High School DxD New - Season 2

Genre: Fantasy/Action/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: Yeah! You can do it!
Notable Features: demons, angels, fallen angels, fan service
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 Seasons, 12 episodes (+ OVAs)
Overall Recommendation: Great!

"I don't ever want to see her cry." - Issei

Season two is a continuation of the story from season one (duh). There are some new characters added to the mix, however. Rias' brother, Sir Zech's, joins the story as one of the three big hitters. Azazel, leader of the Fallen Angels appears slowly until the end where he makes a nice little entrance, and Michael shows up with a game changer to everyone's surprise. After some shocking news and more action-packed battles, we learn Kiba's story and a new devil joins the group - a former Angel named Xenobia. Also, new battle pieces are revealed! An adorable cross dressing first year is taken under Issei's perverted wing, and the bonds of friendship become strong.

Aside from Issei's magical arm issues, there are now Holy Swords. They become a focal point for a number of episodes, as they have the power to seriously wound demons and a full blown search occurs when one ends up in the wrong hands. Somehow, through everything, the three factions end up together on a single team trying to defeat a common enemy. 

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It's hard to write a full synopsis for a second season. I don't need to fill out all of the character details the way I usually would. The personalities of the main characters haven't changed much. This series held a lot less dopiness, and comedy, than the first one, but that's pretty par for the course in a second season. I will say that it was a lot of fun. I haven't really loved the last few I've reviewed so it's nice to be back to something "Great!" It was so much fun, and I actually cared about what was happening to the characters. I can't decide if I want Issei to meet his dream, though. I mean, he's the good-hearted, dirty-minded protagonist, and I want him to succeed, but then I'm agreeing with his ideas of having a harem and groping girls all over the place. Okay, that made me laugh despite the naughty.

Season 2 did not disappoint. If you enjoyed the first season, I definitely recommend the second. They did a really good job with just making it a continuation instead of trying too hard for something else. I had to watch it in Japanese, though, because it hasn't been released in English yet. Sometimes, I  have a hard time transitioning, but with enough time between the seasons it's not a problem. Watch it.

Special note: While I recommend watching the OVAs, they are highly inappropriate and didn't have any censorship. I would most definitely not recommend me for children. Well, the fan service is enough that I wouldn't anyway, but the OVAs are worse.

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Oh, dear: Phantom Thief Reinya

Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist

Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: potential?
Notable Features: demons, angels, high school
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Not so much

"Atoms. They're all made of atoms." - William

William Twining is a young student from an affluent family at an English boarding school. He's called home over break only to find that his family fortune is gone, his servants dismissed and no money for tuition. The only person left behind is his houseman, Kevin. Somehow, the debts caused by his uncle managed to leave behind the house, but virtually nothing in it. While searching through the rooms of the old manor, William stumbles into a strange storeroom with a large symbol painted on the floor. After a small fall, and a small cut, this symbol activates and a strange man appears in the middle. He introduces himself as Dantalion, Grand Duke of Hell, and attempts to explain his presence.

There is one catch, however. William is an extremely intelligent realist who doesn't believe in anything not clearly proven by science. Thus, demons cannot exist and this mysterious man must be crazy. So begins the story of William Twining, the Elector of Hell. William apparently has a special bloodline that has put him in the position of the Elector of Hell - he who can elect the next ruler should Lucifer not wake up from his current long term nap. Because of this status, demons are attracted to William, primarily as a tool to become the next ruler of hell. There are a few demons he becomes closer to, and those relationships effect everything about the story. The question becomes: Will William ever make a decision, if he even lives that long?

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This series was full of potential. I think it suffered from only having 12 episodes, as the development of characters and plot could've been much stronger. I'm not sure if the manga just isn't finished, or if the story is just cut that short. I've always been attracted to occult type stuff (shocking, I know), and I was really excited about the potential in the series. Unfortunately, I was left unsatisfied. I thought the relationship between Dantalion and William could've had more to it, or maybe some yay-friendship additions between the high school demons. The addition of the angels also had some serious potential as conflict building, but it just didn't last long enough for me to feel strongly when it ended. I'm all for occasional cliffhangers, but this is clearly just the end without resolution. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. It's not bad, and I crushed on them a little. I just wish there was more time devoted to real stories - e.g. Why did we need to hear about Jeanne and Gilles? Useless. I guess, I would recommend it to other people interested in trying anything demon-y, but otherwise, not so much. I really hope there ends up being some sort of sequel that will fix this feeling of something missing.

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Blaaaaah: Sword Art Online

Brothers Conflict

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: weirded out vs. cute guys!
Notable Features: reverse harems, odd family conflicts, spacey girl
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Okay


"We're too close to exchange whispers of love." - Ema

One day, Ema's dad tells her that he's planning to remarry. As a result, she's off to live with her new step-brothers. All 13 of them! They live in a house/apartment complex, where everyone get their own room, and different floors, with some common areas. From the beginning, Ema is a little bit shy, and oblivious. Her brothers, however, are all fairly forward. While they all seem to have similar feelings of genuine concern, except maybe one, they are all also in love with her. The five closest to her in age are the main "contenders" in the storyline, but each brother shows romantic interest in her in some way, with one exception. Louis has only brotherly feelings for her, and becomes a great source of strength.

