Angel Beats! Episode 1 "Departure"

As previously promised, here is start of my Angel Beats! episode coverage. I'll start off with saying that I know absolutely nothing about this anime, so all of these posts will pretty much be as raw of a reaction as you can get. Enjoy ~

The very first image of this anime. Considering it begins with, "where am I" and that the title is actually "Departure" it looks like they're going for an air of mystery. Lets see how this anime goes...

Retrospective FLCL (Fooly Cooly)

Alright! So we have finally arrived to Main Post Friday! And I am going to kick these main posts with a special all-day Rewatch & Review of FLCL. Because I love this blog.

I'd probably like this image a lot more if Haruko's face
just wasn't so EEEEEEEEEWWWW in this one

I am going to do an episode reaction for each of the six episodes of the series and this will likely stretch out into the night because... well hell, I apparently take WAY too long writing these mediocre posts for the blog xD (Inside I really cry D; (not really :T))

So, trimming the fat off of these intro's lets get this started!

New Series Get! : Mushi-Shi

Alright! What is up? It feels good to be officially posting now!

After a pretty rough week at college, I finally found myself some free time to revisit one of my personal favorite anime series, Mushi-Shi.

Now, one of the few reasons the anime has not reached my top 10 list is because I actually have not gotten the chance to see all of it yet.

So! I hope to get an even better look at the anime AND complete it all while sharing my adventure with you all!

Enough with this intro filler! Let's get the summary started!

First Impressions: School Rumble

 I was asking AvatarHippo for his to-do list, and got quite an interesting answer on one of the first things he was going to post about. He told me that School Rumble was his all time favorite anime; that it even outshined Ouran High. Seeing as how Oruan High is practically the most well known romantic comedy to anime freaks and novices alike, my curiosity was sparked. I’ve watched the first 3 episodes so far so I’m here to post my first impressions: AvatarHippo, you may not enjoy this.

• Summary: Clumsy 16-year old Tsukamoto Tenma is in love. The object of her desire, the strange and silent Karasuma Oji, has no idea that she exists. 17-year old delinquent Harima Kenji is also in love. The object of his desire, Tsukamoto Tenma, has no idea that he exists. Both resolve to confess their feelings to the person they admire, but everytime they try, they chicken out or something interrupts them. The series focuses on the antics of Tenma and Harima, as well as their friends, classmates, and family, all of whom seem caught up in comical love troubles of their own.

• First Impressions: 
  School Rumble looks like another stereotypical romantic comedy, where a somewhat ditzy girl falls in love (for no reason in particular) with a totally oblivious guy. Actually, he looks like a mix between Rock Lee and the student council president from Special A...NOT a good mix. 
  Tenma, the main female character, is like the eccentric, hopeless secondary character to likeable, strong protagonists in better romantic comedies. However, her crazy (frankly, stupid) antics make for wonderful comedy. I was practically laughing my head off in the second episode.

  

  Really....who does this? 

  The only thing that seems remotely enjoyable about this series would be Harima Kenji, who is apparently Nancy’s favorite character…for good reason. Harima is labeled as a delinquent- a real delinquent. The common stereotype of a delinquent in shoujo anime is a guy with long, greasy hair who only lashes out because he has daddy issues or an ailing sister whom he cares for day and night.
  But Harima is an actual (believe it or not) delinquent! As in rides a motorcycle, beats up punks, and takes down gangs by the dozen. He’s like the more comical, less mentally disturbed version of Kuon from Skip Beat. But what really makes me like him is his “I’ll change for her” attitude and his never relenting will to win over her love. From the first few episodes, it looked like Kurasuma was a quiet, intelligent character, while Harima was boisterous, foolish, and hilariously obnoxious. I'd definitely watch Harima over Karasuma any day.
  To Sum it Up: School Rumble did NOT give me a good first impression. It looks like a typical, bad romantic comedy that centers around a one note, ditzy character who loves a completely oblivious guy for no reason in particular. The only really interesting thing about this anime is Harmia Kenji.
  
  
  
  Sorry AvatarHippo, but this isn’t even worthy of having it’s name next to Oruan High. Unless it’s being used to enhance the hilarious story and strong, respectable main character Oruan brings by comparing it to the seemingly meaningless story and superficial main character of School Rumble.
  I will, however, continue to watch this series, and at the end of it all I’ll do a final review on it. I won’t judge a book by its cover, but I’m not saying I’m going in it with a totally unbiased mindset.
  
  
  -Alice
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

List of things to come... Prepare for trouble.

Alright! I was actually fearing that this post woulden't make it on time but I did it. I didn't mess up my debut posts!

This is the slightly-less tentative schedule (ok maybe not schedule, more like order) or the anime and manga I plan to review over the next couple of weeks. I will also be making a few announcements in the rest of this post and I will be making a few things a little more clear about what I am going to do. (or try to do :P)

... Hopefully, we will see how this post goes. xD
Side tracking is good for you kids.

The World God Only Knows: Chapter 1

The World God Only Know (WGOK) is about Katsuragi Keima, A.K.A  "The God of Conquests". He lives his life beating popular dating simulation games and winning the hearts of virtual girls. He's a lot like Furuya from Sankarea. Furuya is only attracted to zombie girls, as Keima is only attracted to virtual girls.

One day, after his online personality receives a message questioning his skills, he gets thrown into a contract with the devil. And if he breaks it, both he and the devil helping him, will have their head's chopped off...

Sankarea Summary

Sankarea is a fun anime. Not one where you really have to think: just watch, laugh, and enjoy. It's got the right amount of romance, comedy, and boooobies! Yes, that was immature, but what's life without a little piece of your childish reaction to natural bodily developments?

Anyway, Sankarea is about Chirio Furuya, a boy obsessed (and attracted to) zombie-girls. Chicks with a pulse and non-decaying bodies just don't do it for this guy.

One day, his cat Babu dies and he decides it'd be a good idea to resurrect him using an old manuscript he found at his uncle's place. In an attempt to keep his crazy potion making a secret, he finds an abandoned building, which also happens to be the place where Sanka Rea, the uber-rich "idol" of the girl's school, goes to blow off steam regarding her father's love of taking naked pictures of her (creepy, right?).

After the two learn of each other's secrets, Rea agrees to help Chihiro make his potion. However, once they make the correct potion (using the poisonous hydrangea flower) she drinks it in an attempted suicide. 

Luckily, the potion only works for reviving things, not killing them. Even more so, when  Rea accidentally falls to her death, the potion brings her back to life.... as a zombie. 

As Chihiro takes Rea in, he fights with the responsibility he holds towards her slowly decaying body, and the strong physical attraction to this dream girl he never thought could exist. It's a very cute story, and Rea's background with both her father and surrogate mother brings in great drama, as well as conflict. This is definitely something I'd recommend to anyone looking for a romanic comedy and drama. 

Newest Anime: Full Moon wo Sagashite

From left to right:
Top: Johnathan,  Izumi, Madoka, Eichi,
Wakaouji, Oshige
Main Characters: Meroko, Mitzuki/Full Moon,
Takuto

Hey readers! It's been a while, hasn't it? I blame Thanksgiving break (haven't had internet for an entire week). But anyway, since I finished my last anime (which I believe was Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne) I've decided to take the safe road and stay with a manga artist I was familiar with. Her name? Tanemura Arina, author of the aformentioned anime/manga, and my current series, "Full Moon wo Sagashite" or "Searching for the Full Moon" 
 She has a pureness to her stories, even though they usually deal with subjects less thanhappy or pure. I think her characters are always someone you can relate to, or at least symathize with. What I love about them is their ever trusting nature, their honesty, their strenght even through serious heartbreak. Maron and Mitsuki are perfect examples. Both have lost someone they love yet they keep on pushing through, putting their best face forward. However, they're determination to stay strong happens to be one of their worst traits. I suppose you could call her main characters...masochistic. Putting themself in harms way in order to make someone else happy or proud.
"Full Moon wo Sagashite" is practically based off the concept, "I'll do it for him!" Full Moon is about a 12-year-old girl named Mitsuki, who suffers from throat cancer. Both of her parents died in an accident and she lives with her prude of a grandmother. One day she is visited by two shinigami in blue and bright red costumes, one with cat ears and the other with bunny ears. May I say that they put shame to the ones in Death Note, but I must keep in mind that it is a children's show. Well, long story short, when Mitsuki finds out she won't live more than a year, she sneaks out and tries to go to a singing audition. We then learn that she promised the love of her life, Eichi, that she'll be closer to her dreams the next time they meet. Feeling sorry for her, the male shinigami, Takuto, turns her into a 16-year-old so she can enter the audition. The rest of the anime/manga is about her career, her love, her drive to meet him again and be noticed by him through singing, and the struggles she faces in coping with her emotions.
All in all, this is a heart-touching, heart-warming series. It's almost like Fruits Basket, in the sense that you both experience extreme warmth and compassion mixed with sorrow and tears. I would recommend that you both watch and read this series. The manga provides better story lines, more twists, more heartfelt moments, whereas the anime allows you to hear one of the many beautiful songs the series has to offer.
P.S: the songs will get stuck in your head, and since it's in Japanese it'll sound something like, "doushite, unetaka waka oujiiiii, humenooo..nnnnaaa oh ahh naahh" ;)

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne

I'd describe this as a Sailor Moon-esque anime. The typical magical girl/shoujo anime where a girl has to defeat evil with the unwanted help from some sexy bishounen. In a nutshell, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne is about Maron Kusakabe, a lonely girl who happens to be the reincarnation of Jeanne d'arc, the French hero who fought in the  Hundred Year's War because she "heard the voice of god." In reality, she was actually given the power to seal demons and give God power.  With the help of Fin, a tiny semi-angel, she seals demons in order to save Kami-sama (God) and restore his power over the Devil. In the process, she meets Chiaki/Kaitou Sinbad who seems to be interfering with her and God's will. 

At first I assumed this was going to be a boring anime, with constant repetition. Though I was right, this series added a sweet twist to it. I recommend reading the manga instead of watching the anime. Both are good, but the ending in the manga is much better than the anime. We also see more plot development, with Maron finding out about Chiaki's identity in only about three chapters. I love the love story in this. How Chiaki helps Maron through her loneliness, gives her courage to contact her parents, and how he helps her defeat the Devil. I definately recommend this to any Sailor Moon/ Shugo Chara/ lonely people who need to feel better :). 

Skip Beat!

Skip Beat is about a 16-year-old girl, Kyouko, who gets betrayed by her superstar and insolent childhood friend, Shou. After learning that he brought her to Tokyo as simply a maid, and someone who can watch the house, her "box with many locks" is opened. From it, is a woman's vengeance. And all of you men know NOT to mess with a pissed off woman! Well, she swears to get back Shou by out doing him in the showbiz world. She then attempts to get signed with the same agency that Shou's rival and top superstar, Ren Tsuruga, is signed with.

Don't get me wrong, Skip Beat is a pretty good manga, but for some reason I'm having the hardest time getting into it. Art wise, the faces are a little weird. The men's faces look strangly...oblonged. Like a deformed squash. But, other than that, the story-line seems to be starting off a bit slow. However, I do suspect a budding romance between Ren and Kyouko. Shou better get his balls crushed too :) Maybe once I get further into it I'll enjoy it more.

Vampire Knight: First Impression Proven Wrong

Left to right: Zero, Yuki, Kaname

Watashi wa baka desu! :P I totally judged this anime by its cover. Silly silly me! Gomenasai minna! I take all of my "I hate vampires and harems" back. This anime isn't anything like I expected it to be. The reverse harem look of the anime was pretty misleading, but in actuality it's more of a love triangle (my favorite!) rather than a harem. There's just an excessively large amount of bishounen, but what's wrong with that? NOTHIN'! I watched the first few episodes and decided it was good enough to start reading the manga. In the manga, you usually get more storylines, plot twists, character developement, etc. Haha well, I'm in a good mood!  I always love finding an anime that I like!
So, here's a summary of Vampire Knight!


*Note*: Since I've noticed that some of my posts are lengthy and taking up a lot of the page, I've decided to implament a new system that only shows part of the post in order to save space. Just click the "read more" button at the bottom left hand corner to continue reading :)

Vampire Knight is your typical vampire love story, where there is a barrier preventing the human and vampire from loving each other. Usually in the form of blood lust, guilt, or self control issues.

I'm only 5 episodes and 4 chapters into this series, but
I already know who I want to win in this apparent love triangle <3

Yuki is a first year high school student and adopted daughter of the head master of her school, Cross Academy. She works as a prefect with her childhood friend, Zero. They work to protect the two divisions of Cross Academy's "Day Class" and "Night Class" from finding out about each other, and protecting the exsistance of vampires. Yuki and Zero both have experiences with vampires: Yuki was attacked as a young girl, but saved from the Night Class' Kaname, who himself is a vampire. Zero, on the other hand, had his whole family killed, and was bitten by a "pureblood" vampire. We later learn that for four years, Zero has slowly been turning into a vampire, fighting his natural instinct, and becoming more and more dangerous to the humans. Yuki works to help Zero adapt to his new life, and figure out her "lost memories."

My Newest Anime: Peach Girl

I just finished watching episode 1 of this anime on animefreak and from what I can tell, it seems to be just another shoujo. Although, I did like the story. The main character, Momo, is a super tanned girl who is often thought of as being a slut. It's the typical highschool drama that everyday people have. Though, in America at least, tanned skin doesn't always equate to slut, the mislead impression is relatable. I like her personality, how she doesn't let people have their way with her and how she doesn't play into her stereotype. I'd like to see her slowly change and accept herself for who she is, rather than slathering on sunscreen and trying to change it.
We've also got quite a cute and funny love triangle going on, along with the MOST annoying antagonist ever. Being a highschool girl, this anime explains my life and relates to me in so many ways...like, seriously, it's so funny to watch the stupid, pointless drama happen in this anime and relate it to the stupid pointless drama happening in my life and laugh at how stupid it is. Ya, I can be a bit of a sadist sometimes. You got a problem with that ;)?

Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu: Today We Start Our Love

And the shoujo manga craze is back! After Death Note I'm much more open to darker animes or mangas, but honestly, there is NO way you're going to get me off of my shoujo! I found this manga after completing Faster Than a Kiss (just read the new chapter, will blog about that later).

The story of how love grows <3

This manga is, in a nutshell, the love story of two highschoolers who are both learning to love and be loved. Hibino started of as a Showa girl (untrendy/old fashioned), wearing pigtails and a long skirt on her first day of high school. She was immediately harrassed by Kyouta, the rudest yet smartest boy in the grade. Annoyed at his harrassement, she cuts off his long hair. After cutting it even shorter in an attempt to fix it (which worked) he randomly kisses her, swearing to take away all her "firsts."
Kyouta isn't inexperienced in the act of love at all. He has had multiple lovers (kinda weird for a first year high schooler in my opinion) but has never actually felt love. He starts of his relationship with Hibino just to toy with her, but after he sees how much she actually cares for him he drops his old habits.
I really love this manga. The sacrifices the two of them make for each other shows the extent of their love. Being a teenager myself, and not really knowing the true extent of love or the meaning of a relationship, this manga really hit home for me. As Hibino figures out her feelings, I'm slowly deciding what love means to me as well.
Oh ya, I heard a rumor about this manga becoming an anime! I screamed so loudly when I heard that! Here's the OVA:Today we start our love OVA

Shugo Chara!

Shugo Chara is a pretty simple story, with a not too complicated storyline. There are a few twists and turns in the story, but for the most part it's pretty straight forward. I have no idea why I got so addicted to this anime (maybe it's Ikuto's fault). It may look childish, but it introduced me to the world of anime, so i consider it one of my favorites!

It initially started off as a manga and later was adapted to an anime. It's in the magical girl genre (think Sailor Moon/transforming super girls), shoujo, and romance. The story is about a girl, Hinamori Amu, who is known for her "cool and spicy" manner. However, deep down inside, that isn't who she is. For fear of not being accepted as who she really is, she continues to play into that role. One day, she wishes to be brave and strong, and to be able to "be her would be self." The next day she wakes up to see that she had given birth to three heart eggs/Shugo Charas (guardian characters) named Ran: a sporty/outgoing girl, Miki: good at art, who's smart and shy, and Su: good at cooking, with a very warm personality (much like a mother). She then joins her school's "Gaurdians", a group with other Shugo Chara bearers, being admitted as the Joker. She and the club go on a mission to find the "embryo", facing X-eggs (which Amu can purify), and an evil group called Easter. With the help of the Dumpty Lock she can transform into Amulet Heart, Amulet Spade, and Amulet Clover.
This anime is very childish, very simple, yet very very cute. At times the filler episodes got annoying, but when there was finally plot development it'd get hooked all over again. The character development was done very well, and we saw how Amu and all the others matured through the story. Amu-chan is such a relatable character, and her journey to find her would be self sent me into flashbacks of my younger days. The message in the anime made me feel a better about my insecurities. It helped me realize that it's ok not knowing what I want to be. *begin sparkly* You are who you are, and everyday you grow as a person and get one step closer to finding out your true self *end sparkle*. Oh and there's tons of sparkly moments too ;) Plus, this anime may have one of the best love triangles ever.

Go to crunchyroll.com to watch the first episode. There are 3 seasons: "Shugo Chara!" "Shugo Chara! Doki Doki!" and "Shugo Chara! Party!" The two first seasons follow the manga. I don't reccomend watching the last season. It ruined the true ending. I watched the anime first, then started at chapter 42 of the manga. Then I read "Shugo Chara! Encore!" which was the end of the series.

Faster Than a Kiss

Manga is a strange form of writing. You read it from right to left and get confused with the order in which you're supposed to read it, but you can't help but be entertained by it all. "Faster Than a Kiss" was one of the first mangas I've read. And I must say, it was the one that started my addiction. Before I knew it, I was reading more manga than watching anime!
As of now, there are 44 chapters (that have been translated into english). The story is about a girl, Fumino, and her younger brother, Teppei, who lost their parents a few years back. Fumino turned into a delinquent and was about to quit highschool. However, a chance meeting with her English teacher, Kazuma (usually refered to as Ma-kun or sensei) resulted in a heated argument between the two. Fumino challenged Kazuma, saying that if he actually cared about what would happen to her then he would marry her and support her and Teppei. Well, we know what happens next! The story then evolves into a struggle of teacher-student boundaries, and the compromises both of them have to face in order to secretly love each other.

This manga is so sweet, funny, and heartwarming. The love between Fumino and Kazuma is so strong. Kazuma's struggle to keep his "inner man" from showing is seriously hilarious. And poor Fumino has to deal with the insecurity of not being old/experiened enough for Kazuma. Chapter 44 left off describing Kazuma's childhood: how his father was never with him, how he lived with his father's assistant, and his deep need for fatherly love. It finally tells us about sensei's past, and how he became known as "Hells Ma-kun"and why he's always been so secretive about his past. Even though they haven't even kissed yet (Kazuma won't kiss her because she's still his student), the romance is so good. The fact that both of them have been resisting kissing (though they've done some other things) shows that their love is strong. If you like romance, then this is a must read.

Fruits Basket

This sweet, shoujo anime follows the story of Tohru Honda, a girl who lost her father at a young age and recently her mother. Abandoned by her grandfather, Tohru decides to live in a tent, unknowingly staying on Sohma property. Once she is discovered, and her tent is destroyed, she then is forced to live with the Sohmas: Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure. The Sohma family is cursed, with thirteen of them possessing the spirit of a Chinese zodiac animal. Whenever they become tired, or are hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animal that possesses them.Yuki is the rat, Shigure the dog, and Kyo is the cat that was tricked into missing the induction banquet of the zodiac.

I'm on chapter 26 of the manga and episode 8 of the anime. So far I've found it to be incredibly heart warming. Though the story isn't fast paced or complex, the characters make it for me. Tohru is such a sweet, optimistic, and strong girl, whose personality proves to help Yuki and Kyo open up. The series itself is actually quite sad at times, as you see how their curses effect their life and love. However, the comical side of the series truly proves to be comical (laughed my head off at the end of the first episode. And when Haru turned into a cow? Good stuff). This is a great series for any woman (or man) out there.

To watch the first episode of Fruits Basket click here.

Death Note: A Psycho Thriller

So after finishing a sparkly,shojo anime, I figure it's time for me to expand my horizons to more...mature titles. Death Note seems to fit that description. It's about a young adult, Yagami Light, who finds a note containing five instructions:

• The human whose name is written in this note will die.
• This not will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name won't be effected.
• If the cause of death is writtin within 40 seconds of writing the subject's name, it will happen
• If the cause of death is not specified, the victim will die of a heart attack
• After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

Is anyone else slightly disturbed by this? Well, wish me luck...