Saturday, 24 December 2011

Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East)

Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East)



    On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be known as "Careless Monday," does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later... Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory. and he is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he holds in the other.
***The blurb wasn't complete, so I just added what's in purple.

General Info:
Episodes; 11.
Language; Japanese with English subs, English dub (?) <--- It seems only for the first two episodes on animefreak.tv.

Review:
    Higashi no Eden was a little confusing at first, but nonetheless very interesting. It was funny and romantic, and very dramatic. Strangely enough I think all of the aspects (Mystery, Drama, Comedy, Romance, Si-Fi) were all equally prominent, but in different parts of the story. More so at the beginning it was romance and comedy, then around maybe episode 4 or 5 it dipped into the more Si-Fi/mystery aspect, and there was a coating of drama just overall. It was nicely done. Differing the feeling of the story kept it more watchable, if you will, but more or less just kept it from getting old. There is only so much confusion and seriousness you can take before you get bored of it. 
    As for the actual plot line, I liked it quite a bit. I'm going to add a little summary of the phones - to my understanding at least, feel free to correct me - hopefully to help people if they are still a little lost. Also a note to those who don't know, a NEET is someone who is "Not currently engaged in Education, Employment, or Training". So basically someone who isn't able or to lazy to get an education and/or a job.
    The series didn't seem very conclusive to me, but after looking around a little bit I discovered there are movie sequels. Here are the links; Higashi No Eden: Gekijouban I The King Of Eden and 
Higashi No Eden: Gekijouban II Paradise Lost. The title of the first makes sense after you watch the anime, and I'm sure the second after you watch the first movie. If you want to watch this anime on animeseason.com, the follow this link.
    The characters personalities differ which is also nice. Some animes like this most of the characters act the same, very serious and such, but you have characters like Ohsugi, Panties, and Akira himself. They all sort of act as comedic relief which is nice. There is the one kid that hides in the cover of the desk - I cannot remember his name! Kasuga maybe? - who also serves as comedic relief.
    There are also some things that make you chuckle, or at least make me chuckle, like the pun with Mr. Outside's name. Overall it's a cute and interesting show. It is rather prominent of the romance side, so if you like mystery romance genres, then you will like this one. If you find romance annoying, then you may not like it as much.

Rating:
    I would give Higashi no Eden 4.5 out of 5 stars. * * * * ½*

Explanation ***Spoiler***:
   Okay, from what I understand  12 people were given a phone with 10 billion yen on each phone. They are told to spend the money to help make Japan into a better place. These are the Selecao. They can die four ways that I know of;

1.  If someone else reaches the goal of helping Japan the most, the others will be killed. (So number 11 reaches the goal, numbers 1 to 10 and 12 will be killed.)
2. If they just spend the money on their own desires they will be killed.
3. If they simply throw away the phone, they will be killed.
4. If they use up all the money on the phone, they will be killed.

    Then there is person who has set this whole thing up, and he goes by Mr. Outside; later found out to be Ato Saizo. Among the 12  Selecao there is the 'Supporter'. The Supporter also has a phone, and it is their job to kill those who break ways (listed above)  2  and/or  3  and/or  4.

    Also, as I mentioned earlier; NEET is someone who is "Not currently engaged in Education, Employment, or Training". So basically someone who isn't able or to lazy to get an education and/or a job. It's a term commonly used in Japan, though it was used elsewhere during a certain time period.

There you go, if there is anything else you're confused about, let me know and I'll see if I can help.

EDIT:
I has been wondering about this for a while myself, and I finally found it. The bike Akira has is called a ビックスクーター which is translated to 'Bick Scooter' - according to this thread. Here's a Google search: link.

Friday, 23 December 2011

Ghost Hunt

Ghost Hunt



    Taniyama Mai is your everyday high school student, who has the pastime of telling ghost stories with her friends. Much to her surprise, she meets a mysterious ghost hunter, Shibuya Kazuya, the 17 year old head of Shibuya Psychic Research, sent out to investigate strange phenomenon occurring in Mai's school. Accidentally interfering with their investigations, Mai unintentionally causes the injury of Shibuya's assistant, resulting in Shibuya demanding Mai herself to aid him in his investigations. Based on the novel by Fuyumi Ono and Shiho Inada.

General Info:
Episodes; 25.
Language; Japanese with English subs, English dubbed.