Let's not forget her most important ally, though. Ema has a "pet" squirrel who is dedicated to protecting her from her brothers. Juli can talk, and often expresses his displeasure at the different situations Ema finds herself in, but no one else can hear him - except for Louis. There is no real mention of why Louis is special, but the squirrel and brother form their own "Protect Ema" committee. This series has little story lines about each brother, and often develops their relationships with each other, both as brothers and rivals. The intense, forward brothers often throw Ema off guard, and you have to wait until the end of the series to learn her important decision.

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Brothers Conflict was a mix of fun and discomfort. I really felt for Ema during the whole "I love you, sis" situation. That has got to be confusing, and I would never want to be in her position. I also have a love/hate relationship with the brothers. I adore Louis - despite, or because of his strange speech patterns - and I like Natsume, one of the triplets, probably because he's a video game developer. How cool is that? I am really happy that Ema is a step-sister, though. WEIRD. I frequently wanted to punch Futo, often in the nuts, for his personality/attitude/creepiness. He had one or two redeeming moments, but not enough for me to like him. I can't say too much, without giving too much away, but I will say that it was weird, creepy, and funny. I would most definitely recommend this to any girl who loves the whole reverse harem thing (which does include me!), but I wouldn't recommend it for any other reason. I'm probably not going to watch it again. It certainly wasn't as good as Uto no Prince Sama.

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Um. Huh.: Servant x Servicw

Maid Sama

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Preteens+
Emotional Response: hah.
Notable Features: high school, girl power, maid cafe
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"Hey! This ship is very flammable!" - Pirate


Misaki is a no nonsense high school class president whose goal is to make the school better for potential future female students. She's considered a bit of a devil woman because she's strong and stern with everyone around her. She seems to dislike guys, but it's really all about her desire to help the school. The first season focuses on the different activities the cast goes through in her effort to be a good president. Misaki has a deep, dark secret, however. Her family is quite poor after being abandoned by their father, and Misaki helps by working at Maid Latte, a maid cafe in a neighboring town. Half of the conflicts in the story stem from her attempts to keep her part time job away from the students at her school. She's afraid that it would take away from her reputation. There are a few students who know her secret, but since they're frequent patrons of Maid Latte, and desperately in love with her, they've decided to keep her secret.

The underlying theme to the series is her tumultuous relationship with Usui, a super-cool classmate who has taken an interest in her. While he's originally intrigued by her forcefulness as the school president, he turns into more a creepy stalker as the first few episodes go by. Their relationship flips between Misaki being annoyed with his stalker ways and her back-and-forth about her true feelings toward him. Everyone around them seems to understand the feelings between them, except for Misaki. Each episode features some sort of comedic fumbling by Misaki, and her annoyance with at least one male in the cast.

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I liked Maid Sama. It was a pretty easy watch, and I enjoyed the cute love story. My biggest frustration was watching Misaki fumble around with her romantic feelings, but that's how the love-story goes, right? I agreed with Misaki about the annoyance level I would likely feel toward Usui's persistance, but at the same time I can appreciate it. At least he's pretty cute. This is a pretty straight forward, traditional high school rom-com. Definitely a chick flick, but probably shmoopy enough for a guy to endure with his girlfriend.

Overall, it was just a fluff piece, but there's nothing really wrong with that. The only reason I gave it a preteen rating was based on interest level. There were some great things about it - I had a fondness for the cross-dressing middle schooler - and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a stress-free time. It was a nice chaser to Kanamemo's blah.

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BingBong: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

Is This a Zombie?

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: LOL, I can't believe he/she just said that
Notable Features: zombies, vampires, magical girls, demons, bad humor
Language: English/Japanese
Length: 2 Seasons, 24 episodes 
Overall Recommendation: Great!


"Don't worry! I'm a zombie!" - Ayumu

A young man runs in front of an oncoming truck to save a tiny kitten about to be squished. There is no way that he can make it across without being squished himself, but it's ok. He's a zombie. That's how Is This a Zombie? opens, and it's basically the humorous theme throughout the series. Ayumu is attacked by a rampaging serial killer and is revived by a strange, non-talking, young girl he had met moments before at a convenience store. She is Eu, the Necromancer, and her overflowing amount of magical power has made her able to make Ayumu into a zombie. During the trials and tribulations, Ayumu's undead status is one of the main reasons he's able to achieve anything - no matter how many times, or how many ways, he's dismembered, he's able to brush it off and move on.

Is This a Zombie? has an interesting cast of characters. The first person he meets is a Magical Garment Girl, Haruna, who cuts him in half with her magical chainsaw. Somehow, because of this wonderful zombie powers and connection to Eu, he steals some of these powers and becomes a Magical Garment Girl himself - pretty pink outfit included. This happy group of fun is shortly rounded out with two vampire ninjas: Seraphim (Sera) and Maelstrom. All three new girls have a special disdain for Ayumu and his harem-loving ways. Often, he gets in trouble for wrongs he hasn't actually committed. Regardless of how the ladies might feel about him in any given moment, they become an inseparable group of magical kicking butt friends. The series itself ends up focused on the importance of friendship and Ayumu's caring side.

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The first season of Is This A Zombie? was great. It was absolutely hilarious, and the misunderstandings surrounding Ayumu's interactions with the female cast are pretty excellent. It reminded me of Heaven's Lost Property, except Ayumu isn't purposefully putting himself in awkward situations. You won't see him turning himself into a floor at any point. I suppose that would take away from his Magical Garment Girl action. Eu was probably my favorite character. She's totally cute, but a little more mature than the others. I also appreciate her silent nature. I managed to get my favorite person to sit down and watch the series with me - even more impressive with the second season being in Japanese.

