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Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
In the middle of the night, Kai was in the living room watching a romance anime, but unfortunately it really didn't help due to the last few days here with her just finding out about MAK's Blue Leaf power and the two of them haven't talked to each other in 3 days.
Akuma walked down and noticed her sitting there, then pounced on her to try to make her smile, "HEY!" she called out, hugging her, "What's with the sad face?"
"Oh. Hey, Akuma." Kai said with the sad expression, "I'm just.....going through a very rough patch the last few days and apparently watching Ai Yori Aoshi wasn't the right call." Then she buried her face in a pillow, not to cry, but just so she wouldn't have to deal with anything this instant.
Akuma frowned, then said gently, "What if you reviewed it? That way you can point out all the shit they did with it."
Then Kai begin to frown a little less, "Actually, that's not a bad idea. I have been wanting to review this anime for a while. Wait, Akuma, didn't Angel reviewed this before?"
"Ya... but that doesn't mean you can't..." Akuma said smiling, "It's never to late to review something. I know she partners with MAK from time to time on reviews. She could probably partner with you."
"OK." Kai said. "You said that Angel is a night person, so she must be awake right about now." She then got up from the couch and went to find Angel to help with this review.
Angel was actually in the study, working on some art project she was going to sell. She was so distracted by wrapping a small paper bead that she didn't notice Kai walking in.
Kai walked into the study and then tap Angel on the shoulder, "Um.....Angel? I don't mean to bother whatever you're doing, but can you help me with this review of Ai Yori Aoshi? Please?"
Angel jumped, letting go of the wrap and it fell apart. She growled a little at the mess of paper she now had to reroll and then turned and sighed at Kai, "Sure... just... lets do this while I wrap these beads. I really need to finish this before tomorrow."
"Ok." Kai said, as both of them began to do the review.
Ai Yori Aoshi(Apr 11, 2002 – Sept 26, 2002), Bluer than Indigo
Director: Masami Shimoda
Romantic-Comedy, Drama,
Key Words: Slice of Life, Harem, Nudity,
Studio: J.C.Staff Licensed American Publisher: Funimation
Episodes: 12
Kaoru Hanabishi is an average Collage student living on his own in Tokyo. Since he is the oldest son of the Hanabishi family and so to be the head of the Hanabishi Zaibatsu. Sadly, long ago, his mother had to leave the house because his father and her never married. Because of this, he had a difficult family life and when he was old enough, he left not wanting to have anything to do with the family. Unfortunately, he left Ai-chan, his arranged fiancée behind. Now she has come back into his like, full of love for him. Can they really work this out?
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: The story line is a rather interesting version of Romeo and Juliet almost. A boy who isn't liked because he denounced his name and a girl who wishes nothing more then to be with him even against her parents wishes. It's a rather romantic story, and then they have to add everyone else into the mix and well, we get this. Not to say this show is bad, its just… it gets dull after a while with pretty much every trick in the book being done to keep the two apart from roommates that get in a way to time they have separated from each other and even the family problems. I'm happy it's not a slice of life in a school (and it's not… technically…) but it sure feels like one. I most of the time wanted to bash a couple heads together and yell 'GET TO THE POINT!' but yet, I have to sit through some of the slowest moving pieces until someone finally gets to a punchline and then I feel myself sitting there sometimes asking 'how the heck did that happen and where was the fun?' I do have to mention now that this is one of my favorites of the genre, its just does have a lot of flaws though the good points.
Ai is so adorable though her personality is a little two innocent. She seems way to matter of fact and logical. She also sounds like a broken record in that she keeps going on about becoming his wife. She feels much like a Mary Sue character in that with almost everything she does, she does well and the stuff she isn't good at is done in a way that makes her more Moe (and now I'm thinking about Konata's saying from Lucky Star 'Clumsy is sexy…') to the point where I just want to smack her. Luckily, she doesn't go into the realm that I would want her to be attacked by one of the girls from When They Cry, but she sometimes gets close to it.
Kaoru though seems well put together or else it's because he is around crazy people. Sometimes I even wonder if they put him in the middle of all these crazies just to show how bland he really was. There are times though that I wish he wasn't so easily pushed into doing things he didn't want to do or would hurt Ai if she took it the wrong way. Unfortunately, both main characters are actually less interesting then the characters around them and the story just seemed to become dull just because I wanted to learn more about the characters and it wouldn't let me. The arrange marriage thing is hard for me to think of in the modem day sense and makes me wonder if it actually happens still. There is a lot of fan service in this and it makes me feel really sad because it really didn't need it!
