scene ends quickly, with Tanda explaining that he couldn’t burden Balsa like that when she has a need to take care of her own affairs.

Theological Themes- It is fantasy, so there is a water spirit that’s responsible for bringing the rain and helping the land flourish. The plot is about trying to make sure the spirit's child will survive so that the land won't die. A few times you see the parallel 'spirit world' to our world.
My Neighbor Totoro (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review My Neighbor Totoro is perhaps *the* iconic Ghibli film, at least in Japan. I have managed to keep from seeing it until very recently, when a friend loaned me her copy of it. I think it’s a good thing, since I’m at an age where I can look at childhood with nostalgia and wonder, just like these girls explore their world with wide eyes. They’re thrilled to be able to get an old house, full of places to explore and things to do with a little bit of imagination- and as they discover, there’s a little more to it than meets the eye. Soot spirits and cat buses and Totoros live their lives around them, unseen to adults but enchanting the children with the wonders of life.

At the same time, it has the subtle theme of children trying to come to terms with their mother’s illness. Both girls love their mother, and want her to come home- dealing with it is hard. Mei has a hard time having any member of her family be gone from her- she can’t even stay at a neighbor’s house for a full school day without needing to see her sister. Her sister is just as panicked and worried about their mother, and when the movie takes a serious turn, things become more complicated when Mei decides to go on her own to try and make their mom better.

Like in most Ghibli films, there’s an environmentalist theme that runs through it, justified in this case because wild and abandoned places hold a fascination for children, that there might be something hiding in the next tree or living in an attic. Being out in the forest provides a wonderfu backdrop for a story where most anything can happen. One of the most fascinating scenes is when the girls wait for acorns they planted to grow, and Totoro appears one night to help them out; the strength of their hopes and a little touch of ‘magic’ makes them sprout, and brings about a ision of what it would look like if allowed to grow, and grow, and grow! The scene is entrancing in both its simplicity and its power. Granny also teaches the girls that the home-grown vegetables are good for you and make you healthy… so when Mei decides to visit her mom, it’s an ear of corn that she grasps with all her heart.

Totoro also makes an enchanting playfellow for the children, with him opening their eyes to amazing things, and they in turn showing him interesting things from their own world. An incident with an umbrella turns into a meeting with a cat-bus and the sight of a forest sprouting in a night, and all ends with music being played in the branches of an old and venerable tree. The friendship that grows between the three is adorable, and Mei’s disappearance brings out how friends help each other in their times of need! The sheer amount of joy Totoro has when helping Mei’s sister is astounding. It’s a reminder that friends should love to help each other, and that sort of thing is what friends are for. Everything about this film brings about ideas and ideals of friendship and imagination, while still dealing tactfully with a subject that can make children’s lives harder – and even with that, these kids still manage to find joy in their everyday lives.

Nudity/Sexual Content- Depending on the release you see, there is the chance of seeing some toddler butt as the girls take a bath with their father. It's one scene, and obviously non-sexual.

Theological Themes- The girls are interacting with various fantasy creatures- mainly made-up by Miyazaki. The Totoro is apparently somewhat of a forest spirit, there's a cat bus spirit, and they see soot gremlins at one point. Most of the story revolves around them interacting with these beings.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (anime) (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review Nausicaä is right up there in Ghibli’s darkest films, second only to Grave of the Fireflies. This is a land almost overtaken by desolation- one where breathing the air for too long will send you to an early grave, as is happening with Nausicaä’s father, one where the hardest struggle may not guarantee your survival.

Even in the face of this, Nausicaä remains optimistic- that perhaps she can cure her father’s disease, and that they can live in peace with the creatures of the forest if humans take the time to understand them instead of simply fighting against them. Her fairly peaceful world is shattered when a warship carrying an important prisoner crashes in her valley with a weapon of devastating power left from the war that destroyed the world.

Nausicaä is a powerful work of anti-war, pro-environmentalist themes that never is preachy or condescending or takes it to a level that would make people unconfortable. The story is strong enough that it feels as natural and obvious as anything- and not in a bad way. Even looking back, there are lessons that are true in it. Nausicaä brings the conflict home in her character- in a fit of rage, she ends up killing others, but hates herself for it and vows to never allow it to happen again. She also tries her hardest to protect others from death. Since she understands the motivations behind how the creatures of the forest act (and they are animals, acting on mostly natural instinct), Nausicaa teaches others how to respect them and shares her knowledge- they can live together on each other’s periphery if humans can learn to calm down.

There’s action, adventure, and the plot threads are tied together very nicely. It’s a wonderful film in its own right- no need to actually read the manga it’s based off of. (Side note: The manga and the anime are quite different. The movie is the adaptation of the first volume or so- the manga goes its own route after that).

Violence/Gore: The ideas of death are very prevalent. Nausicaä’s father is killed onscreen, a girl dies from injuries, there’s the implication of the Sea of Decay killing the inhabitants of a kingdom. The reminders that this is a deadly world are everywhere. No death is graphic or gory.

Nudity/Sexual Content: I didn't notice anything except one scene where Lady Tolmekia says that whoever marries her will 'see a lot worse', referring to the injuries that have disabled her and implicitely implying that he'd see them when they were intimate. It will go over the heads of the youngest.

Theological Themes: There is a legend of a messianistic figure that will help save the Valley. Rocklobster put it exactly in his review above.
No. 6 (Jump to title)
- Overall: 6
- Violence Rating: 6
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 5
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review No. 6- a utpoia for those who love their city and never question it. A place of exile and terror for those who dare speak a word against it. Created to be a haven after the wars destroyed most of the world, those in power grew too hungry for power, and try to harness the power of a forest to try and revive the world.

This anime has some good ideas, but suffers for its legnth and attempt to balance character development with plot development. There is great build-up for the first 4 or 5 episodes, with the meeting of Nezumi and Sion, the clues that not everything is as it seems in the city, the way Sion sees life for those around him outside the place and his determination to save the people in the city. Unfortunately, the relationship with Sion and Nezumi gets rushed because they have to move the plot along, and the plot suffers because they spent time on the relationship.

The great build up in the beginning all goes to waste in the second half. Who or what exactly is Elyusia? How was it determined that nothing of Safu remained? Why would anyone program all the computers to destroy themselves if the main computer was gone (by far the dumbest programing mistake ever)? And it was topped off by the most ridiculous and blatant revival scene ever.

On the other hand, that finale also delivered in terms of action, explosions, emotional punches, and the wall, which is why I'm still rating this over a 5. It might not make up for everything wrong with it, but it was the consolation prize for having watched all of the show.

Violence/Gore: People are killed in many ways. Some age rapidly and turn into mummies. Some are shot. Some are blasted by... sonic waves from a tank. However they are killed, blood does spatter and some bodies are shown. This also goes for some Holocaustian horrors- nothing says more about what people think about you than being dumped into a pit of dead and rotting bodies to die. Thankfully, this isn't lingered on, and gore isn't explicitly shown.

Nudity/Sexual Content: When Sion takes in Nezumi, there is a scene where he's changing his shirt. During his fever and near-death there is undetailed nudity.

Problematic Theological Issues: They were after a spirit of the forest. This spirit is apparently one of a giant bee (don't ask, it doesn't make much sense in the anime either), and that spirit can bring back the dead and heal people. This is also a shounen-ai title- that is, the two male leads are in love with eachother, and there are two kisses shared.

Other Problematic Themes: There is some swearing, nothing stronger than the b-word. It's suggested that Rat prostitute himself, and the Dogkeeper is used as sexual bait for a high-ranking official. There is some ambiguity as to whether the dogkeeper is a boy or a girl (personal opinion based on scenes from the 10th episode- girl, attempting to disguise self as a boy).
Now and Then, Here and There (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 6
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 4
Review Give me a moment to dry my eyes….. This anime seems to have the sole purpose to make as many viewers as possible cry. This takes the typical “boy saving the world” premise and takes it up another notch. He doesn’t have to face ten billion enemies; he only has to face one- Hamdo, who wants nothing more than to rule the world, and will do everything in his power to do so.

