Rurouni Kenshin (Studio Gallop, 1996, thirty episodes) It lacks a lot of my least favorite tropes, despite being a shonen, so it's respectable in that regard. I enjoyed it enough to sit through a decent chunk of it, but I kinda just stopped caring after all. It's just too long, and the story is too messy and uneven for me to continue following. The inconsistent quality of the episodes caused me to find myself growing bored with it more often than not. That said, it's one of the better shonen I've ever tried out, but it's still nothing special. 5/10

Case Closed (TMS Entertainment, 1996, one episode) AKA Detective Conan. The most noteworthy thing about this show is that it's still ongoing. Think about that. This show has been airing for over twenty years. It has almost nine hundred episodes. Here's the thing—when I watch a show, I want every single episode to be fucking awesome. That's what I'm asking for. That's my standard. The odds of this show having 900 episodes of pure entertainment and nothing else are slim to fucking none, so I think I'm gonna have to sit this one out. Go ahead and take my rating with a grain of salt, because I'm basing it off the first episode alone, and I'm well aware that I've only tried a thousandth of what the show has to offer. I just can't handle these long-ass shows. 3/10

Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go (Production IG, 1996, one episode) Old, bad, dumb kid's show.3/10

Spooky Kitaro (Toei Animation, 1996, three episodes) This actually could've been a pretty fun show if they played up its strengths more—namely, the atmosphere and character designs. It's bogged down by typical stupid anime shit. There's a character with an eyeball for a head, though, so that's pretty cool. 4/10

Yuusha Shirei Dagwon (Sunrise, 1996, two episodes) Mecha trash. 2/10

Sonic the Hedgehog (Studio Pierrot, 1996, completed) The first attempt at a Sonic anime. It's not good. How did you expect it to turn out? 3/10

Fire Emblem (Studio Fantasia, 1996, completed) The first attempt at a Fire Emblem anime. It's fucking shit. I don't know what I was expecting. 1/10

Seikimatsu Darling (Unknown studio, 1996, completed) 2/10

My Dear Marie (Studio Pierrot, 1996, completed) Just watch Weird Science. 3/10

Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko (J.C. Staff, 1996, completed) 2/10

Ninja Cadet (Unknown studio, 1996, completed) This series was never finished, apparently, because the director (or someone) died before they could do so. 2/10

Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman (Production IG, 1996, completed) 1/10

Power Dolls (OLM, 1996, completed) An all-female cast of women who all have the exact same face and body type. Very progressive. 1/10

Marriage (Unknown studio, 1996, completed) 2/10

Armageddon (Unknown studio, 1996, completed) One of the stupidest things I've ever seen. 1/10

Chocchan Monogatari (Unknown, 1996, completed) I saw someone on MAL describe this one as Grave of the Fireflies-lite. I concur. 4/10

The Vision of Escaflowne (Sunrise, 1996, four episodes) 4/10

Kodocho (Studio Gallop, 1996, one episode) This is one of those "you gotta watch fifty episodes first before it gets good" and GUESS WHAT I'm not doing that. If having every single episode be worth watching is too much to ask of your shitty-ass show, then it really isn't worth it. Sorry not sorry. 4/10

Hell Teacher Nube (Toei Animation, 1996, three episodes) Never been one for body horror, even if this show is pretty light about it. It's not that I can't handle it—I just think it's a dumb gimmick that isn't worth wasting hours of my life on. 3/10

B'T X (TMS Entertainment, 1996, one episode) Just more mecha shit. 2/10

The Magnificent Zorro (Ashi Production, 1996, one episode) Always thought Zorro was kinda lame, so naturally, I'm not gonna find the anime adaptation of it any cooler. 2/10

Mizuiro Jidai (Nippon Animation, 1996, one episode) About as mind-numblingly basic as a show can get. 1/10

VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire (Production Reed, 1996, one episode) Classic offensive shlock. 1/10

