Anime Series of the Genre: “Drama”

Asatte no Houkou – Anime Review

Wednesday, 27 October, 2010


Review: After their parents died the little Karada lives alone with her old brother. She cooks and wishes to grow up soon so that she won’t burden her brother any longer. That’s why she hates being treated like a child. When Karada sits praying to a shrine while she takes a walk with her bother, she meets a woman named Shoko, who just moved back to this town after years and she seem to know him. However she does not seem to like Karada very much. It later turns out that she used to be her brothers girlfriend. After their parents died he left her without saying a word to take care of Karada. She is angry that he did not say anything and that Karada seems to know much more about him than she does. That day at night Shoko and Karada meet again at the shrine. Suddenly Karada looks like a grown-up and Shoko looks like a child. How can this be? Did this happen because they wished for it?
Rating: 8,5/10

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – Anime Review

Wednesday, 27 October, 2010


Review: In the near future the ambitious Emperor of the Empire of Britannia managed to conquer most of this world’s counties with the help of their advanced mecha technology. Lelouch vi Britannia is one of many children the emperor has with several women. He left behind his royalty and friends after his father’s cold reaction towards his mother’s death. He now lives in Japan with his weak sister who lost the ability to see and walk during the atack on their mother. After some years his father even conqueres Japan and renames it to Area11 similar to other Colonies of Britannia. In his anger he swears to his new Japanese friend Suzaku to destroy the Britannian Empire. He plans to do so with his extraordinary intellect and strategic abilities while being sure of the fact that any plan he will come up with will take a lifetime to execute. His plans gets speeded up when he makes a pact with the mysterious and seemingly immortal girl called CC and gaines the power of Geass in return; a power that enables him to make people do as he commands when looking into their eyes, even if that means killing themselves. With that ability and his superior intelligence he makes use of the Japanese Rebellion, who feel betrayed by Britannia in their national dignity, to go against Britannia.

Code Geass already has a second season and arguably is the best mecha sci-fi action anime out there. It’s most outstanding part are the thoughtfully created and authentic characters, same as their character development and personal tragedies. A story so deep with unexpected turns and tragic deaths that will always make you starve to see the next episode. Action, tears and joy combined with awesome animation quality, characters and story is the reason for the huge success of Code Geass. It’s an original story not based on any previous works.
Rating: 10/10

Soukou no Strain: S-Strain – Anime Review

Wednesday, 27 October, 2010


Review: In a distant future when new engines make it possible to travel close to the speed of light, the human race started exploring and inhabiting the universe. In the course of that, humanity was split into 2 powers, the Union and Deague, who have been at a state of war for a long time now, while the battlefront is expanding constantly.
Ralph Viereck is a successful Union squadron commander, who is sent on a mission 130 light years away leaving his sister Sara behind. She promises to go after him and soon joins Grapera Space Armed Soldier Academy to become a Strain pilot. She works hard to maintain her top results always thinking of her brother. One day the academy is suddenly attacked by Deague. Her friends get killed by a traitor’s Strain and Sara follows its pilot as he breaks into a secret research laboratory and kidnaps a mysterious girl. When she confronts him she can’t believe her eyes. It’s her Brother Ralph and he hasn’t only changed on the outside, but on the inside too. He attacks fighters, students and Sara without any mercy.
Rating: 8/10

Hachimitsu to Clover II: Honey & Clover 2

Tuesday, 26 October, 2010


Review: This series continues in the same style and quality where the very popular first season of Honey and Clover (15.04.2005 till 27.09.2005) left off. It is a funny yet serious and authentic view on the life story of some friends who try to graduate from an Art College. It is the story of complicated relationships, unrequited loves, new careers and the search for their own goals, dreams, personalities and things that are important to them. Only few anime have such deep and authentic story-telling to make an anime outstandingly good even without complicated fantasy plots or giant robots saving the world, which is why I count Honey and Clover to my top10 anime. Even the background music, made by the popular J-Pop band “Spitz”, perfectly supports the tragic and happy themes and rounds up a master piece that way.
Rating: 10/10

Welcome to the N.H.K. – Anime Review

Tuesday, 26 October, 2010


Review: The NHK anime is based on a popular novel and follows the successful NHK manga release. NHK is a different kind of slice of life story. It is the story of a hikikomori who locked himself away from society and rarely ever leaves his apartment. He goes through all kinds of hardships of geekhood like getting computer game addicted, getting eroge addicted, getting porn addicted, getting drug addicted, getting fooled into buying tons of useless merchandise ending up with a huge dept, getting involved with a suicide group and so on. Yet the story is written in a way that you can still relate to the main-character. But then the beautiful girl Misaki-chan appears in front of his door and proclaims she will help him out of his pitiful situation. Who is she? Why does she want to help him? How does she intend to help him and will she really succeed in helping him?
Rating: 9/10

Bokura Ga Ita – Anime Review

Tuesday, 26 October, 2010


Review: Takahashi Nanami just got into high school and she is looking forward to a happy school life and making lots of new friends. The other girls tell her about Yano Motoharu, who is popular with the girls, always class president and seems to be a perfectly successful nice-guy. However, as Nanami has the chance to get to know him personally, he seems to be like a mean, teasing and careless person. When they both get elected to be class president and vice-class president, they start spending more time together and she start to see Motoharu’s kind a caring side. Is she starting to fall for him? And what kind of sad story is behind the death of his former girlfriend? Will he be able to fall in love again?

Bokura Ga Ita is an enjoyable shoujo romance story taking place in high school surroundings. It seems like a pretty generic shoujo, but has certain qualities to it that make it interesting to watch even for those who usually don’t watch many shoujo anime.
Rating: 8,5/10

Binbou Shimai Monogatari: Poor Sisters Story

Tuesday, 26 October, 2010


Review: Binbou Shimai Monogatari is a heartwarming story that revolves around the 2 sisters Kyou (15) and Asu (9). They live on their own in an old apartment because their father left them and their mother died from an illness. They live a basic and poor yet happy life and are very close to each other. Together they overcome all sorts of daily problems, make new friends and keep trying hard.

In my view this anime show is a little bit childish and has no point to it, but it has those cute and heartwarming aspects, so there might be people who enjoy this show.
Rating: 4/10

Night Head Genesis – Anime Review

Tuesday, 26 October, 2010


Review: The human brain only uses 30% of its capacity. The true potential of human beings lay within the other 70%. When the 2 brothers Kihiraha Naoto and Kirihara Naoya were born their parents found out very early that they are different from other children. They had supernatural telekinesis powers and often got into conflict in society because of that. When they got a little older their parent made the decision for them to live in a laboratory for their own good. Naoto and Naoya felt abandoned by society and by their parents; they felt as if they had nothing but each other. 15 years have passed now and they are planning to break out again and live a free life.

Night Head Genesis is a Sci-Fi drama that takes place in present time and is about 2 brothers who have been abandoned by society because they are “different” and have nothing but each other. The obvious yet not explicit homosexual hints are a clear sign that this show is geared towards women. It’s a shame that an otherwise most interesting and original srory is weakend for male viewers by this fact.
Rating: 8,5/10