About me, blah blah blah:

My reviews began as a sloppy attempt to add content to my website. I didn't consider maintenance, which made it harder and harder to update over time, so I let the section lapse. I considered dumping it after stagnating for years, but I realized anime fans changed a lot while I stayed mostly the same. Where do people like me go for anime reviews? I decided this would be the purpose of my review section.

I'm an old school anime fan, so fantasy/sci-fi titles in the 80s and 90 were right up my alley. Older anime fans loved the technical aspects that gave anime a majesty mostly absent in modern titles. Currently anime is defined by things like moe and high school romantic comedies. That's not a bad thing, but it certainly is a shift from when I started watching this stuff. Being counter to popular anime culture, these reviews are not intended for most anime fans, and that probably includes you. But maybe it doesn't...

I have no corporate sponsors, advertisements, fans, and probably no enemies either. I belong to no community I worry about offending, nor do I have a circle of blogger friends I feel obligated to support. My reviews are between you and me. If you trust me, and get what I'm saying, I hope you'll find the lack of outside influence refreshing. Sometimes I consider the fan consensus for a title, but this site stands on its own. Mind you, a big reason I do reviews is because I rarely agree with others. This probably includes you. But maybe it doesn't...

I am not a connoisseur of anime. I don't discuss animation studios or directors. Connoisseurs care about these things. I only watch anime because I like it, and if I'm not in the mood, I don't (I hate listening to people who are clearly burned out on anime, put down shows instead of giving anime a rest.) I only watch anime I think I might enjoy. My tastes in anime are very diverse, but some stuff just isn't for me (otome anime for instance). I don't watch titles just to hate on them, and my ego isn't so big that I watch titles JUST so everyone knows my take on them. This isn't my job.

Reviews are cut down to the basics, and not tailored specifically to anime fans. This means they're often redundant, and could easily make very clear points by use of references or anime lingo. I've never liked the high bar to entry into the anime world, and I try to keep reviews at a level a relative newcomer could understand and find useful.

You're probably here for one of two reasons: You want to read opinions on a show you've seen, or you don't want to waste time watching crap. I focusing on older titles because they're often overlooked. After you've watched the latest catalog of anime titles, you either wait for the next season, or watch a title from the past. There's plenty of great titles you've never seen, and more than a few to avoid. Hopefully you'll find these reviews informative enough to make informed decisions on what to watch, or find an interesting take on a title you've already seen.

Highly Recommended

No one cares what I think and I'm well aware of that. But I think nearly everyone gets asked for recommendations sooner or later. If you're starting from scratch (and for some reason on my site) I'd guess you need a starting point, so my page would be incomplete without one of these lists. So here you go.

Personal Favorites

Honorable Mention:

Title Reason Notes
Vampire Hunter D Influential One of the first titles to hit American shores. Old school, but cool.
Neon Genesis EvangelionClassic Must see for anime fans. You may like it, or you may not
Battle Angel Classic Sad but soo good!
Mermaid Saga Classic Mermaid Scar + Mermaid Forest = twisted classic anime
Fairy Princess RenMost Insane Anime Wow man... wow.

Where to buy

In keeping with my mantra of supporting businesses that aren't giant evil corporations, I recommend Robert's Anime Cornerstore. I'm not a shill, nor do I get kickbacks from them. Fast and friendly service, from a store that's run by an actual anime fan. Been ordering from here for years.