The second season really pulled away from the focus of Ayumu's zombie abilities and focused more on relationship building and the hilarity that is Ayumu in drag. The fights were a little less epic, but at that point I was emotionally engaged enough to not care so much.
Really, the only disappointment to the whole series is the ending. I wanted more out of it, and now I'm hoping that there will be a third season though it seems unlikely.

All of the nudity is censored, so it's really not that bad. There are some head-smacking naughty jokes, but nothing I found offensive. I'm pretty sure a teenager could handle it just fine. There is some blood but no guts, which I appreciated, and the monsters are all pretty ridiculous - animals in school uniforms!
It was great fun. It wouldn't win any awards, but I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for a supernatural, harem, comedy.

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I'm not really a zombie: Kanamemo

Haganai

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: LOL, feel good
Notable Features: high school, social ineptitude
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 season, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Definitely

"Poopy crappy hag!" - Sister Maria

A geek, perverted scientist, dirty blonde thug, and a prima donna girly-girl walk into a common room...and The Neighbors Club is formed. Kodaka is a young man in high school who has transfered in as a Sophomore. His dirty blonde hair, and stern features have created rumors around school that he is a hardened thug, with various exploits under his belt. The other students hide in fear from him, and take every situation out of context. The beginning of his friend-less salvation starts with stumbling onto Yozora, a social outcast girl, who has an imaginary "air" friend named Tomo. After a conversation about their mutual inability to make friends, Yozora creates the Neighbors Club, putting a subliminal-type message on the flyer. The point of the club is to practice being "normal" and making friends for later.

As the flyer is seen by other stranger teens, the most popular girl in school pops up, with great drama, wanting to learn how to make friends. Apparently, her issue is being so popular that no one actually wants to like her. The pervy scientist is a girl Kodaka saves from a faint, and a young man joins the club after deciding that Kodaka's reputation means he's awesome. Yozora, being the evil prankster that she is, convinces Yukimori (said young man) that in order to be more manly, and therefore closer to Kodaka's example, he must learn to brazen his manliness out through counter-intuitive actions - basically, she convinces his to dress in drag for the entire series. The club advisor, Sister Maria, is a super-genius Sister who didn't really know what she was going into, and her arch-nemesis ends up being Kodaka's younger sister who is obsessed with a vampire anime character. Haganai follows a variety of interesting situations that occur as a result of their misguided activities for being more friend-friendly, and the interactions between the group's various frenemies.

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Haganai was a feel-good, funny series that really lifted my spirits a little bit. I'm glad that I decided to give it a try. After watching the first two episodes in English, I was disappointed to find that it was seriously only the first two episodes that had been dubbed. It was funny enough to keep moving, though. The series was fully of awkward characters, and in that way it reminded me of when I was around that age. I don't think I specifically identified with any of them, but the feel was just right. The series itself didn't seem to have any major developments, or conflicts, which may make this review portion a bit boring, I suppose. It was pretty much solely focused on character development. So many high school series have odd attachments to them, and this was straight-up comedy without magic, androids, or gratuitous nudity.

There were a few great LOL moments. There is one scene where the group is on a roller coaster ride that made me cry with laughter. It was in season 2, though, so you'll just have to wait to get there. There was some incidental fan service, but after High School DxD it was practically childish. I have so many favorite characteristics for each character, but I think I really enjoyed the middle schoolers the best, probably followed closely by the cross-dressing cross-dresser. I'm not sure it's really up to a re-watch status, but I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for an easy laugh.

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NEXT!: Air

Heaven's Lost Property

Genre: Sci-Fi
Age Appropriate: Older Teen/Adult
Emotional Response: LOL, that's just so wrong
Notable Features: angeloids, girls, awkward teens, new world
Language: English
Length: 2 season, 26 episodes (plus extras if you want)
Overall Recommendation: Great

"No way, dude. Fishing is bullshit." - Tomoki

One day, after talking to a strange geek friend, a young man finds himself nearly pummeled with a beautiful young lady with WINGS! He drags her away from the following barrage of bizarre debris falling from the sky, and when she comes to, he finds out that she's a "Pet Class Angeloid Alpha" named Ikaros. Tomoki, a typically perverted teenage boy, is surrounded by some very interesting friends - a number of which are fan service busty. His next door neighbor, and closest friend, Sohara is beautiful, a bit awkward, a little in love with him, and has a tendency to respond to his inappropriateness with brutal karate chops. Those karate chops, whether from something he said or as a result of uncontrollable jealous, happen at least once per episode. The other friends introduced are the strange pair, Sugata (a young science geek obsessed with the "New World") and Mikako, a busty sophisticated girl with a little bit a evil mixed in. They're almost always found together, but their relationships status is usually vague. When Tomoki says all that he wants is a peaceful existence, he counters that with keeping Ikaros around and ending up in funny situations with her, and her new frenemy, Nymph.

