Showing posts with label drama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drama. Show all posts

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Junjou Romantica

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Adults
Emotional Response: Girlish, inappropriate giggles
Notable Features: yaoi, high maintenance boys, comedy
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Top 10

"We're Japanese. Can't we just play it a little vague?" - Misaki


Junjou Romantica follows three new romantic couples that coincide with Sekai Ichi's three couples. There are subtle hints between the two series, if you can find them. Each of the three couples have individual problems, and there is a new love triangle in the mix. Misaki is a young student looking to test into college, but he needs help. He ends up connecting with his older brother's best friend as his tutor, and then it becomes complicated. His new tutor is Akihiko Usami, a famous author and an uncontrollable fiend interested in corrupting Misaki at every turn. When Misaki's brother goes away with his new bride, Misaki stays in town to start school, and ends up free-loading off of Usami by living in his condo and paying rent in cooking and chores. Much as Misaki protests, he ends up in consistently compromising positions with Usagi-san. As the story progresses, Misaki ends up in a terrible complicated mess that includes Akihiko's brother, Haruhiko. Their story revolves around this sibling-rivalry and Misaki's resistance to love.

One day, Hiroki finds himself crying on a park bench, lamenting his unrequited love for an old friend. Nowaki, a much younger man, sees him and drags him along to a mini-rocket launch with a bunch of old guy friends. Despite many his protests, Nowaki drags himself into Hiroki's life by begging for school help and forward declaring his love. Somehow, the large age difference and difference in status becomes a huge issue for them both in their own story of complicated love.

Another complicated romance, including a large age gap, is Miyagi and Shinobu. Shinobu fell in love with Miyagi long ago, before realizing that Miyagi was marrying his sister. He returns from studying abroad on the news that they divorced and seems to think that it's fate. His battle for Miyagi is not only against age and status, but also against Miyagi's long lost love - a former teacher who has passed away. Only when Shinobu is about to give up does Miyagi consider that his old love is ready to be replaced with a new one.

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I love this anime. I'll say right now, though, that you really have to be interested in yaoi to appreciate it. If you're not into yaoi at all, stay away. I completely love the funny antics that show up, particularly in the Misaki/Usagi storyline. The others are big more serious, but also smaller in their character development. There is an additional one-episode story, but it's just a little add-on that was kinda fun.

There are so many things wrong with this series, and I didn't seem to care with all of the funnies and romance. It seems like Usagi is taking advantage of Misaki at every turn, and he does for the most part. The only real comfort is that there are episodes where it is clear that Misaki is totally in love, but too afraid to see it for what it is. Also, he doesn't seem to have too much of a problem in most of the morning-afters. I wasn't strongly attached to the other characters, though. In hindsight, I think most of the cameos between Sekai Ichi and Junjou are more easily recognized in Sekai Ichi. They're certainly easier to notice if you watch them back-to-back. I always felt a little clever when I saw them, though.

This is one of the few anime that I will watch when I'm having a terrible time. I can't really put my finger on it exactly, but it's good for my sanity. So yeah, basically if you enjoy yaoi, you'll enjoy this. If you're not sure, try it anyway.

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Meowmeowmeow: ANIME MILWAUKEE

I'll be attending Anime Milwaukee this coming weekend. Since it will take a good chunk of three days, I'll not be able to really catch up on any new series. As such, I'll be posting a review of the convention itself! Have a good weekend, everyone! (Maybe I'll see you there??)


Thursday, February 6, 2014

Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Older teens
Emotional Response: Come on! Get a move on!
Notable Features: yaoi, romance, manga editing
Language: Japanese
Length: 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"Maybe I really am only in love with your face." Kisa

Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi follows three couples loosely related through a manga editing team. One part of each couple works for Emerald - an editing team that works with shojo manga - however, there is no real reference in the individual stories to the other couples. Two of the dramatic couples are actually caught in a pseudo-love triangle, with two people shyly in love with each other, and one on the outside looking in. Jealousy abounds, however, in the traditional misunderstanding that go with romantic fiction love triangles.

The primary couple is Onodera and Takano (or Ritsu and Masamune). The biggest part of their drama is the high school romance they had that was cut short by a terrible misunderstanding between the two and the sudden moving on Onodera to a different country. In present day, Onodera has started working for a publishing rival of his father's company, as a way to show his independence, and is "misplaced" into the manga department, Emerald. After a very awkward encounter, he faces a major shock when he's faced with the fact that his new boss, the up-and-coming hot shot editor, is actually his high school sweetheart! Between their past, Onodera's denial of his feelings and the unfortunate non-acceptance of Takano's bff (who is desperately in love with him), the story unfolds.

