So, I Can't Play H?

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Older teen+
Emotional Response: Amused and mildly interested
Notable Features: grim reapers, pervs, fan service
Language: Japanese
Length: 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Okay

"The size of your breasts isn't important. It's the warmth generated by what's behind them." - Ryosuke

So, I Can't Play H! is all about the perviness. Ryosuke is a young man in high school known for his unabashed love for the female body. He has one great friend, Mina, who loves him despite his awkward inability to keep his thoughts to himself. Even though he's a huge pervert, he also has a good heart and would never do anything (aside from his bizarre commentary) to ever hurt a girl. The whole things goes to hell when he meets a woman outside of his house, who wants him for his energy.

Lisara is a young woman who has come to Earth in search of a person with awesome soul powers that she can use for herself. Until she finds that person, she needs a temporary contract for power with someone, and Ryosuke was the most immediate person when she was in need. Now she's a bit stuck with him until she meets her goal. The story is all about his new found acceptance of how awesome him perviness, his perverted powers that put Lisara above the others and their budding friendships.

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So, I Can't Play H? was a simple series about a pseudo-demonic girl who stumbles on a perv boy and decides to use him for her benefit and ends up in more hot water than she was anticipating. Much like most harem anime, there is a lot of fan services everywhere but slightly better with conveniently placed smoke/steam/beams of light. There were some pretty funny moments, and I didn't hate it or anything, but I would only call it okay.

I never really cared too much about the characters. It was a pretty standard plot line for any harem anime and I didn't see anything special. The only different thing was the almost unique way they tried to spin the main characters perviness. I would say that it couldn't quite pull it off, especially when considering Heaven's Lost Property. So, it was okay. ::shrug::

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CHOMP: Attack on Titan

I couldn't become a hero....

Genre: Action - or lack thereof
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: Ok, Ok, ROTFLMAO
Notable Features: comedy, demon king, hero, magical appliances
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great!

"I'm respected!" - Fino

Raul wanted to be a hero. He was even in a training school to become one, but then the worst (or best?) happened. The demon lord was defeated and there was no longer any need for heroes. The school closed, weapons stores closed and the heroes were forced to find work in different ways. Some attempted to go into security firms, but Raul had no such luck. He ended up as a clerk in the Leon Magic store, selling magical appliances to the general public. Despite having reluctantly
taken the job, when a new employee joins the team, Raul suddenly has a bit more purpose before.

The new employee is Fino-chan, shockingly also the demon lord's daughter! Despite his misgivings, Raul finds himself becoming more and more involved with her. He starts taking his role as her trainer more seriously, and finds himself enjoying her presence, annoying as it may be. Given his role as a former hero-in-training, and her position as the demon lord's daughter, one might think tension would rule the day, but their unlikely friendship makes for some interesting times - both in an out of the store.

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Since the series is only 12 episodes, with no likely sequel in the works, I don't want to share too much about the story. It was a lot of fun, though. There is a point in episode 11 that I was literally laughing out loud. I'm sure I sounded a little crazy, but it was worth it. Part of the show was a little slow, but by the time everything was finished it all seemed to be necessary. I could possibly see this lengthened a little bit with additional character development, but it wouldn't have been necessary.

I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad I gave it a try. Sometimes, it's hard to watch anime after anime, but I don't want to take real break. This series was lighthearted enough, short enough, and easy enough to keep my attention without worrying about anything. It would definitely be a good choice for someone looking for nothing in particular. I don't think I would set it up for a 12-year-old, but otherwise it's fine. I recommend it!

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What's next?: I have no idea, but I'll figure it out. (That's not a title. I really have no idea.)

Vampire Princess Miyu - Guest Review!

Below is a review submitted by a friend! I haven't seen this anime yet, but I might check it out soon just to get my own take. Enjoy!

Genre: Drama/Horror/Supernatural

Age Appropriate: Late Teens and above

Emotional Response: Meh…aww, sad…meh…HEY, YEAH!...but meh.

Notable Features: Demons, not-vampires (question-mark?), MORALS, very short battles

Language: Japanese 

Length: 1 Season, 26 Episodes

Overall Recommendation: C-; Move along, people.

“Stray Shinma, return to the Darkness!” – Miyu

Hi, everybody! I’m Mike, Mini-Geek Girl's friend, and I’m doing a special GUEST REVIEW this week! This was going to be a post-holiday “let’s give a friend some help and create a buffer,” but life doesn’t work that way so now it’s a “here’s a free review in case you get backlogged” review! That’s the power of teamwork and procrastination combined! It’s over 9000!

