Thingle's Anime Blog

Kannazuki no Miko - Review

2012-01-23T19:16:00.001+08:00

Title: Kannazuki no Miko (Priestess of the Godless Month)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Supernatural, Mecha, Shoujo Ai
Score: 8/10

Summary:
For Kurusegawa Himeko, Himemiya Chikane is a vision of perfection, which she admires from afar. Smart, athletic and beautiful, Chikane turns heads wherever she goes. However, when tragedy strikes, and the ancient evil, Orochi threatens to end them, Himeko and Chikane find out that they’re the priestesses of the sun and moon, and must work together to seal Orochi once more.

Static-Subs is already present way back 2004?! O__O That’s really impressive its been what 8 yrs? Whoa..

Are you willing to be hated, to sacrifice your life, your existence to be erased just to save the person you love?

Story: 7/10
The series started off with your typical normal girl got caught up with the supernatural and now bad guys are after her. Sure this series isn’t unique but what sets it apart from other shows is its very interesting plot about the relationship of the 3 protagonist of the story (Chikane, Himeko and Souma). It was well analyzed and the way Chikane’s actions was justified at the end was nicely played out. That’s the problem with this series, the plot involving with the love triangle of Chikane, Himeko and Souma are a lot more interesting than watching the main plot unfold.

The thing that eat out a chunk of the score of the story is the presence of mecha in this series. It seems like it was accidentally placed there and instead of making the show exciting it just annoyed me. It doesn’t contribute much in the story so yes I’m wondering why it was even present in this series since they could use the other Orochi and just let them have superpowers which I think could have worked better. The thing why the mecha didn’t work in this series is the lack of explanation about it and their capabilities. The battle just felt forced with the mecha releasing cheesy named special attack and boom the enemy is defeated it really felt like the writer just shoved the outcome down my throat without explanations.

Don’t get me wrong I still love the story in this series with japanese folklore mixed in it and that’s another reason why I found this series intriguing. Yes they could have done better in the execution of the story but its fine I guess since the writers were able to drag me into that interesting love triangle. If you haven’t noticed the genre category then I think my statement about the love story of a boy and 2 girls might have mislead you into thinking that the 2 girls are after the guy. Nope the other girl and the guy is after the girl and like I said, its really fun to watch their story. I think if you don’t like yuri/shoujo ai then I think you should stay away from this series.

Characters: 8/10
Ah one of the things this series could boast is its main characters. I just love how Chikane justified her actions at the end and the way Himeko forgave her is also impressive since if I’m in Himeko’s shoes and my best friend did those things to me I’d definitely get mad. I also like the way the writers build up Chikane’s characters since at first she was depicted as the embodiment of perfection but in the end she has her limit. Its really fun to watch characters with flaws and good thing Chikane isn’t annoying or stupid at all though you might think she did some stupid decisions at first but as you get at the end with that hear wrenching climax that she did what she did for the person she loved (oh lol does that even make sense?). Souma is quite interesting to watch too since he’s willing to give up his life just to protect Himeko and even though he didn’t win at the end he accepted his defeat in a manly way and with that I have to commend his character.

If only this series had a good antagonist then I might have given it a higher score in the character department.
The bad guys here are your usual archetype and are forgettable. The conflict they provide is often times episodic and sometimes doesn’t make any sense. The only bad guy that provided an interesting problem was the nun (forgot her name) and thank to his actions things have gotten a lot interesting. The most worthy conflict I found in this series is probably Chikane against herself since her struggle for her feelings and her actions is really intriguing you’ll feel bad for her and you’ll even end up shouting at Himeko that she’s an idiot.

Animation: 7/10
The overall animation of KnM is just average if I compare it to other series that was aired on the same year from the likes of Elfen Lied, My-HIME, Gundam SEED etc) but I have to admit there were some instances that the animation was fluid but if I’m not mistaken it was very rare. Mid-series where you’ll expect some budget cuts, the animation got a little wonky that sometimes the eyes of the characters are not proportional anymore. I love the way they used the lighting in this series to show the mood of the certain scene. I also have to commend the character design since the characters are nice to look at (specially Chikane, Himeko and Souma).

Sound: 9/10
I think this series hold back on its animation budget to blow it all on the soundtrack. I love both of the OP and ED song which was both sung by KOTOKO. The OP “Re-sublimity” gets you really pumped up for the episode and add that nicely directed OP sequence that gives us a glimpse of what is to come….I’m totally sold. The ED “Agony” is also catchy but even though the ED sequence is just a still illustration, it is also engaging with the switching from Chikane to Himeko which is in time with the music. Gosh that illustration is really lovely and it pushed a lot of good buttons on me and it made me REALLY, REALLY, HAPPY XD. The BGMs are successful in ripping out the right emotion out of you and that enhances the emotion you see visually…its really breathtaking.

“Re-sublimity” gets you pumped up for the episode.

Hmmmmm…DAT DELICIOUS ILLUSTRATION!

Enjoyment: 8/10
If your interested in watching a really unique love story with a hint of yuri drama in it and could easily forgive the flaws of this series then I think you’ll enjoy this one like I do. Though if your looking for mecha action and dislike yuri then better look for another thing to watch instead since this series is not for you. When I browsed the manga I found out that it is more intense than the anime so I think regular anime watchers won’t cringe away from the Yuri present in here. Thank you Kannazuki no Miko that was a fun ride….the yuri loving person in me is really happy. Now, time to read the manga and decide which is better….

OVERALL: 8/10 (Preffered Watch)

until then…

~ja

Steins;Gate - Review

2011-10-19T23:08:00.000+08:00

Title: Steins;Gate
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: 9.7/10

Summary:
Steins;Gate is set in the summer of 2010, approximately one year after the events that took place in Chaos;Head, in Akihabara.

Steins;Gate is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN, who has been doing their own research on time travel, tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them.

"No one know what the future holds. That's why its potential is infinite" -Okabe Rintarou

Story: 10/10

The best part of this series is its story. If your looking for originality, engaging twist, and unforgettable main characters then I will surely recommend this show. I have to admit that the first half of the series is quite slow but that is understandable since the purpose of that is to set-up one believable and jaw dropping scenarios in the next half of the series. The time traveling aspect has been nicely played out specially on the plot twist that it really made my jaw drop to the floor. Well since the concept of time traveling is quite limited that the creators have to heavily rely on their imagination and that explains some time traveling mojos where there are some instances that I have to bottle up my disbelief (well this is fiction after all). That’s still forgivable since despite that flaw the time traveling technicalities has been well thought out and applies the concept of cause and effect that explains why something happened when the main character tampered with history.

Characters: 9/10

I love how the show build up its characters specially Okabe. I like how the anime depicted the pain he felt after experiencing horrible stuff over and over again. I got the feeling that the development of the side characters somehow fell short and because of that some dramatic tensions that is suppose to be there was not felt. That’s just a minor quirk in the character department but other than that you’ll learn to love the characters in this series specially Kurisu, Mayuri and Suzuha.

Animation: 9/10
The animation is also quite good specially on how it used dull colors which fits the series’ overall mood, simple to overly dramatic camera angle and effects during calm or dramatic scenes.The animation may be simple but it was creatively utilized and well choreographed.

Sounds: 10/10
The OP song "Hacking to the Gate" by Kanako Itou is just so-so but I love how Huke’s gritty style was somehow adapted to the animation of the OP. The ED song "Toki Tsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku (刻司ル十二ノ盟約)" by Yui Sakakibara really fits the atmosphere of the series and I really like that song. With its shattered sand timer and Mayuri’s clock, it got the feel that time is running out. There are some bgms that are quite nice to the ears and it was played during the right moment. Sometimes the show also uses silence that indicates some tension in the atmosphere.
This show also boasts its clever dialogues and couple it with the superb performance of the voice actors it just blew my mind away since it was witty and hilarious at the same time. Thanks to the VAs the scientific jargons in the series was delivered effectively that an average person like me could understand. If it weren’t for their talent the emotions thrown in this series would miss the hearts of the viewers.

Enjoyments 10/10
Hell yes I definitely enjoyed this series! This is the only show that I was really looking forward in watching week after week wishing that I have a time machine so that I could watch the next episode. I’m a bit sad that the series already ended since I will going to miss the company of the characters which I have grown to love and sympathize with. Well I’m happy with the ending since despite their hardships Okabe and Kurisu had a happy ending.
I really love how this series makes me think and speculate on what will happen in the next episode. I guarantee you you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll be surprised by the twist and turns this show pulled off. Even the re-watch value of this series is really high since you’ll see some clues here and there that you didn’t notice before. I really recommend this to anyone who loves anime. So what the hell? Watch this like right now!

chidori3souske signing off with Okabe’s

El. Psy. Congoroo.

Overall: 9.7/10 (Must See)

Steins;Gate - 16 Quick Post

2011-07-23T15:28:00.007+08:00

Oh Suzuha *sobs*….Steins;Gate has caught me off guard again…oh damn another emotionally powerful episode

I’m so happy for both of them…*sobs*

Well my speculation was right after all. Last week’s episode of Steins;Gate, Mayuri was saying that Daru and Suzuha really fits each other and that made me realize that Daru and Suzuha’s hair color and hair style are quite similar in a way and with this episode, I’m surprised that I’m right. When I tried to dig my memory I felt stupid for not noticing that this show had already thrown a clue that Daru and Suzuha are related. Remember the time when Okabe stopped Suzuha from leaving? Remember that Suzuha said that she went to look for her dad in a time traveling convention and she didn’t find him? Remember that Okabe bribed Daru something about Feyris (oh I forgot what it is) and asked him to go back to the lab from the convention and Daru was a bit disappointed that he was called back for nothing. Oh stupid me and my faulty memory for letting that information pass without me noticing. Even though Mayuri is an airhead, at least she’s perceptive that she was able to connect the clues and deduct that Daru is Suzuha’s dad…Barrel Titor.

This episode is really heart wrenching since like I said, we found out that Daru and Suzuha are father and daughter and its quite sad that she has to go back in time but the catch is she can’t go back to 2010 since the time machine only works one way so the gang won’t be able to see her again. Oh of all the time….. and it’s the time of their reunion.

Oh that’s not all…

Throughout the episode I’m having goose bumps but this scene…..I think all of my body hair just stood up when I was watching this. Gosh, its full of dread and despair..

After several hours of Suzuha’s departure, Mr. Braun went to lab to give a letter that came from Suzuha. Oh and the separation and goodbye scene was already sad….it gets more depressing since they found out that Suzuha already died and it was even suicide. If I were Daru, I think I would not get over that since my daughter died way ahead of me and she died in despair.

Damn it Steins;Gate I am not emotionally prepared for this…. O__O

Okabe then tried to change the past by sending a D-mail and thanks to that a lot of things changed as indicated by the divergence meter. Suzuha is still dead but at least in the current time line she died of illness and also this time Mayuri is alive. Sigh, Suzuha is still dead and now Daru doesn’t know that his daughter is Suzuha because the time line changed….sigh this is just sad...

Oh I don’t think she’s off the hook yet…. Now is it time for someone to die again next ep? I got a feeling it’ll be Kurisu….OH NO!

Mayuri didn’t die this time around but I think we came back from the timeline where Kurisu is the one who dies since when Okabe went back to the lab Kurisu is nowhere to be found. The divergence meter might have gone up but its still <1 so I guess that would change a lot of things but not enough to stop what is destined to happen…someone still has to die. Oh I can’t wait to see Okabe’s reaction if Kurisu would die.

Crap the suspense is killing me….why can’t Wednesday come faster >_<

until then…

~ja

Steins;Gate–12 Quick Post

2011-06-24T13:54:00.003+08:00

This sums up my reaction for this episode. Exactly –> O__O

**SPOILERS galore….don’t read this post if you haven’t watched this episode yet**

The episode started with a death flag in an hourglass sort of desert environment with Mayuri telling Okabe that they would die in that place but its ok since their will would be carried out by the Mayuri and Okabe in Akihabara.

I wonder if the first scene was seen by Okabe in the present or in the future but the only thing I’m sure off is that this is one cryptic and creepy scene that left me confused at the start of the episode. I got a feeling that this was a scene from the future where Okabe is finding a way to bring back Mayuri and he ended up in that place searching for the ‘original’ Mayuri.

Okabe…what’s your pick? Mayuri or Kurisu? An airhead or a tsundere? Your pick…

I guess he’s heading for the tsundere route. Oh well *shrugs* we shall see…
As much as I love both the girls I still root for the tsundere Kurisu.

On the contrary of the last scene of this episode, the rest of this ep is your usual quirky interactions of the lab members. Seems like everything is the way it should be with that happy atmosphere and the increasing closeness of Kurisu and Okabe.

Suzuha still likes glaring ate Kurisu…this time Kurisu even talked backed at her. Good thing Mayuri’s there to calm the two.

