Should I Watch Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood?

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Review

About:

Edward and Alphonse Elric are two young brothers who live in a world full of magic and mystery. The boys train under Izumi Curtis and show a keen interest and talent in magic. After their Mother's untimely death the boys try to use a forbidden magic to bring her back to life. As a consequence for using this taboo magic the boys are cursed, Edward loses his left leg and Alphonse loses his body. Distraught at the thought of losing his brother as well as his mother, Edward sacrifices his right arm to bind his brother's soul to a suit of armour. Now, years later Edward is the Fullmetal Alchemist and the two brothers search for the Philosopher's stone, a mystical and powerful artifact that could hold the key to regaining what they lost. 

Essentially, two magic wielding brothers kicking butt together in a constantly expanding magical world.

Pros:
- A great story that ticks all the boxes: Action, Adventure, Romantic interests, Emotional moments and character development

- The magic is well constructed and automail (magical metal limbs) = incredible

- The characters are great and there are funny, sad, frightening and exhilarating moments all the time

- The villains are well developed

- Hardcore anti-hero 

- Roy Mustang (best name ever)

- Much better than the original series

Cons:

- Quite a long anime, I lost interest at one point but then came back and finished it the second time around (64 episodes)

- There are similarities between this and the original anime in the beginning, if you have seen the original series the beginning can be quite boring

- Too many subplots

Verdict:

This anime is a great all-rounder. Good story, great characters and cool magic. I would definitely recommend this over the original anime series because this one stays true to the story of the manga (as an anime should) whereas the other series has its own original story and ending which I did not like at all.  I did lose interest at one point as it is slow at one point, there are so many subplots I lost interest but then the story explodes after the main villains start taking action. I also realised that the subplots were successful in broadening my perspective. I greatly enjoyed this anime.

YES YOU SHOULD WATCH FMA: BROTHERHOOD

(It is a much better than the original, you should try and watch it all together and carry on through the slow parts as it is worth it in the end)

Should I Watch Usagi Drop?

Usagi Drop Review

About: 
Daikichi is a 30-year-old man who lives alone. The story starts with his late grandfather's funeral where he meets a quiet girl named Rin. He soon discovers that she is the illegitimate daughter of his grandfather. Since Rin is 6-years-old the family meet to decide what will happen to her however, no one is willing to look after her as she is seen as a burden with shameful origins. Daikichi seems to be the only person who views Rin for who she is, a young girl who just lost her father. She lives with Daikichi and together they learn how tough it can be to juggle work, school and family. Together they form their own family. Essentially, a touching story of two unlikely kindred spirits that laugh, cry and learn together.

Pros:
- Kawaī!
- The characters are lovable and there is all-round character development
- Despite the complex situation the story is charmingly simple
- Beautiful art style

Cons:
- The anime is short (11 episodes)


Verdict:
This anime is beautiful. You can't help but feel happy and smile while watching it. At first I wished that there were more episodes but it comes to a satisfying conclusion so there really is not much need for anything else. The more you watch the more you love and learn about the characters. Regardless of the fact that it is a short anime all of the characters are well fleshed out. The skeptical become affectionate, and so will you if you are unsure if you should watch this or not. The innocent and care-free Rin is contrasted superbly with the knowledgeable and careful Daikichi. I normally do not watch the slice-of-life genre but this story is so beautiful even I, the action-adventure fan, fell in love. Embrace it!

YES YOU SHOULD WATCH USAGI DROP

(Watch with your family, friends and the whole world. You will become a better person.)

Should I Watch Terra Formars?

Terra Formars Review

About:
Earth begins the long-term project of terraforming planet Mars in order to make it hospitable to humans. This process involved sending two organisms to the planet, a dark moss and cockroaches. 500 years later their descendants send people to Mars to check the progress. Unfortunately, they get more than they bargained for when they are wiped out by giant human-like cockroaches who evolved into merciless killing machines over the 500 years. 20 years have passed and a strange virus has appeared on Earth with a 100% mortality rate. The origin of this disease? MARS. Earth once again sends a team to Mars but now they are not simply checking the progress they are fighting for the fate of humanity.  The main characters, equiped with animal and insect powers, are left fighting for their lives against constantly adapting enemies. Essentially, what Jaws did to sharks this anime does to cockroaches. KILL THEM ALL!

