Manami's Anime Blog

NEW new rating system

2011-03-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

Sooo...the old rating system wasn't really working out for me. I'm gonna have to redo it. Here's the new rating system, from highest to lowest rating.

WATCH IT!!!

Worth a Watch!

Decent

Average

Not too good

Bad

Big turd

Happy Valentines Day! My top five couples in anime

2011-02-14T06:17:00.001-08:00

Happy valentines day, everyone! You'll notice I'm writing in dark red today in order to be festive without burning everyone's eyes. Anyway, to celebrate this day of romance, I've decided to compile a list of my top five anime (and manga) couples of all time. Please enjoy!

5: Kyoko and Ren of Skip Beat!

"Until today, I've never lost it like I did just now. She pulled it out of me. A part of myself that I didn't even know existed."

-Ren Tsuruga

If you know me, I know what you're thinking, and no, these guys aren't on my list soully because Skip Beat! is my favorite anime and manga series of all time. I really do like the relationship between these two. Now, where I am in the story, these two technically aren't a 'couple,' what with Ren trying hard to deny that he has feelings for Kyoko, and Kyoko being afraid to fall for anyone after being crushed by the only boy she ever loved, but there is definitely something beautiful between these two. They care a great deal about each other and bring out the best in each other, which, in my opinion, is what a relationship is all about.

4: Ichiko and Eriko of Love My Life

"Being with Ichiko literally refreshes my heart. I don't know any other girl who looks at things in such an honest way."

- Eriko to Ichiko's father

Love My Life is a short, yuri josei series penned by Ebine Yamaji. It is probably the most realistic homosexuality story I have ever read, and the main couple above may be the most passionate I have ever seen in any anime series. The love these two have for each other is so strong and so moving. The way they met, the way that they can tell what each other are thinking, and the way they act when they are together are simply beautiful.

3: Nowaki and Hiroki of Junjou Romantica

"Maybe it is impossible to be absolutely sure of anything, but I can tell you this: there is no one in this world I could ever love more than I love you."
-Nowaki to Hiroki

So it's another gay couple. Big deal. Anyway, not only are Hiroki and Nowaki the only couple in Junjou Romantica that can actually say they love each other, they are incredibly compatible with one another. While Nowaki brings out the softer side in the cool and collected Hiroki, Hiroki brings out the stronger side in the sweet and sensitive Nowaki. They do fight often throughout the series, but each time they mend a riff in their relationship, their love for each other only grows that much stronger.

2: Yukino and Arima of Kare Kano

"As you became a stranger person, my feelings for you didn't change. I loved you all along." -Arima to Yukino

Ah, the classic shojou high school couple, right? From rivals, to friends, to lovers. But there is so much more to this beautiful relationship. Now this may sound cliche'd, but I like to compare this teen pair to two peices of a couple. They're opposites of each other, but in such a way that they fit together perfectly. And they're part of the same picture as well. Although they have different stories, both are trying to throw away the "masks" they have been wearing their entire lives, and they know that they'll need each other to bring their true selves out.

1: Miria and Isaac of Baccano!

"As long as I'm with you, I could be the president! I could be a king or a queen! I could even be a joker!"

"I don't know what that means, but it's incredible!"

-An exchange between Isaac and Miria

So are you pissed that my number one is a comic releif couple? Well suck it up. Isaac and Miria are by far the most energetic and compatible couple I have ever seen in anime. These two are one. You never see one without the other. They know what each other are thinking, they can predict each other's actions, and they feed off of each other's energy. They always seem to be happy and having fun, and I think it's because they know that when they're together, nothing can bring them down. Isaac and Miria are an unstoppable pair.

Winter 2011 Season - First Impressions

2011-02-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

Beelzebub (After 1 episode)

Synopsis: A delinquent must raise the infant son of a demon lord.

Analysis: Although this was rather entertaining with its hillarious characters and in-your-face gag comedy, it kind of needed less joke and more story to really work. If you're into this kind of humor, and/or if you are a huge Shonen fan, you will probably enjoy this series.

Rating: Meh

Following?: Nah

Dragon Crisis (after half an episode)

Synopsis: An average joe and his older second cousin seize a box containing a "dragon girl," and must protect her from an evil organization using their powers as relic handlers.

Analysis: This is a very five-out-of-ten series for me. The animation is wonderful, and there were bits I enjoyed, but there was really nothing special here that would make me want to continue.

Rating: Meh

Following?: No

Fractale (after one episode)

Synopsis: I...I'm so sorry. I have no idea how to explain this. Just see for yourself.

Analysis: The world they have created is absolutely beautiful. I was interested in everything that was happening, and the first episode was very cute and heartwarming. I have heard that this series gets more interesting as you continue it, and I can't wait to see this.

Rating: WATCH IT!!!

Following?: I would, but I have too much on my plate...

Gosick (after one episode)

Synopsis: In the victorian era, a new student meets a strange girl with an incredible talent for solving mysteries, and ends up joining her in her adventures.

Analysis: I loved the characters in this series, and was rather interested in what was happening to them. However, the mystery that was supposed to showcase the lead female's deductive skills was one that I probably could have solved. The writing also wasn't quite working. Gosick has a lot of potential, but it needs to step it up a little if it wants its viewers to get into it.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Nah

Hourou Musuko (after two episodes)Synopsis: A boy who enjoys dressing like a girl tries to mend his relationships with his friends as he enters middle school

Analysis: The art is probably the best part of the series. I think this may be my favorite art style in any series I have ever watched. I love the age group they have chosen to focus on, and the slow yet interesting pacing. However, they need to be careful not to lay the drama on too thick. Also, there are a few characters () that just annoy the hell out of me.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Yes

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? (after three episodes)

Synopsis: After being murdered by a serial killer, a boy is brought back to life as a zombie by a necromancer, who then moves in with him

Analysis: Probably the funniest show I've seen this season. Just about every single joke hit. The animation is also pretty good, and the characters are pretty much all likeable. However, this series needs to keep stepping it up, or it will get boring.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Yes

Level E

Synopsis: An average joe and star baseball player moves into an apartment, but finds that a mysterious stranger claiming to be an alien has dubbed it his new hideout.

Analysis: Um, how does "best anime of the season" sound? This series is wonderful. Interesting, unique, and hillarious. The writing is brilliant. The art style is wonderful, and this series probably has the best use of CG since Kuchu Buranko. The only problem is, the show is very anticlimactic. While this is actually working so far, they need to be careful not to take it too far.

Rating: WATCH IT!!!

Following?: Hell yes!

Mahou Shojou Madoka Magica (after one episode)

Synopsis: A girl has a strange dream about a mysterious girl. The next day, the girl shows up at school! The girl and her best friend are then exposed to a world of magic.

Analysis: This is definitely a lot darker than your average magical girl anime. If you are a fan of SHAFT, you will probably like this. The characters are all very cute and interesting, and the visuals are pretty cool.

Rating: Worth a watch

Following?: Unfortunately, I was kind of scared off by that climax at the end. It was pretty cool, but too many colors...

Onii-chan no Koto...! (after one and a half episodes)

Synopsis: Nao's brother complex is so strong, it could probably be called incest. She one day goes so far as to throw out all of his non-incest porn. In doing so, she discovers her brother's photo album...but there are no pictures of her!

Analysis: Surprisingly, the first episode was a blast. It was hillarious to meet and watch these completely insane characters, and I laughed my ass off. However, by episode two, the humor got old, and the series just got a little uncomfortable for me.

Rating: A big turd

Following?: I may give this a second chance later on, but it's highly unlikely.

Rio: Rainbow Gate (after half an episode)

Synopsis: Rio is the "Goddess of Victory," who works in a casino and grants luck to anyone she walks by.

Analysis: ...don't do this. You have better things to do with your time. There was NOTHING redeeming about this peice of crap. The characters and story were uninteresting, the art was incredibly flat, for God's sake, this was a fanservice series and the damn fanservice wasn't even well done! These people aren't even TRYING, are they? They think they don't need a legitimate story as long as they have lolis and boobs! This show can go to Hell.

Rating: Dear God...

Following?: When Hell freezes over...

My New Rating System

2011-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

For a while, I've been trying to establish a concrete rating system that was more entertaining than the standard scale of 1-10. Well, here you go! These are my five new ratings from best to worst.

WATCH IT!!!

Worth Seeing

Meh

Big Turd

Dear God...

Stay tuned for my first impressions of the winter 2011 season, where you'll get to see these used for the first time.

Number 7: Kare Kano

2011-01-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

Looking at the picture above, you'll probably assume that Kare Kano is nothing but a simple, high school romance. I can tell you honestly that...you're not entirely wrong. However, never before have I seen a high school rom-com with as much passion and originality as Kare Kano.

On the outside, Yukino Miyazawa appears to be a perfect girl. She was the top student at her middle school, is an amazing athlete, and is kind, modest, and elegant. Or so she's lead everyone to beleive. In reality, Yukino is a nerdy and strange girl who has been putting on a show in order to gain the praise she cannot live without. Then, he showed up. Souichiro Arima. A gorgeous, popular, intellegent boy who ruined Yukino's "high school debut" by beating her on the entrance exam. Throughout the school year, Yukino finds that the mask she has been wearing may need to come off.

