Winter 2014

What I planned to watch for the upcoming or rather, current winter season anime:

- Pupa

- Wake up, Girls!

- Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha

- Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Season 2

- Hamatora

- Mahou Sensou 

To be honest, i have no idea what Hamatora is about. But the art and animation looks cool. 

I'm definitely watching the rumoured 5 min per episode horror anime Pupa, the idol and music anime, Wake up! Girls (with a director that a lot of people seemed to criticise after his work with Fractale), and Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha. I'll probably watch the rest at the end of the year when all episodes are out and after my major exams. 

What I'm looking forward to in the near future:

- ufotable's remake of Fate/Stay Night series (Hopefully it's Heaven's Feel)

- Love Live! School Idol Project Season 2

- Sword Art Online Season 2. 

Pupa

A horror genre anime for a good reason. A young girl came across a mysterious red butterfly and undergoes a metamorphosis. She becomes a monster who eats human flesh. Her older brother thus resolves to find a way to cure her while letting her consume his flesh in order to satiate her hunger... (supposedly. that's how it goes in the manga...) 

Wake up, Girls!

Summary from MyAnimeList website. 

Green Leaves Entertainment is a tiny production company on the verge of going out of business in Sendai, the biggest city in Japan's northeastern Tohoku region. The agency once managed the careers of magicians, photo idols, fortune-tellers, and other entertainers, but its last remaining client finally quit. In danger of having zero talent (literally), the president Tange hatches an idea of producing an idol group. On the brash president's orders, the dissatisfied manager Matsuda heads out to scout raw talent. Matsuda makes a fateful encounter with a certain girl... 

Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha

A romantic comedy which oddly reminds me of Kamisama Kiss. The story revolves around a girl who saved a fox (i think it's a fox) and later received the fox Goddess's power as thanks for saving the fox spirit. She thus has the ability to 'change her own shape' at will. 

And that's all for Winter 2014...

Questionnaire

I'll be honest here. I ripped the questionnaire off an old friend's blog (hehe) and i'm not the least even shameful about it.  

／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

Pick 5 of your favourite anime (in no particular order) and answer the following questions about them: 

1. Love Live! School Idol Project
2. Fate/Zero
3. One Piece
4. Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabu Kome wa Machigatteiru aka OreGairu
5. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun aka A Certain Scientific Railgun

(I would've chose Fairy Tail, Angel Beats, Ga-rei Zero and even Madoka Magica but well it's the top 5..so yeah.)

Who is your least favorite character in #1?
None. They are all lovable. If I have to choose, Kotori's Mother or Yukiho (Honoka's sister) I guess. But i don't really dislike them per se. 

Who is your favorite character in #2?
Saber. Forever and always Saber. Did I mention she looks so cool in a suit? 

The King of Britain riding a bike 

What’s your favorite episode of #4?
The cultural festival episode. I think it was episode 12. Where Hikki becomes the 'number one most hated guy' in school (and he's proud of it) by being the cynical and twisted guy he is. It's also the episode where Yukinon and Yui sang together in a bang (that they made up on the spot) while Hikki searched for the Chairman. 

What is your favorite season of #5
Season 2. Sisters Arc!!!!!!!!!!! That arc was badass i tell you. 

What’s your favorite relationship in #3?
The non-canon but most commonly shipped Luffy X Nami I guess. Only Nami ever gets a pat on the head with Luffy's precious straw hat. And they are absolutely hilarious. 

Who is your anti-relationship in #2?
Hmm..Tokiomi and Archer...or Kariya and Berserker. (both of their relationship are those of Master and Servant - heroic spirit that Mages summoned) Poor Kariya gets driven into insanity and breaks in the end especially when the Servant he summoned was the crazy and mad Berserker. 

Berserker (left) and Kariya (right)

How did you become interested in #3?
I wasn't interested in it at first but since there was nothing on TV (after Detective Conan) and my brothers seemed hooked on it so I gave it a try and i got hooked. 

Who is your favorite voice actor in #4?
Yukinon's I supposed. Hayami Saori. She also voices Sawa from Tari Tari

Which show do you prefer out of #1, 2 & 5?
That's a tough choice. Being the biased person that I am now, since Love Live! is my current obsession, i'd say Love Live! (I love their songs and voices - especially Maki's)  But objectively...probably Fate/Zero for its tragically but beautifully crafted story. And Saber FTW!!! Railgun is awesome as well just that the second half of season 2 (fillers) was a bit of a let down. 

Which show have you seen more episodes of, #1 or #3?
There's going to be a second season of Love Live!...oh who am i kidding. One Piece of course. There are like 600 plus episodes. I think. I lost count. 

