Having recently just finished the dub, I was completely satisfied by the series' beginning, middle, and end without being let down or left with disappointment. This show has excellent writing, dramatic dubbing, and a plot that can keep it up to snuff with any other anime. The characters are also classic and cannot be forgotten.

When I first started watching this, I was curious and puzzled about where this show would go, as it wasn't really picking the plot up until about episode 11 or so, and even then, things were confusing, we were not given a lot of information, and some episodes were merely storyline episodes with no action. But unlike the hordes of viewers are simply all about the characters kicking the snot out of each other, I'm perfectly game for an anime where characters sit around and talk about the complicated backstory. (After all, the government episodes of Ghost in the Shell: SAC are my favorite.) But the action was something that also drew me to it. After being subjected to anime- even on Adult Swim- that seemed to be cut back a bit (with the exception of Trinity Blood), all of the dramatic fighting and gore that played a huge toll on Saya and her team was there and had an effect on me.

The middle of the show (15-33) was just as satisifing when Saya and the Red Shield were travelling and encountering all sorts of dangers. The show never let up on the action and backstory, and the middle of the show was the part that really got me hooked and had to have more. And the final chapter (39-50) was not as bloody as the beginning or the middle, and I see nothing wrong with that. We needed more talking and drama-- so many storylines that needed to be ended, and characters went through revelations. I felt that the epilogue was satisfing and not a mediocre fanfic. I realize that I'm in the minority here, but every episode of this show was just as good as the next. The strugglse between Saya and Diva, David and Kai, Amshel and everybody else, Carl and.. well, Carl were all enthralling. And the musical score of the show was good as well.

Ninja Turtles had some pretty classic episodes dished out in their year of fame, '89. This particular one featured aliens who came back to claim a deadly weapon. A good story line to start, but the addition of Shredder, Krang, and the mutants gave the story energy to feed off of. The "fission-fishing joke" with Bebop and Rocksteady made me bust a gut. I love word misusage like that; it's hysterical!

Then to move the story along, Donatello is abducted by aliens. A good choice-- I'm sure none of the others would have figured out the situation and cooperated with Rocksteady that well. But when Donatello makes friends with the aliens, he should have never turned his back on Rocksteady. Once he relayed the coordinates to Shredder, Donatello had to spring into action to stop Shredder. Perfect action at the glue factory fight: classic Turtle action. But when Nikto's toy was about to blow at the fission reactor, Shredder made his move. A dumb one, since Chernobyl Part II was about to happen in New York. But, a very corny ending-- the toy was out of batteries? LOL, that's so cheesy and cartoony that the entire situation boiled down to that one fact. But, it's the show that we've come to expect this zany humor from.

Though it only has 24 episodes, I think Trinity Blood was a good-all-around anime that had some serious strengths. Nice and dramatic, there was serious storyline power between the Vatican and the Empire. Throw in some ravenous vampires to screw up politics with a protagonist with a shady past, and you have a very melancholy plot. Abel and Esther have many adventures in Europe and meet and/or confront many strange people, vampire or otherwise. Though the beginning of the show was a bit shaky with forming an actual storyline, about Episode 7 or 8 we could tell that some big stuff was about to break out in Europe.

Total carnage defines the series after Episode 10. The internal chaos within the government of the Empire was interesting. The Duke of Tigris and von Lohengrin raising some serious Cain (no pun intended) and murdering the Duchess of Moldova and framing Ion brought us one good adventure that I would buy if it was a novel. Then we have the final thriller with Albion, where it's Matrix City with all of the machines below Londinium. I wasn't all too surprised with the outcome, that Abel had an evil twin and both, along with the rest of the Crusniks, were simply lab prototypes. Though the end was a tad disappointing, at least it was a semi-happy one for Esther.

To ensure that I don't have a spoiled episode, I had no idea what was going to happen. Cynthia fighting Lucian in the exposition seemed pretty average, but when Ash & co. found Cynthia in town, I thought that maybe we'll see some nice battling. At first, Cynthia talked about the Lustrous Orb that was found. I enjoy hearing about Legendary Pokemon. That's why the movies always are interesting.

Then Paul showed up. So I was sure that he would battle Cynthia. Was Paul ready for the Sinnoh Champion? His Pokemon had some great moves, but with Chimchar and Murkrow against a beast like Garchomp? What a massacre. I honestly thought Torterra would stomp Garchomp. Plant Frenzy really should've done something against a lesser foe, but Cynthia was too powerful. I was shocked as Paul. He did just use his Pokemon to try to wear down Garchomp, not caring about their own welfare, but he battled well for the situation.

As stubborn as he is, Paul upheld that being tough on his Pokemon is the only way to train them. Wow. Such a melancholy attitude, and a sad way to view the world. Being nice will cause his Pokemon to become weak slackers? How can he verify that without trying? I'm sure his Pokemon woulld still try their hardest. Paul was really giving himself a hard time as well. I must sympathize, seeing as how I take a pessimistic view upon the world at times as well. Looking down at Chimchar with the disgust he did was no surprise. But Paul can't keep this up forever. His bond with his Pokemon will become bitter, and his own perspective of life will deteriorate as well. :(

This chapter inside Byzantium has been exciting. Esther and Ion have been on the run from the Imperial saboteurs for three episodes now, and it seems Radu is back from the dead again. He's Trinity Blood's Kikyo. :P Anyhow, Ion faces whom we think is Radu when he goes split-personality right before he kills the Earl. Who is this guy? He must be with that German underground crime syndicate against the Vatican.

So before Abel and Asta can intevene, Esther and Ion are taken into custody. Asta says that the Empress is the only one who can help. Whoops! She's killed by the Duke of Tigris and PsuedoRadu. Everything goes down the drain, but Abel and Asta don't even know yet that the Empress is already dead. And Radu is being controlled by von Lohengrin, one of the conspirators from previous episodes, like #11 or so. I thought it was cool when he shot Ion and turned him into a beastial vampire, but I also felt sorry for him. Ever since he got back home, maniacal vampires have been trying to knock him off. And Esther. What will she do? She has to kill Ion, or else she'll die.