The second and third couples (Yoshino/Tori and Yuu! + Kisa and Yukina) are much shorter interludes mixed in with the Onodera/Takano storyline. Yoshino/Tori/Yuu is actually not that wildly different. The three have known each other for a long time, two are possibly in love, one is on the outside, and the middle of the triangle is primarily oblivious to the tension building. Kisa and Yukina are an awkward pair. Kisa is a 30 year old editor, and Yukina in a 20something art student who works at a bookstore. Kisa admits to himself that he's a bit lame in his chasing of only attractive people, and discarding them later, and Yukina is young and optimistic in the face of Kisa's lack of self-confidence.

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I'm attempting not to add too much, because while there are only 24 episodes, the three story lines are fairly separate. I'm not always someone who likes a lot of harsh emotional conflict, depending on the situation. At least, not in cheesy romances like this. The other problem I struggle with in regards to SIH is not a failing in the series, as much as my preference for it's counterpart - Junjou Romantica. I probably could've done them the other way around, since I'm pretty sure this is a spin-off of that, but that's not it worked out.

I really did enjoy this for the most part. I wasn't super dragged into an emotional relationship with the characters, but there was something entertaining about it. I'm not sure if their relationships bothered me because i didn't relate to the characters, or because I really did. Either way, I would definitely recommend this to girls (and boys!) who enjoy the Yaoi genre. If you don't, I would recommend it at all. It's strictly yaoi romance all the way. Sometimes, I've seen anime that has crossed genres, or is so phenomenal that is doesn't matter. No matter how much I may enjoy this when I'm watching it, this is not one of those. Essentially: If you're in the mood, go for it.

But maybe watch Junjou Romantica first. Even if you don't notice the crossovers, there are a couple of cameos in this that make no sense otherwise. Yeah, I'll review that soon. 

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What's next, hmm?: Junjou Romantica

Friday, December 20, 2013

Maoyu

Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: A little sad, a little inspired
Notable Features: humans, demons, technology vs, faith
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great

"I dislike insects." - Head Maid

Maoyu is a story with a strange mix. The main characters have no real names, only Hero or Scholar or Mage...etc. Hero is basically just that. He's the hero of the realm who went to battle the Demon King in order to save humanity. In the beginning the story reveals that in his efforts he was joined by friends and left them behind to finish his battle. It is the result of that battle that is the reason behind the story.

Hero has fallen in with the Demon King. Surprisingly, the Demon King is actually a woman - though her title is not Demon Queen. It appears that she wants to bring the human world and demon world together in some sort of harmony. Her desire for peace affects the Hero and he agrees to join her cause. Being the Hero, with special powers, and her being the King, with her own special powers, they enter the human world and start a path of scientific enlightenment. Her goal changes her title to Scholar within the human world. She brings new things to the world, like potatoes, meant to help serfs and common people help themselves without sacrificing their well-being to those above them. It's like an intellectual rebellion. Of course, this is not without consequences, and this is the conflict of the story.

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Since Maoyu is only 12 episodes, I'm trying to avoid giving too much away. I really did enjoy the series. It shows an interesting view of the terrible Demon King working to make the world populations independent beings. Of course, part of this is defying the Spirit of Light's church. The somewhat romantic connection formed between Hero and Scholar is part of the demon and human story. They're belief in each other makes some of the good things possible.

I have other favorite characters, though. In particular, the little girl serf who joins the household with her sister. She's cute and lively - excellent lighthearted relief. While their story is a sad one, it's part of the beginning of the series social commentary. I have mixed feelings about who to recommend this to, but I'll say probably best for those who don't mind a little thought mixed with some standard demon weirdness. There is a character who seems very interested in Hero, and also breathes fire. Merchant certainly likes to look at her. So, yeah, not in my top 10 or anything, but enjoyable .

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Woosh: HOLIDAYS - I will return in 3 weeks after the Holidays. I hope you all have fun and safe holiday fun.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Freezing

Genre: Drama/SciFi
Age Appropriate: Adult
Emotional Response: sad and confused
Notable Features: pandoras, limiters, evil monsters, high nudity
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes (plus extras)
Overall Recommendation: not for me

"I would be honored if you would come to my room tonight." - Satellizer

There are Pandoras and their limiters in the world of Freezing. Pandoras are genetically modified girls with "sacreds" implanted in them. These give them powers and weapons to battle Novas, energy pumped beings that are terrorizing the world. The Limiters are the Pandoras' counterparts who "freeze" the surrounding battle areas during Nova fights. This is meant to diffuse some of the power and give the girls a change to bring down the Novas. This is the background that brings together the main characters of the series.

Kazuya is a young boy who has transferred into Genetic West academy. He is attempting to follow in his sister's footsteps, who was a super powerful Pandora. Unfortunately, she died in a battle against a powerful Nova, and it seems now Kazuya is intent on following her path somehow. He chooses the academy specifically because it was the school she attended before joining the fight.

At this school, he literally runs into Satellizer, known as the Untouchable Queen. She was the first ranked second year student, until his bumbling interrupted a ranking battle. She has a terrible reputation as a troublemaker because of her standoffish attitude, but somehow Kazyua manages to squeak past her personal barriers. His determination leads him to choose her as his Pandora, despite the personal issues she has with cementing her bond, and the series explores how that works out. However, the main focuses turns quickly to the Nova battle at hand, and there are some serious twists to find.

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This series reminded me of Master of Martial Hearts. It's all battling, and girl bitchy attitudes, and boobs. Lots and Lots of boob. With every battle, at least one per fighter strips the other of her clothing. Actually, it's very much like Master of Martial Hearts - instead of battling girls for a fake wishing jewel, everyone is training to fight mysterious alien robot things. I don't mind nudity, generally at all, but I appreciate it in comedic scenes, or even incidental nudity - this just irritated me after awhile.

I hated the first episode, but I realize only because I was looking for something else at the time. When I started it again, I wasn't that disappointed actually. There are a lot of anime series that have random nudity, so I wasn't bothered by it much, but I eventually hated how much and in what circumstances the nudity occurred. Freezing may not be as much of a mind screw as MOMH ended up being, but I hated it. It was well done, I suppose, because I have some strong feelings about it. I can even think of a few friends who would appreciate it more (even aside from the nudity), but I wanted more out of it. Maybe a sprinkling of comedy, or better emotional relationship development, maybe some actual friendship...I don't know. This was definitely not for me.

Re: extras - Wow. Loads more inappropriate than the series itself. Just wow.

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Sword Art Online

Genre: Fantasy/SciFi/Action/Adventure
Age Appropriate: Preteens
Emotional Response: heart warming and heart breaking
Notable Features: swords, video games, love, evil scientists
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 season, 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Top 10 (Fine, Top 5, but don't tell my cousin)

"Kirito-kun will save me" - Asuna


In a time far, far from now (not that far), in a land far, far away (not that far either), a VRMMORPG comes online with 10,000 new players. These players are a mix of beta testers and new players, trying out Sword Art Online. The game is set up to use NeverGear equipment that intercepts brainwaves and makes it a full-dive gaming experience. Something is wrong, though. While there seemed to be no weird occurrences in the beta test, the real game has a terrible problem. There is no log-out function! The game's creator reveals his dastardly plan to use the game as a new world. The only way to release the players is for someone to finally beat the 100 level game, but climbing the tower and defeat the bosses. The even more terrible catch: because the game is linked to all players via their brains, anyone who dies in the game will die in real life. 

The protagonist is Kazuto, but his game handle is Kirito. Kirito is a beta tester who commits himself to surviving, and winning the game. The world develops into a real world out of the real world. Guilds are built, teams made, and battles won and lost. Kirito chooses deliberately to be a solo player, especially after tragedy strikes in his first guild foray. Through his grueling journey to beat the game, he meets people and makes important, life altering friendships. The series follows Kirito's journey and relationships as he carries on his mission to survive.

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My little cousin is probably going to make me eat my words. I'd been avoiding this, solely because I didn't think I would be in the mood. I think I got back into the adventure mood after finally finishing Legend of Legendary Heroes. This, by far, surpassed LOLH. Frankly, it surpassed a lot of anime series I've seen. I watched all 25 episodes in less than 48 hours, and I loved every minute. I will recommend it to everyone.

This is one of the few series that I've watched and nearly had me in tears. It's rare for me to get the sniffles at anything, and there were just a few episodes where I admit I teared up. The emotional investment was huge. It might take a little recovery, but I will watch this again. And possibly again. I'm floored by my feelings at the moment. There were some parts that were unsatisfying, but I'm pretty sure they were supposed to be. I mean, not every story is supposed to be exactly the way you want it to be, right? I'm glad for some of the more traditional elements, though. I might replace Tears to Tiara with this, with the sole exception of the fact that TtT was much funnier. That's not to say this didn't have funny moments, but they weren't a focus.

Seriously, unless you have some unknown hatred for Adventure/Fantasy/SciFi, you will not regret watching this.

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Dumbfounded: Freezing


Thursday, November 14, 2013

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

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Free!

Genre: Sports
Age Appropriate: Preteens
Emotional Response: Giggles, annoyance
Notable Features: swimmers, hot guys
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Good

"I only swim free." - Haruka

It's all about swimming with Free!. Four friends in their younger years swam together in a relay, and this is the basis for much of the underlying story. Now that they're in high school, the four friends have turned into three. Haruka is a water-obsessed swimmer with unknown depths. He quit swim club after a fall out with the missing fourth friend. Makoto is the strong silent type. He's calm, and one of the few people who can actually get through Haruka's barriers. Nagisa is overly optimistic with everything and can coax smiles out of everyone. In a desperate attempt to restart the swim team, and new fourth enters the story. Rei, previously a runner, joins the team after seeing Haruka swim. He's obsessed with beauty, form and theory. This is both a good thing, and a bad thing, while they teach him the ropes of swim club.

The whole underlying story, however, is about the relationship between the boys and their mysterious old friend, Rin.
Rin was the fourth in their childhood relay. They seemed to be great friends,  until he decides to move to Australia in an effort to be an Olympic star. His sudden move, and some occurrence between Haruka and him, creates some sort of cold conflict between the two. It's obvious that this isn't the way that Haruka want their relationship to be, and it affects everyone around them. The series is as much about their sports prowess and achievement as it is the strength of the interpersonal relationships.

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Free! was a nice series. Nothing amazing, nothing terrible. I highly recommend it if you're looking for hot, sexy swimmers. Oddly, I really enjoyed the end theme, despite it being a bit weird. I suppose it might have been less weird if they translated it, but I really don't think so. I just liked the club scene.

The story is pretty good. In general, it reminds me of You and Me, in the whole boys-are-friends way. Actually, it's very like that only with swimming as the main focus. There is a little bit of conflict involved with Free!, though. I don't think I like how it ends for Rei, but any other way wouldn't have made as good a story. I don't really need any more of it, though. It was nice while it lasted, and I'm glad it's over. I suppose there is room for a second season, but I haven't heard anything about one. I'd watch it, but I wouldn't bite my nails waiting for it. The series was good. That's really about it.

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Heh: Makai Ouji

Thursday, October 24, 2013

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


Thursday, September 26, 2013

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

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Chihayafuru

Genre: Drama (high school)
Age Appropriate: Any Age
Emotional Response: suspense, victory, disappointment
Notable Features: karuta, high school, love triangle
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 Seasons, 50 episodes 
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"I know I'm greedy." - Chihaya 

When they were young, three middle schoolers found mutual fun in competitive karuta. Karuta is a poem/verse card game between two people that requires strategy, skill and speed. Chihaya knew Taichi growing up together in school. One year, she meets Arata, and stands up for him despite being a stranger transfer student. Through this connection, she finds her love of karuta. They compete together as a team, but after a short year, they are separated by different family circumstances. The series finds Chihaya, the main character, in high school, desperately trying to form a functioning karuta club. She bumps into Taichi accidentally, and through a little pressure and guilt, manages to get him to agree to help her start the club. Her aggressive, yet airheaded nature, brings in the last three teammates needed to make it an official club.

Chihayafuru refers to a specific card, that Chihaya has marked as her own. Each member ends up with something similar for themselves. In the first season, the team fights through some difficult battles, and not all of them are successes. In the second season, some new characters join up and they move together back to the finals to compete. Each character brings a specific skill set to the team - a geek, a poet, a lazy bum, the pretend hero, the love sick boy, the love sick girl and the favored airhead heroine. The rivals are not to be trifled with, either. Chihaya's goal is to meet and beat the Queen, the highest ranked female player in Japan, and this goal drives a good amount of the storyline.

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Chihayafuru was a lot of fun, and full of suspense. I found myself watching episode after episode to see what would happen next, at the detriment of my sleep cycle. It's not that the story or presentation were phenomenal, but the story was paced pretty well. There were a few times that I wished more was happening, quicker, but it worked to suck me in. In general, I'm pretty satisfied.

Yet again, I find myself in that difficult position of having to wait for a third season. I'm not sure that there will be one, but there better be. There is a lot of unresolved story that requires one, but since this season was just released, I think it's pretty reasonable to expect more. It probably won't happen until 2014 at the earliest, though. Sadface. It was exciting, and actually pushed me to download a couple of apps to practice my Japanese. Well, they're to help me learn some characters. I'm not really sure if I would recommend this to everyone. If it's something you would be interested in genre-wise, then I would definitely recommend it. There isn't any real comedy, though. It's very slice-of-life. I enjoyed it.

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Slice!: You and Me


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Starry Sky

Genre: Drama
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: Eh? - confused and a little depressed
Notable Features: high school, science, coming-of-age
Language: Japanese
Length: 26 episodes (shorts)
Overall Recommendation: Not so much


"Sora Sora is scary!" - Tsubasa

Starry Sky revolves around a group of students at space/astronomy-based Seigetsu Academy. Seigetsu Academy is a previously all-male school that has recently open admission to female students, though there is currently only one new female student attending - Tsukiko Yahisa. She becomes one of the subtle running connections between the other students, and their episodes.

Every two episodes has a new character focus. The general theme is the back story on how each character meets and interacts with the others in their story, with a little more character development and plot revealed each time. Each character is designated by an astrological sign, making the paired episodes Part 1 and Part 2. The paired episodes include flashbacks for one episode and a present day partner that shows personal growth through different insecurities, often with the help of the acceptance of their friends, old and new. 

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Starry Sky was a bit bland. There was no actual story involved, and it didn't work for me. It seems like one of the connecting points was supposed to be that everyone falls a little bit in love with Tsukiko, which is fine I guess, but really had no bearing on anything. There seemed to be some potential for real stories but everything was cut off too soon for any real development, and therefore any real emotional investment. 

Since each episode was only 11 minutes long, perhaps the series would've benefitted from full length episodes. I'm not sure what I really wanted out of the series, but I know I didn't really get anything from it. There were some nice moments, so I don't think it was a complete and total waste of my time, but I just feel unsatisfied. I don't even understand the point of the final two episodes and the character added. I do understand that this is an adaptation from a visual novel/video game relationship sim type deal, but I've seen many anime that have that type of beginning that this didn't really make any sense. Basically, I'm baffled and a little irritated. 

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And then there was one: Is This a Zombie?


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Air

Genre: Drama
Age Appropriate: Any Age
Emotional Response: Depressing
Notable Features: Dreams, mental health issues, dancing puppet
Language: English
Length: 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Nope

"I had another dream last night." - Misuzu

Air begins with a young, vagrant man looking for food and attempting to use his puppet show to earn some money. Mostly, he's rejected because his show just isn't that exciting. After wandering some, he takes a quick nap on the rock wall of a beach, and wakes up to a strange girl standing in the breeze. Her presence triggers a memory from his mother, and he ends up following her  as the story of the series.

Misuzu takes Yukito home with her, with a promise of food, and ends up keeping him around - despite his arguments that she shouldn't trust random strangers. He ends up staying with her, and her aunt, in t he shed and finds a job in their small town, helping around the office at the local clinic. The story is somewhat split up by two episode mini-dramas, each following a different character. While Yukito participates in each story, for the most part the people in town don't seem to have much of a personal connection with each other. In the end, each mini-drama adds a small piece to the end result.

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I really enjoyed the theme music for this series. It was pretty, and often triggered an emotional response. Unfortunately, that was pretty much the only thing I liked about the series. I can't say it wasn't well done, in some respects, but it was so slow. I think I liked episode 8. I've been through plenty of stories that are sad, melancholy, depressing...etc, but there is always a little something here or there to help me through the pain.

I don't expect, or want, happy endings and cheery stories every time I watch a new series, but I also don't want to force myself to watch something because there is no relief from the oppressive sadness. I've had Air on my list to watch for weeks, and it kept getting pushed aside for something more bearable. The writing was fine, the music was nice, the art was normal, but I just couldn't handle it in any constructive way. I'd be willing for someone to disagree with me, I suppose, and I won't argue that it's "bad," as much as not worth the effort. I just don't think it should've taken me over three weeks to force myself to finish. The final episode did strike a chord with me, but I would've survived without seeing this. Not recommended.