Although the story does have one or two slow episodes, it is usually moving straight forward, and almost always keeping you entertained. The comedy hits, the dialogue is wonderful, and many people are able to relate to some of the situations the characters get into.

The characters are probably more well developed than any show I've ever seen. Yukino and Arima have such a beautiful chemistry, despite their very different personalities. Even the supporting cast is well developed. In fact, there is one episode which tells the story of how Yukino's parents met, which I don't beleive I've ever seen in a high school comedy before. There are pretty much no background characters in Kare Kano.

The problem I do have with Kare Kano is that, as I stated earlier, the series has some very slow episodes. In fact, there were two episodes in which all they did was repeat scenes from previous episodes. I completely skipped over these, as they had absolutely no significance. There were many points in the series where I was not the least bit entertained.

Overall, Kare Kano is a well delivered, well developed, and basicly just a well done series. It is an original, fun, compelling high school love story if I have ever seen one.

Number 8: B Gata H Kei

2011-01-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

If you watched the latest episode of MaguroCast, note that I have changed the list to make room for series I have gotten further into.

If you look at the synopsis for B Gata H Kei, you'll probably wonder what the hell I was thinking when I started watching the series. Thinking about it now, I'm actually wondering the exact same thing. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I watched B Gata H Kei, as it was surprisingly one of the best comedy anime series I saw in 2010.

Brace yourself for the synopsis, because, as I mentioned before, it's pretty crazy. The story centers around Yamada, (first name withheld for whatever reason) a high school girl with the face and body of a model. Apon entering high school, Yamada decides on a crazy goal: to have casual sex with 100 boys. However, being self concious of the fact that she is a virgin, she decides she needs to start by targeting a boy who is a virgin as well. She soon crosses paths with Kosuda, the most generic, uninteresting boy she has ever met, who, unfortunately for him, meets Yamada's criteria perfectly.

When watching the first episode of B Gata H Kei, I had incredibly low expectations just from reading the synopsis. Needless to say, I was dead wrong to assume that this series wouldn't be any good. I found myself cracking up several times, sometimes to the point of tears. What makes this series so hillarious is that, as determined as she is, Yamada has no freaking clue what she's doing. She chickens out of her supposedly "brilliant" plans, and when she actually gets the balls to do something, she has no clue where to go next. Admit it: it is so much fun to watch people screw up.

The characters...well they're all idiots. There are several points in the series where you wonder what kind of moron actually does shit like this. Some of the better supporting characters in the series include Tachibana, Yamada's best girl friend who is often rather annoyed with her one-track mind, and Kajenou, a gorgeous American girl with a severe brother complex. But if you've seen this series, you will probably be surprised with my answer. Her name is Misato. She can't really even be considered a supporting character...more like a background character. She is flat chested, short, and generally unnatractive in the eyes of men...which isn't so good considering she likes to follow hot guys around like a lost puppy and drool all over them like a bulldog. Although she only made about one, short appearence per episode, I had to smile every time she appeared.

Flaws? Oh yeah, very many. First of all, like many animes in the comedy-ecchi genre, it fails when it tries to be dramatic. The more sentemental scenes were just boring, and when you watch them, you want them to skip to the comedy as quickly as possible. Second of all, the characters, although very entertaining, were not very well developed. There are several points in the series where the characters do things that, as far as you know, are completely unlike them.

The main problem I had with B Gata H Kei was that if you're going to do a series like this, the comedy has to get better with every episode. With this series, the laugh-chart kind of moved in a straight line, and it got a little bit old after a while.

Overall, I am very glad I gave this series a try. Although I would never say it's the best comedy series I've seen, I can say that it is most likely the best ecchi. I was very sad to see this series come to an end, and I still find myself hoping for more.

My 2011 Watch List

2010-12-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

30-san no Hoken Taiiku
A Channel
Beelzebub
Fractale (maybe)
Hanasaku Iroha
Hourou Musuko
Kampfer Season 2 (but that means I gotta finish season one!)
Mahou Shoujo Madoka*Magica
Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
Shouwa Monogatari (maybe)
Yumeki Merry
Ga-Rei Zero
Antique Bakery
FINALLY finish Hayate the Combat Butler!
Whatever else I find interesting later

Number 9: Sasameki Koto

2010-12-28T12:02:00.000-08:00

I think we all know how painful it can be to love someone who doesn't love you back. I certainly do, and I don't think I've ever seen an anime series that depicted the loneliness--and very rarely the joy--of one-sided love as well as the shojou ai* romcom Sasameki Koto did.

I began watching Sasameki Koto at the very beginning of the year, around the same time I started Junjou Romantica. I could not have picked a better first shojou ai series. Although it is basicly about the love between two girls, it is way lighter and more fun then some of the more dramatic shojou ai series out there, making it a perfect introduction to the genre.

Sumika Murasame is an intelegent, tough as nails highschooler with a big problem: she has fallen in love with another female, her best friend, Ushio Kazama. The problem isn't that Ushio doesn't like girls--in fact, she's absoluely crazy about them--the problem is that Ushio only likes "cute" girls. Small, weak, shy girls that one would feel compelled to protect. Sumika, being unusually tall and a martial arts expert, does not at all meet this description.

Sasameki Koto presented a very simple story, and was able to do a lot with it. Something different happened every episode, and they managed to bring in very satisfying romantic scenes and wonderful comedy without being too unrealistic. The only problem was that some episodes had no real significance, and could have been skipped over in order to make room for a decent ending. Note before you watch Sasameki Koto that the ending is very abrupt, and will probably leave you unsatisfied and thinking 'That's it?'

The characters made this series what it was. Each character was unique and quirky, and you pretty much had to love every one of them. We start out with the two mains, Sumika and Ushio, and their friend, the happy-go-lucky Kiyori. Later, we are introduced to Akemiya, a dorky boy with a huge crush on Sumika, Tomoe and Miyako, a lesbian couple who hopelessly attempt to start a school club for lesbian girls, and Aoi, a passionate fan of a series of yuri novels. The characters are all very well developed, and it's very entertaining to watch them in their everyday lives.

The main reason I love Sasameki Koto is that you can feel the characters emotions as if they are your own. There are several scenes in this series that will make one think "I've felt that way before." The series manages to perfectly execute the drama of one sided love without being melodramatic, and seeing as this is a Highschool story, this is a major accomplishment.

Number 10: Junjou Romantica

2010-12-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

How the hell did I get wrapped up in Junjou Romantica? I will never really know. But one way or another, this series managed to gain a lot of my interest. Heck, I even got emotional at certain parts. I couldn't bring myself not to put Junjou Romantica on this list.

I started watching Junjou at the very beginning of the year. It was actually my very first (and so far only) shonene ai* series. I'll admit, however, that this was not a very good series to start with because...well...err...there was sex in nearly every episode. (not graphic, mostly implied) However, once I got used to those scenes, I was able to enjoy this series through all of its ups and downs.

There's not really a main story for Junjou. The series centers around three odd gay couples and their relationships. The main couple is Misaki and Usami. Misaki is the little brother of Takahiro, a man Usami was madly in love with. When Takahiro gets engaged, it almost seems as though Misaki has become his replacement. Despite his internal struggle, he can't seem to deny the fact that he just might be falling under the seductive Usami's spell.

Hiroki has been in love with Usami for several years. Apon discovering that Usami will never feel the same way, heartbroken Hiroki runs to the park to be alone. There, he meets Nowaki, a kind young man who has fallen for Hiroki at first sight. Hiroki tries to remain cool and nonchalant, as he usually is, but something in Nowaki brings out a side of Hiroki that he doesn't recognize, and certainly doesn't like.

35 year old Miyagi is Hiroki's coworker. He is recently divorced, and is going through a lot in his life. Things get much more complicated when his ex-wife's brother, 16 year old Shinobu, (umm big age difference much?) claims to be madly in love with him, and ends up living with him in his apartment.

So what's so special about these stories? To be honest, not very much. Every episode seemed to be basicly the same thing. There wasn't really anything original; anything we hadn't seen before. However, the way the stories are delivered somehow pulls you in. You don't really think about the lack of originality while you're watching Junjou Romantica. I give this series major props for so cleverly hiding these uninteresting storylines behind amazing delivery.

I felt like Hiroki, Nowaki, and Miyagi were the only three characters with any real depth. The rest of the cast, though entertaining, seemed rather generic and flat. Usagi was the steryotypical seme, Misaki, the classic uke*, and Shinobu...some kid trying to force himself onto a middle aged man. It's not that I really disliked any of the characters in this series--they were all very diverse and interesting--I just wish I had gotten to know them a little better. In the course of 26 episodes, (2 seasons, 13 episodes per season) I think they could have done much better.

The art was probably the weakest part of the series. I can honestly say nothing good about the art style. I constantly found myself confusing characters with other characters. There were literally only 3 hairstyles for male characters in this series, and 2 hairstyles for female characters. It felt like they picked a few hairstyles and faces, and tried some different combinations to come up with their characters. I know, it could be a lot worse, but the art was still pretty lame.

Now about the sexual content...like I said, it's mostly implied. You only see faces, hands, and sometimes upper bodies. The sex scenes in Junjou Romantica were actually very tasteful. You don't really see "sex" here. You see two men in love giving themselves to each other. The only problem I had with the sex scenes was that, although they were pretty at first, they got old very quickly. The sex was just excessive. As I said, they put one at the end of nearly every episode. Had they put only one every five or so episodes, it would have been easier to appreciate the beauty of these scenes.

