[Anime Review] Antique Bakery (2011)

After watching the Korean movie, Antique Bakery, I watched the anime series of the same title to see how it compares. Overall, it's pretty good. The movie and the anime series follow the same storyline pretty closely and are almost identical to one another. The additional hour of watch time that the anime gives you allows viewers to enjoy some additional story fillers that are pretty amusing. I found that the anime series was funnier for some reason (loved the exaggerated facial expressions). I especially enjoyed Chikage's character in the anime series. However, the Korean versions of the other characters were more enjoyable for me. While the anime series is nearly as good, I liked the Korean movie version just a little bit more.

[Anime Review] Brave 10 (2012)

A super cranky ninja named Saizo finds himself unwillingly saving a priestess named Isanami. Isanami's home, the Izumo temple, had been brutally burned and she is the only survivor. She manages to bribe Saizo with food into escorting her to Shinshuu to enlist the aid of laidback, playboy lord, Sanada Yukimura. While Yukimura allows Isanami (and Saizo) to stay, he has his own agenda. He is in the process of gathering his brave ten warriors who will help him take over the world. Mwahahahaha!Just kidding (kind of). They're not really the bad guys. Instead, the ten warriors will discover why the Izumo temple (and Isanami in particular) were targeted by the Leyasu's forces and make sure she doesn't end up in their hands. Or dead.

This is a quality, action/adventure anime. The fighting is totally kick-ass and there's a ton of great eye-candy as can be expected in a series like this. There's even yaoi fanservice! Also, the warriors are a fun, interesting bunch of nutjobs and you can't help but fall in love with them. Even Isanami, who is weak, useless, and a big 'ole whiner, eventually grew on me. The OST's are pretty catchy and I found myself actually listening to the beginning and ending songs for almost each episode.

However, just as the story was getting good and you were sucked completely in...the series ended! That's the problem with these super short, 12-episode anime; there isn't enough time for the story to develop properly. Just gathering the 10 warriors took 9-10 episodes and THEN the story began. So the last episode felt incredibly rushed. The very ending, after the credits, was cute and highlighted each of the warriors' personalities. Viewers ended the series filled with affection for the Brave 10 and smiling. Also, there was a lot of room left for a possibly sequel. We can only hope.

Brave 10 has everything one looks for in an action anime: interesting and amusing characters, exciting fight scenes, a solid plot, and humor. It just didn't have enough episodes to carry it all out. It is definitely worth watching anyway. You can check it out at Crunchyroll.com.

[Anime Review] My Little Monster (2012)

My Little Monster is a shoujo anime about a wild, crazy boy and a studious girl. Shizuku Mizutani is a super bookworm who only cares about studying and nothing else. One day, she is bribed by her teacher to take handouts to her classmate, Haru Yoshida, who was supposed to have the seat next to her, but had been suspended on the first day of school due to fighting. After dropping off the handouts, Haru considers Shizuku a friend and follows her around. Despite his uber violent tendencies, Shizuku learns that Haru isn't so bad. Eventually, they start crushing on one another and cue romance.

This series was really cute and funny. I really liked the characters. Haru's innocence and wackiness, Shizuku's blunt speech and studious nature. The supporting characters were also a lot of fun and really likeable. My only issue was that the series was entirely too short! I wanted to see Haru and Shizuku's relationship develop even more. However, the manga is still ongoing so a true ending wasn't possible. But the series didn't do too bad and provided a believable ending to tide viewers over until a potential second season. My Little Monster is worth a watch when you find you've got a couple of hours free.

[Anime] Kids on the Slope

Slice of Life/ Music

12 Episodes - Summer 2012

Synopsis:  

The story of Kids on the Slope really starts rolling when the classical piano-trained Kaoru encounters Sentaro and falls head-over-heels in love with jazz. One thing to look out for is the performance scene of an excellent jazz piece in every episode. Up-and-coming young jazz musicians are employed here, with Takashi Matsunaga (Kaoru) on piano and Shun Ishiwaka (Sentaro) on drums. Yoko Kanno produces the sessions, which are then used directly for the anime. Jazz standards like “Moanin’”, “My Favorite Things”, and “Someday My Prince Will Come” are played along with improvisational performances that reflect the mood of the characters at the time, whether they’re in high spirits, or feel lonely, confused, angry, and so on. How these occasional performances and feelings are portrayed and directed is one more highlight of the show. Director Watanabe’s “sessions” are a mix of images and music, so innovative and exciting visual expressions should be expected.

Click below for my review. May contain spoilers, so proceed with caution.

[Anime] Kuroko's Basketball

25 Episodes

Fall 2012

Sports, Shonen

Synopsis: (from Chrunchyroll)

Kuroko's Basketball The Teiko Middle School Basketball Team. The class that produced three perfect seasons in a row, with five once-in-a generation players, called "The miracle generation". There was another player who all of them respected... A legendary 6th player. An up-and-coming power player, Taiga Kagami, is just back from America. When he comes to Seirin High School, he meets the super-ordinary boy, Tetsuya Kuroko. Kagami is shocked to find that Kuroko isn't good at basketball, in fact, he's bad! And he's so plain that he's impossible to see. But Kuroko's plainness lets him pass the ball around without the other team noticing him, and he's none other than the sixth member of the Miracle Generation. Kuroko makes a pact with Kagami to defeat the other members of the Miracle Generation, who have all played basketball at other schools. A battle of light (Kagami) and shadow (Kuroko) begins!

Click below for my review!

[Anime] Say "I Love You"

Say "I Love You"

Shojo, Romance

13 Episodes, Fall 2012

Synopsis:

Tachibana Mei has had no boyfriend and couldn't even make friends. One day she injures Kurosawa Yamato, the most popular boy in school, and for some reason Yamato takes interest in her...

Click below for review. May contain spoilers.

[Anime] You and Me (2011)

You and Me

13 Episodes - 2011

Slice of Life/ High School

 

Synopsis:

"Friends since kindergarten and seemingly like blood brothers, You and Me follows the lives of Yuta and Yuki Asaba, Shun Matsuokan and Kaname Tsukahara; as well as transfer student Chizuru Tachibana who joins the circle of friends. Together we will watch as they laugh, dance, cry and share the memories of growing up together in everyday life.”

Click below for review. May contain spoilers. Sorry!

[Anime] Usagi Drop

Usagi Drop

11 episodes - 2011

Slice of Life

Synopsis:

By force of circumstances, a 30-year-old single man with a full-time job suddenly starts raising a 6-year-old girl. While running each other ragged, the two of them gradually grow into a “family”. This is the long-awaited anime version of “Bunny Drop”, the extremely popular and finely crafted comic by Yumi Unita. It’s a heartwarming and entertaining work that naturally depicts child-raising experiences, but also the instantly relatable warmth and noise of being in a family.

Click below for review. May contain spoilers! Sorry.

[Anime] Giant Killing

Another anime series finished. This one is a sports anime. I started watching Kuroko’s Basketball, which I love love love, but since it’s ongoing, I had to distract myself with another series. After a bunch of recs of Giant Killing, I decided to give it a try….

Giant Killing

Genre: Sports

26 episodes – 2010

Synopsis:

Experiencing a long streak of poor performances for several years in the Japanese professional football league, the East Tokyo United (ETU) hires Takeshi Tatsumi as manager to try to break the curse that seems to have fallen over the team. Having spent three years in England, Tatsumi managed to take an amateur team to the top 32 teams of the FA Cup. Many consider him a bad choice and protest against this decision. They hold a grudge against Takeshi because they consider him a traitor for leaving ETU at the height of his career when he was still a football player. Unfazed by the negative mood that looms over the field, Tatsumi seems confident that he might be able to bring glory back to his team once again.

