Sword Art Online

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

"Kirito-kun will save me" - Asuna

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

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

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

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

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

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Dumbfounded: Freezing

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

Spice & Wolf

Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: Any age
Emotional Response:  lovely, excited and wry chuckles
Notable Features: gods, church, wolf, peddler
Language: English
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Overall Recommendation: Top 5

"Stupid Potato!" - Holo

Spice and Wolf is all about the adventures of a travelling merchant and his chance companion, Holo, the Wise Wolf. Spice actually refers to Kraft Lawrence, who peddles wares from location to location, changing what he sells as he goes along. Holo appears when he stops at one of his usual locations, and she ends up falling asleep in his cart of furs. From there, the story grows into a mix of friendship, drama and a hint of romance.

Lawrence has agreed to take Holo to the North, where her family supposedly lives. She had long been stuck in a small town, agreeing to help with their harvests, but sneaks away unexpectedly with Lawrence and a special bale of wheat. He seems to be a clever merchant who makes deals based on profit and loss, as usual, but finds himself benefitting from Holo's wisdom. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes it appears to work out horribly.

Holo is a wolf-god who has an attitude, some amount of arrogance (read: lots) and has an insatiable desire for food and drink. She frequently ends up drunk and hurting, making Lawrence take care of her. She has agreed to pay Lawrence back for her expenses, and wracks them up. She teases Lawrence incessantly, and uses guilt to manipulate him, but has her moments of generosity and caring. They meet a lot of interesting people along the way. They seems to have built their relationship not only on the trust of traveling partners, but also on their ability to argue about everything. Near the end, he even seems to be able to tease her right back.

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It was lovely. And poignant. And maybe a little disappointing.
The disappointing isn't because there was something wrong, but because the romantic in me didn't want it to be over. The end of the series actually makes a point about the ending of good things. I had seen the first season before, and I knew that I liked it, but i was surprised by the second season. I wasn't sure how well it would do. Turns out it did just fine. I certainly didn't expect it to jump so far up the scale of favorites. When I first started writing the synopsis, I thought it was going to be close to the Top 5, but not necessarily make it. Now that I've finally finished the series, it's slid right into place.

There is a lot of humor in the series, and most of it is a wry humor. I found myself completely invested in the Lawrence and Holo. The whole series made my mouth quirk at the humor and self-confidence shared between the two. I'm not a hundred percent sure that everyone would like it, though. Obviously, I'm a bit sucked it. Without being flowery or spicy, it's a bit female. If you are a ren-faire type fantasy fan, I think you would like it, and if you are a girl, you'll probably like it. It's definitely not a guy's guy type, though. Since the blog is titled "Anime for the Mini-Geek Girl," I'll bypass the gender-neutral parts and just say I highly recommend it! I'll watch it again someday, and I have complete confidence that I'll love it all the same.

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How do you like them apples?: The Mystic Archives of Dantalian


Important lesson: Whatever the reason, don't read ahead in an episode list. It almost ruined it for me, but thankfully Wikipedia really isn't always reliable. 

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

Tears to Tiara

Genre: Action/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Pre-teens+

Emotional Response: laughter, fun, excitement

Notable Features: Magic, epic battles, King Arthur, dragons!

Language: English
Length: 2 parts, 26 episodes total
Overall Recommendation: Top 5

"Whack, whack! They defeat the enemy!"

Tears to Tiara is an epic-type anime including Arthur, elves, magic and one Demon King to boot. It's actually quite an extensive cast. It's a story of the Gael clan (Irish) versus the "Diving Empire"(Roman), and the Gael clan's opposition to the Empire's occupancy.

The story begins when Arthur's sister, Riannon, is kidnapped by an Empire toady as a sacrifice to awaken the Demon King - with the expectation that the Demon King will help the little peon take over the world (of course). To force her cooperation, he uses small children to force Riannon to give up her "true name," thus granting power over her. True names are important later too. So, Arthur returns to their village, meets up with his clansmen and harries off to save Riannon from her terrible fate. As fate would have it, the Demon King awakens! A true turn of events appears when we discover that he's a pretty cool guy, with no interest in taking over the world with the jerk who stole Riannon. So, Arawn - The Demon King! - saves Riannon by waking her up in her magical dream state, kills the evil doer and then must face her brother Arthur. To save Arawn from having to fight Arthur - or save Arthur from hurting Lord Arawn - Riannon gives Arawn her red scarf. It is a symbol of clan leadership, essentially marrying Riannon to Lord Arawn and making him clan cheiftain. There is much bickering between the two until Arawn points out the problem of evil dead creatures coming after them. In their fleeing they hook up with Saint Ogham (mage) and fight their way out....it just gets more complicated from there.