This ramps it up in what he must face. This being war, there is torture of many types. Girls are raped to breed new soldiers. And when he does catch a break, it’s in a place where a fever of revenge has taken hold and places him and his new friends in grave danger.

This takes a fairly typical plot but puts interesting and believable characters into it. While Shu is the typical shounen hero, he’s backed by a quiet and almost unfeeling heroine. While she eventually comes around it’s hard to tell how much he affected her until the end. Hamdo, the antagonist, is not just cruel- he’s insane. He doesn’t care who he hurts, how many he has to hurt, or how brutally he hurts them in order to get what he wants. And his second in command is willing until the end to follow him and make his wishes true.

Virtually everyone Shu meets ends up important to the story, whether he knows it or not. This means that a rather large cast gets very distinctive personalities and behaviours. It’s amazing that they all play important parts in the time they get, and that’s a definite benefit.

While the story is heartbreaking, it’s still well-paced, with everything told in it’s own time. It never feels rushed. Both the sub and dub are good, though the dub can sounds stilted in some places. And the violence depicted never is without a reason, as senseless as that reason is. It’s not done without discretion in what’s depicted.

Violence/Gore- Torture, massacre (very little gore but lots of blood), some graphic death (getting shot point-blank in the heart and head). And of course, showing the mental aftermath of going through that.

Nudity/Sexual Violence- There is implied rape, and the girl does become pregnant because of it. It's implied that other girls are taken and raped to produce more soldiers.

Theological Themes- There is a time machine that takes them through time and space. Lala-Ru is wanted for the power she has over a stone that can create water, which is vital in this desert world. The girl who gets pregnant because of the rape discusses aborting it (ends up deciding against it).

Other Themes- There is some language, more in the dub than in the sub. It's a dark title.
Only Yesterday (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review This is a beautiful film about looking back at our pasts, rediscovering our dreams, and finding the courage to live them out. Taeko's visit at a farm for her vacation finds her learning about farming and the people who do it, connecting things that happen on the farm to stories about her childhood and growing up, and discovering what she truly enjoys in life.

iolence: At one point where her daughter is throwing a fit, her mother slaps her.

Nudity/Sexual Content: At one point, the main character and her grandmother visit a bathhouse. While the girl (and some background characters) are nude, it is completely undetailed, like Barbie dolls. There is also discussion about the main character getting her period.

Other themes: There is one use of the d-word.
Origin: Spirits of the Past (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This is a wonderful story about living and moving on with your life. From the beginning we see how lonely Toola is in a world that is completely unfamiliar to her. It's her changing and realizing that just because they're different doesn't mean that it's bad, and that she doesn't need to start the world over again- she can live happily with friends and good people in the world as it is now.

Failure to really compare why things in advanced cities are better than the life they have in the ruined city also makes the drive of the main protagonist seem unrealistic and overzealous, especially when the main goal to return things to the way they were wouldn’t bring back the technology that they lost or the loved ones that have died- it would merely make the vegetation less likely to attack someone.

However, even with that uncertain logic, the story still flows well and is well-told. The characters are likeable, if a little stereotypical. The action is exciting and draws the viewer in. You can’t help but root for Agito to be able to find the ability to bring Toola back and convince her to not destroy the forest, and Shunak makes a good, fairly convincing antagonist. While the environmental message might be there, it’s no stronger than anything you wouldn’t see in a Ghibli movie, and ends up being fairly well-integrated and not overbearing.

My overall rating for this movie is an 8, but the respective scores for things are: Story- 8, Music- 10, Art- 10. This has some absolutely gorgeous art I've seen, and the CG blends in very well. The music is beautiful, and I'm especially making note of the opening song that sets the tone wonderfully. The story lacks a bit in comparison.

Violence: There are some comedic injuries early on in the movie, one of the boys manages to fall pretty hard onto a sharp rock… on his butt. Obviously very painful and played for laughs, but it’s no more violent than the Looney Tunes. You do also have some fighting where the injuries caused are more serious, however no blood is spilled and all the characters are perfectly fine afterwards. There is implied death, and you do see skeletons for a few moments near the beginning.

Spoiler: The goal of one of the town's enemies is to 'restart' the world, which means destroying the forest. To do this there are some shots fired at the town and forest, though no one is killed or injured during this.

Nudity/Sexual Content: When Toola’s medical scrubs get wet (and they look like a short dress) you do get some skin-tone showing, but nothing detailed. This only happens once near the beginning. In one scene where you see the forest spirit ‘avatars’- two young girls- they are portrayed in a very stylistic way though they are nude in it. It’s like looking at a classical painting for dryads or nymphs. There is also a scene where the girls ‘meld’ into one being- this is not graphic, nor is there any blood or gore.

Theological Themes: Agito becomes a 'seed of the forest' in order to bring Toola back and show her that things really aren't that bad in the world. This means he is given superhero powers and in time will 'become a part of it'- as in become a tree or plant that is connected to it. The girls that are guardians of the forest seem to have a spiritual connection to it.

Other: I don't remember any swearing, and there was no drug use or anything else objectionable.
Paranoia Agent (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This is one of the anime that sticks with you. From the mystery behind Little Slugger, to the paranormal happenings around town, to the psychological events that make you wonder what’s reality and fantasy, to the mastermind behind it all which creates a criticism of Otakudom, this has it all

The unnerving opening really makes you pay attention to what’s going to happen long before the show starts going. The dissonance between the people and the realities of what’s happening give you the first clue as to what this anime is going to be about and be like. Then you get into the story. Almost all of the episodes feature you slipping into their private lives and their minds, exploring the stress that’s acting on them and what could possibly make them targets for the Slugger. And when they finally catch up to the Slugger….. you discover that it may be more than anyone ever expected.

Each story builds on the others. Each lends a clue as to what’s really happening, and even then you can never imagine what really lies behind it all. Or perhaps you can. Even so, this is a story within a story.

Violence/Gore- People are hit very hard by Little Slugger. Some bleed, soem don't. One person is outright killed (offscreen). A few others are impled to have been caused by him.

Nudity/Sexual Content- There’s implied child pornography/incest of a sort.

Theological Themes- This gets a little psychological, and at one point it's thought that Little Slugger might be a magical being of sorts. He's not.
Planetes (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review I had read the manga a while ago, so I came into this thinking I knew the story. I was wrong. These are different enough that I cannot compare them on any level, and so will not be doing this review with any comparisons.

The members of Debris Section, or “half-section” as they are oft referred to due to a lack of a full crew, are all working hard to fuel their hopes and dreams. We follow Tanabe as she meets and gets to know them, the perils of the job revealing themselves to her the longer she stays and becoming more than she could ever have imagined. Tanabe herself is a rather naïve newbie in Half Section. She believes in love- that everyone should be cherished, that tributes to it should be admired, that people want nothing more than to be together and love one another deep down. Her idealism is brought down a notch in the first episode, but throughout it morphs into a deep faith in people and into doing the right thing- and she is a strong character for it. Hachimaki is an unrepentant dreamer. He manages to hold tight to his dream of having his own ship for a good long time, and must face demons of an accident in order to cling to them. He goes down the wrong path in trusting and loving others, but manages to make it back. The rest of Half Section are almost as deep and complex, from Fee, a rather mysterious smoker that is willing to face down terrorist attacks to get a smoke and has friends in high places in the system, to Ede, a temp worker that almost never talks, but has a drive and determination to overcome her past that puts many to shame. Even minor side characters manage to come across as multi-dimentional, real people. The first half of the anime is spent developing them, rarely taking itself too seriously, but with undertones that more serious stuff is afoot.

Character development is blended beautifully with the plot. At first it seems like the daily life of the debris collectors- sharing in their lives and loses, discovering the things that keep them in space or away from Earth. It seems very down to earth, with realistic situations involving the hierarchy of the company and various company politics. It soon grows into more than that. Internal and national politics come into play early on- the same episode that Tanabe’s idealism comes against a wall. An early forewarning of a more serious plot is the bombings of the smoking rooms on the Moon- as funny as the episode where this is introduced was, it’s terrorism nonetheless. As the crew of Half Section is pulled into these events during the regular course of their duties, they find themselves mixed up into planetary politics and company politics that have far-reaching consequences for everyone on and off of earth. Friends become foes, conspiracies and double-dealings abound, and subtle maneuvering wins the day though it might not be a perfect happy ending to the situation.

