Samurai Harem

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!!

So, I Can't Play H?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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CHOMP: Attack on Titan

Junjou Romantica

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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Meowmeowmeow: ANIME MILWAUKEE

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

Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What's next, hmm?: Junjou Romantica

Maoyu

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

"I dislike insects." - Head Maid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.


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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.

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::sigh:: Special A

Happy 4th Everyone!

My Little Monster

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: Any Age
Emotional Response: Ha.
Notable Features: high school, socially inept students, a chicken
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 seasons, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Great

"You can't be lonely is no one is around." - Yamaken

My Little Monster is a romantic comedy starring an awkward young freshman girl, Shizuku. She is cold, and brainy, and believes that studying to get the highest marks to be the center of her world. One afternoon, a teacher asks her to bring some worksheets over to a student who hasn't been in school since the beginning of the year, and despite her immediate rejection, ends up doing it anyway. Somehow, she stumbles into the young man, Haru, and ends up in a bizarre friendship with him - mostly made bizarre because he is bizarre all by himself. His overwhelming desire and enthusiasm to have a friend drives Shizuku up the wall at every turn, but she seems unable to separate herself from him.

Part of it seems to be an interesting take on interpersonal relationships, and part of it seems to be from a confusing misunderstanding about Haru's declared feelings for her, or not declared, or taken back, or maybe just friends, or definitely friends but not love in the same what that the other persons feels...etc. The whole series includes various mini-situations, but all stem from Shizuku trying to figure out what is going on, and how her controlled lonely existence has turned into this weird mess. Include a handful of additional brand new friends, including some delinquents, another smart guy, and awkward pretty girl and a baseball player, the advice for the two kids becomes varied and often wrong.

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This series reminds me a lot of Say "I Love You." Despite being a comedy, the characters remind me of each other - or at least Shizuku does. The two female protagonists have the same level of awkwardness between them. My Little Monster is not quiet, however. It's crazy, and amusing. The best part, I think, might be the chicken, and I don't mean that in any derogatory way. The chicken is pretty awesome. I found it interesting for myself to actually be rooting, at some points, for not the obvious couple. I kinda wanted Shizuku to end up with the other person who is interested in her at some point.

The series is a little open-ended. So, maybe one day they will make a sequel. The series was just released, so there hasn't been anytime to figure that out. It does feel like it might be the end, though. I did enjoy it quite a bit. I think for a good amount of time I was just confused, but I also thought the whole mess was kinda sweet. There wasn't much character development shared between the secondary characters, which I think might have worked well, but when a series is only 13 episodes, I supposed one can't expect much. I would still recommend it, especially is you liked Say "I Love You." They're similar without being the same. There really isn't much else to say on this short series. It's definitely a chick-flick.

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Something new: Witch Hunter Robin

(Guest Review! I've had a friend do a review for me. You can read his thoughts next time - I'm sure it will be a treat to have a geek BOY do a review.)

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

Okami-san and her Seven Companions

Genre: Comedy
Age Appropriate: All ages
Emotional Response: Heehee
Notable Features: high schoolers, dorky guy, favors
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"Stop Using Words!" - Ryoko

Ryoshi Mornio is an awkward high school male who has fallen in love with Ryoko, the "wolf" of the story. Ryoko is a tough girl paired with her scheming bff, Ringo - or as the narrator likes to call her "Little Red Riding Twerp," or some such name. Ryoshi's love for Ryoko lands him in the Otogi High School Bank, a place where anyone can ask a favor in return for another favor for the bank at another time. Each episode has someone asking for some favor as the vehicle for the shenanigans that occur.

There are seven members of the Otogi High School Bank, each with a different crazy personality. The President has an affinity for disguises, and seems to have a feel for cross dressing. Taro is a handsome ladies man who also has a psycho girlfriend who often drags him away for "unknown" reasons, particularly when she feels jealous. There is also a wierdo science girl, a maid uniform girl, and a straight-laced, serious girl who all perform their bank duties to the best of their abilities.

As the series progresses, Ryoko finds herself more wrapped up in learning about Ryoshi's commitment to being there for her, and her own confused feelings. When she was younger she had someone betray her, and has serious trust issues. She seems to only have the ability to trust Ringo in any significant manner, although she seems to be okay with being friends with the rest of their club. The series itself is focused on Ryoshi's love for Ryoko, and her beat-'em-up attitude regarding the situation.

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I've been looking for a series that I was willing to sit through. I've got a couple running now, but some of them aren't finished in Japan. As it is, I didn't know that I was going to like this. I did. For once, I watched a high school romance drama that doesn't have any magic, robots and fan service. It was great.  I'm actually glad that it ended the way it did, too. Anything more would've just been too much for "reality" or something. I mean, it's anime, so there's no "reality," I guess, but it felt less contrived I suppose. It wasn't a sad ending or anything, just normal-like.

