NEW new rating system

Sooo...the old rating system wasn't really working out for me. I'm gonna have to redo it. Here's the new rating system, from highest to lowest rating.

WATCH IT!!!

Worth a Watch!

Decent

Average

Not too good

Bad

Big turd

Happy Valentines Day! My top five couples in anime

Happy valentines day, everyone! You'll notice I'm writing in dark red today in order to be festive without burning everyone's eyes. Anyway, to celebrate this day of romance, I've decided to compile a list of my top five anime (and manga) couples of all time. Please enjoy!

5: Kyoko and Ren of Skip Beat!

"Until today, I've never lost it like I did just now. She pulled it out of me. A part of myself that I didn't even know existed."

-Ren Tsuruga

If you know me, I know what you're thinking, and no, these guys aren't on my list soully because Skip Beat! is my favorite anime and manga series of all time. I really do like the relationship between these two. Now, where I am in the story, these two technically aren't a 'couple,' what with Ren trying hard to deny that he has feelings for Kyoko, and Kyoko being afraid to fall for anyone after being crushed by the only boy she ever loved, but there is definitely something beautiful between these two. They care a great deal about each other and bring out the best in each other, which, in my opinion, is what a relationship is all about.

4: Ichiko and Eriko of Love My Life

"Being with Ichiko literally refreshes my heart. I don't know any other girl who looks at things in such an honest way."

- Eriko to Ichiko's father

Love My Life is a short, yuri josei series penned by Ebine Yamaji. It is probably the most realistic homosexuality story I have ever read, and the main couple above may be the most passionate I have ever seen in any anime series. The love these two have for each other is so strong and so moving. The way they met, the way that they can tell what each other are thinking, and the way they act when they are together are simply beautiful.

3: Nowaki and Hiroki of Junjou Romantica

"Maybe it is impossible to be absolutely sure of anything, but I can tell you this: there is no one in this world I could ever love more than I love you."
-Nowaki to Hiroki

So it's another gay couple. Big deal. Anyway, not only are Hiroki and Nowaki the only couple in Junjou Romantica that can actually say they love each other, they are incredibly compatible with one another. While Nowaki brings out the softer side in the cool and collected Hiroki, Hiroki brings out the stronger side in the sweet and sensitive Nowaki. They do fight often throughout the series, but each time they mend a riff in their relationship, their love for each other only grows that much stronger.

2: Yukino and Arima of Kare Kano

"As you became a stranger person, my feelings for you didn't change. I loved you all along." -Arima to Yukino

Ah, the classic shojou high school couple, right? From rivals, to friends, to lovers. But there is so much more to this beautiful relationship. Now this may sound cliche'd, but I like to compare this teen pair to two peices of a couple. They're opposites of each other, but in such a way that they fit together perfectly. And they're part of the same picture as well. Although they have different stories, both are trying to throw away the "masks" they have been wearing their entire lives, and they know that they'll need each other to bring their true selves out.

1: Miria and Isaac of Baccano!

"As long as I'm with you, I could be the president! I could be a king or a queen! I could even be a joker!"

"I don't know what that means, but it's incredible!"

-An exchange between Isaac and Miria

So are you pissed that my number one is a comic releif couple? Well suck it up. Isaac and Miria are by far the most energetic and compatible couple I have ever seen in anime. These two are one. You never see one without the other. They know what each other are thinking, they can predict each other's actions, and they feed off of each other's energy. They always seem to be happy and having fun, and I think it's because they know that when they're together, nothing can bring them down. Isaac and Miria are an unstoppable pair.

Winter 2011 Season - First Impressions

Beelzebub (After 1 episode)

Synopsis: A delinquent must raise the infant son of a demon lord.

Analysis: Although this was rather entertaining with its hillarious characters and in-your-face gag comedy, it kind of needed less joke and more story to really work. If you're into this kind of humor, and/or if you are a huge Shonen fan, you will probably enjoy this series.

Rating: Meh

Following?: Nah

Dragon Crisis (after half an episode)

Synopsis: An average joe and his older second cousin seize a box containing a "dragon girl," and must protect her from an evil organization using their powers as relic handlers.

Analysis: This is a very five-out-of-ten series for me. The animation is wonderful, and there were bits I enjoyed, but there was really nothing special here that would make me want to continue.

Rating: Meh

Following?: No

Fractale (after one episode)

Synopsis: I...I'm so sorry. I have no idea how to explain this. Just see for yourself.

Analysis: The world they have created is absolutely beautiful. I was interested in everything that was happening, and the first episode was very cute and heartwarming. I have heard that this series gets more interesting as you continue it, and I can't wait to see this.

Rating: WATCH IT!!!

Following?: I would, but I have too much on my plate...

Gosick (after one episode)

Synopsis: In the victorian era, a new student meets a strange girl with an incredible talent for solving mysteries, and ends up joining her in her adventures.

Analysis: I loved the characters in this series, and was rather interested in what was happening to them. However, the mystery that was supposed to showcase the lead female's deductive skills was one that I probably could have solved. The writing also wasn't quite working. Gosick has a lot of potential, but it needs to step it up a little if it wants its viewers to get into it.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Nah

Hourou Musuko (after two episodes)Synopsis: A boy who enjoys dressing like a girl tries to mend his relationships with his friends as he enters middle school

Analysis: The art is probably the best part of the series. I think this may be my favorite art style in any series I have ever watched. I love the age group they have chosen to focus on, and the slow yet interesting pacing. However, they need to be careful not to lay the drama on too thick. Also, there are a few characters () that just annoy the hell out of me.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Yes

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? (after three episodes)

Synopsis: After being murdered by a serial killer, a boy is brought back to life as a zombie by a necromancer, who then moves in with him

Analysis: Probably the funniest show I've seen this season. Just about every single joke hit. The animation is also pretty good, and the characters are pretty much all likeable. However, this series needs to keep stepping it up, or it will get boring.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Yes

Level E

Synopsis: An average joe and star baseball player moves into an apartment, but finds that a mysterious stranger claiming to be an alien has dubbed it his new hideout.

Analysis: Um, how does "best anime of the season" sound? This series is wonderful. Interesting, unique, and hillarious. The writing is brilliant. The art style is wonderful, and this series probably has the best use of CG since Kuchu Buranko. The only problem is, the show is very anticlimactic. While this is actually working so far, they need to be careful not to take it too far.

Rating: WATCH IT!!!

Following?: Hell yes!

Mahou Shojou Madoka Magica (after one episode)

Synopsis: A girl has a strange dream about a mysterious girl. The next day, the girl shows up at school! The girl and her best friend are then exposed to a world of magic.

Analysis: This is definitely a lot darker than your average magical girl anime. If you are a fan of SHAFT, you will probably like this. The characters are all very cute and interesting, and the visuals are pretty cool.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Unfortunately, I was kind of scared off by that climax at the end. It was pretty cool, but too many colors...

Onii-chan no Koto...! (after one and a half episodes)

Synopsis: Nao's brother complex is so strong, it could probably be called incest. She one day goes so far as to throw out all of his non-incest porn. In doing so, she discovers her brother's photo album...but there are no pictures of her!

Analysis: Surprisingly, the first episode was a blast. It was hillarious to meet and watch these completely insane characters, and I laughed my ass off. However, by episode two, the humor got old, and the series just got a little uncomfortable for me.

Rating: A big turd

Following?: I may give this a second chance later on, but it's highly unlikely.

Rio: Rainbow Gate (after half an episode)

Synopsis: Rio is the "Goddess of Victory," who works in a casino and grants luck to anyone she walks by.

Analysis: ...don't do this. You have better things to do with your time. There was NOTHING redeeming about this peice of crap. The characters and story were uninteresting, the art was incredibly flat, for God's sake, this was a fanservice series and the damn fanservice wasn't even well done! These people aren't even TRYING, are they? They think they don't need a legitimate story as long as they have lolis and boobs! This show can go to Hell.

Rating: Dear God...

Following?: When Hell freezes over...

My New Rating System

For a while, I've been trying to establish a concrete rating system that was more entertaining than the standard scale of 1-10. Well, here you go! These are my five new ratings from best to worst.

WATCH IT!!!

Worth Seeing

Meh

Big Turd

Dear God...

Stay tuned for my first impressions of the winter 2011 season, where you'll get to see these used for the first time.

Number 7: Kare Kano

Looking at the picture above, you'll probably assume that Kare Kano is nothing but a simple, high school romance. I can tell you honestly that...you're not entirely wrong. However, never before have I seen a high school rom-com with as much passion and originality as Kare Kano.

On the outside, Yukino Miyazawa appears to be a perfect girl. She was the top student at her middle school, is an amazing athlete, and is kind, modest, and elegant. Or so she's lead everyone to beleive. In reality, Yukino is a nerdy and strange girl who has been putting on a show in order to gain the praise she cannot live without. Then, he showed up. Souichiro Arima. A gorgeous, popular, intellegent boy who ruined Yukino's "high school debut" by beating her on the entrance exam. Throughout the school year, Yukino finds that the mask she has been wearing may need to come off.

