When I saw the poster advertising this show on the internet I was immediately intrigued. I googled the show and then saw it was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (of Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop). Knowing then that my initial interest was well founded, I began to watch. From the opening minutes the thing that struck me most was the art. It is absolutely gorgeous. It's so vivid and beyond anything I have seen before. On that front this show is perfect

Story-wise this is also very strong. Far from shonen anime, this is deeply rooted in reality and the present day. It features terrorism, a topic not usually explored in this medium and it is refreshing to find it so well done.

This series started amazingly and had me hooked, but as the episodes went on I found myself watching out of habit rather than eager anticipation. The plot was rushed and REALLY could have done with at least 25ish episodes rather than the meager 11 we got. Also, Lisa Mishima as a character is mostly predictable and even annoying throughout the series. When learning about her home-life, I thought we would get a 3 dimensional character, not a snivelling weakling who ends up causing trouble for everyone.

In fact, most characters are pretty standard. There aren't really any characters apart from Five who are actually that interesting. Overall, this is a high quality anime, but lacks in a few areas which holds it back from greatness. If you are expecting Death Note 2.0, you are going to be disappointed. It is not as complex and thrilling as DN, although it looks much better and doesn't have a shitty second half like DN had.

Good Points: Art Style, Story, Ending Bad Points: 1Dimensional Characters, WAY too short