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

Amnesia

Genre: Romance (kinda?)
Age Appropriate: Teen
Emotional Response: total confusion
Notable Features: amnesia, repeating days, hot guys
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: WTF?

"Don't trust him!" - Orion

A young lady has lost her memory, and begins a strange journey toward recovering it. She has an apprentice fairy friend, Orion, who seems committed to helping her find her lost self, but it becomes more complicated at the series goes on. She re-meets her friends, re-learns her job and finds herself trying to hide what's missing. It gets her in trouble with the person who is supposedly her boyfriend, and she can't figure out what's missing, again.

She fell and lost her memories from after she lost her memories, which happened right before she lost her memories - again - and behind it all is a strange, probably evil, man with green hair who messed with her by appearing and disappearing every time she tries to have a meaningful conversation with him, maybe. It's a upside down world and the path to getting out makes it worse rather than making it better, maybe. Her strange journey takes her through different worlds, sorta, and she changes love interests per world, kinda, and in the end it theoretically makes sense.

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I picked out this series, because at the time I was looking for something with hot guys. This looked kinda good, but I decided to wait a little bit because it was being simulcast. You can't really finish up a series for review if it's not actually done being aired, right?

It wasn't anything at all like I expected. I guess, I was expecting something a little more comedic, and a lot less creepy. It almost has the same quiet tone as "Say 'I love you,'" but there is a sinister aftertaste that is nowhere near related to anything else I've seen. I've seen creepy zombies and dark vampires, evil gods and bad guy ninjas, but nothing prepared me for this. I didn't want to finish it, but I made myself. Usually, I don't want to finish things because they're terrible and I make myself because I've committed to it. This just had me nervous the whole time. I don't know how to explain it, and I don't know that it would translate to another viewer. I think part of it was the eyes. Each person's eyes are a wierd half/half mix of odd colors. Otherwise, they all look like normal characters - and they have very interesting clothing tastes. I also realized somewhere near the end that there doesn't appear to be much of a soundtrack - I'm not sure if that makes a difference either.

I really didn't understand what was going on until the second to last episode. I know a number of people who would enjoy, or at least be intrigued by, this series. I would definitely recommend it to them, but unless you're into really weird, mind-boggling, confusing, kinda emo-esque stuff, this might not be for you. I've finished the series, and I understand everything now, but I'm still feeling a little
dazed.

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What's going on?: Kenichi: The Mightest Disciple

La Corda D'Oro

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Black Butler (Season 1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Um, yeah. Sorry.

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As you wish: Black Butler 2, plus extras

The Wallflower

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And action!: Black Butler

Fruits Basket

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

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

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

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

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

Vampire Knight: Guilty (Season 2)

Genre: Vampires (Vampires really need to have their own genre. amiright?)
Age Appropriate: Teens
Emotional Response: sad and desperate (not in a bad way)
Notable Features: vampires, high school, vampires
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 13 episodes (Season 2)
Overall Recommendation: Good (especially if you like vampires)


"I know you'll never betray her." - Kaname

Zero has returned, better and badder than before. Due to some assistance form Kaname, Zero had more control and more power. This should keep the monster at bay for awhile. Kaname makes it clear that he's only helped Zero for Yuki's sake. The story continues from there, exploring the complicated love triangle between Yuki, Zero and Kaname. Yuki begins to fight for the memories that she's missing and starts hallucinating scary images of blood, which takes a toll on her mental stability. While, Zero does what he can to help her along, including cautioning her to take her time, Kaname seems to be adopting a weirder attitude toward her and the situation. The second season brings the story from the first season full circle, with a significant number of surprises, twists and turns.

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Season 2 really was everything a second season should be. A continuation of the first season without tampering with the overall feel of the story. I've seen plenty of second seasons where the story continues, but the plot has changed so dramatically, in a way that makes it seem like a forced sequel of a novel. I'll continue to admit that this series hits a certain guilty pleasure level for me. I have no illusions about how wonderful it is, but it was done really well considering.