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Um: Uta No Prince Sama




Thursday, May 30, 2013

Heaven's Lost Property - Mirror Review

Here is the mirror review I promised you! Below is a review of Heaven's Lost Property from a completely different perspective. I think he did a pretty good job!


Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Age Appropriate: Late Teen, and Adult
Emotional Response: LOL, OMG, and sadface
Notable Features: Awesome battle scenes, astronomical levels of fan service
Language: English dub
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes, 1 feature-length film
Overall Recommendation: What are you waiting for?!


"This smells like tasty!" -- Delta (Astraea)

Tomoki Sakurai craves only one thing in life: peace and quiet. So when Ikaros, a type Alpha Angeloid, falls from the sky and comes crashing (quite literally!) into Tomoki's life, peace and quiet are nowhere to be found!

The series follows the adventures of the New World Discovery Club, a group of Tomoki's friends and classmates, as they deal with the daily challenges of high school and seek to unravel the secrets of the "New World," a mysterious black hole that appears in the sky. Ikaros falls from the black hole and imprints upon Tomoki, who becomes her "master." Tomoki, who is quite the little pervert as we soon find out, quickly manages to get himself in trouble with Ikaros' power to grant his every wish. More Angeloids eventually show up, and we find that each one has a different personality, special powers, and abilities -- and they're on a mission to kill Tomoki!

As the series progresses, we find out more information on just who (and what) the Angeloids actually are, the truth about the "New World," and what it all means for the New World Discovery Club.
Action, adventure, and many more Angeloids await in Heaven's Lost Property, Heaven's Lost Property: Forte, and Heaven's Lost Property: The Angeloid of Clockwork!

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I'm going to break from the traditional plot summary part of the review and focus on what I actually thought of the series as a whole:

First off, there is a LOT of fan service throughout this series. And by a lot, I mean gratuitous amounts in almost every episode, so be prepared for that. Tomoki is quite the little pervert -- something this is definitely reflected in many of the running gags in the series, from an airborne flock of panties to a panty-clad robot that can transform into a motorcycle, to Tomiki's various plots to see the inside of the girls' changing room. The end result is hilarious and sooooooooooo bad at the same time. I felt guilty for laughing at first, but when it quickly became apparent that the series wasn't about to tone down the level of fan service, I gave up and just went with it!

Moving on to less perverted aspects of the show, the music in this series is absolutely phenomenal. It's a great mix of quiet and introspective melodies along with supercharged battle themes that literally made me bounce around in my seat.

The storyline for the series achieves a nice balance between laid back episodes that focus on comedic aspects and themes along with the more plot-driven "serious" episodes. Each and every episode has its place, and they all add up to the benefit of a greater payoff in the more climactic scenes. There is some great character development for many of the characters (especially the Angeloids themselves), although some of the secondary characters remain pretty two dimensional -- however, that isn't something I noticed at the time, and doesn't detract from the series as a whole. I found myself very emotionally invested in the characters, to the point where I had to watch "just one more episode" (and another, and another!) when it came to cliffhangers.

Final thoughts:

- Made me wish I'd taken home economics in high school
- You'll never look at a watermelon the same way again

Overall, I loved the series, and can't wait for Season 3!
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How did that work for y'all?: Time of Eve

Friday, May 24, 2013

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.




Monday, May 13, 2013

We Without Wings

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Age Appropriate: Adult
Emotional Response: So. Confused.
Notable Features: Fan Service, MPD, alternate universes - maybe, kinda
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"May peace prevail in the world" - A number of male characters

We Without Wings has an extensive cast that seems to go through a complicated "normal" life, with little romances and day-to-day happenings. The complications all seem to surround four young men, all who seem to have a very cool demeanor - except for the one dorky/pervy, yet decent, guy. There is an extra wildly inappropriate bartender, and a bevy of busty girls in the bar - who all get eyebrow-wiggling attention. There are also a number of younger ladies who follow one of the guys around with starry-eyes love in their eyes. At the bottom of the totem pole is an adorable young girl, Alice, who seems to have little ability with the Japanese language, and can't seem to keep herself from trying to make one of the guys from sounding like a pervert - though, in reality, he's not.