Of course, that’s not the end of things. Not by a long shot. Bad things happen to good people. No one within Half Section is left unaffected, least of all our main characters. And a decision is placed before Hachi that makes fulfilling his dream of going out into space on a 7 year cruise to Jupiter a hard choice to make. It does get a little philosophical as Hachi wrestles with the fears that were left from an accident that occurs during the series, but it’s through this that he’s able to come to terms with leaving and why, and who exactly he’d be leaving behind. He’s lived with his father doing it to his family, and he must figure out how to be at peace with it… or abandon his hopes altogether. The very ending is beautiful- a simple scene of family life that is touching and yet so bittersweet when I realized what exactly it meant.

Violence/Gore- The violence is just a bit worse than Star Wars- most of the instances of death have discretion shots. The first people who die you see some blood fly and then another person moves over so you don’t see the bodies. Many of the shots you see some blood fly and then they fall over. However, there were about three times when the death was emphasized for horror and to show how terrible it was, not by making them gorefests but by making the people fall into another’s arms or other things. There was never anything excessive shown- I actually feel that it was done more tactfully than most PG-13 movies show. A few characters deal with the idea and consequences of killing another person- when it’s okay, and how one can be brave enough to sacrifice themselves- along with the dangers that come along with their jobs (from being hit with debris, to drifting off into space, to dying of cancer from radiation).

Nudity/Sexual Content-In the first episode Hachimaki picks up a porn magazine and tells Tanabe (who’s outraged) that it’s a long trip and things could happen between men and women, so it’s necessary. He’s forced to put it back. It does make a cover appearance in two other brief shots in the anime, but one time unless you’re paying attention then you’ll probably miss it. There is some slight sexual tension a few times- they are asked whether they’ve had sex twice, Tanabe is told that having dated for about two months might be the time to do it, and they do end up in a hotel room together. This goes absolutely nowhere, though. One woman was abused and forced into prostitution by her husband (told, not shown).

Other Themes- There’s some rough language- I don’t remember any f-bombs being dropped, but at least once an episode someone was dropping a “What the h—“, and occasionally using the alternate word for donkey, calling someone an illegitimate son, and there was one written instance of the word for female dog. Sometimes it was unnecessary and just the way the person spoke (which I can sympathize with as my brother speaks like that), and sometimes it was definitely situation-appropriate.
Princess Jellyfish (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This anime is all about the characters. From the eccentric residents of the apartments, to Kuranosuke and his family, to the various others that become part of the cast, this anime shows how they all act, interact, and influence each other’s lives.

Kuranosuke and Tsukimi’s meeting was a wonderful coincidence- they started bonding over Tsukimi’s love of jellyfish, and Kuranosuke- intrigued by the girl who dressed oddly but had a passionate love for something- quickly makes himself at home in the apartments. Then you start really getting to know the characters.

The great thing is how well they get along together! Mayaya, the ever-enthusiastic lover of Records of the Three Kingdoms and Banba, the afro’d train-crazy gal, are good comedic foils for each other, feeding off of each other’s excitement and generally making things more wacky. Jiji gets pushed to the side and ignored for the most part, but she’s fond of older men. You have the mysterious mangaka living upstairs who passes all edicts of behavior and problems from underneath her door. Chieko, the doll-lover and talented seamstress, keeps order in the day-to-day activities of the girls. All of them work off of eachother’s energy and create an interesting bunch of friends.

The rest of the cast is equally engaging, which makes it a joy to watch as they are all confronted with life choices and bits of the past that still affect them. The other thing that makes it interesting is that, while the characters and their characteristics are somewhat exaggerated, the situations they are in aren’t. It never failed to be amusing to watch these girls try to deal with everyday occurrences, such as trying to keep their home from being torn down. This manages to keep about three plots and sub-plots going at once, but never gets confusing, which is amazing and makes it all more interesting.

Nudity/Sexual Content: In one episode someone is given what’s apparently a date-rape drug. While they pass out, even though no sex occurs, pictures that imply such are taken and used as blackmail. One of the character’s outfits are a bit slinky, but no nudity occurs- bathing suit amount of skin is shown.

Theological Themes: One of the guy characters acts very girly for a full-grown man. And one of the main characters is a cross-dresser, though he’s heterosexual.
Princess Mononoke (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 5
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review “You’re under a curse? Well, so what? So is the whole d— world.” These are the words of one of the characters, a truth that echoes throughout the story of Princess Mononoke. Humans and spirits are converging in a battle around a little village in the West, and it may be a battle to see who survives… and who doesn’t. You see those words describe exactly what’s happening between the two factions- the humans are angry and upset that the Gods do not want them to continue growing and expanding, while the Gods and spirits are upset that the humans raze forests without care and turn good animals into stupid, cruel ones. They are cursed by a deep misunderstanding, an unwillingness to listen to each other, and it almost leads to a great amount of pain and destruction on both their sides.

One of the things that always amazes me is how real these characters seem. The ‘bad’ guys are not necessarily evil through and through. For all the trouble Lady Enoshi causes, she has nonetheless saves women from being slaves in whorehouses and gives them an amazing amount of freedom and equality for that day and age, and shows kindness and care to lepers that everyone else would shun. The wolves and boars aren’t cruel creatures- they are losing their homes and families, and are trying to save themselves. Both sides have valid reasons for fighting each other, none more right or good than the other.

This is part of what makes the story so intriguing and interesting to watch- you see both sides equally, why they feel that it is so necessary to make the choices they do. And that is why it is so nice to see the story develop as the movie goes on. The pacing of the story is slow but sure, with each side eventually coming to a sure conclusion that they must work together in order for them to live peacefully.

There are other small things that add to how great this is- such as how the dub is equal in quality to the Japanese voice actors. The only thing that brings down my score is that the environmental message can come across a little too strongly.

Violence/Gore- There is no more violence in this than in Lord of the Rings, but it's still there. This has an unusual amount of gore for a Ghibli production- early on, you see a boar killed with an arrow through its eye (just the arrow hitting is shown- no bloodhappened when it is shot), there are soldier attacking a few villagers, and one of the attackers has his arms ripped clean off from an arrow- no blood spurts but you do see the wounds clearly. Some fighting happens, and this includes explosions and some boars dying. Early on, one of the wolf gods is shot. The girl gets the bullet out by using her mouth to suck it and the infectious agents out. A few men fall off a cliff- the implication is that all but two of them die, though their bodies are not shown. Some blood is shown being spat and around her mouth. Ashitaka does get shot, and he does bleed.

Theological Themes- Akihito is under a curse and it does take a visible form on the body -it can be a bit disgusting since it looks like oily, black worms. The story revolves around the animals of the forest rebelling agains tthe humans that are destroying their lands. They can communicate with humans in some cases, and there is a forest god that is shown, as well as little forest spirits (helpful, friendly ones) as they walk into the forest).

Nudity/Sexual Content- The village where this takes place is made up of women that were saved from brothels, and reference is made to this as well as a few flirtatious remarks.

Other Themes- There are perhaps three swears in the film, usually the d-word.
Princess Tutu (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review This is told as a story-within-a-story, the premise following that of traditional fairy tales but with each episode themed after a ballet, and dotted with the whimsical and fantastical, throwing references to even more fairy tales and plays, and even having a lot of fun with shout-outs to those who are failiar with ballet (none of these interfere with the story itself, so it’s totally okay if you miss them). Pleaes note that I say ‘traditional fairly tales’- I’m not talking about Pinocchio or Sleeping Beauty as told by Walt Disney, I’m talking about the original Grimm’s Fairy Tales that were not the happiest of stories and usually didn’t end well for anyone.