So why did I like Junjou Romantica? Because, despite its many flaws, it has been the most passionate shonen ai series I have seen to date. I've realized that the reason I haven't had the desire to continue any of the other shonen ai series I have tried is because, on episode one, I always find myself thinking "Junjou Romantica was much better." So, for making me adore it for reason's I don't even understand, Junjou Romantica has stolen the number 10 spot on my list.

*Shonen Ai - centers around the love between two men

* In a Shonen Ai or Yaoi couple, the seme is the more dominant and seductive one, while the uke is the one who is seduced

Intro to My Top Ten of 2010

2010-12-27T14:35:00.001-08:00

With the year coming to an end, I thought I'd reflect on all of the fantastic anime that I have seen in the past 365 days. Therefore, I give you my Top 10 of 2010. Here's how this is gonna work: starting with my number ten, I will post a review once a day (or rather whenever I get the chance) of an anime that I thought deserved a spot on my list.

Please note that not all of these series were released this year. 2010 is just the year I watched them. Also, some of these series are very difficult to properly review. I apologize in advance for any rambling or confusing content.

One more thing. I WANT YOU TO COMMENT! I'd really like to hear you guys' input on the subjects I write about. Do you disagree? Tell me why. Agree? Tell me what with. I really want to hear what you have to say.

Without further ado, I'm going to start working on my review for number ten. Stay tuned!

Anime Awards 2010 (For reals this time!)

2010-12-18T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hello! So I kind of chickened out on this last time, but now that the new year is just around the corner, I'm gonna give it another shot. We are currently in the nominating stage of the 2010 anime awards. Please follow the rules below, and nominate your favorites for the ten listed categories. Thank you!

RULES:

- The anime must have been released in 2010. We will not be accepting OVAs, new seasons, or series that had been continued into 2010 from other years.

- You may nominate as much as you like for each category, but do not nominate two from the same series in the same category. For example, you could not nominate both Panty and Stocking for best leading female, as they are both from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt.

- Be specific with openings and endings. When nominating one, please state the anime, the name of the song, and the author

Categories

Best Male Protagonist

Best Female Protagonist

Best Supporting Character

Best Couple

Best Comedy

Best Drama

Best Opening

Best Ending

Worst Series

Best series nominees will be determined based on the nominations from the other categories, and possibly what me and my group of critic friends decide (if they're willing to help out). Please vote now!

TOP 5: Most Annoying Anime Girls

2010-11-18T11:42:00.001-08:00

Number 5

Now all you mega-fans of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya are probably cussing me out through your computer monitor and wondering what I was thinking when I put Haruhi Suzumiya on this list. I hate to tell you this, but you've been blinded by your fandom. This girl may be the main heroine of the series, but that doesn't excuse the fact that she's a stubborn bitch. She drags people around by their collars, she forces crying girls to dress up as prostitutes, and no matter how much you try to convince her that the things she does are completely unreasonable, she will always come back at you with an arguement that is ten times less reasonable. Face it, guys. Haruhi Suzumiya is pretty much a huge problem for anyone she comes in contact with.

Number 4

This bitch is the reason I stopped reading Peach Girl. For no particular reason, Sae Kashiwagi's only goal in life seems to be to destroy that of her "best friend." Why? I have no freaking idea! She's a manipulative, evil, stuck up man stealer. She basicly goes around playing innocent and convincing people that her best friend is no good, and that she's a slut that cheat's on her boyfriend. This manga was actually pretty good until she decided to come in and make it a "look how much this person's life sucks" series.

Number 3
I'm not gonna waste my time writing about this ditz. Just look at the picture for my explanation.

Number 2

I have nothing but pure hatred for the protagonist of Kobato, Kobato Hanato. Not only is she the most bubbly, idiotic girl I've ever seen in anime, she couldn't be more annoyingly perfect! From the singing that draws huge crowds of people to the outfits to that gorgeous rosy-cheek smile to the insane ability to make everyone she meets completely adore her. Yeah. She's one of those people. I guess she and Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket are kind of in the same category, but at least Tohru had a decent back story. The worst part is her modesty. "Oh nooo I'm not anything special! I'm just sweet and innocent and pretty and talented!" You understand my immense hatred toward this kind of person.

Number 1

Air Master seems like a pretty good series at first. Lots of action, strong protagonist, and a cool setting. Then, all of a sudden, you hear:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

This is none other than Renge Inue, the high school girl who acts and looks like a five year old. Her voice will peirce through your skull like a knife or a drill or something else that can penetrate bone. She spits when she talks, she cries like a baby, she won't stop COMMENTING on everything, and...well she's just a pain in the ass. If you've seen the series, you know what I'm talking about. If not, brace yourself.

Announcing, the winner of Moe, Moe, Moe!

2010-11-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for voting in the 2010 Moe Moe Moe competition! The results are in! Dim the lights! Here we go...

And the winner of Moe Moe Moe 2010 is...

Kotomi Ichinose!

Congrats, Kotomi! You will be rewarded with the very first Lovely Ladies of Anime post. Everyone, please look forward to it. Again, thank you for voting!

Fall 2010 Evaluation

2010-11-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

I do express most of the following opinions in my podcast with Freddy and Eric, but unfortunately I'm not as good with speaking as I am with writing. Therefore, I have listed below my true opinions of the Fall animes I've seen so far.

Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge

Why I was Interested : I absolutely loved Arakawa Under the Bridge season one, and was extremely excited when I heard about season 2.

Expectations: Very High

Episodes Seen: 1

Pros: The jokes were as solid as ever. This is one of the very few animes that can make me laugh out loud. (most of the time I only laugh on the inside and smile)

Cons: I was expecting them to step it up a bit since season 1 was so great, but there were bits that left me unsatisfied. There were also a few things that went completely unexplained.

Starting Rating: 7 (good)

Following?: Yes

Bakuman

Why I was interested: I had read the first couple of chapters of the manga and absolutely adored it

Expectations: Pretty high

Episodes Seen: 1

Pros: Very true to the manga. Develops its characters well.
Witty dialogue and original story. LOVE the main protagonist. A lot of people will be able to relate to him.

Cons: Although most scenes were pretty realistic, some were a bit forced. The leading female needs to be developed more. I don't get her. Art style on the characters was a bit strange

Starting Rating: 8 (great)

Following?: Yes

Kuragehime

Why I was interested: I'm a josei enthusiast. Only about eleven Josei series have been animated to date, so a new one is always exciting

Expectations: Very high

Episodes Seen: 1

Pros: These characters are fugly, but still extremely likeable. The opening is now easily my favorite. You do see that more realistic element that makes josei unique.

Cons: Where are they going to go with this? There's not that much to the story, and I'm curious to see how they're going to stretch this to eleven episodes.

Starting Rating: 8 (great)

Following?: Absolutely

MM!

Why I was Interested: The plot is so unique. I thought this would be pretty funny.

Expectations: Higher than low, but not super high

Episodes Seen: 2

Pros: The jokes hit, the characters are likeable, and the little plot twists here and there are very clever and unique. This series will give its viewers exactly what they watch it for.

Cons: In episode 2, they start getting more romantic and sentimental. This was a nice break from all the slapstick, but they can't push that envelope too often or this series will go downhill.

Starting Rating: 8 (great)

Following?: Absolutely

Ore Imo

Why I was Interested: I honestly have no idea...

Expectations: Low

Episodes Seen: First half of 1

Pros: His little sister is, indeed, cute. I like the relationship between the two, and the animation is pretty good.

Cons: I...just...freaking hate this series. There is nothing interesting to the story. It's a cliche'd peice of turd.

Final Rating: 4 (bad)

Following?: When hell freezes over...

Otome Yokai Zakuro

Why I was Interested: I thougt it would suck and wanted to laugh at it.

Expectations: Very low

Episodes Seen: most of 1

Pros: The blonde guy is pretty interesting. That's all.

Cons: When I saw the first seen, I thought this would be an action packed thriller. Then it turned into Ouran High School Host Club with soldiers and demons. This is one of the most generic peices of crap I have ever seen. Near the end, I was thinking, "If something interesting doesn't happen in the next ten seconds, I'm shutting thia off." Needless to say, I didn't finish the episode.

Starting Rating: 3 (very bad)

Following?: See answer for Ore Imo

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo

Why I was Interested: I saw the trailer, and I thought it would be a very good thriller.

Expectations: High

Episodes Seen: 1

Pros: I'm very interested in the characters, and I want to see where this story goes. Also...honestly...I find the leading female attractive...teehee

Cons: I think this series, or at least this episode, is a bit rushed. They're trying so hard to create this horror mystery that they leave out some very important elements. They need more detail.

Starting Rating: 6 (decent)

Following?: For now

SoreMachi

Why I was Interested: I watched the trailer, and the animation looked incredible. Also, it's a SHAFT comedy.

Expectations: Fairly high

Episodes Seen: 1

Pros: Fun characters, nice setting, and wonderful animation. Although not nearly as good as Arakawa Under the Bridge or Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei, this is definitely a work of comedic genius.

