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.

Shattered Angels

Genre: Sci-Fi
Age Appropriate: High school+
Emotional Response: ugh
Notable Features: "angels" (AI), high school girl, giant magical-like robot representations
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Not so much

"Let's go. Together." - The Prince

Ku is a young high school girl who is in love with the "Prince" from her dreams. She seems like a typical girl with a romantic daydream life. She attends a school in the educational community of Acaemia. She has a friend who appears for the first two episodes, and they're both in love with the school's Morality Squad, good looking students in charge of keeping order in the school. All of the girls swoon over this group, and more so when a transfer student joins their ranks for another school nearby.
Ayanokoji is the new girl-crush worthy transfer student. He reminds Ku a lot like her dream prince.

Within the first two episodes of the series, she becomes mixed up in a battle between groups with Absolute Angels - at the center of which is Ayanokoji, who is desperate to follow in his brother's footsteps. The Absolute Angels are AI developed for war, after years of research. These angels fuel themselves with the energy of humans, through kissing. There are only four main Absolute Angels, specifically attached to one person each. Setsuna, a young looking lady in a maid outfit is attached to Ayanokoji, and is helplessly devoted to him - despite his desire to end all Absolute Angels.

As Ku learns about the story, step by step, she begins to see underneath the surface what she's first told about the situation. She starts to question the things going around her. The story follows her discoveries and the relationship between Ayanokoji, his brother, and the Absolute Angels. Underneath it all, there is a bit of a love story for each angel.

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This series was completely irritating. I suppose it would be more fair to say that Ku is super irritating. Every episode opens with her letters to her prince, and they're stupid drivel composed by an introverted teenage girl who lives in her own fantasyland. The biggest problem is that that is exactly what she is. I don't think the anime was done wrong, I just want to punch her character in the face sometimes. Ayanokoji is kind of a tool, but only made worse by Ku's swooning girl-crush love for him. I was also irritated by his treatment of his angel.

On top of it all, underneath all of the stupid highschool girl stuff, some of this is messed up.The angels also manifest their power as robot things that remind me of Power Ranger animal/robot things. After I thought it the first time, I couldn't get forget it. Maybe it's the mini-feminist in me that is bothered by the whole series. I don't usually think of myself that way, but aside from the asinine, irritating dialogue, I guess I really was bothered by the whole thing. It reminded me of Twilight. I admit, near the end my heart went a little pitter patter, and I got the sniffles, but it couldn't completely erase the full series. I guess, I would only really recommend it if you're a Twilight fan - despite the lack of vampires and werewolves.

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Keep it movin', mister.: Pretear

Murder Princess

Genre: Action
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: seriously, wtf
Notable Features: spiritual transmigration, princess, bounty hunters, evil cyborg little girls
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 6 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Not so much



Murder Princess is about a young woman, Princess Alita Forland, who must run from her castle as it is attacked by a traitorous scientist who feels he would be a better ruler. In the process of her escape, she ends up running through the woods until she meets a cliff, and a bounty hunter. In her fear, she falls of the cliff, bringing the bounty hunter, Falis, with her. While falling, they have managed to switch bodies in the supposed process of spiritual transmigration - which occurred when both women felt they were about to die and when their spirits realized this was not the case, they accidentally returned to the wrong bodies. After realizing their situation, with input from Falis' helpers - Peter and Dominicov - Alita begs Falis to take her place on the throne and protect her kingdom. Falis only helps for a price, in this case Alita has offered her everything that she is, to act as Falis' service until the kingdom is safe.

In the altercations with the evil scientist, and his android-girl helpers, New Alita has shown to be strong and deadly with a sword. She defeats the monsters in public also, gaining the nickname Murder Princess. Old Alita - now Milano, her servant - helps Falis/Alita become a better princess and queen by instilling in her a sense of responsibility and teaching her the little aristocratic things a noble woman should know (including submitting to having servants). In the end, it all comes down to the battle for the protection of the kingdom against enemies, likely and not, trying to take over the power controlled by the Forland family.

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There were some redeeming qualities of this anime, really. The story isn't really terrible, the end was typical, and there is some interesting parts of the plot. However, I was not a fan. Perhaps, it was more to do with the fact that the series was only 6 episodes, but I had really no emotional investment in the characters at all. Actually, I had to force myself to get through the first three episodes. The last three were decent. I was able to finish the end without much trouble, but I don't think an anime is too successful for me when the only motivation factor to finish it was to write this blog post.

Most of the enemy characters are some sort of misguided or misunderstood. The story behind the story feels like it was just thrown in there so that there was a reason things were happening, even though there was no foreshadowing involved. Normally, I'm happy for a good plot twist, but this wasn't a twist. It was more of a "Oh yeah, we need a point..." It's a bit frustrating. Honestly, I think the series could've handled a little good humor. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I'm sure there are a few anime that would be lower on a list for me, but this one is pretty stupid.

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Run, doggie, Run!: Inu X Boku Secret Service