Skip Beat

Alternative Names: -
Also: manga
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Showbiz, drama, psychological, Romance, Supernatural, Comedy
Number of episodes: 25
Theme Songs: 
Opening Theme:

#1: "Dream Star" by the generous (eps 1-19)

#2: "Renaissance" by the generous (eps 20-25)

Ending Theme: 

#1: "Namida" by 2BACKKA (eps 1-19)

#2: "Eien (永遠)" by Yūsaku Kiyama (eps 20-24)

#3: "Dream Star" by the generous (ep 25

Characters: everything inside "…" is copied from wikipedia
Kyoko Mogami: "Kyoko is a 16-year-old, bright, intelligent girl bent on revenge against the boy that used her feelings of love and devotion for his own selfish gain." So she goes after the boy, named Shotaro, to defeat him in the show business. He sings, and is the number two star at the moment (after Ren Tsuruga). She is a complete newbie, and wants to join the company L.M.E., the agency who is the greatest rival of sho's talent agency. She sort of harasses one of the men there, but after some time she goes to audition there, which she failes. But at the L.M.E. works Ren Tsuruga, who she used to hate, because sho hated him. He teases her at first, because he thinks she uses acting as a weapon.  Kyoko may enter L.M.E., at the LoveMe section, for people with scars in their hearts. Kyoko is unable to love, for many reasons... Kyoko has a supernatural gift, she has her own ghosts, and they come in handy often :D.  
Ren Tsuruga: "Ren has an extremely kind and gentle persona. He takes his acting very seriously and expects professionalism from those around him. While he maintains a perfect public image, he has frequently shown his true face to Kyoko, failing to maintain his polite facade in front of her. He was originally unhappy with Kyoko because of her impure reasons for joining show business, and frequently found ways to annoy and tease her. However, once he realized that her acting was more than a tool for revenge, he began to support her growth as a budding idol."
Sho Fuwa: His real name is Shōtarō (松太郎^?). He keeps it a secret because he finds it very old-fashioned. He is an extremely egotistical, extremely talented music star. Shō had no qualms about asking Kyoko to give up her life in Kyoto to support him in Tokyo, fully cognizant of her misconceptions of the nature of their relationship. After Kyoko's transformation, he is shocked and soon discovers he had more feelings for her than he originally thought. He has disliked seeing Kyoko's tears since childhood, knows her preferences in food, and of her love for fairy tales and things romantic in nature, but stole her first kiss so that she would hate him and obsess over him. Shō holds a great animosity towards Ren because he is hailed as the coolest, number one guy in show biz. 
Summary: from: wikipedia:
Skip Beat! follows the story of Kyoko Mogami, a sixteen year-old girl who loves her childhood friend, Shotaro Fuwa, but is betrayed by him. Having spent a large part of her childhood at Shotaro's parents' inn, she learned a great deal about hostelry and other such jobs. Shotaro, not wishing to take over his parents' business, moves to Tokyo to pursue a career in music. Sho, as he is called by his fans, asks Kyoko to leave high school and her life in Kyoto Prefecture behind to help him. Upon arrival in Tokyo, Kyoko lives an unreasonably frugal life and works multiple jobs to support Sho, spending nothing on herself and doing whatever she can for Sho, who eventually becomes ranked seventh of the top twenty most popular male celebrities of Japan. One day, she overhears Shotaro complaining about her to his manager, saying that she is a boring and plain girl. He proceeds to sweet-talk and flirt with his manager, in stark contrast to the cold and demanding attitude he usually exhibits towards Kyoko. Kyoko doesn't shed many tears when she learns that Sho wanted her along only to handle housekeeping duties. Instead, her "Pandora's box" opens and she vows vengeance on Sho. As she is carried away by security, Sho mockingly tells her that if she wants revenge, she had better become a bigger star than he is. And so, Kyoko changes her appearance and enters the entertainment industry, facing many challenges along the way. Skip Beat! follows Kyoko's journey to climb the showbiz ladder as she meets interesting people, troublemakers and friends alike, with hopes of getting revenge on Shotaro, as well as regaining the sense of compassion that she had lost when her heart was broken by him. As Kyoko cultivates her acting and friendships, she soon discovers a sense of self separate from her initial plans for revenge.
My view:
One of the best stories ever made!! It's so sad that there are only 25 episodes :(
The plot is well-written, with the feelings transporting right into you! It makes you wish Kyoko and Ren really exist. There's nothing that could be wrong in the serie, it all makes sense what they say and how they act, all doesn't it seem so in the beginning sometimes. The writer of the series is a genius!!! The characters are really handsome, especially their eyes; they're captivating... I hope there comes a second serie of Skip Beat, and I hope it will follow the manga till the end!
Rating: 10,0
Images:

No. 6

Alternative Names: -
Genres: Science Fiction, Shonen-ai
Number of episodes: 11
Theme Songs: Opening Song: "Spel" by Lama 
                           Ending Song: "Rokutosei no Yoru" by Aimer
Characters: See Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._6#Characters  
The characters are very complicated, so I can't really write about them, I can  say my personal experience with them, but that doesn't have to be true for you xD
Sion made me think about a little lamp who can't stand on his own feet. He always needs help, for example from Nezumi. He is honest and unbelievable naive, but that's what people like about him. Nezumi is very important to him, and he doesn't like to fight... In the last episode he isn't entirely himself, or, I saw another side of him... So now I don't know if I like him very much anymore.
Nezumi hates No. 6, and wants to destroy it. Sion doesn't, and so they (nearly ?) fight a lot about that. Later in the series I found out that his family was killed because of No. 6, so that's his reason for wanting to destroy it. But I don't understand that he said that at the end, he could have said it earlier, couldn't he??
Summary: When Sion is stil a child, he saves a criminal, named Nezumi. For that reason the city, No. 6, takes certain privileges from him, and he has to move. Years later, Sion sees dead people in his job, and is arrested because of it... Nezumi saves him and takes him out of the city. Then there are some episodes where there doesn't really happen something, (a bit boring :( ), and at the end, the infiiltrate the city, to destroy and save it (or something like that :$), which also really happens. 
My view: A weird serie, in the beginning, it's going slow, fast, slow, fast, then a very long part VERY SLOOOOOWW..... and the end is so fast that you almost have to see it two times... I couldn't really find a morale in this story, all your expectations are in the end proven wrong, so that makes it interesting, but in my opinion this series could have been a LOT better!!
Rating: 6,5
Images:

Gosick

Alternative Names: - 
Manga/Drama?: There is a manga and novel of the series, and I hope a drama will be made too (although my hope will be useless, I suppose :$)
Genres: Mystery, Drama, Romance and a little humor :D
Number of episodes: 24
Theme songs:
Opening Theme:

"Destin Histoire" by Yoshiki Lisa

Ending Theme:

"Resuscitated Hope" by Lisa Komine (episode 1-12)

"Unity" by Lisa Komine (episode 13-24)

Characters: The two maincharacters, copied from wikipedia

Kazuya Kujo:

The main character of the story. As the youngest son of a soldier, Kazuya has spent most of his life struggling with living in his highly successful siblings' shadows. Jealous of all the attention his brothers got, he worked hard to compete, but everything changed when he understood that adults, who think that the youngest child is always spoiled and useless, will never acknowledge his efforts. With a permanent scar in his heart he left the military academy in Japan and before anyone from his family could stop him, went to study abroad to St. Marguerite. Unfortunately, his appearance, combined with the student body's belief that "the traveler who comes in the spring brings death with him" has resulted in Kazuya being called the "Reaper" and having no friends. By some twist of fate he becomes a messenger and companion to the most eccentric pupil in the school, Victorique. At first he didn't like Victorique because of her arrogant attitude, but after some time he started to care for her and be protective of her. It is shown that he is willing to risk his life to protect her on more than one occasion. He is described, by Victorique, as a good and sincere person whose soul is pure and beautiful enough to admit pride. Although he claims to have good academic achievement higher than his older brothers, he can be very dense and slow. He does have admirable fighting and athletic ability to make up for it. It can be assumed that while Kujo has a good memory, he has a poor sense of creativity and has little common sense in living. Instead he has to rely on Victorique to explain for even the simplest things. Despite everything that happened in Japan he is proud to be a soldier's son.

Victorique de Blois:

The heroine of the story. Victorique has the appearance of a small (4' 7"), almost doll-like, girl with long golden hair and emerald eyes and a voice that sounds exactly like that of an older woman. Another important part of Victorique's appearance is a pipe that she smokes when thinking about something; though in the anime, it is never shown to be lit or showing her smoking due to her young age. She spends her days at the conservatory at the top of the library, reading several difficult books, often in different languages, simultaneously. She points at one wall of the library and has told Kazuya that she has read almost all the books over there. Along with her sharp tongue, abusive bluntness and eccentric attitude, she possesses a genius level intellect which she applies as a consulting detective. After Victorique saves him from a near-arrest, Kazuya finds himself being entangled in every new mystery. Because her mother, Cordelia Gallo, was a mistress, and according to Victorique "a dangerous person", she was imprisoned in the depths of the de Blois mansion where she developed very un-childlike mannerisms. She was sent off to school under strict orders to never leave the campus. Only in exceptional circumstances, she obtains permission from Grevil to leave the campus. When she first met Kazuya she did not like him and thought that he was annoying and stupid for climbing up all the stairs in the library. She even ignored him and made fun of him, but gradually warmed up to him and began to trust and cherish him. Despite acting harshly towards Kazuya at times, it's clear that she cares deeply for him, as seen many time when he is in danger. She enjoys "reconstructing chaos" by solving intricate mysteries and often complains of the boredom as the root of her headaches. Throughout the TV series, Victorique was also called by others as the "Golden Fairy in the High Tower", "Gray Wolf" and at the end of the series "Charming Monster"; all of them creatures of folktales.

