Pesto81's Anime Collection

Magical Girl Romance: A true love conquers all story with Magical Girls a plenty. The animation and action scenes are as sharp as the awe inspiring interaction between some easily endeared characters. Plus there's a goddess for all tastes, perfect, naughty, and innocent alike. Throw in a haphazard regular guy trying to overcome insurmountable odds and you have one of the best anime movies of the MG genre. Prior knowledge of Ah! My Goddess isn't required to enjoy this movie.

Cyberpunk Post Apocalyptica: Mankind has dwindled to near extinction and has become reliant on androids... and of course elite militaryesque crime fighting organizations. The 3D CG in this is amazing. This installment is definitely the better Appleseed movie. The plot felt similar to the first with the main character interactions being different. The biggest difference is going with real 3D CG this time instead of half assed cell shading. The intense battles and futuristic scenery fit the epic Appleseed story very well. The characters felt better explored in this one too. While prior knowledge of this story line is probably required, the characters took more of a life of their own in this one.

Cyberpunk: Besides Ghost in the Shell, I'd have to say that Armitage represents pretty much the most pure form of classic cyberpunk. They dive deep into futuristic technology, exploring the lines between human and machine interaction, and throw in a ton of gratuitous violence once everything is sorted out. The interaction between main characters is stale at first but quickly cuts deep into explaning who they are and is set on fire when they figure eachother out... as well as themselves.

Highschool Sitcom: This story covers a group of very distinct girl friends and their exploits growing up in high school. Character development is amazing in this story, for every character. They endear themselves to you quickly and keep the laughs rolling as their quirks present many unique situations within day-to-day life. I've heard and agree that this series is "stab yourself in the face cute". It's a definite feel-good comedy. I will warn you this is one of very very few titles that I think should be watched in Japanese with English Subtitles. The English dubbing is obnoxious and does even change some of the characters.

Mercenary Hijinx: Full of ass kicking gun fights, cut throat characters, mafia politics, and self introspection over what each of us really want, our motivation, and whether or not we're brave enough to follow that path, this show is one I'd actually like to see brought to American TV. Think Cowboy Bebop with less space and more cowboy. This is a good one for people just looking to check anime out due to it's lack of the cliche and cultural references.

Vampire Hunter: This movie is severely over rated. The animation and violence is good but the plot is lacking and the characters remain very shallow. I really thought it seemed like a setup for a series. It felt like a pilot. It isn't a bad movie at all, just not what the hype makes it out to be. It reminded me of Akira in that regard. Felt like it left a lot out from the manga.

Known as Detective Conan, Jimmy Kudo who gets turned into kid Conan Edogawa by gangsters he was close to putting in jail, solves a stream of murders on his mission to be turned back into an adult. Hijinx a plenty abound as he faces adult problems and tries to balance his young friends and keep up his adult persona to his girlfriend and boss while escaping murderers and solving mysteries. Very entertaining story for a longer series. This is a great show for kids or adults. Think Scooby Do mixed with Carmen Sandiego, but better... and it actually uses some real deductive reasoning.

Highschool Mecha War: This show is overdose of mecha fights, political struggles, pilot babe fanservice, and absolute power corrupting absolutely. It literally has something for everyone and it does a good job bringing it to the table. The animation quality is superbly done with sharp detals and great colors. All of the characters are pretty well developed even though after a bit you want to avoid feeling close to them because this show avoids the taboo of constantly bringing people back from the dead. It reminded me a lot of Gundam Wing.

Space Cowboy Mercenary Hijinx: This show is THE mercenary show by which to judge all others. It reminds me of the live action show Firefly. The fight scenes are intense. The animation is crisp and fast. The characters are bad ass. They all grow throughout the series and just kick more ass with time. This series has my absolute favorite sound track and an original feel, I've only seen other series by this writer come close to (Samurai Champloo). I highly recommend the movie in addition to the series. It's just like another episode.

This series has great animation and a very strong start to being a Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star clone. After about episode 4, it fizzles out and completely wastes all of that promise. I was excited to see how this awesome setup played out but by episode 6, I just wanted it to end. Not good for a 12 episode series. Despite the fail, it's still better than half of what's on Adult Swim any more, but then again, that isn't saying much.

