It has been a while I got this excited for an anime. In fact, I can't remember the last anime that got me all worked out like this. Needless to say, I think Aku no Hana is a very awesome anime. I definitely recommended it to everyone.
It’s that day when I got another level up in life. I’m turning a year older again today. So many things have changed in a course of a year. I read what I wrote on my birthday last year and I almost choked with laughter at how ridiculous everything sounds.
So overall, year 2012 has indeed been kinder to me. I have achieved what I set out to achieve but most importantly, I unexpectedly found love which is easily the highlight of the year for me.
I need an outlet to express how I feel nowadays. To be honest, things are going too good for me at the moment to the point that I am sort of living in fear for I do not want these extremely good feelings, and the love I have for him to end. If all these are gone tomorrow, there is a big probability that I might lose sanity.
Welp, looks like we are having this conversation again after so many years. Well 2 years and 3 months to be exact. The last time I wrote about my crush, I was in a different state of mind where I know it can be nothing more than just that, a crush.
I didn't give this show any attention until my colleague starts spazzing (and drew fanarts overnight) about it. He said it was good and funny. It sounds alright so yeah lets check this out. I do hope it is as good as people say it is. After all, it takes a lot for me to actually go loco for a mecha anime.
(c) Pixiv ID 4394760
And I didn't go loco (well, not completely anyway) for the Gatchaman but I do like the characters in this show, especially Hajime which is quite surprisingly given the fact that I usually ended up disliking characters like her.
Gatchaman is about a bunch of people who are selected by JJ, the Gatchaman God of some sort. They are given a planner that represent their soul and they would use it to change to Gatchaman mode and save the innocent people from MESS. Hajime is the newbie and she's about to throw the balance out the window. At least from the inside.
This show is surprisingly addicting and greatly entertaining. I am certainly looking forward to see the rest of the Gatchaman suits. Having said that, Hajime's Gatchaman suit is definitely my least favorite. That much, I can tell already.
I pay no heed to this show until I reread my preview for Spring. How could I forget the important fact that this show might have a boy pretending to be a girl? Lets just hope that this one will go horribly right. After all, isn't this the only show that is featured in noitaminA this season?
(c) pixiv id 1169389
But oh dear. This is such an average show, I dunno where to begin. Yes, there is a boy who was forced to pretend as a girl to be the princess but that lasted for less than 5 minutes.
There are two Arata. One from the other world, and the other from Japan. The former was chosen to be the succeeding princess but was framed as the princess murderer instead by the Twelve Shinsho who planned to take over the ruling of that place. The latter Arata on the other hand is pathetic as fuck. He's often being bullied and has no friends. Somehow, due to the forest magical shit thingy, they switched place.
I'm more intrigued to see how the former Arata cope with living in Japan than the emo-whining Avatar that travel to that magical world.
The animation was below average for an anime that is featured in noitaminA. The plot was kinda meh too. I dunno how the hell did this show get chosen =\
Having said that, the Twelve Shinsho are actually quite hawt LOL
Episode: 12
Aired: Spring 2013
Producers: Satelight
arts & animation 5/10
story 5/10
characters 5/10
sound 5/10
enjoyment 4/10
overall 4.8/10
I'm checking all these stupid shows so that you don't have to. Aren't I nice or aren't I nice? But in all honesty, I don't think this show is going to be bad if they managed to get the comedy to be actually funny for a change. So I'm crossing my finger and hope that it will manage to make me laugh at least once.
(c) Petarou
Binbougami ga! is about Mimoji who is the God of Misfortune and Ichiko, the girl with all the fortune in the world. Ichiko is causing inbalance to the world so Mimoji was sent to set things right. It was fun in the beginning, where Mimoji just said whatever the fuck she wanted but then when Ichiko was introduced, I lost any interest with the show. She was annoying.
As I thought, I won't be watching this show either. It is just too stupid for me and the joke ain't funny either. Most of them were overused. I stuck to the end of the episode waiting for Hiro's character to made an appearance but he never did which mean I just have to watch the second episode. Damn it.
I guess I'll watch until episode 2 and see how it goes. Jeebus I'm such a seiyuu fag.
edit: I've watched the 2nd episode and still no Hiro. I feel cheated. Fuck this I'm dropping this shit.
I didn’t know what to expect about Jormungand and glad that
I didn’t put an effort to find out. This show surprises me in a good way.
Jormungand is pretty much about Jonah, a kid soldier who
hates weapon but is dependent of them, and Koko, an arm dealers which a bunch
of skilled people around her to get the job done. Though Jinah hates weapons
(because it killed his parents), he chose to travel with Koko and the others
and be service of her.
(c) Mataro
I want to have Jonah as my little brother. Can I adopt him,
please?
The other characters look too bland in my opinion including
Koko except for Jonah. It must have something to do with the contrast of his
tanned skin, white hair and bloodshot eyes. He’s pretty memorable as a
character. The animation on the other hand was pretty average but I’m not
complaining too much because I get what I want: BLOOD.
This is a short first impression because I don’t have much
to say about it. Jormungand delivers the craziness of Koko and complimented her
with an awesome set of skilled crew that will definitely entertain us along the
way.
But let’s not forget that this show is ultimately about
Jonah’s journey of finding his inner peace.
I am unsure about this one. I know I am not a fan of this genre of anime in general but I thought I should give it a chance, like I did with any other anime of the season. I have a feeling that I would end up dropping this series once I saw the first episode though.