In Giant Killing a ragtag bunch from East Tokyo are struggling in Japan's top football league. The team is going through an abysmal spell right now where they are nearing the bottom of the table and have lost 5 matches in a row. The losses haven't done much to team morale, because it was already low. Fan support, on the other hand, is looking bleak. In the world of football, once the fans turn on a team the end is near. Teams don't recover. Coaches are fired, players are sold, and teams drop to smaller divisions where profits often prevent them from ever being successful against even mediocre top division programs. East Tokyo United, ETU, can only blame their coach right now. And Coach is ready to give up this next game to prove to his team and fans, that against the biggest club in the nation he can make this team win.

My Review:

This was a bit of a disappointment. After all of the reviews praising this series, I was looking forward to an amazing football series. Yet, I felt it lacking. I fast forwarded through so much of this series. For one, the characters were kind of interesting and likeable. Each member of the East Tokyo team was sort of unique and added their individual charm to the team. My favorite characters were Kuroda and Gino! Yet, I felt that the characters needed more development. Part of the problem I think was the lack of screen time outside of game play. I wish we would have gotten the chance to see the players during practice or in other instances other than only during the games. Also, I didn’t like the choices in which games were shown and the speed in which games were played, lost (or tied or won) and then quickly on to the next. So, in short…Giant Killing wasn’t all that good, plot and pacing wise, but the characters and actual gameplay kept me watching until the end.

 

*Watched Giant Killing? Tell me what you thought of it in the comments below!*

[ANIME] Recorder & Randsell

It’s been sooo long since I’ve watched any anime, but I’ve decided to get back on the bangwagon. I unearthed my Crunchyroll username and password and logged on to see what I’m been missing. I’ve missed quite a bit. As a result, I have a long queue list! First anime completed is a super-duper short one…each episode is just THREE minutes long, I kid you not!
Without further adieu,

Recorder & Randsell (2012)

13 Episodes

Synopsis:

On the surface it seems as if Atsushi is an adult, but really he's just an elementary student! However, he is paired with a second-year high school student Atsumi, whose height is just the opposite of his. These two together create an unusual relationship and will undoubtedly instigate some comedic antics in this slice of life comedy!

My Thoughts/Review:

This was incredibly adorable. It’s a very lighthearted comedy, that perfect for whenever you have a few minutes (3 to be exact) to spare and are in need of a laugh. Atsushi and Atsumi are so cute, and their problematic heights are the source for countless jokes. Some of the running jokes may have been repetitive, but I still found them amusing. This one is definitely worth watching.

[ANIME] Natsume Yuujinchou - Season 1

Anime Review!

Natsume Yuujinchou- Season 1

Summary: Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits, which he has long kept secret. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, Reiko, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him. Containing the names of these spirits, a binding contract was formed between the spirits and the owner of the book. Now, Natsume is determined to free the spirits and dissolve the contracts. With the help of a spirit cat, his days are filled trying to return the names to these spirits.
(credit: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9419)

My Review: I first heard of this anime when an LJ friend recommended, but after reading the summary, I put it off. Boy, do I regret doing so. This anime is different from my usual choices, but it had something that kept me engaged for all 13 episodes. Natsume, the main lead, is a quiet, boring guy, with a fiery temper, who's a bit of a loner and able to see ghosts. However, for some reason, you find yourself liking him, cause he's such a nice guy and very likable whenever he gets angry or embarrased enough to let go of his usual reserve around people. I said earlier that this anime had a certain something that made me continue watching, well that something is Master Nyan Nyan (LOL), whose the powerful demon Madara in fat cat form, as well as the other demons. What makes this series so interesting is the characterization- the different demons (or spirits) that Natsume encounters, each with their distinct personalities and the few friends he makes in his small town. This is a slow paced anime that is very enjoyable. Give it a try!

Anime: Special A & KDrama: 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant

Hello World,

I know it's been a while, but I've been sooo busy that I haven't done or watched anything of interest to blog on, except school work... AND THAT'S NO FUN!!!

