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Synopsis
All year round the sakura trees mysteriously blossom on the island of Hatsune. A couple converse and run through the pink flowers in the distance. A girl makes a wish from the side of her window. Another year of grade school has begun. A transfer student from America blissfully says hello to a friend she hasn’t seen for years to fulfill a long kept promise…

Review
Da Capo is a 26 episode series produced by studio Circus. Like Kanon and To Heart, it’s another anime based off of a PC hentai dating simulation game and released child friendly for the Playstation 2. Dictionary.com translates Da Capo in this fashion: adv. Music Abbreviation DC. From the beginning. Used as a direction to repeat a passage. In the last episode Junnichi explains: People say that you can’t reset life, like a game. But is that really true? If you stumble you can always start over, like a da capo. That’s what I would like to believe. Because that is not a start from zero.

The Breakdown
Kanon, Taiyaki. Onegai Sensei, the red box of pocky sticks. Da Capo, Miharu’s bananas!!! Or a pot of nabe. ^_^

Synopsis
Sister Princess is the story of a young man and his twelve sisters. After failing his high school entrance exams, Minakami Wataru gets accepted into a special high school that is located on Promise Island which happens to be where his twelve sisters live. Sister Princess is quite simply an anime about twelve girls that really really love their older brother and the time they spend together.

Review
I am not going to sugarcoat this one. Sister Princess is a terrible anime. The best thing about it is that it is not as bad as its sequel (see my review for Sister Princess ~Re Pure~) because it at least has a story that has some direction. Unfortunately that story is weak and uninteresting. All this anime has going for it is decent animation and music. Aside from that, there is no substance.

The majority of Sister Princess is an endless circle of conflict and resolution. Normally that would be a good thing, but the conflicts are not all that conflicting. I mean, if the main plot of an episode is ‘Uh oh, I don’t know which skirt to buy. Won’t my big brother help me?’ then there is a problem. Basically in every episode one of the girls comes up with some sort of problem and perfect Minakami Wataru solves it without being asked thus proving to all the sisters that he is deserving of their undying love.

Speaking of undying love, it doesn’t take long for that love to become a bit unsettling. In fact, every one of Minakami Wataru’s twelve sisters wants to marry him. That just can’t be right. Thankfully it never gets too romantic, but that is because by default nothing interesting ever really happens.

The Breakdown
What more can I say? Maybe ADV will have the sense to cancel the localization of Sister Princess.

Synopsis
Chise is cute, but a bit dense. She’s also small and timid. On top of that, she’s clumsy and her grades are below average. She does excel in world history although nothing positive will come out of it. She has a habit of apologizing. Her goal in life is to become stronger. To me, she seems like a really troublesome kid. Regardless, I was her boyfriend, and she was my girlfriend.

Review
Based on the original 7 volume manga by Shin Takahashi in 2000, Saishu Heiki Kanojo, also known as Saikano or in english She. The Ultimate Weapon, truly is The Last Love Song on This Little Planet. Here at Animesou we bow in respect to our sempais THEM, Anime Academy, Anime Agency, and Anime-Axess for we are The Last Anime Site on This Little Planet to present a review. Saikano breaks all the stereotypes of the robot or android girlfriend genre. It is not a Chobits, Hand Maid May, or Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden, all of which were past Pioneer series. It is the romance of two high school students, Shuji and Chise, juxtaposed to the desolate World War 3 environment. Set in the remote countryside of Hokkaido, Japan, the anime begins five days after Chise first asked Shuji out. Though Shuji still has his doubts, as time passes he finds himself falling more and more in love with her. Then one day while shopping in Sapporo, what looks to be 100 unidentified bombers commence their assault on the civilian population. Buildings collapse and amidst the muddled debris Shuji, bleeding, perceives to his astonishment Chise, decked out and battle ready.

The Official Saikano Website can be found at http://www.saikano.net/tv/index.html with a beautiful flash interface carrying over the same sense as the opening animation sequence. There you can sample three instrumental music tracks, read episode summaries (Japanese), view the cast of characters, and download wallpapers and calendar images.