Although the story does have one or two slow episodes, it is usually moving straight forward, and almost always keeping you entertained. The comedy hits, the dialogue is wonderful, and many people are able to relate to some of the situations the characters get into.

The characters are probably more well developed than any show I've ever seen. Yukino and Arima have such a beautiful chemistry, despite their very different personalities. Even the supporting cast is well developed. In fact, there is one episode which tells the story of how Yukino's parents met, which I don't beleive I've ever seen in a high school comedy before. There are pretty much no background characters in Kare Kano.

The problem I do have with Kare Kano is that, as I stated earlier, the series has some very slow episodes. In fact, there were two episodes in which all they did was repeat scenes from previous episodes. I completely skipped over these, as they had absolutely no significance. There were many points in the series where I was not the least bit entertained.

Overall, Kare Kano is a well delivered, well developed, and basicly just a well done series. It is an original, fun, compelling high school love story if I have ever seen one.

Number 8: B Gata H Kei

If you watched the latest episode of MaguroCast, note that I have changed the list to make room for series I have gotten further into.

If you look at the synopsis for B Gata H Kei, you'll probably wonder what the hell I was thinking when I started watching the series. Thinking about it now, I'm actually wondering the exact same thing. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I watched B Gata H Kei, as it was surprisingly one of the best comedy anime series I saw in 2010.

Brace yourself for the synopsis, because, as I mentioned before, it's pretty crazy. The story centers around Yamada, (first name withheld for whatever reason) a high school girl with the face and body of a model. Apon entering high school, Yamada decides on a crazy goal: to have casual sex with 100 boys. However, being self concious of the fact that she is a virgin, she decides she needs to start by targeting a boy who is a virgin as well. She soon crosses paths with Kosuda, the most generic, uninteresting boy she has ever met, who, unfortunately for him, meets Yamada's criteria perfectly.

When watching the first episode of B Gata H Kei, I had incredibly low expectations just from reading the synopsis. Needless to say, I was dead wrong to assume that this series wouldn't be any good. I found myself cracking up several times, sometimes to the point of tears. What makes this series so hillarious is that, as determined as she is, Yamada has no freaking clue what she's doing. She chickens out of her supposedly "brilliant" plans, and when she actually gets the balls to do something, she has no clue where to go next. Admit it: it is so much fun to watch people screw up.

The characters...well they're all idiots. There are several points in the series where you wonder what kind of moron actually does shit like this. Some of the better supporting characters in the series include Tachibana, Yamada's best girl friend who is often rather annoyed with her one-track mind, and Kajenou, a gorgeous American girl with a severe brother complex. But if you've seen this series, you will probably be surprised with my answer. Her name is Misato. She can't really even be considered a supporting character...more like a background character. She is flat chested, short, and generally unnatractive in the eyes of men...which isn't so good considering she likes to follow hot guys around like a lost puppy and drool all over them like a bulldog. Although she only made about one, short appearence per episode, I had to smile every time she appeared.

Flaws? Oh yeah, very many. First of all, like many animes in the comedy-ecchi genre, it fails when it tries to be dramatic. The more sentemental scenes were just boring, and when you watch them, you want them to skip to the comedy as quickly as possible. Second of all, the characters, although very entertaining, were not very well developed. There are several points in the series where the characters do things that, as far as you know, are completely unlike them.

The main problem I had with B Gata H Kei was that if you're going to do a series like this, the comedy has to get better with every episode. With this series, the laugh-chart kind of moved in a straight line, and it got a little bit old after a while.

Overall, I am very glad I gave this series a try. Although I would never say it's the best comedy series I've seen, I can say that it is most likely the best ecchi. I was very sad to see this series come to an end, and I still find myself hoping for more.

My 2011 Watch List

• 30-san no Hoken Taiiku
• A Channel
• Beelzebub
• Fractale (maybe)
• Hanasaku Iroha
• Hourou Musuko
• Kampfer Season 2 (but that means I gotta finish season one!)
• Mahou Shoujo Madoka*Magica
• Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
• Shouwa Monogatari (maybe)
• Yumeki Merry
• Ga-Rei Zero
• Antique Bakery
• FINALLY finish Hayate the Combat Butler!
• Whatever else I find interesting later