Now we go into the extras and the reason why I call them extras and not supporting characters is this… they do not support anything. They are there to tear the two main characters apart and bring comedy into what could be even more boring story plot. I think without them, I would never have been able to get into the story. Their fun antics, although annoying at times, made me smile and laugh to break up the tension of a hard core sad areas. I do believe without them, the ending would not be as heart retching as it was because it seemed to have more meaning.
The artwork is so beautiful and shows a lot of detail throughout the show. The backgrounds are rich in detail for the most part but there are times that it looks rather low in contrast. The comical points are really odd looking, where most of the artwork during that time pretty much lacks. The opening is rather nice in following the sweet music for that. But seems almost like Ranma's opening in how they made it.
The Voices are interesting, and Ai's seems way too breathy. The English is a little off, almost like it's a exact translation and I wish they would change it a bit. Some characters were a little creepy in voice and I was a little disappointed in that. The Japanese is alright even if it's pretty standard for this type of show. The Japanese and English Ai sound very close to each other. It's a little nice that way but also somewhat bothersome.
The music is so pretty for the opening and closing that I actually looked for the opening music on its own. The other background music is a little to sappy even for the happy moments and sometimes breaks the mood.
Pretty wonderful artwork and the story line is pretty well but the voices are where it loses a bit of stars.
Other Reviews:
T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews - http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=705 2nd Opinion - http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=1180 3rd Opinion - http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=737
American Anime Otaku - http://blip.tv/americananimeotaku/american-anime-otaku-episode-59-ai-yori-aoshi-6342484
After reviewing the anime, Kai did wanted to say how one of the characters from the show mirrors herself in some way, but as Kai can tell from Angel's expression and her working on her beads, she really doesn't want to be disturbed, so she went to Akuma again.
Akuma sighed shaking her head, "It's a lovely story... just messed up with adding a harem...."
"True. And the reason why most of it depresses me is because of the character of Aoi." Kai said, "The reason why is because while she's adorable, she's just nothing but some Mary Sue who doesn't do much but be someone's wife.....and the reason why I'm depressed is I feel like that now around everyone here." Then Kai sat down on the couch and said to Akuma, "It's like you and Angel are Wiccans with Magic, Kurai is kinda the same...almost and recently I found out that MAK is......" She didn't want to say anymore than that.
"But your special because your none of those things...." Akuma pointed out.
Angel nodded in agreement, "Your special because your different then us. Your more 'normal' and besides, you can make MAK do anything you want. Even I can't make him do some stuff without threatening him or turning him into a women."
Kai wiped a tear from her face and said, "Yeah, that's true. Even though MAK wouldn't lay a finger on me. He's not that type of guy. I'm just mad at him for not telling me about it in the first place; and hearing it from those two dickheads, Rick and Dice, are already torturous enough......and yes, I know you and Kurai attacked them earlier," Then Kai smiled at her and said, "Nice job by the way."
Angel nodded, "Thanks, I believe those bite marks are permanent on them as well. We kind of bit hard."
Then Kai thought of one more thing to mention to them, "......and there's the part when MAK and I kissed.......passionately......even though I'm still mad at him, we had to confess it, since he vowed to never keep a secret from me ever again."
At that, Angel and Akuma blushed a bit, then smiled at each other, "Well, now we have another thing to tease him about," they giggled.
Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi(Oct 12, 2003 – Dec 28, 2003)
Director: Masami Shimoda
Romantic-Comedy, Drama,
Key Words: Slice of Life, Harem, Nudity,
Studio: J.C.Staff Licensed American Publisher: Funimation
Episodes: 12
Two years after the tenants of Ai's house, they are still up to their old habits. Each are as rowdy as they have ever been begging one question, will Ai and Kaoru ever have time for themselves?
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: Well, this is a show that pretty much takes place pretty much right after the first one. I was really surprised that they felt they needed to make a second season with just how odd the fist one turned out. It just didn't feel needed in my mind. It's the same stuff that was going on in the first happening in the second. A little romance, Comedy, Drama… and Kaoru and Ai never seem to get a break.
Sadly, they sometimes make Kaoru seem a bit even more like a pervert then he should. I know its normal for a guy to have those thoughts but sometimes they make it out as though he has even more of a perverted mind at times. The sweet and innocence in the story messes up when they do that.