That doesn’t mean that this is a grim affair by any means. The dark themes of the story only make the joy and loveliness of the rest of it stand out. It starts out like a traditional magical girl story, with a girl that saves her Prince through the magic in her dancing. By episode 4, I knew that there is so much more to it. The story, told in small ‘chapters’ at the beginning of the episode, show that something more sinister and dangerous is at work, while the characters become more interesting as more is revealed about them and what’s happening around them. Told in two parts, ‘The Chapter of the Egg’ and ‘The Chapter of the Fledgeling’, both give off very different feelings to them. The first half recalls the ballet of Swan Lake, yet hinting at more to come. The Chapter of the Fledgeling is where Princess Tutu comes into it’s own, building off of what happened and creating a story all it’s own.

A tale as well-told as this needs solid characters to back it up. Duck and her cohorts recall traditional fairy tale archetypes for the very reason that they themselves are in one. The Prince is very much that type of character, noble and gentle. It’s very intense when that is twisted and how it’s twisted creates a lot of tension between the characters. His decisions make perfect sense within the context of his character, but are nonetheless heartbreaking. Rue is also more than she appears to be, a character that’s been twisted and decieved from the beginning, whose true nature is apparent in brief flashes and becomes more obvious as the story goes on. Duck takes the title of ‘Princess’, and in the tale we’re watching… is. Yet she’s realy supposed to be a supporting character, and watching her agonize over what her fate is supposed to be creates some of the best character growth and development I’ve ever seen. She remains Duck, a gentle and loving soul, but what she goes through tempers her character in a way that few stories manage to convey. Even Fakir, a tortured Knight who’s aware of his duty but determined to subvert his fate, ends up being a far deeper character than at first supposed. His change is perhaps the most remarkable, for while his personality remains very much the same, how you come to see him does- and makes him one of the most beloved and tragic characters in the story.

And of course, no story would be complete without an antagonist! Drosselmeyer is a deliciously twisted storyteller. He uses his powers to tell stories, demanding that they occur the way he wants them to, enjoying the twists they take when they don’t nonetheless. The selfish cruelty with which he manipulates the town is astounding, and yet he manages to be really fascinating in his motivations.

As fascinating as the story and the characters are, this also manages to deal with some themes very maturely. Love and what it means to love is constantly brought up in many forms, from continuing on when the person you love is gone, whether you need to tell someone out loud if you love them, how to love someone when you keep a secret, all of it is brought about in very interesting ways. Along with that is the idea of sacrifice and what the ultimate sacrifice you can make is. The ending always brings tears to my eyes because of this theme. Fate, too, is prominent. Subverting it, following it, and whether you should give into it… Fate is omnipresent and is dealt with in a very intriguing way.

All these things come together in an amazing story that really manages to go above and beyond the sum of its parts. It could have been an average, save-the-world magical girl. Instead, it chooses to be one that really engages the viewer and is one of the most powerful love stories I have ever come across.

Overall, this is a fabulously played-out and beautifully touching story, one of the best you’ll see.

Violence/Gore - One character does get stabbed, and some blood appears- he doesn't die, though. A character also stabbs himself in the hand (trying to prevent himself from doing something bad). The Crow- one of the bad guys- wants to eat people's hearts, but never gets close to being able to. Death is threatened a few times, but doesn't happen.

Nudity/Sexual Content - one of the things that's played for comedy is that when Ahiru (Duck) changes from a duck to a human, she's unclothed. She *almost* gets caught a few times, but never is seen. Any nudity is covered up decently. The standard magical girl transformation doesn't show anything other than an outline. The Prince also tends to be in a long shirt only, which has earned him the nickname of ‘The Pantless Wonder”, but nothing inappropriate is ever shown.

Theological Themes- This story revolves around magic, but that's because it's based off of fairy tales and ballet stories.

Other Themes Fakir does swear once or twice, the d-word.
Project Blue Earth SOS (Jump to title)
- Overall: 5
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review Visually and in spirit, this is the one of the best homages to 50’s sci-fi that I’ve ever seen. You have classic characters in the forms of spunky child geniuses, to genius scientists, to invading aliens. They have the names to go with it, Penny and Emely (yes, a misspelling on part of the creator, but the spirit of it is there, and yes, Penny is a boy), Billy and Margaret. And the plotline can’t get more into it, with invading aliens and mindless minions!

This has some amazing moments that range from the campiness that can fill them (getting into the spaceship), that are full of drama and horror (the discovery of the missing people), to the heartbreaking (Margaret’s fate). These moments shine in the show, standing out in a show that really is a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, those well-timed moments are rare. This is honestly a decent series on its own, but is far too fast to really draw you in. There are moments that are meant to be meaningful and moving and fail at it simply because the story is too rushed and you haven’t known the character for longer than fifteen minutes. A few things actually end up taking away from the story at hand with unnecessary storylines and revelations. Some mess with the pacing of the show, and not usually in the good way that means character and plot development.

And of course, the character development is as minimal as it can get when the runtime is so short. It’s hard to really feel for anything that happens, and there’s no growth or change in them over the course of the story. Even if this stuck to the tried-and-true of 50’s stories and there was no change, it’s hard to root for any of the good guys for any other reason than they’re fighting the aliens.

Project Blue Earth does have a few good twists to it, though, and I appreciate those. It does give some depth to the invaders instead of leaving them simply ‘bad guys’, which many shows are prone to do. But even this can’t really save a rushed story and characters you can’t get into. I want to like this show, and I really do enjoy some parts of it, but it leaves me wanting for more development and an actual, honest-to-goodness series.

Overall, while it’s fun to watch if you’re a fan of older sci-fi, there are better ones out there that are more fulfilling as a story.

Violence/Gore- There are a few non-gruesome deaths onscreen, and you do see a few dead bodies though there’s no gore- they just look asleep

Theological Themes- There are aliens. Whether this is an issue is up to the individual, but I rated it just to be safe.
Rainbow (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 5
- Nudity Rating: 4
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review This anime gets you and grips you from the start. From how society shows their disdain for these boys in the first moments of the show, to how they become friends, to the trials and tibulations, loves, losses, and hardships these boys go through, this knows how to tell a story.

The summary is a bit misleading. While there is a lot about how the boys manage to live through their reformatory years, only about half the anime is about that. They all have hopes and dreams, and this anime is also about those- how they live afterwards to try and achieve them.

These seven boys go through the impossible. Corrupt, abusive guards, breaking out, getting out on their own merits…. And long after everything is said and done, their pasts coming back to bite them. Yet through it all, they manage to keep a bright hope burning for the future.

Overall, this is a great anime. Very true to the period that it was made, and very well-told.

Violence/Gore- The boys are tormented, by being placed under water to die of hypothermia, being beaten until bruised and swollen, one boy having his hand smashed, nearly being killed in a fire. Some of the boys come from abusive homes - one boy's family died in the atomic bombing. There is one death onsceen due to stabbing and shooting. One guy also wants to be a boxer, so there is some fighting when he's in a match.

Nudity/Sexual Content- There is partial nudity, semi-graphic depiction of child rape and molestation of young boys. It only occurs in two or three episodes, but is heavily implied in more than a few (one of the boys deals with it since it happened to him). There was a scene in the doctor's offuce where the guard tells them to put their hands and feet on the markers for an anal examination. Thankfully, this is not gone into.

Other Themes- Surprisingly, for all that the boys go through, it's not a dark title- it's one of hope and to go on under adversity. There is fairly frequent smoking and some drinking, and a little bit of language, but not as much as one would think.
Redline (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 2
- Nudity Rating: 0
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 4
Review Making racing interesting to those who don’t really like it can be a challenge- one that Redline takes on and succeeds in. There are only two races in the movie, at the beginning and at the end. Good choreography and excellent direction make them really exciting to watch, while in between it delves into relationships- those between racer and mechanic, those between two racers, and even shows a little love blossoming between them.

Those things are what make this fun to watch. You see how people can support each other and still get in trouble over each other. A side plot with the mafia adds a little spice to race, and watching that play out is terribly exciting. Redline adds even more excitement and twists with some politics that play into how the race is conducted- and whether the participants can finish at all. What was nice was that the politics were only mentioned enough to get the gist of what was happening. That was all you needed to know to see how it was affecting the race itself, and that storyline never got pulled off-course.