Review:
    This is freaky, cute, and funny all at the same time. Of course, this may freak people out more or less than myself, but I only found a few of the cases skin-crawling creepy. What's nice about this anime is that they don't maintain the super heavy horror atmosphere at all times - the fill-in's between some cases and at the beginning and ending of the episodes are rather cute and funny. 
    I like the love-triangle between kimono girl (I can't remember her name), Mai, a Naru. I actually liked John and Monk as well, men wise anyways. 
    The discovery of Mai's powers throughout the show was interesting a freaky. I'll say now that the freakiest one to me was the second to last case with mansion. Just...shiver. I was watching this show until about 8:30 in the morning, and I literally could not stop watching because I had to know that it was solved. Ugh, but I love this feeling, so anyways it definitely provides that.
    I'd like to mention the mystery solving horror bit is more prominent than the romance bit, in case your worried. It truly is creepy, I promise.
    In the middle of the episodes there are a few comic relief ones - I believe it's episode 11. Also, 12 and 13 are also fairly light, but really sad. Poor Kenji! I was so sad at the end of it!
   To be honest I don`t have much to say about this one, other than I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it if you liked to be creeped out.7
   Also, compared to the written, the anime is much more beautiful. The dub is nicely done as well, though I did find Mai's voice slightly annoying when she was yelling.

Must Watch Episodes:
    I liked file 7 "The Bloodstained Labyrinth" which is episodes 18 - 21. I also liked episode 11 "File 4: Ghost Story in the Park!?", and episodes 12 - 13 "File 5: Silent Christmas".

Rating:
   I would give Ghost Hunt 4.5 out of 5 stars. * * * * ½

Death Note

Death Note



    During just another normal day, Yagami Light stumbles upon a black notebook known as the Death Note. This notebook belongs to a shinigami, Ryuk, having the ability to kill anyone who has their name written in it. As the new owner of the Death Note, Light's true desires surface, yearning to cleanse the world of evil by murdering a large number of criminals. When the world begins to notice the existence of this unknown killer, legendary detective L is brought onto the case; starting a war between "Kira" and L. Whoever is able to find out the others identity first will be the one to survive. Based on the manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

General Info:
Episodes; 37.
Language; Japanese with English subs, English dub. 
(I watched the dub and it was fantastic! Light's voice at first bothered me, but it suited him in a way. As for L's, I would have loved it no matter the person; I thought it was kind of sexy, haha. It was also really well done, though, and really suited him. Just a note - Misa's was perfectly annoying.)

Review:
    .......I honestly do not know what to say. I finished Death Note just now, and I am literally in awe and speechless. Just....wow. Apples hold significance and add to the story, keep that in mind.
    Alright, I have taken a moment to gather my thoughts, but my mind is still blown. I'll say this now that I do not recommend this as the first anime you ever watch, because I guarantee there will be no psychological thriller that will surpass this. Truly genius. 
    Not only was it beautifully animated, the story is unlike any other - making it beyond unique - but the creators really possess a cleverness that only a few people could actually follow. I honestly wish I could be able to guess what Light or L or Near or Mellow were thinking, but I could never guess. I simply sat and watched, waiting to be told in awed numbness.
    My only complaint would be that there is a constant tense sort of feeling, it intensifies at times and makes you more giddy or worried - or whichever, I don't remember specific feelings; I felt them all - but it never quite has a downfall of tension. You sort of get used it, meaning when it does intensify, it doesn't affect you much.
    Nevertheless, it remained interesting and thrilling. I like how time passes (6 years) before the end of the anime/manga, opposed to having this happen all within a year, as some do. Though I found Light didn't physically age much between the beginning and end of the show, others around him did; such as his sister. In a sense that added a nice touch, or perhaps a hidden meaning, or maybe it's my own nonobservance, but he's questionable aging didn't affect the story much, this is just me nit-picking.
    As for the plot it always seemed to keep my on the edge of my seat. Many times I wondered how the hell it was going to work out, peaking at the number of episodes and being confused as to why I was only half way through. It always seemed as if it was driving itself into a dead end, but it was only keeping us out of the loop. I appreciate many things that happened, and I am really, truly in awe of the creators. Honestly, I'm not sure if I should acknowledge them as clever or run like hell in the other direction. I don't think I would do the latter, seeing as I seemed to favour Light.
     I didn't exactly agree with Light's ideals, but for some reason I just wanted him to win. I liked L as well, which was confusing for me; not knowing what side I was on. I think this show would be enjoyed more if you chose I specific side, because you would react more to the actions and outcomes of certain things, whether that be a 'good' or 'bad' reaction to certain things opposed to having a neutral opinion. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense honestly; I hope I am.
    I'll sum this up quickly before I yammer on some more. The best anime I have ever watched, by far. If you have not watched this yet, you must. MUST!!!
   Actually, I would like to mention about how Light seemingly gets more insane throughout the episodes. I think it's supposed to make you lean more towards L's side, but some people cannot be swayed. I did not like Near or Mellow, though, that much I can say. Also, I hated Misa. I understood her roll in the story and everything, but I just naturally dislike people like her. I don't think she was supposed to be a particularly likable character anyways, so not matter. DO WATCH!! If you have opinions on this, please comment!