Cons: This series has potential to get boring if they don't step it up with each episode.

Starting Rating: 8 (great)

Following?: Yes

The World God Only Knows

Why I was interested: I had heard nothing but praise for the series.

Expectations: High

Episodes Seen: 1

Pros: A lighthearted comedy with a unique storyline. This series is pure fun, and the two mains are extremely likeable.

Cons: This series is leaning toward the generic shojou zone. They need to keep away from there if they want viewers to be satisfied.

Starting Rating: 8 (great)

Following?: Maybe

REVIEW: True Tears (13 episodes)

2010-11-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

"The you within me is always crying. I have always wanted to wipe away your tears, but I cannot imagine the tenderness of wiping the tears from your face.” – Shinichiro Nakagami

I’ve actually just watched True Tears for the third time, (I have the DVDs) and my opinion on the series has varied with each viewing. The first time I saw it, I thought it was breathtaking and heartwarming. The second time, cheesy and forced. After watching it a third time, I realize that although this series is definitely not for everyone, it displays a very interesting mixture of dream and reality that you don’t find in a lot of anime.

Unfortunately, in the actual series, you only get to see Hiromi in a kimono

The story centers around high school student Shinichiro Nakagami, an aspiring artist who lives with his mother, his father, and the love of his life, Hiromi Yuasa, (left) who hasn’t shown much happiness since she came to live with Shinichiro and his family. Loving Hiromi, chasing his dream, and being pressured by his family is tearing Shinichiro apart inside. Everything changes when he meets Isurugi Noe, (center) a very odd girl who claims that she has “given her tears away.” She tells Shinichiro that she must collect someone else’s tears in order to be able to cry again, and he is, unfortunately, the prime candidate.

I feel like the entire storyline is a ton of metaphors thrown together. This is not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it a good thing. If anything, this series adds originality to every cliché you would expect from a romantic harem drama. There are certain things that go unexplained, and certain things that seem to be tossed into the story in hopes of intensifying the mood. But overall, the way it was presented worked very nicely.

The art, especially the scenery, was probably the best part of this entire series. It was wonderfully animated, and most of the facial expressions of the characters were quite realistic for an animated series. I can vividly remember almost all of the background art in this anime. The scenery was so detailed and well-drawn that it’s kind of hard to forget. The only problem I had as far as the art and animation was the excessive use of certain elements. There was a lot of fan service, (mostly from Hiromi) as well as an overuse of colored pencil freeze-frames and extreme close ups on people’s lips. Sometimes it worked, but most of the time it was just kind of distracting.

My favorite peice of background art in the series. This bamboo forest is so hauntingly beautiful

The characters in the series were very unrealistic, but in a way that makes you love every one of them. These are the kinds of people you only wish existed in real life, in that their emotions are more powerful than most people’s, and these emotions are outwardly expressed through their actions. Sometimes, however, the characters personalities did seem a bit forced. It often seemed like the writers were trying too hard to make us feel sympathy for the characters.

(left to right) Shinichiro, Noe, Hiromi, Aiko, and Miyokichi

The most well-done character by far was Isurugi Noe. Noe has a very childlike, free-spirited personality that’s pretty much irresistible. Not only is she a very likeable character, but she is probably one of the only characters, other than the protagonist, that we actually get to watch grow from the beginning of the series to the end.

Not gonna lie...I find her attractive

I think you have to be a certain type of person to really enjoy this series. The main flaw in this series overall is that it was very, very cheesy. Therefore, in order to enjoy this series, you must be able to overcome the cheese. You have to be the kind of person who can relate to the characters, understand the metaphors, and apply the messages the anime portrays to your own life. If you’re not the kind of person who connects to the shows you watch, this series is not for you.

True Tears is definitely something special. It's a lovely drama about about the struggles that a lot of teenagers have to face. This series can either be viewed as a powerful love story, or a melodramatic high school series. If you look past the all its flaws, True Tears can be viewed as one of the most unique dramatic harems to date.

Story: 6 (decent)
Art: 8 (great)
Characters: 8 (great)
Enjoyment: 7 (good)

Opening - Reflectia by Eufonius: 7 (good)

Ending - Sekai no Namida by Aira Yuki: 6 (decent)

Overall Rating: 7 (good)

Moe Moe Moe!: Your Finalists

2010-11-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

First off, I would like to apoligize that these results were about 2 or 3 weeks late. My school's computer had blocked blogger and I just haven't found the time to blog until now.

But FINALLY, the results are in! These are your three finalists! The girl with the most votes byyt the end of the week will be our winner, and will be the subject of the first "Lovely Ladies of Anime" bit. Please vote for the one girl you want to win. Thank you all for participating!

Alice Carrol

Kotomi Ichinose

Misaki Nakahara

MOE MOE MOE!!! - Semi Finals

2010-10-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do something just a little bit different this time. Based on your previous votes, I have chosen the 5 girls with the most potential to win. These are your semi-finalists! The two (or more if tied) girls with the highest number of votes by Monday will be your finalists. Please vote for two now!

Alice Carrol (Aria the Animation)

Chiaki Minami (Minami-Ke)

Kotomi Ichinose (Clannad)

Misaki Nakahara (Welcome to the NHK!)

Moka Akashiya (Rosario + Vampire)

MOE MOE MOE! (Top 8)

2010-09-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Erm...unfortunately the lowest number of votes was a tie between Koume and Azmaria Hendric. Therefore, we had to eliminate them both. There was supposed to be a top nine this week, but we had to skip straight to top eight. Please pick your three favorites from the list below.

Alice Carrol

Chiaki Minami

Isumi Saginomiya

Kagura

Kotomi Ichinose

Koyomi Morishita

Misaki Nakahara

Moka Akashiya

MOE MOE MOE! (Top Ten)

2010-09-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! That was fast. The results are in! Thanks to everyone for voting. Here are your top ten. Please vote for four girls. Voting ends Tuesday of next week. Thank you! ^_^

Alice Carrol

Azmaria Hendric

Chiaki Minami

Isumi Saginomiya

Kagura

Kotomi Ichinose

Koyomi Morishita

Misaki Nakahara

Moka Akashiya

Koume

TOP 5 - Attractive Female Traits

2010-09-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe I'm basing a lot of my recent posts off of stuff on freddy13131's blog, but hey, he has really great segments. Anyway, I don't want to completely steal his "Things Moe" bit, but I WILL give my top five. This is based purely on my opinion, so please be nice.

5: Glasses

Yeah yeah, guilty as charged. I have been inflicted with the glasses fettish. But not those big, round glasses with no frames. I'm talking about the kind that people actually wear. Why do I like girls with glasses? I have no idea myself, but for some reason, they always seem to attract me somehow...

4: Two hair clips

I honestly have no idea what to say about this one except that there are three requirements. First, the hair clips must be on the same side. Second, they cannot be black. Third, they can NOT be bobby pin width. Other than that, this makes just as much sense to me as the glasses fettish.

3: Talent

Wether it be cooking, acting, Katsura Muki, or, in Kyoko's case, all of the above, I always love watching an anime girl do what they love. It's even better when they're really serious and passionate about it. In my opinion, there is NOTHING more attractive than strong passion, in the real world and the world of anime.

2: Childlike Spirit

It's adorable and beautiful that children can beleive in things like fairy tales and super powers. Children have this wonderful innocense about them. But obviously, I'm not a pedophile. When someone in their teens can keep that curiosity, confidence, and imagination from their childhood, they become a truly incredible person.

1: Long, Wavy Hair

Okay...can we just take a moment to appreciate the SMOKIN' HOTNESS of this picture? I'm not a huge fan of Strawberry Panic at the moment, but MAN is Shizuma smexy!

Anyway, I completely adore long, wavy, fluffy hair on an anime girl. First of all, it makes them look like they give really good hugs. I mean all that soft hair would feel nice when you wrapped your arms around their back, right? Secondly, a lot of hair means a lot of shampoo, so these girls probably smell amazing as well. Also, anime girls pretty much always have silky hair. I mean just look at Shizuma. Imagine what it would feel like to run your fingers through all that flawless, silver hair. You get it now? Good.

DISCLAIMER: I am absolutely not homosexual. I have a thing for anime girls that means absolutely nothing.

MOE MOE MOE!!!

2010-09-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

MOE MOE MOE!!!
Okay, so freddy13131 has been posting these things on his blog…ISML I believe? I don’t know what website it’s from, and I don’t know what it stands for, but I know it’s basically a contest to find the most moe anime girl. Now I’ve been looking at the results, and frankly, I’m pissed. First of all, there are like, five characters from the same two series. What’s up with that? Second of all, most of the girls featured don’t fit (my description of) moe at all. Now I know everyone has their own opinions, and that’s why I’m going to express mine by starting my own one of these moe contests. I’ve taken the most moe girls from just about every series I’ve seen so far and listed them below. Please choose your top 7 (not nessecarily in any order) and comment below. After the first set of results are in, we will have a top ten. After that, one girl will be eliminated each week. Thank you very much!