There was a celebration in the lab since Okabe will just hand over the the Time Leap Machine to some organization. Okabe didn’t continue experimenting with that since he’s afraid that it would endanger his companions especially that he’s been receiving scary mails lately. WHAT THE HECK? It was all too late… *sobs*

Even Kurisu and Suzuha are making a progress by trying to be nice to each other…

I agree that Tuturu *ahem* Mayuri is the one with the clearest view of the lab. She keeps the head of the lab members, specially Okabe and Kurisu, on the ground. With her death in this episode and that confusing scene at the opening, I really think that she really plays a huge role in this series other than being a happy-go-lucky girl in the background.

She said that she’s no longer needed in the lab but really, I doubt it. Without her Okabe would have really been a crazy mad scientist so obsessed with his work and he wouldn’t have met any of his friends.

Ah our Suzuha who apparently came from the future…was about to warn them but…

Damn, when I thought she’s gonna have a change of heart…she ran. Damn, I ‘m so pissed with her since she could have prevented everything but she…ran.

I’m also wondering why did the time froze when the SERN guys arrived. Are they the one who did that or some time paradox, magic or whatever is in the work here.

*Gasp* Shining Finger?!

Like I said in my First Impression post….I spoiled myself already but I never expected Shining Finger/Moeka-san would be the spy sent by SERN after all, Suzuha kept on insisting that Kurisu is the spy. Maybe in another time line that happened…who knows?!

Crap, Crap, Crap…..NOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Well, yes I expected that this is the moment that Mayuri would die. With every death flags raised I’m afraid that she’ll get shot immediately (in the party and in the rooftop) but I never expected that scene to be so powerful. Its as shocking as the 3rd episode of Madoka Magica. I even think that Okabe is like Homura since he’ll also try to bring back Mayuri by also travelling back in time.

When she shot Mayuri she kept on saying “Its for FB” who/what the hell is that? Is it possible that she’s been blackmailed to do that…..but why did she have to shoot Mayuri? She could have just let her go if she’s not needed…damn it

OMG!! Yeah! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!

Mayuri *sobs*…I know I’ll get to see you again but she’ll ___________ again and again (hoho~ it’s a spoiler I wonder if that made sense). Sigh, this episode just added more questions and little to no answers so far. AHHHHHHH! I wish I have a time machine so that I’ll watch the next episode, then the next and the next.

I can’t wait to watch the next episode and I expect that the pace and atmosphere would change drastically after this ep.

Chidori3souske signing out…not with the usual “until then ~ja” but with Okabe’s…

El Psy Congroo

School….school and school & Updates

2011-06-20T21:20:00.004+08:00

Geeez summer vacation is over and now school has resumed…..again.

As you can see I haven’t posted anything lately and I’m suppose to write my First Impressions on Hidan no Aria and Denpa Onna but unfortunately during the last few days of my summer vacation someone from my family had passed away and everything was just chaotic that week and add that damn truck who dragged our telephone line that left me without a telephone and internet connection….how could I post something in that situation. I even planned on releasing a Spring podcast but I can’t actually record my voice during a funeral and even if I could I can’t upload it since I don’t have a internet connection. Then school resumed, of course I prioritize school first and I just can’t find time to post the first impressions and then its too late to post it.

Well you know the drill if you’ve followed my posts since its not unusual that my activity is decreased during school days. Worry not guys, I’ll still be reviewing the shows I’m following but for the quick posts unfortunately I can’t do that anymore unless a certain episode really wowed me. I usually tweet about a certain episode so if your interested in reading my impressions or rants just check out my twitter account and you could find it on the side bar or you could just click here. As for the podcast, maybe I’ll release one for the summer shows and of course the spring shows that’s ending. Hopefully, I could do all that.

Here’s the list of what I’m planning to review and the spring shows that would end this month.
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
Macross Frontier: Itsuwari no Utahime
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Movie: Lagann-hen
Kara no Kyoukai 7
Candy Boy

Finishing Series:
GOSICK
Deadman Wonderland
Denpa Onna
Dog Days
Hidan no Aria
Maria Holic Alive
Sengoku Otome”
Yondemasu Yo Azazel-san

Gosh, looking at that list just made my head spin. I’ll work on those little by little…wish me luck guys!

To make up for slow updates I’ve posted wallpapers below that features girls in seifuku (school uniform). Nah, I just want a reason for a wallpaper dump lol…enjoy~

until then…

~ja

Summer 2011 Anime Preview

2011-06-20T13:57:00.000+08:00

Summer Preview is already up just check it out here.

Hanasaku Iroha - First Impression

2011-05-20T16:11:00.003+08:00

Title: Hanasaku Iroha
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Summary:
When her mother runs off with her latest boyfriend, Ohana Matsumae is sent to live with her grandmother, who she has never met nor spoken to. Her grandmother is not pleased to find Ohana on her doorstep, and sets her to work at her Taisho-era (1920s) hot springs inn. It's not a lifestyle that Ohana would have chosen, but she decides not to be discouraged and to make the most of her difficult circumstances.

“Hana no Iro (ハナノイロ)” by nano.RIPE

This show is one of my favorite this spring season mainly because it’s a combination of drama and comedy and surprisingly those contrasting genre works well together in this series. In this series we follow the story of Ohana Matsumae who has one ass of a mother who sent her to her grandma's inn while her mother eloped with another man. Unfortunately Ohana's grandma is not as sweet as other grandmas out there so instead of living a carefree life in her grandma's inn she has to work there as a payment for staying at the inn. When Ohana was still a child she was taught not to rely on anyone unfortunately whenever she apply that she always gets hurt in the process since in the inn where she works, she has to rely on someone (Oh come on, what kind of a mother teaches her child not to rely on anyone…she's just a child! Mothers like her should be burned to the stake for being so irresponsible mwhahaha!!). As Ohana come across other people in the inn her life have taken another turn as she tries to readjust to her new life.

There's this theme that is prominent in the first episode of the series where we see Ohana struggling to decide what she wants for her future and somehow it struck me since currently as my summer vacation is almost coming to an end, I got this feeling that time flies so fast that I wonder if I'm making the right decision(since sometimes I wonder if writing in a blog is the right way to spend my vacation or should I spend it by studying) because honestly, time won't wait for me to make the right decisions.

What really made this series enjoyable to watch is its characters. Just watching Ohana counter her problems with that never say never attitude is really fun to watch. Not only does this girl have a very cute face and facial expression, I also like her determined and hard-working attitude of hers. Its also fun see that pushy side of hers that either drag her new found friends to her various antics or she evokes various responses to the other people around which in turn the viewers could see the other side of their personality. Oh I almost forgot to mention Ohana's grandma who you will find a bit harsh in the first few episodes but I think she's just training Ohana and maybe eventually, she'll let Ohana inherit the inn. I really think grandma is not what you really think she is and I think eventually she'll learn to love her grand daughter. There's also this guy who is a writer that have been staying in the inn for quite some time which is quite annoying at first but he's really hilarious. I love him for writing that ero-novel about Ohana and friends and to boot that up P.A. Works really animated it and it was fantastic and oh so hilarious. We've only uncover a bit of the side character's story and so far its really interesting specially Nako's character and we saw Minchi slightly opening up to Ohana but still I still find her as an annoying bitch.

As expected of P.A. Works their animation is just breath taking that I think the animation is already a work of art. The backgrounds and surroundings are simply amazing with its very detailed animation. Its only the television version what more if it’s the Blu-Ray ahhhhh my eyes would have popped out of its sockets. The character design is also another one to boast since not only does it look realistic they are also very adorable even grandma's character design is very pleasing to the eyes. Oh also the facial expressions are really dynamic and with that you could really feel the emotions of the characters.

The OP Hana no Iro by nano.RIPE sure is a nice song but I'm not particularly fond of the voice work but at least it fits the mood of this series. The ED song on the other hand Hazy by Sphere is really catchy and I can't wait to hear the full version of it. The ending song really ends the series in a high note and the ED stills are really gorgeous. I really like this current song by Sphere instead of the OP of Otome Youkai Zakuro which was also sung by them. Hmmmm of all the ED song this season think its my favorite.

“Hazy” by Sphere

Oh yeah, I definitely enjoyed this series so far since with just the 2nd episode I never thought that it could pull emotions on me. Week after week I'm really looking forward for it to turn Monday already so that I could grab a copy of the subbed version already. So far this series is really promising though its pacing is quite slow its still entertaining and that's fine since this is a slice of life show so that's typical pacing. If they continue to make the characters more entertaining to watch and as their story unfolds I hope we get more attached to them and eventually sympathize with them also, since this is a slice-of-life show I'm expecting to learn a LOT from this show and I'm challenging this show to make me cry just like what Clannad After Story did. Don't disappoint me P.A. Works!

Until then

~ ja

Dragon Crisis - Review

2011-05-20T16:11:00.002+08:00

Title: Dragon Crisis
Genre: Acrtion, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 5/10

Summary:
A normal high school boy Kisaragi Ryuji's peaceful life is turned into an adventure by the return of his second cousin Eriko. Ryuji and Eriko seize a relic box from a black broker. In the box, they find a red dragon girl Rose. In order to protect Rose from the black organization, Ryuji decides to fight using his power as a relic handler.

Story: 4/10
Kisaragi Ryuuji's life have been thrown into a mess when his cousin Nanao Eriko returned and was pursuing a certain treasure which they called a 'Lost Precious' but instead of finding a treasure inside a suitcase they found a girl.
The summary and everything in this series really screams mediocre. Sorry I can't make the summary more interesting…
Sure this series has some really good aspects in it (that's why I stick with the series in the first place) but what the heck they barely explain it. They didn't explain what the society really is and that just make it a very fishy organization, the dragons with their questionable culture and the lost precious in which I question where does it get its power.
Sigh, this is just another generic supernatural harem love-com with new girls with fishy backgrounds popping out every other episode. What really pissed me off is how in the first few episodes the main characters are already 'engaged' what in the world... and they are only in high school.
This series is basically episodic which heavily rely on bad guy of the day and it definitely doesn't help build the story. Its as if there is little effort in writing the story since all I absorbed in the story is Rose love Ryuuji so much so the dialogue is mostly composed of "Ryuuji daisuki!"
Character 4/10
The characters of this series is really forgettable since they rarely or never escaped the usual anime archetypes. Ryuuji is your red blooded Japanese boy who is very dense and it just so happens that a lot of girls are falling for him and we saw him every episode as he try to fend off those girls. Rose is your typical tsundere and her dialogue is mostly composed of "Ryuuji daisuki!". There was also this character who excels in being forgettable oh I forgot her name…she's the classmate of Ryuuji and her character is really pointless since all she did in the entire series is try to get close to Ryuuji. The only characters I like are Ai, Eriko and Maruga but its not because they have a unique character but its probably because of the story that goes with them.
Animation: 7/10
The only thing I liked about this series is its character design and bright colors. Yep, the girls are really cute and it honestly pushes a lot of moe buttons on me. I really find the character design appealing since the curves of the hair is very unique and let's not forget the eyes. Its unusual to see bright colors in an anime unless it’s a kiddy show and somehow I have taken a liking to the glaring colors all around the series. The animation is just so-so nothing really impressive but hey at least the action was a bit entertaining.
Sounds:7 /10
The OP "Immoralist" by Yui Horie it surprisingly worked with that martial tones and somehow it gets you pumped out in the beginning. The ED "Mirai Bowl" is really chaotic it just hurt my ears. The bgm on the other hand somehow suited every occasion possible with its techno beats and piano pieces. Sure we got big names in the voice actor list but you can't really see their talent since it was all overshadowed by how mediocre the characters they play.
Enjoyment: 5/10
Sure I admit that I enjoyed its first few episodes but as the series progress, watching this is a bit dragging. It’s as if I'm watching this just to add another anime on my list (I think mentioned this before hmmm). Well I enjoyed seeing Ai, Eriko and Maruga since their story was quite enjoyable but that's not enough to salvage this series. As much as possible avoid watching this series since its honestly a waste of your precious time. If you don't have other anime to watch and want to watch this one then be my guest but don't expect much from it.
Overall: 5/10 (Avoid watch)

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai.–First Impression

2011-05-20T16:11:00.001+08:00

Title: Ano Hana
Genre: Drama

Summary:
Five childhood friends grow apart after the death of Meiko Honma, close playmate of them all. Jinta Yadomi, leader of the group when they were kids, neglects high school and lives as a shut-in when he unexpectedly starts seeing the ghost of Meiko, who can only interact with him and no one else. She has returned to ask Jinta to fulfill the forgotten wish she made as a kid.

"Aoi Shiori「青い栞」" by Galileo Galilei

Story reminds me a lot of Kanon with Menma's death and her showing up to Jinta and he's the only one who sees her ghost which he calls his stress. The setting of the story is really sad since we saw that because of Menma's death the once united 'Peace busters' have now drifted apart. On the current time, Jinta has been asked by Menma's spirit to grant her wish though she doesn't know what her wish is you will get a feeling that she tries to get her friends back again together just like before. It is really hard since the they are now grown up and that everything has changed, their personalities, their friends and beliefs. For Jinta to grant Menma's wish, he has to become the shell of a boy he once was, energetic and has good leadership qualities unlike the current him which is a lethargic guy and a shut-in. I honestly don't have any idea on where this series is heading but I have a feeling that if this is done right the sad ending that is imminent would really move me.

This is another show that I could relate to since as you grow old it really makes you realized that everything around you changes and even your once best friend's personality will be tweaked quite a bit and you'll find yourself overwhelmed by life and you can't even meet your old friends or you can't meet them since your in another place studying or working. What the…just thinking about that makes me sad :(. What more in Menma's shoes since she sees her friends now apart from each other and it seems that its her fault because of her death so she came back and tries to fix things. Jinta also blames himself since he said something that fateful day when Menma died and he cannot take that back now. Everyone else seems like they have gotten over Menma but their facial expressions express otherwise. Every character has their side of things so I can't wait to unfold it since it might shed some light on why they tried to forget Menma and why they disbanded. So far the characters are already impressively portrayed, each one has their own personality and attitude that are quite different from their younger selves but underneath that as the story progress, it seems that their old personalities are still there.

The animation is very impressive but not as impressive as HanaIro but still the animation is really fluid for a slice-of-life show. The character designs somehow reminds me of Toradora! specially those facial expressions. The character design really reflects the attitude and personalities of the characters in the present specially that hair of Jinta he really looks like a hikikimori (shut-in) and sometimes a crazy person whenever he tries to talk to a person that everyone can't see. Anaru's design reflects that she is one stylish girl that want people's attention. Yukiatsu maybe handsome but he got this attitude in his eyes that urges you punch him in the face. The girl in glasses Chiriko, really reflects her cold side with that eyes, glasses and hair. Poppo on the other hand looks friendly despite him being a huge guy. Really, this season is the season of the best character designs I've seen in a while.

The OP Aoi Shiori by Galileo Galilei is quite catchy and listening to it makes you reminisce your past for a bit. The ED song Secret Base ~Kimiga Kureta Mono~ (10 years after ver) which was sung by the seiyuus of this series is another favorite of mine and it fits this this series and every time the song gets to the chorus it manage to move me.

"「secret base ～君がくれたもの～ (10 years after Ver.)」" by Ai Kayano, Haruka Tomatsu, and Saori Hayami

So far I am still enjoying this and after watching an episode it made me remember the friends I had when I was just a kid, in elementary, in high school and now my college friends. Somehow it makes me feel a bit melancholic in a good way. I am so looking forward to this week after week as Jinta tries to fulfill the wish of Menma. I'll challenge A-1 Pictures too just like what I did to P.A. Works…go and try and move me and then make me cry and if you could do that….I'll go praise this series in my review.

Until then…

~ ja

Dog Days - First Impression

2011-05-20T16:11:00.000+08:00

Title: Dog Days
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Summary:
In the land of Fronaldo, the Republic of Biscotti has been aggressively attacked by the Lion Kingdom of Galette. Facing potential defeat, Princess Millhiore summons a hero who can save the country. What she gets is Izumi Shinku, a middle-school boy from Japan. Awaiting him in Fronaldo is the task of becoming hero enough to defeat his enemies while learning the peculiar rules of battle in this strange new world.

"SCARLET KNIGHT" by Nana Mizuki

Another anime original from the studio that brought us Nanoha but so far I don't really know where the story is heading. The series introduced us to Shinku a normal exchange student who like athletics until one day he was summoned into another world where he was tasked to become a hero of a country. In that world, war doesn't mean there's a lot of blood shed instead they held it in a war like sports competition and instead of dying, the participants turn into a defenseless cat or dog and its just the ideal world for our protagonist since he likes athletics so much. So far nothing really impressive have happened in the story yet, we only got little background information of Millhoire and her relationship with Leo the princess of another country. Nothing is really impressive in the story department since so far all we got is battle and kidnappings. Despite that it lacked in the story department, I'm still enjoying this series since it’s a brake from the plot heavy shows I'm following this season since I could watch this without thinking much.

The characters so far are honestly mediocre starting with Shinku who is your typical hero from a harem show who is quite dense and an idiot (no wonder Éclair calls him an idiot). The princess doesn't stand out much and the captain Eclair is your typical tsundere but thank goodness Kugumiya Rie isn't the one who voiced her.

The animation is above average and there's nothing really impressive about it. Like I said in my previous first impressions, this season has the best character design that I have seen in a while. This series might have suffered in the story department (like most of the shows this season) but you can count on it in the character design since all the characters are an eye candy. People who like anime characters with nekomimi ears or dog ears would definitely enjoy watching this show. I really enjoyed watching the action but its not as exciting as show where you know the characters could get hurt or even worse die. The animation of the casting circle really reminds me a lot of the casting circle in Nanoha specially if its color pink.

The OP song which was sung by Nana Mizuki has nice voice works but the song itself is not that catchy but at least it fits the fantasy mood of the series. The ED song is cute but nothing special either.

"PRESENTER" by Yui Horie

Despite its lack of plot and mediocre characters I am still enjoying this series since its like a breather for plot heavy and serious shows that I'm following this season. So far I'm still being entertained by its premise and the action but I'm not expecting much from this show.

Until then…

~ ja

Yondemasu Yo, Azazel-san! - First Impression

2011-05-20T16:10:00.003+08:00

Title: Yondemasu Yo Azazel-san!
Genre: Comedy, Supernatural

Summary:
Akutabe is a detective who summons devils to solve the troubles of his clients. One day, a low class devil Azazel Atsushi is summoned by Akutabe and is used harshly by him and his assistant Rinko.

"Pandemic!! (ぱんでみっく！！)" by Chihiro Yonekura

The summary of this series will mislead you into thinking that this series is boring. Good thing when I watch the first episode, this show proved me wrong. I was really surprised that this series is so hilarious that I find myself in a laugh till you cry moment every time I watch this show. This series is not for all since some might find the jokes in this series offending with those sex jokes thrown all over the place. Well, after watching Panty & Stocking I now have a huge tolerance with the most extreme green jokes out there and if you compare P&S's with Azazel's sex jokes, you'll find Azazel's jokes a lot tamer.

There's nothing much to expect from the story since this show is in the comedy genre and it is an episodic series with only 13 min every episode. All we get in the story is how Akutabe, who is a detective, summons demons to do his bidding and he even abuses them where he looks more like the demon instead. Together with his assistant Sakuma Rinko they meet various clients that leads to meeting new demons that made me laugh my ass off with their various antics as they try to solve the cases of their cllients.

The characters of this series are not only hilarious they are also interesting. Let's start off with Akutabe who is more like a demon than the demon he summons. Like I said above, he is a detective that summons demons to accomplish his work . There's also Sakuma Rinko who I thought has a goody good persona but as I watch more episodes the show proved me wrong once again. She is also hilarious as she tries to control those demons and sometimes she get abused by those demons but most of the time she's the one who abuses the demons specially the useless Azazel. Now let's go to the demons. We got Azazel who is a demon that enjoys sex and lust. Yeah he performs the task assigned to him but he doesn't perform it well that warrant him Akutabe's wrath. There's Beelzebub who looks like a penguin but he's actually a fly who could force someone to defecate on the spot. Undine is a mermaid who's suppose to be pretty but she's the opposite and she has the power to transform the appearance of people who befalls her jealousy. How Akutabe controls this demon is oh so hilarious, go watch it right now so you'll understand what I'm saying here. Another hilarious demon is Salamander who looks like a lizard that could make you believe the opposite of what you're saying. The episode that involves him and Undine is just unforgettable. We also met Moloch who they say is very violent but he's mainly useless and she's just a cute bull (is he a cow or a bull?).

There's nothing spectacular with the animation. The ugly faces of the mundane people like the people walking the street or the client of Akutabe adds to the comedy atmosphere of this series. The outrageous facial expressions too and how it was animated adds another factor to the enjoyment.

The OP of Azazel is fine but there's nothing really impressive in it but I'll say that it fits the light heartedness and silliness of this series with that upbeat song. I also love the performance of the seiyuus in this since with their over the top performance they could really make the audience laugh.

Yes! I definitely enjoyed this series a lot with its ridiculous characters. Others might find the comedy crude and blunt so yeah this is not for everyone. If you don't mind green jokes then I think you will definitely enjoy this series like I did. I easily suggest for you guys who like comedy to watch this its surprisingly good.

Until then…

~ja

Steins;Gate - First Impression

2011-05-20T16:10:00.000+08:00

Title: Steins;Gate
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

Summary:
Steins;Gate is set in the summer of 2010, approximately one year after the events that took place in Chaos;Head, in Akihabara.

Steins;Gate is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN, who has been doing their own research on time travel, tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them.

"Hacking to the Gate" by Kanako Itou

One of the plot devices that I like is time traveling and now we got an anime focused solely on that so this is like a dream come true. The major draw of this series is its interesting story and the surprising twist and turns that accompanies it. When I was searching for a plot synopsis during the time I'm gathering data for the spring preview, I stumbled upon one on Wikipedia and I dunno if its fortunate/unfortunate that I've spoiled myself but heck the spoilers made me go "Wah!? This is interesting!" I actually said a whole lot more but I don't want to spoil you guys so that's the gist of my reaction when I read the plot synopsis.

Okabe Rintarou is an amateur scientist who is very interested in the concept of time traveling that he even attended a symposium together with Mayuuri Shina in the Radio Kaikan building. On that fated day he stumbles upon the body of the neuroscience researcher Makise Kurisu lying on a pool of blood. He then leaves the building in a panic with Mayuri and while they were crossing the street he texted Hashida Itaru about what he saw and then people just vanished but then they reappear but no one around him seem to experience the same phenomena. Okabe together with Hashida both went to the Radio Kaikan building again where he stumbles upon Makise Kurisu who is alive and well. He then told Hashida what he experienced and he said that he did receive a text message which was sent to him the previous week. Okabe's memory somewhat doesn't fit what happened and he was a bit confused. On further investigation that involve some banana turning into a gel they found out that their customized microwave could send text message to the past. As they investigate on an organization named SERN they found out that they were able to make one functioning time machine and even successful in sending humans to the past though all of them died and turned into a gel just like in Okabe's experiments. As they improve their own time machine and got involve with the organization SERN they have to find a way to fix things and find a way to return everything to normal.
So far we got a lot of questions with few answers that have kept me watching this series and hopefully little by little we would get some answers eventually. What I really love about this series is how it connects real life people and organization that takes part in this series. This series even made me go research (Ah..this is the first time I researched something for an anime) who is John Titor and I was surprised that he really did exist in our world though they tweaked some facts on him. This series is really thought provoking not just because it throws us some jargons but because of how they present us with the facts that makes you think and even makes it seems that time traveling is possible in our world. Not only is this series thought provoking, there are some instances that the we have one hell of a cliffhanger that make you wish that a time machine exist so that you could fast forward to next week and watch the next episode. We honestly got one interesting story and I think if the execution will be as impressive as ever we might get one hell of a sci-fi anime.

The characters of this series is really interesting from the main characters and also the side characters that will have their part in the future episodes. Okabe Rintarou is one entertaining protagonist who believes that he's a mad scientist who insists that everyone calls him Hououin Kyouma. We often see him talking to his phone babbling about an organization who wants to sabotage his plans so sometimes you have to discern which of his speech is relevant to the story. Some might find him annoying but I like him better than the protagonist of Chaos;Head who mixes fantasy from reality since unlike him, Okabe is still rooted to reality that he considers how his actions would affect his friends. Surprisingly, I enjoy the bickering moments of Okabe, Kurisu and Hashida. Somehow I find those light hearted moments a breather in this plot heavy show and who wouldn't be entertained with Kurisu-chan's tsundere response :3, how Hashida says some perverted stuff to her and that Okabe giving Kurisu-chan some weird name. Kurisu-chan is also an interesting character since at first she doesn't want to admit the existence of a time machine but when she saw the experiment of Okabe's group she still wants to deny that she's interested but still she joined the group (hehe she's even a tsundere at whatever she does). Shiina Mayuri is one cute and calm girl who is Okabe's childhood friend (I wonder how he found a cute childhood friend when he's such a weird guy). I really enjoyed her "too-too-roo!!" with Kana Hanazawa's voice and I have this urge to make that my message alert tone. Even though she's the member of Mirai Gadget she doesn't have any knowledge on sciences and doesn't contribute much to the group except the food she gives to the group. So far we still don't know what part does Mayuri plays in this series but from someone who was spoiled by a synopsis I'll tell you she will play a big part in this series together with Kurisu-chan. Hashida Itaru is an otaku that is good in hacking both software and hardware technologies. I like this guy since he brings out the best in the girls of this series and together with his hilarious speeches, he brings out a bit of comedy in this series. Moeka Kiryu is a very weird girl with glasses that Okabe encountered at Akibahara who takes pictures . She is very shy in expressing herself but is very talkative when she message Okabe. Incidentally, she's also looking for the IBN 5100 like Okabe and currently she's also a member of Okabe's group. Suzuha Amane is a part-timer who works with the landlord of Okabe's place. This mysterious girl often glares at Kurisu for unknown reasons and she seems to act as if she's seen mundane things in world for the first time making me speculate that she came from the future.

