Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad

a very solid story about a group of guys wanting to make it as a rock band. Koyuki is the shy, nice kid who befriends the intense, enigmatic Ryuusuke for this purpose. There are other parts of this story which provide, if not comic relief, but a diversion from the actual story. You get to meet a few young girls in Koyuki's wife, including Ryuusuke's rough around the edges but compelling Majo, as well as go through band politics and the struggle to be good. A few parts of this I did not like so much, namely Leon Sykes, whose part in the story is unnecessary. However, they are minor quibbles in a story that manages to entertain greatly. Some profanity, but thats okay. Good music, too. I recommend it as an anime that sometimes feels extremely real.