Plot: Following a (perhaps unfortunate) fairy encounter, Kahoko Hino is picked to participate in Seiso Academy's schoolwide music competition. She's a general studies student who's never touched an instrument in her life, and the fairy, Lili, gives her a magic violin that anyone can play. But up against the students of the music department, who dedicate all they have to music, she is constantly forced to face the fact that her music doesn't come from her skills. (A-)
Characters: Some of them are a bit hollow/weak (B)
Art & Animation: The animators get lazy a lot. (B)
Voice Acting: A-
Music: B+
Objectionable Content: Mild. Some profanity and suggestive dialogue.
Other: I'm getting to recognize shojo stereotypes and devices now, and there are a lot of your typical ones at play here -- in other words, not much new to see. But it's an entertaining watch nonetheless.
I've never read the manga
Overall Score: B+
Plot: While the rest of the world is at war with ZAFT's coordinators (genetically-modified humans who live in colonies in space), life in the neutral colony of Heliopolis continues without disturbance. Kira Yamato and his friends are students living normal lives until ZAFT forces attack their school to seize the mobile suits that were secretly being manufactured there. To protect his friends, Kira winds up piloting one of the experimental weapons. Because top military secrets were exposed, Kira and his friends can't return to their normal lives and instead are taken into the military. From then on, Kira finds himself locked in a battle he can't escape -- and on top of that, his best friend, Athrun, is on the other side...
Characters: A
Art & Animation: A-
Voice Acting: Dub -- B
Music: B+
Objectionable Content: Blood, suggestive themes, some explicit material, profanity
Other: This is the only branch of the Gundam saga I've read/watched, so I can't compare it with its predecessors. I can only say that I appreciate the strong anti-war message and that neither side is really vilified or glorified. I haven't finished either the manga or the anime, but I prefer the manga thus far (it's slightly cleaned up). Again, irritated that they had to stick explicit sexual material into this. (It made me LOATHE that manipulative fox, Flay.)
Overall Score: B+
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Plot: A young man named Joe Shimamura finds out that he has been made into a cyborg weapon by a mysterious organization known as "Black Ghost". With the help of eight others like him who have amazing abilities, he sets out to discover the global weapons organization's goals and thwart their evil plans. (A-)
Characters: Each one is well-explored and intriguing (A)
Art & Animation: B-
Voice Acting: A
Music: B
Objectionable Content: I watched the edited version that aired on Toonami, and I don't remember there being much besides blood and perhaps mild language.
Other: A sci-fi series that can range from light action/adventure to some very heavy sociopolitical themes. What I saw of the anime was very good; I have never read the book.
Overall Score: B+
Plot: It's the eleventh year of the Meiji era. Kaoru Kamiya is in pursuit of a man calling himself "Hitokiri Battousai", who uses her father's sword style to kill. A wandering samurai named Kenshin Himura helps her defeat the murderer. Much to Kaoru's surprise, Kenshin is actually the legendary assassin, "Hitokiri Battousai". He has sworn never to kill again and now uses his sword to protect as atonement for the lives he took during the Revolution. His vow will prove difficult to keep, as enemies from his past come back to haunt him...(A)
Characters: Interesting and well-developed (A)
Art & Animation: A-
Voice Acting: Original Japanese: C- / Dub: A-
Music: B+
Objectionable Content: Blood, profanity
Other: I watched the edited version on Toonami on and off, but I liked what I saw. I've only read a few volumes of the manga.
Being a historically-based anime/manga, prepare to be flooded with facts. It may be difficult to keep track of all the politics going on throughout the series.
Overall Score: B+
Plot: Misaki Ayuzawa lives in a single-parent home with her mother and little sister. The house is in disrepair, and there isn't much money coming in, so she gets a job at a maid cafe. When Misaki's not working at Maid Latte, she's working as student council president. To run the formerly notorious all-boys school, she has to lay down the law and enforce it with an iron fist -- so the last thing she wants is for anyone to find out about her job! When her classmate, Takumi Usui, sees her in her maid uniform, Misaki fears for the reputation she worked so hard to build...! (B)
Characters: Quirky and over-the-top (A-)
Art & Animation: B
Voice Acting: A
Music: B
Objectionable Content: Fan service, profanity, suggestive themes
Other: It's a fun watch overall -- something you can sit down and laugh at when you need to chill. As with many shojo series, it seems, there are some gay gags.
I have not read the manga.
Overall Score: B+