The story actually focuses on the reason for Ikaros being on Earth. Tomoki has had angel dreams for as long as he can remember, but they'd been growing in frequency when Ikaros appears. Ikaros also mentions that her abilities and powers stem from being connected to "the Synapse." So, there appears to be a more science/technological theme (rather than a religious one).  There is a deep, dark secret about the angeloids, however. The conflict of the story surrounds that secret being revealed bit by bit throughout the later episodes. Why is Ikaros on Earth? What is the relationship between her and Tomoki's dreams? What's up with the other angeloids? Is Nymph a good guy or a bad guy? Each question poses a new episodic mystery.


*Note - Heaven's Lost Property is not finished. Season Three is likely coming sometime soon.

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Heaven's Lost Property is horrible. Well, horribly naughty. Tomoki is probably one of the most perverted characters I've seen yet. It's hilarious. Everything is basically censored, which is good, but it doesn't take away from what's going on. His schemes include using angeloid tech to turn into a girl, pool, floor, underwear...really anything that would get him close to a girl in a variety of states of undress. If the series need some series comedic break, it involved Tomoki's obsession with naked women. I was caught between banging my head on the table, and laughing until I cried. Shameful. Absolutely shameful - and well done.

The story had some really intense, emotional points that really hit home. Despite the inappropriateness, the creaters really did some amazing character development. So, when the story lead to the serious parts, I was really invested in what was going on. I actually had to watch an extra episode once just so that the episode I'd finished wasn't the last thing I saw before I went to be. It wasn't gross or disturbing, just potentially heartbreaking. It was a sign of a job well done. For once, I didn't have a favorite character because I found myself connected to them all in some way, big or small.

Overall, I loved it. This isn't for the kiddies, though. It's way too naughty. Probably one of the best things was the little cloud with wings that they use to cover Tomoki when it's his turn to run around naked, but he's still running around naked. I wouldn't really have a huge problem with older teens watching it, though. It's all about funny perversion more than "adult content." I can't wait for the next season to air!

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Special!: Heaven's Lost Property - Mirror Review!

Basically, I watched  this series with someone else and he will be writing up his own review. I thought it might be fun to give two different perspectives on a series. I think this one will, in particular, give a little something extra based on genre and subject matter. 

More importantly, this is Memorial Day Weekend! And my sweetie's 30th birthday. No post on Monday. Have a good bbq.

Sukisyo

Genre: Comedy/SciFi/Romance
Age Appropriate: Older Teen/Adult
Emotional Response: Giggles and frustration
Notable Features: high school, split personalities, yaoi
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 seasons, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great

"Waiting is a sort of sorrow, too." - Matsuri



Hashiba Sora mysteriously fell four stories and landed without a scratch on him but lost all of his memories. Now he's back on his feet, attending an all-male boarding school, in an all-male world. The school has some old friends around, but the story shows that he's had to remember them. He remembers Matsuri, after a certain amount of prodding, but gets a good punch in the head when he doesn't remember Sunao. Sora's first experience waking up in his dorm is having Nao crawling onto his bed with him and saying strange things. Turns out, Ran lives inside Nao and has been looking for his long-lost love Yoru - who apparently lives inside Sora! So begins the drama that is Sukisyo. Underneath the crazy comedy and tension-filled love story is a deep dark secret to be uncovered hiding between all of the characters.

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Sukisyo is so full of comedy in the beginning that there isn't much room for a full-blown plot, but what is there is really well done. The series is all fun and games with a little evil foreshadowing, but the turn is pretty drastic when the real story comes to light. I actually found this to be a good thing, because it really made the "real" story more important. Sometimes it is hard to pull off that same level of emotional involvement with characters in a short series. At first, I expected it to be a lot more relationship drama based, but despite the relationship development, this really was more focused on the story itself.

I would really recommend this to someone looking for a mix of lighthearted comedy and a tiny bit of psychological thriller. It's not that complicated, but it makes for a good drama without being super messed up like some of the ones I've seen. I would rate it for older teens because of one particular scene in episode six that is a little bit adult. There is one part later that is "implied" but not in a way that might bother someone really. I have to say, though, no matter what else i might think, Sora's tantrums are the cutest thing I've seen in quite awhile. Overall, I was really pleased with the series.

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Let's see...: We Without Wings

Okami-san and her Seven Companions

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: All ages
Emotional Response: Heehee
Notable Features: high schoolers, dorky guy, favors
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"Stop Using Words!" - Ryoko

Ryoshi Mornio is an awkward high school male who has fallen in love with Ryoko, the "wolf" of the story. Ryoko is a tough girl paired with her scheming bff, Ringo - or as the narrator likes to call her "Little Red Riding Twerp," or some such name. Ryoshi's love for Ryoko lands him in the Otogi High School Bank, a place where anyone can ask a favor in return for another favor for the bank at another time. Each episode has someone asking for some favor as the vehicle for the shenanigans that occur.

There are seven members of the Otogi High School Bank, each with a different crazy personality. The President has an affinity for disguises, and seems to have a feel for cross dressing. Taro is a handsome ladies man who also has a psycho girlfriend who often drags him away for "unknown" reasons, particularly when she feels jealous. There is also a wierdo science girl, a maid uniform girl, and a straight-laced, serious girl who all perform their bank duties to the best of their abilities.

As the series progresses, Ryoko finds herself more wrapped up in learning about Ryoshi's commitment to being there for her, and her own confused feelings. When she was younger she had someone betray her, and has serious trust issues. She seems to only have the ability to trust Ringo in any significant manner, although she seems to be okay with being friends with the rest of their club. The series itself is focused on Ryoshi's love for Ryoko, and her beat-'em-up attitude regarding the situation.