To top off an exciting film, this goes in for some awesomely amusing characters. JP’s past and drive are brought to the forefront, but the side characters (with various degrees of screentime) are great for a laugh, adding some interesting scenes to something that could easily become tedious. Various shout-outs to other anime genres get tossed in with glee, and things that could easily become groan-worthy manage to bring out smiles instead.

I admit- I’m not much of a fan of the racing genre, but this had so much to it that I really enjoyed it. It’s not in my top scorers of the year, but made a fun watch.

Violence/Gore- Some of the racers are injured in the races, some implied to die.

Nudity/Sexual Content- There is also partial nudity- at one point a girl walks around her apartment topless and there is detail. Other girls wear some skimpy clothing that falls just short of revealing anything.

Other Themes- A handful of swears, that run the gamut from F-bombs to the d-word.
Romeo x Juliet (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 4
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review When they say it’s loosely based on the traditional Romeo and Juliet, it’s pretty loosely based. From the Capulets becoming overthrown nobility, to being on a floating island, to various other things in the anime, this is not the Romeo and Juliet that you’re familiar with. Even so, this stands on its own merits. It’s truly a Romeo and Juliet love story- love at first sight, defiance of their families, and, well, the end…

The characters are wonderfully reimagined, with Juliet becoming not just someone who wants to avoid a marriage to someone she doesn’t love, but someone who must hide everything about her identitfy for fear of her life but willing to risk capture to ensure that justice is carried out against the corrupt officials. Romeo is now a prince who wants nothing more than the happiness of his people, and is watching his father descend into greed and politics, becoming nothing more than a tyrant, and even so is willing to defy his father for the woman he loves. Everyone else are characters, to say the least.

The anime itself has many things going for it, from beautiful animation, to lovely music. It has a number of shout-outs to the Bard himself, which gets a laugh from those familiar with his works, but even so some of them will be pretty obvious, and may bring a smile to the viewer’s face. There are themes of love, friendship, sacrifice, and standing up for those who can’t protect themselves, presented in a way that isn’t too obvious. This may not be the traditional story of Romeo and Juliet, but it’s a wonderful watch for those who are looking for some action and romance.

I can't give it a perfect 10, though. The plot element with Escalus isn't fully explained or understandable, and that makes it fall apart near the end, plot-wise. However, it still manages to be a beautiful story nonetheless.

Violence/Gore: Sacrifice and death are common enough. One man sacrifices himself to save Juliet by throwing himself into a fire. Other people are stabbed. No gore except for some blood is shown, though once or twice you will see dead bodies (these are not lingered on).

Theological Themes: This is a fantasy series. The most innoccuous things are that there are pegasi (flying horses), and that the island floats. Something that figures in late in the series is that the island is being held up/held together by a tree called Escalus, and that the bloodlines of Romeo and Juliet's families surviving were necessary. Spoiler: Since Juliet's family was killed, the island will crumble and be destroyed without a sacrifice. The island does fall from the sky, but the people are saved from death by the island being destroyed from Juliet and Romeo's sacrifice

Other Themes: There were perhaps two or three minor swears. If you're expecting a happy ending, you're watching the wrong title (and should stay away from all similarly titled movies/books/plays/etc).
Serial Experiments Lain (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 4
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review When one thinks of mind-bending anime, Serial Experiments is the one that most people are familiar with, the one that most people will recommend right off the bat. Lain doesn’t start off flashy, nor is it one that goes for strange things right off the bat. It’s a slow build into the strange and unusual. She gets an email from a classmate who supposedly committed suicide… but the email is too recent, too strange to not be from her. In an effort to find out more, Lain asks for a new computer. Though she has no skills, she reads up on them, and builds and modifies. Time progression can be measured in how complex and complicated her computer gets, taking over her room until there is almost nothing left.

While she is doing this, Lain encounters people that say they know her, but she has no memory of having encountered before. She encounters things that were dropped or left by this other Lain, things that allow her to delve deeper and deeper into the wired. As she becomes more involved in the Wired, looking for the other Lain, looking for answers as to what’s happened, Lain begins to open up and make friends. Alice, a classmate, begins to wonder about her, and as she and Lain grow close, things begin to speed up and complicate Lain’s life.

Serial Experiments has spawned a thousand theories- what is Lain, exactly? What are her powers? What is the overall message of the anime? During the course of the anime, many questions are brought up about this. She is obviously more than human- the fourth episode makes that clear. But things are brought up during it that conflict and contradict eachother. Is she an alien? A god? Something more? These are things that the person viewing must decide for themselves.

As those who are close to Lain and come into contact with her fall to terrible fates, and Lain is isolated even more than she was, she must make a decision: Will her presence here make those she cares about more miserable, or should she try to stick it out in the ‘Real World’?

Overall, this was a great anime that threw me for a loop. This is definitely something for those who like mysteries and conspiracy theories.

Violence/Gore- There are several implied suicides and murders that happen offscreen, and one death by fear/psychosis that happens onscreen (non-gorey, just some thrashing around).

Theological Themes- Because the friendship Lain has for Alice is so deep, this has been accused of having shoujo-ai undertones. Lain seems to have ESP, be the next evolution in humans.

Other Themes- This has some seriously disturbing scenes in it. A man becomes a creature that cannot be described in words, but is disgusting. There is some drug use.
Shigofumi - Letters From The Departed (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 4
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review I had little idea of what to expect when I picked up this anime. I figured it would be a story about a girl who delivered letters to the dead. It turns out that it’s a story about a group of people who are connected to Mikawa, a shigofumi, and Mikawa, a girl in a coma.

Every episode introduces you to another person that is important and has a tie with another, either through the Shigofumi Mikawa or through the coma Mikawa, often through both.

The pacing of this anime is a little off- things quickly reach an emotional pinnacle during episode 8, which makes episode 9 seem even more like filler than it would usually be. They could easily have clipped the end of 9 onto 8, skipped 9 entirely and gone onto 10, and missed nothing.

The music is typical- nothing too stand-out, though fans of Rozen Maiden will notice the OP is by the same band that did the Ops for that show, and it works very well. The art and animation are also decent. The colors are a tad dull, though clear, while the animation is on-par for a show of that year.

The story itself can be divided into two parts. You have before episode 8, and after. Before is like a slow unwinding of a mystery, with each episode a deliberate introduction to the story and new piece to the puzzle. After, you have a trip into the minds of a shigofumi and a girl, both of who have different views of the world and must come to terms with it. This has two climaxes, and it’s a very interesting trip for both.

Violence/Gore- She is shown to have been physcially abused by her father (though this never gets too graphic)

Nudity/Sexual Content- There is some partial nudity from the back. Important bits are covered.

Theological Themes- This does revolve around a messenger from the dead. There is no no god/gods shown to be in charge of this, though a council is mentioned. There is no religion which this is a part of the beliefs, it's made-up.
Shiki (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 7
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 5
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review Unfortunately, Shiki didn't get me from the opening. The theme song is one of the least frightening, least atmospheric, most blunt and obvious ones I've ever seen. Too bad, since immediately after that it so clearly conveys the tension the characters have. Megumi is dying to get out of the town, while Natsuno just doesn’t care. The town doctor is dealing with a bunch of deaths that have no explanation, while the junior monk is dealing with the stress of being stalled in one of his stories and having to deal with an unusual amount of deaths in the village.

Each episode brings you into a little more of the story, with the Shiki gradually being revealed, seeing how they start taking over the village, how the families are affected, how the affected are controlled, and what’s going on in the minds of the Shiki.

This goes a route that few vampire stories today do- it brings in the various feelings of different Shiki, from those who are happy to be murderers, to those who merely want to be with their loved ones forever, to those who are tortured by how they must survive, and those who refuse to become killers because of the shame they would feel.

At the same time, you see how the few who do recognize what’s happening deal with the Shiki invading the town, while the other villagers scoff at them and rationalize the events.

There are a few downsides to the interesting story- the pace for the first half is pretty slow. Apparently, they animated one chapter per episode. For some, this will prolong the tension that is in the episodes- some won’t even feel bored. For others, this will drag out the story and prolong it more than necessary.