The animation is pretty nice, pretty similar to the first one. Not much to talk about in that regard. It looks like every other romantic comedy out there. Large eyes, bright colors, nice looking girls all around one normal looking guy. Each character looks exactly like the role they are supposed to match.
The dubbing is… well the same as the first again. I like that they kept it consistent but then again, they matched it way to close to the Japanese translation. Sometimes even some of the words don't seem like they are used right.
Just because it really has not changed at all, I have to give it the same rating as I did for the first. It's slightly bland but a good watch if you liked the first.
Other Reviews:
T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews - http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=706
Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi X-Mas OVA(Dec 31, 2003)
Director: Masami Shimoda
Romantic-Comedy, Drama,
Key Words: Slice of Life, Harem, Nudity,
Studio: J.C.Staff Licensed American Publisher: Funimation
Episodes: 12
One Christmas night, Kaoru gets visited by Santa and soon comes to enjoy her company as he spends the day with her.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: In this strange OVA where Ai is now a Santa. They start out as though Kaoru and Ai have never met before and yet, this 'Ai' is only known as Santa. During Christmas, Ai drops a pendent and then comes by Kaoru's house to get it. She gives him a sweet dream but she ends up staying with him for the night and day. This has almost the same feeling as Itsudatte My Santa in a small way but a lot more gentle and cute. Even though the storyline isn't one I like, it still has a sense of love and sweetness that makes me want to watch it.
The artwork is much like the main story, though the change they have to some of the characters looks a little bothersome to me. You would think an OVA would have better looking characters but it's like some of the main characters in the main series have been downgraded here except Ai and Kaoru.
The English voices again are pretty much the same, and that means that the annoying voices are also there. At least it's the same voice I guess.
Other Reviews:
T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews - http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=706
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Yori_Aoshi
May Also Like: His and Her Circumstances, Oh My Goddess!, Maison Ikkoku, Please Teacher,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Air: 1000th Summer (Jan 6, 2005 – Mar 31, 2005)
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Drama, Fantasy, Romance,
Key Words: Moe, Angels, Wishes, Meta-fiction,
Studio: Kyoto Animation Licensed American Publisher: Funimation Entertainment
Episodes: 13
Somewhere beyond the clouds is a girl, flying through the sky alone. Yukito Kunisaki is looking for this girl because of his late mother talking about her. He travels across Japan doing small puppet shows for money as he does. After sleeping on one town's stone seawall, he wakes to see a young girl standing in the wind named Misuzu Kamio. The young girl has dreams much like his mother did of the girl in the sky. He is the only friend that she has had in a long time.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts:The story line is rather cute and sad, part of the trinity of Key Animation. I am really sad that this show is so short. They don't seem to take enough time to flesh out the story lines or the characters. There are way too many girls that are really strange and you never really get much story line about them. The only girl you get to know is Misuzu but she doesn't have much personality except for the whole girl in the sky thing.
They also never talk about the girl in the sky much even if she was supposed to be the main focus or even give us an answer about her. The answer we do get comes too late in the story line and it leaves more questions than answers. It's mostly about what strange effect happens when someone finds one of her feathers but even then I don't quite understand it. Are the feathers some sort of wish maker and if so, then why does it always end up in sadness?
The ark with Minagi Tohno feels very out-of-place in a sense and as though it was rushed. There really was no backbone to the story and the ending, though it made me cry seemed rather out-of-place.
All in all, this story is really slow and hard to keep watching; sometimes almost dull in some parts.
The animation is rather pretty, bright and colorful. Unfortunately, some of the characters are actually lacking a bit and I'm not really happy that Misuzu's mom looks more like an older sister instead. All the artwork is pretty much fan based. Potato the dog doesn't even really look like a dog too which threw me off. The beginning has a lot of aspects of a beginning for a visual Game rather than an actual anime so it means that it looks good and helps set the mood of the show.
The music is beautiful, both the beginning and ending made me want to find the actual music. The background music is sometimes not very loud and hard to hear, mostly consisting of silence or sweet gentle feelings. The montages that help make time pass seem to be used way to often with the same sappy song. The voice actors are good but some don't seem good enough. I have to say, I like the English voice actors better than the Japanese, probably just because I'm more used to English voices.
I like this but it is rather slow and I don't think I will be watching the whole show at once again. I may watch one or two of my favorite episodes though.
Good, It's not the best out there but it's worth watching at least once. I wouldn't buy it off hand.