If you could be any character from #1 who would you be?
Maki (for her beautiful singing voice) or Umi since she can shoot powerful and precise arrows. 

How would you kill off your favorite character in #2?
That's a terrible question. Well she technically dies in the end...since she's a heroic spirit and all. She accepts her past without the wish of changing anything, thus breaking the contract (too complicated to explain) and hence dies back in her time as she closes her eyes. (in Fate/Stay Night) 

Give a random quote from #1
"Nico-Nico-Nii!"   -- Yazawa Nico

Nico-Nico-Nii~

Would a #3/4 crossover work?
In Luffy's dream maybe. lol.

Overall, which show has a better cast, #3 or 5?
In terms of characters...i really can't choose. Besides One Piece has way more episodes and development Railgun's gonna have. Though Misaka's character is pretty developed - from thinking that she had to handle everything on her own to slowly relying on her friends. 

In terms of Seiyuu, I personally  prefer Railgun's voice actors though both series have relatively good seiyuus. All four of the main characters. Satou Rina (as Mikoto), Arai Satomi (as Kuroko), Toyosaki Aki (as Uiharu) and Itou Kanae (as Saten). Arai has the most unique and...interesting voice. 

Which has better music, #2 or 4?
Fate/Zero. OreGairu's Opening and Ending and insert songs are not bad - pleasant to the ears but I like Fate/Zero's dramatic and intense soundtracks better. The opening themes for Fate/Zero are awesome as well - To the beginning by Kalafina and Oath Sign by LiSA. 

Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge

From behind to left to right:
Leorio (in blue suit and glasses), Kurapika, Gon, Killua

Title: Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Shounen, Fantasy 

 

Summary: Kurapika became a Hunter to take vengeance on a group called the "Phantom Troupe" who massacred his clan for their unique red eyes - considered one of the greatest treasure in the world. In this particular movie, Kurapika met Pairo, his supposed best friend from the clan. However, his eyes was stolen by Pairo who's actually a doll controlled by one of the ex-members of the Phantom Troupe. Gon, Killua sets of to retrieve his eyes back while Leorio stays back to take care of the now blind Kurapika.

Characters:

Gon Freecss: The protagonist. A friendly and earnest boy who becomes a hunter to find his father and becomes friends with Killua, Kurapika and Leorio during the Hunter Exam

Killua Zoldyck: Quick witted and can be ruthless, Killua's from a family of assassins and has suffered under the smothering control of his family. He's strong but his greatest flaw is was his fear of those seemingly more powerful than him. 

Kurapika Kuruta: The sole survivor of the Kuruta clan that was massacred by the Phantom Troupe . His eyes turn red in times of anger and emotional agitation. He becomes a Hunter to aid him in his quest for vengeance. 

Leorio Paladinight: A teenager who befriends the others in the Hunter Exam. He becomes a Hunter in order to have enough money to pay the costs of medical school.

Theme

The central theme for this movie is  "Friendship". This movie tests the friendships between the four main characters - them willing to go all the trouble to help Kurapika retrieve his eyes back, Kurapika's friendship with Pairo, Leorio's determination to help Kurapika as much as he can and also making sure that Kurapika doesn't overexert him self, Killua's frienship with Gon (its complicated), Killua and Gon's 'frienship' with another character called Retz. 

"You don't need friends. Even if you made one, you would only betray them. And even if you didn't betray your friend, they would betray you. And one day, you will kill that friend."

"You are a puppet of darkness without passion." 

Killua's trapped in his older brother's words. It has been ingrained in him since young that he has no need for friends and that he must not or rather, he cannot disobey his older brother. His fear of his brother puts his friendship with Gon to test. 

"Besides, if it was you I wouldn't mind getting betrayed. I'll still believe in you!"

"Killua's not a murderer. He's my most precious friend!"

Gon's words saved Killua from his self guilt and sheds a ray of light in the darkness that surrounds him. 

Plot

A simple plot that was beautifully written through evocation of emotions of the audience. Seeing the addition of Killua's older brother (even though it's a 'doll' version of him) makes the movie all the more worthwhile as we see the struggle in Killua. He cannot go against the said brother but he can't let Gon die either. In one particular scene, he had to choose between killing his older brother who he can't disobey no matter how much he wants to and saving his best friend, Gon. 

Also, Gon's friendship and presence is like the light in Killua's darkness. Metaphorically and literally. Gon's earnest and honest friendship made Killua guilty, feeling like he was not worthy of his friendship. Killua is the type of dark character who thinks too much sometimes while Gon's the type who doesn't think much and acts in accordance to his beliefs. He believes in Killua wholeheartedly  - he even said that he wouldn't mind if it was Killua who betrayed him. He'll still believe in him. What a guy. His...faith is too overbearing and too bright in my opinion. What makes it touching was that he's sincere and genuinely believes in Killua. 