Green Makibao (Studio Pierrot, 1996, one episode) 2/10

Shamanic Princess (Triangle Staff, 1996, two episodes) 1/10

Burn Up! W (AIC, 1996, three episodes) 1/10

Magic User's Club OVA (Production Reed, 1996, completed) Hell, I didn't even know "magical boy" was a thing in Japan. That's kind of refreshing, I guess. This OVA still sucks, though. 4/10

Battle Arena Toshinden (J.C.Staff, 1996, completed) Based on a mediocre fighting game series that went on to be the spiritual predecessor of the awesome Soul Calibur franchise. Go and play that instead. 2/10

Sanctuary (Pastel, 1996, completed) 3/10

Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend (Unknown studio, 1996, first episode) This is a thing that exists. Incredible. 1/10

Debutante Detective Corps (Gainax, 1996, completed) 1/10

Tattoon Master (AIC, 1996, one episode) 2/10

Landlock (Unknown studio, 1996, one episode) 2/10

Idol Fighter Su-Chi-Pai (Daume, 1996, completed) 1/10

Bounty Hunter: The Hard (J.C.Staff, 1996, completed) 1/10

Baby and Me (Studio Pierrot, 1996, two episodes) 4/10

Ganbarist! Shun (Sunrise, 1996, two episodes) 3/10

Birdy the Mighty (Madhouse, 1996, two episodes) 1/10

Garzey's Wing (J.C.Staff, 1996, completed) A lot of people seem to think this is a so-bad-it's-good show. I can't say that I agree. It's so-bad-it's-bad. 1/10

Chrono Trigger (Production IG, 1996, completed) Another "Just Play the Game" type of show. 3/10

Kimera (Unknown studio, 1996, completed) 2/10

Maze: The Mega-Burst Space OVA (J.C.Staff, 1996, completed) 1/10

Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer (J.C.Staff, 1996, one episode) 1/10

Future GPX Cyber Formula Saga (Sunrise, 1996, one episode) 2/10

Twin Signal (Unknown studio, 1996, one episode) 3/10

Hurricane Polymar: Holy Blood (J.C.Staff, 1996, one episode) 1/10

Jigokudou Reikai Tsuushin (Unknown studio, 1996, completed) Really striking art style on this one, but that's about it. If not for the cool visuals, it probably wouldn't have stuck out in my mind as much. I also give it points for being able to communicate everything so well through its visuals—the only stream of it I was able to find lacked English subtitles, but it didn't really matter. 5/10

X - The Movie (Madhouse, 1996, completed) Whatever the fuck this even is, I feel like I've seen several better versions of the same general story. It's pretty well-crafted, though. 4/10

Hana Yori Dango (Toei Animation, 1996, three episodes) Basic shojo romance garbage. Painful, stupid, boring. 3/10

Martian Successor Nadesico (Xebec, 1996, completed) The last show that I completed from this year, and it's not bad. I'd put it up there with Rurouni Kenshin in terms of how much entertainment value I was able to get out of it. Which isn't a lot, but it's far and away better than most of the complete and utter shit I've been sifting through for 1996. It can be looked upon as a parody of the mecha genre, and it'll be a good time if you do that. If you find yourself getting too hung up with its unsubtle anime-isms, though, it probably won't be a very good time. It's a weird one. 5/10

Those Who Hunt Elves (Group TAC, 1996, one episode) 2/10

Remi, Nobody's Girl (Nippon Animation, 1996, three episodes) World Masterpiece Theater. Not as immediately engaging as Romeo and the Black Brothers. 5/10

Violinist of Hamelin (Studio Deen, 1996, two episodes) 3/10

Chouja Raideen (Sunrise, 1996, one episode) 2/10

YAT Anshin! Uchuu Ryokou (Group TAC, 1996, one episode) 1/10

Angel Densetsu (Toei Animation, 1996, one episode) 3/10

Apocalypse Zero (Ashi Production, 1996, completed) 1/10

Master of Mosquiton (Unknown studio, 1996, one episode) 3/10

The Adventures of Kotetsu (Unknown studio, 1996, one episode) 1/10

Panzer Dragoon (Production IG, 1996, one episode) Cool games make shit shows. What a working formula. 1/10

Spring & Chaos (Unknown studio, 1996, completed) 6/10