So, I decided I would review something a little older on a whim. I was trolling the new releases on Hulu and saw this week’s victim, “Vampire Princess Miyu.” Based on the general description I thought it would be pretty good. This series, released in 1999, is about a half-human, half Shinma (read: demon, specifically vampire) girl trapped in a 15 year-old’s body because, you know, she’s a VAMPIRE. Despite being Shinma, she is destined to rid Japan of these same beings, banishing them into the Darkness to which they apparently should have gone anyway – and the opening credits are there to make sure you know EVERY DAMNED TIME YOU WATCH THE SHOW. She’s got a tall, apparently European (and therefore to be mistrusted) bodyguard named Larva – because ANIME – and a familiar, more or less, named Shiina. Throughout the course of the series, we discover more about sometimes-friend-sometimes-enemy Reiha, and about three school friends, focusing mostly on Chisato. Some history about Miyu and her parents is also revealed later in the series. We, the viewers, follow Miyu through her exploits in making friends, figuring out who she is, was, and where she fits in the world, and coming to final resolution.

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First things first, this series has some major timing issues. The first episode throws you in without telling you anything, placing you in the perspective of an Otaku student who first sees Miyu and tries to figure out what Miyu is. Normally, an anime would keep that first character around past episode one to develop plot lines, flesh out characters, and perhaps become an integral part in Miyu’s own character development. NOPE. After episode one, the point of which seems to be only hammering the vampire idea into the viewer’s head with a jackhammer, the character disappears without a word. Unfortunately, this is precedent for the majority of the episodes in the series: start with either a school scene or minor character scene, develop minor characters, enter Shinma, enter Miyu and/or Reina and, after an anti-climactic battle, end episode. So it starts super fast, becomes super slow, and then ends with super-fast character development!

As you might have guessed, character development is left wanting and it didn’t seem as though the writers cared about it until later in the series. In other words, timing was a problem on several levels. In short, character development was almost non-existent, at least for the major characters. Through most of the series I felt I knew more about and related more to the minor characters who were the victims for the Shinma, or even about Chisato, than I did Miyu. We end up learning more about both Miyu, Reiha and their combined stories, as well as a bit about Larva, in the latter half of the series but it takes SO LONG to get there. I seriously considered giving up on the series, something I am very reluctant to do. As a consequence, the balance is off through the entire series. Looking back, the series seems to be more about 1) the humans who let Shinma into their lives or are otherwise effected by Shinma; 2) Miyu’s school friends; 3) Reiha; and 4) Miyu, in drastically decreasing order of importance. This formula changes at the end, seemingly because the writers collectively decided they screwed up by not giving any back-story or context. Of course, they decided to fix it by dedicating whole episodes to storyline, with pertinent battle scenes peppered in, providing a odd consequential note when the composition is already flawed.

In spite of timing issues and lacking character development a theme can be discerned, but again it leaves the viewer wanting. With certain exceptions, usually the episodes in which the writers threw character development, all of the episodes had some kind of theme – at least at first. The Shinma, we’re told, enter (or possess) human beings and destroy them through weaknesses in their hearts. These come out through character flaws somewhat reminiscent of the movie “Se7en.” As I reflected on episodes, I felt that the series was really more of a shallow moral commentary than anything else, which added to the two-dimensional feeling of the series. Even this formula was later abandoned, as Shinma started to attack human beings increasingly for no reason without explanation – there was no force making them “bolder” nor was Miyu slacking in her duties. The only explanation is, once again, the writers trying to tie what exists of the plot to some sort of character development but in their haste grace is lacking.  

Speaking of battles, a word is deserved. Most episodes end with the death of at least one Shinma. Please don’t expect those battles to be good battles. Because of the focus on minor character development alluded to above, most battles last less than 5 minutes and probably much less than that. The only really good battle comes in the latter third of the series – I won’t ruin the episode for those of you who choose to watch. Even where there is potential for a good battle to be had, Larva comes in and makes things far too easy. I was just overall sorely disappointed. Of course, this made the good battles really good, but on the balance it wasn’t worth it.

Overall, this is a poor anime. It’s hard to get into. It doesn’t really have a hook besides the nagging question of “what the hell is going on here?!” It’s poorly constructed. The characters are one-dimensional and shallow. We never really see Miyu being a vampire save rarely (despite the show’s insistence that she is) and, more fatally, Miyu’s raison d’etre is given as “destiny.” No more, no less – although a motive appears later in the series (and yet another wasted opportunity for character development). There is simply so much more that could have been done for this anime. There were parts where it shone; there is one hell of a twist at the end! Sadly, the end is the only place where it is good. 

