When did the zombie boom starts? We’ve seen quite a number of zombie related anime since 1-2 years ago….
After I read the synopsis, I pretty much in doubt that this anime is going hit my interest, but upon checking at MyAnimeList.net and AnimeNewsNetwork, I’m rather surprised at its rating which is quite good.
So I had a thrill with the first episode.
Plot Summary:
Bokutou Precinct rarely deals with criminals more nefarious than speeding sportscar drivers. So when Officers Nikaido Yoriko and Aoi Futaba find a cache of illegal firearms in a stolen car, and a rash of traffic control malfunctions snarls traffic along Tokyo’s streets, it is up to Tokyo’s finest to figure out what’s gone wrong. And of course, it`ll take the talents of Kobayakawa Miyuki and Tsujimoto Natsumi to crack the case. But will Miyuki’s trusty Mini-Pat and Natsumi’s fierce determination be enough to stop a devious mastermind from exploiting the weaknesses of the system and crippling Tokyo – and the world – for good?
(Source: AnimeNfo)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Age Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older
No. of Episodes: 1 Movie
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
ひぐらしのなく頃に解
When They Cry 2
Plot Summary:
Continuing from the first series, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai begins to shed some light on the dark mysteries prevalent in the preceding season. The young group of friends in the town of Hinamizawa continue to enter terrible conflicts with one another in their never ending summer of 1983, often ending with the brutal murder of one of their numbers. Furude Rika, with the help of her spiritual friend Hanyuu, tackles challenges over and over, trying her best to keep their lives from coming to a tragic end. With no end to the torture in sight, Rika must call upon the bonds of friendship and trust among her friends to discover the true villain of this eternal June.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Thriller
Age Rating: Teenage and above (may contain bloody violence / bad language / nudity)
No. of Episodes: 24 episodes
Story
This anime is direct continuation from its prequel, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. So, if you haven’t watch it, please do so before watch this series. in this review, I’ll refer Higurashi no Naku Koro ni as “Higurashi” while “Kai” as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai.
To make it simple, Higurashi is the question while Kai is the answer.
I reviewed that Higurashi left a big question mark on my head, yes, a really big one. However, Kai destroyed the question mark by answering all the mysteries happened in the Higurashi. I get to understand more and more of the story when I watch Kai, it felt like Higurashi is the past, while Kai is present. All those things falls together and form an extraordinary great story.
All the characters are very well developed. In Higurashi, the story is quite rush, thus not all the characters are well developed. In Kai, all the characters are properly developed even those characters that you thought are minor characters, for example, Tomitake, Takano, Irie, Ooishi, Oryou and more…
I’m very very very satisfied with this series. The way it continues the story, the way it explain everything and the way it solve everything. Wonderful.
I’ll have it rated: 36/40
Animation
Studio: Studio DEEN
Year: 2007
Type: Series
The animation quality of Kai has improved a lot if you compare it with Higurashi. Characters has better artwork, thus looks more natural, balanced and moe(?)… Even the background artwork and some minor details are properly drawn.
The animation is also improved. Unlike Higurashi has unnatural or out of sync movements, Kai has everything fixed and improved.
Overall, I’m glad that they increased the budget for the animation production. Or else, such a great story would gone wasted.
I’ll have it rated: 25/30
Audio
Opening Theme(s):
Ending Theme(s):
Insert Theme(s):
Same as its predecessor, the sound work is brilliant. The first season is more to the mysterious side, thus the opening theme is creepy and dark. While this season is different, it explains those mysteries, show how Rika struggle through her fate. Therefore, the opening is more to sad and struggling feel.
Didn’t notice much changes regarding the BGM, some match the atmosphere and increase the mood. Otherwise, just so-so.
I’ll have it rated: 17/20
Personal Rating
I enjoyed both seasons in different ways. Higurashi series have great story. Would recommend to others.
9/10
OVERALL POINTS
36 + 25 + 17 + 9 = 87points
87points, EXCELLENT anime [06/10/2009]
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Nekogoroshi-hen
ひぐらしのなく頃に：猫殺し編
When They Cry – Cat Killing Chapter
Plot Summary:
After losing a bet, Keichi, Mion, Rena, Satoko and Rika parade around the town in costumes. When they come to a fork in the road, they decide to go to Yagouchi, a nearby abandoned village. Once there Keichii and Rena learn the mystery of a strange haunted quarry as they debate whether or not to check it out.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Thriller
Age Rating: Teenage and above (bloody violence / bad language / nudity)
No. of Episodes: 1 special
Story
The title is Nekogoroshi which means Cat killing… However, the story has nothing to do with that at all. In order to avoid spoiler, I’ll try to make it short and simple.