The cast builds then to the elves, the emperials, another clan, some spare dragons, a necromancer, white spirits and a terrible foe. Also included: epic LOTR battles. Well, mini LOTR battles on the island of Albion (England), at the castle of Avalon.

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This is totally in my Top 5! It was a great follow up to the messed up-edness of Rin. It's funny, and exciting, and a little sad. I even loved the soundtrack - which is rare as I don't usually notice one. It's that kind of music that's heartening during a fancy speech or the end of the battle and haunting during sad parts and the beginning of battle.

I love the relationships between the characters. The whole brotherhood, warrior comraderie (not strictly for boys!) and family strength is awesome. If you look deep enough, and feel like seeing it, there's a little romance between Morgan and Octavia, maybe. Otherwise, not much blantant romance going on. It really does hit on a number of traditional characters needed for a good epic story. Serious when it needed to be, but fun when it didn't. It was one of those anime series that was really easy to get sucked into. I'm not sure if was the was terrible accents (haha) or the fact that it was in English, but my husband couldn't keep away from watching/listening. So, yeah. Highly recommended for the whole family. I only added a Pre-Teen rating because it can get a little bloody, but I think that the violence is softened with it being animated. So, if you need something light hearted (especially if you've been following along and just watched Rin ::shudder::), watch this. Srsly.

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Next Up: La storia della Arcana Famiglia

Nabari No Ou

Genre: Action/Comedy
Age Appropriate: Jr. High (violence)
Emotional Response: Wry amusement, heartbreak
Notable Features: NINJAS, and magic
Language: English
Length: 2 seasons, 12/13 ep. each
Overall Recommendation: Top 5


Nabari No Ou follows Miharu, a young teen with an apathetic outlook on life, who becomes the focus of attention of one teacher and a high school classmate. Fairly early, Miharu is told that he is the holder of the Shinra Bonshou - a powerful ninja scroll that contains the power to rule all of the Nabari world (NINJAS!). This power is coveted by all, including two factions of ninjas presented as good guys and bad guys. His teacher, Tobari, has secrets about Miharu's past but will stop at nothing to keep him from using the awful power of the Shinra Bonshou.

Despite Miharu's lack of affect, he has quite the mischievous personality. He pulls minor pranks, and uses his boyish charm to get his way - from getting someone's agreement, to distracting them from seeing him as a threat. Most of his actual pranks end up aimed at Tobari-sensei. Together, with his new band of ninja friends, Miharu struggles against the antagonistic ninjas. The only exception: Yoite, a young man seemingly slightly older than Miharu, who holds a different, powerful ninja technique: Kira.  This technique uses the bearers life force to control the body functions of others, mostly as pain. Yoite is being used as a threat/enforcer/torturer type minion because of his technique. However, part of the series highlights the price he has to pay - which leads to his request of Miharu. Somehow, the two become inseparable. Their similar painful experiences bring them together and both Miharu and Yoite fight against their respective leaders for each other.

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I don't really now how to explain my feelings toward this series. I think it's probably my favorite, if not then in the Top 5. It is, yet again, one of the few things I've watched that has made me want to, or outright, cry. I watched a second time to write this review, and I can say without doubt that watching it the second time was more heartrending than the first. Much like reading a book again, there is foreshadowing and anticipation one might not otherwise notice. Most of the humor, I found to be smirky, rather then LOL. There are a few times in the end where the seriousness is overwhelming enough that a little joke here or there saves the day. Sometimes I just wanted to punch characters though.

As long as you're not offended by blood and violence, this is probably ok as a PG-13 type series. The themes are deeper than most younger series, but there is no innuendo anywhere to be found. Romance plays no role, outside of some implied yaoi, but you really have to notice it to notice it. It's almost like watching America's Funniest Home Videos as a kid and realizing that some of those jokes were pretty bad when you're an adult.

My best recommendation to have the full experience is to watch as much of it in one sitting as possible. There is definitely something lost in watching only one or two episodes at a time, particularly if there is a significant period between sittings. Go forth and watch. If nothing else, it has NINJAS.

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Next series: Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne