Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: smack your head and shake it in shame funny
Notable Features: awkward teens, martial arts
Language: Japanese
Length: 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Good
"I meant to confess to your sister!" - Wassan
Yoichi is a young man who has been training on a mountain for most of his life. He's been home school and kept away from the city. So, he is sent tot he city to be with his cousins as a way to expand his horizons and train in a different environment. As soon as he arrives in town, however, he manages to get himself into misunderstanding and subsequent trouble. Like many harem anime, this series involves and awkward boy cast and beautiful, smart, violent ladies. There are four cousins, two in high school, one in middle school and a younger one. Of the four, the oldest is the smart, pretty one everyone is in love with. Ibuki is super nice and popular. The second daughter, Ayame is a traditional tsundere character - basically mean but with a good heart. The third daughter is a manga artist with a fun attitude and the youngest is adorable.
The one thing that gets them all is the social awkwardness that leads everyone to think Yoichi is a bit of a perv. Every other episode he manages to fall into some girl's chest or lap. The confrontational part of the story comes from a secret guy, and his sister, constantly sending assassins after Yoichi for no apparent reason. It is a vehicle every other episode to add conflict to move the story along. Despite the fact that the group has been successful in fending off the attacks, no one understands the reason motivation of the villain!
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It was cute. There wasn't a whole lot of plot in the story. There were some parts of the story that just seemed unnecessary, but as it was a high school harem anime, I don't think it really mattered. It's not really the type of series you hang around for because you can't handle not knowing what is going to happen next. I did find some enjoyment out of it. Unlike some of the recent awkward boy series, this one referenced naughtiness without any nudity at all - in a good way. I also appreciated the additional of the little sister. Nothing untoward happens to her (which is good) but she's just so freakin' cute! It also appears that she might be a good cook!
The assassins are great! Well, they're terrible which makes them great. I just wish there was a little more lead in to the whole bad guy motivation thing. There were some real hints, but not until episode 9 - given that there are only 12 it was a little late. I would've been happy with more action/fight scenes. Either way, it was good. It's a nice rainy day anime, really. You can sit through a few episodes without blinking an eye, and still have a nice little amount of enjoyment out of it. If that's something you're looking for on that rainy day, I would recommend it.
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Next Week!: Next week I'll be in Chicago for Anime Central (ACEN). I'm super excited. This does mean, however, that I won't be posting a blog post on Thursday. I will post a review of the convention the following Thursday. SO EXCITED!!
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Friday, May 9, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adventure
Age Appropriate: Any age, really
Emotional Response: Excited in a kid way
Notable Features: adventure, action, friendship, elemental magic
Language: English
Length: 3 seasons, 61 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great!
"Shush chatty monkey." - Sokka
Aang is a young boy trapped in a block of ice. Katara and Sokka find him while floating around in the water. Finding him and setting him free sets off a complete 3 season series of action and adventure. The three teens live in a world where people have elemental magic, separated into kingdoms of people will like abilities. Katara and Sokka are from a water tribe, and Katara has inherited the ability to manipulate water. With the arrival of Aang in their lives, Katara uses his need to find more about himself as the escape she needs from her set destiny. There is no way that Sokka would let her leave without him and so the trio goes off on a mission to learn more about Aang.
There is trouble, however. Aang is an Avatar - one of the chosen few who are reincarnated over and over with powerful abilities that stretch over all elemental boundaries. His job is to bring balance back to the land and there is a huge obstacle in his way. The Fire Kingdom is ruled by a tyrant who wants Aang out of his way, or within his power. So, now the three are looking for more clues into Aang destiny while working hard to avoid capture by the Fire Kingdom. Their journey takes them through the Air, Water and Earth kingdoms, meeting new people and obstacles along the way. The plot becomes a coming-of-age story coupled with saving the world.
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I love it! I'm not always a fan of younger age range animated series. This one was a lot of fun. I'd seen a few episodes of the original when it was on Nickelodeon but it wasn't until it showed up on Netflix that I sat down and watched the whole thing through. Seriously, I watched the whole thing through, in great big gulps (bites?). The characters are really compelling, and the little mini-romances are adorable. It's also really kid friendly. I mean, come on, it was aired on Nickelodeon.
Aang and the gang include a flying lemur and an air buffalo! I want both, kinda. The buffalo might be hard to care for, though. Aang does a bunch of air tricks too that I wish I could manage. I would also like to be able to use those tricks to fly. It completely brought out the kid in me. I highly recommend it - especially if you want something to watch with the younger crown. Don't let it stop you if you don't!
There was only one negative about the franchise. The movie. It was so awful I wanted to cry and rage at how the ruined the story. Don't see it. After you finish this sentence, just pretend it doesn't exist.
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Let's try some more!: Samurai Harem
Age Appropriate: Any age, really
Emotional Response: Excited in a kid way
Notable Features: adventure, action, friendship, elemental magic
Language: English
Length: 3 seasons, 61 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great!
"Shush chatty monkey." - Sokka
Aang is a young boy trapped in a block of ice. Katara and Sokka find him while floating around in the water. Finding him and setting him free sets off a complete 3 season series of action and adventure. The three teens live in a world where people have elemental magic, separated into kingdoms of people will like abilities. Katara and Sokka are from a water tribe, and Katara has inherited the ability to manipulate water. With the arrival of Aang in their lives, Katara uses his need to find more about himself as the escape she needs from her set destiny. There is no way that Sokka would let her leave without him and so the trio goes off on a mission to learn more about Aang. There is trouble, however. Aang is an Avatar - one of the chosen few who are reincarnated over and over with powerful abilities that stretch over all elemental boundaries. His job is to bring balance back to the land and there is a huge obstacle in his way. The Fire Kingdom is ruled by a tyrant who wants Aang out of his way, or within his power. So, now the three are looking for more clues into Aang destiny while working hard to avoid capture by the Fire Kingdom. Their journey takes them through the Air, Water and Earth kingdoms, meeting new people and obstacles along the way. The plot becomes a coming-of-age story coupled with saving the world.
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I love it! I'm not always a fan of younger age range animated series. This one was a lot of fun. I'd seen a few episodes of the original when it was on Nickelodeon but it wasn't until it showed up on Netflix that I sat down and watched the whole thing through. Seriously, I watched the whole thing through, in great big gulps (bites?). The characters are really compelling, and the little mini-romances are adorable. It's also really kid friendly. I mean, come on, it was aired on Nickelodeon.
Aang and the gang include a flying lemur and an air buffalo! I want both, kinda. The buffalo might be hard to care for, though. Aang does a bunch of air tricks too that I wish I could manage. I would also like to be able to use those tricks to fly. It completely brought out the kid in me. I highly recommend it - especially if you want something to watch with the younger crown. Don't let it stop you if you don't!