Still considering watching the anime? Do yourself a favor and pick up a good book or, better yet, watch a different anime. Cowboy Bebop is always good and, for the older viewers out there, Kill La Kill has had a fantastic first season. Otherwise, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Next time on Anime for the Mini Geek Girl: Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi

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

Astarotte's Toy

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: equal parts cute and disturbing
Notable Features: succubi, friendship and human "toy"
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 Seasons, 12 episodes 
Overall Recommendation: Okay

"That's not what I want to hear you say!" - Astarotte

Astarotte (aka Lotte) is a young succubus princess in the Monster Realm. She's reaching her adolescent years, and as such she's expected to start building a harem. In order to survive, she's expected to retrieve the "life-seed" from males, otherwise her magic will disappear and she'll die. There are a few complications however, the foremost being that she hates all men. Her top servant, Judit, is obsessed with fixing the problem, and is putting a lot of pressure on everyone to get Lotte started on her harem and moving toward her maturity. In order to combat this pressure, Lotte makes a wild assertion that she would only consider giving in if they were to find her a human male. The gates between the realms through the World Tree have been sealed, so Lotte thinks herself safe. 

Somehow, through someone's magic, the gate opens and Judit falls through. She ends up in the World of Man, stumbles upon Naoya - a young man on his way to work - and offers him $500,000 pay to come to a "new job." The little girl, Asuha, with him barges her way into the bargain and raises it to $600,000, with neither knowing what the job is! Shortly thereafter, Naoya ends up pushed through the gate into the unsuspecting arms of Lotte and the drama begins. Completely freaked out by the situation, Lotte  acts cold and decides Naoya will be her "toy," and being competely freaked out at the concept on being in this young girls harem, Naoya goes along with everything. Even more drama, and comedy, occurs with the arrival of Asuha and the mysterious connections everyone has between the two worlds. 

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I did get a good amount of enjoyment out of this series, but I couldn't helped but be disturbed at least once per episode. Lotte is a ten year old expected to start her journey of maturity, mostly under pressure from princess expectations and the high strung Judit. It's obvious that she has no real interest in that area. Naoya doesn't really understand why he's brought to the World of Monsters right away, and more information makes things extra complicated  The one saving grace is that however the story line goes about this weird relationship angle, it obvious that Naoya is not a creep at all, and the tide turns toward Lotte's feelings versus Judit's ideas of obligation. It gets a little weirder near the end, but I guess given the plot it's not so bad. 

Asuha is probably my favorite character. She's the same age as Lotte, but her personality is so outgoing she ends up making everyone around her smile. Now, if only Naoya could convince her that underwear are a necessity...haha. The budding friendship between the girls is nice to see, and I really was pleased to see that Naoya wasn't super icky. The comedy bits were pretty cute, too. I don't know if I would really recommend this to someone, unless it were to somehow come up in conversation or something, but I do think it was pretty cute. I guess between the weirdness and the cuteness, I'm giving it an Okay rating, based on what I think others might feel. 

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It feels so free!: Aoi Sekai no Chushin De

The Devil is a Part-Timer

Genre: Action/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Preteens
Emotional Response: excitement and laughter
Notable Features: demons, heroes, magic, alternate realms
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 Seasons, 13 episodes 
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"Is this really the Devil?" - Bel

In the other dimensional world, Ente Isla, the Devil has started a war to take over the four directional countries in a bid for world domination. However, he's met his match in the Hero Emilia, and they both end up in modern day Japan, traveling through a Gate. Upon arrival, Satan and his general, Alciel, find themselves in a place where they have no more magic, a different language, and without any resources. Emilia has followed them through said gate, and they meet up on a street in the rain. While the story revolves around the situations presented between Emilia and Satan (and co.), the center of the comedy is the fact that Satan has become a part time worker at MgRonald's, and originally believes that this will be his path to the top of his new world, Earth. Everyone from Ente Isla has changed their names, and ages, met new people and started some sort of job situation - except Alciel who is tending house and researching ways to replenish magic.

At some point, there are new Ente Isla characters added to the story, often people from either side betraying our favored protagonists. There is also a young lady character who works under Satan and has managed to fall in love with him. His commitment to protecting those "under his command" often leads him into situations where he becomes the heroic character, and confuses those on the other side in the process. The series has mini-battles, some emotional flashbacks and a comedy element that makes this series more modern day vs. fantasy genre.

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I throughly enjoyed this series. There weren't any points where I was teary eyes - either from hilarity or sadness - so the emotional components weren't that important, but it was fun. I got a big kick of out Lucifer's character the most, I think. He has a rather small part in each episode, but I could totally see him in a lot of guys I know. I wish there had been time for a little more character development, but I'm happy with what there was. I also think there could have been a little more to the potentially epic battles, but it seems they wanted to keep it to 13 episodes and with that amount of time I think they did a really good job. There is a part of me that wouldn't mind a second season, though I've heard nothing about it, but I'm pretty satisfied without one. I guess, if they'd done more it would change the overall feel of the series, and I don't know that it would've been a good thing.

Well, apart from Satan actually being a bit of an idiot most of the time. I found a lot of fun in each of the other characters, when I didn't want to throttle them. I just wish I'd been able to get a little bit more. I really liked the few moments when he shows how not-stupid he is, as much as I liked when Alciel acted like an irresponsible fool. There was a small book-by-uts-cover moral to the story, but not so overt as to be irritating. I'm really glad that I decided to give this one a try. I would seriously recommend it.

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Crazy, yo: Astarotte's Toy

High School DxD

Genre: Fantasy/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Adult
Emotional Response: Hilarious and Exciting
Notable Features: high schoolers, demons, angels, high nudity
Language: Japanese
Length: 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Totally (but only if you like that sort of thing :D )

"Ahh...I wanna squeeze some boobs." - Issei

Issei is a young, perverted high school boy, obsessed with breasts. After entering a school that was previously a all-female institution, his two naughty friends and Issei find themselves surrounded by beautiful girls, but are blocked by their own sleazy personalities. When Issei is suddenly approached by an unknown young lady, asking to be his girlfriend, he can do no other than accept. Somehow, after a lovely high school date, his new friend Yuma is turned into a fallen angel! So begins Issei's involvement in a three battle between angels, fallen angels and devils. Issei grabbed a flyer that summoned Rias, the president of the Occult Club, who saves him from a mortal blow and she brings him back to life as a devil. He's now a servant of her house. In this series, Issei has to battle with his own high school hormones, his new powers as a devil, and the bad guy fallen angels and other devil houses.

After becoming a devil, Issei becomes friends with the rest of the Occult Club - a front for Rias' devil servants within the school. The members are a variety of female types with different personalities, and Issei enjoys them all. There is one other male in the group, the most popular pretty boy in school, who earns Issei's resentment for his popularity, but also earns his respect in battle together. Each member is representative of chess pieces in their abilities - Queen (Akeno), who has magical abilities, Knight (Yuto), who has amazing sword skills, Rook (Kaneka) with super strength and defense, and Pawn (Issei) who has virtually no chess-like powers but can "promote" in enemy territory. Near the beginning there is a new addition - Bishop (Asia). Asia is a former Sister, who is saved by Issei from a terrible battle between fallen angels, a stray exorcist and the team. She joins the team with Twilight Healing - the ability to heal even devils. With their team complete, the group is set up to battle anything thrown at them.

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Let me get this out of the way first - omg fan service. There is a lot of gratuitous breast appearances in this series. This is not the same as Girls Bravo, where everything was just

incidental nudity. This is pretty obvious. If that is something that you can't handle, just skip it. Otherwise, this series is great.

I really needed something comedic this week. I definitely got what I wanted. I knew it would be funny and after the first episode, I knew it was going to be full of nudity. What I didn't expect was to be so emotionally involved. After the first few episodes, it feels like they threw in the fan service because it was expected, not because it was a focal point. After seeing past that, the story is pretty excellent. I was cheering for Issei the whole time. It was at least in part cheering for the underdog. His abilities are pretty abysmal compared to his compatriots, but his enthusiasm seems to make up for some of it. The last few episodes I was clapping along, and at one point a little sniffly. Really, I loved it. I might scoot this up to at least the Top 10 (which now needs to exist). I really was surprised at how much I loved it. I know I enjoyed Heaven's Lost Property, but I didn't inhale it the way I did this.
Highly Recommended. I might even watch it again in the future. I cannot wait until Season 2 comes out later this year. I'm super excited to see where the story goes.

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Boost!: Haganai

Disgaea

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Appropriate: All Ages (generally)
Emotional Response: Ugh
Notable Features: kids, demons, angels
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 Episodes
Overall Recommendation: Not so much

"Feed Me!" - Prince Laharl


Prince Laharl woke up after an inadvertent two year nap, after being jostled awake by an angel-trainee. Flonne, said angel, was sent as a trainee-angel assassin to take down Laharl's father, and stumbles upon Laharl's casket in a trash heap. His irritation with her presences starts with his understanding of her mission, and increases as the show goes on. Her attitude of love grates against his demon self. A few new characters pop up, including an intergalactic human group sent to save the world against demons, a vassal named Etna, and an irritating demon of love. Etna shows herself to be completely committed to helping Laharl take his rightful place as Overlord, but has some sneaky intentions behind his back. This all-ages cartoon series has traditional morality lessons, and an emphasis on love and friendship.

