30 different shows from the fall season, analyzed and ranked from the bottom up.

EDIT: With greater insight now that the season has progressed, we make the following amendments to the original ranking: Shugo Chara and ef ~ a tale of memories ~ both need to be way higher on the list, and Dragonaut and Neuro need to be way lower.

Two Shows with emo woes and mecha in the sky,
Seven pieces of crap that got released too soon,
Six moe series, each with one lucky guy,
One for the Lolicon in his dark room

In the Land of Internets where Shadows lie.
One Blogger to watch them all, One Blogger to find them,
One Blogger to rank them all and on the web deride them
In the Land of Internets where Shadows lie.

…

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that these rankings are purely a reflection of our own opinions and tastes, which are admittedly rather different from your average anime fan. Just because we don’t like a particular show doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. Your mileage may vary, etc etc.

Disclaimer 2: These reviews are based solely on the episodes which have aired up to this point (October 22). We take no responsibility for shows which unexpectedly become epic or go to crap after this point.

30. Kawaii! Jenny

Good: Absolutely nothing. That would be why it’s in last place.

Bad: Barbie doll sentai warriors?? Creepy beyond belief. o_0

Moe: Lord no, not unless you have some kind of extreme doll fetish.

If you were the guy who always wanted to play with dollies instead of trucks and G.I. Joes as a kid, this might just be your show. Otherwise, keep a generously safe distance.

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Send it to hell, Marge, send it to hell.

29. Maple Story

Good: Ooh, pretty colors!

Bad: Pretty much everything else. Also the protagonist wears nipple ears.

Moe: That mushroom is amazingly cute. :3

The story is incredibly generic and kiddy. Even if I was 10 years old my intelligence would probably still feel insulted by this show.

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All right, I have no intentions of following this show, but let me just say that if we gave out plushies of that particular mushroom then violent crimes in America would plummet to record lows. And what if it was distributed in prisons, or hospitals for the criminally insane? Just think of the immense philanthropic potential of such a thing!

28. Prism Ark

Good: Um, it’s got lolis with swords?

Bad: Ugly animation, nonsensical plot.

Moe: If you’re into lolis with swords, I guess…

A boring and ridiculous show full of pointless fanservice. Meh.

27. Suteki Tantei Labyrinth

Good: Decent production quality.

Bad: Extremely boring.

Moe: Hatsumi-chan is the show’s one saving grace.

I think it took me three tries before I made it through the first couple episodes without falling asleep. Uninspired characters and a snoozefest of a plot.

26. Goshuushousama Ninomiya-kun

Good: If you like ecchi, this is your go-to show.

Bad: Terrible art quality. If you’re not into ecchi, there’s no reason to watch this.

Moe: Admittedly though, the character designs are very attractive.

Bad all around. Even if all you’re interested in is panchira and ecchi comedy, you’d be much better off watching something like Mahoromatic or Chobits that actually has good production values and a decent plot.

25. Shugo Chara

Good: If you’re female, well, it’s full of bishies.

Bad: If you’re not female, sorry, it’s full of bishies.

Moe: Shoujo to the max; whether that’s good or bad depends on your preference.

QUALITY PLAID. Yessir.

24. Myself; Yourself

Good: The indecisive lead male gets bitch slapped in the first episode. About time.

Bad: Generic harem show is generic. Also see below.

Moe: Pretty sucky harem, too; they’re all irredeemably obnoxious.

Just go watch Clannad, it’s the same basic idea but executed far better.

23. Kodomo no Jikan

Good: Censorship.

Bad: Censorship.

Moe: Ew. You don’t even want to get us started on this one, srsly.

If you read my previous review of Kojika, you know that I was hoping they would tone down the fanservice for the TV release. Unfortunately, rather than toning it down, they just buried it under a landslide of spinning “no” censor bars.

While I understand that this is just a business decision, enabling them to charge ridiculous prices for the DVDs and still have hordes of filthy-minded otaku line up around the block to buy it, it’s still pretty disappointing.

On the plus side, this series wins my vote for “Most Impressive Hair/Height Ratio” of the season.