Vigilante Gone Mad: This is a story of justice that gets tainted when doing all that is necessary to conquer the obvious forces of evil. In the end he becomes his own enemy after years of using demonic tools to fight evil and avoid the law. This paradox mixed with the constant cat and mouse between the main characters will keep it's audience coming back for more. The main characters cat and mouse strategizing is nicely contrasted by eccentric support characters.

Magical Girl Ecchi: This was a funny but horrible fanservice based magical girl movie. It is worth watching if ya want a good laugh and a some TnA. The animation was mediocre, as expected of a low budget ecchi show. Overall I'd rate it a good drunk laugh movie.

Heaven and Hell Phantasy: This series is as great as the video game by the same title. Though it does not share all of the exact same plot, the overall themes and characters are the same. It remains different enough to keep ya hooked, laughing, and even shedding some tears in wake of it's awesomitude. It is a true must watch with well rounded characters, animation, and great plot. The only down side for some may be its very cutsey and self mocking tones that will endeer to some but it's not for those wanting a serious show.

Mystical Martial Arts: I had to add a review for this just because it was my starter anime, along with Sailor Moon, and as that it deserves one, even though I can admit it was mediocre. It will always be epic in the hearts of those to which it was a gateway drug. This is a great starter anime. It's full of you can do it messages, push yourself to be better morals, and treat life with respect lessons. Besides that, the fights are fun, characters are lovable, and the story does a decent job changing over it's super long series. All the praise given, there is also the immense amount of cliche in this series. It's known for stretching stories and fights too long with tons of fillers, bringing too many characters back from the dead, and repeating an overall same story again and again. It's fun though and makes for great background noise.

Mystical Martial Arts: Be forwarned, while this is a more "powerful" version of our beloved Z Fighters, this series doesn't shine as well as Dragonball or Z. Goku getting turned back into a kid and having a storyline that is more of a mix of the first two series really put a lot of people off. However; it's entertaining still, funny, and the fights are just about the same level as is expected from these guys. Animation quality is better due to being newer. There's even a few new characters to get a kick out of. Overall another one in the series worth a watch for the fun story.

Magical Knight Ecchi: This was a funny but horrible fanservice based magical girl movie. It is worth watching if ya want a good laugh and a some TnA. The animation was mediocre, as expected of a low budget ecchi show. Overall I'd rate it a good drunk laugh movie. You may notice this description is the same as for Demon Fighter Kocho, though this show was slightly more palatable. ONLY because there were more tits...

Highschool Hijinx Ecchi: This piece of crap is the crown jewel of my bad dvd's. It's so bad, it's hilarious, even when sober. Even though it's got tons of gigantic gratuitous tits and ass a plenty, it's so funny that a conservative girl can get a kick out of it. The character designs are terribly morphed to the point of obscurity but the overall quality isn't bad. There is next to no character development and the plot is a skeleton. Watch it only for the laughs, because yes, someone DID actually draw that.

Scifi Thriller: This dark thriller is loaded with sharply animated smoothe character designs and properly set up fight sequences. The characters are developed well over the course of the story. There is a lot of gratuitous violence. I believe this was at once the most people killed within the first two minutes of a series. Through flashbacks the viewer begins to understand and even sympathize with the dark characters until the end when you find yourself rooting for even the sadistic psychopath. It's an interesting watch.

Giant Robo, Kids Save the World: A retelling of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion story with new content, characters, and plenty of graphical enhancements. Anxiously awaited for years, the series will finally be finished with full animation budget with more attention paid to making sure the story is as it was intended. No more shotty animation recycling, and story cropping at the end due to a lacking studio budget.

Fantasy Adventure: I'm not 100% comfortable counting 3D CG as Anime but this is one incredibly well done animation. The detail and smoothness is beyond its time. The action scenes are an adrenaline rush. The story itself is just pure crack for all the FFVII fans that have been waiting to get thrown a bone for years in the new story department. The ONLY reason I didn't give this a 10 is because it does require previous knowledge of the crew to really understand all that is going on. The action can still be appreciated without it though.