There was only one negative about the franchise. The movie. It was so awful I wanted to cry and rage at how the ruined the story. Don't see it. After you finish this sentence, just pretend it doesn't exist.
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Let's try some more!: Samurai Harem
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Loveless
Genre: Sci-Fi-ish? Shonen Ai? I have no idea
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: Interested but confused
Notable Features: magic, tragedy, coming of age, yaoi/shonen ai
Language: Japanese
Length: 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"I don't really understand what's going on at all." - Ritsuka
Ritsuka has a very complicated past. Two year previously, Ritsuka turned into a different personality. It happened due to the gruesome murder of his brother, Seimei. Now, he's started at a new middle school, but has no tolerance for people. He's become a bit separate from everyone, and desperately tries to hide his pain. The story becomes wildy more complicated with the addition of his brother's "Fighter," Soubi.
In the battles between Fighter/Sacrifice duos, there is one person who fights for the other, using magic instilled in words. The Sacrifice takes the physical pain and damage of the fights. Those duos share a "real" name. Soubi insists that he's Ristuka's fighter, despite Ritsuka's complete ignorance about the things happening around him. It seems that Soubi was actually sent by Seimei, to follow Ritsuka as his fighter. Ritsuka doesn't know what to do in the situation and is more hurt by learning that his real name is "Loveless" versus his brother's "Beloved."In between all of this confusion, it appears that Soubi might be a bit in love with Rituska despite their huge age gap. He promises Ritsuka that he'd so anything for him, except give him the answers he's looking for. The questions always remains, at least for Ritsuka, whether or not this love has more to do with Soubi's actual feelings or feelings instilled by Seimei.One of Ritsuka's most difficult battles is deciding who to trust in this his search for his brother's killer.
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Loveless is actually pretty good, and sad. There are definitely a few comedic bits here and there, and they're certainly needed. The only drawback is how much you may be turned off by Soubi's love for Ritsuka. On that level, Soubi seems to recognize that it's a little bit wrong, never does anything about it - and it's questionable about it being "love" or "affection," - and his roommate gives him no end of grief about it. It didn't bother me too much, because nothing ever really happens, but I've heard it's bothered others. Enh.
I like this anime. I kinda wish there was more of it, but the manga was sadly short as well. I just think there was room for more character development in there. However, since I feel the same about the manga series, I imagine that it has more to do with following the series more closely than anything else. I really want Ritsuka to find all of the answers that he's looking for, and have a more satisfactory ending. I guess we can't all get what we want, though. I'd hesitantly recommend this. I should say, there is a number of people I would definitely recommend this too, because I understand they're appreciation of other shonen-ai/yaoi/weird stuff. Everyone else might find some interest in the idea of going outside their comfort zone, but I'm not sure how I might present it. This is one of those anime that I've seen multiple times, but I have to be in the mood for it - hence "pretty good."
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Next up: Campione!
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: Interested but confused
Notable Features: magic, tragedy, coming of age, yaoi/shonen ai
Language: Japanese
Length: 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"I don't really understand what's going on at all." - Ritsuka
Ritsuka has a very complicated past. Two year previously, Ritsuka turned into a different personality. It happened due to the gruesome murder of his brother, Seimei. Now, he's started at a new middle school, but has no tolerance for people. He's become a bit separate from everyone, and desperately tries to hide his pain. The story becomes wildy more complicated with the addition of his brother's "Fighter," Soubi.In the battles between Fighter/Sacrifice duos, there is one person who fights for the other, using magic instilled in words. The Sacrifice takes the physical pain and damage of the fights. Those duos share a "real" name. Soubi insists that he's Ristuka's fighter, despite Ritsuka's complete ignorance about the things happening around him. It seems that Soubi was actually sent by Seimei, to follow Ritsuka as his fighter. Ritsuka doesn't know what to do in the situation and is more hurt by learning that his real name is "Loveless" versus his brother's "Beloved."In between all of this confusion, it appears that Soubi might be a bit in love with Rituska despite their huge age gap. He promises Ritsuka that he'd so anything for him, except give him the answers he's looking for. The questions always remains, at least for Ritsuka, whether or not this love has more to do with Soubi's actual feelings or feelings instilled by Seimei.One of Ritsuka's most difficult battles is deciding who to trust in this his search for his brother's killer.
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Loveless is actually pretty good, and sad. There are definitely a few comedic bits here and there, and they're certainly needed. The only drawback is how much you may be turned off by Soubi's love for Ritsuka. On that level, Soubi seems to recognize that it's a little bit wrong, never does anything about it - and it's questionable about it being "love" or "affection," - and his roommate gives him no end of grief about it. It didn't bother me too much, because nothing ever really happens, but I've heard it's bothered others. Enh.
I like this anime. I kinda wish there was more of it, but the manga was sadly short as well. I just think there was room for more character development in there. However, since I feel the same about the manga series, I imagine that it has more to do with following the series more closely than anything else. I really want Ritsuka to find all of the answers that he's looking for, and have a more satisfactory ending. I guess we can't all get what we want, though. I'd hesitantly recommend this. I should say, there is a number of people I would definitely recommend this too, because I understand they're appreciation of other shonen-ai/yaoi/weird stuff. Everyone else might find some interest in the idea of going outside their comfort zone, but I'm not sure how I might present it. This is one of those anime that I've seen multiple times, but I have to be in the mood for it - hence "pretty good."
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Next up: Campione!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Drama
Age Appropriate: Teen+ (a bit gruesome)
Emotional Response: Noooooooooo!
Notable Features: creepy pseudo-human looking evil titans, humans
Language: Japanese
Length: 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Definitely
"I'm a human being!" - Eren
Eren Yeager watched as a large, creepy Titan picked up his mother and ate her. The Titans have been the enemy of humankind for over 100 years, and they've managed a minutely peaceful existence by building huge walls with cities around the gates. After nearly 100 years, a new Colossal Titan has torn down Wall Maria and opened the way for a new wave. With the town destroyed, the few remaining survivors run to Wall Rose and hope to find some safety there. It only lasts a little while, and the Titans have advanced to a new level, breaching a new wall.
Together with his friends, Eren swears to defeat and kill the Titans to avenge the deaths around him. He joins the recruits for the military teams, and enters 3 years of training, hoping to join the Scout squads in ventures out into the unsafe zones. He makes more friends, and loses more friends, in his quest to find answers about himself, the Titans and how to save what is left of humankind when all is said and done. Each step of the way, there are huge complications with the characters and a staggering death toll in soldiers and civilians. Eren & Co. might be their only hope. There are new variants of Titans, something very odd is happening to Eren's body and every soldier's life hangs on his ability to fly through the trees (almost like Spiderman).