This special is mainly about our protagonists cosplay and learn a mystery of the quarry somewhere around the village.
There’s no bloody cases or something really thrilling about. Just fun to watch…
I’ll have it rated: 27/40
Animation
Studio: Studio DEEN
Year: 2007
Type: Special
Animation is improved. This can be seen from how the character looks in this special and how it differs from the TV series.
The characters looks much more better or perhaps balanced. Especially the facial emotions are far more better than the tv-series. The detail is more precise and this is a good thing.
I’ll have it rated: 21.5/30
Audio
Opening Theme(s):
Ending Theme(s):
Insert Theme(s):
The same opening and ending theme used in the TV series. and I still agree that those are the perfect song for Higurashi.
I’ll have it rated: 16/20
Personal Rating
Nothing really special about this anime. Just some cosplay or fan-service?? and an unsolved mystery…
7.5/10
OVERALL POINTS
27 + 21.5 + 16 + 7.5 = 72points
72points, GREAT anime [30/09/2009]
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
ひぐらしのなく頃に
When They Cry
Plot Summary:
After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 7th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Thriller
Age Rating: Teenage and above (bloody violence / bad language / nudity)
No. of Episodes: 26 episodes
Story
I can say that the story is the strongest aspect of this anime. The 26 episode anime is separated into a few arcs. Each arc featuring different events. Although you might confused what is going on with this anime, however, all those mysteries are combined and explained in the end, or perhpas you’ll be more understand if you continue watching the second season – Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai.
Each arcs starts with an extremely normal pace, sometimes it seems like a typical comedy anime. And then everything starts to gone bloody crazy when the story goes on. After the arc finished, Next arcs starts again with the same characters. This once drove me crazy as some arcs are seems to be related but yet not.
The story is very disturbing and this is what I call realism and impact. This is how a horror, Psychological, Thriller anime should be. You know something gonna happen, but when? How? You’ll never know.
Overall, yes, it is a great psycho anime with great psycho-twisting story and disturbing atmosphere. Even though all those mysteries are not completely solved in the end, I still can’t accept that kind explanation which never explains properly whether if the story really ends there or there will be a sequel. It ends way too simple. The starting is extreme, the ending should have more impact too. Or else I could give a higher rating.
I’ll have it rated: 32.5/40
Animation
Studio: Studio DEEN
Year: 2006
Type: Series
Animation wise, not an eye candy. It barely reach my average level. The art is acceptable, even thought the extremely large head and unbalanced body size freaked someone out, but it is quite normal for anime.
The main problem is the animation. Sometimes the characters movements and emotions are so unnatural. It is what we called out-of-sync… Terrible. The facial emotions sometimes are exaggerated, the face become something abnormal rather than angry.
The good part is that, those bloody scenes are very well made. It suits with the feeling of the story and this is what I call thrilling anime.
I’ll have it rated: 20/30
Audio
Opening Theme(s):
Ending Theme(s):
Insert Theme(s):
Opening theme and ending theme is superbly suit the anime. Although not very nice for casual listening, but both serve to increase the mood of this horror anime. By the way, the opening animation is great fits the song perfectly.
The BGM is just so-so.. Sometimes It does increase the tension of the plot, but doesn’t really caught my attention. Perhaps silent+cicada sound is the best way to create the mood of mystery…
What best is the voice cast of this anime. Although sometimes the voice of Keiichi sounds a bit annoying.. but overall very good. and not to forget those psychotic laughs…
I’ll have it rated: 15.5/20
Personal Rating
Bloody, psycho, and bla bla bla… All in one PSYCHO package.
Good, but could be better.
8/10
OVERALL POINTS
32.5 + 20.5 + 16 + 8 = 77points
77points, GREAT anime [30/09/2009]
Eden’s Bowy
Plot Summary:
Yorn gazes up at two massive cities floating in the sky and dreams of discovering their mysteries. Without warning, those mysteries come looking for him. Edenic assassins murder his father and Yorn is next on the hit list.