Other Reviews:
Glass Reflections - http://blip.tv/glassreflection/airvegasfile-5691627
T.H.E.M. Reviews - http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=829
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_(visual_novel)
Also May Like: Clannad, Kanon 2006, Fruits Basket
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Usagi Drop (July 8, 2011 – Sep 16, 2011), Bunny Drop, Rabbit Drop
Director: Kanta Kamei Written by: Suguru Kishimoto Music: Suguru Matsutani
Drama, Comedy,
Key Words: Slice of Life
Studio: Production I.G.
Episodes: 11
Daikichi is a 30 year old single who has a full-time job and his own place. When his Grandfather dies, he finds that he has a 6 year old aunt that no one in the family wants to take care of. He decides that he will take her instead of having her sent to an orphanage. And here start's their fun life together.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: The story line is interesting. The beginning actually feels a lot like a story that should be in a Studio Ghibli film, so detailed in how the characters act and the way things are created. It's partly why I really love the first part of this story. The writers and artists really studied a lot for this and it really shows. Even down to how the characters act during a funeral. It opens the door much more into the Japanese customs for me and also makes it more realistic.
Rin seems much more put together then Daikichi is, and it's really cute to see this little girl telling her older guardian to have good table manners. It gives this drama a bit of comedy to break it all up. Also, Daikichi seems to learn very fast how to take care of Rin, and being a single parent to her.
The Art style is really different compared to a lot of anime out there. It has a soft style to it that makes it a rather gentle look and yet the coloring doesn't fill in all the way, like a child colored it. Normally I'm not to into new styles like this, but it seems to promise a lot with all the details given to it. It is really detailed down to the wood grain and small dirty foot prints. The opening is rather nice in the water color look, painted as a child might again but full of imagination throughout the whole opening. The ending has the same sort of feel but is more like a couple plains of stain glass moving around. Every thing feels like it glows then. The character design is sadly lacking in my mind, the faces are strange with noses that stick out at a strange angle.
The Music is really pretty and adds to the beauty of this show. The voices are ok, none really stand out much for me.
It's so beautiful for something created by a studio known for really hard core fighting scenes. It really shows there diversity.
Other Reviews:
Kitsune Theater – ep1 - http://www.desudesbrigade.com/2012/03/kitsune-theatre-usagi-drop-episode-1/
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunny_Drop
May Also Like: Honey and Clover,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Sgt. Frog (Apr 3, 2004 – Apr 4, 2011), Keroro Gunso
Director: Junichi Sato
Comedy, Action, Sci-fi,
Key Words:Parody, Frogs,
Studio: Sunrise Licensed American Publisher: Funimation
Episodes: 358
The Keroro Platoon was sent down to earth, also called Pekopon, to take it over but sadly was left behind. Now Sergeant Keroro, Private Second Class Tamama, Coporal Giroro, Sergeant Major Kururu, and Lance Corporal Dororo must learn to live on this alien world.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: The story is rather odd and yet, still rather funny. The show goes by a comedy of the week thing but if you dig down, it really does have an underlineing story that keeps the show together. A bunch of frog aliens trying to take over the world turned out to make it a really fun show. There are a lot of parodies, most of them I didn't really get since they were Japanese and even turning it to the English Dub, some were a little to old for me I think.
The characters are really cute and even if they are stereotypical, they keep the story going well. The gags can be a little repeditive but don't really lose my intrest. They do change it around to try to give us a fresh take on the story and comedy. The show doesn't relie on fan service, making most of those times rather slight and you don't normally see it unless they point it out to you. Sometimes, they even break the 4th wall, talking to the narrator which makes the show funnier sometimes.
The Animation is really nicely done, crisp and clean, even if some of the images go into runny egg art style. It doesn't have much detail but I think it works well for the comical part of this show. I don't understand why they made the ending have CG in it and really bad CG too.
There voices are really strange, though I don't have any real problems with them at all. None of them made me want to bleed at the ears. The only one that felt strange was Momoka. I really don't care for her crazy voice. The music is really good for the opening and closing. The opening is a rather catchy theme called Ribbit March, and feels just like a march making me want to get up. The endings is a little strange and not sure why they talk about afros in one of them.
This one was a hard one to rate because of the way the show was put together but the fact that it made me laugh was enough to make it a worth watch!