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This isn't in my Top 10, like SAO, but it's up there with emotional craziness. Actually, I think Attack on Titan is a much harder story on one's emotions. There is so much more tragedy and pain involved. There was some hope and normality to save people's sanity in SAO, and there is none of that in this anime. I had a hard time consuming it quickly, and the people I watched it with were pretty gung-ho about the whole thing. It's really well done, and I agree that it's excellent story-wise, but it was brutal and bloody. One friend likened it to Game of Thrones in that regard and I don't think he was wrong about that.
I highly recommend it to anyone who wouldn't for-sure hate it - basically someone only looking for fluffly stuff. This has no fluffy stuff or much humor. Most of the humor is fairly dark - and half of it is probably around the potato-loving character, Sasha. My only other recommendations is to avoid pushing yourself, and don't watch it right before bedtime. The Titans are this odd mix of blank, stumbling, ginormous baby, sexless, mindless people eating machines and it seems that the smallest ones are probably 5 meters tall. It's disturbing. The best part? Eren closing the door slowing on a bad guy (human bad guy). Heh.
Also, by the end of the season I had a crush on Captain Levi. Go figure.
Side Note: If you can find the special chibi episodes, they are totally worth it! Heehee.
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Disturbing in a different way: Loveless
Age Appropriate: Teen+ (a bit gruesome)
Emotional Response: Noooooooooo!
Notable Features: creepy pseudo-human looking evil titans, humans
Language: Japanese
Length: 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Definitely
"I'm a human being!" - Eren
Eren Yeager watched as a large, creepy Titan picked up his mother and ate her. The Titans have been the enemy of humankind for over 100 years, and they've managed a minutely peaceful existence by building huge walls with cities around the gates. After nearly 100 years, a new Colossal Titan has torn down Wall Maria and opened the way for a new wave. With the town destroyed, the few remaining survivors run to Wall Rose and hope to find some safety there. It only lasts a little while, and the Titans have advanced to a new level, breaching a new wall.
Together with his friends, Eren swears to defeat and kill the Titans to avenge the deaths around him. He joins the recruits for the military teams, and enters 3 years of training, hoping to join the Scout squads in ventures out into the unsafe zones. He makes more friends, and loses more friends, in his quest to find answers about himself, the Titans and how to save what is left of humankind when all is said and done. Each step of the way, there are huge complications with the characters and a staggering death toll in soldiers and civilians. Eren & Co. might be their only hope. There are new variants of Titans, something very odd is happening to Eren's body and every soldier's life hangs on his ability to fly through the trees (almost like Spiderman).-----
This isn't in my Top 10, like SAO, but it's up there with emotional craziness. Actually, I think Attack on Titan is a much harder story on one's emotions. There is so much more tragedy and pain involved. There was some hope and normality to save people's sanity in SAO, and there is none of that in this anime. I had a hard time consuming it quickly, and the people I watched it with were pretty gung-ho about the whole thing. It's really well done, and I agree that it's excellent story-wise, but it was brutal and bloody. One friend likened it to Game of Thrones in that regard and I don't think he was wrong about that.
I highly recommend it to anyone who wouldn't for-sure hate it - basically someone only looking for fluffly stuff. This has no fluffy stuff or much humor. Most of the humor is fairly dark - and half of it is probably around the potato-loving character, Sasha. My only other recommendations is to avoid pushing yourself, and don't watch it right before bedtime. The Titans are this odd mix of blank, stumbling, ginormous baby, sexless, mindless people eating machines and it seems that the smallest ones are probably 5 meters tall. It's disturbing. The best part? Eren closing the door slowing on a bad guy (human bad guy). Heh.
Also, by the end of the season I had a crush on Captain Levi. Go figure.
Side Note: If you can find the special chibi episodes, they are totally worth it! Heehee.
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Disturbing in a different way: Loveless
Thursday, February 20, 2014
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.)
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.
-----
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.)
Thursday, January 9, 2014
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.
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.
-----
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
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Oh, dear: Phantom Thief Reinya
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
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
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 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
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.
-----
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
Friday, October 11, 2013
Legend of Legendary Heroes
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: funny, suspenseful, heartbreaking
Notable Features: heroes, relics, magic, friendship
Language: English
Length: 2 season, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great!
"I just want to take a nap." - Ryner
In a land, far away, there are two nations fighting - Roland and Estabul. Ryner Lute is a magic recruit for Roland, with a special magic ability called Alpha Stigma. There is something dark, and mysterious, about his magic, and it's all hidden in his eyes. For the most part, this magic helps him in little skirmishes in training, but if it gets out of control things can go terribly wrong. As a young man, he's trained in magic, but his dark powers make him a target in the end. There are others in the world with the Alpha Stigma, and they're persecutes as monsters. He's imprisoned, and it's only when his dear friend Sion attempts to rescue him that we realize the depth of his personality.
Ryner is a bit of a lazy bum. On top of that, he's a pacifist. He believes war is useless and terrible. His "manifesto," written while he is imprisoned, reaches the new king. The new king is his old friend Sion. As part of his friendly release, Sion sends him on a mission with a sword-wielding lady to find magical artifacts that may help their cause. While Sion believes in a peaceful existence, he cannot find a way to get it without war and violence. Ryner helps Sion out of loyalty, and forms a strong bond with his partner, Ferris, that spurs him to act when he can, despite his constant desire for a nap.
The series follows the conflicts between Roland and the neighboring hostile territories, and the effect that have on the characters in the story. Ryner has difficulties reconciling his abilities and his personal beliefs, especially in the face of society. Sion finds himself following a path against his feelings, and Ferris fights for them and for her beloved dongo. Along the way they all meet others who greatly effect them personally, but in the end it comes down to their bonds with each other.
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The Legend of Legendary Heroes starts out intriguing and funny. It's a great start, and it sucked me in pretty well. All in all, it's a pretty amazing story. I don't know exactly how high it would be on my list, but it's no where near the bottom, that's for sure. It's a great adventure tale, with some heavy personal development and strong emotional pulls. The only difficulty I had was dosage. I took a break from it for awhile because the fun adventure drops into heavy, darker storyline and that was hard for me to do quickly. I suppose that's a mark of a good series, though. I became invested in some of the characters, and I was pissed off anytime someone hurt them. Since they all face emotional, and personally difficult choices, with heartrending obstacles, it's not something you can easily sit through marathon style.
I both loved and hated Ryner's whining about naps. Near the end, it's was all I wanted to hear because it meant that he was in a moment where he was feeling himself. I constantly wanted to punch Sion in the face, for his poor decision making skills, but I admit that I wouldn't know what to do either. I'd like to think I wouldn't make his choices, but who knows? Ferris has a great obsession for dongo. It's a huge signifier about her emotional state when she either wants tons of dongo or none at all. It makes me want to try some.
