In this section you'll find short reviews of some of the anime films and series I've most enjoyed. All guaranteed to be completely subjective and biased. I've tried to make as little comment on the storyline as possible because so much of the enjoyment of watching something for the first time is not knowing what's going to happen.

More reviews to come!

25m - Makoto Shinkai - review added 2003.1.1

This short film is truely a work of art in a way unlike any other anime - it was apparently made single handedly by the director and voiced by him and his girlfriend. But I didn't guess that when watching it; everything is easily up to professional standards.

The film's got a fairly simple SF story that's inspired by the classic Mecha shows such as Gunbuster. But what makes this special is the great sense of feeling that shows in every scene. The creator obviously loves anime and has put love into making this. Like all the best SF short stories this is based on a unique idea; you'll never think about a certain everyday thing in the same way again.

If you liked this, try: Gunbuster, Saikano

13? ep TV - Pioneer - review added 2003.1.1

The story of a poor university student and the titular alien who lives in her cupboard. It's basically a comedy but with plenty of dark touches and mystery. It does suffer from the common anime cliches and rather unsubtle sound effects but the unusual storyline and cute characters won me over. The designs are by one of my favourite artists, Yoshitoshi Abe, who also worked on Serial Experiments Lain and Haibane Renmei.

13 ep TV - Gonzo - review added 2003.1.1

I can't even tell you the full title of this without it being a spoiler. Suffice to say that it is stunning. Just watch the first episode fresh and you'll thank me for not telling you more. Anyone who's ever been in a relationship will believe in these characters, trying to live a normal life in circumstances that are so far from normal.

If you liked this, try: Hoshi no Koe