I watched Phantom quite a lot of time ago, but even now I remember how thrilling it was! It's far beyond 'great'; its' a real masterpiece. And can't here compare with the big 3 or others well-known series, for me Phantom is like different category.
Amination, music- wasn't THAT great, but still it had that 'something' that made me sit on the edge of chair. Plot...omg. I can't find words to discribe what I felt during each episode! The most important was the end of Phantom, this last episode, or maybe last minutes of last episode summed it up to be a real masterpiece.
I didn't like one thing: the time when they got to Japan - it was too unrealistic and didn't blend with the first part of serie. But still I love Phantom ~
I recommend this anime to everyone, it'd be too much of a waste not to watch it :) (show less)

This was one of the best examples I have seen of the psychological genre of anime. It is a beautifully written and depicted suspenseful story of secrecy and deception, loyalty and betrayal, self-preservation and self-discovery. The characters are provided with plenty of depth, development, and insight into their true thoughts and motives as the episodes progress, and the situations they create are entirely believable. There are a few emotionally charged events along the way, but it is at the tragic end where the viewer is truly rewarded. And the end is truly tragic.

Why would I call this a reward? Maybe it's just the psychologist in me, but I feel that typical happy endings are often cheap, empty, and insulting, to be quite honest. Stories wherein any dilemma works itself out and turns to roses by the conclusion, however devastating it may have been, are unrealistic and better left for children who have not yet learned what the world is really like. I find much greater satisfaction (as well as much more to think about once the series is over) when the ending finds a character worse for the wear or at least significantly impacted by the preceding events.

There is a definite appeal to this dark story, and a "happily ever after" it is decidedly not. (show less)