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I've been looking for a series that I was willing to sit through. I've got a couple running now, but some of them aren't finished in Japan. As it is, I didn't know that I was going to like this. I did. For once, I watched a high school romance drama that doesn't have any magic, robots and fan service. It was great.  I'm actually glad that it ended the way it did, too. Anything more would've just been too much for "reality" or something. I mean, it's anime, so there's no "reality," I guess, but it felt less contrived I suppose. It wasn't a sad ending or anything, just normal-like.

My favorite parts were Taro's interesting moments, the narrator's commentary on everything (which is frequent in each episode and provides great amusement at the expense of the characters), and Ryoshi's puppies. I totally want puppies just like them. They were so cute. If you're looking for something stress-free and adorable I totally recommend this. No swearing, no lewdness, no creepiness - just good wholesome fun. I mean, there's a little wink-wink nudge-nudge, but it's subtle enough. It got a couple of out loud "Ha!" noises out of me.

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Ha!: Koihime Musou

Black Butler (Season 1)

Genre: Drama/Action/BlackButler
Age Appropriate: Older Teens
Emotional Response: laugher, tears, moving
Notable Features: Victorian England, butlers, reapers, demons
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: TOP 1

"I'm simply on hell of a butler." - Sebastian Michaelis

Two years ago, the Phantomhive manor burned to the ground, taking the lord and lady of the estate with them, and leaving behind their young son, Ciel. Ciel suddenly reappears after those two years with a new butler in tow and no smiles to be had. This is the beginning of Black Butler. Ciel's mysterious butler, Sebastian, has an uncanny ability to breeze through any obstacles, magically fix any problems, and act as an ideal butler. These curious abilities come from the fact that Sebastian is Ciel's demon servant, held by a contract that is visible in Ciel's eye, and on Sebastian's hand. The other staff in the mansion seem to have no actual abilities other than screwing things up, leaving Sebastian to clean up after them, and providing comic relief in each episode.

Ciel's duties as the Earl of Phantomhive include running the family business of Funtom Toys, along with other ventures, and acting as the "Queen's Guard Dog." These duties include maintaining a relationship within the London underground, and looking into strange happenings that, in the end, are only solvable with the hidden help of Sebastian. Other allies appear with The Undertaker, a reaper named Grell, and a dog. The series progresses through many trials and tribulations with these players by Ciel's side in his quest for vengeance against those who caused his parents' deaths. Sebastian's only goal is to meet this need for Ciel in exchange for his soul - and his methods are often a mix of creepy and/or humorous.

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Can you tell that this is my most favorite series? I was actually going to wait on doing this review. I wanted to save a little bit for myself to savor re-watching Black Butler, but I was having a bad day and so it began. I even have a little Sebastian plushy doll toy, now. We watched it together. I am splitting the two seasons, again. I know it didn't really work with Vampire Knight, but these two seasons are long enough, and different enough, that there is no way to get around it. I'm not even sure that I will be doing Season 2 right away. We'll see how far I get.

Sebastian is awesome. If it weren't for that whole losing your soul into endless darkness and torment bit, I might be willing to get myself a sexy demon butler. Part of me is saddened for Ciel throughout the series, especially when I remember that he's around 12 years old. Despite the stupidity of the goofy three staff members with no skills, I don't think I ever wanted to punch them - which is amazing. Tanaka is a big favorite, ho ho ho. I don't know how to describe the series. It's dark but funny, shocking but moving, and full of "Yeah! Kick his ass! Go demon, go! Those jerks!" It was the end, though, that tore at my heart a little. It wasn't a surprise ending, so to speak, but the emotion it rbought up in me was startling - both the first time and the second. I wasn't surprised that I was moved watching it a second time, but more the level of emotion that I still had being equal to the first. I mean, I already knew what was going to happen, right?

I didn't really rate this as Older Teens because of any impropriety, as much as it's dark enough that I wouldn't sit a middle schooler in front of it and just go about my business. I was a little bit dark in my teen years, and this would've been right up my alley then. Clearly, I've changed a lot in the past 10 years or so. It's my favorite so I have to recommend it. I wouldn't be offended if it's not really someone's cup of tea, although I can't see an anime fan running away. So, I recommend. Really. You should see it. If you don't like it, lie to me, because it's amazing.

Um, yeah. Sorry.

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As you wish: Black Butler 2, plus extras

The Wallflower

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens
Emotional Response: Ha!, ::swoon::
Notable Features: Cute guys, creepy girl, becoming a lady (or not), kidnapping
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Yay!

"What would you do for a popsicle?" -Yuki (singing)

The Wallflower in this case is Sunako, a young weird girl with a love for all things creepy and gory. There is a bevy of good-looking guys living in her aunt's mansion with her. Those guys have been charged with making her a respectable young lady, and in return they can live there rent free! However, if they fail then the rent will be tripled. Needless to say, these handsome guys are desperate to avoid the terrible money situation. Each episode includes a segment titled, "The Road to Womanhood," that shares tips about different little things to make a girl into a young lady - or at least, that's the idea.

