30 Second Anime Review

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The purpose of this thread is to get exposure for a series, or write a flaming diatribe against one with a short, summarized review of it. I figure this could be a good repository of forum opinions on anime series, since I don't want to dig through 800 pages of spoiler filled series threads to see if it's worth watching.

1) No spoilers. Anything you find out within the first twenty minutes isn't a spoiler.
2) Don't write too much or too little. A paragraph is fine. Don't write two sentences, don't write a page, and you'll be fine.
3) I suppose doing popular series' is inevitable but try not to do reviews of Naruto or Bleach or stuff that people have obviously heard 10,000 opinions on unless you have something fresh to say. However, I do recommend reviewing critically acclaimed pieces that still don't get enough love here (since that's what I'll be doing, of course).

Here's mine.

Series:

The Melody Of Oblivion: The War of the 20th Century is over, and we lost. Now the Melos Warriors strive to defeat a hierarchy of Monsters who control the world. Wonderfully put together, this has some of the most unique artistic values of anything within the last five years. The extremely bright and bizarre character designs clash with the horrifying (subtly) background work and the extremely dark tone that runs through the whole series. It's emotional and extremely well written, and has a dose of the action for all of you who can't watch a series unless something explodes. It also features some of the best and most varied music in an anime, ranging from classical pieces to electronica. Absolutely fantastic on all fronts.

Film:

Voices Of A Distant Star: I'm not going to tell you anything about the plot of this movie because it's better if you go into it knowing nothing. Makoto Shinkai directed, storyboarded, and animated the ENTIRE short film (around thirty minutes) himself over the course of eight months in his spare time. He is a damned genius. The film itself is an incredibly beautiful piece of art and a moving drama with an intelligent sci-fi flair, and Shinkai is the best up-and-coming creator in the industry.

Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis: He's the master of Japanese animation and its founder, and this movie does a stunning tribute to his work. It hearkens back to old-school Disneyesque designs, but please don't let that put you off and just watch the movie. Absolutely beautiful visuals and a great score, and one of the greatest ending sequences in an anime. It's simple without being childish, and smart without being heavy-handed. Great stuff.