Alice Carrol (Aria the Animation)
Aoi Azusa (Sasameki Koto)
Azmaria Hendric (Chrno Crusade)
Chiaki Minami (Minami-ke)
Chihiro Shindou (Ef – a Tale of Memories)
Hazumu Osaragi (Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~)
Hime Makita (Sora no Manimani)
Hina Ichigo (Rozen Maiden)
Isumi Saginomiya (Hayate no Gotoku!)
Isurugi Noe (True Tears)
Kafuka Fuura (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei)
Kagura (Gintama)
Koume (Hanamaru Kindergarten)
Kotomi Ichinose (Clannad)
Koyomi Morishita (Yokuwakaru Gendaimaho)
Kyoko Mogami (Skip Beat!)
Megumi Yamamoto (Special A)
Mirai Onizawa (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0)
Misaki Nakahara (Welcome to the NHK!)
Moka Akashiya (Rosario+Vampire)
Noda Megumi (Nodame Cantabile)
P-Ko (Arakawa Under the Bridge)

Sawako Kuronuma (Kimi Ni Todoke)
Tsubasa Shibahima (Kare Kano)

NEW SEGMENT: Lovely Ladies of Anime

2010-08-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm running out of things to write on my blog, so I decided to introduce a new segment I call Lovely Ladies of Anime. I think I'd rather call it LLOA for short, so if I you see that, please remember that this is what I'm referring to. Basicly in this segment, I'll be writing about my favorite female anime characters. Who they are, what they're like, why I like them, and what they do for the series they're in. Why just ladies? Because face it, anime guys are usually kinda boring.

Okay, now here's the really weird part that may cause me to lose some of my followers. Not that I really care. (no offense followers) I refer to myself as an 'anime bisexual.' I am definitely straight, but there are certain anime girls that I just can't help finding attractive. I can't really help it, it's just how I am. I'm telling you this because I may make some comments about the girls I write about that may seem a little...odd. You know, about how attractive they are, how cute they are, ect. But I don't think I'm gonna be doing that too often

Now this segment won't begin until tomorrow, but please look forward to it. And comment below because I looove comments. I don't know, just talk about your favorite anime girls or something. Point is ME WANT COMMENTS!!!

Random Comments

2010-08-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

Hello. I am currently in the middle of quite a few series, and I thought I'd let you know my thoughts on them so far. So here's some pros and cons of what I'm watching at the moment. Enjoy :)

Itazura na Kiss (at episode 5)

Pros: Achieves the difficult task of removing the cliches from a typical shojo high school romcom. Most of the characters are very likeable and fun without being typical anime steryotypes.

Cons: The story itself is not very original. The story where two people hate each other but then end up stuck with each other and fall in love has been used way too many times.

Hayate no Gotoku! (at episode 18)

Pros: A very original story and tons of fun, likeable characters. Packed full of hillarious and perfectly placed gags and jokes that you would have to be some hardcore humorless goth no to laugh at.

Cons: With a series like this, every episode needs to be as good as (if not better than) the last, and there are certain episodes that fail to satisfy.

Strawberry Panic (at episode 4)

Pros: Cute series that will satisfy the cravings of most yuri fans. the way the school system works is very original, and the scenery is nice.

Cons: All of the characters seem flat and uninteresting. It is very cliche, and every episode seems about the same. Nothing remotely interesting has happened in the story thus far.

Aria the Animation (at episode 7)

Pros: Wonderfull music and incredible characters. The story idea was original, and the background art pulls you into the story and almost makes you feel like you are there.

Cons: With characters like the ones in this series, the viewers will want to get to know them better. So far, this series has failed to let us venture into their minds.

2009 Anime Awards Cancelled

2010-08-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah I've decided to wait until December and hold a 2010 anime awards show. Sorry for the inconvenience. That is all.

FINAL REVIEW: Welcome to the NHK!

2010-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Synopsis taken from myanimelist.net.
Satou Tatsuhiro, 22 years old, thinks that everything that happens around him is a conspiracy. He even figured out who is behind it all: The NHK, an evil secret company. "When you think anime, you think otaku. When you think otaku, you think people that dislike other people. Those people become hikikomori (people who shut themselves in)". So Satou manages to uncover the plot of The NHK (stands for Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai), after three years of shutting himself in (and rapidly approaching the fourth). In reality, he is nothing more than a NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), desperately in need of a cure from that "disease". He wants to break out from the curse, but going out and getting a job is frightening enough for him. That is until he gets selected for a "project"; it is a plan to help hikikomori like him in facing the reality of this world.

I think this may be one of the most relatable anime series I've seen thus far. The characters in Welcome to the NHK! go through so many different hardships, emotions and thoughts that I beleive everyone who watches the show will find at least one scene they can relate to. Now, the problems these people face aren't always on a large scale, like greif or abuse, but they are all affective in grabbing the veiwers emotions. The journey through Satou's mind as he struggles to break out of his hikikomori shell is a painful, beautiful, and honest one that will keep your heart pounding.

The characters in this show are mostly hit or miss. They are all evil in their own way, but we soon realize that they are not bad people, and that everyone on earth has an ugly dark side that they can't control. Unlike in a lot of series, Welcome to the NHK! lets you venture into the minds and souls of all of the characters and enables you to see why they are the way they are, rather than just giving you a fun character with an odd personality that is never explained.

The flaws? Not many. But no series is perfect. The only thing that really bothered me about Welcome to the NHK! was that some scenes gave off a completely different mood than what they were going for. For example, there was a very emotionally moving, heart pounding scene near the end that was about to have me in tears, (not going to reveal it. It's a spoiler) and then they changed the background music to the ending song, which kind of ruined the mood.

This series was phenomenal, and therefore very difficult to review. I think everyone, anime fan or not, should take a look at Welcome to the NHK! You will not be dissapointed.

Story: 9
Art: 8
Music: 8
Character: 9
Laughs: 6
Tears: 8
Opening: 9
Ending 1: 9
Ending 2: (will evaluate later)

Overall Rating: 9

FINAL REVIEW: Arakawa Under the Bridge

2010-08-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Kou is a very successful executive and self proclaimed 'elite' who's entire life has revolved around his family motto: "never be indebted to anyone." However, this all changes when he breaks this rule by nearly drowning in Arakawa river and being rescued by Nino, a mysterious girl living under the bridge, who beleives she comes from Venus. Nino tells Kou, who is desperate to get rid of his 'debt,' that he can repay her by becoming his lover. Soon enough, Kou finds himself forced to live among the variety of oddball characters that live under the bridge, and begins to see the world in a completely different way.

When I mention this series to my friends, I often refer to it as "comedy gold." That's because Arakawa Under the Bridge is without a doubt a work of comedic genius. Just about every joke is right on, and there's not one moment when you think the writers were trying too hard to make you laugh. There are so many hillarious, yet subtle details in this series that you can't really script. For example, Nino's hair spinning like a pinwheel in the wind, or the children fighting in the background.

The characters in this series make the show. First you have the two main characters, Nino and Kou, but its the rest of the under-the-bridge family that really keeps you coming back. There's the Village Cheif, a guy in a green kappa suit who thinks he is a real kappa, Hoshi, the star-masked man with a love for music, ladies, and beating the shit out of Ko, Sister, the male, ex-millitary nun, P-ko, the gardening ninja with a thing for the Village Cheif, Tetsuo and Tetsuro, the mask-wearing twins who beleive they have escaped from a lab, Stella, the seemingly innocent Brittish girl with a dark side, and Maria, the sadistic farmgirl. Yeah, there's a lot, and they are all amazing. To get rid of even one would ruin this series.

There are a few flaws to this series, but not many. The storyline wasn't all that great, and at times it was a bit hard to understand what was going on. Also, some of the best characters don't get the attention they deserve. If you're going to put a lot of characters in the series and make them all enjoyable and irrisitable, you can expect some dissapointment from fans when they don't see enough of their favorite.

I highly reccomend Arakawa Under the Bridge to anyone who is looking for a good laugh, minus the cheesy ecchi jokes many people have come to expect from anime comedy. This is a good, smart, strong comedy series, and I am glad to have become part of this wacky family.

Story: 7
Art: 7
Music: 8
Characters: 9
Laughs: 9
Tears: N/A
Opening: 9
Ending: {will rate later}
Opening (ep. 5): 7

OVERALL RATING: 8/10

TOP 5: Child Stars

2010-08-13T09:18:00.001-07:00

Number 5
Coming in at number five is little Maria Takarada from my personal favorite series, Skip Beat. There was so much put into this character. Her tragic back story, her one-sided love for one of the main characters, and the connection she makes with the protagonist, Kyoko, affect pretty much everything she does in the story, which is more than you can say for a lot of characters. The only thing keeping her back at number five is that the writers kind of push Maria off to the side after a little bit and move on to other things, which is much more than this wonderful character deserves.

Number 4

I wish I could have found a bigger piucture of this girl instead of having to blow up an icon. Anyway, our number 4 child star is Stella from Arakawa Under the Bridge. She's the adorable, english speaking blonde brittish girl who, like most english speaking anime characters, isn't actually all that good at english. She looks and acts completely innocent, but she's hiding the fact that she's a badass kick-ass bundle of horror who transforms into an enormous man-lady when she gets pissed. Why is she only number four? Because once you get past her first appearence episode, nobody really seems to like her anymore.