Sunako is battling her feelings of being ugly and worthless because of something thoughtless a guy said when she was young and confessed her love to him. He said, "I hate ugly girls," and her fate - along with her roommates' - was sealed. To top off her difficulties, she sees her new friends as "radiant!" and can't handle looking at them without sprouting a nosebleed. As the series progresses, she actually forms worthwhile relationships with the other characters, despite her strange quirks of watching zombie movies and having an empty medical mannequin, named Hiroshi, as her bff. Every other episode has something to do with kidnapping, and requires everyone to work as a team to save whichever member is in trouble. Despite all of their efforts, the friends struggle with changing Sunako but also learn to accept her weirdness as a good thing.

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I didn't want to watch it. Then, I totally did. Oh the pretty boys, and the funny girls - so much fun. I adored it. I could definitely put this in my watch-it-again list for those days when I really need a pick me up. Truth be told, I was sick all week and this really kept my spirits up. I also admit that the pretty boys had something to do with it. They totally tickled that teenager part in me that giggles with girl-crushing. Heehee. Shockingly, I had a mini-crush on Kyohei. I also feel a little lame for being so predictable about it.

It's not a complicated anime. I appreciated it, not only for the funnies, but also because Sunako reminded me of myself. I didn't have any sexy roommates but I was a total outcast geek. I didn't like horror movies, but I did wear a lot of black. I can only hope that I wasn't as scary as some of the bit playing girls that chased around the guys (like the GothGothLoliLoli girls). I do remember feeling the way Sunako felt a lot. I think it made the whole comedy even better for me. I would definitely recommend it for the geeky-gothy girls in the world. It was totally awesome.

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And action!: Black Butler

Kamisama Kiss

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens
Emotional Response: smiley, romantic
Notable Features: familiars, gods, clueless girl
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Yay!

"Don't touch me, human." - Tomoe

One day a young lady saves a strange man stuck in a tree afraid of a dog. After going through a difficult time with her father, Nanami ends up homeless, and as a result of saving said strange man, she ends up with a new home at Mikage Shrine, the shrine of the local land god. Apparently, as part of a thank you kiss on her forehead, Nanami is now the land god. Mikage has left behind quite a mess with his twenty year absence, upsetting his familiar Tomoe and leaving the shrine in disrepair. When Nanami arrives, Tomoe, a kitsune yokai, takes this to mean that his time as a familiar is over and runs to "over yonder," to lose himself in being the "wild fox" that he was before stumblig on Mikage. Nanami's reaction bothers him, and as she runs away she's cornered by another yokai (read: demon) Tomoe has to save her. Thus begins their newfound familiar/god relationship.

In this short series, Nanami must battle her own teenage feelings of inadequacy along with Tomoe's obvious resentment at being dragged into his new familiarship with a lowly human girl. Joined by new supernatural friends - Mizuki, a white snake and Kurama, a pop idol/tengu - Nanami struggles with being a god and trying to make a real teenage life for herself. She never quite feels like the god she's supposed to be, and Tomoe's attitude makes everything harder for her. On top of that, she begins to develop romantic feelings for him as the series moves along. She makes baby steps of progress as she meets new characters, friendly and not, in this coming-of-age story with a supernatural twist.

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I am so upset with this series. They totally could've gotten more than 13 episodes out of it. It would have been pushing it to try to get more than 24, but really there wasn't enough. I was surprised that I liked it so much. I really didn't think that I would, but I randomly picked it out of a small list I was trying to make, and I'm so happy that I did. I have a total girl-crush on Tomoe. It was adorable. Not in that sickeningly sweet chibi way, but more of a awww kind of way. I was totally cheering for Nanami the whole way through. The way the story goes is pretty standard and not surprising, but I enjoyed it anyway.

I would totally recommend this for anyone who would enjoy a little supernatural teenage romance. It reminded me a bit of the last time I saw a similar fox (Inu X Boku!), but in a good way. This would probably be pretty awesome for a bunch of haggling girls, or a chick-flick enjoying mother/daughter duo type experience. I'm sad that there isn't another season, but I can at least appreciate that it isn't going to be ruined by one either. High marks from me!

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I'm to sexy for my fox-spirit: Shattered Angels

Happiness!

Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: All Ages
Emotional Response: Ha! Nice!
Notable Features: magic students, non-magic students, high school drama
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"I am the embodiment of epic fail." - Shinya

Early in the semester the School of Magic had a mysterious explosion and now all of the magic students have to attend classes with the non-magic students. This explosive situation has brought two groups of friends together in an adventure of magical proportions (haha). Yuuma, a young high school student, has two other best friends - Hachi and Jun. Hachi is a fluty wishful-ladies man, and Jun is adorable and loves to wear cute clothes. This would be less amusing if Jun weren't a guy just like the rest of them.

The female protagonist of the story is Haruhi, a young lady-magic student desperately hoping to meet the boy who saved her so many years ago. She also brings a nice friend to the table - Anri. Anri-san is known as the magic school troublemaker for her awful attempts at magic that always start excellent and end with disaster. As a young girl Haruhi played with Sumomo, Yuuma's younger sister, who becomes part of the cast of characters, including their mother.

Between the young students there is drama surrounding typical high school relationships and the role that magic plays between the two potential lovebirds (Yuuma and Haruhi, of course). Yuuma has an extreme dislike of magic, and Haruhi is the star of the magic school. The students all develop some fun friendships with interesting episodes about how everyone has become included in their group of friends. These friendships will play a significant role in the resolution of the series conflict.