Thank you censors, thank you so very much. Yes, Scruples - 1, Foibles & Fetishes - 0. At least the general populous will be able to feign dignity until the DVDs come out and the maddening throngs of loliphile otaku can purchase their unspeakable smut. Sheesh…

22. Shion no Ou

Good: Convoluted plot for murder mystery fans.

Bad: Traptastic!

Moe: See above. Also features mute girl moe mode.

Pretty bland so far, and hardly any actual shogi whatsoever. I keep hoping they’ll settle down and focus on actual shogi games, but it’s all been weird stalker drama and gender-bending trap action up until now. >_<

21. Genshiken 2

Good: If you’re a real life Manabu, you’ll love it.

Bad: Who replaced all my funny with emo otaku drama? Mediocre show gets worse.

Moe: Hmm…I do love Ogiue’s combination ponytail-ahoge, though. =D

Genshiken started off mediocre to begin with, and the anime has been going downhill ever since.

It’s no longer about delving into the world of nerdiness, and has instead settled down into waters previously uncharted by any anime that has come before - making doujinshi! >_>

/sarcsasm

20. Blue Drop

Good: A fairly unique premise. Epic catfights.

Bad: Hard to say; story hasn’t really gotten moving yet.

Moe: Potentially yuri-riffic.

19. ef ~ a tale of memories ~

Good: Beautiful music and colors.

Bad: lol Photoshop filters and flying CG skies. Also plot doesn’t make any sense.

Moe: Kegadoru fans, this is your show!

Artistically very nice, although I feel that it goes too far in an attempt to look artsy and cool. Typical SHAFT, in other words.

18. Gundam 00

Good: Giant robots.

Bad: …so much potential gone to waste.

Moe: Hmm, seems like a good selec…wait, what? Those are all guys??!

If I were to write about all the problems I have with Gundam 00, this post would double in size. Suffice to say, if you’ve never watched Gundam before, don’t bother with this. Go back and watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam, or Gundam Wing, and spare yourself the trouble.

Just…guh. Damn it. For crying out emo effeminate obnoxious male lead loud! Heero Yui did not look off into the depths of space with some morose self-pitying expression, he just kicked ass and took names.

This is apocryphal as far as I’m concerned. I’m still going to watch as much as I can stomach because “I likes me some Gundam,” but I’m not optimistic.

17. Juushin Enbu

Good: It’s by Arakawa Hiromu, who previously wrote Fullmetal Alchemist.

Bad: Unfortunately, it feels more like another DBZ clone than another FMA.

Moe: Raira might someday be able to reach Winry levels of awesomeness, but for now nothing special in the moe dept.

You can definitely see Arakawa’s influence; the show is visually very similar to Fullmetal Alchemist. The fight scenes have the same fluidity and use the same circling camera work that gave FMA its distinctive battles, as well. Unfortunately the similarities seem to end there.

The hero is a typical hot-headed jock who only wins because he can bankai when his friends are in trouble. Sheesh.

16. Rental Magica

Good: An interesting and varied cast of characters.

Bad: But an uninteresting setting.

Moe: Lots of cute magical girls. And for you ladies a bishie with an eyepatch.

15. You’re Under Arrest Full Throttle

Good: Natsumi and Miyuki’s ridiculous exploits are still funny.

Bad: The music and animation still kind of suck.

Moe: I like a woman who can kick my ass.

14. Dragonaut

Good: Great music. Fight scenes are well animated. Has potential to become epic.

Bad: Extremely generic story. Ugly CG dragons. Duckbutt hair.

Moe: Wild Misa-Misa clone appears!

The stereotypical young protagonist struggling to overcome a tragic past must now save the world by joining a team of other young hotshots under the authority of a shady organization who he has strong misgivings about - yeah, only seen that plot like a thousand times.

13. Da Capo II

Good: Cute and colorful as always. Now with 20% more sakura stormclouds above every outdoor shot!

Bad: Absolutely dripping with moe, to the point of being overkill. The magic still seems kind of silly.

Moe: Da Capo’s character designs are still excellent. Lots to choose from here.

It’s too early to tell whether this is going to follow in the footsteps of the original, or become another DCSS. We can only hope for the best.