Number 3
Number 3 is Kaolla Su from Love Hina. She's a foreigner from who the hell knows where, and you never really know what she's going to do next even though the only thing ever on her mind seems to be food. Her ideal greeting is a kick in the face, and yet you still kinda want to jump into the screen and give her a giant hug. AND she's an inventor. AND AND! She can change her age. So basicly, she kicks ass. End of story.

Number 2

Number two had to be two characters, because you kind of have no choice but to group them together. It's Tsukino and Kano Miyazawa from Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances). These girls are the amazing kid sisters of the protagonist, Yukino, and will bring a smile to your face just about every time they appear. Personally, I want these guys to be my kid sisters. They're adorable, smart, supportive, and hillarious and would be a joy to have in any household. Sometimes I wonder if the writer of Kare Kano created these characters specifically as the two amazing sisters she never had.

Number 1
And the number one child-star in anime is Anzu from Hanamaru Kindergarten, who may just be the youngest protagonist in anime history. Like most little girls, Anzu just won't shut up. But unlike most little girls, you don't want her to. She is an adorably lovable character, despite the fact that she's in love with someone at least five times her age. She has the ability to climb up a human being like a monkey, drive a kiddie car around like a pro with a grown man sitting next to her, and pretty much get everyone in the kindergarten on her side in her battle for a love that will obviously never be. And for those reasons, Anazu is the number one anime child-star of all time.

Like this bit? Comment below and give me an idea for another top five list! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

I'm Sorry!

2010-08-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting a lot lately because a) I haven't had any inspiration until just now and b) my computer crashed again the other day. I'm using a different computer for this post, but I won't be able to post regularly again untill school starts.
Also, you may have noticed I've skipped a couple episode reviews of Arakawa Under the Bridge and a few of the other series I've been reviewing. In some cases, I will not be able to review every single episode of a series, but I will always, always write a full series review once I finish a series, so please look forward to those.
One more thing: if you have any ideas for segments I could do on my blog, please let me know what you'd like to see.
Thank You! ^_^

ANIME SONG OF THE WEEK: Ai Chuseishin (Excel Saga)

2010-08-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwCYHXRB50U&feature=related

This opening basicly defines the series: crazy, random, unpredictable and hillarious. The singing isn't exactly supposed to be good, so don't expect much there, but it's amazing how you can pack everything viewers love about a series in a minute and a half long song. Enjoy the awesome randomness!

Arakawa Under The Bridge - Episode 4

2010-08-05T11:54:00.001-07:00

This series hasn't once yet dissapointed me. This episode was just as good, if not better than the others so far. Before, you kind of doubted if Nino and Kou had or could ever have a real relationship rather than a forced one. But in this episode, we discover that Kou is just as crazy as Nino and the other bridge-dwellers. Their relationship progresses, and for the first time, you start to genuinely enjoy this pair.

However, the real show-stealer for episode four was little Maria. Maria is an adorable, english-speaking blonde pigtailed girl who Sister took care of when he worked at an orphanage in england. She seems like a cute, innocent girl, but she has a very dark side and beats Kou up in five seconds. This character was a wonderful addition to the series, and I hope she sticks around for a long time.

Any other Arakawa Under the Bridge fans out there? Let me know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

2009 Anime Awards: The Nominees are Here!

2010-08-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have finally compiled the nominees for the 2009 anime awards! Please cast your votes by commenting below. Note that I am also holding polls on Gaia and Facebook. Polls close at 8:30 PM on 8/15/10, and the results will be posted the next day.

Best Female Protagonist

- Kajika Burnsworth (Hanasakeru Seishonen)

- Mikoto Misaka (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun)

- Koyomi Morishita (Yokuwakaru Gendaimahou)

- Kurimi Sakurano (Seitokai no Ichizon)

Best Male Protagonist

- Junpei Kousaka (Nyan Koi!)

- Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)

- Natsuru Senou (Kampfer)

- Shouta Kazehaya (Kimi ni Todoke)

Best Supporting Character

- Aoi Asuza (Sasameki Koto)

- Hime Makita (Sora no Manimani)

- Mari Kusuakabe (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0)

- Happy (Fairy Tail)

Best Couple

- Fumi Manjoume and Akira Okudaira (Aoi Hana)

- Fuji Touya and Yuki Morikawa (White Album)

- Sawako Kuronuma and Shouta Kazehaya (Kimi Ni Todoke)

- Hikaru Genji and Fujitsubo no Miya (Genji Monogatari Sennenki)

Best Opening

- Aoi Hana (Aoi Hana)

- Only my Railgun (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun)

- Programming for Non-fiction (Yokuwakaru Gendaimaho)

- Arrival of Tears (11eyes)

Best Ending

- Kanpeki Gu-no Ne (Fairy Tail)

- Kataomi (Kimi Ni Todoke)

- M/elody (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0)

- Clean (Maria Holic)

Best Art

- Kuchu Buranko (or Trapeze)

- Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

- Genji Monogatari Sennenki

- White Album

Worst Series

- Miracle Train

- Kobato

- Asura Cryin'

- Akikan!

Best Series

- Kuchu Buranko (or Trapeze)

- Bakemonogatari

- Toaru Kagaku no Railgun

- Hanasakeru Seishonen

- Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

- Cross Game

- K-ON!

- Nyan Koi!

- Fairy Tail

- Aoi Hana

Arakawa Under The Bridge - Episode 3

2010-08-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

A man with a star head named Hoshi spots Nino leaving Kou's room, and drags Kou into a confessional where he has Sister act as a lie detector. Kou reveals he has yet to go on a date with Nino, and Hoshi's jeers prompts Kou to ask her out on one. However, Nino doesn't really understand what a date is. She eventually decides to go to the mouth of the river to see if the grass boats she had been making had reached the sea.

The jokes in this episode are very well written, as usual. Just about every joke is comedy gold. They keep shooting more and more jokes at you, but not so many so fast that you will feel overwhelmed. What's really impressive about this, and most other episodes, is how they portray Nino's emotions. Her dull, lifeless expression can be changed drasticly with just a slight movement of the eyebrows or her mouth opening slightly. It must be difficult to get a character with no pupils to show any emotion whatsoever, but leave it the artists of Arakawa Under the Bridge to pull it off.

Any other Arakawa Under the Bridge fans out there? Comment and tell me what you think! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

TOP 5: Worst Ideas in Anime

2010-08-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Number 5

The number five worst idea in anime was hatched by "lord" Il Palazzo from Excel Saga. He beleives that "this world is corrupt," and thus plans to take it over and recreate it in a more ideal way. However, to avoid pushing himself too hard, he plans to start by taking over the small city of F. However, Il Palazzo doesn't seem to want to get his ass off the chair and actually work toward his goal. So he decides to hire a phsyco teenage girl to do his work for him. Needless to say, this isn't gonna work. Not only do the tasks he sends her on have absolutely nothing to do with conquest, but a teenage girl and an old man in a cape obviously don't stand a chance against the entire freaking universe.

Number 4

Tamaki Suoh has stolen the number four spot for worst idea in anime. The scene is, while riding a carriage and chasing after Tamaki and his almost-fiance in her awesome car, Haruhi bumps into the rim and falls of the bridge. (there's water below) Tamaki, being the brilliant quick thinker he is, decides to jump off the bridge after her. Seriosly...what does this accomplish? You're not an angel, Tamaki. You're not gonna be able to grab her and fly her to safety or anything. Oh, so then this is the romantic kiss scene for the fangirls, right? Wrong. It's the dissapointing lean in to kiss and then hug scene. So not only are you both going in the water, but you've just given all your fans a huge middle finger.

Number 3
The number 3 spot goes to Yamada from B Gata H Kei. Yamada is a beautiful girl just starting high school. Everyone has goals to accomplish in high school. Make straight A's, get the lead in a play...or, in Yamada's case, have sex with 100 guys before graduation. Not only is this chick messed up in the head, but she has no earthly idea what she's doing. She knows nothing about how to seduce a guy, how to kiss, how to talk to a guy properly, or basicly any knowledge needed to accomplish this. Needless to say, nothing happens. (BTW if you guys had read my reviews you would know this already)

Number 2

The second worst idea in anime goes to that of Masaki Akemiya from Sasameki Koto. So here's the dilemma: Akemiya is an ackward, dorky student council member who is in love with the super cool Sumika Murusame. It's true that she's way too good for him, but that's not the problem. The problem is, Sumika is in love with her best friend, Ushio Kazama. A girl. So how do you deal with being madlu in love with someone who doesn't like your gender? Most people would simply try to forget about it and move on, but Mr. Persistant has something else in mind. Crossdressing. First of all, think about it Akemiya: if a guy in your class, who you had very little interest in in the first place, came over to you dressed as a woman, would you just magicly fall in love with them? Nope. Sorry. Doesn't quite work that way. Second of all, when he does get the idea, he also starts modeling for magazines. Hello! Did you forget why you were doing this? You're supposed to be getting the girl, not signing up for Little Miss Transvest. This guy seriously needs to get his goals straight.

