Monday, 30 July 2012

Blood+

By episode 2, I was a die-hard fan of Blood+.
Saya's double persona is just fantastic and Haji is Gilbert Nightray all over again.

Gosh, episode's 6 drama "DAD, DON'T DIE" scene is... no, just no.
And during that dramatic death scene, I found myself hating Saya's "human" persona.
I mean, she's very... hesitant in everything she does.
So much to the point where I'd just slap her on the spot, saying:
WHAT THE HELL, MAN.  JUST DO IT.

Oh and...

It's funny how Haji only seems to know how to play one song.


I'm currently on ep. 20.
I will update when I finish.

This is by-far the best anime I've started recently.
I hope to get a chance to read the manga after I finish the anime.







Tuesday, 24 July 2012

Gosick


Gosick is one of my favourite mystery animes.

It takes place in 1924 in a small (and unreal) European Sauville.
The two protagonists in the story are Victorique (pronounced as Victorica), a "golden fairy" detective, and Kujo, the third son of a Japanese Imperial soldier.

The mysteries in this anime are kind of dull, since you can see the answer quite obviously but...
Ah, well. The characters are very funny so... It's all good.

Victorique de Blois is my favourite character.


She is so cute, especially when she's angry or bored.
 Her sarcastic laugh in episode 1 was fabulous.

But that hair colour change at the end of the series was just... I didn't like it.
I grabbed my monitor and shook it, going: HER HAIR, HER BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN HAIR... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER HAIR, PRODUCER?!?!?!?!?!?! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
*facedesk*
So, in closing...

"Is Gosick any good?"
"No, but Victorique is so adoooooooooorable."
"... Good enough for me."

:D



Monday, 23 July 2012

Durarara!!


Durarara is a slice-of-life anime with supernatural, action and mystery aspects.


It's ironic that this anime is good because the series seems to be about Celty's missing head.....

Many of my friends would say this is a horrible anime but, I would say differently.

Durarara's characters have great personalities, all of them with different backgrounds and secrets of their own. They lighten the dark and mysterious setting of the city, Ikebukuro, and add lots of humour into the suspenseful plot.

As events unravel in Ikebukuro, story development is surprisingly good. The pace is excellent; not too fast and not too slow. Characters get mixed up in events and some couple characters, gangs and locations are introduced along the way.

My favourite character is:

Heiwajima Shizuo


He would be the character who lightens Ikebukuro's setting the most in my opinion.
He has a funny personality and his feuds with Izaya are priceless.
Shizuo's inhuman ability to lift vending machines and such 500 pound objects just does it all for me.
Oh, and he's a bartender.


Well, good luck, Celty, on finding your head, which seems to be impossible because Izaya seems to enjoy hiding it from you...



Saturday, 21 July 2012

Hanasaku Iroha


Hanasaku Iroha is one of my favourite slice-of-life animes. It's got the light-hearted atmosphere as well as the ups and downs of the everyday life.

There is a variety of characters, each varying with their own personalities. It's also filled with some humour, which helps create that light-hearted setting.

As majority of the characters are in fact girls, unless they're professional cross-dressers or something, there is some romance and unrequited love within the anime.


... MY GOODNESS. I BET THOSE DAMNED UNIFORMS OF THEIRS ARE SO COMFY.

LOOK AT ALL THAT MATERIAL!! IT'S PRACTICALLY A BLANKET.



... Realization strikes.
 = / =



My favourite character is:

Minko Tsurugi


Tsurugi says: "Balut."
[Definition: A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell.]


This isn't much of a rant, I know. But, hey, I'm tired. *yawn*



Friday, 20 July 2012

V for Vendetta


For this post, I am making an exception, for this post will not be about anime or manga. Instead, it will be about a film that I've watched only about... 5 times.

"Remember, remember
The fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot…"

V for Vendetta is a genius film about ideas and how they live forever. The plot contains action, mystery and a whole lot of politics. A masked character, who goes by the name V, calls upon the people of London for a revolution on a night which has been forgotten by most: November the 5th. This revolution is a plan to overthrow the government, led by Adam Sutler, a man who does not tolerate disobedience from his people. On this night, history will change its course.

I absolutely love this movie. The male protagonist, V, has a mysterious and dark past, which is slowly revealed to the audience as the female protagonist, Evey Hammond, helps V with his quest for freedom and realizes that there's more to life than life itself.

My favourite part in the film would be when V and Evey first meet.

--
Evey: Who are you?
V. : Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Well I can see that.
V. : Of course you can, I’m not questioning your powers of observation, I’m merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey: Oh, right.
V. : But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona. Voila! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the “vox populi” now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, van guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.
The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.
Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.
Evey: Are you like a crazy person?
V. : I’m quite sure they will say so. But to whom, might I ask, am I speaking with?
Evey: I'm Evey.
V: Evey? E-V. Of course you are.
Evey: What does that mean?
V: It means that I, like God, do not play with dice and I don't believe in coincidences.
--

My favourite character is, of course, V.


V has a great personality and a great sense of humour. He is constantly kept mysterious throughout the entire film, even towards the end. V is treated not as a man, but an idea. However, Evey Hammond has fallen in love with the man, not the idea.

"We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught. He can be killed and forgotten. But four hundred years later an idea can still change the world.  I've witnessed firsthand the power of ideas. I've seen people kill in the name of them; and die defending them. But you cannot kill an idea, cannot touch it or hold it. Ideas do not bleed, it cannot feel pain, and it does not love. And it is not an idea that I miss, it is a man. A man who made me remember the fifth of November. A man I will never forget."

-Evey

--

"Beneath this mask, there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask, there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."

-V

Thursday, 19 July 2012

Ao no Exorcist


Ao no Exorcist, or Blue Exorcist, is a great anime for those who love supernatural action animes.

The main character, Okumura Rin, is actually the son of the Devil himself. He is completely unaware of this. Rin is raised by an exorcist, Shiro Fujimoto, in a church, where his powers are maintained and controlled. But everything goes haywire when Fujimoto dies. Rin decides to attend True Cross Academy to become an exorcist to avenge his "earthly father" and soon realizes that he himself is a demon.


This anime was really good and I really liked it. It had such a variety of characters and lots of action.

Animation was also very smooth. The art style is another point that I liked about the anime.

 My favourite character is of course:

Okumura Rin



The plot twist in the end made my forehead produce droplets of sweat and I clambered onto my desk to get closer to my computer screen, yelling: YEAH YEAH!!! ... *grabs tufts of hair* WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!


People would say that I was excited, but I say that it was just anticipation.


**I hope there's a second season.**


Now that I think about it... Rin looks like an exceptionally angry pixie/fairy of some sort.
Friends with Tinkerbell?

Death Note (manga)


(I've only read the manga and have not watched the anime, so I don't know how the anime differs.)

Ah, yes. Death Note.

Light's plots were so enjoyable to watch and L's desserts looked so delicious.

... The ending was a piece of shit though. Such a disappointment.

I dunno about the anime, but the manga... My last impressions sure were dead-ended.

The manga was one of those where you'd flip to that WILL HE DIE OR NOT? page and, the main character ends up being killed in the most retarded way ever.

Then, you just gotta wonder: What the heck was that weird ritual-like thing Misa was doing at the end of the last volume...?

... I don't know either.


But the plot certainly was entertaining (besides the ending) and the characters were quite alright.

I didn't really have a favourite character in Death Note but, if I were to choose, I'd have to pick my favourite Death God.

Ryuk


This was him in a live action film.

(I'd pee my pants if I saw him in reality. He's pretty scary.)



... Overall, Death Note is a great series but don't freak out when you turn the page and find that the ending is way too lame.




Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Tsuritama / Phi Brain


When I first read a genre tag on this anime, it read: FISHING.
 And I shook my head.
But, surprisingly, it's not bad.

Tsuritama is a story about a boy, Sanada Yuki, who can never fit in to meet new people because of his reaction when people stare at him. His odd reaction is basically... He feels like the room is filling up with water and that he's drowning.

So, transfer after transfer, he finally ends up in a town, Shonan, Enoshima, where fishing is popular.
Somewhere along the way, he is met by a self-proclaimed alien named Haru and is dragged into "fishing to save the world."

I haven't yet completed the anime but, so far, my favourite character is:

Haru


He's so cute with his fishbowl.

I will update further when I complete the series.


--


My goodness... This anime...

I'm 20 episodes into this series, and I still dont get it.

I understand the concept but... What the hell man.

I'm gonna keep going on this one though. The story developments twist the story like freaking hell and it's just that awesome.

The general theme for this series is puzzles.
But these guys are dead-serious when they tell you to solve a puzzle.

So basically, Phi Brain features a boy, Daimon Kaito, who receives the title of Einstein and receives an armband which allows your brain to reach full potential. He is in section Phi, a sector of the POG (Puzzle of God) which nutures Phi Brain children to solve the Puzzle of God. The prize for solving the Puzzle is a book that enables the Solver ultimate power, enough to rule the world.
This isn't the best anime ever, but, like I said, the plot twists are great and if you have that otaku stamina, you just might live through the stupid concept.

What I hate about the anime is that the subject of Puzzle of God book is very distant. Sometimes, you'd wonder: So... What was this anime about again...? Majority of the series is about how Kaito wants to "free puzzles" and he hardly thinks of the book, which makes the point of the anime seem very distant.
So far, my favourite character is Ana Gram, who is in fact a boy.


His title is Da Vinci.

He can paint real damn good.



Inu x Boku SS


Inu x Boku SS is basically an extremely tsundere love story between a mistress and her manservant. And all the other characters are smushed in between.

Miketsukami has become the Secret Service agent of Ririchiyo-chan, meaning that he will serve her  as long as Ririchiyo permits it. Miketsukami is in love with Ririchiyo but is unable to tell her because his former master is currently Ririchiyo's fiancé.

The story development is average and the ending was pretty dead-ended because you'd ask "so... what happens next?".

The random two-second cutscenes of Miketsukami and various naked woman just gives it away as to what he did to gain 'freedom'.

However, Miketsukami does take his place as one of my favourite characters because he is so loyal towards Ririchiyo-chan to the point where it is just plain funny.

So, favourite characters:

Miketsukami Soushi


Sorinozuka Renshou


Oh and, I also drew a fanart of Renshou.

Here it is.


It's quite plain........ Meh.




--


Other than "loyal manservant", Miketsukami Soushi can be labelled as a stalker.





Kuroko no Basket

"Um, excuse me, I'm right here."


BASKETBALL.
That's right: basketball.

Not any basketball though; Kuroko's Basketball.

Being on the basketball team in Grade 6, watching this anime brings back a lot of memories.
Our team wasn't that great, but regardless...

The sports genre is one of my favourite anime genres.

And this anime is one of the best in that genre.

If you were to ask me if i suggested this to you, I'd perk up and say yes right away.

The storyline is action-packed in a sports sense and the characters are so funny. All of the players have abnormally manly figures...

The plot never gets boring because a new character is introduced every 2-3 episodes and/or there's a game going on. There rarely is a filler part in the episode.

Kurokocchi's absurdly inhuman ability to divert attention and pass is too awesome to be true.
Of course it's not true... It's an anime...

My favourite characters?

Kuroko Tetsuya (or Kurokocchi as Kise likes to say.)


Ryota Kise


Taiga Kagami (or Kagamicchi as Kise likes to say...)

Kuroko + Kise + Kagami = Triangle of Power

NOW GO FORTH, KUROKOCCHI, AND EXTEND YOUR SHADOW USING KAGAMICCHI'S LIGHT.

"The stronger the light, the darker the shadow."


-This is an on-going anime, and I will update once the anime has finished airing and I have finished all the episodes.-

Hourou Musuko / Natsuyuki Rendevous


Hourou Musuko, or Wandering Son, is a touching story of two people who want to become the opposite gender. In other words, this anime is all about transgenders and social justice.

The story's main character is a boy, Nitori, who wants to become a girl, but is afraid to share his cross-dressing hobby with the world because of discrimination. Likewise, his friend, Yoshino, is a girl who wants to be a boy. Their friend, Saori, supports them and who they want to become.

I absolutely love the watercolor style of this anime because, since the artwork is less dynamic, it allows you to focus more on the development rather than the art.

For this anime, I have no favourite characters and, instead, I loved the eye-opening topic about the journeys and hardships of transgenders.


Left to Right: Yoshino (female), Nitori (male), Saori (female).

--


Natsuyuki Rendezvous is a chase for love, naturally with an obstacle in the way.

This anime features a male protagonist who is in love with his boss, a florist. Unfortunately, it's hard to commit to a relationship when you have her husband's ghost constantly in your face.

How will this chase end?

... I dunno because the anime is still airing.


The genre is a slap-dash of supernatural (husband is a ghost, yes?), slice-of-life and romance. Of course, it leans moreover to slice-of-life and romance since a husband's ghost isn't an extreme case of supernatural.


I will update as soon as I finish the still-airing series.



Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Kimi to Boku (S1 and S2)


This anime is so cute, light-hearted and friendly.

I've just recently begun this anime and I'm still hooked on it.

The anime might seem a little dead-ended, but watching it is worth seeing these five boys' lives and how they will survive through their high school years. All for one, one for all? Or every man for themselves?

Kimi to Boku (or You and Me) has two seasons, as far as I know right at the moment. It is a funny slice-of-life anime, which is one of my favourite genres because this type of anime is light and easy to take in since it can be connected to your own life.

This one I suggest to anyone who would like to take a break from bishie battles, sword-clashing action and overly busty women.

The story features four boys who have been friends since kindergarten and a transfer student who has encountered them when they were younger. As they face life's battles, will they change?

I'd say my favourite characters so far are:

Yuki (Or Yukki as Chizuru likes to say.)

Don't get him confused with his twin brother, Yuta.

Shun


He's so adorable. *grins*



When I've finished this series, both season 1 and 2, I will update ASAP.
I am currently on episode 12 of season 1.


Wednesday, 4 July 2012

Junjou Romantica (S1 and S2)


This is a BL anime.
Now, before you go on and start calling me "fujoshi this" and "fujoshi that," let me tell you...

JUDGING PEOPLE IS NOT NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII--CE
--

Junjou Romantica is very similar to Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi (which I gave up and the details to that will follow this). However, the theme of authors and novels is more thorough in Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi. I find that Junjou Romantica is much more open to other occupations rather than just a publishing industry. Because of this, there are a variety of people, meaning more interesting storylines.

Now, the reason I gave up Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi is just that. The theme of the anime is much, much, MUUUUUCH too narrow, as it only focuses on publishing. I did however finish the first season, but as soon as the second season hit, I gave it up. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the first season; I just didn't have the stamina to survive something so continuous.

The art style in Junjou Romantica might seem a bit odd at first (Ukes have big oval eyes, narrow chins and long, spiky grass-like hair and semes also have long, spiky grass-like hair, but their eyes are smaller and more masculine with a very manly chin to follow [my favourite characters will be a genuine comparison]), but, I assure you, you'll get used to it soon enough. Afterall, the BL is too distracting for such details to come to mind~

My favourite characters are:

Akihiko Usami


Misaki Takahashi


 They are the first couple introduced in Junjou Romantica. They're so adorable. As you can see, Akihiko is obviously the dominant male, and hence he is the seme with more manly features than Misaki, who has round, eyes, small, narrow chin and a feminine prescence about him.

I have a visual sense of characters so please ignore my characteristic rant above.

Usami-san isn't a princely guy you would swoon to, but, no doubt you would pass out from his over-dominance. I know I would.

And this is the fangirl/fujoshi within me.

WELCOME TO MY WORLD.


**I hope there'll be a 3rd season!! (crosses fingers)**

Monday, 2 July 2012

Dantalian no Shoka

Dantalian no Shoka (or the Mystic Archives of Dantalian) is an anime where the theme of books is actually quite action-packed. If you were wondering, no, this is NOT a slice of life anime, despite the common theme of simply books.

This anime features two main-main-main characters: Huey and Dalian. (Huey is just a nickname that Dalian made for him. His real name is "Hugh Anthony Disward")

The genre of this anime is action, adventure and supernatural/magic.

I absolutely love the 19th century-flavoured setting. The clothes, buildings and even the characters themselves are just amazing. The atmosphere is of course a 19th century era but, because of these Phantom Books bring magic into the storyline, it creates a centerline in the time period: half in the 19th century and the other in a more current era.

My favourite character is of course the sweetly adorable Dalian:


She truly is a cute, gothic bookworm.

In terms of her taste in sweets, I can relate very easily.








I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE SWEETS~~


Sunday, 1 July 2012

No. 6

It's Canada Day!!

Now, this is definitely one of my favourite animes.

I love the art style, the characters, the story, the setting and the genre.

The setting is a high-tech futuristic city. However, the outskirts of the city are an endless stretch of empty desert with absolutely no trace of humane living standards.

The genre was a mix of futuristic and action. It could also be classified as a slice of life.

The characters are strong, determined and well-rounded. Shion has a nice attitude towards life, even if it can get kind of annoying at times.

Safu is definitely intelligent, but in a very... strange way.
E.g. In one episode, she says, "I am simply acting by reproductive instinct."
OF COURSE THAT'S NORMAL, PFFT WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?
*smiles*

And so, Nezumi takes his place as my favourite character.


His smiles are equally charming as his scowls.

Oh and he was very adorable when he was younger too.
Wanna see?



--

Edit:

Those Canada Day fireworks were okay. Fireworks just don't impress me, I guess. I did, however, enjoy that finale and when they played Eye of the Tiger. :]

If I stood any closer to watch the fireworks, I bet that it would've sounded like I was in the middle of a war...

Anyhow...

Why was it that I was more focused on the amount of smoke the fireworks were producing rather than the fireworks themselves?




I have no clue.