Even so, with the 14th episode and the last 5 episodes, there is definite payoff. You get a very good idea of what can and can’t kill the Shiki, as well as finally seeing the bloodbath that a vampire hunt can become. You get a definite look at good and evil in them, with the villagers becoming the predators instead of prey, and in some cases becoming monsters that are just as bad as the ones they’re hunting.

Unfortunately, this didn’t have a very conclusive ending. You see the destruction of most of the Shiki, the destruction of what the villagers were trying to save, but the ending implies that things aren’t quite over between the Shiki and the villagers.

Violence/Gore- The violence gets very graphic, with episode 14 all about finding out how you can kill a vampire in great detail, showing various surgeries and really more torture than anything else. The last 5 episodes are about hunting them and anyone who might be associated with them down and killing them. Lots of blood and death, such as having stakes being driven through hearts, some bodies being hacked to pieces, and one Shiki’s head being crushed before she was staked. There's also a few people who are discovered after they have died, and their bodies are desicated/decayed. There are some deaths that can be attributed to the vampires.

Theological Themes- There are vampires. It's all about vampires. One of the main characters is heir to a temple.
Soul Eater (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 5
- Nudity Rating: 4
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 3
Review This is one of the top shounen anime for a reason. This has pretty much everything you could ask for- awesome opening and ending themes (my favorites have to be the first and last opening themes), great characters that don’t fall into stereotypes- the lead being a female, for once!- that have some of the more memorable traits that I’ve come across in characters, fantastic battle scenes… I cannot help but sing praise to this show. This avoids the pitfalls that would take so many other shows down.

The world itself will catch the attention of most viewers. From the people that have the ability to become meisters and weapons and witches, to the ever-expressive sun and bleeding-grin moon, the world is a treat to become engaged in. This doesn’t focus on the world all that much, though- it’s about the people in it.

This is where the show shines. The characters are fully-realized, with pasts and goals, people that you can easily get behind. You will recognize some stereotypes turned on their head, like BlackStar who is THE shounen protagonist, made a side character and not the one that eventually defeats the Big Bad. Maka, one of our mains, is the Chick. She would hit you for saying so, and it would leave a mark- there is nothing useless or weak about her. Her constant struggle with what it means to be a Meister drives much of the show, and the relationship between her and Soul is one of the best partnerships/friendships that can be seen in the medium.

This chooses to focus on a few of the students and teachers, but has tantalizing glimpses of the sheer amount of different weapons and abilities that are out there. The way these grow and change in the circumstances they are put under is astonishing. Chrona is the star of this, put into one of the most difficult positions possible. His mother, or his friends? Can he overcome his abuse and reach for a new future?

The opponents and situations are genuinely interesting, to boot. While Medusa’s schemes for why she wants the Big Bad out is still somewhat obscure, though her sister’s motivations seem to be pure insanity. The Big Bad himself is quite a character, and I highly enjoyed seeing how insane he could be. It seemed reminiscent of Johan, one of the best psychopaths that I have ever seen in any anime or manga, and that really excited me. While this is a typical save-the-world storyline, I still felt it was pulled off with enough panache and characterization that it is one of the most interesting shounen I have seen.

Something that does bother people that is worth a mention because it bothered me, too, is that one of the characters is ‘brought back’ in a way that seems fairly disproportionate to the terrible things that were going on. In short, it was far too easy. The ending also doesn’t live up to people’s expectations. I have to say that I’m not sure whether I liked it or not. It was somewhat typical but I felt that perhaps it had more to it than what other shounen do with similar moves. The jury is out, probably always will be on it, but it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the rest of the series.

Overall, this was totally worth my time. Yes, even with that ending.

Violence/Gore - There is a decent amount of blood, usually played for laughs (hurting themselves in minor but stupid ways with their weapons). Some of it does come from rather serious injury- a bad guy is taken offscreen and eaten, and you see the blood spill out from under the doorway. Another character is cut in half, but no gore and minimal blood is shown.

Nudity/Sexual Content- The fanservice for the first few episodes can be rather heavy, showing panties once, focusing on a character's breasts, even having her been spied on in the baths (though everything important is covered). After episode 5 or so, it's virtually nonexistant, except for a few mishaps and jokes concerning Blaire (the one thing that keep this from being clean at any point, who likes to dress quite skimpily), and Mika's father.

Theological Themes- There is a use of magic- it's considered inborn for people, but does fall into this definition. Witches are portrayed as evil, though, except for a little girl who hasn't become a full-grown witch yet.

Other Themes- A few instances of the d-word, and one of the a-word, said very deliberately at a pretty appropriate time.
Sound of the Sky (Jump to title)
- Overall: 6
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review The world as we know it has ended- a war has split the world into many countries, the old technology has been lost for the most part, and all that remains is a legend of maidens at a city at the edge of the border to nowhere, and a song that has managed to last through time.

At this outpost in the middle of nowhere, four girls welcome their newest member and interact with the villagers in ways that wouldn’t be approved of by the military or Church headquarters. They take part in local celebrations, help the children that the Church also takes care of, illegally make and sell wine to supplement their meager rations, and fix an old tank left over from the war that ended scant years before.

These activities make for some memorable episodes, from the one where they get involved in a tomato-throwing festival, to an episode where they foil some yakuza and scare Sorami in the process, to the one where the villagers honor the dead in a time-honored tradition. The first two thirds of this series are all about daily life in the fort and village, and while not all of it stood out, it most definitely had its moments. The less memorable moments would have been far better had the characters been stronger- as it is, they’re just carbon copies of all the other girls from 5-girl shows. There’s nothing really memorable about them or their personalities, so it’s the situations themselves that end up being what you really remember.

Then you get to the last few episodes. The drama really begins there, with a girl from the other side of No Man’s Land having traveled to find the village that was spoken of in tales from her homeland. From here on in, the story is serious business. There’s risk of attack, the fort is taken over by the main military force, and there is a surprising, out-of-nowhere reveal about one of the girls. And of course, music helps save the day.

As nice as this is, the first two thirds of the story aren’t all that special though it does have it’s moments.

Overall,this was a nice but indifferent slice of life (until the military storyline kicked in, which is where it became an indifferent story about the war).

Violence/Gore- You see a battle that one of the girls was involved in- her squadron is killed in action. You do see the bodies. She also comes across a skeleton of a soldier that died many years ago, and hallucinates that it’s telling her to give up and commit suicide.

Nudity/Sexual Content- There’s one or two scenes with undetailed nudity, one when a girl is dressing and another with the girls in the bath- they’re having a slumber-party setup- but it’s like Totoro in execution.

Theological Themes- The town has a rather peculiar ceremony to celebrate the passing on of people they loved, by lighting candles and sending them floating downstream. This is mugh like a Shinto ceremony. The local Church does participate, but there are no religious overtones to it.
Steins;Gate (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 5
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 4
Review Everyone wishes at some point they could go back in time and change something. A group of friends that have been experimenting with a 'microwave telephone' accidentally find a way to do just that- by sending text messages to their past selves at the crucial moment. With every message sent, the world changes. They seem to start out small, from a new girl being introduced into the girl, but they spiral out of control with someone's gender being changed and the town itself changing.

Unfortunately, it also seems that their little experiment caught the attention of a deadly organization. Having a decided interest in the issue of time-travel, they will stop at nothing to get the group out of their way. Okabe finds himself in real trouble, unable to save his dearest friend and knowing that he must undo everything to set things right. However, that presents him with another dillemma- saving his friend, but possibly losing the girl he comes to love in turn. This is an anime that is intruiging, and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Violence/Gore- This does have its share of violence. People are shot, stabbed, hit by cars. Thankfully, discretion shots where you don't see the wound and don't see the actual hit are used to the fullest. You might see a body fall, or some blood falling, or on a shirt, but gore is non-existant.

Nudity/Sexual Content- Okabe walks in on two of his female lab members in the shower, but you only see their backs. Another lab member is fond of innuendo, but it's usually quite mild. Chris's shirt becomes slightly see-through after a rainstorm, but you don't see anything. She does accuse Okabe of looking, though.