Pros:
- The characters undergo a surgery that grants them a Mosaic organ which allows them to survive the climate on Mars as well as giving them awesome bug or animal powers. The power of this anime is in scale. How strong would a man-sized ant be? How fast would a man-sized spider be? If you ever wanted to do the fusion dance with an insect now you can see how strong you would be.
- Many countries involved, adds variety to the anime (no preference to the Japanese who are the good guys :P)
- Many interesting characters
- The powers are awesome and you will be wiki-ing cool bugs and wondering why they haven't included them yet
- Guy with Mantis Shrimp powers

Cons:
- GOKIBURI!!! (If you watch this you will hate cockroaches with a burning passion)
- 4-kids/censored. The intensity is partly lost in the anime as you will spend time looking at a black screen #BluRay
- Frequent character deaths ("Yeah, he is my favourite character. OH NO HE'S DEAD!" #GameOfThrones)
- Unrelenting, either intense dialog or intense action, no real low-points (could be a good thing, never boring)

Verdict:
This anime/manga is merciless, violent, cruel and filled with fury. You do not watch this anime to feel happy, you watch it to see awesome bug-powered people fight to the death with nightmarish creatures. This is not an anime/manga for kids as it is very violent and there is some nudity. There is no specific main character although it could be argued that Hizamaru Akari is the main character. For the most part of the anime they are either fighting and dying or talking and having flashbacks. I enjoy the way the narrator tells you about how cool the bugs are and how much cooler they are on a human scale. The fights focus on obtaining the advantage over the opponent, those who can't keep up are killed off without remorse. Due to the different cultures and backgrounds of every character you will not find the stereotypical character set common in many anime, character development occurs later in the story as for the first part of the anime characters are simply trying to survive. If the story wasn't cool enough for you they are ON MARS. Personally this is my favourite manga. After watching the first episode of the anime (Not the OVA) it appears to be high-budget with good animation quality, so far the anime has been satisfying and it is great to see the characters coming to life. If you like the anime but can't wait for the week-by-week release I greatly suggest the manga. What do you do when you see a roach? KILL IT! What do you see when you see this anime? WATCH IT!

YES YOU SHOULD WATCH TERRA FORMARS
(The anime is looking good so far but it is still early days, I also highly recommend the manga. Bug powers woohoo!)

<= One of the scarce funny moments in this story
Some of the insect / animal powers that appear in this manga/anime:
- Hunting Spider - Bagworm Moth - Asian Giant Hornet - Desert Locust - Bullet Ant - Harpy Eagle and many many more!

If you don't know how cool mantis shrimp are watch this video and wish you could fuse with it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5FEj9U-CJM

Should I Watch Tokyo Ghoul?

Tokyo Ghoul Review

About:
In an alternate future there are human-like beings called Ghouls that feed on human flesh. Kaneki is living his life out quite normally with his friend Hide until he is attacked by a Ghoul. One thing leads to another and Kaneki is thrust into a Ghoul filled world. However, he soon learns that there is much more to these Ghouls than meets the eye... especially the eye... Essentially, super cannibals with super powers and no less super moral dilemmas.

Pros:
- Each Ghoul has their own powers called kagune which are their own form of predatory weapon and vary greatly
- Coffee never tasted so good
- Relatable main character, has lady problems, bros before hoes problems and shows character development
- Two factions that are both justified in their actions, good luck taking sides!
- Should definitely watch if you are a zombie

Cons:
- Differences between the manga and anime :(
- 4kids-ed/censored you'd think when someone watches a show about cannibals they would accept the fact that there might be some gore
- Can be quite dark and you will not enjoy this if you are put off by gore

 <--What every anime watcher wants to hear from a flesh eating babe


Verdict:
When I first heard about this I thought "Ew, gross!" and wondered if I would turn into a Wendigo (google it) if I watched it. This anime is dark and brutal but does not miss out on touching moments and it makes you feel sympathy for the heroes as well as the "bad guys", I was like NO you can't be nice you're the bad guy but man.... so deep. Although Touka, one of the protagonists can be abrasive she has a really cool super power so I forgive her. You will think it is cool, weird, gross and badass all at the same time. The manga is more like a thriller whereas the anime has been transformed into an action style probably to make it open to a wider audience, not everyone wants to get chills while reading a manga but EVERYONE wants to go WOOHOO BLOOD GUTS SUPERPOWERS! We can't deny it and therefore I cannot deny that you will enjoy this anime if that is your style!

YES YOU SHOULD WATCH TOKYO GHOUL 
(if you turn into a Wendigo I'm sorry. While the anime IS COOL the manga is highly recommended too)


- The one kagune looks like Abarai Renji's Zabimaru

Should I Watch Space Dandy?

Space Dandy Review

About:
Space Dandy is an adventure story about a crew of alien hunters. The main characters are Space Dandy, a guy obsessed with his hair and babes, QT, his vacuum cleaner/mechanic/navigator Artificial Intelligence and Meow, the free-loading and cellphone obsessed Betelgeusian (A cat-like race). The story happens in the distant future where most of the universe has been explored, IN SPACE. They are essentially bounty hunters with a twist, instead of finding wanted aliens they look for new and rare alien species and hand them into an alien registration center, the rarer the alien the better the payday. The crew is made of very different and sometimes incompatible personality types and they fly all over the universe in search of undiscovered aliens, this often resulting in hilarious and ludicrous situations, IN SPACE.

Pros:
- OVER THE TOP
- Hilarious
- Breastaurants
- Fun adventures with lovable characters
- It can seem accidentally profound at times (eg. if we were all zombies there would no longer be any wars...)
- What seems wacky at first can end up being very artistic (eg. a mud planet where a fisherman is trying to catch a giant alien was such a beautiful story I felt like Studio Ghibli could have made a feature film about it... and its still funny)
- Dandy is an adamantly crazy, perverted and strong-willed character who is capable of relate-able emotional struggles and inspiring actions, he reminds me of a mix between Cowboy Bebop's Spike and GTO's Onizuka
- Amazing soundtrack, the anime has its own Space Dandy Band (it's literally called that), ranging from awesome opening and ending themes to breathtaking acapella in several-part harmonies

Cons:
- If you are not into the ecchi scene it can be quite off-putting
- If you are epileptic you might die

Verdict:
This anime is comical, lively, action-packed, oddly artistic and humorously profound. Due to its episodic style episodes can be watched consecutively or weeks apart. If you like the Over-The-Top style observed in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill you will enjoy this. It is quite short. Season 1 is 13 episodes and Season 2 is currently ongoing but will probably be a similar length. If you like Adventure Time but with more space and boobs this is the show for you. Needless to say this anime is for older teens. The sub and dub are both great. Ultimately, cool stories, cool characters, cool themes, cool music and fun from the first to last second of each episode.

YES YOU SHOULD WATCH SPACE DANDY 
(IN SPACE or at home, if space can't be organised)

Should I Watch Mushishi?

Mushishi / Mushi-shi Review

About: 
In a fictional rural world there are strange beings known as Mushi, they are neither animal nor plant but " a different form of life". Mushi are invisible to most people and their existence can mean luck as well as tragedy. Mushishi are people that can see Mushi and know all about them, they are often hired by people to get rid of their Mushi-related problems. The main character, Ginko, is a Mushishi who attracts these Mushi and thus needs to keep moving from place to place in order to prevent a build up of Mushi. So essentially he is an awesome nomadic weird-creature detective.

Pros:
- Interesting and relaxing stories
- The many different characters and environments prevent stagnation of the plot
- Mushi come in all kinds of shapes and sizes creating a diverse animal-kingdom-like system
- Philosophical elements introduced through a fictional lens
- You can watch one episode and be satisfied for a week
- Episodic nature means that you can watch one episode a day, week or month and not feel lost
Cons:
- Can be boring if you watch episodes consecutively/one after the other, each episode is like a full meal and there is no reason to eat a meal if you aren't hungry
- Episodic nature can APPEAR not to go into much overall depth and as the episodes don't follow on after one another it feels as if the story is not progressing at times




Verdict:
Essentially this is a creative, intriguing, fun and relaxing anime. Although it may seem to lack depth if you watch each episode immediately after the other you should definitely watch them a week apart in my opinion. This allows each episode to sink in, that is the magic of Mushishi, every episode is an artwork. If you go into an art gallery with a whole bunch of paintings you will most likely skim through them, leave before you planned to and recall it as a boring event. The same could be said with Mushishi, each painting (episode) needs to be appreciated in order for you to truly enjoy it. This anime is a calming and sometimes emotionally moving escape into a world of strange but beautiful creatures and landscapes, cool characters and thought-provoking ideas.

YES YOU SHOULD WATCH MUSHISHI 

(recommended on a weekly basis)