There are a few things that I'm not super sure about. For example, why is the subtitle of Season 2 "Guilty?" I don't think it's particularly necessary. The shocker near the end is a bit shocking - not in content but the way they revealed it. It feels like it made sense at the time, but now looking back on it, it's wierd to me. Well, I guess as long as it made sense at the time, right? Also, I started to think that Kaname was a bit of a prick. Well, I should say that Kaname is a prick, but it started to actually bother me in the end. I started to hate him a little, and it bothered me because it seemed so at odds with how I felt I should feel. Every story has it's fairy tale ending, and this one isn't that different, mostly. There is a little bit of a nod toward there possibly being a third season, or at least they made room for it without making it necessary to make it a good series. No word yet on if that's going to happen, but it's been awhile so I'm not holding out on that. Probably would've happened by now.

If you're a vampire fan girl (or guy!), then you'll probably like this. If you're a Twilight fan, you'll very likely like this. I really hope you would like this. I mean, the guys are pretty hot. I enjoyed it, and I guess I figure that if I care about Kaname being a prick, then something must have been done right, since I care in the first place. I'm not giving either season super high marks, but I would watch it again if I was in the mood.
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A new dream: Fruits Basket


I have tickets to go see the Zelda orchestra coming to town. Well, kind of in town. In the state. So, I'm going to be traveling this weekend and there's no way I'll be able to watch an entire series by Monday. Y'all will just have to wait. Sorry! :D

Uraboku (Betrayal Knows My Name)

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

"I will not betray you!" - Luka

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

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

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

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

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


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Prepare yourself!: YuruYuri

Miracle Train

Genre: Romance
Age Appropriate: Pre-teen/Teen
Emotional Response: girlish giggles
Notable Features: handsome guys, subway train, side commentating dog
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: YAY

"Will you fall in love with a train station?" - Narrator

The Miracle Train is a subway train that only allows lost women in trouble on, and the stations attempt to solve their problems. This special train has 6 special stations on board. These stations are personified by handome men of every type: from bad boy to serious straight-lace type. The stations are actual stations on the Oedo Line, with each of the women getting on the station that is feature in the current episode. It is that particular station that will be key in solving her problem, although the others will often be helpful.

Each of the guys has certain characteristics that reflect the station that they represent. Tacho (serious type) Station is the location for the municipal building, where people get their passports and licenses. One of the stations also likes to cook on the train car, because his station is known for it's restaurants. In one early episode, it's also discovered that there are different stations on different lines that have different Miracle Trains (one station has brothers that show up).

There are a few other satellite characters: a masked conductor, a young girl-guide in pink, and a commentary making black dog (that no one but the audience can hear). The show also gives a decent amount of trivia throughout the season, either through signs or asides. There is an end segment per episode also. It usually features one random station and which ever station was the focus of that episode, and gives station specific trivia. These end segment characters are animated pretend hand puppets - think Harry Potter Puppet Pals. It makes the series a little more valuable than just a chance to giggle.

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Can I just say that I want to get on the Miracle Train? Also, Tokugawa (the dog) is the cutest, funniest dog character in existence. Don't get me wrong, the guys are hothothot (depending on your type) but there is just something about the dog that makes me smile. His general annoyed insight is epic. He's also adorable. I want a dog just like him one day. (I admit it, Roppongi station is my favorite.)

The storyline is pretty basic and predictable. There really nothing special about it, but really, this isn't a series to watch if you're looking to get any meaning out of it. It's pure fluff - in a good way. Every episode has some sort of touchy-feely message, and they're mostly about being true to yourself. I really did just like it for the smiles that it gave me. Least emotionally, psychologically stressful anime in existence. One of my favorite things? Oedo Line trivia and their general explanations about subway procedures. I now know a whole lot more about Japanese transit that I ever thought I would. From the absolute minimum fact checking I did, it seemed fairly accurate. It was actually fun to look up the Oedo Line on the internet to see where the stations are in the city.

Quirks and cuteness about in this series and I loved every minute of it. The different guy characters all have funny flaws with their personalities. There is no inappropriate anything, so really anyone could watch it. The real question is more about who would be interested. I listed it as Pre-Teen/Teen just because I figured someone younger either wouldn't get it, or wouldn't really care. I don't have many girly-girl moments or tastes usually, but I turned into a giggly teenager with this one. And for once, they weren't high school boys. Granted, they're train stations but you can't get everything. I would watch it again, especially the next time I find some draining anime to watch. It's like dessert. Go ahead, watch it. I dare you.

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All aboard!: Jyo-Oh-Sei