[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!

Kimi Ni Todoke (season 1)

I'm on an anime binge! YAY!!

Title:

Kimi ni Todoke

Type:

TV Series, 25 episodes

Year:

Oct 7, 2009 to Mar 31, 2010

Genre:

Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Slice of Life

Status:

Complete

Summary

Kuronuma Sawako is the perfect heroine... for a horror movie. With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, she's often mistaken for the haunting movie character Sadako. But behind her scary facade is a very misunderstood teenager. Too shy to fit in, all she wants to do is make some friends. But when a popular boy in class befriends her, she's sure to make more than just that--she's about to make some enemies too!

My Comments

 I really liked this one! Finished it in TWO days! It's different from most shoujo anime I've watched. For one, this one is so light-hearted and endearing. It's definitely not as angsty and dramatic as most shoujo anime. What I liked most was the lead couple! Sawako wasn't the typical shoujo girl in love. She wasn't the Tsundere, violent and too stupid to realize her feelings. She wasn't the cutesy girl type either. Even though the series was totally Rated G and the two didn't even confess their feelings for one another even at the end (because there will be a second season, scheduled to air Jan. 4th), you're not aggravated and annoyed by the slow romantic pace. That is because both Sawako and Kazehaya are so damn sweet! Especially Sawako-chan. At first, she seemed really dull and stupid, but you soon realize that she's just naive, but also totally honest about her feelings, at least to herself and her best friends, which is refreshing. Girls in complete denial always annoyed me. Kazehaya is adorable, even though I sometimes wished he would stop his blushing, be a man, and just pounce! lol Just kidding. This is most definitely a must watch. I found myself smiling or laughing in EACH episode, from beginning to end. The side characters: Sawako's friends Yano and Chizu and Kazehaya's bud Ryuu are also lovable and good for a laugh or ten. Give it a try!

Kaichou wa Maid-Sama

Another anime review!

Kaichou wa Maid-Sama

Plot: Seika High School, once an all-boys school notorious for its wild students and for generally being a terrifying place for girls, has recently become a co-ed school. With the female population still a minority and living in fear of the over-the-top antics of the males, Misaki Ayuzawa takes it into her own hands to reform the school and allow the girls to feel safe in the rough environment.
Training, studying and even becoming the first female student council president of the school, Misaki has gained a reputation among the male students body as an uptight boy-hating dictator and as a shining hope for the teachers and fellow female students. However, despite her tough-as-nails appearance, she secretly works part-time at a maid cafe in order to support her family. Unfortunately, her hard-earned reputation is threatened when the popular, attractive, and somewhat impassive Usui Takumi takes an interest in her after discovering her in a maid uniform after school. Afterwards he starts to rescue her from many mishapped situations and she slowly starts to have affections for him, even if she doesn't realize it.





My review: I really really enjoyed this one! It had every thing I love in a good shoujo anime. Interesting (aka crazy) characters, fun and hilarious plot and a cute relationship between the male & female leads. This reminds me of Special A (which I also enjoyed), in that the male likes the a girl who is outrageously tough, basically one of the guys and a complete idiot when it comes to romance. Misaki is the same way. She's the student council president of a once all-boys school just turned co-ed and she rules with an iron fist. Usui is always teasing her and suggestively coming on to her and she doesn't know how to handle. This was such a fun anime to watch! I watched the entire series in just TWO days!! This is definitely a must watch! It's on the same level as Skip Beat!

Uraboku aka Betrayal Knows my Name

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru (Betrayal Knows My Name) aka Uraboku

Sakurai Yuki is a mysterious boy with a mysterious power. Right after he was born, his mother left him near an orphanage, and he was later found. Because of that event, Yuki strives for independence. He hates being a burden to anyone near him, but at the same time, he is afraid of being left alone. Moreover, ever since he can remember he had a strange ability where when he touches others, he can feel their emotion. Unable to control it, he often made insensitive blunders in the past. He later meets with a mysterious yet beautiful man who saves his life, but somehow he feels so nostalgic, like he's met him before. While death threats and his ability increasing, a man who claimed to be his older brother suddenly appears, so what will Yuki do when he learns the truth?

My Thoughts: I put off watching this anime, because I'd thought it would be mostly about the gay, but not really relationship between Yuki and Luka, which I'm all for by the way. But I figured they're torture us fangirls for 24 episodes of hinting a gay relationship without any proof! lol But, whoa was I wrong. This anime has an interesting plot-line, fun and lovable characters and great action scenes. This is a must see if you want to see beautiful beautiful men fighting to protect their loved ones and the fate of mankind against evil. What I especially like, is how complex the characters are. They're so real, each one with his/her own past and issues, even the main villain. This is an anime about the strength and importance of real friendship.

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!