I'm sorry I keep writing about this one. I recommend it. Highly. The violence level is fairly high, with a little gore, but nothing too terrible, I guess. It's a bit like Tears to Tiara in it's epic story-ness, but the feel is different. I'm not sure I could talk a second viewing anytime soon, it's certainly pushed me in the more comedic direction - if you haven't noticed - but one day I'll probably watch it again. I'll sucker someone into watching it with me.
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Seriously!?: My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: funny, suspenseful, heartbreaking
Notable Features: heroes, relics, magic, friendship
Language: English
Length: 2 season, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great!
"I just want to take a nap." - Ryner
Ryner is a bit of a lazy bum. On top of that, he's a pacifist. He believes war is useless and terrible. His "manifesto," written while he is imprisoned, reaches the new king. The new king is his old friend Sion. As part of his friendly release, Sion sends him on a mission with a sword-wielding lady to find magical artifacts that may help their cause. While Sion believes in a peaceful existence, he cannot find a way to get it without war and violence. Ryner helps Sion out of loyalty, and forms a strong bond with his partner, Ferris, that spurs him to act when he can, despite his constant desire for a nap.
The series follows the conflicts between Roland and the neighboring hostile territories, and the effect that have on the characters in the story. Ryner has difficulties reconciling his abilities and his personal beliefs, especially in the face of society. Sion finds himself following a path against his feelings, and Ferris fights for them and for her beloved dongo. Along the way they all meet others who greatly effect them personally, but in the end it comes down to their bonds with each other.
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The Legend of Legendary Heroes starts out intriguing and funny. It's a great start, and it sucked me in pretty well. All in all, it's a pretty amazing story. I don't know exactly how high it would be on my list, but it's no where near the bottom, that's for sure. It's a great adventure tale, with some heavy personal development and strong emotional pulls. The only difficulty I had was dosage. I took a break from it for awhile because the fun adventure drops into heavy, darker storyline and that was hard for me to do quickly. I suppose that's a mark of a good series, though. I became invested in some of the characters, and I was pissed off anytime someone hurt them. Since they all face emotional, and personally difficult choices, with heartrending obstacles, it's not something you can easily sit through marathon style.
I both loved and hated Ryner's whining about naps. Near the end, it's was all I wanted to hear because it meant that he was in a moment where he was feeling himself. I constantly wanted to punch Sion in the face, for his poor decision making skills, but I admit that I wouldn't know what to do either. I'd like to think I wouldn't make his choices, but who knows? Ferris has a great obsession for dongo. It's a huge signifier about her emotional state when she either wants tons of dongo or none at all. It makes me want to try some.
I'm sorry I keep writing about this one. I recommend it. Highly. The violence level is fairly high, with a little gore, but nothing too terrible, I guess. It's a bit like Tears to Tiara in it's epic story-ness, but the feel is different. I'm not sure I could talk a second viewing anytime soon, it's certainly pushed me in the more comedic direction - if you haven't noticed - but one day I'll probably watch it again. I'll sucker someone into watching it with me.
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Seriously!?: My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
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
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, September 12, 2013
B Gata H Kei
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Age Appropriate: Adult
Emotional Response: um...omgwtfbbqlol
Notable Features: high schoolers, eros deities, wacko chicks
Language: English
Length: 1 Seasons, 12 episodes (+outtakes)
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"I wished for the same thing you did!" - Yamada
Yamada is a nice young lady looking to fall in love. That's a lie. Yamada is a misguided teen obsessed with having sex with 100 guys before she graduates. The catch is that she's never done anything sexual before and had no clue how, or who, will accomplish the task. The only determining factor she seems to have made is that her future partner should also be a virgin. Through a chance encounter, Yamada falls off of a bookstore ladder right onto a plain, boring looking guy - Kosuda. She has no idea who he is until they start school and he ends up being at the desk next to her. Yamada thinks that because she's the prettiest, most popular girl in school, that this should be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, while she's right about Kosuda thinking she's hot (since she really is the most popular girl in school), she frequently gets in her own way by being awkward and attempting to force situations when she has no idea what she's doing.
Yamada and Kosuda have an interesting group of friends that each have their parts in the story. Yamada's best friend suffers from constant awkward questions about her own love life, and how Yamada should proceed. Kosuda has a long time childhood friend for a neighbor who is harboring her own secret crush on him. There are boys in the class who are total dorks but often engage Kosuda in awkward boy talk. Enter the most dramatic character - Kanejo. She enters the school as a transfer student and begins a competition storyline with Yamada, only broken up by her obvious love-obsession with her own brother. Each episode shows a new step forward, or back, in the relationship between Yamada and Kosuda, and their awkward dance around the topic.
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This series didn't grab me too much when I started it, but it did do well enough for me to be interested in finishing. It had a fairly even mix between head banging shame, and tummy tightening laughter. It was just awful, but in that way that's funny and you know it shouldn't be funny, because you're an adult now, but it's funny. It had a high school class cast, so I'm inclined to say it would be funny for high schoolers, or college students, but since the content is 75% sexual, I still labeled it Adult. There is a little nudity in the last episodes, but given the subject matter, it's fairly tame. I just don't want someone letting their kids watch this without fair warning.
It really is a comedy of errors. Every time the couple in question makes a move, things go wrong. Kosuda is a typical geeky-awkward high school boy, and when faced with aggressive but ignorant Yamada, he ends up confused. I mean, no high school girls are that interested, right? At least, that seems to be his internal monologue. It doesn't help that she's completely obsessed/oblivious about how to proceed. If you're looking for a little light, but dirty, humor, then I would recommend this. It's only 12 episodes, but it really is a great fit for the series. So, go watch it for a good time. (hehe)
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I don't know if I'm ready for this: The Devil is a Part-Timer
Age Appropriate: Adult
Emotional Response: um...omgwtfbbqlol
Notable Features: high schoolers, eros deities, wacko chicks
Language: English
Length: 1 Seasons, 12 episodes (+outtakes)
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"I wished for the same thing you did!" - Yamada
Yamada is a nice young lady looking to fall in love. That's a lie. Yamada is a misguided teen obsessed with having sex with 100 guys before she graduates. The catch is that she's never done anything sexual before and had no clue how, or who, will accomplish the task. The only determining factor she seems to have made is that her future partner should also be a virgin. Through a chance encounter, Yamada falls off of a bookstore ladder right onto a plain, boring looking guy - Kosuda. She has no idea who he is until they start school and he ends up being at the desk next to her. Yamada thinks that because she's the prettiest, most popular girl in school, that this should be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, while she's right about Kosuda thinking she's hot (since she really is the most popular girl in school), she frequently gets in her own way by being awkward and attempting to force situations when she has no idea what she's doing.
Yamada and Kosuda have an interesting group of friends that each have their parts in the story. Yamada's best friend suffers from constant awkward questions about her own love life, and how Yamada should proceed. Kosuda has a long time childhood friend for a neighbor who is harboring her own secret crush on him. There are boys in the class who are total dorks but often engage Kosuda in awkward boy talk. Enter the most dramatic character - Kanejo. She enters the school as a transfer student and begins a competition storyline with Yamada, only broken up by her obvious love-obsession with her own brother. Each episode shows a new step forward, or back, in the relationship between Yamada and Kosuda, and their awkward dance around the topic.-----
This series didn't grab me too much when I started it, but it did do well enough for me to be interested in finishing. It had a fairly even mix between head banging shame, and tummy tightening laughter. It was just awful, but in that way that's funny and you know it shouldn't be funny, because you're an adult now, but it's funny. It had a high school class cast, so I'm inclined to say it would be funny for high schoolers, or college students, but since the content is 75% sexual, I still labeled it Adult. There is a little nudity in the last episodes, but given the subject matter, it's fairly tame. I just don't want someone letting their kids watch this without fair warning.
It really is a comedy of errors. Every time the couple in question makes a move, things go wrong. Kosuda is a typical geeky-awkward high school boy, and when faced with aggressive but ignorant Yamada, he ends up confused. I mean, no high school girls are that interested, right? At least, that seems to be his internal monologue. It doesn't help that she's completely obsessed/oblivious about how to proceed. If you're looking for a little light, but dirty, humor, then I would recommend this. It's only 12 episodes, but it really is a great fit for the series. So, go watch it for a good time. (hehe)
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I don't know if I'm ready for this: The Devil is a Part-Timer
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
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.
-----
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, August 8, 2013
Maid Sama
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Preteens+
Emotional Response: hah.
Notable Features: high school, girl power, maid cafe
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"Hey! This ship is very flammable!" - Pirate
Misaki is a no nonsense high school class president whose goal is to make the school better for potential future female students. She's considered a bit of a devil woman because she's strong and stern with everyone around her. She seems to dislike guys, but it's really all about her desire to help the school. The first season focuses on the different activities the cast goes through in her effort to be a good president. Misaki has a deep, dark secret, however. Her family is quite poor after being abandoned by their father, and Misaki helps by working at Maid Latte, a maid cafe in a neighboring town. Half of the conflicts in the story stem from her attempts to keep her part time job away from the students at her school. She's afraid that it would take away from her reputation. There are a few students who know her secret, but since they're frequent patrons of Maid Latte, and desperately in love with her, they've decided to keep her secret.
The underlying theme to the series is her tumultuous relationship with Usui, a super-cool classmate who has taken an interest in her. While he's originally intrigued by her forcefulness as the school president, he turns into more a creepy stalker as the first few episodes go by. Their relationship flips between Misaki being annoyed with his stalker ways and her back-and-forth about her true feelings toward him. Everyone around them seems to understand the feelings between them, except for Misaki. Each episode features some sort of comedic fumbling by Misaki, and her annoyance with at least one male in the cast.
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I liked Maid Sama. It was a pretty easy watch, and I enjoyed the cute love story. My biggest frustration was watching Misaki fumble around with her romantic feelings, but that's how the love-story goes, right? I agreed with Misaki about the annoyance level I would likely feel toward Usui's persistance, but at the same time I can appreciate it. At least he's pretty cute. This is a pretty straight forward, traditional high school rom-com. Definitely a chick flick, but probably shmoopy enough for a guy to endure with his girlfriend.
Overall, it was just a fluff piece, but there's nothing really wrong with that. The only reason I gave it a preteen rating was based on interest level. There were some great things about it - I had a fondness for the cross-dressing middle schooler - and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a stress-free time. It was a nice chaser to Kanamemo's blah.
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BingBong: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Age Appropriate: Preteens+
Emotional Response: hah.
Notable Features: high school, girl power, maid cafe
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"Hey! This ship is very flammable!" - Pirate
Misaki is a no nonsense high school class president whose goal is to make the school better for potential future female students. She's considered a bit of a devil woman because she's strong and stern with everyone around her. She seems to dislike guys, but it's really all about her desire to help the school. The first season focuses on the different activities the cast goes through in her effort to be a good president. Misaki has a deep, dark secret, however. Her family is quite poor after being abandoned by their father, and Misaki helps by working at Maid Latte, a maid cafe in a neighboring town. Half of the conflicts in the story stem from her attempts to keep her part time job away from the students at her school. She's afraid that it would take away from her reputation. There are a few students who know her secret, but since they're frequent patrons of Maid Latte, and desperately in love with her, they've decided to keep her secret.
The underlying theme to the series is her tumultuous relationship with Usui, a super-cool classmate who has taken an interest in her. While he's originally intrigued by her forcefulness as the school president, he turns into more a creepy stalker as the first few episodes go by. Their relationship flips between Misaki being annoyed with his stalker ways and her back-and-forth about her true feelings toward him. Everyone around them seems to understand the feelings between them, except for Misaki. Each episode features some sort of comedic fumbling by Misaki, and her annoyance with at least one male in the cast.
-----
I liked Maid Sama. It was a pretty easy watch, and I enjoyed the cute love story. My biggest frustration was watching Misaki fumble around with her romantic feelings, but that's how the love-story goes, right? I agreed with Misaki about the annoyance level I would likely feel toward Usui's persistance, but at the same time I can appreciate it. At least he's pretty cute. This is a pretty straight forward, traditional high school rom-com. Definitely a chick flick, but probably shmoopy enough for a guy to endure with his girlfriend.
Overall, it was just a fluff piece, but there's nothing really wrong with that. The only reason I gave it a preteen rating was based on interest level. There were some great things about it - I had a fondness for the cross-dressing middle schooler - and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a stress-free time. It was a nice chaser to Kanamemo's blah.
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BingBong: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Friday, August 2, 2013
Kanememo
Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Older Teens/Adult
Emotional Response: A mix between awww and seriously?
Notable Features: girls, yuri, adult content
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 Season, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Not so much
"But if it were hamster aliens..." - Kana
When Kana's grandmother dies, she jumps to the wild conclusion that she will be taken away with her grandmother's things when the movers come. Her response is to pack everything she can into her backpack and run away from home. After wandering the streets for awhile, she doubles back to a strange newspaper, with strange employees, and takes a job as a newspaper girl. The position doesn't offer much in pay, but does offer room and board. The assistant chief, or "Chief," is a grade schooler with a strong arm and a secretly soft heart. She allows Kana to work there after hearing she has no family, despite being underage for working without permission.
The other employees are comprised of four other young ladies, all significantly older than Kana (around college age). Two of the young ladies are in a odd, yet loving, relationship - with one being a bit obsessed. The third is a bit tomboy-ish but lots of fun. The fourth is a creepy moe pervert obsessed with getting her hands on Kana and/or the boss. Frequently, their shenanigans lead to a pay cut. Combined with her school friends, a competitive newspaper girl from another store, and her memories of her grandmother, Kana navigates her new independent life while learning a wide variety of life lessons.