The Breakdown
Farewell my love, I won’t forget about you, Because I dwell on the people I say farewell to. I’m sad.

Synopsis
My name is Mikuri Tomokazu. My parents passed away when I was little, and I have been living with my cousin ever since. I’m a regular, boring freshman in high school. My height is about average, and so is my weight. My grades as well as my athletic ability are disastrous. My two favorite foods are hamburgers and curry rice. Up until now, I’ve never had a girlfriend. In a few days, I’ll be turning sixteen. Tomorrow I hope something good will happen. It definitely has to…

Review
Yumeria is based on the popular bishoujo Playstation 2 RPG and dating simulation game developed by Namco. The anime is scripted by Yousuke Kuroda, who participated in Onegai Sensei. The anime first aired in January 2004. Yume means dream or vision, so Yumeria is the anime about the land of dreams, Moera, named after the anime’s sponsor. When a person’s memory is filled beyond their capacity, that person dreams and exchanges information during that state. All the useless knowledge and unnecessary experiences combine and that the shape of the world of Moera. People’s negative emotions move on to create the nightmare known as Faydoom.

The anime’s site is located at http://www.bs-i.co.jp/anime/yumeria/ where you’ll find episode summaries, screen captures, character bios, and cast listing. http://www.yumeria.com is already taken by the PS2 video game, which has tons of screen shots and wallpapers.

The Breakdown
I ranked Yumeria a tenth of a point higher than Mahoromatic because of the ending.

Synopsis
Martian Successor Nadesico is the story of a spaceship and its somewhat unlikely crew that begins on a journey to Mars, which has been occupied by aliens. Their mission is to discover the fate of the humans that lived there before the invasion and to search for and rescue any possible survivors. Of course, that’s just basic background information. Really, Nadesico is about the crew themselves and their own personal journies and relationships. The main character, Akito, has the most to deal with and the longest to travel, dealing with a frightful past and an uncertain future.

Review
Nadesico is an anime with a lot of genres. It’s mech action, it’s drama, but more than anything else, it’s comedy. The way the characters behave and interact is very fun. Even in the most dramatic moments the comedy is there, which is a double-edged sword. You might say that the comedy cheapens the drama and spoils the serious moments. But on the other hand, the comedy is part of what draws you in towards the beginning of the series when things are more frequently light-hearted. Still, in an anime as funny as this one it is a bit shocking when things go wrong. Almost unbelievable even. A couple events occur that make you think, ‘Did that really happen?’ And then you’re left with this worry in the back of your mind that things aren’t as light-hearted as they seem. But then they are. So it’s a little confusing.

Putting all that aside, Nadesico has a lot of great characters. Akito is an interesting unlikely hero type that the rest of the cast grows attached to. Ruri is a child-prodigy with a mysterious past. Yurika is the Nadesico’s ditzy captain who constantly claims that Akito is in love with her. The list goes on to include the mech pilots and others who are all very interesting.

Then there’s Gekiganger 3, the anime within the anime that has way too much impact on the storyline. It plays an almost rediculous role, especially towards the end of the series. I’ll spare you the details though since I don’t want to spoil anything.

Beyond that is the presentation which is of high quality. Good artwork and animation is complimented by a talented voice cast and decent soundtrack.

When it’s all over, Nadesico doesn’t really follow the path expected of it, but it does manage to remain an entertaining adventure.

The Breakdown
Nadesico is a worthwhile comedy with fun characters and some interesting story elements.

Synopsis
Video Girl Ai is about a young and ‘dateless’ man named Youta who can’t seem to tell the girl of his dreams how he really feels. One day he starts watching a video and a girl (Ai) pops out of the TV into his bedroom! She makes it her mission to make sure that Youta and his dream girl end up together. But will she really be able to stay focused on that goal?

Review
Video Girl Ai is excellent. While it could have easily been just another girly romance anime, this one did it right.