Due to a much appreciated snow day, I was able to finish watching an anime I started a while ago

SPECIAL A

The anime revolves around a special class in an Highschool that consists of the seven highest students on the honor roll, or whatever. They are a group of mostly eccentric rich kids. Here are the characters (curtesy of wikipedia):

Hikari Hanazono (華園 光, Hanazono Hikari^?) Voiced by: Yuko Goto

Hikari is the protagonist of the story and is ranked 2nd in the school. She is energetic and kindhearted, but rather dense to more subtle matters, in particular love. She is the daughter of a carpenter. When she was six years old she experienced her first defeat and humiliation when she lost to Kei Takishima in a pro-wrestling match. In order to beat Kei, Hikari convinced her father to allow her to attend Kei's prestigious elite school and strives to defeat Kei at anything, from academics to athletics.

Kei Takishima (滝島 彗, Takishima Kei^?) Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama

Kei is Hikari's rival and holds the 1st position in the entire school. He is good at everything he does and is always a smooth winner. He is the son of the CEO of Takishima Corporation. Kei has been in love with Hikari since they were children, but Hikari has been too dense to realize his feelings for her. He maintains a stoic and cool facade most of the time, except for when Hikari is in trouble.

Jun Yamamoto (山本 純, Yamamoto Jun^?) Voiced by: Tsubasa Yonaga

Jun is ranked 3rd in school and is the son of a music producer and a talented vocalist. He is a nice guy and is usually quiet like his older twin sister, Megumi. Like Megumi, he is very possessive of Ryuu and seems to worry Ryuu as much as he worries about the two of them. Jun is rather shy around girls, which resulted in a split personality that enables him to charm almost all women effortlessly.

Megumi Yamamoto (山本 芽, Yamamoto Megumi^?) Voiced by: Ayahi Takagaki

Megumi holds the 4th position in school and is the older twin sister of Jun. She and her brother are very close to Ryuu, whom they have known since they were children. Megumi refuses to speak so as to preserve her singing voice and writes what she wishes for people to know on a sketchpad. When she sings, her voice is so devastatingly powerful that everyone ends up dazed and disoriented afterward.

Tadashi Karino (狩野 宙, Karino Tadashi^?) Voiced by: Hiro Shimono

Tadashi ranks 5th in school and is the son of the school's director. He suffers from a bit of wanderlust, likes to travel alone and do whatever he wants or sees fit. He enjoys eating sweets, especially food made by Akira. He seems to end up as the character most comically attacked (frequently by Akira and Kei) because of his careless comments or reckless behavior.

Akira Toudou (東堂 明, Tōdō Akira^?) Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame

Akira holds the 6th position in school and is very fond of Hikari; as a result, she is very protective of her. She loves afternoon tea and is very fond of cute girls. Akira apparently is in love with Tadashi although she never seems to hold back when hitting him. She is the daughter of the owner of an airline company.

Ryuu Tsuji (辻 竜, Tsuji Ryū^?) Voiced by: Kazuma Horie

Ryuu ranks 7th in the entire school cohort. He is the son of the CEO of a sports car company and one of his family's clients is Yahiro's family. He is an animal lover and is very good at handling children. The twins, Megumi and Jun, are unusually close to him, because they have been together since childhood and it seems that Ryuu has saved them once. It is hinted that perhaps he is smarter than 7th place, but spends the majority of the time during exams worrying about Jun and Megumi, who tend to become bored or sleep during tests.

 

This anime was soooo amusing and funny! hehe :D Hikari and Kei were the most amusing couple I've seen in a long time in anime. Actually..all of the couples were wacky! lol I won't tell you who pairs with who...you gotta watch to find out. This was a fun watch and only 24 episodes. Give it a try.

Looney Express gives Special A 3.5/5!

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Next, is a Korean movie called: 100 days with Mr. Arrogant!

 

HAHAHAHA!!!! This movie was soo funny! I usually don't watch movies, I'm not sure why, except that I prefer longer works, so that I can really see the development of the romance, but this movie may change my mind!!!

