Shugo Chara!

A rather popular anime in Japan from 2008-2009, Shugo Chara!, is not your average magical girl series (but, it still is). The story revolves around Hinamori Amu, a 5th-6th grader at Seiyo Elementary who's struggling with a rather backwards problem—the kids at school think she's "cool and spicy," but alas, that is not her true self. After wishing to be her "would-be self" one night, she wakes up the next morning with three patterned eggs in her bed of three colors: red, blue, and green. The eggs hatch into Amu's guardian characters (shugo kyara): one a sporty, peppy cheerleader, one a soft-spoken artist, and the other a girly, housewife-like girl. When Amu is invited into the Guardians, her school's student council, things get interesting when they reveal their own guardian characters to her, and Amu is named the Joker, as the only member of the guardians with the ability to perform a character transformation (sort of a fusion with a guardian character) and purify X-eggs, children's eggs of the heart that have been tainted by sadness or by forced means. And so Amu and the Guardians fight Easter, an evil organization bent on finding the Embryo, the legendary egg that will make one wish come true.

Aside from a slightly repetitive storyline, the plot focuses on Amu's relationships with Tadase (the King, leader of the Guardians, and the boy Amu likes), and Ikuto (a loner, and member of Easter that constantly bugs Amu). Although rather obvious who Amu will end up with, the anime's romance is actually quite enticing, if you're into rather cute-ish love stories (XD). The fanbase takes very radical standpoints. Either you're a diehard Amuto fan (Amu x Iktuo) or a diehard Tadamu dan (Amu x Tadase), and there are much more Amuto fans, much to my dismay. Yes, I am a Tadamu fan. In fact, Tadase is my favorite anime character. But anyway...

Overall, the manga is much much better than the anime. After season one, the anime strays very far from the manga and gets extremely repetitive. I suggest reading the manga if you were to dive into this series. It really is a good series, combining elements of magical girl, innocent romance, comedy, and a pretty good storyline (the whole concept is really great though). I would rate the anime's first season a 7/10, the second season, Shugo Chara Doki!!, a 5/10, and the manga a 9/10 (but I'm kinda biased). The theme songs are extremely poppy, and all are done by Hello!Project units formed specifically for the purpose of the anime. All of the endings are by Buono!, a 3-member H!P unit, and all of them are simply amazing in my opinion. I'm into the cute-pop songs though (although Buono! adds some rock), ahaha.

I recommend this manga series strongly. It ended, and is only about ten volumes long, so it's a quick read that is definitely worth it. 9/10. Read more!

Bakuman. First Impression

Plot Summary: "Moritaka Mashiro, a junior high school student, content to live out a relatively normal life as any other does, is persuaded by his classmate, Akito Takagi, to become an aspiring mangaka when the latter realizes his natural talent as an artist. However, Moritaka is reluctant to pursue his dream as his uncle, once a mangaka with his own serializations, died from overwork trying to regain his lost status. With Akito's help, Takagi gets another classmate and his school crush, Azuki Miho, who is an aspiring voice actress, to voice in the anime adaptation of their future manga once it is completed. However, Mashiro also proposes to Azuki, who surprisingly accepts only on the condition she will marry him when both of them have achieved their dreams. With a goal set before him, Mashiro begins a long and struggling path to become a famous mangaka."
-AnimeNewsNetwork

First impression: Just from watching the first episode of this new anime, I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to watching the rest of the series and you should be expecting a full review after it is finished airing. So far, I really like the idea of the show. It seems very original and very promising. I hope you check out the show too, I think it's worth it.

Characters: So far I really like the characters. As of right now, my favorite is Akito Takagi because he is a very prestigious student, who happens to love manga and anime! He is very persistent, bold, smart and determined. The other characters have many unique features too, but he just stands out to me. I am excited to learn more about the characters and can't wait for the next episode.

Check out this show, and tell me what you think (comment). I really hope you get as hooked to it as I am. ^^ Read more!