Number 1

And the number one worst idea in anime is, yes, the infamous baloon-boob idea from Negima. In this scene, all the girls are in the bath and are having a contest to see who has the biggest boobs. The winner "gets" Negi, who is currently staying in Asuna and Konoka's room. Now, Negi likes where he is and doesn't want anyone else to "get him," so he decides, since he's a wizard, it would be an amazing idea to turn Asuna's breast into baloons so she'll win the contest. There was nothing even remotely smart about this idea. First of all, who the hell is going to fall for that? I'm pretty sure there's not a single person out there who thinks it's natural for a girl's breasts to start rapidly inflating until they're each about the size of her head. And second, couldn't you just tell the girls you want to stay where you are? I mean, you're an adorable ten year old boy. They're not gonna force you to do anything if you shoot them a puppy face or something. But no, you chose boobies over reasoning and landed yourself the number one spot in the top five worst ideas in anime.

Like this bit? Comment below and suggest a category for my next top five list! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

ANIME SONG OF THE WEEK: Venus to Jesus (Arakawa Under the Bridge)

2010-08-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPXmvqZIn8Q

Just so you know this is how I pick my anime song of the week: I have a playlist of all my favorite anime songs on Playlist.com, and I just push the shuffle button, skip a few times, and post whatever I land on. Anyway, I've loved this opening ever since I first saw it. So creative, and so many metaphors that you have to love even though you probably have no idea what they mean. You can't expect anything less from a SHAFT anime, can you? Please enjoy!

Like this song? Hate it? Let me know in the comments! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ - Episode 12 (FINAL)

2010-08-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Blank spots indicate spoilers. Hilight to view.

Hazumu has put the two girls through about as much stress as she has been experiencing, and now it's time to make a decision. He must decide between Tomari, his loyal childhood friend, and Yasuna, his first love. Hazumu loves both girls very much, but as Ayuki said, if he doesn't choose soon, the two 'flowers' will wither.

What a wonderful conclusion to a beautiful series. The final episode of Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ pulls you into the hearts of the main characters so that you may experience the same love, heartbreak, joy, and sorrow that they do. There are mixed feelings about Hazumu choosing Yasuna. A lot of viewers beleive he should have chosen Tomari instead. His decision was definitely a surprise, but in the end, Hazumu did what he had to and wanted to do. If you are a crier, there's about a 90% chance you will cry at this episode.

Overall Conclusion

Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ was probably one of the most touching series I have experienced. This series wonderfully and accurately depicts the ups and downs of any love life. First love, rejection, change, jealousy, and extremely difficult decisions. A funny, cute, romantic series that is a must for any yuri fan. If you've ever been unsure of what love is, why it exists, what it feels like, or how to deal with it, this anime will give you all the answers you need. I highly reccomend it.

Story: 8

Art: 7

Characters: 8

Romance: 9

Laughs: 7

Tears: 8

Opening: 7

Ending: 6

Overall Rating: 8

Last Thought: "This series is like...my soul..."

Any other Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ fans out there? Tell me what you think! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

COMING UP: Nyan Koi!

2010-08-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Junpei Kousaka is a second-year high school student who despises cats and has an allergy to them. It just so happens that his high school crush is Kaede Mizuno, a girl who adores cats. One day, while walking home from school, Junpei kicks an empty can and unfortunately beans the local neko-jizou-sama (guardian deity of cats). He finds he can now understand what cats are saying, including his family's own ill-tempered cat, Nyamusas. However, if he does not grant 100 wishes from cats, he will turn into a cat himself.

Sorry...I've already seen three episodes of this series, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to start there. Anyway, I loved this series from the beginning. The cats are cute, the characters are loveable, and the story is quite creative. I look forward to watching and reviewing this series.

B Gata H Kei - Episode 12 (FINAL)

2010-08-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

THIS IS IT!!! At last, the conclusion to B Gata H Kei! Yamada tries to get Kosuda to pick up where they left off, (so much for taking it slow) but she is too embarrased to tell him up front, and Kosuda is as dense as always. When he finally gets the message, they decide to go to a hotel and try again. Will they succeed? Then, Kosuda ends up in the hospital after fracturing his ankle, and Yamada decides to play nurse and seduce him.

Well, as you probably had guessed from the beginning, Yamada and Kosuda didn't end up doing it. But even so, this ending was pretty satisfying. The best was the end credits, which were basicly a montage of the whole series from episode one. I think the goal here was to make you miss the series, and this goal was absolutely obtained.

Overall Conclusion

B Gata H Kei is definitely not the best series out there, but it is absolutely one of the funniest. It hillariously depicted sexual desires in teenagers and the progression of a relationship. If you're looking for something clean and tasteful, this is probably not for you. However, if you're looking for something that will make you laugh your ass off, no matter how perverse the methods, you have found the perfect series. I reccomend this to pretty much anyone who can handle a few sexual jokes and a LOT of ecchi.

Story: 7

Art: 6

Characters: 8

Romance: 6

Laughs: 7

Opening: 7

Ending: 7

Overall Rating: 7

Final Thought: "I can't beleive I actually watched this...but I'm so glad I did."

B Gata H Kei - Episode 11

2010-08-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

In the first half, the Kanejou's are having a huge Christmas party at their mansion and invite the whole class, including Yamada and Kosuda. Yamada's goal is to find a "secret room" in the mansion so she and Kosuda can finally do it. However, Kanejou thinks she is referring to the love shrine she made for her brother and is determined to make sure they don't get there. In the second half, could it be? Yamada and Kosuda are finally going to do it? Yamada has Kosuda on the bed already unzipped! But Kanejou watching the whole thing through secret cameras and is determined to show her brother so he will stop liking Yamada.

This was a really great episode. There wasn't much comedy, but a LOT of satisfaction. Not only does Yamada go far enough with Kosuda that you are mostly satisfied, but she finally realizes thar she is rushing and needs to slow down. Now all she needs to do is fall in love with Kosuda. Will it happen? We'll find out in the final episode! MAXIMUM EXCITEMENT! ^_^

B Gata H Kei - Episode 10

2010-08-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

In the first half, Kosuda and Yamada go on their first date in a while, but are interrupted when Kaneijou's brother shows up and confesses that he likes Yamada. Yamada quickly turns him down, beleiving he is too hot to be a virgin. However he tells her he is. Yamada is shocked and starts to reconsider. In the second half, Kanejou is super pissed that her beloved brother is in love with Yamada. She plans to get revenge by stealing Kosuda away from her.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! B Gata H Kei is back baby! It feels good to once again laugh myself into tears. Ohh sweet ROFL's! How I missed you! Anyway, this episode was very satisfying. And yes, it did focus just a little bit more on Kanejou's relationship with her brother. But I'm still wondering when they're gonna dedecate an episode to it. I think that's what they need right now.

Any other B Gata H Kei fans out there? Comment and tell me what you think! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

B Gata H Kei - Episode 9

2010-08-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

In the first half, Kosuda confesses to Yamada properly. The only problem is, he does it in front of the entire school, and the embarrased Yamada turns him down reflexively. Yamada finally realizes in the back of her mind that she might actually like Kosuda rather than just wanting to get in his pants. However, she constantly denies it. This half was more sweet than funny. There were a few good laughs, but it was nice to step away from the comedy for a second for a more heartwarming mood.

In the second half, Kanejou's older brother Keichi visits and comes to watch the sports festival. Kanejou is lovestruck, (yeah she's in love with her brother. Didn't I mention that?) Kosuda is jealous, and Yamada just doesn't give a shit. This half did get back into the humorous mood of the series, but I really wish they had focused more on Kanejou and her brother. The plot twist with Kanejou being in love with her brother (although creepy) was very creative and hillarious. I was excited to see them together, but I wasn't too satisfied. However, I was quite satisfiesd with the resolution to the conflict between Yamada and Kosuda.

Any other B Gata H Kei fans out there? Comment and tell me what you think! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

TOP 5: Most Destructive Anime Characters

2010-08-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

NUMBER 5

Our number five most destructive anime character is...actually five characters. The combined effort of the entire main cast of The Wallflower has helped them steal a spot on the list. Without even trying, these four gorgeous boys and this way beyond creepy girl manage to either hurt someone, destroy a building, or blow something up in just about every episode. And Sunako is so creepy, she breaks lights and wilts flowers just by walking around. So what the heck is the landlady doing entrusting her expensive mansion to five teenage wrecking balls? I haven't the faintest.

Number 4

The number four spot goes to Sora Hitoshi from Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ who hasn't really destroyed much property wise, but did manage to destroy a boy's life by crushing his body with his alien spaceship and accidentally reconstructing him as a girl. What does he do to apoligize? He broadcasts the story to the whole city, thus making the poor boy into a local celebrity constantly chased by reporters. He then continues to move into his house, mooch off him and his parents, and constantly conduct personal experiments on the poor victim. But hey, he's a heartless alien. He doesn't know any better

Number 3

Number three goes to the infamous Dokuro Mitsukai from Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan. You can assume anyone who carries a huge spikey club around has got to be destructive, and at least in Dokuro-chan's case, you'd be right. This girl violently kills Sakura at least twice in every episode. So not only is the guy dead, but now there's blood and guts all over the walls and doors. Sure, she always brings him back to life, but it still kinda sucks to have your head blown off with a club.

Number 2

Full Metal Panic? Fummofu's Sosuke Sagara has stolen our number two spot. Anyone surprised? Didn't think so. Sosuke is a millitary freak who can't seem to figure out that blowing shit up in a peaceful community is a big no-no. Anyone who carries a gun (or several) to school is most likely bad news. Sagara seems to think it's okay to wave a gun around like it's nothing, and that dedination is the solution to any problem you may face. Needless to say, this leads to a lot of destruction.