Summary: Kujo wants to escape his brothers' shadow, and goes to St. Marguerite. There he can make no friends, because the children are afraid of him. Then he meets Victorique in the library (because she wasn't in class, he had to be a messenger for the teacher), and finds out she isn't afraid of him. She solves mysteries that even detectives can't solve, and Kujo helps her with it. Together they solve many cases, and create a bond between them. It gets harder and harder, and what you didn't understand at first, you will get it in the end.
My view: One of the best series I know, I can watch it over and over again... The emotions are real, and the end is unexpected, just how I like it! Everything is a little tragic, but that doesn't matter, it makes it feel more real. I would be really happy if you saw it too, because it's a shame if you don't... so... WATCH!!!!
Rating: 
10
Images:

Victorique sees sweets :D

Ouran High School Host Club

Alternative Names: Ouran HSHC, OHSHC
Genres: Comedy, Gender-Bender, Drama, Romance
Number of episodes: 26
Theme songs: Opening Theme: "Sakura Kiss" by Chieko Kawabe ((and Kristine Sa - english version-))
Ending Theme: "Shisshou" by LAST ALLIANCE
Characters: 

• Haruhi Fujioka; She has a scholarship, even though she is a commoner. She cross-dresses because she has a debt to the Host Club, for breaking a 8 million yen vase. Also, she doesn't rely on others at all.
• Tamaki Suou; A funny guy. He is the prince of the Host Club and calls himself 'Haruhi's dad', most of the time he is a complete idiot, but he does have his moments :D
• Kyouya Ootori; A guy who only cares about money. He won't do anything that won't make any profit, or does he? He is considered the cool-type, although he doesn't entertain very much guests.
• Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin; twins, they are very close to eachother, and were unapproachable when they were younger... Haruhi is the first person who can tell them apart. In the club the have a "forbidden brotherly love" act.
• Mitsukuni Haninozuka (also called Honey); Honey is really adorable and little, but also a material arts champion, despite his looks. Mori-senpai is always by his side, helping him.
• Takashi Morinozuka (also called Mori); Honey's protector, his family serves Honey's family for ages, and so does he. He is also a cool-type and doesn't say much.

Summary: When Haruhi searches for a place to study, she finds a music-room. She thinks it is unused, but in fact it's the club room of the host club. Wanting to get away from the members, she breaks a 8 million yen vase, and she has to pay back using her body. At first, she is the slave of the host club, but when the members see how handsome she is, she is made into a host. From then on all kinds of weird things happen, but she and her new friends overcome them all.
My view: A really fun experience, I've now seen the anime and most episodes of the drama (which is still airing) and can't get enough of it. Tamaki is the most fun for me, because he really is stupid most of the time. But he's also really cool when he is serious. Because all of them have problems, when they come up, it is a really good mix of comedy and solving the problems. When you see it, I'm sure you'll be cheerful afterwards :D
Rating: 8,5
Also: There is also a manga and a drama about this serie. The drama is still airing. It is announced that there will be a film in 2012, but I don't really know for sure...

Images:

Kaleido Star

Alternative Names: It has none, as far as I know
Genres: Slice of Life, Fantasy, Comedy,
Number of episodes: Well, that's a bit difficult, 'cause there are 2 seasons, and three ova's...
The two seasons have a total of 51 episodes, season one has 26 episodes, and season two, the restTheme Songs: (from http://www.animenewsnetwork.com)

Theme Songs:

Opening Theme:

#1: "TAKE IT SHAKE IT" by Sugar (eps 1-13)

#2: "Yakusoku no basho e" by Chihiro Yonekura (eps 14-26)

#3: "Tattoo Kiss" by r.o.r/s (eps 27-51)

Ending Theme:

#1: "real Identity" by Sugar (eps 1-13)

#2: "Boku wa kokoni iru" by SOPHIA (eps 14-26)

#3: "Escape" by r.o.r/s (eps 27-50)

#4: "Yakusoku no basho e" by Chihiro Yonekura with Kaleido Stars (ep 51)