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I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. I guess in my search for different series ideas, I stumbled upon a recommendation to give this a try. It was a terrible idea. I used one of my usual mediums for watching anime, and I assumed that it meant that everything available would be what I usually find, but I found myself watching what seems to be very "Saturday Cartoon." Honestly, I'm just not that interested in this type of cartoon anymore. I probably would've liked it more if I was ten again.

That's primarily how it got an All Ages rating. I didn't see anything anywhere that might be offensive. There is some illusion to one of the satellite females being well-endowed, so maybe screen it first, but enh. Actually, I might recommend this to that age group, parents included. It just wasn't for me. I had to grit my teeth to get through it. It may have been relatively well done, kinda, but it also wasn't something that made me forget that it was what it was. I've seen younger-style anime, and they were good enough that I just didn't care, this however was not.

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Now!: La Corda D'oro

Black Butler (Season 2 + extras)

Genre: Drama/Action/BlackButler
Age Appropriate: Older Teens
Emotional Response: really? and LOL
Notable Features: Victorian England, butlers, reapers, demons
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes; extra episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"You surprised me." - Ciel

Black Butler's second season follows a strange turn of events. Alois and Claude are the new lord/demon duo of the story. Alois is a strange, twisted young man who made a contract with Claude and it includes kidnapping Ciel Phantomhive and causing Sebastian excruciating pain. Shockingly, the original pair return to the story with a few extra twists and turns. Apparently, Sebastian has lost Ciel's soul due to a mishap and now must find a way to retrieve it. Ciel returns without his memory intact, due to his lost soul, and finds himself in a twisted battle with Alois, whose jealousy over the demons' desire for Ciel know no bounds. There are duels between the butlers, and the masters, over misunderstandings and deceit between everyone that end in a very interesting manner. As the season is much shorter, and preceded by enough back story, there isn't much to add to the synopsis.

There were a few extras available to me for the series. In the first series, there was an extra that was commentary-style, starring the three servants. There is a filler episode which included the cast doing a play for children. After the second season, there were new extras which included a version of Alice in Wonderland, but with Ciel as Alice.

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The second season doesn't much do the first justice, but that is the way of most sequels. I actually found moments where I wished that they had originally ended it with the first, but I did enjoy the extra time with Sebastian quite a bit. I have no love for either Claude or Alois, and also wanted to punch either of them in the face on multiple occasions. An additional twist in the emotional feel was my complete sympathy for Sebastian. In the first season, I felt more connection to Ciel, but Sebastian really dominated the second for me. It had nothing to do with my love for him in general, but more about how he got screwed.

The extras were definitely worth a look. For the first season, there were more of a diversion after a few intense episodes. They certainly weren't necessary to the story, but why not? After the second season, I really enjoyed the adaptation of Alice in Wonderland with Ciel as Alice. After the second season, which really was quite good, the Alice episodes tickled me enough to forget any real complaints I might have had about the continuation of the series. On the hilarious side of things, there is nothing better than watching the ever popular Black Butler running around as the White Rabbit. Don't miss it. Still, there is no better extra then The Making of Black Butler 2. Seriously. Druitt is such a drama queen.

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Sadly, we must move on: Gravitation

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

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

Blue Exorcist

Genre: Action
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens
Emotional Response: excited, surprised, entranced
Notable Features: demons, exorcists, high school
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: FTW

"Time, Stop! Thou art so beautiful" - Mephisto/Faust

Rin and Yukio are a set of 15-year-old twins who've been raised in a monestary by Shiro Fujimito, as his sons. While they know that he's not they're actual father, he is still their Dad. Rin is the troublemaker of the two, always getting into fights and refusing to grow up. Yukio is serious and wants to become a doctor, so he's more driven. He's gotten himself a scholarship to go to True Cross Academy - an elite school campus in their area. It is both a school for regular (read: rich) kids, and new exorcists-to-be.

