Mini-Review Extravaganza
Mini-review time! I watched a bunch of shows in the last several months that I kept telling myself I'd get around to reviewing, but it would take way too long to do full reviews of each one, and my memory gets fuzzy pretty quickly. So! I have decided to clear out the entire queue with one gigantic mini-review bonanza. I may end up writing more about one or two of these series, especially the ones with second seasons that I haven't seen yet, but don't hold your breath.
The reviews below are in no particular order, and the title in parentheses is not always the literal translation of the original title; instead, I have used whatever I thought people would be most likely to recognize. Oh, and when I say "OP" and "ED" I mean the opening and ending theme songs, not the accompanying animation.
真月譚月姫 (Tsukihime, Lunar Legend)
Very stylish and well-produced; I also liked a number of the characters, especially Arcueid. But too much stuff happens seemingly at random or without explanation; Ciel and Akiha in particular seem like they originally had much larger roles that were mostly cut out to save time, leaving me wondering why they're even there at all. And they never explain what Shiki does to Arcueid near the beginning! Overall, the show definitely left an impression on me, but mostly because of the stylish presentation and my attachment to Arcueid; otherwise, the show falls far short of its potential. Excellent OP and ED, though.
最終兵器彼女 (Saikano / She, the Ultimate Weapon)
Memorably tragic story, delivered competently. Shuji is bland, but in a good way: not annoyingly helpless and whiny, just a regular guy whose girlfriend happens to be an ultimate weapon. The ending is touching but unsatisfying, to put it mildly. Very good OP and ED here, too.
ツバサ-RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle)
I may be biased because I love Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura, but I really enjoyed this show. The premise is fresh enough, the plot is good, and the characters are especially likeable. I haven't seen any of season two yet, but I definitely plan to. Oh, and I recommend seeing Cardcaptor Sakura first, if you haven't already (shame!). Unfortunately I don't remember much about the OP or ED songs.
ハチミツとクローバー (Honey and Clover)
Fantastic. I love all the characters, and the story is funny, heartbreaking and sweet all at the same time. I haven't seen season two of this one yet, either, but I will be seeing it as soon as I can. Good OP and superb ED (I have listened to "Waltz" way too many times over the last month or so, and I'm still not tired of it).
涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱 (The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi)
Deserves an article of its own, but I don't know what to say about it that others haven't already. In short, superlative. One of my all-time favorite anime now, and a strong contender for favorite overall (though I generally don't try to decide on a single favorite, since that depends on my mood, day of the week, phases of the moon, etc.). Watch this. Now. I can only hope there will be a second season, because the world desperately needs more Haruhi. Oh, and good OP and ED songs.
灰羽連盟 (Haibane Renmei / Charcoal Feather Federation)
Wonderful. The setting and characters are beautifully touching, which together with an amazing soundtrack has made this anime stick in my head long after I finished watching it. It does leave the characters' situation unexplained, but in this case it's a good thing, sparking wonder at what the Haibane Renmei are, what they might be supposed to represent, and so on. Excellent OP and ED.
スクールランブル (School Rumble)
Oh, how I love School Rumble. Possibly my favorite comedy before Suzumiya Haruhi (though it has strong contenders like Azumanga Daioh and Kare Kano). So many amazing characters, and side-splitting comedy gold in nearly every episode— not to mention real romantic conflict, especially near the end. This is yet another series with a second season that I must see but have yet to do so, for various reasons. Great OP and good ED.
ジェネレイターガウル (Generator Gawl)
Fun, but loses out in comparison to the ridiculously good stuff I was watching around the same time. Gets more serious as the plot progresses, and finishes strong; but it was only able to rise to "above average" in the end. Catchy OP, but I don't remember the ED song.
魔法少女リリカルなのはA's (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's)
Also deserves a full article. I said about the original Nanoha that it started out seeming like a cheap Cardcaptor Sakura knockoff, but grew on me as time went on. Well, Nanoha A's goes all LIMITER RELEASE, busting out the moé ass-kicking at every turn and generally being awesome in every way, No more collecting random jewels every episode, thankfully. I look forward to StrikerS with anticipation (what is with these names, though?). Good OP and ED, but I think I liked the first series' OP better.
エルフェンリート (Elfen Lied)
Very similar to Tsukihime in feel, but for some reason I just didn't like any of the characters, and on top of that I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching an adaptation of a dating sim or something. I think my expectations were misled by the OP and by the anime's opening scene, which suggest something a bit heavier than the show actually delivers. I can sort of see why this anime has grabbed many other people, but it just didn't "do it" for me. Haunting OP and catchy ED, though.
魔女の宅急便 (Kiki's Delivery Service)
It's Miyazaki; what more can I say? Actually, I should mention the English voice acting, since this is a Disney release and I happened to see both versions. It's reasonably good for a dub, but overdone: Kiki sounds obviously fake, while Jiji's voice is simply too abrasive and annoying. Beyond that, a wonderful movie despite the total absence of an antagonist— something only Miyazaki seems to be able to pull off.
天空の城ラピュタ (Laputa: Castle in the Sky)
One of my new favorite Miyazaki films. Some of Miyazaki's other stuff, while superb, has left me feeling a little unsatisfied; but Laputa's got the goods. Pazu is quite rash and hard-headed, like Shu of Now and Then, Here and There; but he seems to be a little smarter than Shu is. Sheeta is a little less confident and independent than some of Miyazaki's other female characters, but I think that works well here given her age and her situation. What I heard of the English voice acting was technically competent but unconvincing, though I didn't watch much of the movie in English.
フルーツバスケット (Fruits Basket)
Quite touching and funny (more towards the "touching" side). Tohru reminds me a bit of Sakura: almost inhumanly sweet, caring and honest, yet not annoying in the least. This is one of those shows that makes you think about what a horrible, selfish person you are, yet makes you feel better for watching it. The other characters are all memorable, which is impressive given their numbers (though apparently there are several characters from the manga who are left out of the anime). Catchy, fittingly sweet OP and ED.
イリヤの空、UFOの夏 (Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu)
Felt a little too similar to Saikano for comfort. Well-executed, though, and I did feel attached to Iriya (and therefore distressed at her misfortunes). Asaba is similar to Shuji, but not as likeable for some reason. The ending is also a bit unsatisfying, though in a slightly different way from that of Saikano. Decent OP, but I don't remember the ED.
ああっ女神さまっ (Oh! My Goddess!)
Enjoyable but very silly. I've already seen the movie and OVA, so I knew approximately what to expect: more of the sweet but frustratingly slow relationship between Keiichi and Belldandy, and more antics involving the other goddesses. That's pretty much what the show delivers, though the comedy is just too silly and over-the-top most of the time. I thought I'd hate Banpei, but he turned out surprisingly cool; Marller, on the other hand, is pretty much the worst villain ever. She could have been cool, but instead she's an incompetent tool. There is a second season now, which (surprise!) I have yet to see; I plan to watch it, with the hope that some of the childish antics will be toned down. Nice OP, and I've become quite attached to the second ED, "Wing."