There's nothing much I could say about the animation since there's nothing really impressive with it except how they put more detail on the surroundings and even to the random people that walks the streets. Well its understandable that there's nothing impressive with the animation since this series doesn't have any action scenes where it could show off its animation prowess but instead of it being flashy, the animation is more like dramatic so it definitely fits this show. Since I'm a fan of Huke's art, I immediately love the character design of this series. I find the girls so adorable and somehow I find Kurisu's off shoulder jacket and Mayuuri's hat very appealing. It’s a bit sad that like in the BRS anime they weren't able to fully relive the gritty style of Huke's art but I have to commend the effort they've done in adding the gritty style in the OP animation.

The OP song is fine but its not really that catchy and somehow it sounds similar with Chaos;Head's OP song. I like the ED song better since the song give me a feeling that time is running out specially with the animation of clocks and broken sand timer that accompanies that song. Somehow the song has grown on me as I repeatedly listen to it after each episode. The most impressive part of the sounds is the voice acting. I just have to commend every seiyuu in this series because of their impressive performance of the characters and because of them the characters really feels alive.

"Toki Tsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku" by Yui Sakakibara

Hell yeah! I definitely enjoy series that makes me think. With an intriguing story and characters, I am so hooked with this series. I just hope that this won't be like shows with strong opening but then eventually goes downhill at the end of its run. Hopefully it won't become dragging and a chore to watch in the future and I'm expecting to see more at-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense in the coming episodes.

Until then…

~ja

Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox - First Impression

2011-05-20T16:09:00.003+08:00

Title: Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox/Battle Girls: Time Paradox
Genre: Action, Comedy

Summary:
Hideyoshino is an average girl who always seems to find trouble wherever she goes. One day Hideyoshino visits a local shrine to pray in order to pass her upcoming test. However Hideyoshino sees a blue light coming from inside the Shrine and looks inside to find a mysterious person performing a magic spell. Hideyoshino in a stroke of bad luck trips on a small bell and crashes into the shrine prompting the stranger to catch her. However upon catching Hideyoshino the magic spell spirals out of control and sends Hideyoshino back in time to the Sengoku Era.

Hideyoshino then encounters Akechi Mitsuhide and Oda Nobunaga. But unlike what really happened during the era, Hideyoshino realizes that everyone in the world is female. She then decides to help Oda Nobunaga find the Crimson Armor which is said to allow the person wearing the armor to conquer all of Japan.

"Kagerou (陽炎－ｋａｇｅｒｏｕ－)" by Tenka Tori Tai (天下取り隊) (Satomi Akesaka, Mariya Ise, Sachi Kokuryu, Rei Mochizuki)

We got another adaptation based from the popular Sengoku era but the twist this time is that those famous samurais & everyone else are all girls. How do they breed? Oh the series just explained it that they could out of bamboo. Hideyoshi our very unlucky and clumsy protagonist accidentally stumbles into someone who is doing some ceremony in a temple and when she woke up she found herself in the Sengoku era where there's no existence of any guys. There she met Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide who looks like Akerin, Hideyoshi's friend in the real world. How would out protagonist go back to her world? Beats me….So far she agreed to help Nobunaga to gather all parts of that red armor believing that she could conquer all of Japan.

There's nothing much in the story/plot since so far all Hideyoshi did is help Nobunaga by using modern things like "recreation" and various things but sometimes we also saw her put some sense to Nobunaga's actions. It seems that things would start to get interesting if that Tokugawa Ieyasu would actually be successful in stealing the completed armor. This series is another one of the shows that won't require you to think so I could watch this even when I'm tired or when my brain feels like an ooze or even when I'm cleaning my nails I could still follow what's happening on screen. Like I said in my first impression on Dog Days and Maria Holic, this is like a breather from the plot heavy shows I'm following this spring. Despite the over used setting and its lack of plot, I still enjoy watching this since Hideyoshi is one enjoyable character specially as she find out that her action dictates what happened during the Sengoku era.

I don't really care much about the other characters in this series except from the main trio Hideyoshi, Nobunaga and Mitsuhide since the series is mostly focused on them. At first I didn't like Hideyoshi much and I was like "What the? We have another airhead & stupid protagonist." but as the episode goes by thankfully, she becomes better as we see her as a reliable girl who tries her best to help Nobunaga. As for Nobunaga, she got a bit of character development in the recent episode. It is revealed that other than being tomboyish, she has a very short temper that's why her grandma gave her that smoking pipe (what do you call that?) so that whenever she got angry all she have to do is grip that thing tightly. Mitsuhide on the other hand is very loyal to Nobunaga and she's a bit pissed that Nobunaga is more fond of Hideyoshi than her and I think with that someday it'll lead her into betraying Nobunaga and if that would come true, things would really become interesting. The other characters are simply there as at first, a foe but they eventually become friends with Nobunaga except that fox of a girl Tokugawa Ieyasu who obviously have plans to steal the completed armor. I wonder what's the part of Date-sensei in all of this.

Nothing really special about the animation but I have to commend the character design since not only does the characters have attractive faces but their design definitely reflects their personalities. I'm thankful that the fanservice in this series is not like the 'special attack then clothes got ripped off' type. Somehow surprisingly there's hardly fanservice in this series aside Nobunaga's clothes and the ED stills. I'm really surprised they didn't rely on those stuff at all. The costumes and accessories is unique I give it that but its not drop dead gorgeous as Hyakka Rryouran's design.

There's nothing really special about the OP and ED song. The OP is fine but I'm not really fond of the song but at least it succeed in sounding like ancient Japan with that flute. The ED is just fanservice in its entirety and I don't really care about the song.

"Atsuki Ya no Gotoku (熱き矢の如く)" by Tenka Tori Tai (天下取り隊) (Satomi Akesaka, Mariya Ise, Sachi Kokuryu, Rei Mochizuki)

I definitely enjoyed watching this despite its flaws but I hope it won't become dragging and repetitive in the future episode. To tell you guys the truth, the most enjoyable part of this series is the preview for the next episode not the show itself. I always find myself laughing my ass off with how hilarious the seiyuu of Hideyoshi and Date-sensei as they talk about senseless things that I find really hilarious.

Until then…

~ ja

Deadman Wonderland - First Impression

2011-05-20T16:09:00.000+08:00

Title: Deadman Wonderland
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

Summary:
Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.

“One Reason” by Fade

The setting of this series reminds me a lot of Battle Royale only this one it’s a lot worse. DMW is an attraction site similar to that of a theme park the only difference is this place is actually a privately owned prison and the main attraction are the prisoners who participates in different events to earn cast points (DMW's currency) to make their stay to DMW more comfortable and also to prolong their lives. Igarashi ganta is your normal middle school student until one day, a "Red Man" (with that evil smirk of his) slaughtered the entire class of Ganta. That man thrust his hands into Ganta's heart and ganta thought it’s the end of him but its only the beginning. I love how the anime version added a lot of things in the first few episodes and make the frame up of Ganta have more impact. Unlike in the manga we get to see Ganta explain things to defend himself but instead he got framed up by that fraud of a lawyer. We were even shown how people close to him punched and kicked him for the crime that he didn't do. Ganta was sentenced to death and he was sent to DMW as a death row inmate. In there he'll meet people you can't imagine exist with that kind of attitude and personality so Ganta have to grow up fast or else he'll be eaten alive in that prison which is a metaphor of the real world. He eventually found out the real reason he was sent in that kind of place so as he starts to discover his powers to control his own blood, he was sent to the real DMW and he was further plunged into a whole level of nightmare as he battle other people with similar powers and meet comrades that also want to get out of that hellish place.

Oh hell yes! From one of the best manga out there, finally we got an animated version. This is another series this season that has a promising story and unique setting that will blow your mind with its every twist and turns. I'm just a bit wary that this series won't live up to my expectations since it will only be a one cour series instead of a two cour that is more appropriate for this series. I just hope the writers won't end this series with a crappy anime original ending and hopefully we'll get a 2nd season if this series won't reach the recent material from the manga.

So far the focus is with the two main characters and in the current episode we were introduced with Kenji who has powers similar to Ganta. Ganta is very weak and a wimp when he first entered DMW but as the series moves on we began to see his transformation as he becomes a guy who could now protect himself and others. He even has a high sense of justice that make him both admirable and naïve. Then there's Shiro who is a happy-go-lucky girl who doesn't care that she's inside a jail and she claims that she's known Ganta when they were still little and that she's Ganta's friend even if Ganta claims that she doesn't know Shiro. Shiro is a very mysterious girl who always protect Ganta and sometimes made him realized a lot of things. Shiro is a breath of fresh air in the hell hole with that very positive attitude of hers and a never ending smile of hers. There's also Takami You who stole Ganta's candy when he first arrive in DMW. We eventually found out that he's keeping an eye on Ganta with the orders from promoter Tamaki in exchange for cast points. Even if that guy looks like a traitor he's actually a good guy as he try and help Ganta. We even got introduced with Senji who reminds me a lot of Kenpachi from Bleach. He's one hilarious and cool guy since even if he looks strong with that muscular body of his and he's weak against girls who have revealing clothing. Oh you'll eventually meet other awesome characters like Minatsuki who is simply badass. Oh I just can't wait for her appearance.

The animation is fine since its above average but there's nothing really special about it. The color which was mostly used in this series is dark and grayish which is very fitting for the show's atmosphere. I'm just a bit disappointed that the gore in this series is being censored unlike in the manga and by doing that they have taken the charm of this series which is the gore. The OP animation which is mostly consists of the colors black, gray and red really looks stylishly badass. We even saw promoter Tamaki with his puppets and the main guys and gals showing their skin…with how it was executed it just says its one badass show.

The OP song "One Reason" by Fade is another favorite of mine and couple it with the OP animation, I just want to bang my head with the music. The ED song "Shiny Shiny" by NIRGILIS is somehow out of place but at least it fits the stills that accompany it but watching it is a bit melancholic. Well, well Kana-chan voicing my Shiro and I'm really contented but every time Shiro opens her mouth I found myself looking at Nessa but hopefully that would go away as I erase Fractale's existence in my mind.

“SHINY SHINY” by NIRGILIS

I definitely enjoy this series so much with its unique story and atmosphere like kill or get killed so I'm hoping they bring on more gore. Its already a violent show why not add more since it feels hmmmm lacking in that aspect…

Until then…

~ja

Ao no Exorcist - First Impression

2011-05-20T16:08:00.000+08:00

Title: Ao no Exorcist/ Blue Exorcist
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Supernatural

Summary:
Humans live in the world of Assiah, demons in Gehenna. The two dimensions are not meant to interfere with each other, but demons still possess creatures in Assiah in spite of this. The humans who can fight these demons are known as exorcists. Rin Okumura is a boy who bears the curse of being Satan's illegitimate son. His foster father sacrificed himself to save him from demons. To avenge his foster father's death as well as to prove himself, Rin decides to follow the path of an exorcist.

“CORE PRIDE” by UVERWorld

What if one ordinary day you realized that you are the offspring of Satan? That's was what happened to Okamura Rin when one perfectly ordinary day he started seeing floating demons and then suddenly he was attacked by another demon claiming that he is the son of Satan. This is another series which has a very unique setting in which the exorcists are tasked to banish demons and the exorcist in training are being trained in True Cross academy which is a normal school but after class, those who want to be an exorcist have been given a key that they could use to any door and it will take them to the room where they took their exorcist classes. The place where the academy was built is a very surreal place with its architectural design. What really hooked me with this series is most probably the story which seem interesting since Rin who is the son of Satan wanted to become an exorcist and eventually kill Satan. Really interesting since we have to follow Rin's adventures as he becomes an exorcist and meet new comrades along the way. In a way this series reminds me a lot of D.Gray-man combined with Bleach in terms of the character design and setting. I got a feeling that if this series is done right it might be one of the memorable shounen anime out there, it might even be the next Full Metal Alchemist who knows?

The main characters are so far very likeable and currently the show is mostly focused on them and little is known about the side characters and most of them we haven't met yet. I find Okamura Rin's character interesting since not only does he have one interesting background but he's also hilarious. He might be the eldest of the twins but he acts as if he's the youngest and he likes getting into fights and somehow you could relate that on the fact that he's the son of the most powerful demon. Add the fact that people around him wants him to die and his real father is also after him too….he make one good protagonist you could either sway to dark or light. His brother on the other hand is a complete opposite of him since he's responsible, smart and very charismatic. It was even revealed that when he was still a child he could already see demons that always freak him out and thus the reason he chose to become an exorcist and another reason is to protect the people around him.

The animation is flawless and above average like other A-1 Pictures shows out there. The character design on the other hand complements the personality of our characters with Rin's design with that pointy eyes, ears and teeth of his he really looks like a demon while his brother with that glasses and very clean look made him look smart.

The OP song "Core Pride" by UVERworld is fine but its not best song of UVERworld. I like the ED song "Take Off" by 2PM better that I keep on singing "Ready, ready for the take off!" whenever I think about it. The ED really reminds me a lot of those Korean idols that is quite fad in my country recently.

“Take off” by 2PM

Yep I definitely enjoy this show a lot and I honestly can't wait to unravel the story of this series and I got a feeling that it will have a lot of twist and turns that will hopefully get me at the edge of my seat.