Rin and Yukio are also the sons of Satan, who impregnanted their mother during a terrible event. This is how their father found them. At first, Rin seems to be a normal bumming high school-age student, but it turns out that he's been hiding his demon powers - until being accosted by a gang of teens including a demon, sets his powers free. His father saves him and drags him back to their monestary and gives him a brief talking to while they run from the little demons heading from them. During the attack, Shiro gives Rin a demon sword with instructions to never use it, and then locks him in an underground room to fight off the demons with the other priests. When Rin finally releases himself the battle seems over, until he gets upset at his father, says terrible things, and earns a slap in the process. That one action opens Shiro up to Satan's possession and thus is the beginning of the series story.

All of these events, lead Rin to join the Exorcist Cram School. It will include regular classes and cram school classes with hopes of educating all of the students to be exorcists fighting the evil demons that escape into Earth. There is no greater shock than to look up and for Rin to see that Rin's twin brother, Yukio, is his new teacher! Not only that, but Yukio is a full intermediate level exorcist whom Shiro had been training since age 7. With this new revelation, and the other students being annoyed with his presence, Rin's first days in class are difficult. His relationships with his classmates, his brother, and other characters as they enter the scene all lead up to the grand finale.

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I loved it! I didn't think I would. I'd been putting it off for awhile, because I wasn't too impressed by the synopsis where I found it to watch. After surfing around the internet for ideas, I decided it was time to watch it, anyway. I'm so glad that I did. I think that it's sometimes harder to get myself to watch anime in Japanese, because sometimes I'm too lazy to think about subtitles. If a series is new enough, Japanese may be the only option - or the easiest to find.

Anyway, I watched almost the entire two seasons in one day. I've figured out how to watch some of the Japanese series that I watch via the Xbox, which means I can enjoy them on the couch rather then on my iPad and it's has been awesome. Blue Exorcist just possessed me (haha), and I couldn't watch only one episode. It is highly likely that I will watch it again. After a little bit of time, and a lot more anime, I may consider promoting it up to Top 5 status. Per the usual note: No nudity, or swearing, some blood but not enough to make me cringe, so I think a mature pre-teen could handle it. Did I mention that I loved it? It was very exciting, and funny, and woooooooooo! Go Get Satan! Raaar! Also, I would like a familiar like Rin's.

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Surprise!: Kamisama Kiss

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

Shuffle!

Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: quirky and painful
Notable Features: gods, demons, high school, ooo la la
Language: English
Length: 2 seasons, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Good

"Well, my dad told me to wear it." - Nerine


Gods and demons and humans, oh my! Rin is a high school student who is originally introduced running away from other male students. They are stalking his good friend, Kaede, who happens to be the cutest girl in school, and Rin's roommate. On a daily basis, these creepy stalkers attempt to destroy Rin, as they see him being in the way of their love for her. Rin is completely oblivious to her feelings for him, but his protective friend instincts help him protect her from strange guys - including his own womanizing friend. His undying loyalty to his friends, and a desire to help anyone in need, actually gets Rin in quite a predicament.

Enter Rina, from the Realm of the Demons, and Sia, from the Realm of the Gods. They both show up in Rin's classroom, sharing that they've both come to Earth in order to become Rin's wife. This is fully supported by the kings of both realms because Rina and Sia are their daughters! The Kings of Gods and Demons have agreed that whichever daughter Rin chooses will include being heir to their thrones. Between Kaede, Rina, Sia and an additional wrench in the system, childhood friend Asa, Rin is being chased by a bevy of lovely young ladies. He needs to make a decision soon, or everything will fall apart!

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I really wanted to go with another fun-loving goofy comedy this time around. I did a series of not-so-much fun ones, so I was looking forward to this. Fruits Basket wasn't always hilarious, but it did the job quite nicely. This one was surprisingly depressing. There weren't a lot of laugh out loud moments, and the episodes past the first few seemed to focus on how heartbroken someone was, or their coming-of-age story - good for the story, not so good for my desire to laugh uncontrollably. It gets really dark and really emotional in the later episodes. Apparently, all of the girls are close to certifiably insane.

Personal disappointment aside, as it has nothing to really do with how well it was done, Shuffle! really is good. It's kinda quirky, and the Kings are hilarious. The King of the Gods, and his daughter's consistent violent reaction to him, has a great clown quality. The King of the Demons is a little more reserved, but with a sneakiness hidden behind it all. They make an interesting duo of bffs. Primula, a young lady pseudo-demon, seems to be interested in Rin, but maybe in more of a big brother sense. She's adorable, and I want her stuffed kitties. I don't even like cats.

There is some incidental nudity, but not enough to bother most, and  no vulgarity. It's pretty safe, in that regard. I don't know if I'd highly recommend this or anything, but I wouldn't mind watching it, if it was on TV or something. I certainly wouldn't stop someone from watching it. Maybe just a word of caution that it's not what it seems. It's a nice diversion, anyway.

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4, 3, 2, 1: Happiness!

Devil May Cry

Genre: Horror
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: Barely any
Notable Features: demons and guns
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Okay, I guess

"Next time you open up shop, don't forget to add strawberry sundaes to the menu." - Dante

Dante is a demon/human half-breed private dick/bounty hunter type of character. Set in an alternate 1920's era, he takes odd jobs that always end up being some sort of battle against evil demons. He has a sword and two guns which he uses to take on any type of demon. In the first episode, the series introduces Patty Lowell, a young girl who is his first job in the series. She ends up sticking around after the job is over, and she becomes a mini-sidekick in the series. Dante has a series of friends/co-workers that he works with and often gets jobs from - both human and demon. Unfortunately, his huge debts per person often mean that he can't get the paycheck he has earned. The little money that he does retain from jobs goes to paying for pizzas (sometimes) and buying himself an endless stream of strawberry sundaes. Each episode adds a small part to the story, or to the character's character.

The series is actually a companion to the Devil May Cry video game series. According to my internet research, the storyline is set sometime between two of the games chronologically. It is important to note that without the game, there are some gaps in the story.


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Dante has this sort of private dick attitude. It really works when it works, but it definitely didn't work for him. Essentially, I just got the impression that he's a tool (for lack of a better adjective). He has redeeming qualities, like his seeming inability to not help people, and his desire to rid the world of demons (per job, of course), but the series casts him mostly as a cold-hearted jerk who takes financially worthless jobs, and wracks up debt from everyone - including the local pizza place. In one episode, he gets screwed out of his paycheck because the other person takes his share toward the huge debt he owes. Sucks to be him.

Yeah, so, I'm not a fan. It's not the worst anime I've ever seen, but it was a pretty hard struggle to get through it. It's only 12 episodes, but I had to adhere to a strict regiment of mandatory shows per day in order to make sure I got it done. Unfortunately, not in a fun way. I definitely recognize that the series would probably make a lot more sense if I had played any of the video games. I spent a lot of time confused about the plot, and ended up frustrated that there was no underlying story until episode 10. The last episode was okay, though. It could've used a little more oopmh. I can see a certain amount of guys liking this, though.

 As much as I'd like to think I'm not that girly, this is a total guy anime. If you liked the games, I assume you'll like the series? It just wasn't for me.
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Bang!: Spice and Wolf

Uraboku (Betrayal Knows My Name)

Genre: Action/Drama
Age Appropriate: Teen/Adult
Emotional Response: heartbreak, bittersweet, fruitless hope
Notable Features: demons, special abilities, good vs. evil
Language: Japanese
Length: 24 Episodes
Overall Recommendation: Top 5

"I will not betray you!" - Luka

Uraboku is a story of good versus evil. Yuki, an orphan about to age out of the orphanage he's been in since childhood, is tracked down and approached by Takashiro - the leader of the Giou clan. The purpose of the Giou clan is to protect Yuki, and humanity, from Duras - demons. These Duras come in different classes that range in power. Yuki is especially important because of his power - God's Light. Each member of the Zweilts - a subset of the Giou clan - has powers that are special to them. Yuki's powers are cleansing and healing. The others hold powers more helpful in battle (e.g. God's Voice (Hotsuma) holds fire that can destroy Duras), and this is a sort spot for Yuki. He feels bad about having to be protected all the time. Unfortunately, his power comes at a great price to his well-being, as he has to take on the others' pain in order to heal them, and the others feel a large amount of guilt about it. However, Yuki is the key to the major upcoming battle between the Giou Clan and Reiga - the main antagonist. Things become more complicated as the story reveals the alternate identity of Reiga.

Behind the story of good versus evil, there is another story - that of Yuki and Luka. They are connected by a long ago past, and Luka has sworn to never betray Yuki. Luka Crosszeria (or Brand Zess) is a Duras who has betrayed his kind for Yuki. He's a dark, brooding character.Their relationship is somewhat complicated by their past, but at the center is an intense connection between them. While Luka seems to be apathetic and removed from the others protecting Yuki, he makes the effort to be with them because he wants Yuki to be safe and happy. Of everyone Yuki meets in the beginning of his story, Luka seems to be the one person he counts on the most. Much of the story revolves around their reactions to each other as a vehicle between episodes, and is a key component of the series climax.