Characters:
Sora Naegino:
Sora wanted to join Kaleido Stage after seeing the show with her parents when she was little, which was the last memories of her parents... Years later, she goes to audition, but is too late, and received a scolding from the main star, Layla. But the boss of Kaleido Star let Sora perform in a actual performance, and short thereafter she joins the actual stage. She makes two good friends, and works hard for her goals, which makes people respect her. However, she has no basis, and can only do hard maneuvres, and never had to learn how to heave a good balance and so on... Still, she goes for it!
Layla Hamilton:
Layla is an accomplished performer. She has a very stubborn character who always gets her way. But she came to have respect for Sora, since she takes risks which nobody else takes, and works always her very best. Layla is the daughter of Mr. Hamilton, a wealthy hotel chain owner; he would prefer Layla to be an actress and is frequently trying to push her into doing so, he actually never saw a real performance from her, because he always works. Towards the end of the first season, Layla starts to see Fool and she becomes Sora's partner for a important maneuver. While training in the Grand Canyons, both Layla and Sora start to gain each others trust and become good friends. While performing the great Mystical Act, Layla's arm becomes so severely injured that she cannot perform on Kaleido Stage again. In the second season, she becomes a Broadway actress and her new partner is a producer by the name of Cathy. She visits Sora many times and they still share that special bond. 
Mia Guillem: 
Mia was born in Holland and is a close friend of Sora's. In the second episode, Mia accepts Sora's presence on the stage after Sora attempts to perform the Golden Phoenix. Later in the series, Mia becomes passionate about writing the scripts for Kaleido Star's performances; she has a keen interest in introducing literature into Kaleido Star's acts.  
Anna Heart: 
Anna is also good friend of Sora's. She, like Mia, comes to accept Sora after the second episode. Anna is talented in many areas and frequently plays more serious parts. Anna truly wishes to perform comedy and usually tries to get Mia to write comedy into her parts. Without succes ;). The request is almost always denied. In season two she gets paired up with two girls that find her extremely funny and help her with her comedy acts for the shows.
Yuri Killian:
Yuri, like Layla, is an experienced performer, yet he's deeply traumatized by a terrible tragedy. His father, Arlon Brass, died attempting the Mystical Act, and he never forgave Kalos for letting his father die. So he takes revenge.  In the second season, Yuri helps Sora get into the Circus Festival in Paris. He appears to be a bitter rival of Leon's, and feels that he is responsible for the death of Leon's sister, Sophie who was a lot like Sora in many ways.
Fool, Spirit of The Stage:
Fool is the mysterious spirit of the stage. He is about the size of an action figure, and appears as a type of jester or clown. Fool is invisible to everyone but those who are destined to do great things on the stage and/or whose heart is completely dedicated to the stage. However, Fool is a pervert who tries many times throughout the series to see Sora, and sometimes her friends, naked (usually by suggesting that they should take a shower). Sora is quick to prevent Fool from peeking in any given situation by trapping him somewhere or rebuking him forcefully, most often in a comedic, slapstick fashion.
Sarah Dupont:
Sarah is the main singer of Kaleido Stage from the United Kingdom, as well as the building manager for the dorms where everyone lives. Many want Sarah to sign on a record label because she is so gifted in singing, but she stays true to Kaleido Stage. She is an avid fan of martial arts, and frequently proposes bizarre alternative methods to help Sora achieve her objectives.
Ken Robbins:
Ken is the stage manager for Kaleido. He used to want to perform onstage when he was young, but claims to have a weak heart and decided that it was best to be backstage. Ken also greatly admires Sora, in many respects, and seems to have a huge crush on her, but never has the guts to confess his feelings for her. Though it would appear that everyone else is aware of his feelings for her, in one instance even trying to help him confess to her.
Kalos Eido:
Kalos is the head manager and boss of the entire Kaleido Stage and gives Sora many helpful pieces of advice throughout the anime. Before Kaleido Stage, Kalos was a stage magician and acrobat and used to perform on the street with Sarah and Andy; their past relationship is rather vague. Kalos founded Kaleido Stage with the money he got from the insurance company after he injured his fingers during an audition for a spot in Las Vegas.
=>In the second season, there are many more characters, but you will find those out later...

Summary: Sora joins Kaleido Stage, which she loves with all her heart, but it is not so easy to survive there, and she encounters many problems, but she also makes good friends, and works very hard in Kaleido Stage. Her parents want her to come home, because they're worried, people with grudges, and all those things come together, and every episode has an end to a problem, and sometimes also a next problem. Because Sora is different from the other people, people are often surprised by her, but she always gains their trust in the end. After the first season, she loses her goal a bit, and does a lot of competition with May, but in the end, she withdraws from the competition, and makes her own goal...

My view: A very good serie, certainly worth the time watching it. It encounters a lot of problems, and a lot of solutions, but it isn't one of those series where you can see what's coming, not at all, to be precise. And that's one of the things I like so much about it. You can watch it over and over again, but it's never boring, and I laughed a lot while watching it. Not much series can do that kind of entertainment, but it did make me a bit envious, what they can do with their bodies...
Rating: 9
Images: