Anime review sites

[Mangafanatic]

Does anybody know the names of some good anime content review sites? I was considering buying Last Exile, but I don't really have any reivews to help me decide. (If anyone could PM me a content review, that would be just as good ) I know there's one an THEM anime, but I've noticed they over look somethings.

[Kireihana]

Oh, XD. I was gonna suggest THEM. I always thought they did a pretty good job... How 'bout Anime Cafe? http://www.abcb.com/. They don't have as many reviews as THEM, but they're still a good site.

Edit: But, they don't have a Last Exile review.

[shooraijin]

I was going to recommend ABCB, too, but guess ya beat me to it. ^^

Incidentally, while we're on the subject, be honest: how does CAA's review box match up to others you've seen? Is it useful?

[Mangafanatic]

To be honest. . .

It slaughters every other other review sight. I love Caa's reviews because you can count on them not leaving anything out. I've seen a few THEM reviews where they left out things like magical girl transformations and stuff. Plus, there's the added bonus of knowing if there's anything in the anime which might be offensive to me as a christian. It's more than useful.

It would also be really cool to see the equivilant of Caa's anime reivew for manga. I read manga more frequently than I watch anime; so I'd love it if there were somewhere that we could submit manga review (I could do several right off the bat.) and have official manga reviews as we have official anime reviews. That would be awesome. Just a thought.

But once more, the anime reviews are awesome.

[Retten]

http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews/
http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/2464.php (last exile volume 1)
Well that's the site I always go to they have the largest database of reviews I have ever seen and they even Include packaging, menus, and extras in their reviews an awesome site!
Another good site for information on anime titles including ones curently in Japan is http://animenfo.com/ its not really a review site but they do give descriptions and ratings.

[Shinsei]

Anime Academy (http://www.animeacademy.com) has a HUGE review section, with 400+ titles. They aren't (officially anyway) christian and therefore tend to gloss over fanservice, extreme violence, homosexuality, etc. (they gave gravitation a fairly high rating, for example) but outside that their reviews are generally pretty sound. No hentai, too. Their Last Exile review is here.

[teigeki_calesa]

I've learned not to trust reviews. Reviews are just personal opinions. Positive reviews are highly likely to be made by a gushy fanboy/girl and negative reviews are highly likely to be made by a know-it-all who seems to think that 99.9% of all anime in the market are trash and anyone who disagrees with his bashing a title is a mushbrain or a fanboy/girl.

[Mithrandir]

Out of curiosity, why was that worth a nearly 3 year grave dig...?

[KeybladeWarrior]

Well this is gravedigging. Maybe Anime News Network could be an option?

[jon_jinn]

i don't think review site suggestions are needed anymore keyblade warrior...

[teigeki_calesa]

Out of curiosity, why was that worth a nearly 3 year grave dig...?

Well, I felt I have the need to bring my opinion on the matter up and I don't want to make repetitive threads.

[Fish and Chips]

Yeah, it tends to eb and flow from site to site. Some of these places I've seen, posting in anything from last year, or even a few months ago, is nothing sort of public humiliation, whereas in other tiers, they'd rather you gravedig than make a new thread on a pre-existing topic.

People are funny in that way. Personally, it doesn't bother me unless the reply is pointless (a.k.a. "I agree").

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I've learned not to trust reviews. Reviews are just personal opinions. Positive reviews are highly likely to be made by a gushy fanboy/girl and negative reviews are highly likely to be made by a know-it-all who seems to think that 99.9% of all anime in the market are trash and anyone who disagrees with his bashing a title is a mushbrain or a fanboy/girl.

You seem to be a tad harsh on reviewers. If they don't like it, so what? It's their personal opinion. I've read reviews I've disagreed with, but no way did they seem to be some "Ultra-Egotistical reviewer on film/anime/etc". Someone disliking something is not the same as bashing. Not everybody enjoys the same thing. For example, I hated the movie Lady in the Water. That doesn't mean that I think everyone who enjoyed it was a mushbrain fanboy. Besides, most reviewers tend to be more critical and have a stricter method of judging film, anime, and whatnot. I for one feel like I fit in that category. I can be a pretty strict reviewer when it comes to entertainment. Does that mean I have this "superiority complex"? No. It's just that I appreciate different things from other people, and I have a different criteria that I look for when it comes to a good show.

Which is the reason why things like rottentomatoes.com exists. Where it collectively pulls multiple reviews and makes an average percentage.

[teigeki_calesa]

You seem to be a tad harsh on reviewers. If they don't like it, so what? It's their personal opinion. I've read reviews I've disagreed with, but no way did they seem to be some "Ultra-Egotistical reviewer on film/anime/etc". Someone disliking something is not the same as bashing. Not everybody enjoys the same thing. For example, I hated the movie Lady in the Water. That doesn't mean that I think everyone who enjoyed it was a mushbrain fanboy. Besides, most reviewers tend to be more critical and have a stricter method of judging film, anime, and whatnot. I for one feel like I fit in that category. I can be a pretty strict reviewer when it comes to entertainment. Does that mean I have this "superiority complex"? No. It's just that I appreciate different things from other people, and I have a different criteria that I look for when it comes to a good show.

Which is the reason why things like rottentomatoes.com exists. Where it collectively pulls multiple reviews and makes an average percentage.

Not really. I don't think having that criteria means that you have a "superiority complex". That's not my point.

I'll never dispute the fact that it's their opinion. Everyone has their own opinion, own tastes. And that is exactly why I am bothered by the "Ultra-egotistical review". A good number of reviewers tend to pass this message in the negatives : "Only hardcore fans will stand this show. To the rest of you, stay away!!" It's kinda like trying to discourage people from trying out something by imposing their own opinion (we had a term for that in our vernacular here; it roughly translates as "preceding someone else's judgement")without considering the fact that, like we all know, the reader has an entirely different taste from the reviewer and may not see the title in question in the same way. I'm saying this from personal experience. I may hear from people both OL and IRL that one title sucks beyond belief, and I try it out myself, and I see that it's not that bad and even end up liking it. On the other hand, a title may only has praises sung for it and try it out myself, only to end up dissatisfied because it didn't match up to my tastes. For me, a good review is composed of a balanced "pros and cons" formula; one that is written in such a way that emphasizes the neutrality of the reviewer. But that was a few years ago. Nowadays, it's mostly negatives, some even written with acidic cynicism, making them seem more like an elaborated rant that a review. That's why I am extremely disappointed nowadays with most review sites.

Personally, there is no such thing as a bad anime. For every type of taste and liking out there, there is a suitable title for them. Arguments that center around "my anime is better than yours/your anime sucks" is just plain childish, to say the least.

[Stiletto]

Nowadays, it's mostly negatives, some even written with acidic cynicism, making them seem more like an elaborated rant that a review. That's why I am extremely disappointed nowadays with most review sites.

Personally, there is no such thing as a bad anime. For every type of taste and liking out there, there is a suitable title for them. Arguments that center around "my anime is better than yours/your anime sucks" is just plain childish, to say the least.

This is just something that comes to being a part of the fandom -- you simply can't get away from hearing polarized perspectives when it comes to someone else's taste in anime. I agree with you in that some reviewers tend to be harsh in tone in writing about a title they didn't enjoy. In some ways it almost seems like the reviewer is letting off steam rather than sorting out the good and the bad of a title.

But then again, online reviewers are given the luxury of Internet space to write whatever it is they want about a title. No matter how cynical or "ultra-egotistical" the reviews are written to be, it's still only going to count as a single fan's view... out of the thousands of people who might beg to differ.

Frankly I've gotten tired of hearing from reviewers about what anime I "should" and "should not" see. You're right in saying that there is something for everyone, and it certainly made me realize that there are some fans who would rather enjoy anime passively, as opposed to watching with a critical eye.

[Nate]

I agree to a point, but really sometimes there's nothing positive to say about a movie or TV show. Case in point, Nuku Nuku Dash. I tried watching the first DVD and couldn't get past episode 3 because it was just so dreadfully bad. So what am I supposed to say for positives? Uh...the animation looked decent? That sounds lame, it's obviously a filler statement just made so that there's something in the "pros" category.

I understand your frustration with reviews, but as Ryan said, we're going to be influenced by our personal opinions. Sometimes I can watch an anime and say good things about it...case in point, Aishiteruze Baby. I don't like the anime, but I can give a list of things that are very good about it, such as the music, the characters, the fact that Yuzuyu is adorable...those kind of things. But sometimes there just isn't anything positive about an anime, as in my example of Nuku Nuku Dash earlier. Now, someone else may love that anime, but the point is that I don't, and if I don't see anything good about it, I can't write anything good about it.

A good number of reviewers tend to pass this message in the negatives : "Only hardcore fans will stand this show. To the rest of you, stay away!!"

I actually like that message. It's usually a good summation of the nature of the series. For example. Scarface. Everyone raves about how awesome Scarface is. I don't like it. I tried to watch it once, and I just couldn't get into it. I don't like Mafia movies as a general rule. So I can safely say, if you're a hardcore fan of Mafia movies, you'll love Scarface. If you don't like Mafia movies, you should avoid Scarface.

BUT. Then there's The Godfather. And even though I don't like Mafia movies, The Godfather is an amazing movie. Absolutely incredible. How can this be? Because The Godfather is more than just another Mafia movie. It appeals to a broader range of people than Scarface does.

I think that's when you need to use the "Hardcore fans only" statement, when a movie doesn't really have any qualities to attract people outside of the genre fans.

[mitsuki lover]

A good example of something made for the Hard Core Fans would be all the
Star Trek movies.I mean let's be serious here folks,everyone knows that the reason why,for example,Generations was made was so that the fans could see
Picard and Kirk together.
Non-Trekkers could have cared less,but the movie wasn't made for them it was made for the Trekkers.
Ok,so that was to illustrate the point was being made about hard core fans.And yes there are animes that are made especially just for a certain fan base,and someone not in that fan base will probably diss it.
Face it a lot of the Gundam series would fall into the hard core fan label because they're made specifically for Gundam fandom,which is why non Gundam fans may end up giving them negative reviews,etc.
Then again if you read up on Gundam it's pretty much the equivalent of Star Trek in Japan.

[teigeki_calesa]

I agree to a point, but really sometimes there's nothing positive to say about a movie or TV show. Case in point, Nuku Nuku Dash. I tried watching the first DVD and couldn't get past episode 3 because it was just so dreadfully bad. So what am I supposed to say for positives? Uh...the animation looked decent? That sounds lame, it's obviously a filler statement just made so that there's something in the "pros" category.

I understand your frustration with reviews, but as Ryan said, we're going to be influenced by our personal opinions. Sometimes I can watch an anime and say good things about it...case in point, Aishiteruze Baby. I don't like the anime, but I can give a list of things that are very good about it, such as the music, the characters, the fact that Yuzuyu is adorable...those kind of things. But sometimes there just isn't anything positive about an anime, as in my example of Nuku Nuku Dash earlier. Now, someone else may love that anime, but the point is that I don't, and if I don't see anything good about it, I can't write anything good about it.

I really don't know if I should say this, but if you think that's the positive aspect, then go ahead and write it by all means. Then again, if you really find the title not to your personal liking,and can't find anything good about it, I'll ask: why bother to review while all that will come out is I'll say again, an elaborated rant? And another question]

I actually like that message. It's usually a good summation of the nature of the series. For example. Scarface. Everyone raves about how awesome Scarface is. I don't like it. I tried to watch it once, and I just couldn't get into it. I don't like Mafia movies as a general rule. So I can safely say, if you're a hardcore fan of Mafia movies, you'll love Scarface. If you don't like Mafia movies, you should avoid Scarface.

BUT. Then there's The Godfather. And even though I don't like Mafia movies, The Godfather is an amazing movie. Absolutely incredible. How can this be? Because The Godfather is more than just another Mafia movie. It appeals to a broader range of people than Scarface does.

I think that's when you need to use the "Hardcore fans only" statement, when a movie doesn't really have any qualities to attract people outside of the genre fans.[/QUOTE]
That may be applicable if say, the ones reading the review are the "seen it all, heard it all" types that want to "see something new". But again, that kind of statement has been unfairly used on other titles that doesn't necessarily have to fall under the category of "hardcore fans only". For example, series X was given the "for hardcore fans only" treatment in reviews, and there are people who begged to differ. Do they have to be hardcore fans of the said show? No. They may have liked the show for the way it is. If I said I liked Gundam Seed, for example, does that make me a hardcore Gundam fan? No. I am not a hardcore Gundam fan. I just liked the story. It's just that I have learned to, like a lot of other anime viewers here in my place, not to let our brains get too much in the way of being entertained.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

[quote="teigeki_calesa"]And another question]
Because that would mean every review would be positive...

[teigeki_calesa]

[quote="Mr. SmartyPants"]Because that would mean every review would be positive... ]
My point is not "all reviews should be positive", but, "reviews must sound like reviews and not like an elaborated rant".

[Joshua Christopher]

My point is not "all reviews should be positive", but, "reviews must sound like reviews and not like an elaborated rant".

Why not? Sometimes things really are just terrible, and people should be informed so they don't waste time and money. It's not enough to just say, "This is a bad show." Sometimes you just gotta come out and say it. Honestly, bad reviews are a lot more fun to read than mediocre ones, or even good ones.

"Blah blah blah this show is good nice animation etc." It's that MST3K-quality some of 'em have, ya know?

Personally, I like reading really bad reviews. I like those, as you say, "elaborated rants" so I know that something really is bad and I don't end up wasting my time with it. (ie; this is why I don't watch Gundam SEED or any of its incarnations.)

EDIT: Part of me wonders if you've been reading ANN reviews by Zac Bertschy.

[teigeki_calesa]

Like I say all over again, it's all personal opinion; and not all people share the same interests.

No; I think I haven't heard of him. Why did you bring that up?

[Fish and Chips]

EDIT: Part of me wonders if you've been reading ANN reviews by Zac Bertschy.

A very informative fellow.

And yes, I'd have to say that there's definitely some Anime that is "That bad." There's certain shows I think are qood that everyone should enjoy, shows I admit are more just to my personal taste, and shows that I don't care for, but I can see why others might. And then you have the bottom of the barrel, shows I can't believe anyone thought was a good idea, and when I find this stuff, I feel it is my calling, nay, my duty to offer a word-of-mouth warning to my fellow Anime fans.

Good quality may be subjective; bad quality, not so much.

[teigeki_calesa]

[quote="Fish and Chips"]And then you have the bottom of the barrel, shows I can't believe anyone thought was a good idea, and when I find this stuff, I feel it is my calling, nay, my duty to offer a word-of-mouth warning to my fellow Anime fans.

Good quality may be subjective]
Duty to warn anime fans and in turn annoy the said show's fans?

And yes, I can understand that it's easier to to say something bad about a certain thing than say good things about it. I mean, yes, I admit my choice of anime may only get bad raps up there in NAm, but c'mon, someone cannot be a fan of something if they don't see something good in it.

[Nate]

Yeah, I'm with Fish and Josh, bad reviews are fun to read. I saw a review once that called Sailor Moon "the worst thing to come out of Japan since Godzilla." I'm a huge Sailor Moon fan, but I read that and laugh at it, because it's funny.

I don't buy this "say good and bad things" about anime/movies, because honestly, what's the point of having a review then? A review is to tell someone whether a movie is good, bad, or average. If you go about writing reviews from a completely neutral standpoint, that's not a good review, because it doesn't tell the person anything about the show.

Then again, if you really find the title not to your personal liking,and can't find anything good about it, I'll ask: why bother to review while all that will come out is I'll say again, an elaborated rant?

Because sometimes people need to hear how bad a series is. Case in point: Final Fantasy Unlimited. I wish I had read a review that completely trashed the series and said it was God-awful and they would rather drink year old milk from a rusty can than watch this show. Because if I had read a review like that, I wouldn't have wasted almost a hundred dollars on it. But I didn't read any reviews like that, and I wasted my money AND my time, which let me tell you, is not a pleasant feeling.

And another question; why watch an anime just to bash it?

You've never seen Mystery Science Theater 3000, have you?

But to answer the question more directly, I wouldn't be watching an anime just to bash it, I'd be watching it to review it assuming that was my job, to be an anime review person. When that's your job, you can't just watch the really good anime, you have to watch the crap anime too. You HAVE to. Because it's your job.

And if you were forced to watch a series you absolutely hated for the sole purpose of writing a review for it, you'd probably be a little bit upset.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Because if I had read a review like that, I wouldn't have wasted almost a hundred dollars on it.

100 bucks on a movie?? How? Travel far to go see it or something?

[teigeki_calesa]

But to answer the question more directly, I wouldn't be watching an anime just to bash it, I'd be watching it to review it assuming that was my job, to be an anime review person. When that's your job, you can't just watch the really good anime, you have to watch the crap anime too. You HAVE to. Because it's your job.

And if you were forced to watch a series you absolutely hated for the sole purpose of writing a review for it, you'd probably be a little bit upset.

Am I glad that it's not my job.

That's why my rule of thumb is to never review anime that I know I hate, because I will only churn out biased opinions and turn off fans. Although I am yet to come accross an anime that I'll hate with a passion.

[Nate]

100 bucks on a movie?? How? Travel far to go see it or something?

It's a series. And my stupid self goes, "It's Final Fantasy! It can't suck!" and bought the whole freaking set at once. Man, that was a profoundly dumb move.

[Tenshi no Ai]

It's a series. And my stupid self goes, "It's Final Fantasy! It can't suck!" and bought the whole freaking set at once. Man, that was a profoundly dumb move.

Oh must be late, I was thinking of Spirits Within for some reason :/

[Fish and Chips]

You know, Teigeki, despite my demeanor, I actually tend to be very fair and even handed when recommending or critiquing a series. That said, there are definitely Animes I'd consider universally tasteless and bad. Annoy the series' fans? The sort of people pleased by some of these series are not the sort of people I'd want to humor.