Reminds me of Argento Soma not really in a concrete way, but the way the show feels. There are things that are similar including the sci-fi alien plot and nice character designs (a flat face/almost absent nose). The animation is no slouch, striking a good match with detail and fluidity. I've been listening to the opening theme for a few weeks, and while I don't think it has the lasting power of Maaya's better songs, the background music is a little more striking (maybe because its sometimes odd) than other shows. Aspects I really like is the fact that Ayato isn't too slow or yellow for a main character and the brisk pacing. Title licensed by ADV.

Memories of the Wing - A 36 min. recap of episodes 1-9.

Don't touch this anime with anything less than a 10-feet stick. Seriously, if I can say with 100% certainty that Mouse is better, that should be a hint to how bad this show is. The premise is stupid, magical girls must fight against demon invaders from Russia, and the fact that almost every element of the show is a half-ass attempt to mimic Sakura Taisen (which isn't that great IMHO). So we have 5 girls who are commanded by an equally retarded teacher who supposedly develops and nutures their growth throughout. Animation wise, the show fell apart after the second episode when someone higher up realized that no budget could save this one. The CG is appalling and the "invisible" battles are usually omitted entirely (thank god). For example, the enemy "commander" dies in less than 15 seconds during the final battle. If it was as forthcoming as Mouse, it might've fared better.

Oh Manga you better not screw this one up (cough: EoE). R.O.D. is as perfect an anime I've seen in the action/adventure genre. The consistently smooth visuals and Bond-esque choreography is stunning. Following suite, the pace never slows to a crawl and there's plenty of action spread between each OVA. The music, of jazzy (?) nature, fits well into the theme. While character development is a little on the thin side, the abilities of most characters (aside from Drake) more than make up for it. To boot, everything is wrapped up making it feel like a average length movie. Hopefully I will be able to welcome the 2003 sequel with equal praise.

The only thing I expected from this show was eye candy, and unfortunately even that fell short. The character designs are definitely Gotoh, but for some reason they aren't as distinct when compared to the other shows he's worked on. Ignoring that, the animation is good, particularly the fight scenes even though there haven't been many long ones. The biggest joke has to be the ending, which is nothing more than two cosplayers on the beach, eeww. Story? Not that anyone cares, but there is one having Ryoko (our heroine) trashing monsters in an alternate dimension. Music? A pretty catchy OP and nothing else. A semi-good way to pass time. Figures, the animation quality takes a hit in episodes five and six.

Despite the fact that this turned out to be made by Pink Pineapple, this one is decent. Based off and Elf PC (H?) game is the story of two people trying to move forward beyond their traumatic past. Even though the two main characters already know the past, it feels like a condensed Kanon with far less characters. Likewise, it's an depressing kind of anime, I suppose asking the viewer to reflect upon oneself and let go. Looks alright for a 2000 work, done in standard anime style with a tiny bit of fan service. There really isn't a soundtrack besides some ambient sounds like the waves crashing. No OP and pretty so-so ED (music too). Luckily its only three OVAs cause too much of this stuff is bad for your health.

For some reason there's just something I don't like about M.O.E. shows (Kurumi, Hanaukyou Maids, etc.). Most of their works often seem too bland and cliché that I've decided to take a Project Arms approach to this one. For starters I guess the appeal might be for people to identify with Iwaki-san's distaste/hatred for Rizel. Seriously, whoever thought of the match-up must have been some crazed pedophile. With the addition of secondary characters, a really big mess of love triangles emerge that never take itself too seriously. Also, the secondary story of Rizel being some kind of experimental android never really unfolds or surfaces until the end either. You have to save some for the next series... if people are watching then.

This one started out really great, but these last few episodes have been kind of a drag. Every now and then, there'll be a hooker/awesome episode then more drag and waiting. Now that it's more than halfway, there have been quite a lot of OVA characters coming back... too bad EP 16 looked like utter crap. Aside from the generally crappy look, the story has totally gone flat and totally unbelievable in my opinion. Guess I'll just see it through to the end.

I'll get this out now, I like the first OVA series better. However, this is strictly a matter of personal preferences (well duh...). Anyway, while we learned new info. about Kenshin's past in the first series, this one doesn't quite reveal too much new. The first episode is pretty slow, developing the emotions between Kaoru and Kenshin, and is littered with many flashbacks from the TV series (manga: I don't know). Things pick up for me in the 2nd episode partially because I hadn't seen anything about Enishi or Kenji (stopped after Kyoto). The music is nice, but almost plays off the theme from the past. In general I felt it was very condensed cause a huge time span is covered, but it was worth it to see how the characters aged. Well, Rurouni Kenshin now has a definite closure (manga people?).