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It was pretty good. Happiness! was a lot closer to what I had wanted when I started with Shuffle!. It's fun, and peppy, and the students have a nice friendship going on. There weren't any tummy-hurting comedic moments, but it was still nice to just chill with. If it had been in English, I wouldn't have minded just using it as something in the background while lazying around the house. I'm glad I watched it.

I would recommend this for just about anyone looking for something stress-free. Despite a few innuendoes here and there, there are no bars I would set against any age watching this. No nudity, no swearing, no blood...all around wholesome fun. There is one episode full of bikini fan service, but it didn't particularly bother me. There isn't much in the review portion because I simply don't have much to say about it. I'm sure it has a little bit to do with the fact that it was only 12 episodes. I just think it was pretty good, in general. Nothing outstanding, but hey, why not?

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1, 2, 3, 4: Master of Martial Hearts

Fruits Basket

Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens
Emotional Response: a little bit happy
Notable Features: zodiac magic, high school, family
Language: English
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great

"Well, my mom used to say..." -Tohru

When Tohru was a little girl, she was picked on. She was always made the rice ball in the Fruits Basket game. The point of this is to highlight that she's a bit of an outcast herself, but she also seems a bit oblivious at times to. Her mother is the focus of all of her internal monologue. Tohru lost her mother in an accident, and through a variety of events ends up living in a tent and stumbling into the Sohma house. Tohru ends up living at the house with the boys and their cousin Shigure, with a promise to pay for her room and board through housekeeping. Her smile-laden nature reals people in to wanting to help her, despite her obliviousness.

The series is all about the crazy shenanigans that occur at the Sohma house. Tohru makes some new friends, namely two young men in her class - Yuki and Kyo - and in the process learns their family's terrible curse. Certain members of the Sohma family turn into one of the zodiac animals when hugged by a member of the opposite sex! Her happiness draws all of the Sohmas to her, and she imparts her wisdom, taken directly from her mother, on a regular basis. She does it in that story-telling manner, without being condescending. Yuki and Kyo are an interesting duo. Her relationship with them seems to temper their mutual hatred into the reality of their competitive natures, and painful pasts. Part of the experience the zodiac members all have with Tohru ends up as part of their individual healing processes. It makes her the focus of good events and bad events, with a dark villain at the end.
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Fruits Basket is cute. Half the time I wanted to punch Tohru in the face, for being such a spacey ditz, but she's a sweetheart. I really did enjoy the series. It was cute and generally age appropriate for everyone (there was some funny wink-winks but you'd seriously only get them if you're older). My only hesitancy was Kyo's occasional swear. If it were me, I'd probably just ignore it, but some might take that seriously if watching it with children. I think the messages of loving yourself and seeing good in others might outweigh the potential negatives. Each character has a startling different personality, which I know was done on purpose, but they're so freakin' funny. Aya and Ritsu were probably my favorites for most outrageous behavior. The girly part of  me has a bit of a crush on Hatori (shocking, I know).

I really did enjoy this quite a bit. I'm sure I will watch it, again. It wasn't perfect, I felt that the end was a little abrupt, but only in a minor way. I'm actually going to try to sucker some of my non-anime friends into watching it with me. It makes for good baby steps. I'd highly recommend it when you have a crap day, or are too weighed down by watching darker things. It's all warm and fuzzy. It's not as funny as some, but I had some awesome LOL moments. It was great to curl up with a blanket with some hot chocolate and put this on.
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Rice Ball!: Shuffle!

Inu X Boku Secret Service

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: sweet and hilarious and strange
Notable Features: mythical creatures, sassy teens, interesting personalities
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Definitely

"The night view...Super-sadist. " - Kagero

Everyone who lives in Maison de Ayakashi is a supernatural creature of some kind. It is a refuge for those throwbacks who are also part of rich society. Additionally, the residents of Ayakashi Kun also have Secret Service agents as protectors - who are also supernatural creatures. There is also a unique staff of supernatural creatures - this includes a transvestite maid, a robotic maid, and girly busty maid, a bartender obsessed with pretending he's in some sort of film noir, his exceedingly tolerant no nonsense little boy, and a gruff looking, softy concierge. The other residents include various types of interesting Japanese folklore evil creatures, and the series frequently has minor trivia lessons when a new one is introduces. Also, at the end of certain episodes, the credits focus on the specific person that was highlighted in the episode.

Ririchiyo moves in to Ayakashi Kun to get away from her family. She has been held as sacred because she is a descendant of a supernatural creature and her blood has proven to make her into that supernatural creature. In her case, an oni. She is emotionally guarded after her upbringing, and uses a snobby-type attitude to push people away to avoid being hurt.

Miketsukami is Ririchiyo's SS agent, and is completely devoted to her, to the point of obsession in some instances. He calls himself her lowly dog, essentially. He is also an evil Nine-Tailed Fox. His sole purpose is to protect her, and he also acts in a butler capacity. This doesn't seem to be necessary, as the other agents don't act the same toward their charges. Each SS agent has a distinct personality and a different type of supernatural heritage that adds to the story.

The series is really their story, part coming of age for Ririchiyo and part budding romance with Miketsukami. The residents all seem to be interested in becoming friends with Ririchiyo, despite her attitude, and all have their own special quirks. There is a typical-male flying cloth monster, a girl-obsessed ice maiden, and a young girl who eats all the time. Learning to interact with others is the main "coming of age" experience that Ririchiyo deals with - often dramatically and possibly involving a strange man with bunny ears.