The fight scenes were awesome as usual even though they get their butt kicked at first. We get to see more Kurapika's past in the Kurata Clan and we also discover how a smothering love for a family member could lead to unthinkable consequences. 

I was pretty satisfied with how the movie started and ended since it gives us a more in depth explanation on one of the ex-members of the phantom troupe, and the appearance of the rest of the real phantom troupe helped to give a "conclusive feel" to the "to be continued" feel of the anime arc -  it sort of gives off the feel of "When we meet again after our boss gets his nen (powers) back and this time, we'll kill you." (From the phantom troupe to Kurapika)

And so...

This is a pretty good movie :) But if you haven't watched the anime or read the manga, there's definitely spoilers. You have to at least finish watching the phantom troupe arc when they are at Yorknew City. It'll be great if you finished watching the Greed Island arc as well XD 

Anyway, if you can't stand dark stuff, you might wanna avoid this movie ;)

Kurapika's eyes stolen by Pairo 

famous last words

Killua's older brother, Illumi tells Killua this

Poor Killua :(

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou

Title: Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou aka Day Break Illusion
Episodes: 12 or 13
Status: Ongoing
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Supernatural, Magic

Synopsis:

 In a world plagued by the Daemonia, creatures that take advantage of the negative emotions of people, transform them into monsters. Girls from 22 special bloodlines are chosen to wield the power of the Elemental Tarot and confront them.

The story follows Taiyo Akari, a 12 year girl who becomes the wielder of card "The Sun" and joins the mysterious organization "Sefiro Fiore" to confront the Daemonia along other card wielders. However, it does not take long for Akari to learn that with their duty comes an unbearable guilt, as to defeat the Daemonia, the humans aflicted by them must perish as well. (From Wiki)

The Anime

This is one of the anime that I picked up during the summer anime release and I'm glad that I picked this up. The opening is sung by LiSA - "Träumerei" and that was the very reason why I wanted to watch this anime. Kitmura Eri (VA of Saya from Blood + and Kawashima Ami from Toradora!) is also one of the seiyuus - another reason why I started watching this original anime series.

At first, I was a little sceptical when I saw the promotional posters. Little information was given about what kind of show it was and I even dismissed it before the fact that LiSA sang the opening caught my eye.  

Story

At first glance, it seemed like a typical Mahou Shoujo anime and I got that same impression after I started watching the first episode. Though it is a Mahou Shoujo anime (with many cute girls), it's rather dark at times, very much like Puella Magi Madoka Magica. (that show is awesome btw) 

The violence is nothing to laugh at, since it can be bloody at times. The show targets the human psyche, about human emotions and feelings - usually negative and focuses how such negative feelings can develop into something scary. The nature of Daemonia is rather complex and as mentioned, in order to kill those monsters, you will have to kill it's not-so-human hosts as well. And that, clearly, doesn't sit well with our Protagonist, Taiyo Akari. She's this peace loving girl who's super optimistic and doesn't really want to kill Daemonias (since they were humans) when she found out the truth. Even more so when she starts hearing the voices of the Daemonias when she's fighting them. 

To spice things up, in the first episode, she inadvertently killed her cousin who turned into a Daemonia when she "awakened" when her cousin attacks her. Her existence is then forgotten. (When Daemonias are killed, it's as if they never existed. Their whole existence is erased.) However, during one of the later fights, her memory returns and of course, it traumatises her, causing her to run away (that was when she found out the truth about Daemonias previously being human) 

Character Design

Seems like when they transform, their hairstyle changes as well. In Akari's case, her hair becomes longer and more fiery. Her bangs covers her right eye, giving off a cool vibe or rather, image. Her voice is deeper than usual as well and these changes are a contrast to her soft and sweet voice as well as short hair. 

Other characters seemed to have their own pasts as well, though not explicitly shown to us. We get image and scenes here and there but all those pieces have yet to be puzzled together into a story. Hence, this makes the anime more than what it seems.  

Moving on...

Anyways, do give this anime a try! :) :) If you don't like it...then maybe Mahou Shoujo ain't your thing. But do give this a chance. It has potential to become a good anime but unfortunately, it is a little underrated. 