Number 1

And the number one spot goes to Excel Excel from Excel Saga! Why? Well let's see. She hits people with suitcases, kills the original Manga artist, causes about fifty car crashes, beats up her work friend, blows up a building killing that work friend, and tries to eat a stray dog all in episode one. Need more? Well for one thing, she works for a secret orginization that plans to take over the city. Which, I'll admit, you could blame on her leader, Il Palazzo, but at least he keeps his ass in his chair and out of the city. And I can't tell you how many buildings (and space ships) she's either blown up or set on fire. Thus, Excel Excel is without a doubt the most destructive character in anime.

Like this bit? Comment below and suggest a category for my next top five list! Feedback is always appreciated ^_^

Anime Awards 2009 (nominee search)

2010-07-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hello! I know I started out doing 2010 anime nominees, but I realized that the year is nowhere near over. I've decided to go back a bit and do 2009 awards. I'll do 2010 in November or December when more series have come out. Anyway, let's try to do this nominee thing again, shall we? And this time, I've filled in some of the slots with my decisions. The ones with stars may be changed later.

Rules
-Series must have been released in 2009
- No sequels or OVAs
- Please do not nominate the same anime for more than two categories
- Please nominate multiple animes for each category

Best Female Protagonist
- Kajika Burnsworth (Hanasakeru Seishonen)
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Best Male Protagonist
- Junpei Kousaka (Nyan Koi!)
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Best Supporting Character
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Best Couple
- Touya Fuji and Yuki Morikawa (White Album) *
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Best Opening
- Aoi Hana (Aoi Hana) *
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Best Ending
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Best Art
- Kuchu Buranko (or Trapeze)
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Best Manga One-shot
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Worst Series
- Miracle Train
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Best Series
(Just throw out some ideas)

Kashimashi ~ Girl Meets Girl (episode 8)

2010-07-26T11:29:00.001-07:00

Hazumu and her friends participate in a test of courage at their school at night despite Hazumu's intense protests. During this event, the students split up in groups and head through the school where scary events await them. At the end of the event, the friendship of the three female main characters strengthens.

A very touching episode. I loved how this one took a step into the mind of Mayuki. Mayuki has always been a very interesting character, and it was nice to finally hear her thoughts. The only problem I have with this episode is that they suddenly decided to make Mayuki like Hazumu. Unlike the other characters, there was no foreshadowing for this. It was completely out of the blue, and it didn't make sense. This love triangle has become a love pentagon.

This episode was so-so. Not good, not bad. Basicly the same as all of the other episodes.

Announcement

2010-07-26T11:14:00.001-07:00

I am very sorry for this, but for various reasons, I have decided not to review Welcome to the NHK. I am just starting out reviewing, and I beleive this series is to advanced for me to review at the moment. Again, I apologize.

OPENING OF THE WEEK: Strawberry Panic

2010-07-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMWIKpLbieM&feature=PlayList&p=B6079AF52B0079AE&index=10&shuffle=169&playnext=1

Nagisa Aoi is a first year high school student who has been sent to the Astraea Dormitory after her parents are transferred abroad. The dormitory houses girls from three different girls' schools: St. Spica's Academy, St. Le Rim Girls School and St. Miatre Girls Academy. There she meets the representative of the three girls' schools, Shizuma Hanazano, also know as the Etoile, who is beloved by all students at all schools. The two of them have an interesting first encounter and Hanazano seems to take an instant liking for Aoi.

I absolutely love this song. I have yet to see the series, but I have seen many AMVs with scenes from it, and I look forward to watching this series in the future. *mild yuri warning*

Anime Awards 2010! (Seeking Nominees)

2010-07-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm going to be doing a 2010 anime awards show here on my blog! Right now, I'm hunting for nominees and I need some help. I have ten categories, including a best series category, the nominees of which I will pick later. But for now, please do your best to help me find four nominees to fill each of the categories. Thank you! Here are the categories:

Best Male Protagonist

Best Female Protagonist

Best Supporting Character

Best Antagonist

Best Couple

Best Opening

- Venus to Jesus (Arakawa Under the Bridge)

Best Ending

Best Art

Best Manga One-Shot

Worst Series

Remember, in order to be nominated, the series MUST have been released in 2010. Thanks for your help! ^_^

B Gata H Kei (episode 7)

2010-07-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

By now Yamada is battling a desperate "war" against the seemingly invincible Kyouka Kanejō. Meanwhile, summer break is coming, and Kosuda asks Yamada out to go somewhere for the summer break. Both see this as an opportunity...but there are hurdles, including a non-matching schedule between Yamada and Kosuda, resulting in the both of them not able to find a day reserved for themselves. And, this summer, Yamada got dumbstruck when she finds out Kosuda is out on a family trip...with Mayu Miyano's family! Imagining that Kosuda is getting all lovey-dovey with Miyano, Yamada goes after him.

This episode was...plain. It seemed like they were just taking old jokes that they'd used in past episodes and applying them to different situations. There were a few giggles here and there, but with a series like this, you have to remember that the audience is expecting it to get better with every episode. This episode was uninteresting and resembled all the others. I am very dissapointed...

Kashimashi ~ Girl Meets Girl (episode 8)

2010-07-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

It's summertime, and Hazumu invites everyone to the beach to celebrate. However, while all the girls are having a blast, Asuta has a real dillema on his hands. Ever since Hazumu became a girl, he has been slowly but surely falling in love with her against his will, and he has reached a point where he can no longer deny it. But why is he falling in love with his best friend, especially considering she used to be a boy?

This episode is a lot of fun, blending the drama in Asuta's head with piss yourself hillarious comedy. This has been the funniest episode so far. It is also rather unexpected to have an episode centered around Asuta, since you normally think of him as more of a side character. I applaud this series for bringing us into the minds and hearts of the whole gang, rather than just the three mains. Overall, this is a fantastic break from all the love-triangle drama that has been going on since episode one.

What I'm Watching

2010-07-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hello! So unfortunately, right now as I'm starting this blog, I'm already halfway through two of the animes I'm watching and a quarter through the third. But I want to review them on this blog anyway, so I'm gonna have to start at episode seven with the reviews. So, to avoid confusion, here's a synopsis (pulled from myanimelist) of the three animes I'm watching at the moment and my thoughts on them so far. Enjoy!

B Gata H Kei

Yamada, first name withheld, is a 15 year old girl who has just entered Takizawa High School. Easily considered exceptionally beautiful, she has only one problem with her own body, she thinks her vagina looks weird and is very self-conscious about it. Upon entering high school, her dream was to have casual sex with 100 men but therein lies the problem, she believes an experienced partner will tease her about the way her vagina looks or simply the fact that she's a virgin. She stumbles upon the solution in the form of Kosuda Takashi, a fellow virgin, whom she believes will help ease the transition to more experienced partners.There's only one small problem, Yamada doesn't know anything about sex or the ancient art of seduction, meaning her quest to conquer Kosuda will be a difficult one.

I stumbled apon this synopsis on myanimelist, and I thought there was no way in hell I was watching it. One day, when I was really bored, I decided t0 watch a few minutes of it just to see how horrible it was. Was I expecting it to make me laugh? No. But I am so glad I came across this series. The hillariously wacky and perverted nature of this series will leave almost any viewer on the floor laughing.

This series had a very strong beginning, but the humor has begun to get a little dull since episode one. There are still moments that make you laugh of course, but not to the point of tears anymore. This anime is getting a little bit old. But will it pull through?

Welcome to the NHK!

Satou Tatsuhiro, 22 years old, thinks that everything that happens around him is a conspiracy. He even figured out who is behind it all: The NHK, an evil secret company. "When you think anime, you think otaku. When you think otaku, you think people that dislike other people. Those people become hikikomori (people who shut themselves in)". So Satou manages to uncover the plot of The NHK (stands for Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai), after three years of shutting himself in (and rapidly approaching the fourth). In reality, he is nothing more than a NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), desperately in need of a cure from that "disease". He wants to break out from the curse, but going out and getting a job is frightening enough for him. That is until he gets selected for a "project"; it is a plan to help hikikomori like him in facing the reality of this world.

This series didn't pull me in at first. It was unique from episode one, but not in your face fantastic. But by episode seven, I realized that little by little, this series has been subtly catching my interest. The characters in this series are very distant at this point and it seems you know almost nothing about them. But that mystery is probably the main thing that makes NHK the way it is.

Kashimashi ~ Girl Meets Girl

Hazumu confessed his love to Yasuna, but she turned him down. To ease his heartbreak, he went to Mt. Kashimayama where he had met her first. However, he lost his way in the mountain because it was night time. He saw a big shooting star, and when he made a wish, he found out that something was wrong. It turned out that it wasn't a shooting star, but a falling space ship. He was involved in the crash, but managed to survive by the help of an alien. However, he became a girl by accident during the reconstruction of his body.

Again, I almost knocked this one after the synopsis. What made me watch it anyway? I have no clue, but I'm glad I gave this series a second chance. This series is heartwarming, hillarious, and beautiful. Very different from the manga, which has a more comedic tone, but in a good way. This series is absolutely worth checking out. (unless you're not a shojo ai person that is...)