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Inu X Boku SS is interesting to say the least. The relationship between Chiyo and Miketsukami is actually pretty intense, and awkward. It's probably not a relationship that would be acceptable, but it's anime, so it's ok. The way that the Chiyo learns about battling her random, trying outburst in attempts to have normal interactions is sweet and made me a bit tenderhearted. I remember when I was that awkward.

The series itself has some seriously awesome moments. I particularly like Karuta and Sorinozuka. I mean, who doesn't want to be able to eat everything and anything? Or be a flying cloth monster? The weirdest, creepiest, most bizarre resident is probably the best source of laughter, though. Kagero is determined to treat everyone like dogs, and label everything as either a sadist or masochist - including a car window. It is also hard to take a "delinquent" tanuki seriously. I'm so glad that the episodes have little lessons in them, or I wouldn't know what these creatures are, and I admit that I have to look some of them up online. Learning is good.

The end credits are pretty great. There is also the obligatory end reel that shows the preview of the next episode and has great commentary. I would recommend watching each set of credits all the way through. In general, I would probably recommend this anime if you're interested in romantic-type anime. It is quite funny, but if you have no interest in the sweet human interactions, it might not be that fun. Personally, I loved it. Of course, the end is serious, but it is great for putting me in a good mood. There is always a smile in each episode (and usually outright laughter). The series isn't the same funny as some of more high school based anime I've seen, and it's a bit bittersweet. I'm going to have to watch something blatantly funny after this, but it's a great heart lifting series to watch. Either way, I would definitely recommend it.

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Come and get it!: Baka & Test

Ouran High School Host Club

Genre: Comedy/Romance
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: *giggles*
Notable Features: cute boys, cross-dressing, young love
Language: English
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: YAY!

"The Ouran High School Host Club is a place where the school's handomest boys, with too much time on their hands, entertain young ladies, who also have too much time on their hands." - Tamaki-senpai

Ouran High School Host Club features Haruhi Fujioka, a freshman entering Ouran Academy on scholarship (therefore a "commoner"). Haruhi, confused by this new world of rich kids, runs away to Music Room #3, in an effort to find somewhere quiet to study, and discovers the Ouran High School Host Club. The club members are completely confused by Haruhi's presence and somehow in their inquiry Haruhi accidentally break a Y8,000,000 vase! As such, Kyoya Otori - the clubs VP and money man - calculates Haruhi's debt and offers a job as the Host Club's "dog" (read: gopher), until the debt is paid. The "dog" however cannot be seen in the shorts and baggy sweatshirt that Haruhi is wearing and upon removing Haruhi's glasses, Tamaki - the President - falls madly in love with Haruhi's eyes. The Twins - Kaoru and Hikaru are immediately set to the task fo make-over and Haruhi comes out SO adorable tha the club insists that he be made into a host instead...BUT WAIT! During a costume change something strange happens! While changing into a new uniform, Haruhi gets walked in on and OH MY! He's a She!

And so begin the shenanigans of the Ouran High School Host Club....

The series features different sterotypical character types which the boys play off of when they are meeting with their lovely female clients. They are, as follows: Tamaki Soua (The Princely Type), Kyoya Otori (The Cool Type), Mitskune Honenozuka (Boy Lolita), Takashi Morinozuka (The Strong, Silent Type), The Twins - Kauro and Hikaru Hitachiin (Mischevious Type), and Haruhi Fujioka (The Natural). They all have their parts to play in the club and each character gets specific attention, primarily as related to Haruhi. The supporting cast (Renge- the manager and resident Otaku girl, Ranka - Haruhi's Dad, The Lobelia Girls - from a nearby academy) add a little extra fun to each episode. It is Tamaki's goal of making every girl happy that leads them into many early adventures, and expands as the boys progress through high school.

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*Swoon* Oh, the boys of the Ouran High School Host Club. I think I have a girl-crush on half of them - none more so than Mori-senpai. Go figure. They all have their own appeal to any girl. Honey-senpai IS adorable, in a snuggly little brother kind of way. Otori-senpai is super cool and manipulative - great for girls who enjoy guys with a cool aptitude for being in powerful, behind the scenes roles. Mori-senpai, a brooding silent type who is the constant companion to Honey-senpai, and actually has the most inconveniently distracting poses. The Hitachiin Twins are cute and mischevios, like 5 year olds who've realized that they can have more fun as young adults, but they play up their taboo homosexual tendencies to a T, and therefore feel less accessible as girl-crush material for me. Tamaki, while pretty, actually is kind of a moron. Haruhi is a cute, young lady who somehow gains the respect/heart of each club member. This group of hilarity really opens up some warm-hearted joy and giggles.

Like most anime comedy series, OHHC begins as something funny, with no pressure to have a deep meaning. It was a mix of making me laugh and making me giggle like a 13 year old. I adore this anime. It was a great break from the previous entries which were really serious, and somewhat horrifying. Bit by bit, the story edges toward coming-of-age and teen drama, but it never loses it's innocence. Even in the end, there is no major, stressful emotions invokes, and it works. The purpose of the Teen rating is actually for some of the homosexuality references that may be more appropriate for teens. I hesitate to write more, because I'll start giving things away. SO! I recommend this whole-heartedly to any girl (or guy!) looking for something fun, stress-free and giggly. Super Highly Recommended. I've even considered it for Top 5, but we'll see.

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Next!: Negima!?: Master Negi Magi