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 I feel like the synopsis above doesn't do this series much justice, but I really wanted to restrain myself from giving too much away. This is one of my most favorite anime. At the beginning of the series, I felt a lot of hope about the story and where it would end up, but as the series continues it produces a lot of doubts. It was easy to get emotionally invested in the characters, most especially Luka and Yuki. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. It's a lot of wishing that things could be different for everyone involved, and hoping that it will be by the end of the series.

The huge emotional investment aside, there are other things I appreciated about the series. The end of each episode has a brief little conversation between one pair of partners that add a little bit of comic relief, regardless of the previous episode's content. Luka's familiar, Sodom, is also a joy during the episodes, no matter the form it takes. I want one. I also appreciated that while there is a story of good versus evil, there is a gray line that makes the story more interesting than straight up good guys versus bad guy. It's not much of one, but I appreciate it. I lost myself in the episodes and had no problem watching a few at a time.

I love this series and I would definitely recommend it. I admit there is a good amount of eye candy, depending on your tastes (Luka especially!), so maybe it would be better for girls. It depends on what you get out of a series. This is definitely one for someone looking for the emotional component, although it does have some good action bits, too. It gets a Top 5 from me. I will watch it again, multiple times, although I know I'll need a break from it for awhile. My next series will need to be something uselessly funny, after two series that are intense. If you're ready for bittersweet emotions, this is ready for you.


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Prepare yourself!: YuruYuri

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

Kaze No Stigma

Genre: Action
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: exciting and hilarious - maybe a little confused
Notable Features: magic, demons, elemental spirits, family issues, cops
Language: English
Length: 2 seasons, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Heck Yeah


"Ka! Zu! Ma!" - Angry Ayano

Kazuma Yagami, formerly Kazuma Kannagi, is a wind magic user. He's a 20-something upstart with a cocky attitude but hidden depths. He was kicked out of his family for his inability to use fire magic. The series opens with his return to his home, and the events that follow his arrival. At first the family believes that he is killing members as revenge, but in the end it's discovered that there is someone else behind things. He has a terrible relationship with his father, but a reasonable relationship with his uncle, the head of the Kannagi family. On top of that, his younger brother, Ren, is excited about Kazuma's return! Most of the family looks upon him with disdain, but Ren is just happy he's around. Kazuma's driving force to help the family is money, as a mercenary he works for anyone who makes enough, but his uncle makes the observation that by charging money, Kazuma can help without losing face.

 His cousin, Ayano, follows his around with a mix of irritation at his being a traitor and a potential crush that she's in denial about. Ayano adds an element of coming of age story. Kazuma and Ayano often end up in battles together where her impetuousness gets her in trouble, but Kazuma uses some of those battles to teach her lessons about her magic. As the heir of the Kannagi family, she has the family fire sword and a wealth of power for her age. She just needs a little growing up until she's really ready for responsibility. Whenever there isn't a serious situation/episode, there is a decent about of shenanigans from Ayano and her friends. Somehow, Kazuma also picks up a pixie friend. On top of it all is a hilarious plot to get Ayano and Kazuma together by Juga - the head of the family.

Most of the evil villains are different versions of yoma demons or elemental beasts. Kazuma uses his magic, given to him by a contract with the Spirits of the Wind, to defeat the enemies. There is some hidden reason behind Kazuma's return and many of his actions throughout the series. There are flashbacks and foreshadowing around his reasons and the progression of events. In the end, it's this part of the story that provides the climax and reasons behind everything that happens.

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Kaze No Stigma is so ridiculously emotional, but in a good way. There is a decent amount of comedy mixed in between the serious episodes and storyline. Kazuma is kind of arrogant, but since he's got so much power he seems to deserve some of it. Ayano is a sassy brat girl constantly getting into trouble. They're pretty much a match made in heaven. That seems to be a driving force of the series, too. With Juga's persistent plotting to get them together, in order to Kazuma back in the family, there are a good number of episodes pretty much dedicated to how things can get messed up pretty easily when the both of them involved. The weirdest part is how the beginning of the series starts seriously, with magic and set ups and family tragedy, but then there is a huge chunk that is just stupid-funny, and embarrassing.

The ending is kind of disjointed, and maybe a little extreme. Almost like the writers thought to themselves "Oh, yeah. We're supposed to have a point."It's probably the reason it didn't get some better rating. It was sudden. The end story isn't bad, though. In general, I liked this one. The occasional, complicated technology integrated with magic is kind of cool. Kazuma, in theory, is crush worthy, although not my type personally. There are certainly some good action magical fight scenes for your viewing pleasure. At the very least, it was a nice follow up to Dance in the Vampire Bund. Demon King Daimao and this are making it all better. So, yeah, go ahead and watch it.

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What's up?: Miracle  Train