Other Review:
Vixen's Anime Review – http://blip.tv/vixens-reviews/vixen-reviews-sgt-frog-3204710
Anime for Dummies - http://blip.tv/anime-for-dummies/anime-for-dummies-sgt-frog-3070434
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgt._Frog
May Also Like: Shinryaku! Ika Musume,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
xxxHOLiC (Apr 6, 2006 – Sep 28, 2006)
Written by: Nanase Ohkawa; Michiko Yokote Music: S.E.N.S. Project
Horror, Comedy, Phychological
Key Words: Supernatural,
Studio: Production I.G. Licensed American Publisher: Funimation
Episodes: 24
Kimihiro Watanuki is a young high school student bothered with yokai and ayakashi, spirits normally cling to him and have a strong attraction. They are invisible to others so it makes things really bothersome for him. One day, he stumbles into a shop with the mysterious witch Yuko Ichihara who grants his wish, but the price is for him to work for her. Watanuki is forced into a world of spirits and wishes along with Shizuka Domeki who has a strange way of repelling spirits and neutralizing them.
My Thoughts:I do love this show a lot but there are some problems in it too. Inconsistencies between the manga and the anime make me cringe just a tad. Now I have not actually read the manga, but I have seen enough to find that some of the artwork is not right, but we will get to that in a moment. This is pretty much Pet Shop of Horrors with wishes and spirits; sometimes their good, and sometimes they will try to rip you apart.
The story follows a fail of a boy named Watanuki. Pretty much everything he does, he messes up with and is always hunted down by spirits. He is the only one who can see them which makes him look like a fool most of the time when he runs around the town from spirits that seem to not exist. Now here is where some of the inconsistencies that I found. Almost every picture I have seen of him has two different eye colors but yet, the anime has given him both blue eyes. I am not sure exactly which is true but it's what I've seen from the manga, it's supposed to be the later.
Yuuko is an interesting character and from what I've seen, they are actually alike between the manga and anime at least in looks. She has a way of getting what she wants with no worry as to what will happen to the other person although I believe she always knows it will work out. I never once saw her worried that something may happen.
If Watanuki wears his emotions on his sleeve, Domeki is the exact opposite. Maybe that's why they make a great pair. Domeki cancels all of Watanuki's crazy antics, giving mostly a base monotone as he speaks. I wish he was actually in the show more often and given a bigger role because it was really fun to see the conversation between him and Watanuki (and the idea of them being a yaoi pair makes my fan girl in me scream for joy...)
In fact, all the characters are pretty memorable as main characters except for one. Himawari is a little two plain and cheerful all the time. Sometimes I want to smack her hard because she just gets so annoying. There are many times that Yuko gives cryptic statements about her but it is never explained what is going on with her.
I somewhat understood all that was being said but then some of what they talked about, I felt would only make sense to a Japanese person such as the game 'Angel' which seems to be a Japanese version of Ouija Board or Wigi Board. When they first talked about it, I thought that it was something else. Another thing that is bothersome to me is that no one takes her advice, which I understand, some of the reasons for it but then they get into problems and suffer for it and I just have to roll my eyes at it.
The animation is alright but all the characters are much too thin and long limbed which makes it hard to watch sometimes. Even fluid movements would never make the shows good to me. There are many times when the artwork pretty much sucks for an anime, and really makes me wonder. It surprises me that such a low design could come from Clamp. In fact, the fact that there are references to other Clamp manga's in the show is interesting if you take the time to pick them out. Sadly, the only details with this seem to be in the background except one or two things the characters end up wearing and the characters themselves are poorly lacking in detail and actual proportions with arms and legs going everywhere during freak outs. I also don't like how their eyes are all blank. They have no high lights what so ever so it makes them look dead.
I really like the English Voice acting, which to me, it's much better then the Japanese. The English has more fluid movement in fact then the Animation and feels like a cloud of smoke to the ears. At least for most of the things Yoko says. The other actors are pretty good for them going with Shizuka's monotone to the crazy way Watanuki's voice gets with some of the things he gets in to. Really I do feel sorry for the boy. The music is also really well done, giving it a really nice mystic feel to it and the opening is rather fun.
I would watch this for the story line but pretty much not much else.