I'll start by saying it's a romantic comedy....you know..I've noticed that all I watch are romantic comedies. It may be time for a change! :) Ha-Young gets dumped by her boyfriend the day before their 100 day anniversary and upset she kicks a can on her way home... (who does this? lol) And luck should have it, said can hits someone who driving a convertible...with the top down of course...causing him to hit a pole scratching his car. WAIT! It gets even better! So, this man who is the VERY arrogant Hyung-Joon who literally hunts her down, when she runs away and makes her his slave in order to repay him the $3,000 it would supposedly cost to fix his car. And of course during her time as a slave...she falls in love. Typical..lol except Hyung-Joon is such an ASSHOLE!!! BWAHAHAH!!! But he's an incredibly charming one! Anyway..give it a go. It'll be an entertaining hour and a half!

Looney Express gives 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant a 4/5!!! 

WOOT WOOT!!!

Until whenever, my friends!!!! =D

Anime: Lovely Complex

Hey Everyone,

I'm back with another Anime review. I've just finished watching Lovely Complex.

Summary from AnimeSeason.com:

Risa Koizumi, taller than the average girl, and Atsushi Ootani, shorter than the average guy - their constant bickering and comical love-hate relationship is well-known throughout the school. They act similarly and love the same music, and their friendship is full of laughing, shouting at each other, and of course, lots of jokes about one another's height. But when Risa notices her feelings for Ootani growing, she's worried. She doesn't know if he can ever see her as more than a friend. With her friends rooting for her, she struggles to make him see how she feels about him, and that a romantic relationship between a tall girl and a short guy can work. Oblivious Ootani doesn't make things easy for her, but she stubbornly perseveres in her own unconventional way, determined for her feelings to get through to him, and finally be returned. If only she could do it without driving herself and everyone else crazy in the process...

Review: This a funny 24 ep long romantic comedy! And when I say funny, I reallly mean ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!!!! Risa and Otani are one of the MOST INTERESTING couples I've ever seen. But their feelings are real and very endearing. Their relationship is so sweet. You can't help but fall in love with them yourself and their group of friends who all have their own personalities and problems. This a cute anime that has it all! Most definetely give it a try.

There's also a live movie, which is also very good by the same title. Give that a shot too, while you're at it! Teppei plays Otani in the live movie...He's SOOO ADORABLE!!!! Look!

Looney Express awards Lovely Complex a 4.7/5!

Skip Beat! Season 1

OMG! I can't believe I forgot to write about this!

A few days ago I finally finished an anime I've started watching months ago. It's 25 eps longs and called Skip Beat. Anyone into anime would have most definitely heard about it. If there had to be one anime chosen to be the "Shojo Anime of 2009"... IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SKIP BEAT!!!! No other possible way!

Skip Beat follows the joys and woes of Kyoko Mogami. She use to be a very innocent girl who was extremely loyal to her childhood friend and love Sho Fuwa and she was happy living her life just doing his chores and cooking for him if it would help him achieve his dreams of becoming a star. She believed that she was as important to him as he was to her. WRONG!!!!! One day she overhears him telling another girl that she is only a maid to him, nothing special. That day, a new Kyoko is born. The one who is confident, tough as nails and going to become an actress and get revenge on Sho by becoming an even bigger star than him. Along the way, she makes her first best friend and finds a possible love interest. How will our heroine end up? Watch the anime and wait for the second season..or read the manga! *grin*

My Review: This anime is perfect if you want loads of laughs. Kyoko is such an interesting character. I've never seen anyone else like her. She sweet, and very hardworking, but also secretly has quite a temper. She never expresses her anger outwardly. She keeps it all in her mind where she hosts a gang of evil spirits whose aura can sometimes be felt by the object of her rage. hahaha This series is filled with endless hilarity and the plot is quite interesting. You see Kyoko has she auditions for parts and improves as an actor. Give it a try! I guarantee that you'll bust a bust while laughing!

Looney Express awards Skip Beat! a 4/5! YAY!

My Girl, Mean Girl Ah Chu & Alice Academy

...Getting sick of me? Three in one day!
This one's gonna be quick. Just thought I'd quickly review two dramas and an anime I'd just recently finished.

The first is a korean drama, My Girl.

