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Plot Synopsis

Tokiha Mai is just an ordinary high school student struggling to balance the trials of school with the tribulations of love. She is a recent transfer to Fuka Academy, a prestigious school where students have a significant deal of autonomy; apart from classes, taught by various lecturers, the students have a great deal of freedom, doing what they will under the aegis of the Student Council. However, strage occurrances recently have shown that things are not as they seem at Fuka. Why have creatures -- "Orphans" -- started appearing around the school, and what are HiMEs? What exactly is the secret of Fuka Academy? Credits: shinsengumi

Story & Characters

I became hooked on this anime when I saw the first episode. Straight off it shoots you into the middle of what the show all about, even though you have no idea what is going on. And it only gets better. This story is gripping to say the least. Just when you thought you\'ve got it figured out the show throws a curveball at you. The first "curveball" hits you around episode 8 I believe, and it will have tears welling in your eyes.
The Characters themselves are some of the most memorable of any anime I've seen. Be it the overly-caring Mai ( she is so awesome), the I-go-my-own-way Natsuki, or the highly-energetic-cat-demon Mikoto, these characters aren't going to let you go until the very end. Their reaction to their situations and those around them are so natural and well written that the characters really seem to come to life.
The supporting roles are filled with personalities of all kinds.
One thing I did notice, (actually its kinda hard to miss) is the very very small male cast. You've got Tate, Mai\'s younger brother Takumi, Reito, and the mysterious Nagi. The closest thing this show has to a "main hero" is Tate and his interactions with Mai can be hilarious or can be really touching.
And lets not forget all of the other Himes. *sniff sniff* Akane *sniff sniff*.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Art

The artwork is really the only place in this anime that I can say it could have been better. It is by no means bad, it just could have been better. The character models are all very distinctive, which is good. What with the HUGE cast and all. The Childs and Orphans are all well thought out and original in their design. And the action sequences are deffinately passable. They are by no means the best I've seen but neither are they the worst. The emotions that the characters go through are quite identifiable by the expressions on their faces. They range from happy to absolute rage. And Mai's absolute rage face is pretty durn scary :p.

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

HOORAY for the sounds. The music is great in this anime. I had to get the ost just so I could listen to it in my car. Its that good.
The Japanese voices are great and is some of the best voice acting I've heard. Whether the characters are happy or balling their eyes out you can really hear their emotions. And the voices match the characters very well.
The english dub on the other hand... I don't know. Its not like its bad or anything. I just don't like it as much as the other. Maybe it has something to do with me seeing it in Japanese first, biased opinion and all that. I do think they do a good job though. At some points they may not put enough emphasis on some of the emotions or they may sound like they are reading the lines but all in all I would say they do a decent job of it.
I suppose it all comes down to personal preference whether you should watch the Japanese or the dub.
Not to mention the sound effects and the creature sounds. Kagutsuchi (sp?) has the coolest call ever. I think it's a whale of some kind and it fits him suprisingly well even with him being the dragon that he is.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Presentation

As I said before, this show grabs you by the throat at the very first episode and doesnt let go until the very end. The humor is everyday life humor when there is any to be had but for the most part (after the first 8 episodes anyway) this show is very dramatic. This is a thrill ride of an emotional rollercoaster that no one should miss. The concept is very clearly put. And the show left no questions I had unanswered. For a show that has had all of its idea's done before it pull off being original unbelievably well.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Final Verdict

9.67 (excellent)

Reviewed by Dregon828, 1y 40wk ago