Theological Themes- There's time-travel. Other than that, there's a boy whos very feminine and wants to be a girl, and takes a chance to send a message back and change his(her?) gender. This is reversed when Okabe goes back in time.

Other Themes- This can get very dark, and can at some times seem like it will end hopelessly. Okabe admits at one point he's been dulled to the thought of his friend dying. There are a handful of swears, but mostly during the first half, and none harder than the 'b-word'.
Tamayura (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review Memory fades, but a picture lasts forever. Fu tries to capture moments both big and small with the camera left to her by her now-deceased father. Nostalgia permeates the story, something that shouldn’t be surprising since the director was also in charge of ARIA. It’s brought about by a photograph that was taken by Fu when she was younger, a picture of her father surrounded by little balls of light that she refers to a ‘Tamayura’, little balls of happiness that appear in a photo when everyone involved is at peace and happy.

Life is slow and peaceful for these girls. They go to school, talk about what they want to do for the future, pose for Fu’s pictures, enjoy Fu’s grandmother’s cake, and go on a few adventures to discover where the photograph was taken. All of them have interesting personalities- unfortunately, due to the length and amount of the episodes, they are more distinctive due to their quirks than anything. One enjoys whistling, and whistles almost everything, another is hyperactive and adores Fu’s younger brother to pieces, and the third seems like a very personable, level-headed girl who’s ever so slightly annoyed by her sister’s antics.

What this anime emphasizes is that it’s not always the destination, but the journey. They don’t always find what they’re looking for, or know where they’re going, but it’s always fun and an adventure, one that’s worth going on. And sometimes life takes you interesting places that you never dreamed of, or meet people that you never would have hoped of meeting before.

Overall, this was a sweet slice of life that really captures Fu and her gentle personality.

Nudity/Sexual Content- the only nudity is Barbie-doll nudity as they visit a bathhouse. Most of the characters are underwater, and it’s all very non-sexual, just them relaxing and having a good time. I would compare it to the bathing scene in My Neighbor Totoro.

Theological Themes- Fu occasionally captures little lights in her pictures. There's no real detail on what these are, just that they appear when people are really happy.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (Jump to title)
- Overall: 0
- Violence Rating: 0
- Nudity Rating: 0
- Theological Themes: 0
- Other Negative Themes: 0
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
The Tatami Galaxy (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 4
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review What is you’re Rose-Colored life? How can you reach it? Our nameless protagonist, a new student in college, has decided that the best way to to his dreams is to do… a little bit of everything! This anime explores the ways small decisions can change the course of your life, while sending our protagonist on wild goose-chases to discover the name of his penpal, the girl that he’s fallen in love with.

As he enters college, our hero of sorts is innundated with innumerable choices for clubs and after-school activities. Which one shall he choose to gain popularity and the girl of his dreams? Each episode, it’s something different, from the biking club, to the film club, to his fellow resident’s prankster society. And from there on, you see our protagonist working hard, trying to reach his dreams, and all the while, getting distracted from what he really should be doing.

Returning a little bookbag charm to his senior.

What is great about this anime is how each story ties together. Little things from one episode carry into another- for instance, a pink kimono briefly mentioned and seen in one episode comes back two later as a fairly important object. Neko Ramen gets a particularly big spotlight. And a random appearance early on becomes key in the climax of the show.

The climax of it all turns out to be hilarious, fairly gripping, and almost cathartic as you finally see our protagonist battle with his demons of time and inactivity- to do what he should have been doing from the beginning, and get the girl that he should have been with all along. Like the viewer may be, he was too blind to see it, and that it was there in front of him all along.

The only thing that brings down the score for me was the unnecessary crudity in episode 4. It really could have been done without it, or kept it to a minimum. As it was, I think that those who aren’t interested in dealing with breats all episode long can skip it. Thankfully, the fifth episode brought the absudity and hilarity back to its former levels.

Nudity/Sexual Content- This does end up having enough sexual innuendo to make quite a few uncomfortable. In fact, this is taken to an almost embarassing extreme in the fourth episode, where the story centers around our protagonist as he deals with a guy that has a breast fetish. Thankfully, it goes back to fairly low levels, the fetish barely mentioned or dealt with. It does get a bit sketchy when dealing with other things, such as a guy who’s in love with a life-size doll, and there is almost some sexual activity (he chickens out before they kiss) that is mentioned/thought about by the protagonist.

Theological Themes- At first there seems to be a Groundhog's-day-esque thing going on (though he doesn't remember the other ones). Eventually it's discovered that Spoiler: these are all parallel universes, and there are little clues pointing to this before[/spoilers]
The Twelve Kingdoms (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 4
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review To be honest, the synopsis sounds like a really bad fanfiction. This might be why a lot of people would approach this with trepidation- who wants a bad fanfiction with Mary-Sues and over the top romances? Thankfully, this is nothing like what it sounds like. This is about a girl finding herself and coming to terms with her destiny… both the good and the bad.

This presents great takes on fantasy tropes. Yoko understands the language of the nation, but her friends do not. Her fate, which is thrust upon her, is constantly questioned by herself and others. She isn’t perfect, coming to terms with very real inner struggles and striving to be a better person… whoever that person may be. All the characters that are brought to the forefront of the storyline are fully realized people with desires, flaws, issues, and make this a story that is as much about the people as it is about the rulers and the events that happen within the kingdom.

This is a very deliberately paced. There will be bursts of action and flurries of exposition, each with its purpose in moving the story forward. Statecraft is taken into account, teaching both Yoko and the viewers about the nation and its customs as well as providing insight into what is happening and why. The stories of the nations are entwined, as much as politics in real life are. That doesn’t mean this is a snoozefest- there’s double-dealing, shifting alliances, rebellion and war that make up the meat of the story and provide fascinating stories.

It also deals with themes of racism, isolation, abandonment and betrayal, which are told in arcs that again manage to provide a look at the world Yoko has been brought into. I love that this doesn’t focus on one place or time. People and events from all places manage to be the foundations of this anime, some mentioned only briefly or seen in a moment’s scene, but brought back later so that the stories entwine and bring about a full picture of what’s happening. The world-building is superb, and I could get lost in this land of magic time and again.

My only issue was with the last five episodes. Those seemed to drag more than the others- while the story was quite good, it could have been told in fewer episodes, and the moral was a little more heavy-handed than usual. I still enjoyed the show on the whole, though.

Violence/Gore- There is some death, most of it discreet or very brief.

Theological Themes- This story is based on the idea that there is a parallel world. There really isn't much in terms of magic- all the 'magical' creatures are considered perfectly normal and expected, as are their powers and abilities. They aren't considered supernatural, just very honored and important.

Nudity/Sexual Content- The girls are nearly sold into a brothel, but this is only stated and they escape very quickly. They are told about how people of this world get children (by tying a ribbon to a tree and praying for a child. A fruit that holds one grows.)
The World God Only Knows (Jump to title)
- Overall: 7
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Tokyo Godfathers (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 2
Review On Christmas Day was born a savior. On Christmas Day, a newborn is found by three homeless friends. They in turn go through a wild adventure to try and find the baby’s family, and in turn find their own.

This was one of the first anime I was ever exposed to, and it got me from the start. The three are a band of misfits, who’ve had their lives destroyed in some way and feel that they can’t go back to before. They are eachother’s family- they may fight, but they care for eachother. Each is a distinct person, from the happy and determined Hana, who loves being the ‘mother’ of the group, to Gin who’s very much a cynical man with a soft spot for the other two and still hold hope of being able to do something for his daughter, and then Miyuki who feels an incredible amount of guilt and shame over what she did that caused her to leave home- and makes her feel that she can never go back again.

The baby throws all of this in sharp relief as they try to find out why the baby was left to die. Miyuki covertly is a tad jealous since the baby obviously had a family at some point, a happy one by the looks of it. Gin gets wrapped up in his feelings for Miyuki, and through her, his daughter that was her age when he last saw her. And Hana showers the baby with the love that she can’t give her lover since he died.