Synopsis (http://www.koreandrama.org/?p=199)

Ju Yoo-rin (Lee Da Hae) is an imposter proficient in English, Chinese, and Japanese. Seol Gong Chan (Lee Dong Wook) is the second generation heir of a big corporation. Because of his grandfather’s illness, he’s forced to ask Yoo-rin to be his long-lost cousin so that his grandfather’s last wish can be fullfilled. So therefore, they both are bound in a lie that no-one in the family knows the truth. Kim Sae-hyun (Park Si Yeon) grew up in a rich family and dreams to become a tennis star with the nickname “Sharapova of Korea”. Her charm and intelligence attract many men. She and Yoo-rin have cutthroat competitions. Seo Jeong-woo (Lee Joon Ki) will fall also for Yoo-rin and finally learn to love that special someone.

My Review: This was a pretty good drama, overall. Usually when you encounter Romantic dramas like this, you end up finding yourself annoyed with the main character. The girl chases the guys saying how much she cares about him, all the while sobbing her heart out. I could never stand a girl who cries ALL the time. But YooRin in My Girl was completely different. She was more realistic and absolutely hilarious! Even though she cries, you understand her pain when she does, it's completely justified. This drama is the epitome of Romantic Comedy. It had a good dose of both aspects. The love and the development of their relationship was there within an amazing plot and absolutely endearing, but the comedy wasn't completely lost as it is in most romantic comedies. My only issue is that it moved a bit slow and I totally hated the main dude's ex-girl!!! Jeez, she was such a pain.
Looney Express awards My Girl with a4.2/5.

The next drama is Mean Girl Ah Chu:

Synopsis:

Ah Chu is a mean girl. Well, she looks that way. But, under her tough exterior, she is a kind-hearted and charitable modern day female chevalier. One day, this girl encounters a gentle and honest man named Ling Ping Zhi. But he's never been away from his mother and is very naive. Therefore, Ah Chu displays her chivalry and saves the bachelor in distress. Later when he enters the showbiz, she helps him manoeuvre the dangers of show biz.

My Review: This drama was....hmm...I have mixed feelings about this one. For one, it took me forever to finish, not because it was bad per say, but it wasn't good enough to compel me to watch either. And towards the end of the series, the main characters, especially Ah Chu began to really annoy me. I personally hate it when a couple clearly likes each other and one of them takes it upon themselves to do what they think is "right" for the other by breaking up! COMMUNICATION IS KEY, people!!! Geez..it really got me aggravated!

Looney Express gives Mean Girl Ah chu a 3/5.

And finally, Alice Academy.
 

Story:
Mikan and Hotaru,who are best friends, grow up in a small town in the remote countryside. Suddenly, Hotaru moves to a school for geniuses in Tokyo. Mikan misses Hotaru so badly that she decides to travel to Tokyo herself to find Hotaru. She finds Hotaru in a school called “Alice Academy,” and discovers that the school is actually for people with special powers called "Alices". Then, Narumi-sensei, a teacher at the school finds out that Mikan also happens to have an alice and he lets Mikan into the academy


In the academy, Mikan meets a mysterious kid named Natsume, who has the Fire alice and the most popular boy in the elementary division. In the beginning, Mikan hates him but she gradually starts liking him. Soon Natsume begins to care for Mikan and finally admits that he will do anything to protect her.

Mikan gradually meets some new friends like Yuu Tobita, the class president, and Ruka Nogi, a close friend to Natsume, and Sumire Shouda, the self-declared president to Natsume and Ruka's fan club.

 My Review: Ok.... I was really surprised that I LIKED THIS SO MUCH!!! Usually anime where little kids are the main characters annoys the crap out of me, but Alice Academy was just soo damn funny and entertaining. The characters, especially Mikan were so outrageous and one-of-a-kind that I couldn't help, but begin to like them. This is a pretty good anime, that has some substance, like it's not all just about hilarity, there's actually a real plot, though it's not developed until the very end. Overall, it was entertaining enough that I watched all 26 eps in two days! Keep this one someplace safe until you find yourself down in the dumps or really bored!
 
Looney Express gives it a 4/5.
 
Until next time, World! Don't miss me too much! HUGS X KISSES!