Gakuen Mokushiroku: High School of The Dead

Director: Tetsuro Araki
Written by: Yosuke Kuroda
Studio: Madhouse
No. of episodes: 12

WARNING: CONTAINS A LARGE AMOUNT OF FANSERVICE

Gakuen Mokushiroku: High School of The Dead is basically an apocalyptic zombie anime. This anime has a great storyline and most of the characters aren't too bad. One thing that really, REALLY brings the anime down is the amount of fanservice. Basically, it is filled with it. Almost if not every episode has many "fanservicy" parts in it. If you can look past that though, the concept is great and the anime really plays out very well.

Plot: (9.5/10)
The plot in this anime was really amazing. I wasn't too keen on watching it at first, but as soon as I saw the first episode, I was hooked. The story revolves around a group of 5 teenagers and 1 adult. It's basically how they learn to survive in a world that has already ended. The anime is pretty intense, but somehow they manage to fit in so much fanservice. If the anime did not have that factor, it would be much better in my eyes. Overall, the plot is great and if you're wondering if you should watch it, you should. Of course, if you can't deal with the large amount of frequent fanservice, don't watch it. I personally loved the anime, but just for the story.

Characters: (7/10)
(Marked down for fanservice)


Takashi Komuro - Quiet, depressed -> strong, protective. He was apathetic at first, but he grew into someone worth relying on.


Saeko Busujima - Tough, mysterious. She was the kendo club leader at the high school and is a master with swords.


Kouta Hirano - Nerdy, brave. He is the geek who sits at home and plays shooter games all of the time. He knows everything about guns.


Shizuka Marikawa - Bubbly, innocent. She is the nurse at school who is all over the place and can't get anything together.


Miyamoto Rei - Sensitive, strong. She is a character that is mostly depressed in the beginning of the series, but becomes a great companion to everyone.


Saya Takagi - Brilliant, annoying. She basically thinks that she is better than everyone else. She turns out to be okay in the end, but she was quite annoying in the beginning.

Animation: (7.5/10)
(Marked down for fanservice)
The actual art style in this anime I like. The fanservice is very annoying, but the art style and the movements seem pretty good. I liked the unique art style in this anime, and I hope that you do too.

Overall: (8/10)
The show was great, but the ending really disappointed me. If you end up watching this show, please tell me your opinion on the ending too. Other than that though, it was a great experience and I hope to find another anime soon that's just as good without the fanservice!

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Kaichou wa Maid-Sama!

Director: Hiroaki Sakurai
Studio: J.C.Staff
Kaichou wa Maid-Sama is based upon the popular manga titled Maid Sama! throughout the series, you meet the following three main characters:
Misaki Ayuzawa - the first female president of the student body.
Usui Takumi - a male heartthrob notorious for breaking almost every girls heart.
Hinata Shintani - Misaki's childhood friend who has had a crush on her since he met her when they were younger.

Plot: (9/10)
The basis of this story revolves around the three main characters mentioned above. The series starts off with just Misaki and Usui being regular students attending high school in Japan. Yes, you're right. This show is a school romance, and a funny one at that! The school they attend was an all guy school notorious for wild students, but they recently switched to co-ed. It starts out with Usui falling for Misaki, while everyone else in the school cowers in fear before her. You see, she is a very strong person who lives with her mother and her sister. Her father abandoned the family and left them with nothing. Because of these troubles, she grew into a very independent, reliable person. She is not afraid to enforce the rules at school, hence the reason why everyone is afraid of her. Anyways, the event that really kicks the show into motion (and has Usui start falling for Misaki) is when Usui discovers that the president (Misaki) actually works a part-time job at a maid cafe in the next town over! From this point on, things become interesting, and just when you think you know what's going to happen, a twist appears.

Characters: (10/10)


Misaki Ayuzawa - Strong, reliable. Misaki is the head of the student body and is feard by most of the school. Her reputation is solid, but nobody knows that she works as a maid for a part-time job... at first.


Usui Tamuki - Cool, quiet. He is basically the master of everything, but the only one he goes for is Misaki even when he can have any other girl.


Hinata Shintani - Bubbly, hungry. Hinata is always hungry, and usually pretty content. He is persistent and there's more to him than meets the eye.

Animation: (9/10)
The animation in this show so far seems pretty good to me, but I've heard some people say that it looks too "2-D". This doesn't bother me, but just as a warning to all of the people who really pay attention to the art style, this one isn't unique. It looks a lot like other shoujos, so beware. Other than that, it's a great show and I hope you like the art style!

Overall: (9.3/10)
This show is great I really enjoy it. One downside is the ending. Sure, it's not bad, but it's kind of a let down that the show just stops after that. You'll know what I mean if you watch it. Still, I really enjoy it. If you want more evidence that it's a great show, check out Animeseason's highest rated anime list. As of today, it is number one! Read more!

Bleach: Story Arch 1 (Anime & Manga)

Manga:
Written by: Tite Kubo
Published by: Shueisha

Anime:
Directed by: Noriyuki Abe
Written by: Masashi Sogo
Music by: Shirō Sagisu
Studio: Studio Pierrot

The Bleach series really interested me, at first. I started watching the show a while back, and I got into the 2nd or 3rd story arch, but I just couldn't take it anymore. Frankly, the story line is very good, but there are way too many filler episodes. I personally loved the first story arch, and I recommend watching it. I also later read the whole first arch again, and I loved it just as much. It doesn't matter if you read it or if you watch it, but the first story arch is very good.

Plot: (9/10)
The story revolves around a teenager named Ichigo Kurosaki, who happens to have a high level of spiritual power. What does this mean? It basically just means that he has good connections with spirits, and can even see most of them. He happens to see a shinigami, or death god, named Rukia. Long story short, he is put in a situation that forces him to become a shinigami himself in order to protect his family. The 1st arch is all about his crazy adventure in the shinigami world trying to rescue someone dear to him.

Characters: (9/10)


Ichigo Kurosaki: Cool, chill. He is on the sarcastic side, but very serious. He can be a bit goofy at times, though. Basically, don't mess with him.



Chad: Kind, gentle hearted. He is very strong, but will not use his strength for anything that might harm another.



Orihime - Very bubbly, kind. She is the kind of person that could just become friends with you in an instant.



Uryu - Smart, dangerous, confident. He is a bit cocky, but he is also a genius and a warrior.



Rukia: Stubborn, but kind. She is very strong willed and will try to obey the rules.

Animation: (8/10)
I am not really the best person to ask about this. I personally do not care about the animation in an anime. I thought this one was fine, but that I've seen better ones before. There is nothing wrong with it though and I hope that you don't mind it either. One good thing is that the fight scenes look very cool. You get more out of the fight scenes in the anime than you do in the manga.
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Dragon Ball Kai

Studio: Toei Animation
No. of episodes: 70+

(8.5/10)Dragon Ball Kai (as it is known in Japan) is a remake of the popular show Dragon Ball Z. In English, Dragon Ball Kai is actually known as Dragon Ball Z Kai. The reason I leave out the "Z" is because I am watching it in Japanese, thus am reviewing the Japanese version. On another note, Dragon Ball Kai had a lot of unimportant fillers, as if fillers are ever important, removed. With only the important episodes left, Toei Animation resized all of them to a 16:9 widescreen picture. The remastering, so far, was done very well. To all of the Dragon Ball Z fans out there: Don't miss this one. Read more for my opinion and rating.
Dragon Ball Kai is just as good as Dragon Ball Z, or it it better? That's really up to the viewer. One thing that irks me is that in the English version playing on Nicktoons, all of the blood is removed. What is the point of an intense action anime if there is no blood? I understand why they did it though. Small children will be viewing that and it just isn't suitable for them. That's why I watch the Japanese version though! Back to my review, Dragon Ball Kai is very good. I love to watch it, and I hope you will too if you see it. So far I would give the show an 8.5 out of 10. Go watch it!(8.5/10)

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Picture from: http://buzzyet.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dragon-ball-kai-13.jpg
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xxxHOLiC

Length: 26 episodes, 1 movie

(8.5/10)Summary: Watanukee (the boy on the right) is a slightly nerdy highschool student with a very strange trait: He's followed around relentlessly by spirits. One day, his spastic wanderings to get away from the spirits lead him to the house of Yuko, who grants people wishes for an equivalent price. She claims she will stop the spirits from following Watanukee if he does her cooking and cleaning. The job sounds easy at first, but soon Watanukee discovers that Yuko lives in no ordinary house, and keeps no ordinary company. Watanukee has to keep his contract with Yuko, while attempting to win the heart of his crush, Himuware, and avoid Domakee, his self-proclaimed arch nemesis. The result is a creepy, mysterious, and sometimes humorous adventure for Watanukee.