Random Fantasy: First off it has to be said that this series will make almost no sense at all, the first time through. This is a very random ass, fun series that explores our idiotic desires run rampant, motivation for attraction, and how we grow up in response to our surroundings and are affected by external stimuli. It is a very sardonic look at desire. I can't explain the randomness with which this show presents all this but it's a fun fun ride with lots of fast paced nonsensical fighting, inside jokes, and self commentary. Well worth a second watch through the 6 episodes.

Redemption Fantasy Adventure: This series mixes light hearted growing up adventures of incredible characters with hard hitting self exploration while learning life's hard lessons. The quest to fix past sins puts these beloved characters through hell and back, which only strengthens their resolve. Despite some humor and cliche anime emotes, this series will go down as both beloved and hardcore in my book. This show has it all and it's all done well. There are few series this long that could even approach a 10 on my list. It does it all without unnecessary drawing out of storylines or addition of ridiculous side arcs.

Otaku Sitcom: This show is a MUST WATCH for any anime fan or person just getting exposed to anime. Even anime cynics could benefit from seeing this show. It's pretty much just a day to day life of a bunch of Otaku and a few outsiders that think they're lifestyle is stupid. The character intraction is hilarious. The main characters blossom throughout the story. It is very friendly to new and pesimistic viewers of anime. The only reason I didn't give this a 10 is that it is a little heavy on the perverted Otaku humor and desperately needs a second season sooner than it will be put out. The story is pretty calm so to someone who can't relate to any of the otaku humor may think it gets slow at a few points. It's more like an 8.5 than a straight 8.

Quintessential Cyberpunk: This series is THE definition of the beloved cyberpunk genre. Through incredible action scenes, awesome technojunkie fodder, and brain teasing self examination, this movie is the basis by which most anime fans judge any technophilic series. The animation is way ahead of its time and still holds its own against today's animation standards. The story is hardcore, doesn't stop for anything, and sets up some beautifully animated fight scenes. The only possible point anybody could complain about is that this movie was shorter than the story was set up for so it feels a bit rushed in some cases. This was a common problem with films of the time and this caliber. Luckily this story didn't get shredded and down right retarded like Akira did.

Cyberpunk: This movie continues the saga set forth by the first movie. Both stories are well set up as stand alones but compliment eachother perfectly. The animation in this one will make your eyes bleed! It's gorgeous. It follows Batou for this arc of the story but still manages to retain most of the Major's asskickery. This one was well worth both the years waiting and watching the whole thing subtittled.

Cyberpunk: The Stand Alone Complex series takes the movie characters and plops them into an extended series, this time pointed at the psychology of order coming from chaos, rather than focusing on sentience forming within machines and the will to live conquering all boundaries. It has a slow start but after a bit holds up to the quality standard put forth by the movies. The only thing that slowed me watching the second season was a buying gap that I didn't want to have to stop, the next time I started watching. The series does have the added benefit of adding time to develop the characters much better than the movies. They gain a lot of depth, which only acts as a multiplier to the amazing animation, plot, and action.

Giant Robo: This series' first 5 episodes sucked. The speed at which they ran with the story made the introduction episodes very hard to care about. A gratuitous hot spring episode at #6 peaks some interest before episode 7 begins a non-stop hyper-paced thrill ride. Once the viewer gets past these, it's easy to see what all the hype was about. The whole story keeps building to an even more amazing climax, but it NEVER plateaus. It just keeps rocking your socks. The mecha aren't technically sound but they're huge and fun. The pace never slows down but they manage to throw in a lot of social commentary. There's sweet romance, lots of fanservice, and falic drills piercing the heavens, but it never uses a single one of those as a crutch to make up for story. This is a must watch. It's one of the most fun shows I've seen in a long time.

Angelic Fantasy Drama: This super emotional story about a girl discovering herself when outcast and how to push forward when all seems lost will induce a lot of smiles and a lot of tears. The characters are very lovable despite the depressing aura that shrouds the mysterious world in which they live. The art is beautiful as the creator of Lain etches finally shows us a story that's as interesting as the beautiful stylized artowrk it contains.