Until then…

~ ja

Maria Holic Alive - First Impression

2011-05-20T13:56:00.001+08:00

Title: Maria Holic Alive
Genre: Comedy

Summary:
Second season of Maria Holic

"Mousou Senshi Miyamae Kanako (妄想戦士宮前かなこ)" by Tomokazu Sugita

"Runrunriru Ranranrara (るんるんりるらんらんらら)" by Yu Kobayashi

The second season picks up where the first season have left off. Nothing much have changed this is still a gag show which is mostly focused on the battered Kanako. I know this is under the genre of comedy but I hope they touch up on some of the plot that was left behind last season like what's the significance of Kanako's rosary to Mariya's and why does both look similar. Plot aside this series is still enjoyable since the characters are very quirky and just by watching their antics you'll get a good laugh out of them. The first episode of this season is honestly weak compared to the first episode of the first season where I was hooked in an instant but as the episode goes by it gets better and better.

The characters are the same as before and so far they have not introduce new characters. I'm hoping that Shizu would have another appearance in this series since she makes things more interesting. Kanako is still the same lesbian who has a dirty mind and her every action in this series is mostly the source of the comedy specially how Mariya and Matsurika toys around with her. Sorry Kanako even though you’re the main character of this series you have been over shadowed by Mariya, Matsurika and even God.

The animation is still the same as the previous season. The animation which is your typical SHAFT is another one that adds to the humor to this series.

I wouldn't say that the OP is catchy and like what Sid said in his first look, the OP of the first season is a lot better compared to this. What the…even if the series' OP is not that catchy I wonder why do I keep singing it? Well despite that its not that catchy at least the animation that accompanied it changes every episode and somehow its also hilarious. In Ep 5 we have a new OP and still I don’t find it catchy but I definitely enjoy watching the angel Mariya in the OP. I still prefer the ED of the first season compared to this but hey I think it could still grow on me as I listen to it more.

"Dou ni Mou Tomaranai (どうにもとまらない)" by Amano Kisaki GasshouDan

Yep, this is another breather show in my list which is not plot heavy and doesn't need much concentration to watch but still enjoyable. I think I'll recommend watching the 1st season first before humping to this one 'cause first, you might get weird out by the animation if you haven't watched a SHAFT show and second you'll have to get used to the characters first or else their action in this second season would not make sense to you.

Until then…

~ ja

Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season - Review

2011-05-20T13:56:00.000+08:00

Title: Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season
Genre: Romance, School
Rating: 9/10

Summary:
The continuation of the first season. Sawako Kuronuma and her friends have just begun their second year of high school and they are in the same class together again. To make matters more interesting a male student newly transferred into their class is seated right next to Kuronuma and has taken an interest in her. What hurdles will Sawako and Kazehaya face next?

Story: 9/10
The story of this 2nd season pick up exactly where the first season had left off. Last season we saw Sawako and Kazehaya starting to get closer bit by bit and we also saw Sawako opening up little by little. It all started with that chocolate that Sawako made for Kazehaya during Valentines Day. When Kurumi asked Sawako if those chocolates she made doesn't have a meaning to it, our protagonist started to think about it and eventually she realized that her choco are full of hidden desires and with that she had lost the courage to give the chocolate to Kazehaya. After all that drama everything started to get awkward as misunderstanding began to accumulate between the two and we were plunged into the love story of this two high school students as they try to reach and understand each others feelings.

Sooo it’s the chocolate's fault? Lol…I'm just kidding :P

The main problem of this series is its really slow pace that if you watched it on a weekly basis you'll eventually finding yourself wondering what happened last episode so I marathoned the first season. Unlike the first season, they hasten up the pacing for a bit but it is still quite slow for a 13(?) episode series but I managed to watch it in a weekly basis without forgetting what happened in the previous episodes.
What makes this 2nd season gripping and memorable is how we find the main characters in situations where they want each other to be happy and then there's a misunderstanding and one of them confessed though in a vague way that leads to another misunderstanding and then the other says something and she hurt the feeling of the guy and the misunderstanding just keeps on building up (confusing right? Well people who watched this already might get this). I just love how the dialogues in this series could be interpreted in another way that may lead to the other party misunderstanding which I think is very cleverly crafted. We even got a possible love triangle with the person of Kento Miura but I think he was there to simply urge the protagonist to finally say his feelings but somehow I felt bad for him specially when he said that he fall in love in a wrong time. Its also very entertaining to watch Sawako as she becomes the person she is now where she could finally reach out her feelings to others unlike the shy and outcast version in the first season. As the series is nearing its end we finally found our main characters were finally officially a couple and they were able to say their feelings out loud even in public. What makes this series a very unique romance is we get to see the after confession events and its really sweet. Unfortunately this series didn't end with a kiss *shrugs* oh well, I think I can't imagine Sawako kissing Kazehaya since she's just so innocent and pure.

Characters: 10/10
Like I said in the story part, the character have been nicely fleshed out specially the character of Sawako since we saw her transformation as a timid and socially awkward girl becomes someone who could openly express her feelings. Kazehaya on the other hand we began to see his other self which is a guy who easily got jealous and a guy who rushes things that was concealed in that outgoing personality of his. Sawako's friends was also been used in this series as they gently pushed and supports Sawako to be person she is now. Kurumi on the other hand its hard not feel sorry for this antagonist. I think a lot of people out there would've sympathize with her with her unrequited love. Her appearance this season has been greatly reduced but heck, every time she shows up there would definitely a huge impact of emotions. With that limited time we were able to see her from being a jealous and cruel person to a defenseless and honest one as she both managed to get in Sawako's way and eventually helping her realize her feelings so I have been attach to her. If I would award the best character to this series I would definitely award it to Kurumi. Though she's still not over Kazehaya it seems that she's going to be ok and that she'll eventually get over her first love. Then there's Kento Miura which is a bishie who took interest with Sawako. It seems that his job in this series is to push Kazehaya to make his move to Sawako and also to add more misunderstanding between the two protagonists. He was an entertaining character since he was a breath of fresh air where the love story is mainly focused on Kazehaya & Sawako. It was a bit bitter sweet that he admit that he liked Sawako but the timing just isn't right since Sawako already liked Kazehaya when he met her. Oh I almost forgot the dog Maru-chan…..how did he get that big? O_o

Animation: 10/10
Nothing much changed from the animation its still the same nicely animated with water colored hues all over which really fits this series' overall mood. There's also the very impressively drawn and animated facial expressions that will get you caught up with the emotions of the characters. Also with this kind of show you'll expect all flowery, bubbly effects you'll have which was nicely timed with the certain scene.

Sounds: 9/10
Oh I love both the OP an ED song since both are really catchy and it definitely fits the series. The OP song Soufuu by Tanizawa Tomofumi is really light hearted and refreshing somehow reflects that side of the series. The ED Kimi ni Todoke by MAY'S is just breathtaking as we get to the part where 'Kimi ni Todoke' was finally sung I was already standing on my seat when I first heard it and still it gives me goose bumps since it is a really good song. Somehow this song reflects the drama going on with the two protagonists. The bgm on the other hand is really impressive since it was nice to the ears and it was played in the right time. Whenever I see or hear the name Noto Mamiko the first thing that pops in my mind is Kuronuma Sawako since I think she really fits the character and voice of Sawa-chan and her performance in this series is quite commendable and memorable.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Yep, I definitely enjoyed this one week after week. I was either cheering for Sawako on the computer screen, comforting Kurumi and shouting to Kazehaya and Miura for complicating things. Though like I said the problem lies with the pacing since some people who are not patient as me might eventually get bored. Now that I think about it maybe the pacing of this series teaches us to be patient in a lot things but the main focus would've been love. Since we live in a world where people always want 'instant' things, instant noodles, instant spaghetti, instant soup, instant baby, instant relationship and a whole lot more, its nice to see that a show shows us the good side of waiting for the right moment and work on it little by little and with that you'll get rewarded with a strong relationship like the relationship of Sawako and Kazehaya. In short, everything has their own time so don't rush things and enjoy your life at the moment and eventually you'll be rewarded.

Overall: 9/10 (High Priority Watch)

Until then…

~ ja

Yumekui Merry - Review

2011-05-04T15:52:00.000+08:00

Title: Yumekui Merry, Dream Eater Merry
Genre: Action, Supernatural, Comedy
Rating: 6/10

Summary:
Ten years ago Fujiwara noticed he had a power to see multicolored auras surrounding people's bodies. Ever since then he's been having a weird dream about a war with cats. One day he meets a mysterious girl, that, after being picked on by crows and fallen from a tree, goes to search for her lost hat. Later that day, Fujiwara finds himself in a daydream, being attacked by the same cats he fights at night.

Story: 5/10
Yumeji Fujiwara has a unique power to see colors that determines what people would dream of. He had been having nightmares lately about cats that are pursuing him and someone named John Doe who wants to possess him. Then one day he met a girl named Merry who lost her memory and apparently can't find a way back to the dream world. When Yumeji is strolling around town he was drawn into a 'Day Dream' where he met John Doe again and this time he won't let him go until he took control of his body. Thank goodness Merry was also drawn in that 'Day Dream' and saved Yumeji from that Dream Demon. Our good natured Yumeji was very thankful and offered Merry a place to stay and even offered his help to Merry to uncover her memory and also help her find a way to send her back to the dream world. As he help Merry he was able to meet other Dream Demons and also some humans who are possessed by those demons.
This is one of the most interesting premise last winter but too bad it wasn't able to utilize the setting. The first few episodes are interesting as we get to know the dream world, the existence of dream demons and why/how they possess humans. I like how they take it slow in the first few episodes and let the audience wonder week after week on what are dream demons, what is Merry's past, why do they possess humans but too bad as the episode progress little was revealed and there are more questions than answers. It was really doing great in the first few episodes and they even revealed someone named Hercules who is behind everything but he was immediately forgotten as the focus of the show shifted to another character named Mistletine who eventually hunts down Yumeji's childhood friend Isana. Really, the pacing was all over the place with the first few eps being slow then when it was nearing its end they just rushed it. There was little impact specially the last episode where Chizuru and Leon sacrificed themselves.
Overall, interesting premise, pacing is all over the place and a story that has a lot of plot holes like a swiss cheese.
Character: 6/10
Actually, I didn't find any of the characters appealing even though their character design is oh so adorable mainly because their personality/character feels mediocre but I think that's the fault of the story. Our protagonist Yumeji, is someone who likes helping other people but even though he's weak, he never gives up and always give his best. I might say he's very naïve and a bit stupid for dragging himself and even other people just to help a girl he barely knows but I have to admit he is cool sometimes. Merry on the other hand is quite interesting in the first few eps but as the series ends we still don't know what she really is but still she's really adorable (I definitely won't forget that navel haha!). Characters like John Doe and Heracles were introduced but heck they didn't appear in the last few eps and here I thought they have a huge part in this series. Mistletine is a antagonist you'll love to hate and even Iijima-sensei is one annoying bastard.
Animation: 8/10
The character design is really appealing and honestly it kept on pushing some moe buttons on me. The style of the animation on the other hand is similar to Casshern Sins which exudes an air of mystery since sometimes the environment of the dream is like an abstract painting. The action scenes are really engaging but I got the feeling that the animation got lazy at the last part of this series.
Sounds: 8/10
The OP and ED song of Merry is one of my favorites last season. The OP "Daydream Syndrome" by Marina Fujiwara really makes me bang my head to the music and it even reflects the mood of the series. The ED song "Yume to Kibou to Ashita no Atashi" by Ayane Sakura is really catchy and light hearted and it ends the series in a high note also I enjoyed seeing those nicely animated roses fly off Merry's navel haha!
Enjoyment: 6/10
Well I have to admit I enjoyed watching it in the first few episodes but when they got to around episode 9-10 watching this show felt like a chore its as if I'm watching it for the sake of adding another series to my list. If ever there'll be a season 2 I think I might still watch it if they would tackle a part of the plot they left in the middle of this series
Overall: 6/10 (Low Priority Watch)
Until then…
~ ja

Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica–Written & Video Review

2011-05-04T12:12:00.005+08:00

Title: 魔法少女まどか★マギカ (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Genre: Magic, Psychological, Thriller, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Seinen
Rating: 10/10

Summary:
Beloved family, good friends, laughter and tears - these things make up the ordinary life of Kaname Madoka, a second year student of Mitakihara City Middle School. One night, Madoka dreams of a mysterious dark haired girl struggling against a terrible evil; the next morning she discovers that the girl, Akemi Homura, has transferred into her class. This encounter will lead to an incident which will alter Madoka's fate forever.

***I know I tend to spoil things in my review but this time I tried to limit the spoilers but I won’t say it is free of spoilers so if you don’t want to spoil yourself stop right here and don’t read my review ‘cause it might ruin the experience of watching the series. If you don’t care about the spoilers then go right ahead and read my review***

If you were given a choice, are you ready to give up your soul and face despair for the rest of your life for the sake of a single wish?

Story: 10/10
Character: 9/10
Kaname Madoka is your typical second year student until one day she encountered an injured magical creature being pursued by the transfer student named Akemi Homura. That encounter has change her fate forever as she stumbles upon the world of Puella Magi (Mahou Shoujo) who endlessly battle witches.
You might think that this series is a rip-off of popular mahou shoujo like Nanoha…… then think again...
WOW just WOW this show is really breathtaking. I don't know if I want to live in Madoka's world but really, its impressive with all the detail and the rules the writer had set up…its really believable. This show has really re-defined the genre of mahou shoujo that after watching this you won't easily think about lolis in cute costumes whenever you see the word mahou shoujo. Get the usual magical creature meets girl formula and then add the unique setting that made the characters question what its like to be a Puella Magi and you'll get Madoka Magica. Like I said in my first impression, this show is a LOT ominous than you think it is because this show is dressed as a cute mahou shoujo on the outside but as you get deeper it gets a LOT darker. Unlike other mahou shoujo shows out there, it tackles the consequences of being a mahou shoujo, despair and death. This series never fails to surprise me week after week not just with the direction of the series is heading, but also with the revelations and awesome cliff hangers that eventually made you wonder what will happen in the next episode. I really like how unpredictable this series is and when I re-watched this, I honestly want to smack myself for not seeing the clues floating around so yes, I would say that the re-watch value of this series is really high.

You know what's really amazing with this series is how everything fits well to the story. The writer was able to cover almost all of the plot holes in the first part of this series and honestly, it was delivered in a very unpredictable and impressive manner. It might be short but it didn't waste any time in uncovering the overall story and the development of the characters. What really surprised me is the ending since as I was waiting for Madoka to utter her wish I really didn't expect her to wish something as selfless as that and she even manage to beat Kyuubey in his own game.

This series is really good in building up unsettling atmosphere with the use of dialogues coupled with the bgm and animation it really is impressive. Actually with the dialogues alone the atmosphere is already ominous, very clever of the writer.

One of the main driving force of this series is its different themes that made our characters question what they do. Instead of the story focusing on the battle between Puella Magi and witches it is actually focused on the internal struggles of the characters as they try to justify their motives and WOW, it sure does bring one rollercoaster of a character development.
What really impressed me the most are the character since all of them are flawed and with that, they are just like us so somehow you could relate to them. You'll eventually find yourself wanting to scream at Madoka, feel sorry and a bit pissed at Sayaka, feels sad for Mami, hug & sympathize with Homura and love Kyouko. The characters coupled with the themes presented in this series really makes you think. Why does one fight? Is it to help others or just to get their approval? But the main question that this series repeatedly asks, Are you ready to give up your soul, your comfortable life, even everything for the sake of a single wish that could be granted even if is not within the bounds of reason? (Right, definitely appealing) That question have kept pestering our protagonist Kaname Madoka as she started out as a wimpy and weak girl but as the story unfolds she become one of the strongest anime characters out there (yep stronger than Nanoha or Goku). I love how everything revolves around her, that she is the catalyst behind the story of this series. Because of her Homura had to go back in time again and again so that she could save her fate. From a very weak and sweet girl, Homura in the present timeline become cold and calculative and the cause of that is she have repeatedly saw Madoka die in different timeline. When this series started I really thought that she's the antagonist of this series but heck I am so wrong. What really fascinates me with Madoka's character is that unlike other mahou shoujo heroine out there, she really thought about the consequences of being a mahou shoujo before turning into one. She might have grown increasingly depressed as other mahou shoujo around her died but at last at the last few episode she found her resolve and because of her very selfless wish that I have grown to admire her. Ok, I just realized I wrote a lot of spoilers already so I'll just say that the character background of this series is really interestingly and because of that you'll grow to love them. Also not one character was wasted in this series since they were all fully utilized like Hitomi and Madoka's family and it was thanks to them that this series has a really huge impact. The only reason I deducted a score on the character is mainly because when I thought about it, the characters won't really be interesting if it weren't for the story and their background but that's just me being picky.

The best antagonist (IMO) that have graced the anime world is most probably Kyuubey. I might have hated him but I understand his point and the fact that he didn't understood the concept of emotions. Somehow when you think about it, Kyuubey isn't really evil, like he said they've compromised with us and given us a choice and that they are saving the universe from entropy. Its just that Madoka and company has little perspective of the universe loosing its heat in next billions of years. What really made him evil is the concept of morals, that he is willing to sacrifice a couple of girls for the sake of the universe and even comparing those girls into cattles but hey, you can't blame someone who doesn't know what moral is. There was even a concept of utilitarianism where you'll be sacrificing a couple of lives for the sake of the many. Argh! This is honestly frustrating since its like comparing ethics to science. All I could say is *hands down* to the one who made the character of Kyuubey and also to the one who designed that cute and never changing expression of his.

Overall, a very detailed world, impressive story telling coupled with unique story & themes that had re-defined the genre of mahou shoujo forever and of course memorable characters….honestly, what more can I ask for?

Animation 9/10
What I really like about SHAFT is that they are not afraid to try out something new. It might have turned off other anime fans not used with their style but look at them now, other studios out there are now getting ideas from this very creative studio. I just love how they used bizarre and out of this world abstract drawings to make one nightmarish world of witches that added a LOT of dark atmosphere to this already dark series. The way they also depicted Kyuubey with his shadow casting over are character or just popping out of nowhere to the character's window sill or him sitting on one of the character's shoulder and how they focus the camera on that frozen facial expression of his…it really made him look evil. I also love the character design since it really reflects the character. An example would be the childish behaviour of Madoka was reflected with the colour of her hair, the twin-tails, her short stature and her long white socks. Homura on the other hand exudes a mysterious, elegant and beautiful persona with that cold eyes, dark long hair and her dark coloured mahou shoujo outfit. The choreography during the fight scenes is really impressive specially with the last moments of Mami and let's not forget Homura's memorable mahou shoujo with guns in ep 10 and her nerve breaking battle between Walpurgis. Oh let's not forget Madoka's goddess scene…..wow just wow. I also love how they used the camera angles and then focus it on the face of the character which bring us more of their emotions. Shinbou's style really fits this series though I have to admit there are some scenes where the animation was a bit lazy. An example of that was when Homura got hit by the building in ep 11, if they have done that scene right by adding more details it would have made a lot of impact. Imagine seeing how Homura got beaten up, it will definitely add to the desperation that Homura feels as her soul gem gets darker and darker.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Sounds: 10/10
With Yuki Kajiura in charge of the soundtrack of course I am not disappointed. With her style that combines orchestrated songs with modern beats, it definitely fits this series specially the part where Puella Magi battle against witches. The OP song Connect by ClariS is one of my favorite songs last winter season. It might be upbeat but when you read the lyrics its really a sad song. It was honestly stuck in my head for weeks and I kept on singing:

“kawashita yakusoku wasurenai yo
me wo toji tashikameru
oshiyoseta yami
furiharatte susumu yo…”

The ED song Magia by Kalafina on the other hand is really bleak and it really gives me goosebumps every time I hear it play. It definitely fits the atmosphere of this series. I have also grown to love it and currently its my ringtone. I will definitely get a copy of this series' OST.

With the cleverly written dialogues and couple it with the superb voice acting you will find yourself drawn to the characters and their emotions. Everything the character says plays a role in the story so I suggest to always keep your eyes and ears open since nothing in this show is a waste. I really have to commend Saito Chiwa's voice acting since she could shift from being cold and emotionless to the caring and grief stricken friend effectively. I honestly didn't recognize her voice until I saw in the cast that she's the voice behind Homura. Really, this seiyuu is really talented since she voiced a wide range of characters.

Enjoyment: 10/10
Week after week, this series managed to make its audience think from speculations to what the character symbolize. You could even make an analogy that Kyuubey represents science while Mahou Shoujo represents morality. Also there’s this concept of emotion that is powerful but could also cause destruction. This series have thought me a LOT of things like read or understand a contract first before agreeing to it, to choose the right decisions, to selflessly sacrifice oneself and a whole lot more. One of the good characteristics of a masterpiece show is how it evokes the emotions of the viewers, how the viewers react and interact with the show and make the viewers think not just waiting for the plot to come to you. Honestly, I found all of that here in this series so for the very first time, I'll award a perfect score to a anime series. It has been only the 3rd time I've given a perfect score and the first two are both movies.

Oh wow, this series will be remembered in a long time since it was really engaging and the way it was executed from beginning to end is really superb. Oh Madoka Magica you have dethrone Haruhi Suzumiya as my #1 favorite anime of all time.

What in the world are you waiting for? Go watch this series if you haven't watched it yet. Re-watch it again if you've already watched it and I will promise you it will be a different ride. If you really love watching anime I suggest grab a copy now and watch it….I don't care if you don't like mahou shoujo or you don't like the character design or whatever but there are some things that you just need to watch and this series is one of those things.

Oh I would also like to thank gg subs for including the morning lesque ad and other hilarious ads, it never fails to make me laugh every time I watch it….

I’ll leave you guys with some of the memorable quotes in this series…

“When you regret the wrong decision based on misunderstanding, humans tend to hate the other party for some reasons...” –Kyuubey

“The more everyone tries to do what they think is right, the less happiness there is..” –Junko Kaname (Madoka’s mom)

“If someone appears before you promising miracles…Don’t believe him” –Homura

“I’ll live through the same events again and again. Until I can find the only way out. The way to save you from despair. If its for your sake, I don’t mind being locked in this eternal maze!” –Homura

“If it weren’t for us you’d still be living in caves, I think” –Kyuubey

"Every wish that does not fit w/in the bounds of reason gives birth to some kind of distortion" –Kyuubey

“Its alright, my wish to erase every witch….If that’s fulfilled then I have no reason to despair!” –Madoka

“Don’t forget. Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember her, you are not alone”

(And here’s me bawling my eyes out…Oh Madoka *sobs*)

Overall: 10/10 (Must See)

until then…

~ja

VIDEO REVIEW DOWNLOAD

Or watch it here...
END CARD EP 7-12

Freezing - Review

2011-04-25T20:44:00.001+08:00

Title: Freezing
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance, Ecchi
Rating: 7/10

Summary:
Set in a slightly futuristic world where Earth has been invaded and is at war with aliens from another dimension called the Nova, the story follows the adventures of a Japanese boy named Kazuya Aoi who enrolls for training at a special school for genetically modified girls called Pandoras who battle the aliens, and their male partners, called Limiters, who use a special power called "freezing" to limit their opponent's mobility. The protagonist makes the acquaintance of an unusual older girl named Bridgette le Satellizer who appears to be the most powerful Pandora in her class, but has not yet chosen a male partner to be her Limiter, and in spite of the warnings of all his friends, he decides to be her Limiter.

Story: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
This series follows the adventures of Aoi Kazuya who enrolled in a special school where Pandoras, genetically modified girls that battle inter dimensional enemies, are being trained. The partner of these Pandoras are guys who uses the ability called 'Freezing' that either limits the opponents mobility or neutralize the 'freezing' ability of the opponent. Unfortunately, on the day that Kazuya entered the school there was an ongoing 'carnival' in which all of the Pandoras of a certain year battle each other to determine whose the strongest among the group. Our protagonist, having a sister complex, suddenly hugged the beautiful 'Untouchable Queen' Satellizer El Bridgette (notorious for being the 2nd year's #1 Pandora and of course as her alias implies, doesn't want to have contact with anyone) mistaking her as his sister during a battle and accidentally activated his 'freezing' that caused her to lose to her opponent. That encounter draws Kazuya's attention to the upperclassman who looked beautiful, strong, independent and cold on the surface but as he began to get to know her more he found out that she's actually shy, caring and quite sensitive.

The story isn't as complex as some of the shows last season but at least it got me hooked with the flow of the story and let's not forget Satellizer's character. The story didn't focus on the battle between the inter dimensional aliens on the first few episodes but instead focused on getting to know the main characters as they battle out their upper classmen who want to punish and humiliate them for disregarding the 'order'. Yes, the battle between Satellizer and her senpais are really engaging specially when she suddenly turn the tide by executing an unexpected attack to the enemy or when she was about to lose she then stands up and says "I won't lose!" and then finishes off the enemy in a very impressive manner which showcases her determination. Then on the climax of the series, we got introduced to the real antagonist the inter dimensional aliens that wants to invade earth though unfortunately there was little to no explanation on what those being really want and why they are after the corpse of the 1st Pandora and also they didn't explain much on what Pandoras really are. Well, the battles are also engaging in the last few eps as the viewers could see that the battle is LOT tougher compared to the first few battles as we were introduced to Pandoras whose Nova side have been let loose. Honestly speaking, the story is really forgettable even though its interesting in the first few eps.

I like how this series was able to be loyal to the manga though they tweaked some parts of it like the appearance of Rana, the ending and they cut off some back story of one of the characters but despite that it was pretty loyal to the source material. I even like how they ended this since they added more scenes to make it look like there's 2 climax at the ending.