12. Kimikiss

Good: Male lead doesn’t seem like a complete spineless noodle of a man, for once.

Bad: Based on a renai game, so don’t expect more than beauty skin deep.

Moe: As one would expect of renai adaptations, this one is bursting at the seams with cuties.

11. Mokke

Good: Gives off Mushishi vibes. Gorgeous art.

Bad: Moves very slowly; if you’re ADHD this show will drive you nuts.

Moe: Minimal moe action here, but that’s probably one of the show’s good points.

Although cute, the sisters aren’t overplayed moe caricatures, which helps keep the story focused on the interactions with the mythology and various spirits they come in contact with. Seems like a show with a lot of potential; hopefully it’ll realize that potential in coming episodes.

The art looks utterly amazing, so that is reason enough for me to give the series a shot. I don’t mind a plot unfolding slowly provided I am mouth agape at “pretty colors” and the like.

Additionally, I’m quite a fan of mythological story-telling and folklore, so this series could be very compelling. Let’s hope it works out.

10. Majin Tantei Nogami Neuro

Good: Neuro is wonderfully creepy. The mysteries are actually pretty interesting.

Bad: Yako seems kind of bland by comparison.

Moe: Ain’t Neuro just so cute?

This show really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting it to be interesting at all, but it grabbed my attention right from the beginning. I’m not a big fan of detective shows, usually, but this one might just win me over.

I’m not really a fan of this kind of art style/character design, so I’m going to have to give the series a pass. The concept seems intriguing enough, however.

9. Clannad

Good: KyoAni makes everything look gooood. Also dangos.

Bad: Story is kinda meh so far.

Moe: This is your one stop shop for all the moe co-dependent high school girls you could ever want. Fred Gallagher start taking notes.

Basically the story of this show is KyoAni = win, Key = meh. If I wasn’t a KyoAni fanboy before, this show has definitely finished converting me in that respected. That said, it’s not a bad show. It all hinges on what ending they decide to go for, really.

After watching the first few episodes I’m relatively underwhelmed; now granted it’s KyoAni, and as a result the series is gorgeous, the animation amazingly fluid, the cinematography topnotch, etc etc. But in all sincerity, it doesn’t look to be quite the juggernaut of awesome that Haruhi or Lucky Star was.

8. Sketchbook

Good: Beautiful music, love the art style. Main girl reminds me of Tenma from School Rumble.

Bad: Nothing really to complain about, but it’s very much the slow-paced slice-of-life type, so if that’s not your thing, you probably won’t like this show.

Moe: Very cute character designs; main char girl an interesting blend of moe traits. Also cute kitties.

The decidedly different artistic style, the pastel tones, and the genki music really give the show a nice unique flavor.

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Hidamari Sketch minus the sugar and crack, or at least it seems to be that way. Also, amorphous yawning cat is always a plus in my book; considering the precedent set by anime such as FLCL and Lucky Star this seems to be an indicator of excellence.

I probably won’t be following this one, but if you’re into slice-of-life, it should be right up your alley.

7. Night Wizard

Good: Generic RPG the Animation. Art and character designs are great. Akari & huge spell insignia gun is win.

Bad: Battles are kinda meh.

Moe: All the female leads are great. They each have distinct personalities, yet manage to avoid fitting too squarely into a cliche character type.

Also there’s melon pan.

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So RPG, it’s almost embarrassing, but in this case that’s actually a good thing. If you watched the incomprehensibly slow .hack series or any of its subsidiaries, you’ll be relieved to know that this show doesn’t take itself quite so seriously. This one looks like it could be very fun and as such is definitely worth checking out.

6. Ghost Hound

Good: Brilliant directing and animation, rich music and sound, a trippy setting, and Shirow Masamune. What more could you want?

Bad: Still too early to tell whether the show wil really live up to its pedigree.

Moe: Not so much, unless you like cute bug-ghost-demons.

Ghost Hound looks to be another incredibly mind bending awesome Masamune Shirow series, with enough philosophical quandary and cyberpunk action to make your head doubt whether it’s spinning or not.

5. Minami-ke

Good: It’s like Ichigo Mashimaro reloaded.

Bad: Cream stew is nasty.

Moe: Apparently teardrop shaped mouths are the second stage evolution from nekoguchi.

Kana is like Miu grown up a few years, but still completely nuts. Surprisingly, the camera work is great, especially in the first episode’s chase scene. Has great potential to become absolutely crazy yuri loli.

Also, I like when they cut to a close-up of the eyes and the art style suddenly becomes more serious. Kind of reminds me of Damekko Doubutsu.

For a series with a fairly innocuous setting and a seemingly sedentary plot-line, the cinematography in the show is amazing. The aforementioned chase scene is reason enough to give this show a shot.

Additionally, crazy sibling rivalry makes for many possibilities with the story, including, but not limited to spontaneous bouts of frenetic cooking.

4. Bamboo Blade

Good: Great art, fun premise, awesome voice acting.

Bad: Sports anime tend to start strong and then go downhill.

Nice bokken!

Moe: Genki crazy Kirino :3, strong silent Rei clone, and psycho yandere?! How can you possibly go wrong?

All the voice acting is top class, especially Katsuyuki Konishi, who also played Kamina from Gurren Lagann, as Ishida-sensei. Overall it offers a nice mix of everything, somce action, some comedy, some moe, and some just plain old fashioned fun.

I’m not certain if I’m going to follow this series personally, but I must admit the concept is fun and the animation is solid. Additionally, for a kendo themed anime it’s fairly light and amusing which is plus in my opinion. It looks to have great potential as a series so I’m hoping it will develop into something interesting.

3. Shakugan no Shana II

Good: Shana, awesome OP, Shana, great music, Shana, Marchosias and Margery Daw, Shana, and also Shana.

Bad: Non-canon material, slow start.

Moe: Shana. Hot. Oh God. Etc.

If you were a fan of the series previously, the second season probably won’t disappoint, either. That’s assuming they ever get to the really awesome part of the story, that is. Really, the only failing of the show right now is that it can’t make up its mind what direction to take the plot.

If they had just stuck to the “canon” plotline from the novels I would have nothing to complain about.

It’s more of the same cavalcade of action, humor, and sword wielding Flame Haze combat, but with new characters and stories. I’m not as familiar with the light novels as my erstwhile partner, so I’m just waiting for the story to develop and have high expectations as the previous season was most excellent.

Oh, and Marchocias’ insane laughter and “Margery Daw!” catchphrase are incentive enough to watch the show, if nothing else.

2. Moyashimon

Good: Completely unique, a funny and refreshing new concept.

Bad: Lots of scientific terminology will probably turn off the academically challenged.

Moe: Bacteria are super cute! And not just regular cute, I mean we’re talking like, dango cute.

Bacteria is the new moe! You can throw Haruka femdom into the moe mix, too, if you’re into that sort of thing.

In a season overflowing with sequels and tired cliches, this show is a breath of fresh air. Well, smelly bacteria laden fresh air, anyway.

All right, if the opening theme of this series did not immediately indicate the colossal amounts of win that are in store for us viewers, then the ending skit with frolicking Oryzae-tans will.

The show has such a great concept and such whimsical panache that if you were watching it while listening to the LocoRoco OST and playing Katamari Damacy your head would actually explode from the sheer jubilant happiness of it all. You have been warned.

1. Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji

Good: Awesome in every way. Too much GAR for the internet to handle.

Bad: Big noses; art style not for everyone.

Moe: None, zero, negative-moe.

But that’s part of what makes the series great. In a season overflowing with sugar-coated, brightly colored, sakura-spewing moe shows, this is a breath of fresh air. Well, stinky cigarette smoke laden fresh air, anyway.

Fukumoto’s long-running gambling pariah epic, need we say more? Kaiji is really poised to take center stage for me personally this season. It’s so well crafted, so intriguing, and so intense that it’s virtually impossible to not get enthused about.

The captivating art, the struggling anti-hero, and enough nose stabs to skewer the Jabberwocky, it’s all win. If you’re curious about what to check out this season, it’s nearly impossible to go wrong with Kaiji.

Check check it out.