Must Watch Episodes:
    I liked all the episodes, and I don't think you can skip any - so I say you must watch them all. My favourite episode was - by far - episode 25. If you want to know why, go and watch it. As horrible of me as it is, I was undeniably happy. Also, if I remember correctly the first half of episode 26 is like a recap of what has happened in the previous episodes, but not super detailed so you make it through it just fine. I also really liked the last three episodes, 35,  36, and 37.


Rating:
    I wondering if I even have to say: 5 out of 5 stars by far. If I gave out 6, this would get a 7.
* * * * *

Note:
    I know people wonder if there is romance in this. Yes, in a sense there is, but not the kind you are looking for if you are looking specifically for romance. It's more or less a reason to explain actions, loyalties, and a certain other thing to do with the Shinigami that I won't spoil. Enjoy this anime! Read the manga too, if you fall in love, they sell them in a book store at my local mall, so I definitely plan to get the first couple - if only to support the mangakas.

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Psychic Detective Yakumo

Psychic Detective Yakumo



    In order to help a friend possessed by a spirit, Ozawa Haruka knocks on the door of her university's movie research association. There she meets Saitou Yakumo, a rude, unkempt young man with a red left eye, who is said to have spiritual powers. At first Haruka is skeptical, but she comes to believe him when he conveys messages from her older sister, who died when she was a child. Together, they work to shed light on the terrifying events happening at their university. But this is only the prologue of what's to come...

General Info:
Episodes; 13.
Language; Japanese with English subs.

Review:
    I love mystery-like shows, and 'detective' was not just part of the name. Despite the cases seeming relatively random, they were all connected in one way or another; in my opinion that is the work of a clever mind. 
    I found the romance between Yakumo and Haruka gentle and sweet. It wasn't exactly basking in the spotlight, but subtly hinting. I think their non-extreme relationship suited Yakumo's internal conflict with himself, and Haruka's self-unawareness, so it worked really well with them. It left me completely satisfied in that sense to say the least.
    The story had interesting twists and each ending was both conclusive and a cliff-hanger - again takes a clever mind to do - with left me happy with the episode, and eager for the next. 
    I feel as if I can't say much without ruining the story - but I can comment and say that I would also be in love with Yakumo, and I also really loved Nao (Isshin's daughter) I thought she was absolutely adorable.
    Also - speaking of Isshin - whatever episode it was when the crazy man was trying to resurrect his daughter, when Haruka first met Isshin, I thought he was the crazy man in disguise. Ha ha; proves how skeptical I am. It would have made a nice twist though, eh?
   On second thought, perhaps not. I really liked the opening song and video, it set the whole atmosphere for the show, so I really enjoyed this. Fantastic!

Rating:
I would give Psychic Detective Yakumo 4 out of 5 stars. * * * *

Friday, 9 December 2011

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru (Uraboku)

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru (Uraboku)




    Sakurai Yuki is a mysterious boy with a mysterious ability. He was found in the bushes as a baby and adopted by his current family. Because of this, Yuki strives for independence. The last thing he wants is to be a burden to anybody. Furthermore, when he touches others, he can feel their emotions. Unable to control his ability, he often made insensitive blunders in the past. With death threats and his abilities increasing, what will happen when a man claiming to be his older brother appears?

General Info:
Episodes; 24.
Language; Japanese with English subtitles.

Review:
    This was an extremely serious and dramatic one. Yes, it had action, but these were also drawn out in a dramatic way. I found it sort of slow in the sense nothing terribly interesting happens every episode, but it was smooth like this - making the story easy to follow. It was heavy on the whole magic-y and Duras such and so, but it was quite unique and interesting.
    The ending wasn't quite conclusive enough in my opinion, it's like the makers didn't know how to end it, so just threw out any old cliche and hoped for the best. Cliche, yes, but it was a final-seeming ending. In other words I don't exactly expect a sequel. At the same time, though, at episode 23 I was thinking there was going to be a sequel; do you see what I mean when I say abrupt?
    This is supposedly yaoi - and I guess a minor sense it is - but it more one characters feelings for another. There wasn't any kissing or sex or anything of the sort in here - so I would count it at all as yaoi. Unless you can't stand even the slightest hint homosexuality, this will be fine. And technically it's not homosexuality if you think about it (you'll have to watch it if you want to know what I mean~...)
    I did quite enjoy this one, and despite seeming slow at times, I really enjoyed it!

Must Watch Episodes:
My list this time is;

3
4
7
14
15
18
20
23

Rating:
   I would give Uraboku 4 our of 5 stars. * * * *

Monday, 5 December 2011

Hakuouki

Hakuouki:




   Based on Idea Factory's romance adventure game: Yukimura Chizuru has come to Kyoto looking for her father, a doctor who has gone missing. While there, she witnesses a fight between an Oni and the Shinsengumi. Taking her into custody, the Shinsengumi debates on what to do with Chizuru when they discover that she is the daughter of the doctor they are also looking for. The Shinsengumi then takes Chizuru along on their search after the missing doctor, from adventures to adventures.

General Info:
Episodes; 12.
Language; Japanese with English subs.

Review:
   I found this one not only slightly creepy (I love creepy!), but fantastically action-filled as well. I absolutely love samurai/ninja/sword-fight anything, so this was already shot to the top of my list. As explained by the blurb, it is about a girl who's father went missing, and so after waiting for while, she dresses as a boy and goes out to find him. Within the first five or so minutes of the show you see her basically running for her life and hiding behind some barrels from some guys, only for them to be slaughtered by the Rasetsu (sorry if I spelled this wrong). AND - I know the blurb says 'Oni', but they are not Oni's, they are Rasetsu's. They guy Kazama is a real Oni.
   Either way, there is a little romance between the characters (as expected when one girl is living in a dojo filled with hot guys). You are supposed to favour Hijikata, but how can you with all the others around!? My favourite guys were Saito, Keisuke, and the bad-sexy-guy Kazama. Kazama is my number one, why do I always like the wrong ones?
   Anyways, the fighting scenes in this are absolutely fantastic. If you have a weak stomach against blood and such, then I wouldn't suggest it. It is also a fairly serious and tense anime, considering there is a war going on at this time. It has a lot of confusing twists and unexpected moments. Just a general tip when watching animes - skip the beginning song unless you really love it, or if you do, don't watch the video. It always tends to ruin the story a little bit. 
   I, like I said before, I love fighting/tense/serious animes (I mentioned sword fighting I'm sure) and anyone who is into that stuff will surely love it. And girls who like this stuff, but can't suppress their girly nature, it is mostly action a fighting plus hot guys with a touch of romance on the side. You will like it, and I definitely recommend it.

***Just a side note, sorry for not posting in so long. Also sorry this such a shitty review, I'm a little rusty, no?

Must Watch Episodes:
    I didn't note them, I seem not to, eh? I liked them all, but my favourites were definitely episode 1,  3,  6,  & 9 of what I remember. I like any episode with Kazama in it honestly, and episode 3 because it was a bigger battle one.  

Rating:
    By far 5 our of 5 stars! * * * * *

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Full Moon wo Sagashite:




    Twelve-year-old Kouyama Mitsuki was devastated when she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor of the throat. She had made a promise to the boy she loves that she would one day become a singer, but her illness made singing impossible. To make matters even worse, two angels of death, Takuto and Meroko, appeared to Mitsuki and informed her that she only had one year left to live. This news provides an even greater motivation for Mitsuki to fulfill her dreams, and with a little bit of divine intervention, she begins her quest to become a professional singer so she can be reunited with Eichi before time runs out.

General Info:
Episodes; 52.
Language; Japanese with English subs.

Review:
    I watch Full Moon wo Sagashite quite a while ago, but I remember crying and loving it a lot. It's a very sweet story about a girl trying to make her dream come true. She's aiming to find the one she loves and develops such sweet relationships along the way. I cried so much in the last couple episodes, and at some before then as well, it really is such a sad story at some points.
   I feel so incredibly bad for Mitsuki because she wants desperately to be a singer, but she has throat cancer. Can you imagine if this were real? Being told that you were to die in a year, and you pull a brave face and try to achieve your dream? I really do admire her.
   Of course I love Takuto, I have a picture of him in cat form in my binder - I know, I'm a loser, but since when did I care? - and I like the role he plays. These two are obviously my favourite, but I don't feel they were the most unique characters. I think Mereko and Eichi (like eh-chi, not E-chi) were the most creative. Mereko because she was an ally and an antagonist at the same time, and Eichi because he plays such a big part even without making his appearance - influencing Mereko, Takuto,  and Mitsuki. It's rare that you find a characters with such a powerful influence even though most of the characters have not even met him.
   Mereko did annoy me a little at times, but she completely redeems herself in my heart at the end. Not in any part of this anime was I overly annoyed or bored, but rather I would get mad at the characters, or feel bad for them. When they were happy, I was, when they were upset, I was too. When Mitsuki was hollow-like, I felt so sad and broken myself - just imagining.
   Not often can I find animes that make me feel this, so I really loved this one. So much, it was wonderful. I could easily watch this three times over, I almost did actually. Brilliant, my compliments to the writer of the manga, I adore your creativity and understanding of emotions.