But the baby seems to be a Christmas miracle- as they travel around Tokyo, strange coincidences and bouts of luck happen to keep them going on their quest. Even when things seem to be at their worst- deception and danger are the special of the day as the baby is cast into a catalyst for one woman’s grief and loss- there is always hope, and people are brought together by the small miracles that happen.

Overall, this was a heartwarming Christmas story about family and friends.

Violence/Gore- The worst is when a homeless old man is beaten up and left for dead. He doesn't survive for much longer, but it's probably a mix of the beating, age, and malnutrition. The three mains do occasionally fight, but it's never very serious or causes bad injuries. One of them is threatened at gunpoint, but escapes unscathed.

Nudity/Sexual content- There's a brief glimpse of a breast as a woman lifts her top up to feed the baby.

Theological Themes- There is discussion of Christianity, they do go to a church and discuss miracles (and consider the baby one of them), and a few Christmas miracles do happen. Homosexuality is present, with one of the men having had a lover and worked at a gay bar.

Other Themes- The English word for cigarette is thrown about as a slur for homosexuals. Various other light swears are thrown about occasionally.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (Jump to title)
- Overall: 10
- Violence Rating: 3
- Nudity Rating: 1
- Theological Themes: 2
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This series is from the viewpoint of the older sister, Mirai, and at first is filled with pre-teen whining and trying to deal with her family, which she sees as annoying and uncool. Her mom is trying to deal with working a full-time job, her dad is just as busy, and her brother is too “uncool” for her. But she gets stuck taking her brother to a show that he’s been dying to see- and disaster strikes.

When you get to that point, you start to see that her obnoxious behavior is just normal teenage behavior, and she really does care and worry about her brother and her family. She tries to keep a brave face for Yuuki and Mari as they deal with many perils, from having no food or water, to dealing with the effects of aftershocks and obvious dangers of being in an earthquake.

That’s one area where the series shines- the creators did an obviously thorough job of researching what happens during and after earthquakes. Nothing about the circumstances seem out of place or exaggerated.

The other is in the characters- Mirai goes from unsympathetic whiny teen to one who’s worried about her family but trying to stay strong for her brother. Mari is a mother who worries about her own family as her home is endangered by fire, but still willing to take care of two kids who are on their own, and takes care of them in their time of need. The amount of sacrifice she shows is amazing, even though you can tell how agitated she is about the plight of her own daughter and mother. And Yuuki is a sweet boy who obviously adores his sister, and comes to be closer to her as they make their way home.

This is a great, moving series.

Violence/Gore: During one episode, you do see am arm or a leg sticking out from the rubble. No blood. When they take refuge at a school, they find people mourning the dead in the gym. Bodies are covered with sheets, and there's no blood. A character also dies offscreen from illness.

Theological Themes: There is incense burned at the heads of the bodies of the dead. Yuuki's brother may or may not have "come back" to protect and guide his sister to safety.
Wandering Son (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review Hourou Musuko, or Wandering Son, starts out in the middle of the action and just keeps on running, relying on little tricks through the series in order to flesh out the events that happened before the series started (in the manga) and give insight into the characters. This works out really well, in terms of storyline. This is a crossroads for the characters, a turning point in adolescence as Shuichi makes more definitive moves to define who he is as a person. It also doesn’t take long to establish who the characters are and bring out their own internal conflicts… or, occasionally, the lack of them.

Puberty is a hard time for most people, and this anime highlights something we all deal with, but does so in a vastly different ways. Most girls discover that they want to be women, and go about it by discovering makeup, practicing kissing, and generally behaving in ways that emphasize their feminine qualities. Boys, in turn, discover they want to be men and emphasize their masculinity. Shuichi and Yoshino also have these desires, but for the opposite gender. There is no confusion on their part about wanting to be the other gender- it’s how to go about it that sends them (mostly Shuichi, however) into confusion. Will they cross-dress in public? Will they get surgeries when they are old enough? It’s tough enough dealing with family with these issues, so how can they deal with the public at large?

The story not only deals with questions of how to present their identity, but also touches on gender issues on society at large. The inherent sexism built into issues of clothing comes up when Yoshino has no problem dressing up as a boy, but when Shuichi comes to school as a girl he’s treated as a freak. The hypocrisy of an entire class being able to put on a gender-bender play with no issue, but an individual being excluded for it. The issues of love when one’s own gender identity comes into question.

Love is a big issue in this series, and one of the questions that was on my mind was whether homosexuality factored into this. For Yoshino and Shuichi, there’s no sign of it- they would love each other no matter what their genders were. It’s just love, and it’s only for each other. But others are affected by this, such as a girl who’s in love with Shuichi as he is. There’s also a transsexual woman who is living with a man. A transgendered, married woman helps Shuishi talk about and explore the probalem and issues that come with how he feels, and provides a safe place for him to talk. None of these issues are really explored on a deep level, only as to how they affect the character’s lives, which means I will be checking out the manga as soon as possible.

It does show the effects on their lives quite well, though. There’s no clear path for them to follow, no definitive answers as to where this need to be another gender will lead them. The growth and change in their relationships is realistic, at times hard to watch, but at the same time beautiful in its own way. It ended at a good spot, with many things left unsaid, but a lot of room to infer what’s happening between the characters.

Overall, while there was an abrupt throw into the story, and a few dangling plot threads at the end, this still manages to come out as a wonderful, sensitive look into the issues of gender identity.

Nudity/Sexual Content- This deals with the issues of gender identity. None of the main characters are homosexual, they just wish they were a different gender. A side character who appears infrequently is a mother/mentor character to the boy, and is a transgendered woman who married a man.
When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) (Jump to title)
- Overall: 9
- Violence Rating: 7
- Nudity Rating: 3
- Theological Themes: 3
- Other Negative Themes: 4
Whisper Of The Heart (Jump to title)
- Overall: 8
- Violence Rating: 1
- Nudity Rating: 2
- Theological Themes: 1
- Other Negative Themes: 1
Review This is by far and large the most down-to-earth of all Ghibli’s films to date (barring having seen On Top Of Poppy Hill, which may be the exception). Normally these are filled with magical worlds, wondrous creatures, and incredible adventures. This has an adventure and the magic of everyday life- the random chance encounters that can lead to happiness that we never even dreamed of.
Taking its cues from the country song “Country Roads” by John Denver, Shizuku discovers that taking a route that she’d never been on before leads her to an unusual antiques shop, with a strange doll that instantly captures her attention and imagination. A boy that had first gotten her attention simply by having his name on all the library cards is there, and their friendship and feelings grow for one another.

How it all happens feels so natural and believable- like whoever wrote this story knew someone that it happened to. It retains a vaguely fairytale-esque feel to it, with everything falling into place and finding a ‘prince’, though he rides a bike instead of a horse! It mirrors Shizuku’s determination to write a story herself, a fantasy story that has to do with the doll that got her attention in the first place. Nothing is truly out of place. The characters feel like they are actual people. The relationship between Shizuku and her parents, to Shizuku’s older (bossy and somewhat oblivious) sister, they feel like a real family. The old shopkeeper is entirely endearing. And the love that blossoms between her and Seiji seems genuine.

It manages to mix the love story thoroughly with the idea of following one’s dreams. Seiji has had dreams from the beginning, and knows exactly what he wants to do. He inspires and drives Shizuku to find her own. She becomes obsessed with it, to the frustration of her family, but with a little negotiation and true-to-life discussion, Shizuku is given the freedom to pursue her ambition. The one flaw I do find in the film is how they both decide to continue to high school after being decently successful with their respective endeavors- it seems like the natural course after this would be to continue on as they were. Even so, they have no plans for abandoning their dreams, but merely refining them until they’ve graduated. As her older sister says a few times during the movie, education is important!

Overall, this was a beautiful love story and a great film.

Violence/Gore- The only violence is where, in a dream, Shizuku pulls a stone from the ground and it turns into a dead duckling.

Nudity/Sexual Content- The only nudity is a non-sexual scene where Shizuku’s older sister is taking off her top to put in the laundry
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