A nameless old man and a mysterious young girl help Yorn on his quest to find his long-lost mother and the truth. Known as the God Hunter, Yorn leads a race against the dark designs of the technological overlords.
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Age Rating: Teenage and above (may contain bloody violence / bad language / nudity)
No. of Episodes: 26 episodes
The story of this anime is quite good. A very typical action, adventure story. Balanced with serious plot and several entertaining episodes, nowadays, lots of anime lacks of this. They just simply filled with bunch of filler episodes…
I don’t want to comment much regarding the story, It has a good story. Just the plot not strong enough. I mean, the whole series seems to be just dragging the story until the last part only gets serious.
I’ll have it rated: 27.5/40
Studio: Studio DEEN
Year: 1999
Type: Series
This is a 10years-old anime… Don’t expect much from the animation…
Actually the animation is done quite well… Such as the background artwork and character illustrations. They’re all very well drawn. Yeah those times, animes are all hand-drawn. The graphic effects are quite astonishing if compared with those time’s anime. Really good, however, minor problems as the action scenes are not fluid enough and sometimes they would just pause on a picture for several seconds which I thought my disc got problem…
The biggest problem I encountered in this anime is that the production crew doesn’t seems to care of those minor details, such as the clothes, swords and even an object’s surface details.. for example, Yorn’s sword… his sword handle would change direction from time to time… lack of strong setting.
I’ll have it rated: 18/30
Opening Theme(s):
Ending Theme(s):
Insert Theme(s):
First of all, the opening theme song, I like both songs. I would place them in my favourites playlist. By the way the animation is done very well too, especially the second OP theme.
While the ending theme, I prefer the first song. Which is more comfortable to listen. Both ending animations are chibi-fied, the characters with big head and small body always look so cute.
From the soundtrack of this anime, you would easily identify this anime is 90s work… just… retro… Overall, the audio part of this anime has no problem.
I’ll have it rated: 14.5/20
This anime is quite nice to watch… would recommend to some people, those who can’t accept these oldies, sorry…
7/10
27.5 + 18 + 14.5 + 7 = 67points
67points, GOOD anime [14/04/2009]
Fate/stay night
フェイト/ステイナイト
Plot Summary:
Emiya Shirou lost his parents in a fire when he was young and was later adopted by a sorceror, Emiya Kiritsugu. Although he was full of admiration for his adopted father and yearns to become an ally of justice, Shirou has limited powers and was unable to become a strong sorceror like his father.
That is until one fateful day, he was drawn into the Holy Grail War and summoned a female “Servant” known as Saber. It turns out that the Holy Grail War involves a series of battles among powerful sorcerors to fight for the possession of a relic that will grant one’s wishes, the Holy Grail.
There are altogether seven “Masters” who can summon their respective “Servants” from different classes known as Saber, Archer, Rider, Berserker, Lancer, Caster andAssassin. These “Servants” have to hide their real identity in order not to reveal their weaknesses to the enemies. The story revolves around Shirou and his entanglement in the Holy Grail War.
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance, Fantasy, Supernatural
Age Rating: Teenagers and above (may contain bloody violence / bad language / nudity)
No. of Episodes: 24 episodes
Okay, story about a amateur sorcerer getting involved in a battle, and ACCIDENTALLY summoned the strongest Servant. Well, I found that animes tend to have lots of beginer/noob luck… such as an ugly/unpopular guy have a crush with a “sinking fishes and droping birds” beauty lady…
But, as the story continues, it becomes more and more exciting, and touchy too…
no more spoilers…
I’ll have it rated: 33.5/40
Studio:Studio DEEN
Year: 2006
Type: Series
Overall the animation is okay… not very bad, not very good… ok, ok level…
because they have some scenes that looks unreal… for example, in 1st episode, when Emiya Shiro is being tossed to the wall…
The Good is, where the battles have all kinds of CGs.. which are astonishing.
I’ll have it rated: 23.5/30
Music Production:Geneon Entertainment
Opening Theme(s):
Ending Theme(s):
The both Openings are marvelous. 1st opening, “disillusion” gives us a feeling of mystery, perfect for a supernatural genred anime. The 2nd Opening, “Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni” has a catchy beat, shows that the show is in the climax. Of course, I like the Endings too. The Endings are “slow” songs.
I’ll have it rated: 17/20
8/10
33.5 + 23.5 + 17 + 8 = 82points
82points, EXCELLENT Anime [12/07/2008]