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Kanamemo was a mix of funny and disturbing. There was a lot of potential in the beginning. I
particularly enjoyed Kana's strange moment of obsession with hamster aliens. While I enjoyed it at the beginning, mostly by ignoring the wierd parts, eventually the story just got kind of old. At least, what there was of a story. I tried to ignore the pervy, pedophilic Haru, and was successful for the most part, but there were times when I just wanted to punch her in the head - much like the other girls would do. It's not so much the perviness as the creepy choice of girls.
At first, I did think I was going to like it. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the story except the minor plots per episode. I can definitely appreciate a coming-of-age story, but there is usually come sort of conflict/resolution part of a story, and this seemed to be missing everything. Maybe it would've been different if the show was longer than 13 episodes. I guess, I wasn't that impressed. The final episode was really cute, so I'm glad I suffered through it so I didn't feel like it was a total wash. I don't think I would stop someone from watching it - and while the characters are a bit tasteless, all nudity is covered by funny censor bubble animals - I just wouldn't recommend it to someone.
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Eeeee!: Maid Sama
Age Appropriate: Older Teens/Adult
Emotional Response: A mix between awww and seriously?
Notable Features: girls, yuri, adult content
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 Season, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Not so much
"But if it were hamster aliens..." - Kana
When Kana's grandmother dies, she jumps to the wild conclusion that she will be taken away with her grandmother's things when the movers come. Her response is to pack everything she can into her backpack and run away from home. After wandering the streets for awhile, she doubles back to a strange newspaper, with strange employees, and takes a job as a newspaper girl. The position doesn't offer much in pay, but does offer room and board. The assistant chief, or "Chief," is a grade schooler with a strong arm and a secretly soft heart. She allows Kana to work there after hearing she has no family, despite being underage for working without permission.
The other employees are comprised of four other young ladies, all significantly older than Kana (around college age). Two of the young ladies are in a odd, yet loving, relationship - with one being a bit obsessed. The third is a bit tomboy-ish but lots of fun. The fourth is a creepy moe pervert obsessed with getting her hands on Kana and/or the boss. Frequently, their shenanigans lead to a pay cut. Combined with her school friends, a competitive newspaper girl from another store, and her memories of her grandmother, Kana navigates her new independent life while learning a wide variety of life lessons.
-----
Kanamemo was a mix of funny and disturbing. There was a lot of potential in the beginning. I
At first, I did think I was going to like it. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the story except the minor plots per episode. I can definitely appreciate a coming-of-age story, but there is usually come sort of conflict/resolution part of a story, and this seemed to be missing everything. Maybe it would've been different if the show was longer than 13 episodes. I guess, I wasn't that impressed. The final episode was really cute, so I'm glad I suffered through it so I didn't feel like it was a total wash. I don't think I would stop someone from watching it - and while the characters are a bit tasteless, all nudity is covered by funny censor bubble animals - I just wouldn't recommend it to someone.
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Eeeee!: Maid Sama
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Is This a Zombie?
Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: LOL, I can't believe he/she just said that
Notable Features: zombies, vampires, magical girls, demons, bad humor
Language: English/Japanese
Length: 2 Seasons, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great!
"Don't worry! I'm a zombie!" - Ayumu
A young man runs in front of an oncoming truck to save a tiny kitten about to be squished. There is no way that he can make it across without being squished himself, but it's ok. He's a zombie. That's how Is This a Zombie? opens, and it's basically the humorous theme throughout the series. Ayumu is attacked by a rampaging serial killer and is revived by a strange, non-talking, young girl he had met moments before at a convenience store. She is Eu, the Necromancer, and her overflowing amount of magical power has made her able to make Ayumu into a zombie. During the trials and tribulations, Ayumu's undead status is one of the main reasons he's able to achieve anything - no matter how many times, or how many ways, he's dismembered, he's able to brush it off and move on.
Is This a Zombie? has an interesting cast of characters. The first person he meets is a Magical Garment Girl, Haruna, who cuts him in half with her magical chainsaw. Somehow, because of this wonderful zombie powers and connection to Eu, he steals some of these powers and becomes a Magical Garment Girl himself - pretty pink outfit included. This happy group of fun is shortly rounded out with two vampire ninjas: Seraphim (Sera) and Maelstrom. All three new girls have a special disdain for Ayumu and his harem-loving ways. Often, he gets in trouble for wrongs he hasn't actually committed. Regardless of how the ladies might feel about him in any given moment, they become an inseparable group of magical kicking butt friends. The series itself ends up focused on the importance of friendship and Ayumu's caring side.
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The first season of Is This A Zombie? was great. It was absolutely hilarious, and the misunderstandings surrounding Ayumu's interactions with the female cast are pretty excellent. It reminded me of Heaven's Lost Property, except Ayumu isn't purposefully putting himself in awkward situations. You won't see him turning himself into a floor at any point. I suppose that would take away from his Magical Garment Girl action. Eu was probably my favorite character. She's totally cute, but a little more mature than the others. I also appreciate her silent nature. I managed to get my favorite person to sit down and watch the series with me - even more impressive with the second season being in Japanese.
The second season really pulled away from the focus of Ayumu's zombie abilities and focused more on relationship building and the hilarity that is Ayumu in drag. The fights were a little less epic, but at that point I was emotionally engaged enough to not care so much.
Really, the only disappointment to the whole series is the ending. I wanted more out of it, and now I'm hoping that there will be a third season though it seems unlikely.
All of the nudity is censored, so it's really not that bad. There are some head-smacking naughty jokes, but nothing I found offensive. I'm pretty sure a teenager could handle it just fine. There is some blood but no guts, which I appreciated, and the monsters are all pretty ridiculous - animals in school uniforms!
It was great fun. It wouldn't win any awards, but I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for a supernatural, harem, comedy.
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I'm not really a zombie: Kanamemo
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: LOL, I can't believe he/she just said that
Notable Features: zombies, vampires, magical girls, demons, bad humor
Language: English/Japanese
Length: 2 Seasons, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great!
"Don't worry! I'm a zombie!" - Ayumu
A young man runs in front of an oncoming truck to save a tiny kitten about to be squished. There is no way that he can make it across without being squished himself, but it's ok. He's a zombie. That's how Is This a Zombie? opens, and it's basically the humorous theme throughout the series. Ayumu is attacked by a rampaging serial killer and is revived by a strange, non-talking, young girl he had met moments before at a convenience store. She is Eu, the Necromancer, and her overflowing amount of magical power has made her able to make Ayumu into a zombie. During the trials and tribulations, Ayumu's undead status is one of the main reasons he's able to achieve anything - no matter how many times, or how many ways, he's dismembered, he's able to brush it off and move on.
Is This a Zombie? has an interesting cast of characters. The first person he meets is a Magical Garment Girl, Haruna, who cuts him in half with her magical chainsaw. Somehow, because of this wonderful zombie powers and connection to Eu, he steals some of these powers and becomes a Magical Garment Girl himself - pretty pink outfit included. This happy group of fun is shortly rounded out with two vampire ninjas: Seraphim (Sera) and Maelstrom. All three new girls have a special disdain for Ayumu and his harem-loving ways. Often, he gets in trouble for wrongs he hasn't actually committed. Regardless of how the ladies might feel about him in any given moment, they become an inseparable group of magical kicking butt friends. The series itself ends up focused on the importance of friendship and Ayumu's caring side.
-----
The first season of Is This A Zombie? was great. It was absolutely hilarious, and the misunderstandings surrounding Ayumu's interactions with the female cast are pretty excellent. It reminded me of Heaven's Lost Property, except Ayumu isn't purposefully putting himself in awkward situations. You won't see him turning himself into a floor at any point. I suppose that would take away from his Magical Garment Girl action. Eu was probably my favorite character. She's totally cute, but a little more mature than the others. I also appreciate her silent nature. I managed to get my favorite person to sit down and watch the series with me - even more impressive with the second season being in Japanese.
The second season really pulled away from the focus of Ayumu's zombie abilities and focused more on relationship building and the hilarity that is Ayumu in drag. The fights were a little less epic, but at that point I was emotionally engaged enough to not care so much.
Really, the only disappointment to the whole series is the ending. I wanted more out of it, and now I'm hoping that there will be a third season though it seems unlikely.
All of the nudity is censored, so it's really not that bad. There are some head-smacking naughty jokes, but nothing I found offensive. I'm pretty sure a teenager could handle it just fine. There is some blood but no guts, which I appreciated, and the monsters are all pretty ridiculous - animals in school uniforms!
It was great fun. It wouldn't win any awards, but I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for a supernatural, harem, comedy.
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I'm not really a zombie: Kanamemo
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?
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.
-----
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, July 11, 2013
Special A
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens+
Emotional Response: sweet, cute, funny
Notable Features: high school, overachievers, oblivious love
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"I'm here to formally challenge you!" - Hikari
Hikari Hanazono is an excitable, competitive overachiever obsessed with being number one in any rankings. It's less that she wants to be number one, but more the fact that she wants to beat Kei Takashima. Her rivalry with him began years ago as children when he first beat her at wrestling, and has only grown now that they're in high school. As part of the Special A class at their prestigious academy, they have access to a fancy greenhouse, nice uniforms, and perks for being at the top of the school.
Special A class is comprised for the top 7 students in the school. They are always the same seven students: #1 - Kei Takashima (Hikari's rival and heir to the Takashima Group), #2 - Hikari Hanazono (daughter of a carpenter), #3 - Jun Yamamoto (twin to Megumi, famous traveling parents), #4 - Megumi Yamamoto (twin to Jun, refuses to speak), #5 - Tadashi Karino (Addicted to sweets, son of school's chairman), #6 - Akira Toudou (obsessed with tea time and Hikari), #7 - Ryuu Tsuki (close with the twins, animal whisperer).
These seven make an unbreakable bond based on being in Special A class, but that actually extends into great escapades in each episode. As the story progresses, so do their relationships - both in friendship and romance. Special A is a pseudo-typical high school drama but with high class, overachieving students and appropriate situations to their status. Hikari, being the odd one out in status, creates the most havoc with her outlandish behavior and brings the group together often in her schemes to compete with Kei.
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Special A was pretty good. I had no problem watching it all the way through, and it was definitely a feel-good series that I would normally like. It was just so cute, and amusing. I didn't have any laugh out loud moments, but I think that was just fine for this series. I really enjoyed the budding relationships between the friends, but I was a little frustrated with how the relationship between Kei and Hikari progressed. I totally understand that there is no instant gratification in a series when it comes to main characters realizing feelings, but still! Upon reflection, I don't think I had a specific favorite character, although I did enjoyed the episode with Sui (Kei's little brother).
Special A is a great series for anyone to watch. I only gave it a pre-teen+ rating based on interest level. I'm definitely glad that I took the time to watch it. I had no problem moving through each episode, but also didn't feel an awful compulsion to get through every single one in one sitting. It was just nice. It's a good anime to watch when you're just looking to relax with something non-stressful, and without purpose. I recommend it.
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Okey Dokey: Starry Sky
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens+
Emotional Response: sweet, cute, funny
Notable Features: high school, overachievers, oblivious love
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 24 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good
"I'm here to formally challenge you!" - Hikari
Hikari Hanazono is an excitable, competitive overachiever obsessed with being number one in any rankings. It's less that she wants to be number one, but more the fact that she wants to beat Kei Takashima. Her rivalry with him began years ago as children when he first beat her at wrestling, and has only grown now that they're in high school. As part of the Special A class at their prestigious academy, they have access to a fancy greenhouse, nice uniforms, and perks for being at the top of the school.
Special A class is comprised for the top 7 students in the school. They are always the same seven students: #1 - Kei Takashima (Hikari's rival and heir to the Takashima Group), #2 - Hikari Hanazono (daughter of a carpenter), #3 - Jun Yamamoto (twin to Megumi, famous traveling parents), #4 - Megumi Yamamoto (twin to Jun, refuses to speak), #5 - Tadashi Karino (Addicted to sweets, son of school's chairman), #6 - Akira Toudou (obsessed with tea time and Hikari), #7 - Ryuu Tsuki (close with the twins, animal whisperer).
These seven make an unbreakable bond based on being in Special A class, but that actually extends into great escapades in each episode. As the story progresses, so do their relationships - both in friendship and romance. Special A is a pseudo-typical high school drama but with high class, overachieving students and appropriate situations to their status. Hikari, being the odd one out in status, creates the most havoc with her outlandish behavior and brings the group together often in her schemes to compete with Kei.-----
Special A was pretty good. I had no problem watching it all the way through, and it was definitely a feel-good series that I would normally like. It was just so cute, and amusing. I didn't have any laugh out loud moments, but I think that was just fine for this series. I really enjoyed the budding relationships between the friends, but I was a little frustrated with how the relationship between Kei and Hikari progressed. I totally understand that there is no instant gratification in a series when it comes to main characters realizing feelings, but still! Upon reflection, I don't think I had a specific favorite character, although I did enjoyed the episode with Sui (Kei's little brother).