Other Reviews:
JesuOtaku Review - http://blip.tv/jesuotaku/xxxholic-review-2755912
Anime for Dummies - http://blip.tv/anime-for-dummies/anime-for-dummies-xxxholic-5219191
xxxHOLiC Kei ()
Written by: Nanase Ohkawa; Michiko Yokote Music: S.E.N.S. Project
Horror, Comedy, Phychological
Key Words: Supernatural,
Studio: Production I.G. Licensed American Publisher: Funimation
Episodes: 24
My Thoughts:
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XxxHolic
May Also Like: Ayakashi ~Japanese Horror Classic~, Mononoke, Requiem from the Darkness, Supernatual: The Animation, Pet Shop of Horrors
Manga Review: http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-618443/angels-review-manga-and-comics#40138911
Movie Review: http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-607314/angels-review-movies?pg=2#45269499
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Boku no Pico OVA (Sep 7, 2006 – Oct 9, 2008), My Pico
Director: Katsuyoshi Yatabe
Ecchi, Yaoi, Hentai,
Key Words:Nudity, Pedo, Sex, Shotacon, Boys, Crossdressing,
Studio: Natural High
Episodes: 4
Pico is a little boy that works at his grandfather's bar part time. One day, he makes friends with Tamotsu and has sexual relationships with each other. Hurt that he wouldn't define their relationship, he runs away and meets other young boys that he starts to have sexual relationships with to make friends.
My Thoughts: I think it's rather cute in a way, but the fact it's a little boy makes me feel a little dirty in a way. Now if we look at it from a way it not being Hentai, the artwork is astounding and really well done.
The colors are pretty and bright giving it a childish look. The characters are nicely done and their proportions aren't all that stretched out.
I do have a small problem with the fact that Pico does not look like a little child much. He looks older then he should and much taller. Another little problem is that the boys look like girls a lot. Not just how they sometimes dress up as girls but even in guys clothing, they look like girls.
Voices are alright, and the sounds… sound believe able at least. I don't want to get much into that area of the show thank you very much.
Now… going into story line… At least this one has more of a story line then most other shows and uses it instead of making it a fuck all. I keep seeing it as a coming of age story or a exploration of the body though what they do is a little more then I would actually wish for. I know kids who are like them, that want to explore their bodies and see other peoples. In fact, when I was that age, I would always want to see my mother's body because I was interested in how it differed from my own. I feel that Pico was touched by a pedophile and that's why he acts the way he does with the other children. He sees it as a way to make friends and not really fully about full love. Now I can't say there is not love in it but You can figure that if he is that young, he would be curious. The same goes for the cross dressing part of it as well. Wanting to know what it would feel like to be a girl instead of a guy. But really, that's me getting into the philosophical part of a anime made for sexual reasons. That's what happens when you try to break down a anime and review it, even with a hentai.
Really cute even if its pretty much Pedo bait.
Other Reviews:
Vixen's Review - http://blip.tv/vixens-reviews/kitsuki-boku-no-pico-4745183
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boku_no_Pico
May Also Like: Gravitation, Papa to Kiss in the Dark,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Digimon Adventures, Dejimon Adobenchā (Mar 7, 1999 – Mar 26, 2000)
Director: Hiroyuki Kakudou Written by: Satoru Nishizono Music: Takanori Arisawa
Action, Adventure, Comedy-Drama
Key Words: Computers, monsters, evolutions,
Studio: Toei Animation Licensed American Publisher: Saban
Episodes: 54
On a summer camping trip, the weather has been messing up as a snow storm happens out of no where. Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, and T.K. find strange devices in the snow and when they pick them up, they are transported into the digital world where they meet there Digimon partners and try to save the digital world before it affects the real world worse.
My Thoughts: When I was really little, I fell in love with the show but I didn't know how chopped up the English dub was. Now that I'm older and know more anime, have watched shows that come straight from Japan, and have actually noticed when the voices are re-scripted, I can tell I actually missed a lot of the story line because of the re-script. This show was not created for young kids in the American idea. They pretty much did a '4 kids' on it though luckily, they didn't do it to much. The whole idea of 'children should be left clueless' makes me feel a little stupid. If children are clueless about the world, with things like pain or dying, then the will be shocked when it happens around them in the real world. It's strange that they did this because even as a small child, I knew what was happening to the characters without anyone saying anything, so the change that they did was unneeded.
The story was originally going to be 12 episodes and then because of how well it was received, they added more episodes. Now, I am still on the edge about if this was a good thing or not. I liked that they put more depth into the characters and the story lines made sure you could see the characters grow. Unfortunately, as with all shows that have way too many characters in the spotlight, we end up seeing more of one character then the others. Also some grow to a certain point and don't really grow beyond that. This annoys me because it means that they really don't seem that important. (Although if you watch Digimon Adventures 02, this one seems better in character development.) I would have loved to see more of the characters backgrounds rather then little bits of three or four characters.