By the way, if you aren't 17 and above, you might wanna reconsider your choice in watching this. (Due to the violence and all) 

Summer 2013 Anime Release

2013's Summer Anime started releasing several days ago -jumps up and down in excitement- and of course I'll be watching them~

Here's the List of new Anime that I'm watching or might watch: (there are more  but given the fact that i have limited time on my hands, these would do for this season)

1. Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou aka Dog and Scissors
2. Brothers Conflict 
3. Danganronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei - The Animation aka Danganronpa: Academy of Hope and High School Students of Despair (Hikasa Yoko and Sawashiro Miyuki are part of the VA crew :3)
4. Gen'ei o Kakeru Taiyō aka The Sun Penetrates the Illusions (I'm only watching this 'coz the opening's by LiSA)
5. Fantasista Doll
6. Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist
7. Choujigen Game Neptune: The Animation aka Super Dimensional Game Neptune

 I'm already watching the ones in bold so here's a quick summary of the 3 of them:

1. Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou

Genre: Mystery, Comedy.
Summary: A high school boy, Harumi Kazuhito is obsessed with  reading books but was killed during a robbery in a cafe after protecting a customer. His great desire to read Akiyama Shinobu's latest book (he refuses to die until he reads it) resurrected him into a dachshund and he now belongs to Natsuno Kirihime, a novelist who uses scissors to abuse him.










2. Brothers Conflict

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Reverse Harem
Summary: Hinata Ema's dad is remarrying and rather than bothering them, she decides to move into the Sunrise Residence Complex owned by her step-mother and at the same time, living with her 13 step brothers in that huge mansion. As she gets to know all of them, will one of them fall in love with her?











3. Danganronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei

Genre: (Murder) Mystery, Horror, Psychological
Summary: A group of 15 elite students are gathered in a special high-class high school. However, to graduate from the school, the only way is to kill one of your classmates and get away with it. If the other classmates discover the identity of the killer, the killer is the only one executed. However, if they fail to catch the killer, only the killer graduates and the others are annihilated. Which of the 15 will survive the bloodbath to come?

Hataraku Maou-sama

Title: Hataraku Maou-sama aka The Devil is a Part-Timer! 
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Action
Episodes: 13 
Summary (Taken from Wiki) : The Demon Lord and one of his generals, Alciel, escape Ente Isla through a portal to modern Tokyo, Japan after being confronted by the Hero Emilia Justina and her companions. However, due to the lack of magic in the modern contemporary world, both the Demon Lord and Alciel change into forms representing what they would look like if they were human. In order to survive, the Demon Lord takes a part-time job in a fast food restaurant named MgRonald while Alciel serves as his houseman. One day, the Demon Lord, who now goes by Sadao Maou, meets a girl who is actually the Hero Emilia, who now goes by Emi Yusa. 

Characters:

Emi

Yusa Emi (Emilia Justina): 

The "Hero" from Ente Isla. After forcing The Demon Lord to retreat, she ended up chasing him into a portal that leads them to modern day Japan. She lost her magic powers upon her arrival and has no choice but to work to survive. She works as a call center agent. 

Arisa

First Volume of Arisa

Left:Sonoda Arisa, Right: Uehara Tsubasa

Manga Title: Arisa by Ando Natsumi

Genre: Romance, Mystery, Shoujo

Summary: Twin sisters Arisa and Tsubasa were separated when their parents divorced but promised to send letters to each other to keep in touch.

Three years later, (aged 14) they finally met up again. Tsubasa was envious of Arisa's school life and hence Arisa suggests they switch places for a day. When Tsubasa reaches home, she goes on about how she envies Arisa to which Arisa said, "You don't know anything, Tsubasa. You don't know their secret, and you don't know my secret." After which she committed suicide by falling off the apartment window.

Arisa stays in coma while Tsubasa, determined to find out the truth , poses as Arisa and went to her school. There, she discovered the class's dangerous secret, known as the "King's Time"

Main Characters:

Uehara Tsubasa:

She's a delinquent and in her school, she's known as the "Demon Princess". She has poor grades and hangs out with guys or rather, her "pals" as girls tend to be afraid of her as she often gets into fights.

She dyed her hair blonde prior to the story and she thought her sister wouldn't recognise her. She loves her sister very much and would go to the extremes to help and save Arisa. She is also determined and strong-willed, often choosing to believe in Arisa in several instances.

She's the older of the twin.

Sonoda Arisa:

She's the Class Representative of Class 2-B and has good grades. She's rather popular in her class and is out-going as well. Deep down, she's a nice and kind girl who's insecure about her relationship with her mother, afraid that Tsubasa would take her away.

She's the younger twin.





Akira Manabe:

Arisa's classmate who doesn't really get along with others in the class. He is initially suspicious of Arisa, believing her to be the "KING" but later finds out that Tsubasa is pretending to be Arisa.

He helps Tsubasa in finding out who the "KING" is and has a childhood friend in the same class as him who hates Arisa (hell-bent on getting her revenge on her) because she believed that Arisa was the "KING" and she's the KING's first victim. She attempted suicide when she received the KING's traitor letter but survived.