Aside from the funny interpersonal relationships, there is a secret story hidden behind everything. There are two little gangs running around beating their chests at each other. Everything changes when one of the peons brings a gun to a fist fight. Then, there may be another universe for some of the characters, but it's fairly unclear in the beginning if it's real, or an internal fantasy. Then again, it seems to maybe include more than just one character. The series quickly turns into a maze of questions to be unraveled.

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We Without Wings started out hilarious. I don't know how many times I ended up laughing out loud (literally). I was almost in tears within the first episode. Then, it got kinda weird. Probably because of the description, I expected something a little more "normal." It was anything but normal. I didn't really get let in on the big secret until episode 7. I guess that's pretty normal timing for a short series, but I was brain-hurting confused by then. This wasn't weird/creepy like Amnesia, just head spinning. Obviously, I eventually figured out what was going on. I'm glad that I wasn't going insane, but it was a little bit depressing when you figure out the answers.

Generally, I think the fact that I cared was a pretty good indicator that the creators did a good job. There were some good funny bits thrown in with the confusion - probably saving my mind and motivating me to keep with it. There was also a LOT of girl shots. Everything was creatively blocked by censorship tape, or steam, but it was definitely adult in nature. I wouldn't let any kiddies watch this one, and I certainly wouldn't watch it with my parents. I made the "Adult" part green because it's not messed up like Rin or Elfen Lied, it's just sexual. I think Girls Bravo could be sort of considered worse because it was uncensored nudity, but it was so incidental in nature that it wasn't a big deal. This was not incidental at all. Either way you look at it, definitely not for youngsters. Overall, I though it was pretty good. I would probably recommend it to people, but carefully considering the relationship I have with that person.
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Fly Away: Listen to me girls. I'm your father. (At least, that's what I found it named as...)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

La Corda D'Oro

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: All ages
Emotional Response: Eeeeeeeeeee!
Notable Features: music, high school, coming of age
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 26 episodes (+2 extras!)
Overall Recommendation: Great

"Just making sound come out is different than playing it." - Lili

La Corda D'Oro is about a young woman's journey into the world of musical performance. Kahoko has no musical talent, but finds that she loves music immensely. She stumbles into a school statue, and a fairy magically appears, asking her to take on a magical violin and enter the school's music contest. This violin will allow anyone to play wonderfully, and Kahoko denies her desire to play despite the assistance. It takes a little while for her to submit to the fairy Lili's request.

Kahoko and one other general studies student get wrapped up in the contest where all of the other students are from the music side of their academy. Each person has a different personality type, from shy young lady to popular guy (in sheep's clothing!). Kahoko makes friends with everyone through the series, breaking down barriers between everyone, and learning more about herself in the process. Her new interesting musical happiness can't be perfect forever, and despite the successes she has in each episode with building friendships and experiencing coming-of-age issues, Kahoko has to take her lessons and admit reality to herself - at risk of losing everything she's built for herself.

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So, you see, I'm a musician at heart. Therefore, this struck a particular chord in mean (harharhar). It's a difficult series to watch, though. It's really good, and I definitely enjoyed the relationships between the members and Kahoko - it's pretty typical nice reverse harem type. I was a lot more interested in the music than the guys, however. The music is beautiful, and I want to find a soundtrack. I always wished I could play the violin, but I ended up doing other things. So, I really enjoyed those parts.

It was only difficult because I don't always like conflict, especially emotional conflict - give me explosions and evil doers any day, or emotional pain. Unfortunately,  most of my favorite anime is really that good because of the emotional connections made. I also enjoyed the different personalities represented. I'm glad that they threw in a shy girl, too. Often I find this type of series to be all one girl focused. The shy girl didn't have anything to do with the story in that regard, but I think it made things more realistic.

I totally recommend it if you're anime and musically inclined. I found nothing really in there that I would hesitate to let the younger crowd watch, other than actual interest in the content. Aside from one scene where a guy accidentally falls on a girl and they blush, there isn't any questionable. Go ahead and watch it. I thought it was pretty great.

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1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and: Okami-san and Her Seven Companions

Monday, March 25, 2013

Say "I love you"


Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: indulgent smile, lovely
Notable Features: high school, young love, sweet
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great


"I love you."

