(I actually picked up this book from a box that my friend wanted to donate. I saw the title and thought that it was interesting so I decided to read it.)

It’s nice to actually read about other people’s perspective on popular anime series such as Akira, Ranma 1/2, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Princess Mononoke, Ghost in the Shell, etc. Because I have watched almost all the different anime series, I found the book to be an easy read. For the ones that I have not watched, the summary given in each chapter was sufficient in delivering the main idea of the anime.

While it did offer a different view of anime, I felt that certain parts of the book over-analyzed the anime series. It would have been more interesting if the author had solicited the opinions of the original writers and designers of the anime series in addition to other prominent reviewers and critiques. Some parts of the book seemed pretty far-fetched to me and it would be beneficial to compare and contrast what the author thinks with the original intent of the authors and designers of the anime.

I’ll probably watch some of the anime titles again and try to experience the anime from the author’s point of view.