Review:
Story: 8/10 The concept of xxxHOLiC is strong and different. However, this anime does not follow in a gradual arc throughout. Most episodes can be watched as stand-alones, but viewing the first portion of the series is important to figure out what is going on.
Art: 6/10 Not my preference in this chategory. The world looks almost dreary at most times, and style in general is extremely simple. However, I must hand it to them that this simple, dreary style is well-executed throughout, and stays relatively close to the manga's. (Originally drawn by CLAMP)
Characters: 9/10 Watanukee is the deffinition of the classic anime spazz, accompanied by calm and collected Yuko. Yuko's dry whitty (and sometimes perverted) sense of humor and Watanukee's inability to take a joke combine to bring an entertaining outcome, though Watanukee's frequent outbursts do grow tiresome after 26 episodes of his freaking out. Those of you who have read/watched Tsubasa RESEVoir CHroNiCLE will probably recognise Yuko as the time/space witch, along with the smart mouthed magic puff ball known as Mokina. Watching these three in particular interact throughout really made the show for me.

Overall? I'd have to give xxxHOLiC an 8.5/10. I love the characters, as well as the relentless torture Yuko puts Watanukee through (it's a sight to see) I don't think I'd call this a must-see, but it's certainly worth your time.(8.5/10)

Until next time, thanks for reading.
~The Silver Strike Alchemist Read more!

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai (Second Season)

WARNING: SPOILERS
WARNING: THIS ANIME CONTAINS BLOOD AND GORE
Director: Chiaki Kon
Studio: Studio Deen
No. of episodes: 24
(9/10)Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai is basically meant to explain why things happened. This story is told from the perspective of Rika, and what secrets she has kept throughout the first season. If you were wondering, "why does everything just start over every chapter?", there is an explanation for that. In fact, a new character is even introduced in Kai, but the truth is is that she had been there throughout the entire 1st season.
Each chapter of the first season really did happen, but each one is in a different parallel world. Rika can travel through these worlds with the help of her "friend". I don't want to give everything away, so you should watch it for yourself. There was a purpose for each chapter in the 1st season, and everything was necesarry for the final outcome.
I loved this show and I definitely recommend it. I would give this show a 9 out of 10. It was fantastic and enjoyable. I hope you like it as much a I did!(9/10)

For more info on the series, click HERE.

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Angel Beats!

*WARNING: SPOILERS*
Written by and Music by: Jun Maeda
Directed By: Seiji Kishi
Produced By: Kenji Horikawa, Hiro Maruyama, Hironori Toba
Studio: P.A. Works
Licensed by: Aniplex
Aired (Japan): April 3, 2010 - June 26, 2010
No. of Episodes: 13 + 1 special

(8/10)Angel Beats! is a fantastically well put together anime. The setting is in a world after death, but before new life. It was created for teens who did not get to finish living their childhood and had past regrets. This place was like a purgatory. Yuzuru Otonashi, the main character of this show, joined a resistence against God named the SSS as soon as he woke up in the new world. This resistence was founded by Yuri Nakamura, a teenage girl who wanted to stay in the new world instead of vanishing like most people do. When people make up for their regrets, they vanish without a trace.
The one person that enforces the rules of this world the most is Kanade Tachibana, a misunderstood human taken to be an angel sent by God to lay down the rules. Yuri has assembled this resistence in order to eliminate Kanade and live in peace on the world between death and new life. The battles are always fierce, but in this world nobody can die, but each person can still feel the pain of it.
This anime was wonderful even though it's so short. I would definitely give it a 8 out of 10. This show is funny, sad, and intense. If you get a chance, watch it.(8/10)

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Nyan Koi!

Writer: Sato Fujiwara
Directed by: Keiichiro Kawaguchi
Studio: AIC
No. of episodes: 12
(8/10)Nyan Koi! is a very comical anime about a high school student named Junpei Kōsaka. Junpei, who is allergic to cats, breaks the head of a holy cat statue and becomes cursed. He is able to understand cats, phase one of the curse, and he must fulfill 100 cats' wishes (1 per cat) or else he will become a cat himself. Due to his allergies, if he becomes a cat himself he will die because he will be allergic to himself and won't be able to breath. His journey is pretty interesting and quite funny at times, but just a warning: this show contains a pretty large amount of fan service.
Junpei Kōsaka likes this girl named Kaede Mizuno, who lives in a household of dogs but absolutely loves cats. She is only friends with Junpei and does not plan on anything else, and what makes it worse is that she is totally oblivious to the fact that he likes her. She realizes this later in the show, but there is always something stopping the two from getting together. There is another girl named Kanako Sumiyoshi who likes Junpei Kōsaka, but he has no feelings for her. She tries desperately to get him to like her, but she realizes something while trying. Watch the show to find out what happens to him with all of his cat mojo and all of the crushes. Oh, did I mention that there was magic too? Watch it to find out more!
This anime is definitely worth watching except for the fan service - unless of course you're interested in that sort of stuff. Anyways, I rate this anime a because it is very enjoyable, but not something to go crazy about. I hope you enjoy it too (if you watch it)!(8/10)

For more information click HERE. Read more!

Death Note (TV)

*WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*
Author (Manga): Tsugumi Ohba
Director: Tetsurō Araki
Writer: Toshiki Inoue
Studio: Madhouse
No. of episodes: 37

(9.5/10)Death Note is the intense story of Light Yagami, a genius who comes across a supernatural notebook, the Death Note, during his high school years. Light quickly dismisses the thought that the Death Note is real and he simply believes that it is a prank. The Death Note has many rules, and on the first page it says that if you write down someone's name and have that person's face in your mind, that person will die.
The Death Note has many rules, so Light was thought that the person that made it went too far for a simple prank. So, he brought the book home and tested it out on a criminal shown on TV. Just as the notebook claims, the criminal died. It was that moment that Light had an idea, to change the world forever.
Light's goal was simple: End crime by killing every criminal and striking fear into people's hearts so that crime would never be committed again. He was to become the ruler of a new world.
After five days of judgment (killing the major criminals), the previous owner of the Death Note appeared. Ryuk, a death god, had dropped his notebook into the human world simply because he was bored. The human that picked up his notebook, Light, had become the new owner until death unless he gave it up. Ryuk became his partner, but only people who touch the Death Note can see and hear Ryuk, so no one would know about him unless they touched the notebook.
Light soon became known as Kira (derived from the word killer) throughout the world. However, he was up against the police at first and the world's best detective: L. L proved to be the most difficult challenge to Kira at first and Light was beginning to be figured out.
If I say any more I will be giving away too much of the story. It's a wonderful show and I hope you watch it soon. I watched it English subbed, but it's also out in English (dubbed). Light has a wonderful voice actor in Japanese and from what I've heard so far, the Japanese version (subbed version) is better. Anyways, This show definitely deserves at least a 9.5 out of 10 for it's excellence. However, not all of the characters are that pleasing. I think it's a very well thought out show and it should definitely be watched. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it!(9.5/10)

For more information on this show click HERE. Read more!

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni

Directed By: Chiaki Kon
Length: 26 episodes

(8/10)Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is a strange show that you will probably think makes no sense. There are different chapters in the show, each one completely different. There is a similar pattern in each chapter, but something totally new at the same time. Every character has his or her strengths and weaknesses, but certain things can overcome them all. I know this isn't a very long review, but this show is pretty indescribable. It's something you need to see on your own. I loved it, but it's not for everyone. I recommend it to those who like mystery and comical shows. I'd give this show about an 8 out of 10. This show has mild gore, so keep that in mind before watching. Have fun!(8/10) Read more!