What really hooked me with the series is how we unfolds Satellizer's past and how the viewers got to know her better with the help of Kazuya's actions. Actually, I don't like Kazuya 'cause he's mainly useless despite him having powers beyond your typical limiter but I have to say that he had a moment of manliness in the last few episode and also thanks to him, we were able to get to know Satellizer. Yes, this is an action oriented show but that's not the main focus of the series but instead the relationship of Kazuya and Satellizer. Thanks to Rana Linchen's character the battle between Kazuya's attention is much more fun to watch specially with her quirky personality. She's next to Satellizer as one of my favorite character in this series since not only is her personality likeable but how she accepted the fact that Kazuya likes Satellizer than her but still she didn't gave up. However, the other characters due to their numerous number and limited number of episodes, was left out and wasn't able to develop unlike the main characters.

Overall, memorable main characters, engaging action but forgettable story with a lot of plot holes as if its wishing to have another season to explain things properly.

Animation: 5/10
This is the part that pissed me off since this was aired in 4:3 ratio and coupled with the way this was colored and the palate used it just look old school. Actually there's a widescreen version of this but its unwatchable since 75% of the screen is censored so you don't know what's happening on the screen. Since this is an ecchi show, I already braced myself for a LOT of panty shots and fanservice but what the hell's wrong with the camera angles it felt like it was shot by a perverted old man that even made me look away from the screen despite knowing what I've plunge myself into. Ugh….the fanservice isn't really tastefully done but I think to those people who like to see a lot of breast and panty shots as the girls rip each others clothes during battle, I think this show is heaven for them. Despite the lackluster animation, I have to commend the character design since all of the characters are oh so gorgeous. I almost forgot to mention that the action is quiet engaging and was well choreographed.

Sounds: 6/10
I just love the OP song of this series since its exciting the way it was quite slow at first then it speeds up and the fact that its catchy, I'm totally sold. The ED song on the other hand has grown on me and I found it catchy and makes me want to go dance to the beat but still I like the OP better. We have a big names in the cast of this series with the likes of Noto Mamiko, Inoue Marina, Kana Hanazawa, Rie Kugumiya, Eri Kitamura and Ami Koshimizu. I think all of them performed really well despite that some of them have limited screen time. I'm surprised that they chose Noto Mamiko to voice Satellizer since when I was reading the manga I imagine a different voice so I was surprised that Mamiko's voice really fit Satellizer. What turned me off in terms of the sound department is the use of old school sounding effects specially the one they used when Pandoras call on their weapon.

Enjoyment: 7/10
Despite its flaws, I definitely enjoyed Freezing and its mainly because of the characters and their relationship like I said earlier. This show is not everyone's cup of tea so I won't recommend this to everyone but if you enjoy fanservice, action and a bit of romance I suggest you try watching this but don't expect much from it or else you'll be left disappointed.

Overall: 7/10 (Low Priority Watch)

until then…

~ja

Steins;Gate–02 Quick Post

2011-04-14T09:59:00.002+08:00

An episode of “EHHHHHH!” moments…

EHHHHHH!! Kurisu is alive?!

EHHHHH!!!

EHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I really can’t believe that this girl *ahem* guy is a TRAP! And here I thought Mariya Shidou would own this season as the hottest Trap…but instead she got a rival this season…

EHHHH!! What’s the deal with this girl?

EHHHH! Mayuri cosplays? awawawa…she’s so adorable specially that Kana Hanazawa voiced her XD

EHHHHH!! Its not a damn teleporter but a a time machine!

EHHHHH! And the episode ended with another cliffhanger with Makise Kurisu.

Wow this series is getting more interesting with the introductions of new characters, intro of John Titor, the explanation of the parallel worlds theory and let’s not forget the transporter/microwave that re-attached the gel banana. Hmmm I like how this series made me think like how the world changed when Okabe sent that text message last episode and how it relates with the parallel world theory. Also I got a feeling that Moeka Kiryuu, the girl that Okabe helped in Akibahara, also experiences the somewhat memory loss that Okabe is also experiencing that’s why she’s been taking pictures of what she’s seen. AHHHHHH!!! Makise Kurisu sure is intriguing she gets killed last ep and here we saw her suddenly pop out in Okabe’s lab. I wonder how if the story revolves around her.

Oh my, I can’t wait for the next episode XD

Ack…I’m not suppose to post a quick post yet before I write the first impressions…oh well..btw first impressions will be posted after ep 4 of each series have been aired alright?

until then…

~ja

Fractale - Review

2011-04-12T10:53:00.002+08:00

Title: Fractale
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Rating: 7/10

Summary:
The story takes place on an island, where a "Fractale System" is beginning to collapse. One day, Clain finds an injured girl called Phryne under a cliff. She disappears leaving a pendant. Clain sets out for a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret of the Fractale System.

When someone promised you something big but then gives you something with lesser value….wouldn't you be disappointed and even a bit pissed?

Story: 6/10
In the future, humans no longer interact with each other but instead use Doppels to do that for them. They all live in luxury and a peaceful life. Anyone could live with anyone and they could go wherever they want to go. It's all thanks to the Fractale system which is like a computer program/religion that connects everyone, everywhere. It makes life easier and comfortable, you could get whatever you want with it. The only catch is all those things can only be seen and you cannot feel any physical contact. Sure, people still have children but there's no point in staying with them if you could go wherever and whenever you please anywhere. That's the world where our protagonist Clain is living, kind of lonely isn't it until one day he met a beautiful but strange girl who is being chased and he nursed her until her health is better. For the first time, our Clain was able to experience having a real person as a companion. After that girl disappeared and left him an item where a very lively girl sprang out, Clain becomes entangled with the mysteries of the Fractale system. He even met a group that saw the Fractale system differently that all it do is enslave the minds of people and that instead of giving people their freedom, it restricts their ability to become human.

That might sound interesting right? Yes, I would say that also when I watched the first few episodes of this series 'cause honestly this series started out with a LOT of potential in becoming one of the best shows last winter but all those potential have been wasted. I'll give a point for the setting but I deducted a lot since it was not fully utilized. It was like they touch up on it in the first few episodes but then forgets it entirely the next. I honestly don't know what this series wants for itself, does it want to be sci-fi that has over the top adventure or does it want to be brutal and bloody or does it want to be cryptic….ack I don't know and its making my head hurt. Everything was fine when they were introducing stuff but when they began with the explanations in the last few episodes all it did is confuse me and that made things hard to swallow that I just can't accept those half assed explanations. Sheeez!! What in the world happened in the end, the fractale system is still intact and that made me feel that the entire series is moot. Where is the world/life changing event that this series promised????

Characters: 7/10
The only character I like in this series is Nessa and its mainly because of her smile and antics not because of how her character developed. The characters doesn't interact much that we were not able to get to know them and there's little to no character background. They tried to correct that at the last few eps of the series but sadly its too late and with Phryne's stubborn attitude, the suppose to be touching scene at the last episodes just felt empty. A lot of people got introduced and a whole lot also died and also in a pointless manner. The antagonist on the other hand, they don't really felt like bad guys they felt more like a nuisance and then pooof….they died also pointlessly.

Animation: 8/10
Another thing that pissed me off is how this series disregard the gorgeous original character design that they used in advertising this for a more moe looking characters and ghibli wanna be design and animation. Honestly what's the point of changing the hair colors of the characters when having both Nessa and Phryne have violet hair made more sense in the future episodes. A comparison is present below (courtesy of Sankaku Complex)

Don’t you find the original art more appealing? I just love Phryne & Nessa’s original character design.

Thankfully that's my only rant in the animation department since besides the character design, everything else is an eye candy. The rich background of the grassy plains, city and even the virtual environment of fractale system is really lovely.

Sound: 7/10
The OP song "Harinezumi (ハリネズミ)" by Azuma Hitomi is a nice song that sounds magical and yet futuristic and thankfully its not your typical j-pop. The ED song "Down By The Salley Gardens" by Azuma Hitomi really fits as an ending song since it feels really relaxing and is like a lullaby. I really barely noticed the bgm playing in the background and when I re- watched an episode of Fractale I noticed that most of the scenes doesn’t contain any bgm but there are some effects for like the moving grass and sea water bumping against the coast. I found that fitting and somehow reflects the loneliness that this series presented in its first few eps. The bgm are present but it is played only during the climax of an episode. The bgm is actually nice to the ears with an orchestra playing which added more fantasy feel with the series and somehow get you the feeling that your watching a movie.

Enjoyment: 7/10
I honestly enjoyed this series in the first few eps and add the fact that the animation and entire feel of the series is movie quality(even if I’m pissed with the character design) and has a Ghibli feel to it, this series is awesome. Though as the series became more action oriented in the end and even revealed some confusing revelations, all I could do is scratch my head and ask, “What just happened?”. I think the series is still worth watching but you have to adjust your expectations or else you’ll end up disappointed like me since I expect this to be like one of those movies by Hayao Miyazaki but in the end it didn’t even reach that level.

I won’t suggest this to anyone unless your out of show to watch since there are a LOT of shows that are more worthy of your time.

Overall: 7/10 (Low Priority Watch)

until then…

~ja

Madoka Magica Ep 11 & 12 Due on Apr 21st

2011-04-10T18:47:00.002+08:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG ITS FINALLY HERE!!! ITS ABOUT F****** TIME!! AND ITS EVEN A SIMULTANEOUS RELEASE!! MY CONTRACT WITH KYUUBEI IS WORTH IT!

According to the official website, the episodes 11 and 12 of Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica will be aired on April 21st.

MBS: Apr 21st 26:40 - 27:40 JST (Episodes 11 & 12)
TBS: Apr 21st 27:00 - 28:30 JST (Episodes 10 - 12)
CBC: Apr 24th 26:45 - 28:15 JST (Episodes 10 - 12)

Source: Madoka Magica official website
Source: MAL

until then...

~ja

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? - Review

2011-04-08T18:12:00.003+08:00

Title: Koreha Zombie Desuka?/Kore ha Zombie Desu ka?/Kore wa Zombie Desuka?
Genre: Action, Comedy, Magic, Fantasy
Rating: 8/10

Summary: Aikawa Ayumu is a normal high school boy. One day he is killed by a serial killer and revived as a zombie by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe. He starts to serve Eu as her guard but he happens to deprive the mahou shoujo Haruna of her magic power. Haruna orders Ayumu to fight against the anti-mahou shoujo system "Megalo" in her place.

Sometimes things doesn’t have to make sense for you to enjoy it and a very good example of that is this very hilarious show: Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? (I’ll just call it zombie alright?).

Story: 8/10 The story revolves around our protagonist Ayumu Aikawa who was murdered one day and turned to a zombie by our lovely necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe or Eu for short. Shortly after that he absorbed the power of a masou shoujo named Haruna and even met a beautiful vampire ninja who verbally abuses him.That’s just the start of the story as he has to find out the person who murdered him as he get caught up with the various antics of those girls that now lives in his house.

Ha! My summary might mislead you into thinking that this show is your typical harem show but honestly, its more than just that as this show was able to fully utilize its comedy with not just the story, but also the characters to make one hilarious show that certainly packs a punch. I have to admit that a LOT of things doesn’t make sense in this series like why does a zombies doesn’t like sunlight, why in the world did a masou shoujo turned into a masou shounen, why are the monsters/megalo looks like huge whales, how could a ramen kill a megalo, wtf ninja orchestra in maid uniform and many more that I wouldn’t be able to finish this review if I’ll write them all. Actually, who cares? As long as those things made this show uber hilarious I don’t mind. Let’s not forget the action that Ayumu (the best male lead during the winter season) certainly delivers. Ayumu going 100%, 300%, 1000% then punch certainly made him look cool in my eyes. Now here lies the problem since this show is comedy centered, during the dramatic scene everything feels off since I don’t know if I have to take this drama seriously or not but nevertheless this show is still awesome despite that flaw.

Another thing that I like about this show is that even thought its full of comedic moments, the writers/directors certainly made sure that they would still touch up on the plot even though there are still plot holes left behind. Thanks to that we were able to see the characters develop and see another part of their personality and also meet some antagonists whose objectives are questionable.

Overall, good utilization of the comedy, action, character & story but there a LOT of plot holes. I really can’t believe that a show could combine a LOT of different anime elements such as zombie, mahou shoujo, vampire, ninja and a whole lot more and be able to pull it off. That is simply impressive.

Characters: 9/10 Oh hell yeah! The characters of Zombie are really memorable from the silent but moé Eu, the noisy and violent Haruna, the sexy but rude Sera and your normal girl Yuki(Tomonori). Not only those girls packs some memorable personality but also their character design sure push some good buttons on me *drools* haha!! and almost all of them live in Ayumu’s house no wonder Orito is so jealous of him (as I am jealous of Ayumu too) *ahem*. I’d say that the characters in Ayumu’s harem are nicely fleshed out not because we are shown with background stories but because of how they reacted during certain circumstances. I even respected Haruna for a bit since she was willing to help Ayumu even though it means she will lose her chances to him. Another thing that I like is how this show focuses on building the relationship of Ayumu to his harem instead of focusing on the interaction of the characters since that’s a nice change of pace from your usual harem show. Well, yes there are some characters that are left behind like the classmates of Ayumu that suddenly appeared in the first few eps and then vanished and then suddenly appeared in the last episode oh let’s not forget Kyoko the serial killer, I wonder what happened to her.