Must Watch Episodes:
    As I said before I watched this anime a long time ago, so of course I wasn't recording my favourite episodes. I would definitely say that the last episode is a must watch. I would warn you not to look up any of the music from this, though, most of the tracks are accompanied by scenes of the last episode, and it really ruins it for you (almost did for me, but I clicked away quickly).

Rating:
    I would utterly and completely give Full Moon wo Sagashite 5 out of 5 stars. * * * * *

Friday, 4 November 2011

Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi

Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi:
***WARNING: This is what is considered yaoi or shounen ai; in other words, man on man love.***




    Even though Ritsu Onodera hates to rely on family connections, he winds up taking a job as an editor at his parents' company, Marukawa Books. To his chagrin, he's assigned to the shoujo manga department in spite of having no interest or experience in it. And on top of that, he has an awful first impression of his high-handed editor in chief, Masamune Takano. What comes after is a story of first love full of tears and laughter.

General Info:
Episodes; 12.
Language; Japanese with English subs.

Review:
    Yes, another yaoi - I know, bad me, but they are just so cute! Whether it's man on man or man on woman (this sounds more dirty to me for some reason) I don't really care, as long as the plot line is sweet. I wouldn't watch woman on woman, though, not my style. 
    Now that that's out of the way, I shall start my opinion-ing. I actually found this one really cute and I enjoyed every episode! In this one there wasn't as much sex, or if there was it sort of just faded out before it got to explicit. I personally appreciated this mainly because I don't really watch them for the sex scenes.
    Also, I just have to wonder about the logic in this - they are working as editors for a shojo manga - okay, I understand. But really, all of them are gay? Plus people from other departments?? This is what I'm looking to get into (literature), should I expect to be surrounded by homosexual co-workers?? Or perhaps the majority of Japan is gay...? I know I'm being picky, but I can't help it, I have issues with a reality-ish thing being completely unlike reality.  Sorry, but it had to be said.
    Now characters development. Of course, seeing as this one was created by the same people as Junjou Romantica, you have three couples you center around. In fact they give you a touch of relation from Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi to Junjou Romantica, which I sort of giggled and smiled at. If there wasn't a second season for this series I think I would be pretty pissed. Yes, the last episode had some major development and kawaii-ness, but it felt very inconclusive, but this is in a sense hinting at the second season.
     The side couples develop very fast because they only get a couple episodes each, but I like how it's about the other editors. It sort of made them more relate-able when you from Onodera's view point. I especially liked Hatori, Chiaki , and Yuu's relationship because I really liked the Chiaki's personality.
      One thing that annoys me about the animation style is that I could not tell the difference between most of the characters. I knew Onodera because of the green eyes, but I kept getting Ciaki and Kisa confused, and = Hatori, Yokozawa, Takano, and Isaka confused! So a lot of the time I was wondering from whose perspective I was viewing it from, and especially with Onodera whether he was talking to Yokozawa or Isaka...

Must Watch Episodes:
    Agian, I forgot the write down episodes (shame shame), but I remember liked episode 5.

Rating:
    I would give Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi 4.5 stars out of 5. * * * * ½ *

Other:
    At this time the second season is only at episode 5, and assuming it will go to 12, I will wait for it to be completed before I review it. If you want to watch the second season, though, click here.
     
Edit:
    I had totally mixed up the name in this, so I fixed them up. Those who were confused shouldn't be confused anymore - gomen gomen!

Thursday, 3 November 2011

Junjou Romantica (2)

Junjou Romantica (2): (The two meaning the second as well)
***WARNING: This is what is called yaoi or shounen ai - in other words, man on man love.***



Junjou Romantica


Junjou Romantica 2

    Misaki is suddenly having some unexpected and odd problems. What started as a need for some college entrance exam tutoring has somehow led him to being romanced by a suave older man who also happens to be his big brother’s best friend. Confused by all of his brand new emotions, Misaki struggles to deal with his suddenly very odd life. And if that wasn't enough, his suitor, Usami, has plenty of issues of his own. A man-child who decorates his room in giant teddy bears and toys, Usami is a famous novelist who also writes steamy boys’ love novels on the side. When Misaki cracks open one of these books and reads sentences like "Misaki licks every inch of Usami's hot body" ...well, let’s just say that all hell breaks loose.


General Info:
Episodes;
First Season - 12.
Second Season - 12.
Language; Japanese with English subs. (Both)

Review:
    Yes! I know! I reviewed two separate seasons together, shame shame. I apologize, but I completely forgot about this (bad) and ended up finished both of them before I realized I was supposed to review them... So of course now I don't know what happened in the first season compared to the second, just one jumbled lovely mess.
    As for the anime, well, well indeed. I am not some pervert or anything, yaoi is good for a girl every once in a while. There are definitely sex scenes - every episode basically, but they aren't very long and they don't just show you them having sex for the sake of showing you them having sex, they only show you bits while they are talking and that actually contributes to the story - but they are only for a couple minutes or so, and opposed to them being there for 'ooo! sex!' they actually do develop the story.
    As for the actual story, I actually quite liked it. Because they were only 12 episodes per season and THREE couples, it doesn't take long until the couples are in a relationship - I mean they have to move it along, right? Even so, all the couples have their problems, but it focuses mainly on Usagi (Usami) and Misaki and their relationship. And of course being the stereotypical person I favoured them over the others.
     I suppose the other two couples were for fillers, but I found it slightly annoying at times, because I didn't really care about Hiro and Nowaki, I cared about Misaki and Usagi!! I did like how they were all connected slightly, but not in a major way. Hiro used to be in love with Usagi, and Hiro works with Miyagi who's with Shinobou, so the college is sort of their connection.
     Either way, I enjoyed this series a lot, and thought it was quite cute and funny!

Must Watch Episodes:
    Again, gomen, I completely forgot about having to review this, so I actually didn't write down any of my favourite episodes, but I would say any that centered on Misaki and Usagi (which was most of them save a few).

Rating:
    I would give both Junjou Romantica and Junjou Romantica 2 (space, no connecting the two and four) 4.5 stars out of 5. * * * * ½ *

Monday, 31 October 2011

Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo:




    Mugen's a buck wild warrior - violent, thoughtless and womanizing. Jin is a vagrant ronin - mysterious, traditional, well-mannered and very strong as well. These two fiercely independent warriors can`t be any more different from one another, yet their paths cross when Fuu, a ditzy waitress, saves them from being executed when they are arrested after a violent sword-fight. Fuu convinces the two vagrant young men to help her find a mysterious samurai "who smells of sunflowers." And their journey begins. This is a story about love, friendship and courage... NOT!


General Info:
Episodes; 26.
Language; Japanese with English subs, English dub (very good English dub, the voices suited the characters.)

Review:
    Everyone needs to watch a good action anime once in a while, and I absolutely loved this one. Good action animes can be a little hard to find because they can just turn out with several episodes of accomplishing nothing (cough cough Bleach), but this one was quite the contrary. Yes, because they are travelling there is quite a bit of the same sort of thing - finding a shelter and eating - but it's never boring.
    This is rated +18 for good reasons, there are several suggestive things and 'red light district' sort of stuff, but I think the rating is mainly because of all the blood and whatnot. There is definitely a lot of blood-spraying and limb-chopping fun, but I actually quite enjoyed this. I don't mind gore and whatnot, but I mainly liked the fight scenes because they were cool to watch. There were a couple guns, but it was mainly about katana use (thus the 'Samurai') which pretty much kicked ass. I like!
    Along with the explicit scenes are gore, there was a reasonable amount of swearing, so I wouldn't watch it if you are sensitive to any of those things, are just young in general. Either way, the plot line is good, and lots is added onto it throughout that don't make it too heavy emotionally, but definitely increases the danger.
    I have to admit, and I don't really like how the very end was, but then again is sort of suited everything, so it was for the best. There is a touch of romance in it, but not really within the three main characters. It is there, just not prominent. More subtle, there if you want to see it, but easily overlooked.
    This is by far an action anime, and I wouldn't say it has much romance at all. Considering I only have a 'Romantic Action' tab, that is where it will go. Perhaps if I get into more genres, I'll make more separate tabs and just make 'Romance' a tab of it's own. We'll see. If I had to sum up this anime though, I would say it's basically a Samurai gang fight. There's even graffiti, beat-boxing, and rapping, so who can say otherwise. That and the fact that there are actually gang fights....

Must Watch Episodes:
    I actually stopped keeping track of my favourite episodes....I sort of was to engrossed in what was happened to care much... I would definitely say you have to watch the last three or so episodes though, very good!