Fullmetal Alchemist- 2003

(9.7/10)Fullmetal Alchemist was originally a shonen manga written and drawn by Hiromu Arakawa. It ran in Shonen Gangan magazine from August 2001 to April 2010 and has become one of the most popular manga titles in the business. The plot of the first anime (There has been a second since- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) differs greatly from the manga's plot during the second season of the series, so I'll be covering it separately. :)

Shorthand: FMA

Japanese: Hagaren no Renkinjutsushi

Length: 51 episodes

Summary: Brothers Edward (Ed) and Alphonse (Al) Elric live in the military-controlled country of Amestris in an Eastern farming village called Resembool. Following the death of their beloved mother, Ed and Al attempt to revive her by use of Alchemy, the science of understand the structure of matter, breaking it down, and rebuilding it as something else. The most basic concept of alchemy is the principle of Equivalent Exchange: In order to create, something of equal value must be lost. Because nothing could possibly equal the value of a human soul, their attempt fails, creating a monster that couldn't even pass for a human being. The price of the transmutation (To transmute is to use alchemy on something) was so heavy that Edward's left leg was taken, as well as Alphonse's entire body. Thinking quickly, Ed attached the soul of his younger brother to a suit of armor, paying with his right arm.

Outfitted with Automail, metal prosthetic limbs that function like normal arms and legs, Ed sets of on a quest with his brother to find a way to return themselves to their original bodies. In order to gain access to higher level research materials on alchemy, Edward becomes a State Alchemist bearing the code name Fullmetal. The brothers focus their search on the Philosopher's Stone, a mythical artifact giving the user the ability to bypass the law of Equivalent Exchange. Along the way, the brothers encounter horrors caused by alchemy, corrupt operations within the military, and the frightening truth about the Philosopher's Stone and Human Transmutation.

Review: Fullmetal Alchemist has gained one of the biggest reputations in anime. But can it live up to the hype? Its storyline is powerful yet not so complex that watchers need to view the series several times to fully understand. The plot successfully combines action, adventure, science fiction, and drama with scattered humor, giving viewers a good combination of serious and silly. Some of the 1st season contains filler, however in some cases the fillers are important parts to a character's development or even a turning point in a character's life. I wouldn't go as far as saying that there aren't any episodes that could have been done without, however it isn't like trudging through Naruto trying to find an episode that actually has some sort of point to the overall story.

The main characters are likable, but slightly generic. However the dynamic supporting cast is what makes it what it is. This anime is somewhat limited on the actual number of "bad guys." Characters who you would think to be pure evil turn out to have understandable motives. Some characters appear to have taken a complete 180 by the series' end. Some people that you initially hate you end up loving in the end.

The English Dub of Fullmetal boasts an all-star cast to say the least. Big names in anime such as Vic Mignogna (Edward Elric), Travis Willingham (Roy Mustang), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Riza Hawkeye), Laura Bailey (Lust), Sonny Straight (Maed Hughes), Caitlin Glass (Winry Rockbell) and Dameon Clarke (Scar). The Fullmetal Dub truly shows how far acting in anime has come in past years. We all remember the lovely days of old Yu-Gi-Oh! right? O_O I kinda wish I didn't...

Though the art style of the Fullmetal Alchemist Anime differs greatly from the style used in the manga, the series is well-drawn pretty much all the way through, though I can think of a couple scenes that look somewhat sloppy. (This may just be because I'm something of an art Nazi) With this slight exception, the series is beautifully drawn, written, and acted. All in all, I'd give this anime a 9.7 out of 10. I fell in love with the characters, powerful story, and message. This makes a perfect starting anime for anyone trying to get into the culture.(9.7/10)

Hope this was helpful to you guys! Until next time,
The Silver Strike Alchemist
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Elfen Lied

Directed By: Mamoru Kanbe
Original Story and Manga Written By: Lynn Okamoto
Length: 13 episodes

(8.5/10)Elfen Lied was a definitely one of my all time favorite animes. I loved the characters and the story was pretty amazing too. There is the factor of some nudity at parts throughout the show though, but I still think that it really was worth watching. It's basically about these humans (girls) born with a disease that gives them an extraordinary power. This disease causes them to kill everyone, even their own parents. These so called humans aren't really humans anymore and most of them are killed when they are born because people believe them to be the enemy of the human race.
This story is mainly about one "diclonius" (the name given to those with the disease) named Lucy. This story shows the back stories, so the viewer can see why things turned out the way it did. I'd give this show about an 8.5 out of 10. I definitely recommend this, but due to the nudity, I insist that you contemplate if you really should watch it before you do. One other issue is that there is a pretty good amount of blood. Make sure to think about this before you watch it! Be careful!(8.5/10)
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