Saishû heiki kanojo

Definitely one of the best anime's I have seen. Very moving and just very, very good. I recommend this anime to anyone that can handle the emotional ups and downs. If anyone can do this than I salute you! I could barely handle the emotions when everyone was dying. It was that powerful to move a grown man to shed some tears. I don't know what's wrong with me, but, there'd actually a few good anime's out there that are so well written and animated with the story lines, that can have a profound impact on those who view them. I guess it depends on your state of mind etc. but do not pass this one up, I highly recommend it. I will compile a list of really good anime's that I recommend to watch.

Gah... I'm surprised that nobody's actually commented on this series before!

SaiKano (shortened and commonly used form of the Japanese title) is truly a wonderful story, very well voiced, with a very moving story. Set in a potential modern Japan, at first one would presume this is 'just another' Japanese High School story, about love and relationships. Until the end of the first episode. Of course, that's a major part of it, but this is by no means the same as any other. Within the second half of the first episode, however, we are shown that a lot of violence and action is to be included, of a very moving (and sometimes graphic) nature.

It's amazing how many emotions can be stirred up in just thirteen episodes, but this manages an awful lot. A wonderful series, very recommended. If you don't mind becoming depressed for a week.

I had to force myself to watch the last few episodes of this anime just so I could be done with it. I just could not stand it by the end. If you're going to create an alternate setting for an anime, you should at least explain it. It is never gone into why the country is at war, why it was necessary to change a little girl into an ultimate weapon, or why this "ultimate weapon" doesn't just end the war immediately. Not only that, but I simply could not stand the characters. They just had no personalities whatsoever, aside from reacting to the fact that she was an ultimate weapon. Everyone treats Chisu with a sort of reverent fear, the only difference in anyone being that Shuji "loves" her for no apparent reason. The visuals are okay and the music and voice acting are decent, but in the end, it's just sadness for the sake of being sad.

SaiKano is a sad, sad series. And yet somehow uplifting by the end. The message of the series really sticks with you afterwards- it's that moving.

I love the characters the most- they're all so admirable in their own ways, and they each make their own sacrifices for the sake of someone special to them. That's what it's about; loving and trying to receive love, getting hurt in a confusing and quickly changing world but still struggling to go on despite these difficulties. I'll never forget a moment near the end that made me realize that the series started off in a vastly different world. It really brings home the irreversible effects of war, and the changes that the main characters have experienced.

This series is a good mix of pathos and cute moments (mostly courtesy of Chise) not to be missed. I haven't read the manga, but as a series alone, it is quite excellent.

There was this novel by Kafka, where Gregor Samsa turns into a coackroach. It's never explained why, or how, it just is. The point of the book is to explore human relationships, not magic.

This series isn't about world building or sci-fi, it's about people. There's a war, and it's never explained fully, nor they explain the major plot point. It just is. If you're uncomfortable with ambiguity, then avoid this anime.

In fact, I will praise this series for removing that. It's a bold move that forces you to focus on the characters. This is a sad love story, about aimless kids looking for their place.

Do not watch this if you're not in the right mental place. There's nothing jarring or shocking, other than pure distilled sadness.