Rating:
   I know I have been giving out a lot of 5 stars lately, but this one definitely deserves it, I can't really find anything I didn't like about it. So 5 out of 5 stars. * * * * *

Sunday, 30 October 2011

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Wallflower)

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Wallflower):



    Kyouhei, Ranmaru, Takenaga, and Yukinojou are beautiful, handsome, young men living in a huge mansion. One day, their landlord, whom they call "Auntie", asks them a favor: to make her niece, Sunako, who's going to be living with them, into a respectable young lady. She agrees to make their living expenses free of charge if they succeed but, if they fail, she'll triple their rent. Due to their confidence in knowing how to deal with women, they agree but, once they meet Sunako, they begin to realize that their lovely living arrangements may soon be in jeopardy.

General Info:
Episodes; 25.
Language;  Japanese with English subs, English dub (I've heard, couldn't find it).

Review:
    I have had this on my 'To Be Watched' list forever, but I was reluctant to do so because the animation style kind of freaked me out; Yuki being the scariest - gomen! I was searching for another to watch and it just kept popping up, so I went ahead and watched it. I was the first episode or two, and if I don't like it, stop. This one had me hooked from the first five minutes. The freaking intro song is beautiful, and the characters are actually quite attractive.
    Once their moving around their better, and also they are kind of in that white no-distinct-facial-features form a lot, so even if their looks did bother me, I wouldn't have to see it all the time! I actually love it when characters go into that sort of form, showing you that sort of slip-stick comedy without the looks.
    I found this anime to be 100% hilarious! There wasn't an episode where I didn't laugh out loud, and I was almost always smiling. I watch anime late at night too, so I learned that slapping your hand over your mouth is a truly defective muffling technique.
    There was romance in this show between Kyouhei and Sunako, Tomao and Ranmaru, and between Takenaga and Noi. So there's plenty to go around, it's just not the main thing.
    Regardless of that, I regret putting this anime off for so long. I don't really have any complaints because the strange anime style actually suits the anime more than if it was what I would classify as more 'normal'. Fantastically done!

Must Watch Episodes:
    Honest to god I truly did love all of the episodes, but here are the ones that stood out more than the rest. There were some between 13 and 20, but I forgot to jot them down....
-Episodes  5,  7,  9,  10,  12,  13,  20,  22, and  25.

Rating:
    I would definitely give Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge 5 out of 5 stars! * * * * *

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Skip Beat!

Skip Beat!:




    The story revolves around a young girl named Kyoko who went with her childhood friend, Shou, to Tokyo to pursue his dream of becoming an idol. Despite of supporting him, she overhears him dismissing her as boring wallflower. Furious, Kyoko vows to get her revenge to defeat him by entering the entertainment world.


General Info:
Episodes; 25.
Language; Japanese with English subs.

Review:
    Skip Beat is hilarious! The romance is there and prominent, but not the main thing. I haven't watched the anime in a long time, but I'm currently with the manga which develops the story quite a bit more, so I'm hesitant to say much of anything about Skip Beat.
    Because of this, I'm not going to talk about character development to much and I'll only touch on bits of the story that I know are in the anime.
    My only half-hearted complaint would probably be the animation style. At first it freaked me out a little bit, but I'm quite fond of it now. Regardless, if you do watch this anime, after a while the fact that they have weird shaped heads won't bother you anymore.
    I also find this anime extremely funny, I don't know how to describe the humour, but it will make you laugh. I remember now when Kyoko is trying to avoid Ren, and he's following her (to an elevator? Don't know the episode...) and he's sparkling away, and she looks like she thinks she's going to be murdered - bad explanation, but this was hilarious. Also, in the manga I remember on one page Kyoko was really happy about something, so they did the zoom on her face with all the flowers an sparkly bits floating around to show her happiness. Well she was sparkling at Ren and Yashiro, so in the next frame the flowers and whatnot were stuck to them. I don't know why, but this made me cry I was laughing so hard.
    Either way, my point is that I found Skip Beat funny in it's own way, and I enjoyed it very very very much! Sorry I can't write more, I just don't want to accidentally ruin anything. If you haven't watched Skip Beat, it's a classic must watch. If your interested in manga, then this is definitely a good one!


Must Watch Episodes;
    I watched this anime a long time ago, but I loved love loved it! I've read all the latest of the manga and am hungry for more! There were three episodes that I do remember liking which were; Episode  5,  6, and  7.


Rating;
I would most definitely give this 5 out of 5 stars. Skip Beat is one of my most favoured animes out there. Love it! * * * * *

Friday, 28 October 2011

Pretear (Shin Shirayuki Hime Densetsu Pretear)

Pretear (Shin Shirayuki Hime Densetsu Pretear):





    Himeno Awayuki was a normal sixteen-year old girl until her father married a woman who happens to be rich. Since then, she has been perceived as an outcast by both her new stepsisters and her classmates. Later Himeno finds out from seven men called the Leafe Knights that she is something called Pretear, a girl who has the power to merge with and control the nature of the elemental-oriented powers from the Leafe Knights and stop an evil being called the Princess of Disaster.

General Info:
Episodes; 13.
Language; Japanese with English subs.

Review:
     I very much liked the idea of this show, the Leafe Knights and how she transforms, for lack of better word, into these different power-ed versions of herself. The animations were very pretty, and at times I would literally giggle to death, especially when Hayate runs away from angry Himeno (4).
   Depsite this, there are a couple episode in there where it is just Himeno being useless and feeling afraid for her life. I'll admit it's probably to show that we all have flaws, but it was sort of drawn out to me, it didn't seem as much like a fault as it did a 'look at poor me' sort of thing.
    Even so, Sasame's sexiness makes up for it. Ha ha. In all seriousness I actually enjoyed the artwork of this one very much. The characters had very good facial expressions, and if you pay close attention you can see people in the background who aren't paricularily significant have changing facial expressions. Or even when you look at one character, than to another, if someone is standing behind them their facial expression changed very smoothly. This, and the characters were very attractive overall.
    The romance in Pretear is both obvious and subtle, and I enjoyed it very much! This one belongs in the 'Magic' tab for apparent reasons.

Must Watch Episodes:  
     There weren't many because this was a short series, but here are the ones I took note of:
-Episodes 4 (I laughed so hard at this episode, especially when Hayate ran away at the end),  7,  8,  10, and  12.

Rating:
   I would give Pretear 4 out of 5 stars. I would have given it 5, but there were a couple episodes which were Himeno was just pitying herself, and I always hate that sort of thing. Normally it wouldn't be such a big deal, but considering the anime is only 13 episodes long, a couple is quite a bit. * * * *

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Puchi Puri Yuushi (Petite Princes Yucie)

Puchi Puri Yuushi (Petite Princess Yucie):



    In the distant past in a faraway land, Yuushi is a 17-year-old girl that has been put under a spell -- her body stopped aging ever since she was ten years old. Cheerful and optimistic, Yuushi doesn't let the spell bother her. Especially because Yuushi has been selected as a candidate to become the next Puchi Puri Princess. The girl selected to be princess will receive a magical tiara which grants the wearer anything she wants. This means that if Yuushi becomes princess she can wish her spell away! But the competition is stiff and Yuushi still looks like a 10-year-old girl.

General Info:
Episodes; 26.
Language; Japanese with English subs.

Review:
   I definitely liked the plot line, but for me it was a little to drawn out. Several episodes in there had no real significance at all, and seemed like they were there for the sake of making the show longer. I didn't start really enjoying the series until episode 6, and I was not fond of the six that followed. Once it got passed 16 it was better, but still was sort of boring.
   Now I will hand it to them, the last two episodes literally made me bawl. Audibly at that. So I will say I really enjoyed those episodes. The actual animation bothered me a quite a bit - Yuushi's hair style freaked me out. Mind you it did add to the story somewhat, but Arc's hair was equally freaky. During these times you wonder how freaking long it toke to do that.
   Another thing I really appreciated was the commercial break outro (made up term?) and intro they were all different and all cute! I liked that it related to the story as well, sort of prompting  you to notice the development of characters.
   I also liked Arc quite a bit, and I will not take points off for her freaky hair. He truly was a hottie - and even though his looks were not top notch, he won me over with that personality. Of course I did actually like all the personalities off the characters excluding Erumina. 
*I just want to make an off-topic note, but they really f***ed up the name translations and Wiki. Cocoloo? Kokoru! Prince Arrow? Prince Aru! Ha ha, I find this quite amusing.*
    The ending made me cry a lot, and I love it when an anime can make me cry. I guess without knowing it I got attached to the characters.
    Like I said before, I did get bored part way through, but that doesn't mean I didn't like the idea of the anime. It will be docked stars for boring me, gomen gomen!
    Due to the awesome other-worldliness, this anime belongs in the 'Magic' tab.

Must Watch Episodes:
    I picked quite a few, but keep in mind I didn't especially enjoy the episode not listed here. Also keep in mind this is my opinion and my opinion alone.
-Episodes 6,  10,  12,  13,  15,  16,  20,  25, and  26.

Rating:
   I will give Puchi Puri Yuushi 3.5 out of 5 stars. * * * ½*