Say "I love you" is about a boy and a girl who fall in love, and it includes all of the misunderstandings that come with it. It all starts with a roundhouse kick from the least popular girl to the face of the most popular guy. He becomes intrigued by her because she doesn't seem to care that he's popular and beautiful - therefore not throwing herself at him every five minutes. A few episodes in, she gets sucked into being his girlfriend - because he's nice, beautiful and persistant. He stole her first kiss while saving her from a creepy stalker-like guy, and she has to battle in her mind to try to make it not a big deal. The series becomes a look into her mental state as she struggles against trusting him, and then falling in love; learning to have friends for the first time and battling her new, difficult issues with unfamiliar feelings of jealousy. While, the two seem to come through each new situation a little stronger, the process is painful.

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Usually, I try to be a little varied in what I'm watching. Black Butler episodes aside, I seem to be on a romance kick. Good thing it's my blog, huh? Say "I love you" was sweet, and maybe a little bittersweet. I found myself jealous of the female protagonist, Mei. It wasn't because she ends up with the hottest guy in school, necessarily (because what girl didn't want that when they were in high school?) but because in the short season, I got to watch her battle through new friends and becoming a little popular herself. I had friends in high school, but they always felt a step outside. And, yes, I'm a little jealous of Mei for dating the cute guy, but less because he was "the cute guy," then the fact that there was a guy interested in her in the first place. I was not, however, jealous of all the drama she had to deal with. Every episode had a least one moment where my heart hurt for her. It's quiet, I suppose, like Mei. No flashiness, no comedy, no throwing of object extreme drama. Just quiet.

The team who made this anime series happen did a fabulous job. I'd been avoiding this one just because I wasn't in the mood and I knew absolutely nothing about it. I'm also glad that I was in the current romantic mindset because it would've been hard to jump from Black Butler right into this. I don't know if I would watch it again, but if they manage to come out with a second season, I don't think I would hesitate. It's a new release, and while I was a little unsatisfied with the random ending, I won't cry if a new season doesn't happen. I would recommend it to a lot of people. There are a few subtle adult themes, so I would wait until someone was at least in high school, but nothing blatant. My best review for this series: I kept thinking about it, like a fond memory, for days afterword.

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Say it: Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Gravitation

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Older Teens
Emotional Response: yeeeeah. ::headdesk::
Notable Features: bands, young love. coming-of-age
Language: Japanese/English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Guilty Pleasure (Terribly cheesy, but I couldn't stop)

"Ask me if something good happened." - Shuichi Shindo

Gravitation is all about the music. Shuichi is a young artist in his up-and-coming band, Bad Luck. Together with his bandmate Hiro, and the eventual addition of a keyboard player, Bad Luck takes the music world by storm. Shuichi, however, suffers from mood swings that stem from a lack of control over his destiny and his rocky relationship with Eiri Yuki, a famous novelist who has somehow fallen down the rabbit hole of love with Shuichi. Yuki is actually an arrogant jerk who manages to support his new young rockstar boyfriend while also tearing him apart with his own crazy mood swings. Clearly, however, his attitude actually helps him deal with Shuichi's crazy love-struck enthusiasm and likely helps the kid grow up throughout the series.

Bad Luck catches the eye of the record label's president, and their most famous rockstar during a concert where they open for a different popular group, ASK. ASK becomes their rival for the series. There is some drama with ASK, but it is relatively short lived when they attack Shuichi head on. Other drama ensues, both between bands, within the band, and in the relationships that are slowly developing between characters.

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It was awful and I couldn't stop watching it! The music was kinda cheesy. The story was a little unoriginal. Even the relationships were dopey. I loved it. I watched it most of it on a Sunday afternoon/evening. I had to go to bed before finishing the last few episodes, but it was quickly rectified as soon as I got home from work. I'm glad it was only one season, because there is no way that it could've been drawn out effectively. Don't be fooled, though. As light-hearted and goofy as it is, the last episode is super intense, and I wouldn't recommend watching it without a little warning.

The only thing that probably set it apart from other similar anime stories was the fact that the main character, and his love interest, were of the same gender. They make a big deal about how it's not normal for either of them, but no one cares because it's all about love. It was pretty low-key for yaoi, though. I didn't even have much of a crush on any of the characters, although I might attribute that to the art style - or not. If the above sounds like your kinda thing, then I would highly recommend it.

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Rock Out Y'all: Say "I love you"

Monday, March 11, 2013

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

Monday, March 4, 2013

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