We are at, again, the end of another year. As I am wont to do, I watched anime again and I am here to review it for you, my fine reading populace. However, my anime watchings is not something I do alone with a bucket of Haagan Daas in hand. I watch it while downing manly drinks and filling myself with sugar in the company of a couple of my many brothers. So, this year, I'm turning this series of reviews into a family affair. Since they missed out last year, we'll also be touching on some stuff I've already reviewed. Enjoy!

Outlaw Star

Synopsis Another entry in a long line of 90s space westerns. Gene Starwind and Jim Hawkings are the purveyors of a business that handles various odd jobs (think Han Solo). Through one of these jobs, they find themselves with a highly advanced spaceship which leads to many a crazy space adventure.

Matt I do not have many kind words for Outlaw Star. The largest problem with this show was the plot, They set things up for something large and arcing in the first couple episodes, but then dropped it until the last two. Everything in between is useless filler that doesn't do anything for the plot or characters. Adding to that, the dub was bad and the visuals were inconsistent at best. At least it had one good closer song. 2/10

Jeff Don't watch this shit, dude. Most of time it's going nowhere, and when it is moving foreward, it only does so in small steps that are completely outweighed by the amount of useless drivel that serves only to bore or annoy you. -?/10. No, I do not think my score is harsh.

Chris Outlaw Star? More like Outhouse Stall. I can't count how many times this show promised something more and then turned around and kicked me in the balls. Throw in some super annoying characters and crappy character designs and you have one of the worst shows ever made, not even taking into consideration the beach episode(in a sci-fi show?) which scarred my eyes in ways razor blades and nails never could. I'll give it a point for the accurate physics on that prison planet, though. 1/10 See our other reviews after the break.

K-ON!

Synopsis K-ON! follows the day to day happenings of four students at an all girl school who have formed a music club/band.

Matt There isn't really much to say about this show. Much like Azumanga Daioh, it's just a slice of life show that kind of, but doesn't really go anywhere. It's pretty much fluff for fluff's sake and that makes it easy to ingest. The characters, while stereotypical anime fare, are enjoyable and offer up a few chuckle worthy moments. 7/10

Jeff "K-ON!" is entertaining, to say the least. And that's all I have to say on the matter. 7/0

Chris K-ON! is a show about cute girls in a high-school music club... and that's pretty much it. Those looking for simple things like a plot should look elsewhere, but for those who just want a fun, light-hearted romp, this is a good choice. While not really unique -- all of them conforming to the usual archetypes -- the characters are all likeable and work well together. Throw in superb Kyoto Animation character designs and some good songs, and you have solid entertainment that never tries to turn serious on you. And sometimes, that's all you need in a show. 7/10

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (and Kai)

Synopsis Keiichi Maebara moves to the remote village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983 when weird things begin happening. Everybody clamors on about Oyashiro's curse, but is there more afoot?

Matt Higurashi is what you get when you combine cute moe with myster/thriller. It draws a lot of parallels to my favorite episode of Next Generation, Cause and Effect. All the loops culminate with everybody dying and we're shown a few loops from multiple perspectives. Nothing is really solved until season 2, but it has a lot of great edge of your seat moments and some characters who seemed kind of obscure initially turn out to be pretty important. This show is just some really good myster/sci-fi. 8/10

Jeff When a show begins with the gruesome murder of two girls by a crazed classmate with a baseball bat, you know shit is going to get real. And it does. Twisted and confusing at first, but wholesomely satisfying by the end, "Higurashi" is filled with adventure, mystery, and horror that leave you on the egde of your seat. 9/10

Chris Given my love for shows with cute girls, this one seemed like a no brainer. Then I found it was a horror deal, which gave me feelings of "eeeeaahhg". Then I saw the first episode and was all like, "MOAR". Higurashi may seem like an odd show on paper, with the way that it switches from light-hearted comedy fair to the much darker horror aspects. But the creators pulled it off remarkably well, making for a show that's light fun one moment, then dark and disturbing the next. The plot is engaging from beginnning to end, with everything starting out shrouded in mystery, but as time goes by and the questions are answered things are sown together to create an intricate story that culminates in a satisfying ending. All of this is helped along by a large cast of likeable characters, each with intersting back stories of their own. Overall, Higurashi is one of the best anime I've seen, and it certainly ranks in my top shows of the year. 9/10

Trigun

Matt I watched Trigun as the result of a deal with one of my many, many brothers. The stage is set on some distant planet with an old west style theme. The story is told from the perspective of a couple of girls working for an insurance claims department as they follow the world reknowned outlaw, Vash the Stampede. It feels like Trigun tries to tackle too many issues at once, attempting to be episodic while having a larger story arc. The further the show goes on, the more things fall apart, but I'll cut it some slack as the manga went into hiatus in the middle of animation. All in all, it's good but not great. 6/10

Jeff In all honesty, I have a soft spot for the wild west. I like the idea of cowboys and outlaws, showdowns at high noon and spending time drinking in a saloon between gunfights. If you add space travel science fiction, manmade sentient biological power sources who run amok with mechanical limbs, ridiculous killing techniques, overpowered revolvers and shit and you have yourself a winner. At times lighthearted and at others completely serious, "Trigun" is a must watch/read in my opinion, always entertaining while still giving you something to think about. 9/10

Chris Set on a planet far from Earth where mankind has built up into a society much like the wild west, Trigun has an appealing premise. From the sets and the characters everything feels as though you've stepped into nineteenth century western America. Unfortunately, the plot isn't as well thought out as the setting. While not bad, it takes a while to warm up, and even when it does it often times ends up dragging its feet. By the time you've reached the end, the plot hasn't had enough time to develop itself fully and ends up falling flat. Combine this with lackluster animation and oftentimes awkward character designs and things aren't looking too good. Thankfully, most of the characters are likeable, especially Vash, who is light-hearted and fun most of the time, but can be serious if necessary, although oftentimes he comes off as a pussy. However, in the end, the show doesn't live up to it's true potential, which is truly a shame. 6/10

Azumanga Daioh

Matt Watch my review of Azumanga Daioh here.

Jeff Highschool girls? Check. Insane teacher? Check. Weird english speaking cat who fathered a human? Check. Implied bestiality? Double check that shit. What about a G rating(or maybe E10+)? Yeah, it gets that, too. Somehow... 8/10

Chris Azumanga Daioh is, in many ways, similar to K-ON!, with it's focus being on cute high-school girls, but ultimately excels in ways that latter does not. While most of the characters are reminiscent of your usual anime archetypes, they manage to set themselves apart from their peers, all of them being well-written and playing off eachother perfectly. Tomo and Ms. Yukari spring to mind in this case, both being good characters in their own right, but soaring to new heights when playing off of other characters and giving them Hell. With its focus on character driven comedy, Azumanga Daioh is a must see for any anime fan. If you watch this and don't walk away smiling, you have no soul. 9/10

Remember, as the title suggests this is only part one. There's at least one, possible two more to come. Stay tuned!