Animation: 8/10 The animation is good but its only above average nothing spectacular. What I love about the animation is its direction since with it the action scenes have a lot more impact like when Ayumu started extinguishing the lives of Kyoko when he was about to punch then the camera zooms with Kyoko’s eyes. I also the love character design of the characters since they are oh so unique and beautiful. During the action scenes I love how they added a dark, gritty tone to it and then wow, the details of the blood splatters are simply awesome also, somehow out of place with the dark tone is a hint of pink during the transformation of Ayumu. I wouldn’t deny the fact that this show is full of fanservice/service shots but what really impressed me is how it was tastefully done that you don’t have to feel uneasy in watching it. Well, I’m certainly happy with that since I get to see more Eu goodness specially the part where Ayumu day dreams ‘bout the speaking Eu

Sound: 8/10 Somehow I think the bgm is nicely done and definitely fits the scene where it is played and honestly some of the bgm specially the one being played before and after commercial breaks sure got stuck in my head, I even want to make it my message alert tone. After listening to the OP & ED song for a couple of times I began to love them. The OP "Ma・Ka・Se・Te Tonight (魔・カ・セ・テ Tonight)" by Iori Nomizu makes me want to go slash some megalo definitely fits the action that the series promises dance. The ED song on the other hand "Kizuite Zombie-sama, Watashi wa Classmate desu (気づいてゾンビさま、私はクラスメイトです)" by Rie Yamaguchi with manzo is cute, wanna go imitate Eu but on a serious note it reflects the playfulness of this show. What surprised me the most is the amount of seiyuu that voiced Eu which is what around 9 I think so whose the real voice of Eu even the one singing in the last ep? I really love the performance of the seiyuus since they were able to bring their characters to life that definitely suits each every personalities of our characters even thought almost all of them are new (correct me if I’m wrong since those names of the VA….I think it’s the first time I saw them).

Enjoyment: 9/10 Well yes I enjoyed watching this every week since it never fails to make me laugh week after week with its characters and ridiculousness. There was even a cameo of the next antagonist of the series (the drill haired girl in the last ep) which indicates that this might get a season 2. If that’s the case bring on more zombie goodness!

Overall: 8.4/10 (Preffered Watch)

until then…

~ja

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s - Review

2011-04-06T20:19:00.001+08:00

Title: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Magic
Rating: 9/10

Summary:
After the events of the Lost Logia case, Nanoha waits patiently for the day she can reunite with her newfound friend, Fate. Although being an exceptionally powerful mage, Nanoha spends her days normally with her friends on Earth. But peace is once again suddenly shattered, as Nanoha is without warning attacked by a powerful mage. A group of violent mages have been attacking anything with magic power for their own goals. Nanoha and Fate, along with their friends Yuuno, Arf, Chrono and the Space/Time Administration Bureau must once more band together to stop these renegade mages from hurting anyone or anything else. Takes place after the first season of Lyrical Nanoha.

Once in a while we get to see shows that far surpassed its predecessor and I have to admit that this season 2 of Nanoha is one of the good example of those shows. Finding such shows is very rare since most of the sequels that came from really impressive shows usually doesn't live up to the fan's expectations and thankfully Nanoha A's didn't chose the path of being mediocre. This season 2 is the one that actually made me appreciate not only this series but also the genre of mahou shoujo, if I haven't watched this my rating for the Nanoha movie would be lower.

Story: 9/10
The story resumes where the first season left off (in my case, where the movie left off). Nanoha reunites with her friend Fate but in a very dangerous circumstances. The gang now faces new opponents that are willing to go against them just to save their mistress from impending doom. Our protagonists might be strong but the new enemies are stronger and were defeated in the first few episodes of this season and it force them to upgraded their weapons in order to stand a chance against the enemies. Then just like the movie, the conclusion is very moving and a bit sad and once again ended the series in a high note.
Sure the story of the first season/movie is already good but this sequel ramped it up to the next level. Revelations are shocking and sometimes I don't know whose side I'll pick, since if I were in the Knight's shoes I'll probably do the same since I want to save the person most important to me. The plot is really unique and in my entire anime career I've never seen something similar to it. I also like how this 2nd season have expanded the magical world in this series so as it boast that this world is more than what you think it is with the unpredictable story, impressive emotional ride and surprising revelations. Another thing that I like is how the writer/director didn't waste any episode with some irrelevant fillers.

Character: 9/10
This time around the characters of Nanoha & Fate are given more depth compared to their movie counter part. Even the people of the Space Time Administration Bureau like Lindy, Chrono and Amy also had their share of screen time so the viewers was able to get to know them better and also introduce the side of the Bureau. The Knights on the other hand, are nicely fleshed out and was able to individualized each and every Knights. Honestly, those Knights are really interesting and I like how they were able to somehow justify their actions. The problem is the characters from the previous season have been overshadowed by the new ones and as the cast increase in number, there's just not enough time to cover them all.

Animation: 9/10
Well since this series aired during the time where 4:3 is the standard ratio which was around 6 years ago so I have to admit that the animation is showing its age but despite that I have to admit that the animation is good specially during the action scenes but of course you can't compare that to the movie that was aired last year (was it last year?) but still it is fluidly animated. The special attacks of the characters are nicely executed and very unique in its own way. I also love how the lines are crisp so the hair and faces stand out. I'm surprised that the expressions in this season also is as dynamic as in the movie. Can you believe it, the action is a LOT more exciting than in the movie that I finished this in one sitting 'cause honestly the story and action is so gripping that I don't want to stop watching it. I also love the costumes of the Knights since its very stylish and greatly portray the personality of each one of the Knights. Not only is the costumes stylishly designed but also the weapons of each of the characters which also distinctly complement the personality of the characters. I just love the character design in this series, they are all oh so adorable and cute XD (specially Fate & Nanoha). Oh my, I’m gonna miss this 9 year old version of Nanoha and Fate….If before I’m a bit hasty in watching transformation sequence, now I’m enjoying it *drools* haha!! below is the summary of my reactions…

(sorry it’s a bit dirty XD)

Sounds: 8/10
Just like in the movie I love how the bgm get you into a certain scenes, gets you pumped up in a crucial or action scene and evokes you emotions during emotional scenes. The OP song "ETERNAL BLAZE" by Mizuki Nana gets you pumped up every time you watch it though its not that catchy but I like listening to it every episode. The ED song on the other hand "Spiritual Garden" by Yukari, Tamura is a sweet song and somehow reflects the innocence of our main characters also when this song was played at the last part of the final episode it just made things more memorable and sweet. Oh I almost forgot, I love the voice acting of Mizuki Nana (Fate) and Tamara Yukari (Nanoha) specially the part where the masked guy impersonated Fate & Nanoha.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Oh yes, I will say this again I enjoyed this season of Nanoha. We have new a gripping story with surprising revelations and we get to see our favorite characters back in action. Without this season I may have never appreciated the first movie better. You know what I really like about this series, its how they ended every season since we get to see the character’s lives after that incident that makes you feel happy for them. This Nanoha A’s sure blew my mind away. Awwwww….the 3rd season of Nanoha is the last one so I’m a bit sad that it already ended

Overall: 9/10 (High Priority Watch)

until then...

~ja

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha–The Movie 1st - Review

2011-04-05T10:18:00.006+08:00

Title: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha – The Movie 1st
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Magic
Rating: 8.2/10

Summary: The movie will be based on the storyline in season 1 but will have new battle animation and a new transformation sequence.

3rd grader Takamichi Nanoha stumbled upon an injured talking ferret after hearing his telepathic cries for help. The ferret turned out to be Yuuno, an archeologist and mage from another world who had accidentally scattered the dangerous Jewel Seeds throughout Earth. Without the strength to collect the Jewel Seeds, Yuuno had resumed a ferret form and needed someone else to take on the task for him. He gave a red jewel to Nanoha explaining to her with this she could transform and use magic to combat the monsters that threatened them due to the Jewel Seeds. But the monsters are the least of their worries, as Yuuno and Nanoha are not the only ones out to collect the Jewel Seeds.

I think its my first time to watch a mahou shoujo show since I usually avoid this kind of shows so I have this usual expectation about mahou shoujo shows, that the plot is shallow and it is full of young girls grinning like an idiot when defeating an enemy. After watching this movie, I have to admit that I am so damn wrong and I'll say that this show is one of the good example of mahou shoujo done right.

Story: 8/10
Character: 7/10
The protagonist of the story is Takamachi Nanoha who is your average 3rd grader until one day she helped an injured ferret and was able to obtain a magical device named Raising Heart which enables her to become a mage. After she helped Yunno (the ferret) she willingly accepted the task of finding the lost "Jewel Seeds"

According to the summary that I found on MAL, this movie is directly based from the 1st Nanoha series with just minor tweaks in the flow of the story to condense the 13 episode series into 2 hours and of course the animation was revamped with a different transformation sequence. I didn't have a chance to watch the 1st season so I have no idea what's the difference between the two. I was actually surprised that the plot is a bit dark and has a lot of twist and turns. When I thought that the story is coming to an end it brings up another dilemma and was thankfully solved at the end of the movie. Its more than just the adventure while finding those Jewel Seeds but also being able to meet one of the antagonist that the viewers could sympathize with and her mother that you want to punch in the face and let's not forget the friendship that developed between the two.

When I first watched this movie it was just ok and I didn't care much about the characters but then I've watched the 2nd season of the series and I was blown away by the development of each of the characters so I think the problem in this movie is that its main focus is in the action than in the development of the characters. Well, I can't blame the writer & director of this movie since they have to fit that 13 episode anime into 2 hr movie and for it not become dragging they cut short the character development and improved the action and made it more exciting. I have to say that the pacing of this movie is really well done despite that this has been condensed since nothing felt rushed or lacking. I was even glad that the ending is very appropriate and made me feel contented but sad at the same time since it shows that life of the characters after everything that had happened. I didn't even expect it to have a sequel.

I can't say that the characters were memorable when I've first watched this specially Nanoha whose decisions is sometimes questionable but there was one who stood out and I have to say its Fate which was the enemy of Nanoha at first. Fate is a sad, kind girl who only wants to be loved but despite everything she had done to please her mother, she still despised Fate. I really felt bad that Fate was being treated by her mother badly but still she obeys her since she loved her so much. After watching season 2, my eyes are finally opened and I understood what kind of girl Nanoha is and I think she's really warm and sweet and a perfect friend for Fate. The other character characters on the other hand, I barely care for them, sorry. The main antagonist which is Fate's mother Precia, sometimes I hate her, sometimes I felt bad for her. She's one of those antagonist which teaches us a lesson and in Precia's case, she should have spent her time with her daughter when she had the time. It’s a bit heart wrenching when Precia said at the end that she keeps on realizing things at the end.

Overall, good unpredictable story with a lot of twist and turns but the problem lies with the poor characterization that greatly reduced the charm of the characters.

Animation: 9/10
Wow just wow, the animation sure is impressive with good cinematography and camera angles that doesn't stay in one place, I am honestly impressed since it makes the action scenes more fun to watch. The expression are really dynamic that you could feel the emotion of the characters. The action is well choreographed and honestly left me at the edge of my seat and there are couple of moves that made me go "wow what was cool!!". Then there's the transformation sequence….like I said it was my first time to watch this kind of shows so yes I was shocked and had to look away from the computer screen for a bit (but that greatly changed in the 2nd and 3rd season of Nanoha XD, I’ll post a comic strip of my reactions when I review StrikerS/season 3). Now I know what Kyouske (from the anime Ore no Imouto) felt when he was watching a mahou shoujo show with her little sister and her friend.

Sounds: 8/10
I love how they used the bgm specially during the action scenes since the bgm is in timing with the choreography of the fight scenes. The bgm sure made the sad scenes sad, specially that parting part at the ending, and upbeat in action scenes. I also love the voice acting of the seiyuus its as if they're already one with the characters.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Hell yeah I enjoyed this movie the first time I've watched it but enjoyed it more after watching Nanoha A's (2nd season) which made me appreciate the characters more. With that action and surprising story and eventually the memorable characters (specially Fate) this movie is a complete package. This movie/series made me realize that there's more to mahou shoujo anime than meets the eye. Now, Fate Testarossa has been added to my growing list of favorite characters.

Overall: 8.2/10 (Preferred Watch)

until then…

~ja

**Btw to those who are attentive, you must have noticed that most of the screencaps have overlapping images on top. Well I’m too lazy to edit it so you’ll have to bear with it since you can’t expect me to redo all 150+ screencaps, nuh-uh. Sorry for the inconvenience, gomen...

Below are the gorgeous stills in the ending. Oh if anyone of you knows where I could find cleaned version of those stills please let me know ^_^. I’m dying to get my hand on those images XD

（￣３￣）Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica - Hand drawn OP

2011-04-01T20:05:00.000+08:00

Hurrrr another hilarious parody of Madoka's OP. I warn you Kyubei's behavior is really disturbing O___o but still it is oh so hilarious XD

until then...

~ja