Out of all the characters, I have to say my favorite is Matt. I'm not sure exactly why I fell in love with him but maybe it's because I have a little brother as well. I found it interesting that his name was changed when they took it to English dubs, but I learned after that it is pretty normal.
The bad guys are very one dimensional. They are only against the others just because they are programmed too; at least, that's how it sounds. I wish they could have added a bit more to them but at least they each have a type of personality.
The English voices are pretty good and bounce off each other nicely. I really don't like one or two of the characters though. If I have to listen to Mimi crying again though, someone will end up being hurt. She is so annoying in her voice that I really wish they had changed it a bit.
Link To Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digimon_Adventure
Other Reviews:
Digimon Adventure Retrospective - JesuOtaku Anime Review - Pt1.1 - http://youtu.be/O7yGzTlBnJQ
Pt1.2 - http://youtu.be/TdIytQzzEzI
Pt1.3 - http://youtu.be/lE4jq6z97fU
Pt1.4 - http://youtu.be/Ihn7oZD5Kvo
Pt2.1 - http://youtu.be/684UhnN43xQ
Pt2.2 (Tai) - http://youtu.be/vhdeohBbD2E
Pt2.3 (Matt) - http://youtu.be/CwbludfxdrY
Pt2.4 (Sora and Izzy) - http://youtu.be/QEmGwBbHWQE
Pt2.5 (Mimi and Joe) - http://youtu.be/eGOIOIK-4mw
Pt2.6 (T.K. and Kari) - http://youtu.be/-n9IMCmr_Yc
Pt3.1 - http://youtu.be/yMqKmApOS58
Pt3.2 - http://youtu.be/mXWn0A525Hs
Digimon Adventure 02, Dejimon Adobenchā Zero Tsū (Apr 2, 2000 – Mar 25, 2001)
Action, Adventure, Comedy-Drama
Key Words: Computers, monsters, evolutions,
Studio: Toei Animation
Episodes: 50
It has been about 4 years since the kids came back from the Digital world but there have been a dark human that is taking over the world again. With three new children going to the world with them, can they stop the human?
My Thoughts:Well, there back but not the main characters. At least, only two of the main characters from the old show are actually main characters in this one. Unfortunately, they have the same problems from before as well.
TK, although grown up a little too much, acts young a lot and Kari again is little miss Jesus with how perfect she is. Really, she seems to do nothing wrong with how caring she was. The other characters pretty much ether don't grow, don't change, or something around that until they hit a certain point and by then, I had lost interest in them. I think part of this was because that they seemed to be made to be the embodiment of two characters from the older show.
Davis is supposed to be Tai and Matt, Cody is Izzy and Joe, and Yolei is supposed to be Mimi and Sora. The only character that actually grew is Ken and actually, he replaced my favorite character, even if he was the bad guy for half the season almost.
The two that really never stood out to me was Yolei and Cody. They just really didn't have much screen time and seemed like the whole show could have just left them out and let it be Davis, Kari, and TK as the main characters.
Now, Yolei feels like she was made as the exact opposite to Mimi in the first season. She had many brothers and sisters and was rather poor, but yet she kept whining and complaining like Mimi so it only sent a message to me that no matter what, girls will become bitchie no mater what… not the best to send to young women. With Cody, there really wasn't anything to talk about.
The voices are so off. I really don't know who decided to have these characters sound the way they do but its worse then the first. T.K. sounded like he hit puberty faster then anyone else. His voice was not the voice of a young kid but of a much more teenage adult style. The other characters and I'm talking the main characters, sound pretty raspy or like Kari, has a harsh voice like she always has a stuffy nose.
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digimon_Adventure_02
Other Reviews:
Digimon 02 Retrospective -JesuOtaku Anime Review - Pt1.1 - http://youtu.be/ZePAqjqrTy8
Pt1.2 - http://youtu.be/8n5fgYNujlA
Pt1.3 - http://youtu.be/5GESaMb_aWo
Pt1.4 - http://youtu.be/5xjm_N6lA4A
Pt2.1 - http://youtu.be/4aQ7PkE5pgk
Pt2.2 (Davis) - http://youtu.be/Czy_CJQrc5I
Pt2.3 (Yolei and Cody) - http://youtu.be/tYBkV_tuyYs
Pt2.4 (T.K. and Kari) - http://youtu.be/DgxC-Vk0wAE
Pt2.5 (Ken) - http://youtu.be/b12b-I4of9E
Pt2.6 (Oikawa and Epilogue) - http://youtu.be/RJpghNxGZYo
Pt3.1 - http://youtu.be/wJt2sDMZIS4
Pt3.2 - http://youtu.be/_PQY6C2b34I
Digimon Tamers, (Apr 1, 2001 – Mar 31, 2002)
Director:Yukio Kaizawa Written by: Chiaki J. Konaka Music: Takanori Arisawa
Action, Adventure, Comedy-Drama
Key Words: Computers, monsters, evolutions,
Studio: Toei Animation
Episodes: 51
Takato is a Digimon crazy boy who plays the card games with his friends all the time. One day, he creates his own Digimon he names Guilmon and when he slips a strange blue card he found into his card reading device, it changes into a D-Power (or D-Arc). It is pretty much the same as a Digivice, giving a Digimon powers from the cards that are read. When Takato's sketch is scanned threw the device, Guilmon was created and emerges from the Digital world to find him. It turns out that there are more blue cards and when found, the person becomes a Digimon partner. But it isn't all fun and games when other Digimon are showing up and destroying the real world.