Vampire Mercenary: This series is a super stylized mercenary vampire story. A vampire story done right. Being a revamp of the original series' story with additional content and improved animation, this is well worth the wait between each disc release. The characters aren't super deep but they are definately done right for 2D characters. The art in this version fits the feel of the vampire genre great. This series makes a great tribute to occult series everywhere.

Mystical Romance: Miyazaki does it again. He manages to create an amazing mystical world full of beautiful scenery and imaginative characters. This story sets up a magical romance like Disney used to. I assume this is why they bought the rights to bringing his movies to America. Unlike Spirited Away, this one doesn't get overly wrapped up in the unique imagery alone. It presents both the plot and the environment in great balance while developing a love story that has depth and keeping the audience deeply entralled with the overall story. I'd say this and Nausicaa are his two best works that I've seen so far.

Fighting Ecchi: Overall this is a mediocre series but it is great at what it is. It's got gratuitous fanservice plus great fight scenes. Exploding clothes is never a bad thing on vibacious women that seem to thrive in this High School. It's a fun watch. Destpite being a show all about gratuity, it's a fun watch. The plot that drives us to the boobies and violence is good enough to keep watching. The artwork makes up for the lack of solid character development. They're "developed" enough to compensate. Hopefully we'll see season two hit the states soon. I recommend only buying in thin packs though. It's not worth dropping a lot of dough on.

Fantasy Quest Adventure: Inuyasha is one of the best starter animes around. It will hold up to the test of time. The movies aren't as good as the series and they do require previous knowledge of the characters for it to make much sense. Unfortunately the seasons are currently over priced, even in thin packs. The characters have many seasons over which to develop into beloved friends. The animation is high for such a long series. It is great for anybody just starting anime or even veterans to watch. It is very friendly to a universal array of tastes due to a good balance of art, story, characters, comedy, and interesting plot twists. Unlike many long term series it doesn't get caught up in pointless side story arcs. Fire on Mystic Island is my favorite of the movies so far. If you like this series check out Ranma 1/2. It is another great series by Rumiko Takahashi.

Harem Romantic Comedy: This is one of the best harem genre titles I've seen. The characters develop nicely over the course of the story and each bring a unique addition to the plot. They do it right, making it hard to pick a favorite and they keep you rooting for the main character the whole time. I didn't find myself thinking that any of the characters just needed to go away, like in similar titles. They keep a nice dose of comedy and interesting side stories throughout. The only reason I don't rate this as 10 is that the frustration of the two main characters not hooking up can, at times, be quite high. Fear not, there is resolution, eventually, and it makes you go AWWWWW. The fanservice will tide you over until then.

Mecha Space Harem: This show, like Gurren Lagann, starts slow and cheesy before taking off at the speed of light. Nadesico has great characters, many of which have rich back stories that contribute greatly to the story telling. Throw in the classic childhood friend approach to the main relationship and you've got a good romance on top of all the scifi and harem hijinx. With so much going on, they still manage to pull off some well thought out social commentary, great fight scenes, and didn't even have to skimp on the animation budget. This show has it all.

Sci-Fi Fantasy: This is one of the crazy shows that grow on you like FLCL, though this is much tamer, probably more likable. It covers a high school group focused around the protagonist, Haruhi, and her apparent ability to decide the future with her will. The story is told through Kyon, a dolt that she just happens to pull in, an esper, a time traveler, and a computer program, all of which are sent to keep an eye on Haruhi as her powers and will can be quite sporadic. The only one who doesn't know this, is her. It has great animation quality, a huge array of different reasonably well developed characters, and an overlying plot that sets the audience up wanting more at the end of this, the first season. The only shortcoming of this series is that it does just stop and doesn't do a good job letting the audience know there IS a second season comming. This would be good to have known because the story reaches zero conclusions in 14 episode and leaves you thirsty for more of all of these fun characters.

Fantasy Adventure: This is a pro-nature/technology balance themed fantasy. The world Miyazaki creates is on par with all his other masterful works. The story is as fun as the scenes and support characters are imaginative. As usual, the art is jaw dropping. Despite little hype in the US, this is a true classic and along with Howl's Moving Castle, it is one of my two favorites from Miyazaki.

Giant Robo, Kids Save the World: This is my absolute favorite series. The fights are fun, diversified, and well animated. The plot is deep, with many twists. The characters are all very well defined and explored throughout the series. The interpersonal relationships are entertaining and unique. The self interspection of all the main characters is mind boggling and very astute. Along with the social commentary on a grandscale, this show is amazing, despite the light hearted start to the series. It can get depressing at times. The main character can be a whiney bitch in some cases. They did run low on money and cut corners at the end of the series. These issues were fixed with the movies and will be greatly improved upon in the new revamping of the series through 4 movies that are on their way, known as Evangelion 2.0. I can't wait. I'm giddy. You will either love or hate this series. Few will be unmoved.

Giant Robo, Kids Save the World: This movie is a rehash of the story presented in the series with more time spent on animation and smoothing out the last few episodes that they put out on minimal budget. It is a great summary with some new content added to pull the story further and get the audience prepped for teh awesome that is the final movie.

Giant Robo, Kids Save the World: This movie finishes the story of Evangelion in an amazing climax. It is a no-holds-barred throw down of unfathomable magnatude. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be motivated to change your world. This movie has the series best fight scene with the angels. The themes are all summarized nicely, and there is a huge dossage of incredible new imagery to top it all off.

Magical Girl Romance: The original series on which Ah! My Goddess is based. This series artwork is gorgeous. The angelic themes on top of having multiple proven character archetypes and good emotional depth from them makes the whole cast completely lovable. The romantic story between main characters is awe inspiring. It will convince you that true love really has no boundaries, even between the realms of mortals and gods, or hot goddesses, as the case may be. They do a good job mixing a dose of comedy and fanservice into the works without going over the top too. Any magical girl fan has to see this series.

Post Apocalyptic Tree Hug: The animation and combination with 3D CG is outstanding. Characters seemed moderately genuine and likeable but could have been further developed to pull the audience further into their motivation. The weak point was that the story seemed lacking, like there should have been more and maybe would be best continued in an OVA. The general message to live in harmony with nature was generic but tried and true. It's for that reason that I give it a 6 despite some great animation.

Space Mercenary Hijinx: This is a great beginner anime for anybody who also liked Cowboy Bebop. It has a good dose of scifi, mercenary debockles, politics, humor, and a storyline that keeps you interested. This series is the perfect length for the plot it went with. It didn't feel rushed or bloated. The characters really shine and are mostly developed through well thought out interactions with the rest of the cast. The animation is average but solid and the fight scenes, both space ship and human based are fast paced and a blast to watch. It has good continuity as well as the ability of many of its episodes to be seen stand alone.

Fantasy Romance: This series will just make you smile. It's nice to see a romance series where both characters are fairly clear about their interest in the other. It's not bogged down with wishy washyness. The characters are well presented and the main characters definitely grow together very well. This is another true love conquers all. The fanservice is well done, provocative, but not overwhelming and distracting. The only reason this is just an 8 is some minor frustration with the "love rival" interference and the story's obstacle seeming questionable. They did a great job with the characters' emotions. For the most part, they seemed believable. You know, other than the hot alien meets joe average scenario, but that's completely forgivable. This series is adorrable.

Fantasy Romance: Following in typical Miyazaki tradition, the imagry and imagination in this film are great. This is a truely fantastic story based off of The Little Mermaid. The characters are adorrable. The world they work in is as fantastic as any of the previous Miyazaki locations. I did give this a 7 due to the hole in the plot left by 5 year olds deciding their fate and whether or not they are in love and if they'll give up a whole future for it. It did move a little too fast and has some plot holes but overall is a very cute story. It appears he is starting to show signs that Disney is really rubbing off on him.

