Anime that doesn’t suck
Anime/manga I’ve seen recently, and thought was rather cool:
* Chobits
* Angelic Layer
*General thoughts:* _Chobits_ is cool, anything CLAMP touches seems to turn to gold, I don’t know how it works like that. Make sure you like shojo first though. _Chobits_ is good in both anime and manga. _Angelic Layer_ is best in anime form.
Both of the above series make you go “awww how cute”! In the case of _Angelic Layer_, there was at least one scene where I felt like rubbing away tears, so these stories are *good*. Not as generally accepted as _Spirited Away_ but more fulfilling in some ways.
What are these stories about?
_Chobits_ is about a guy who finds a human-shaped computer (persocom) in the trash, and brings it home to see if it still works. Over the series, the story covers the difference between humans and computers, the value of a soul, and that the most important thing in a relationship is the recognition of the uniqueness of the other person, no matter what kind of person s/he is.
_Angelic Layer_ follows a girl who enters a competition, fighting with miniature robots which take their instructions for movement from their owner. As a CLAMP novel, it also explores complex relationships—romantic and frends—through the story.
Both stories are refreshing and fun, and *not* in any way like _Pokemon_ or any other crap series that youngsters seem to somehow like these days.