My favorite parts were Taro's interesting moments, the narrator's commentary on everything (which is frequent in each episode and provides great amusement at the expense of the characters), and Ryoshi's puppies. I totally want puppies just like them. They were so cute. If you're looking for something stress-free and adorable I totally recommend this. No swearing, no lewdness, no creepiness - just good wholesome fun. I mean, there's a little wink-wink nudge-nudge, but it's subtle enough. It got a couple of out loud "Ha!" noises out of me.

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Ha!: Koihime Musou

Say "I love you"

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

"I love you."

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

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

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

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Say it: Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

Gravitation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pretear

Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens
Emotional Response: cute, annoyed, interested
Notable Features: magic, transformations, good vs. evil
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 13 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Good


"Prete with me!" - the Leafe Knights

Pretear is all about the Leafe. Leafe, of course, is the life force of all things, and it must be saved from the evil Princess of Disaster, Fenrir. The princess and her demons suck the Leafe out of living things to hoard the power for her nefarious purposes - generally, to destroy the world. The only person able to stop this horrible event is the Pretear - a chosen human girl who can merge with the Leafe Knights to defeat the demon larvae and ultimately stop the evil princess.

The newest Pretear is Himeno, a young high school student in a new, complicated family situation, who hasn't figured out her place in the world yet. Her mother has passed away and her father has remarried to the richest woman around. She's also picked up two step-sisters in the bargain. Her relationship with the sisters adds to each episode in little bits and pieces. Himeno is discovered by the Leafe Knight, Hayate (Wind), and despite some bumps in her confidence and his initial attitude, Himeno throws herself into being the Pretear as well as she can. She meets the other Leafe Knight, each with different personalities and powers, and learns how to fight against the princess while learning about herself. Her relationship with each individual knight effects each battle that she's in, and eventually fuels her final battle against the Princess of Disaster.

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Pretear is kinda old school. It reminded me a lot of Sailor Moon, actually. Clearly, there are huge differences, but the overall feel was the same. There is a young lady who's kinda dorky, clumsy and weird, but who becomes a stronger person as she becomes her other identity - which includes some fun, shiny transformation moments. While in Pretear, the protagonist is the center of a bunch of guys - rather than girlfriends - there is still a little romance to be found. There is no secret identity, though.

It was a nice little series. I'd probably let just about anyone watch it, actually. Himeno, while odd, is a good example of an awkward teen girl, and it creates some smile-quirking amusement. I did want to push the romance here and there, but I can acknowledge that it would be lame if it all happened at once.   Even the ending was pretty good. I wouldn't hand it to someone off the shelf and demand they watch it, but it would go on my list of acceptable for those looking for something fluffy. Fluffly is definitely a good word for it. I probably would've loved this when I was younger.

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I'm going. I'm going.: The Wallflower

Happiness!

Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: All Ages
Emotional Response: Ha! Nice!
Notable Features: magic students, non-magic students, high school drama
Language: Japanese
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"I am the embodiment of epic fail." - Shinya

Early in the semester the School of Magic had a mysterious explosion and now all of the magic students have to attend classes with the non-magic students. This explosive situation has brought two groups of friends together in an adventure of magical proportions (haha). Yuuma, a young high school student, has two other best friends - Hachi and Jun. Hachi is a fluty wishful-ladies man, and Jun is adorable and loves to wear cute clothes. This would be less amusing if Jun weren't a guy just like the rest of them.

The female protagonist of the story is Haruhi, a young lady-magic student desperately hoping to meet the boy who saved her so many years ago. She also brings a nice friend to the table - Anri. Anri-san is known as the magic school troublemaker for her awful attempts at magic that always start excellent and end with disaster. As a young girl Haruhi played with Sumomo, Yuuma's younger sister, who becomes part of the cast of characters, including their mother.

Between the young students there is drama surrounding typical high school relationships and the role that magic plays between the two potential lovebirds (Yuuma and Haruhi, of course). Yuuma has an extreme dislike of magic, and Haruhi is the star of the magic school. The students all develop some fun friendships with interesting episodes about how everyone has become included in their group of friends. These friendships will play a significant role in the resolution of the series conflict.

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It was pretty good. Happiness! was a lot closer to what I had wanted when I started with Shuffle!. It's fun, and peppy, and the students have a nice friendship going on. There weren't any tummy-hurting comedic moments, but it was still nice to just chill with. If it had been in English, I wouldn't have minded just using it as something in the background while lazying around the house. I'm glad I watched it.

I would recommend this for just about anyone looking for something stress-free. Despite a few innuendoes here and there, there are no bars I would set against any age watching this. No nudity, no swearing, no blood...all around wholesome fun. There is one episode full of bikini fan service, but it didn't particularly bother me. There isn't much in the review portion because I simply don't have much to say about it. I'm sure it has a little bit to do with the fact that it was only 12 episodes. I just think it was pretty good, in general. Nothing outstanding, but hey, why not?

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1, 2, 3, 4: Master of Martial Hearts

Shuffle!

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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4, 3, 2, 1: Happiness!