Fantasy Adventure: Miyazaki's first film to hit big in the US, that opened the gateway for the awesomeness that ensued. The characters personalities, the designs, the landscapes, and the fantastic personification in this story make it a pro-balance-with-nature movie that Bambi only wishes it could be. This similar theme showed up in Nausicaa. The surrealism isn't as strong in this one, as in most of his movies, but it was a great one to introduce this type of movie to American audiences with. This is one of THE movies to show a skeptical person willing to try anime out but that has alot of bad preconceived notions. This will comfortabley take them into the realm of accepting the art. The presentation of spirits in this series was refreshing. It has a very epic feel to it.

Superhero Action Adventure: This series has a very retro feel to it, similar to Charlie's Angels, except the angels have kick ass super powers in this case. The soundtrack to this one is very mood altering. The animation quality, fight sequences, and character designs are very well done. The story line moves fast and felt cut short but it does manage to leave you wanting more, even if the main story line had a solid conclusion. It's too bad the TV series doesn't seem as interesting. There isn't too much for character exploration but the characters are pretty badass right from the beginning. Good mixes of badass and babe, and ignorable/acceptable token male character too. Overall this edge of your seat action is a feast for the senses. These fight scenes are some of my favorites. The ending being open to a continuation story is the only reason this didn't get a 10 from me. This is one that is good for any anime fan, or even beginners.

Samurai Action Romance: The Samurai X movies, as well as Rurouni Kenshin, the TV series that follows the first two movies, has one of the best stories in anime. The movies are on par with Croutching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The series, despite falling to the repetition folly of most longer series is what stylistic martial arts shows should be. The movies' animation is above average. The fight scenese are intense. The plot is poignant and will have you both cheering and tearing up at times. The whole thing is a great look at how we choose our paths, duty, honor, love, and in the end what really matters. The characters quickly become an extension of the viewer. The personal interspection is heart touching. If only they'd make the TV series less expensive.

Fantasy Adventure Comedy: The entire Slayers line is a fun story with great quests that lacks mindless filler. It has high end average animation with well thought out character design and solid character personalities. The self mocking tongue in cheek humor keep the audience laughing while wanting to see what's next. The magic spells don't change much but there are enough of them to keep it interesting. This, like Inuyasha is a great starter anime that stays strong as tastes evolve. The dubbing is good but the subtitled work purveys the humor better. This series is great for all audiences.

Through the Looking Glass: This is a very Alice in Wonderland like plot. Expect Miyazaki's usual creativity and art plus some very bizarre characters interacting and tampering with what is real. There's a heart warming and interesting moment for every odd character. This story did feel like it could have been made into a series, as it was a little rushed. The wonder of it all more than makes up for it.

Tournament Action: Street Figher Alpha is a hardcore action fest that follows some of the contestants reason for entering the tournament and follows them as they progress and uncover new plot. The fights, like Dragonball Z really emit an aura of strength, minus the overhyped yelling that DBZ is notorious for. The strength and speed in the fights is really fun to watch. The plot is nothing spectacular but, decent to be more than just a mindless fight movie. The animation is sharp and does a good job bringing the characters to life.

Harem Space Adventure: Tenchi is probably the definition of a harem comedy. There's tons of romance, lust, and humor intertwined into a world of scifi and magic. Character designs are well done. Animation itself is on the high end of average. The characters are three dimensional and easy to connect with, despite being super human in many cases. The first two movies and the Universe series are very good. Muyo, Tokyo, and Ryo Ohki seem pretty average, but are great for those new to anime that don't want to be overpowered with fanservice, overdone cultural references, or cheese. The movies are ok as stand alone but great if you already know the characters.

Post Apocalyptic Western: Vash the Stampede, his lore, his personality, and his decisions are incredible. This series is genius. It starts out jovial and then gets real before resulting in a showdown that requires Vash to sacrofice all and more to overcome everything. The humor in this series is great. The societal and personal introspection are well thought out. The characters are extraordinary, even the ordinary ones. This shallow at first story blossoms into pure awesome and really makes its audience think, while upholding a great action comedy story too.

Scifi Tragic Romance: This is an incredibly well done love story put up against a scifi background. It's a super sad tear jerker latched onto the back of an interesting scifi concept. It's a must own... but I haven't watched it a second time. It's very girl friendly. If ya want an emo roller coaster, this is your movie.