Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne
[Episodes 1-44 Reviewed]
[Reviewed by Bethany]

Before I begin to tear this anime apart, I'd like to note for the record that the manga is considerably better. The manga is the reason I persisted in seeing this series out to its anticlimatic, less-than-satisfying end: I was waiting for it to suddenly get good and redeem itself for the past episodes of pointless, boring, and often very stupid filler. It didn't happen. Why they had to take a good thing and make into this is beyond me... and I cry in anguish for what it could have been. I also run screaming from fans of the series. Please don't kill me; I just don't like it.

Story
Maron lives alone, and has for quite some time. Her parents live abroad, and she never sees or hears from them. She's lonely, and her main activities in life include attending high school and doing gymnastics. ...That, and going out at night to seal demons [or, as the world assumes, steal "beauty"] as Kaitou Jeanne. Maron is not your typical girl; she's the reincarnation of Jeanne d'Arc who said she'd heard God and was burned at the stake during the Hundred Years War in Europe. At night, with the help of her ... angel ... Fin Fish, Maron transforms into Jeanne and saves the souls of people who have been possessed by demons... for the sake of God.

What Else?
Oh, the lack of quality. As a heroine, Maron starts out all right... but quickly degenerates. Miyako is annoying from the start, and while Chiaki provides entertainment and attempts to redeem the rest of the cast, his unfailing adoration for Maron just does not allow me to truly like him. The filler episodes would be okay, if there weren't so damn many of them — so many, in fact, we begin to wonder if they were running out of ideas, and that's why they're about as fun to watch as ... well, tired and lacking a cleverly insulting metaphor, but believe me, they're no treat. (I think everyone will agree when I say the low point was when Myst took over the school and everyone was walking around groaning like the cast of Resident Evil.) I won't even get into the horror of its music. (Well, the opening theme, at least, which just does not permit me to like anything connected with the KKJ music — except for Sindbad's theme, which is snazzy.)

Of course, it isn't all bad. I got the opportunity to scream how Mr. Red Hair was OBVIOUSLY evil, and mock the vibrant blue of Chiaki's hair. And, in all fairness, the first season wasn't all that bad; I was really addicted to it for a while — until I came around to the second season, realized they weren't going to spend much time on the actual plot, and sat dully on my couch waiting for it to finally end. There are moments of cuteness that cannot be denied, and I absolutely loved the amusement park episode. If I went back and rewatched the first season and tried to deny that a second even existed, my opinion of it would probably raise considerably.

The Bottom Line
If you really want this, get the manga. It kicks the shit out of the anime, and God makes a guest appearance.