The art and animation of this series are really oldskool and it should not come as a surprise because the series itself (Saint Seiya) has been around for 25 years. This anime is the first TV series since it was first started so I think that fact makes me more acceptable towards it. At the same time, it also has that Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan feeling to it in term of exaggeration etc. Fascinating enough, the fanarts are more visually intriguing and much more entertaining/exciting than the anime.
Since I don't read the manga, I have no idea how close it the anime adaptation is to the source but knowing that this is a spin off, I guess Toei Animation has the liberty to be creative with the story. The episode started with the Gold Seiya saving Kouga from the evil when he was still a baby, in the arms of Athena, his guardian. Ever since then, he has been training to become a Seiya himself and help save his planet from the evil power. Of course he has his comrades to help him out.
I can't relate to any of the characters which is probably why I ended up failing to enjoy this episode. Though they are all the heroic type, they lack something human in my opinion. This make sense since they are Martians and logically aren't exactly human. But still... it's has the negative effect on me personally.
As for the seiyuus and the OP/ED, they aren't anything bad about them but there aren't outstanding either. In other words, they are average at best. I guess it was to be expected of a shounen shows nowadays... sadly so.
Like I said earlier, I did not manage to enjoy this show just like I expected. Consequently, there won't be a second chance for Saint Seiya Omega for me. I'm dropping this.
art & animation 5/10
story 5/10
characters 5/10
sound 5/10
enjoyment 5/10
overall 5/10
Episodes: 12 Producers: TMS Entertainment, Media Factory, NIS America, Studio Saki Mura Genres: Action, Adventure, Historical, Seinen
I am hoping that there would be a lot of bishie for this show and that is the only reason why I want to check this out. This could possibly be another Sengoku Basara. We still have Date Masamune as one of the characters but it was to be expected. This is a story of Sengoku era after all. Brave 10 is directed by Kiyoko Sayama, the same director for the likes of Vampire Knight and Princess Tutu. Not exactly convincingbut he was also the one responsible for the storyboard of Death Note so there is still hope, my friend.
The story evolved around Isanami who was pursued by some clan who wanted her special power that she wasn't aware of. While running around to save herself, she met with Saizo, a ronin samurai who helped her out but got stuck with her in the end. Together they went to see the Lord Sanada Yukimura who protected them both and hired Saizo to be one of his 10 brave warriors to fight alongside him against the evil guys. Obviously there will be at least 1 new warriors to be introduced for every episode leading up the climax, which would be interesting indeed.
The art is colorful and the animation smooth but it lacks soul in my opinion. Even the fight happened too fast and wouldn't allow us to savor the kill or the actions, which isn't that many to be honest. The characters are designed by Yukiko Ban who has been involved in project like Gintama. Naturally I can't find fault with anyone who is involved in Gintama and indeed there is no flaws that I want to point out. The characters are bishies alright and if in real life, would most probably seemed out of place in the world of ninja and samurai. I didn't specialized in Japanese history so I wouldn't know if the background is appropriate to that era but as far as I notice, there are just trees and more trees. One thing for sure, I don't think Samurai of that era walking around with Saizo's kind of attire so the believable factor isn't something that they focused on for this show.
The OP is performed by Ono Daisuke and Tetsuya Kakihara who are also the seiyuu for both male protagonists respectively. I like Ono but I don't think that fact can make me like the OP as well. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. It made Saizo lost whatever little badassness he got left. The ED on the other hand is an improvement thanks to catchy tune by ADAPTER. The BGM however is sorta lackluster. I want to compliment the seiyuu but at some parts I feel like they are forcing themselves to be their character and as a result, it sounded kinda fake and not as crisp as I would like them to be.
As a whole, this show just pretty much provides me with a feeling of monotone. There are some parts that can used a little bit of improvement but if you are into bishie and a Sengoku era otaku, and wouldn't mind all the flaws that I mentioned above, than this show just might satisfy your palate. As for me, it was okay but I wouldn't feel bad if I missed it. The only good thing about this show is that it made me wants to collect my own 10 brave heroes.
art & animation 7/10 story 6/10 character 7/10 sound 5/10 enjoyment 5/10 overall 6/10
Last Exile is in my anime show with potential list for this Fall and since I'm late a few days, I have seen how the aniblogsphere absolutely been raving for this show. A good sign indeed. The time has cometh for me to see what the hype is all about.
It takes a while for the story makes sense to me since I have not watched the original (thouggh I bought the DVD many moons ago Orz) but I really don't mind that much because the show is brilliant with the pacing. Fam is one of the Sky Pirates who always seek to hit the First Harpoon. According to the rules, whoever hits the target first will have the right to decide on how to proceed with the assault of taking over the target ships. On the day where Turan Kingdom is supposed to sign a peace treaty with Ades Federation, Fam and her Sky Pirates crew become a hero when they save the two princess of Turan from the Ades Federation who betrays them as they declared war upon Turan Kingdom.
Ah why do bad guys look so delicious? I wanna tap Hafez's ass so badly.
I love the fact that this show isn't just about Fam, but how they come up with strategies to catch those Skyships. It definitely gets me caught up in the moment and I find myself just as excited as Fam's ship crew when she sends out that signal flares. I wanna be a Sky Pirate too!
Needless to say I am very impressed with the animation, and not just with the 3D aircraft. I'm absolutely sold. Hand it over to Gonzo for flying airships. Maybe it's my double standard for the studio, but I am pretty surprised to see Gonzo coming up with something that is fresh. All those places in the show are believable and nicely done. They are definitely serious this time after since their comeback with Nyanpire: The Animation. Gone are the day of Blassreiter heh.
I have seen some very great improvement in female protagonists this season. I usually has absolutely no love for them because they are either stupid, moe or stupid. But things have changed for the better. They are more capable of taking care of themselves with an attitude, looks and intelligence that should make Paris Hilton envious. Just in this show alone, I'm awestruck by both Fam, Dio and Sophia. I'm loving it.
This show has no fault as of yet, probably because i haven' seen the original so I'm less critical about it. Last Exile definitely moves up a rank in my list. Now it's a much watch.
For all of those who are in Asia, you can watch Last Exile ~Fam, The Silver Wing~ same day as Japan on Animax starting October 15, every Saturday at 8pm! You can learn more about it here: http://www.animax-asia.com/shows/lastexile. Since I learned that they are showing this in 3D in Japan, I am excited to watch it on Animax and try it out because I have a specialized 3D TV! Thank you, technology ^__^
art & animation 10/10 story 10/10 characters 10/10 sound 10/10 enjoyment 10/10 overall 10/10
Just like I am with Fate franchise, I am also a noob when it comes to Persona since I don't play the game and the only Persona I know is the anime that was aired couple of years back: Persona ~ Trinity Soul which I enjoyed a lot. Perhaps that is why I am looking forward to see this one as well, even more so now that everyone else is hyper about it too.
Lets just hope that this show lives up to expectation.
(c) Tadashi Hitoshi
Episode 1 started with the introduction of Igor and Margaret who are in the in-between realm. I dunno who the fuck are they talking to though. Then we get to see our protagonist, Yuu Narukami moving in to his uncle's house in a small village, which mean he has to transfer school as well. Ever since he set his foot in that village, something is happening to him and we all already know what that something is. He is creating a persona of himself.
He quickly makes friends: Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi and Yosuke Hanamura. He takes the first trip to the other world with Chie and Yosuke when they accidentally go inside the TV. In that alternate realm, Yuu is given a spectacle that enables him to see the Shadows. At the most critical time, Yuu awakens his Persona and he just transformed!
that megane changes everything! *faps* (c) Mikuni
I am not crazy about the animation but there is just something about the character designs that added the realism factor for the story, except for the three tone face everyone is having. What is up with that? Did they only tanned from their chin below? The animation needs to be more consistent in my opinion. It was awful during the time Yosuke buying them dango but was great when they were being chased by the Shadows. I mean, I almost creamed my pantsu heh.
One more thing, I think they need to carefully insert their BGM so that it would not ruin the scene. It happened several times during this episode where I can't focus on what the characters were saying because the BGM was so out of place.
Somehow I feel like this show is forcing something down my throat and I am not comfortable with that. A lot of that has to do with Yosuke's supposedly comedic relief. Having said that, the reason why I want to see this show is because of the story and so far it manages to grab my attention and pique my interest.
this guy is pretty convincing ^^
Not a perfect first impression but it's a good start.
arts & animation 8/10 story 8/10 characters 8/10 sound 6/10 enjoyment 8/10 overall 7.6/10
p/s: Why don't they just stick with Souji Seta? Why did they replace his name with Yuu Narukami.
Initially this show is categorized in the "potential to be shit" list in my Fall preview. I just don't like the sound of the synopsis. It was too overly complicated and a little bit too ambitious I think. However, here I am now sitting in front of my computer watching this shit instead of finishing a business proposal.
The show started with a high school student who looks like he has a permanent scars under his eyes, saving some dude in a cape from death as he tried to solve a puzzle that caused the earth to cave in and consequently created a lake. Like I said, they are too ambitious with the ideas.
Daimon Kaito (that's his name by the way) is self-claimed puzzle genius. He's your Indiana Jones. In short, he's an asshole. Soji, the president of a puzzle club at his school gave him a game that contains several puzzles to be solved. Once he got that cleared he receive an invitation from a Minatour, some retarded dude wearing a buffulo mask. Either he will solve the puzzle or he dies. Meh, needless threat >_>
Anyhoo, Soji is in the league with the principal to recruit student with Phi Brain and obviously Kaito is a candidate. They need him so they can get to Divine Puzzle shit whatever. But first he has fulfill the Orpheus' Contract, which he did (duh).
When I heard the name Kaito, my brain does a flip and this is the only image that comes to mind (c) Kyou Zip
The character designs, like I pointed earlier are kind of derpy. I just don't dig it much. It's just not about the designs but the personality of the characters as well. They are kind of a typical and nothing inspirational. Thankfully though the seiyuus are all pretty excellent and that makes the characters likable to a certain extend. The episode itself is meant to be engaging but it just lack the excitement. It would have been better if the audience is allowed to figure out some one the puzzle as well. The grand idea is there but they sort of fail at the execution.
I would have dropped this if it wasn't for the preview. It seems like they will introduce a new character that will be one of the three musketeers for this show and he looks crazy enough to pique my interest.
So for now, this show survives.
art & animation 5/10 story 6/10 characters 6/10 sound 7/10 enjoyment 7/10 overall 6.2/10
Another shounen that I'm pretty sure will be one of many backlogs that I have, like Fairy Tail, Beelzebub and Bleach. Either way, since I did promise Daniel that I will pick this up, here I am trying to fulfill that promise of mine, even if it only just one episode. lol why am I saying things as if I already give up on it?
(c) Mogmahiru
I shouldn't, really since of all the production studio, Madhouse actually picked this up. Although they suck at those Marvel adaptations, they are quite good at bringing horror to life. That is what they excel at in my opinion (the only reason I mentioned horror is because Daniel will never recommend me something that do not contain at least an ounce of horror).
But then again, with shounen, the level of horror would have been meek and judging from the character designs, I shouldn't expect this show to blow my socks off. It kinda feel too childish for me, and since I'm 30, maybe this show is a little bit too young for me too.
Oh well, who the fuck cares.
Hunter X Hunter (2011) is about hope, reaching dream of the unknown. Those who strive for it are called Hunters and one of them is our young protagonist Gon. Their mission is to hunt down all sorts of retarded monsters to achieve... whatever they want to achieve. But first they have to pass the Hunter Exam.
Though I think Gon is the most annoying 12 years old kid I have ever seen, there are other characters like Leorio that pique my interest and without me realizing it, I was actually enjoying the entire episode of this seemingly cliche story of adventure and dreams.
arts & animation 5/10 story 7/10 characters 6/10 sound 6/10 enjoyment 8/10 overall 6.4/10
p/s: That annoying green suit that Gon is wearing... how the fuck can anyone let that shit got away? Urgh...
I have no fucking clue what this show is about but once I saw the male protagonist, it took every ounce of my being not to close the player and put this aside. He looks like Naruto's dad wannabe. But since I already started watching it (for about 3 seconds), I might as well continue to see if this show is just as shitty as I expected it to be, or it would wow me with its substance. With it being a harem show, I doubt that it would bring anything special.
There goes me with my enthusiasm again >_>
Thankfully that the male protagonist is not the only male around. There are plenty of other hot bishies in the show that makes me less angry with the harem. Funny though that only significant characters got to have proper face, otherwise they all look like they are being clone by the fugliest machine ever invented. Because of this, you can't take the fight seriously. Even more so when they turned to cat when defeated. I mean, what the fuck? Where is the fucking blood?
At first the show take place somewhere that looks like a magical land where war to conquer is taking place. One of the key player in the said war is a Lady Leonmichelle, the leader of the Gallete Knights who reminded me of Saber for no reason at all, and slightly of Eucliwood Hellscythe. At least she looks like she can kick some serious ass compared to the princess of Biscotti whom she plan to defeat. Her name is Millhiore by the way. Sounds mighty retarded.
The same can be said about Shinku, the male protagonist who looks like a total useless tool. He's from earth by the way and by some freak accident (but not really) got transported to the republic of Biscotti. The reason why he was summoned is because Millhiore thought a tool can be on par with Leonmichelle. The stupidity of this show is unbelievable. For example, in the middle of this stupid war, they have a sport casting and some sort of a game show! Jeebus what were they trying to achieve with this show, I wonder?
Urgh, I can't watch this shit till the end. Even the seiyuus don't sound very convincing. I will be honest, I am slightly disappointed with Mamoru's performance in this one. I'm dropping it.
arts & animation 4/10 story 2/10 characters 4/10 sound 3/10 enjoyment 1/10 overall 3/10
I have high hopes for Fractale but with each passing episodes, I feel the hopes dwindling to nothingness. The only reason I watched from week to week was because of Sunda but they fucking killed him in the last episodes.
Everyone, meet the late Sunda and Enri Granitz
The story itself was what made this show lacking. It evolved around Phryne, Clain and Nessa and it shouldn't be so. Phryne and Nessa are the key to reboot the Fractale system. If Phryne didn't ran away and be a jackass about it, people won't have to die unnecessarily. Though she is (literally) a slut it is still no excuse for her to be so fickle about every damn thing. If she agreed from the very beginning to be the key and didn't change her mind every god damn 4 seconds, then the Temple will not declare wars on Lost Millenium (they are the one who are against the Fractale System - but not really). Sunda and Dias wouldn't have died.
As you can see, I'm very pissed right now and rightfully so. I am filled with rage when Clain ended up having a happily ever after ending with Phryne (with Nessa's personality). Damn these kids.
I can't believe I said some really nice things about her in my first impression post. 10 episodes later I have nothing but hate for her.
Characters wise, they are not lacking in term of personalities (except for the plain Clain). The character designs also helped built each characters' personalities while the voice actors compliment those characters, giving them souls. Thanks to her splendid performance as Nessa, I think I am a fan of Kana Hanazawa now. Credits for Yu Kobayashi as well for her job well done as Clain though I still wonder why didn't they pick a guy for the job.
The OP/ED, BGM and sound effects for this show is highly commendable. Both the OP and ED are sang by Hitomi Azuma. There are three songs featured in the single CD titled Harinezumi but I never heard the other one. Like I said, towards the end of the show, the OP grew on me and I can even sing along to it. Having said that, my favorite remains with the ED despite the poor Engrish pronunciation.
If there is one thing that blow me away regarding this show, it's the art and animation of the whole thing. I mentioned this several time during in episodicreviews. A-1 Pictures is really good at delivering these sort of stuff. Some of the scenes looks like they came from a beautiful painting, and the camera angle for certain scenes really stood out. Kudos to the animation production team. It was splendid.
But sadly, for a show that is featured in noitaminA, it certainly didn't live up to expectation. I am not entirely sure whose fault is it but if the story didn't evolved around Phryne, it could have ended up as a fabulous show. This show pretended to be deep when it's not. Yamakan totally lost the plot. I rage at how conceded it turned out to be.
arts & animation 10/10 story 7/10 characters 9/10 sound 8/10 enjoyment 6/10 overall 7/10
Let's be honest. I lol'd when I read the English titled of Futatsu no Kurumi but that's because I am a pervert and can only think of one kind of twin nuts. (Un)fortunately this Special episode has nothing to do with 'em balls.
This 46 minutes episode is produced by TV Asahi and Shin-Ei Animation and was released during the 2007 summer. It tells the story of Ayaka who travels back in time to the bombing in the 1940's. Appropriately so after she made fun of her grandma. She learns the way of the old and be more appreciative in the future. It is pretty heart wrenching at times, what she experienced during the war. It was all too fucking real...
The direction could be better. Tetsuo Yasumi I think was influenced by his former directing works such as Manmaru the Ninja Penguin (lolwut?) and Minetaro Hirai with Shin chan. Although the story was pretty good, it is not something that we have not seen before. I think they are trying too much to immitate Grave of the Fireflies, which by the way, is one of my favorite movies of all time.
I can't say that I like the character design but it was to be expected from Junichi Seki I guess. Props for Shinji Kawaai though. I really likes the details on the background. If only Masae Otake can do a better job at blending these two together...
I only know Eri Kitamura as the seiyuu of this episode. Her resume is pretty impressive with the latest being Kureha from So.Ra.No.Wo.To. I think she did a good job playing the kid with emotional burden. The same for the other seiyuus. Job well done. Sometimes I feel like Sokuichi steals the show ^_^
As for the music... no OP just ED and appropriately oldskool. Not my taste though. The BGM can be improved to further enrich the content of the episode.
Right that's about it.
Oh yeah I almost forgot. Why Two Walnuts? Apparently one of the kid that Ayaka met in 1940's (Tomoko) has a father who works a a carpenter. Before he was drafted, he carved 2 bells out of walnut. Tomoko gives one of the walnuts to Ayaka for safe keeping.
Art 6/10 Story 7/10 Character 7/10 Sound 6/10 Enjoyment 6/10 Overall 6/10
Besides Durarara!! and Vampire Bund, the other anime that I'm looking forward to this winter season is Katanagatari. Maybe it was because of the "katana" in the title or the poster that caught my eyes (the unusual art). Whether or not it will be like Durarara!! (which I freaking love) or Vampire Bund (which was a disappointment), we just have to find out by watching this almost 1 hour episode (49:59 minutes).
The first 2 minutes sets a really good mood. I guess my buddies would know why: murder. Seems like there is this dude who doesn't need a sword to decapitate people. How sick is that? But wait, didn't that defy the title of this show? =\
I guess they are trying to use the irony factor...
Yasuri Shichika is now Kyotouryuu head since his dad died a year ago. He is the descendant of that dude who doesn't need a sword to have a sword. Get it? I don't either but that's how it is. So I assumed Shichika must have learned the same technique. He lives in an island as an outcast with his sister (because of his father rebellion). He is really a simple dude and borderline moron. He's awesome when he gets mad though.
what's up with the maple leaf, man?
One day, Togame, a strategist, came to the island to seek the head of Kyotouryuu. I didn't expect her to be clumsy though. That's the only likeable thing about her imo. She didn't pay attention to what other people say and go on about what she has in mind. She also trying to convince Shichika to take over the world. lol wut?! But wait, listen to her reason of why Shichika should help her. It's because of love. She wants Shichika to fall for her so he won't be able to say no. Heh, gotta love a confident girl. Oh btw she has one badass katana with her despite that she really doesn't know how to use it. I want one exactly like that ^__^
Togame needs Shichika's help to find the last remaining 12 katana (believed to be evil) made by Shikizaki Kiki under the order of Shogunate because they feared the owners (who the shogunate sent to retrieve the katana but betrayed them once they get a hold of it) of those 12 katana would revolt.
One thing led to the other and in the end Shichika is in love? WTF? I headdesk.
The art style is something to get used to I guess. I mean Shichika's hair looks like mapple leaf most of the time. It may be his trademark look though considering he has it tattooed on his wrist. Also, the animator cheated. They used the same framing over and over again especially when it comes to Togame's turn to talk. The background was pretty though.
ever seen ninja wearing a clown suit? Now you have. And it has the most annoying laugh ever!
The narrator sounds like an old hag. It brings back the memory of watching Osshin with my mom when I was little (Osshin was a Japanese drama that aired when I was like 7 or 8 years old. It was the rage back then). Shichika's seiyuu, Yoshimasa Hosoya, wasn't really experience I guess if you look at the work he had done previously. Less than 10 anime. Togame's seiyuu, Yukari Tamura, on the other hand has quite a portfolio. Unfortunately I'm not really familiar with her work either. Having said that, I think they did a good job for both characters. Their personalities really stands out. Shichika the laid back protagonist and Togame, the obnoxious annoying female lead.
Part of that is because of the dialog. Most of the time, I chuckled when Shichika said something absolutely dull and unexpected that it turns out quite the funneh. But... the dialog also goes on and on and on! SHUT THE FUCK UP and get on with the action already!
This is what I'm talking about!
Well, it doesn't reach my expectation as a whole but it wasn't that bad either. Seems like this will be once a month release show so I expected it to end in December.
art 7/10 story 7/10 sound 6/10 character 7/10 enjoyment 6/10 overall 7/10
The story is about two people, Oz and Alice who made a contract in the Abyss, a place where the condemned was sent. At first I wasn't sure why Oz was sent there on his coronation night but gradually as the story progressed, the pieces of the puzzle fall into places.
The Abyss produced Chain, a doll-like creature that want to be in the real world to obtain power but the instability forced them to make a contract with a human, just like Oz and Alice. However, the Chain will gradually extinguished the human. Once the seal on the contractor's chest is completed, they, together with the Chain, he/she will be sent to the deepest Abyss and this time there is no turning back.
Oz comes back to the real world after 10 years he went missing in the Abyss so Gil, his best friend cum servant is much older than him and is working for Break and Sharon. These two, just like the Baskervilles, are searching for the Will of the Abyss and apparently Oz is the key to it.
The only reason Alice wants to get out of the Abyss is to search for her memories so together with Oz and Gil, they search for it. In their quest both Oz and Alice find out the truth about their past and at the same time, they try to stop the hand of the seal from moving, with the help from other people who either care about them or just using them.
The art is nothing amazing. The background or the surroundings are pretty much dead, as in static, most of the time. The colors used were too contrast with the characters at times which kinda made them looked out of place. Possibly to follow the theme of the show. Having said that, I really do like the character designs. The males especially are what I would called bishies. They are really pleasing to the eyes. The females aren't bad either but since I'm not gay, I'll leave it at that. To be honest, the reason that I was attracted to this series after all, was after I saw the characters in the DVD special, which kinda explained what a huge pro they are.
OZ Bezarius
I like Oz but my god he can be so damn annoying sometimes with his insecurities. He needs to grow some hairy balls, is what I think. Because he has yet to have them balls, I say he's gay for Alice. Oz is the key to the Will of the Abyss (wanted by the Baskervilles) thus he keeps getting into trouble as he tries to find himself and helps Alice.
Alice/B-Rabbit
She's the chain for Oz. She was once human but she got murdered and ended up in the Abyss as B-Rabbit. That was where Oz found her. She took Oz as her manservant which in truth is the other way around. She came back to the real world to find her memories in order for her to remain herself. A definite tsundere when it comes to Oz. Loves to eat, especially meat.
GilbertNightray
Gilbert 'Gil' Nightray is the loyal servant/butler of Oz and has the power of Raven from Nightray. He is Vincent's brother. Just like Oz and Vincent, he is one of the few who managed to escape the Abyss. He is the only one that can sealed B-rabbit's power. His weakness is cat. Definitely gay for Oz and can't see eye to eye with Alice which consequently provide quite a lot of comic relief.
Xerxes Break
Formerly known as Kevin Regnard. The user of Mad Hater's power. The most powerful one out of the bunch. Very sly and cunning. Reminds me of Ichimaru Gin what's with his gray hair and crimson eyes. They even shared the same kind of creepy smile. However unlike Gin, he is pretty funny with his carefree attitude. He loves sweet and you definitely don't want to piss this guy off. He has a very interesting background story that kinda surprised me. Eccentric guy over all and my favorite character in the series.
Sharon
I am not sure what her relationship is with Break but Break called her Ojou-sama and she has no qualm at beating his ass with her fan. She has a chain too named Eques. Definitely a sadistic.
Vincent Nightray
He wanted to erase anything that can recalled what happened 100 years ago. Master of Echo. Most definitely gay for Gilbert. Not so right in the head but he has very cool eyes. One could even named him the series' psycho resident. It is either you like him or you hate him. I happened to like crazy evil people ^o^
Jack Bezarius
The one who stopped the Baskervilles 100 years ago. He appeared as fragments of Alice's memories and helps Oz a lot when he is in a pinch. He also warns everyone about the return of Glen Baskerville which obviously will repeat the Tragedy of Sabrie again. By the way, he was the only friend of Glen and vice versa. It must have pained him to stop his friend from going berzerk. Pretty good looking fella ^^
Eliot Nightray
Another little brother of Gil. He is the voice of reason for Oz. I like him straight away. He is the only one who can tell Oz to be a man and take his own destiny into his own hands instead of giving up on his life thinking that it would solve all the problems. He's valiant and funny and cute has quite a temper. Definitely a Nightray. He hates the Bezarius and I can pretty much tell why. Could he be Glen's reincarnation? hehehe >3
Ada Bezarius
She is Oz's sister. Very gentle and such. I don't usually like this kind of character but I like her for some odd reason that I am not too sure what. She looked like she has a brother complex but then we found out that she has a b0nar for Gil. Priceless XD
None of my favorite seiyuus are in this production but Vincent was voiced by Jun Fukuyama so a plus there. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Oz was voiced by a female so yeah, the seiyuus are good nonetheless. Also I like OP song more than the ED song as it is more catchy but not as much as I like the song Lacey from the pocket watch. It kinda present the anime with a whimsical yet foreboding feel which is perfect for the theme.
I do enjoyed Pandora Hearts. The plots are mysterious which keep me guessing from one episode to the other. It makes me interested to see the next episode to find out what will happened. There are also occasional unexpected comedy in it that I appreciate. What I didn't expect however is the end. It poses more questions than answers which can only mean one thing... second season! I look forward to watching that.
This actually made me want to pick up the manga...
art 8/10 story 9/10 sound 8/10 character 9/10 enjoyment 8/10 overall 8/10
edit: Glo said that the anime ending is different from the manga. But... isn't the manga still on going so how was that possible? =\
Another josei that I picked up recently. This manga pretty much is the alternate version of Alice in Wonderland with a little twist here and there. For example, this manga is full of bishie (one of the reason I picked it up in the first place).
I saw Are You Alice in mangafox a couple of months back but for some reason was not interested in it at that time. When onemanga released it, for whatever reason I feel intrigued to see what it is all about. Although the story might be similar to Alice in Wonderland, I am sure the mangaka (collaboration between Ninomiya Ai (author) and Katagiri Ikumi (artist)) might just promised something twisted that will entertain me. Probably.
Pfft who am I kidding. Of course it will. This manga falls under the josei category for a reason.
The reason is, they made it a all male-characters. Bishounens at that. So yeah, I'm pretty much where I want to be right now, blissfully ignorant of the real world ^o^
At first the story kinda confuses me. The protagonist is obviously a male but everyone keep referring him as Alice. Alice, obviously, is not a male's name, unless he's gay and Alice is not gay (sadly). The same goes for QUEEN of Heart when obviously he has an analog stick attached to his pair of balls but people keep referring him as a she. So what the heck? And if that ain't confusing enough, they put Alice (yes, THE Alice from Alice in Wonderland) besides the protagonist and she is evil! Yep, that is pretty much how fucked up and twisted this manga version of Alice in Wonderland is. People might hate it but I happened to like it. Definitely something different and in my book different is always good.
I can't remember the story of Alice in Wonderland to be honest but in this one, the Queen (shouldn't he be called KING instead?) of Hearts wants Alice to play the "kill-the-white-wabbit game" in order for him to keep the name Alice.
Alice may or may not turn out to be the real Alice. I guess I just have to continue reading to find out what happened next. After all, it is only three chapters so far.
Art 9/10 Story 7/10 Character 8/10 Enjoyment 7/10 Overall 8/10
I remember taking a peek at the manga and thought it was meh and dropped it after the first few pages. When I saw that ufotable has produced the anime, I gotta see it if only to satisfy my curiosity.
Toriko is about a man (the manga was named after him) who travels the world in search of the most rare ingredients, be it a talking vegetables or an 8 legged fish. The ingredients obviously are for his dish.
In this Special episode, Komatsu, a head chef of a restaurant hired Toriko to catch the Galara Croc for his dishes. So they went to Baron Island to hunt it down. It was an epic showdown between the croc and Toriko. In the end, through the circumstances, they became something that akin to partner.
As expected of the show, the characters were nothing deep. They are no mysteries. Their personality and what not should all be taken at face value.
Toriko
As the name suggested, he is the front man of this show. He craves for challenges to create the perfect full course menu. He kills all his foods bare handed and they aren't your typical food size foods either! You see, Toriko is a GAR chef who happens to have a very high skillz in hunting. When I said GAR, I mean he can sparks-fire-just-by-snapping-his-fingers GAR.
Komatsu
Komatsu is Toriko partner. He is the comic relief in this show but I don't need to tell you that. The picture above kinda self-explained what his role is. He wants to travel with Toriko so that he can improves his culinary skills.
The art and animation are nothing special. They are something we have seen before countless of time. They used really bright colors to emphasize the surroundings. Just look at Toriko's hair. The action sequences too did not impress me. They phailed to make Toriko as the kishin. He should have looked more menacing. The production took the easy way out but meh that happened all the time, even with Fairy Tail.
The seiyuus are okay in my opinion but again, they did not impress me. Neither did the OP or ED theme.
The video manga of Toriko. See that static image on the left? That's how Toriko should looked like when he went for a kill
Art 6/10 Story 6/10 Sound 6/10 Characters 6/10 Enjoyment 7/10 Overall 6/10
Letter Bee is one of the Autumn anime of 2009 that I look forward to. Knowing that the anime is an adaptation of the manga makes me want to watch it even more. I want to pick up the manga but since idle time is a luxury nowadays, it was a given that I couldn't afford to read another new manga. I just have to settle with just the anime for now.
This review however is for the special episode before the full season is released.
As the tittle suggested, Letter Bee is about delivering letter/mail/package. Letter Bee is equivalent to your modern day postmen. Bee is the company where Lag, the protagonist works at.
Meet the protagonist
The girl behind him is Niche. I don't know what the fuck is that furry animal on top of her head is but its name is Steak. Anyway, many refers her as Lag's guardian Dingo, whatever that is.
Meet Darwin. Stinky and VERY old.
Ralgo Llyod, the Chief of Bee. Possible pedophile.
the only hottie so far. Possibly horny for Ralgo
Gatekeeper Signal. He makes me fangasm.
Light and Blue Night Fantasy tells the tale of Lag delivering an important package to Elena, a former Letter Bee. They are to make a journey to Silencio. He is to bring a veteran as a guide for this delivery. That's where Darwin steps in. Lag doesn't know this but Darwin was once Elena's Dingo and the real package for Elena is Darwin himself. Ralgo keeps this a secret from Lag for he knows if Darwin finds out he'll abandon the trip.
Letter Bee is a hazardous occupation. You might get attacked by Gaichuu during delivery hence why Lag carries a gun. The gun is called Shindan and is used to fire Heart when Gaichuu attacked. Shindan's ammunition is something that is called Spirit Amber. Lag's spirit amber is his red stone eye.
What is a Gaichuu you asked? They are bugs but with size of a monsters ^^"
Btw, Dingo is just a name given to the guardian. They pretty much protects the Bee from any harm. Niche for example, can hardens her hair and used it as a weapon against Gaichuu. Steak is usable too for he found their opponent weak spot. So guardian Dingo are not really human. They come in many forms, shapes and sizes. The relationship between a Dingo and a Letter Bee runs deep. It is as if they are partner for life.
Gauche. A Letter Bee too. I is definitely hot for him. He is pretty much the reason why Lag wants to be a Letter Bee. He is just made of pure win and awesomesauce
Ralgo when he was a youngin' *drools*
As you can see, I have no complains when it comes to the characters. The voice of each character suits them perfectly, so are the character designs. I personally thinks that Lag's voice is super cute and makes him appears more adorable and wot not.
No complains on the animation either. It is very pretty and smooth. I can feel that the production house puts a lot of effort with this episode. I appreciate that and hope the quality will stay consistent through out the season.
If there's one thing I do not like about Letter Bee, it is the way the Gaichuu met their death. It just wasn't dramatic enough imo. Other than that, I'm sure the full season of Letter Bee is going to be an enjoyable ride.
When I first picked up this anime, I didn't expect much. It just one of the anime DVD that I happened to come across upon and bought without much thoughts to it. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the cover that I started to anticipate what is coming because there I saw it, this anime was produced by Production I.G and directed by Kenji Kamayama.
Yeah, I have a thing for the production studio especially when Kamayama is involved because he has never phailed me before.
Seirei no Moribito (or Guardian of the Sacred Spirit) is not your typical normal anime. Instead of hero rescuing a heroin, we have the opposite. Balsa, is a spearwoman warrior who takes the task of guarding to atone for her past sins. The story starts when she is put in charge by the Empress to guard a prince who said to bring catastrophe to the land. So the Emperor himself has ordered his own son to be killed. It was up to Balsa to save the prince's life.
You can't talk about Seirei without mentioning the stunning production. It blew my fucking mind away and my faith in Kamayama is affirmed. It was like you were watching a movie instead of an episodic anime the entire time. Never have I seen anime that has such beautiful and stunning background before. The level of details that were put in and the way they enhanced the atmosphere with vibrant and striking settings, were unbelievable. The use of cel-shaded CG has also been put to good use in Seirei. This means that the scenes such as in town or in the palace are brought to life with a higher level of details to match the surroundings. Everything was done so marvelously fluid which will left you with an amazing feeling of fulfillment. It has certainly left a profound impression on me.
One of the things that captured my heart was the fighting sequences. Kamayama has so cleverly used camera angles to make the fights more engaging while not drawing away from the choreography. I dare not blink because I don't want to miss a single thing. I want to soak it all in. It was that fucking amazing. I think I squealed and fangasm a lot during these moments.
The characters were designed with realism in mind, facially and physically. The designs are exceptional throughout the show, including the animals. For once a horse looks like horse, if you get what I mean. These, I think help to pull the viewer into the show in a big way.
It goes without saying that the star of this anime is Balsa. Hands down, she is one of the most strongest and unique female lead in anime world today. She possesess many skills and has a strong sense of right and wrong. Chagum (my favorite character in this series) is exactly how you expect a young prince to be, spoiled. However, throughout the episodes, he receives a lot of character development, as much if not more than Balsa, and in the end, he turns out quite a different character then when he first started. As these two characters develop, we will see changes in their relationship as well.
Other characters such as Tanda, Touya, Saya, Jiguro, Shugo etc also receive a decent character developments because of their association with Balsa. What interesting though, the developments are often linked to the development of Balsa and/or Chagum. The various references and flashbacks to these characters will slowly begin to make sense as the series progresses which also provides us a better understanding of Balsa as a character.
There is a slight romance going on between Balsa and Tanda and I was hoping they get it together in the end, but alas, Balsa is not your typical woman although in my fantasy land, I kinda imagined that she and Tanda will make babies eventually.
Like any other great anime, Seirei is emotionally engaging. I remember crying in certain scenes like during Sagum's death and when Chagum says goodbye to Balsa. It was sad knowing that he might not be able to be as carefree as when he was with Balsa. Even if Seirei is meant to be a serious fantasy action drama, there are some genuinely humourous moments too.
The OP of Seirei is a very nice and rather catchy J-rock/pop ballad called "Shine", which was performed by L'Arc-en-Ciel but never released as a single. The rest of the music in the show is composed by the well-known Kawai Kenji. The music delivers in every respect and is a really crucial contributor to its dramatic impact. The score is produced in a traditional cinematic way to fit it with the visual style of the show which served its justice. The sound effects are exceptional as well. Every grunts, clucks, clashes of steel, etc breath into life in this series which makes the show more "real".
Once again, Kamayama has successfully created a visually captivating series. Seirei no Moribito is a fine example on how to make a good fantasy action anime, the right way.
Finishing the series is like finishing a good book that you just couldn't put down. You realize how enjoyable the trip has been and sadden by the fact that it is over.