The key here is character development. Every single character feels real and emotional, and as a result, they are easy to become attached to. I cared so much about the characters, and I was surprised to be at that point in such a short series. Consider it proof of what can be accomplished in a short anime.

The Breakdown
I am completely impressed by Video Girl Ai.

Synopsis
Anything Mutsumi Goro does in life, he is so unlucky. He always gets on the train late. It rains on the day he neglects to bring an umbrella. The company where he was finally able to get a job just went bankrupt. Afterwards, he can’t even get a part time job. He is two months behind in rent for his apartment and begs his parents to send him money. Worse, he has never gone out on a date with a woman. But, that is all about to change when a fortuneteller enchants Goro’s cell phone. As he gets out from taking a bath, three guardian angels have already arrived.

Review
Ran, Tsubasa, Kurumi, Tamami, Mika, Nana, Ayumi, Akane, Yuki, Midori, Momo, and Ruru. Twelve guardian angels that were once the souls of pet animals that Mutsumi Goro raised as a child but all died tragically. They’ve now come back to return the favor for what he did for them in the past pledging to protect him even if they have to sacrifice themselves. A heart warming anime series, Angel’s Tail (Tenshi no Shippo) is directed by Kazuhiro Kochi and produced by Wonderfarm, also known for its work in Hand Maid May.

The Breakdown
Angel’s Tail has more to offer than Hand Maid May and Ah! My Goddess. If it stretched 26 episodes then it might be on equal standing to Love Hina and Fruits Basket.

Synopsis
Was it all just a dream or a vision? No, it was real all right. It all began on the day Kanzaki Hitomi asked the tarot cards if she’d find true love. She made a promise that if she could run 100 meters in under 13 seconds, then Amano-sempai was to give Hitomi her first kiss. As Hitomi sprints, the Earth and the world of Gaea overlap momentarily creating a portal. From the gateway proceed forth Van, heir to the throne of Fanelia, and a fire-breathing land dragon.

Review
Escaflowne or Vision of Escaflowne is a 26 episode anime television series produced by Sunrise Studio. It first aired in Japan from April 2 to September 24, 1996. It then was broadcasted BRIEFLY in edited form on FOX Kids between August and October 2000 episodes 2-10 (episode 1 was cut) and a butchered half of episode 11. It was canceled officially during early plot development and replaced with Nascar Racers due to ratings. The shows before and after it both received higher ratings than Escaflowne. Word on the internet says that the FOX network originally acquired Escaflowne in order to compete with Gundam. The edits in background music and a focus more heavily on Van as the main character instead of Hitomi clashed with the animation and story. As latter episodes revealed that Vision of Escaflowne was more of a dramatic love story than action series it was yanked off the air. Another reason is that the series was too episodic, that missing an episode meant missing a vital part of the storyline (I myself did not know Escaflowne was on tv until I accidentally stumbled upon it while flipping through channels. Already it was in the middle of episode 4 and I had no idea what the story was like in the previous episodes). The show did appear on YTV in Canada for some time after it was cancelled in America, much like how the English Yugioh episodes on YTV are already past the final rounds of Battle City while KidsWB is painstakingly behind.

The Breakdown
Escaflowne has everything one can ask for in an anime. You see battling with the sword and in their guymelefs, floating ships and castles, cat girls to princesses to a doppelganger, love triangles and affairs, prophesying, fortune telling, and luck amplification. The ending is moving and picture perfect.

Synopsis
Was it all just a dream or a vision? Kanzaki Hitomi is an unfortunate girl. She is without a boyfriend, doesn’t belong in any clubs, and has just quit the athletics squad. Everyone is energetic except for her. Hitomi is tired of it all. She sleeps all day long to disappear from a world that takes no notice of her. Suddenly, a shrouded man calls out to her: Let this sad world and everything in it just vanish. You who share the same dreams as I come to my far away homeland. You the chosen one, the Goddess of Wings, shall fulfill your destiny.

Review
Escaflowne the Movie A Girl in Gaea appeared in select theaters January 25, 2002. It was advertised as A Place You’ve Never Seen and A Story You’ll Never Forget. For an already perfect series, there was great expectation for the movie to either be as astounding and on equal footing as the originals or even surpass them on a whole new scale. However, it was that expectation that lead the movie to its downfall. The movie was not meant to be a sequel or prequel but was to be appreciated standing alone as a retelling of the story from a totally different viewpoint. The plot itself has little resemblance to the series storyline. Those turn of events that were similar and the choice of characters to include in the movie were forced.

The Breakdown
Escaflowne the Movie proved impossible to stand up against the anime series.

Synopsis
Space age technology transforms girl-phobic Junta into the infamous Mega-Playboy! (He hasn’t got any special powers, but the force of his charm is superhuman.) All the prettiest girls in school fall madly in love with him, and with so many in pursuit, mayhem is sure to follow!

Review
If you thought puking when experiencing something sexually stimulating was bad, think again. How about farting when you are nervous? Do not laugh; I am sure there are people in this world that propel methane gas when they are nervous, in this case, Kotomi Takanashi. But let us not get too ahead of volume two; Kotomi plays a role in the later episodes in this volume. So things are starting to get real interesting, Junta’s mega playboy DNA goes on and off at any given moment. He already has Tomoko, Ami and Karin in his grasp; well Ami is different from the other girls in a way, because she loves Junta for Junta, not the mega playboy.

The thing about Junta is that he likes Karin, not Ami or the other girls. So in episode three he goes and shops for a gift to show her his love for her. A simple task right? Well, not when you are limited by your life savings, which is five thousand yen. After much struggle with what he should get, Junta makes his purchase and bumps into Tomoko (Saeki). Tomoko who is one of the girls on mega playboy’s hit list quickly thinks that the necklace Junta had bought was for her. This causes the fun for us and the hell for him as he is forced to go shopping with Tomoko (Comon guys, we all know how it is when shopping with females :P). Anyways after some scenes Tomoko invites herself into Junta’s home and the necklace problem is solved… or is it? Now that the necklace is passed onto Ami, Junta is now in an even deeper problem than he was before. Since Ami is his childhood friend, he has to consider her feelings more. It would hurt her if he had just requested the necklace back from her. Ahhh! What to do now? As if this was not troublesome, a new girl gets on the mega playboy hit list!

You heard that right. Kotomi, who is Ami’s best friend, falls in love with Junta when she sees him in the mega playboy form on one sunny morning. Quite a twist we have here, because Kotomi at first had no feelings for Junta and Ami was on the verge of confessing her love to Junta, but now Ami knows about Kotomi’s feelings and they both are best friends… Ami would leave the triangle (well, not really a triangle considering the other girls involved with Junta). The main focus of volume two finally comes in as the story merges Kotomi into all of the fuss. As I have pointed out earlier, Kotomi has a gassing problem when she gets nervous. Funny and sad at the same time; funny in that she passed gas at the right and wrong time (right time, because Ami was confessing her love to Junta and this prevented it, wrong time, because Ami was in the act of confessing to Junta!!) Sad, in that she went out and change her whole image because her mind set was that, “It is the exterior that counts, not the interior.” (Basically, low self-esteem) Pretty typical mind set for some girls nowadays. Girls, trust me, guys prefer personality than a pretty face. What kind of stupid relationship will it be if you only loved someone for their looks? Humans do age; a pretty face will not last forever. If a guy loves you only for your looks, then you should move on, as that kind of guy will always pursue looks, not love. So anyways moving back to DNA2, I do not think you would be too proud of yourself if you dropped a bomb in front of the person you love or like. As a result, Kotomi changes herself and whew, she is a completely different person than she was before. I am sure Kotomi will give a lot of problems to Karin as the volume comes to an end with Kotomi wearing a leotard for Junta at the school gymnasium.

The Breakdown
DNA2 is moving smoothly and as I continue to watch the series, I become more eager to watch what is coming up next. My views on this series have changed dramatically and for the good due to volume two. It might be the same for you, so if you doubted to continue the series after watching volume one, consider again as it might grab your attention later on.