Special A is a great series for anyone to watch. I only gave it a pre-teen+ rating based on interest level. I'm definitely glad that I took the time to watch it. I had no problem moving through each episode, but also didn't feel an awful compulsion to get through every single one in one sitting. It was just nice. It's a good anime to watch when you're just looking to relax with something non-stressful, and without purpose. I recommend it.
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Okey Dokey: Starry Sky
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Uta no Prince Sama
Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Any Age
Emotional Response: Fun, giggly, YAY
Notable Features: pop music, boys, coming-of-age, happy pulse
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: YAY!
"You're so cute. I'm just saying hello." - Ren
Haruka Nanami is a budding composer who barely makes it in time for the entrance exam of the exclusive Saotome Academy. Saotome Academy is a music academy dedicated to putting out idols.
Nanami's girlish goal is to write songs for her favorite idol, HAYATO. She's a country girl, who hasn't realized that her idol has turned into something of a joke, but she'd determined to write songs he would sing. With drama here, and persistence there, Nanami meets the top six boy idol-potentials and knocks them off their feet with key pieces of advice and comedy.
Otoya Ittoki is the overly positive nice-guy who falls for her immediately after they work together on the terms major project. Masato Hijirikawa is a very serious young man from a major family, who only shows his soft side to Nanami. Natsuki Shinomiya is an interesting cutsey, affectionate-to-the-max guy who has a secret evil personality that hinges on his glasses. Tokiya Ichinose is a mysterious young man with a cold attitude that comes through his music, and it's blocking him. He also has a deep, dark secret. Ren Jinguji, another boy from a major family, is a seemingly care-free person who has made it a goal to romance every woman. He called Nanami "My Lady," and often teases her with heavy charm. Syo Kurusu is a firecracker shorty with a little manly temper. Anyone he perceives a threat to Nanami risks being on the wrong end of it. To top it all off, Cecil Aijima is added into the mix in season 2. A magical prince of a far away land who comes to Saotome simply to be near Nanami, after meeting her on a class trip. She simply has a bevy of attractive, caring, talented men at her composing disposal.
This series is about bringing friends and rivals together into one cohesive group, and the work falls on Nanami. It focuses on their budding friendships, the obstacles they face internally and externally, and the idol-creating music that results.
-----
What started out as a super cheesy, pop version of Corda d'Oro, ended as a heart-racing round of girlish excitement! I watched al 26 episodes in about 3 days. I just couldn't stop. It all started because a friend posted a picture on her Facebook, and I wanted to know who to cute anime boys were. I actually listening to the end theme/concert of season 2 as I'm writing this. I didn't really love Maji LOVE 1000%, but Maji LOVE 2000% will not get out of my head - neither with the booty wiggles. Insert squee here.
It's not that this anime is completely perfect. I don't know that it would graduated to a Top level. It's like most romantic comedies. It's awesome, and I'd buy it, but I"m not nominating it for an award somewhere. At episode 8, I did make a comment that if you make it all the way to episode 8 without any magic stuff, you don't really need to add a a magical cat. That one magical component aside, all other magical-type scenes are easy to pass off as emotional representations rather than some sort of magical reality.
It might be awhile before I watch it again, but it will probably happen. Seriously, I loved it. I really did get the Happy Pulse that they talk about. I really needed a good mood and I certainly got one out of this series. I caution you though, this is a straight up chick flick. If you don't like squeeling, giggling, YAY, girls chick flicks, don't watch this. If you do, watch this! Right now! Seriously! I'm going to go listen to 2000% some more via YouTube.
-----
::sigh:: Special A
Happy 4th Everyone!
Age Appropriate: Any Age
Emotional Response: Fun, giggly, YAY
Notable Features: pop music, boys, coming-of-age, happy pulse
Language: Japanese
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: YAY!
"You're so cute. I'm just saying hello." - Ren
Haruka Nanami is a budding composer who barely makes it in time for the entrance exam of the exclusive Saotome Academy. Saotome Academy is a music academy dedicated to putting out idols. Nanami's girlish goal is to write songs for her favorite idol, HAYATO. She's a country girl, who hasn't realized that her idol has turned into something of a joke, but she'd determined to write songs he would sing. With drama here, and persistence there, Nanami meets the top six boy idol-potentials and knocks them off their feet with key pieces of advice and comedy.
Otoya Ittoki is the overly positive nice-guy who falls for her immediately after they work together on the terms major project. Masato Hijirikawa is a very serious young man from a major family, who only shows his soft side to Nanami. Natsuki Shinomiya is an interesting cutsey, affectionate-to-the-max guy who has a secret evil personality that hinges on his glasses. Tokiya Ichinose is a mysterious young man with a cold attitude that comes through his music, and it's blocking him. He also has a deep, dark secret. Ren Jinguji, another boy from a major family, is a seemingly care-free person who has made it a goal to romance every woman. He called Nanami "My Lady," and often teases her with heavy charm. Syo Kurusu is a firecracker shorty with a little manly temper. Anyone he perceives a threat to Nanami risks being on the wrong end of it. To top it all off, Cecil Aijima is added into the mix in season 2. A magical prince of a far away land who comes to Saotome simply to be near Nanami, after meeting her on a class trip. She simply has a bevy of attractive, caring, talented men at her composing disposal.
This series is about bringing friends and rivals together into one cohesive group, and the work falls on Nanami. It focuses on their budding friendships, the obstacles they face internally and externally, and the idol-creating music that results.
-----
What started out as a super cheesy, pop version of Corda d'Oro, ended as a heart-racing round of girlish excitement! I watched al 26 episodes in about 3 days. I just couldn't stop. It all started because a friend posted a picture on her Facebook, and I wanted to know who to cute anime boys were. I actually listening to the end theme/concert of season 2 as I'm writing this. I didn't really love Maji LOVE 1000%, but Maji LOVE 2000% will not get out of my head - neither with the booty wiggles. Insert squee here.
It's not that this anime is completely perfect. I don't know that it would graduated to a Top level. It's like most romantic comedies. It's awesome, and I'd buy it, but I"m not nominating it for an award somewhere. At episode 8, I did make a comment that if you make it all the way to episode 8 without any magic stuff, you don't really need to add a a magical cat. That one magical component aside, all other magical-type scenes are easy to pass off as emotional representations rather than some sort of magical reality.
It might be awhile before I watch it again, but it will probably happen. Seriously, I loved it. I really did get the Happy Pulse that they talk about. I really needed a good mood and I certainly got one out of this series. I caution you though, this is a straight up chick flick. If you don't like squeeling, giggling, YAY, girls chick flicks, don't watch this. If you do, watch this! Right now! Seriously! I'm going to go listen to 2000% some more via YouTube.
-----
::sigh:: Special A
Happy 4th Everyone!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
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.
-----
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.
-----
Boost!: Haganai
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." - IsseiIssei 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.
-----
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.
-----
Boost!: Haganai
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