My Thoughts:When I was a little kid (Well, maybe not so little as I was in middle school) I got very confused with this show. I didn't understand what the hell was going on because Digimon Adventures was the show I grew up with. I thought that they would keep the same characters, the same sort of story and so on. I was wrong. What I got was a new story with new Digimon and humans, a new story and so on. I found out so much later that the plot of this show was more that the first two shows, Digimon Adventures and Digimon Adventures 02, were a TV show that the children of this show watched. Also, it seemed that Digimon was actually a card game that the children of this world played. And here is where I give the show a 'what the fuck' stare and sigh.
So the story goes that Takato, a really big Digimon nerd, created a design for a Digimon and somehow it ended up coming to life. This… is a very strange concept here for me. All the other Digimon in this show have been alive in the Digiworld before the show even started. We are not told that any of them were created by their partners, just that they ended up with them. So how the hell did Takato who is the most childish of the group end up making his Digimon? It doesn't explain a whole lot. Just that he thought he could put his notebook into his Digivice and it ended up scanning it somehow. It hurts my brain here.
So let's talk about the characters, shall we? We have the typical characters in any Digimon show and pretty much any anime in general. The token leader, Takato, the second in command and the brains of the group, Henry, and the girl who doesn't play nice with others, Rika. During the show, they grow and learn to play nice with each other, work together and all that like in every show like this but the main things about them stayed the same more or less. At least those are our first characters in the series but the sad part is when they bring more of the characters in during the second half. Many of whom felt like they were extras that shouldn't have been brought into the show in the first place. They had no real personality that made them stand out and I still considered them background characters no matter what.The three in the beginning had so much more personality then the friends they brought with.
There is one character that is not from the main that I really need to talk about. Jeri is really really annoying to me. The first half of the show, she was one of the most annoying characters with her strange dog-like puppet. And then there is a point in the show that makes her even more annoying to me that just makes me roll my eyes but if I told you what happens, it would be a big spoiler for the show. The other characters were pretty much 'strange friend' and 'glasses friend', Jari really was the only one that had a actual concept that was not like anything else. Like I said, they did not stand out at all for me.
The artwork is alright, story of standard fair for a children's show. There are times when they end up going a little overboard with the CG art. It doesn't feel like it really meshes with the rest of the art, making the show feel disjointed. This mostly only happens when the Digimon Digivolve or stuff happening in the Digiworld.
The voices were… alright for the most part. A couple I liked, a couple I hated, then there were people in between. I definitely hated the voice of the 'to be continued guy.' He opened the show as well which just felt so disjointed. I don't even think that the voice actor had any other voice in the show; he was just for this to be continued and prologue of each episode. They could of at least had the characters in the show do it instead. It would have made more sense.
I didn't get really into this series as much as I did the others, probably because they changed a lot of things that were set ideas in the first two seasons. There was no real defining rule of the show either. A lot of 'rules' of this world were thrown out again in the second half. Over all, it just felt bla.
Link to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Digimon_Tamers
Other Reviews:
Digimon Frontier, (2002)
Director: Written by: Music:
Action, Adventure, Comedy-Drama
Key Words: Computers, monsters, evolutions,
Studio: Toei Animation
Episodes: 50
My Thoughts:
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digimon_Frontier
Other Reviews:
May Also Like: Pokemon,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Witchblade, Wicchibureido(Apr 16, 2006 – Sep 20, 2006)
Director: Yoshimitsu Ohashi
Action-Adventure, Supernatural Drama, Mystery, Sci-fi, Thriller
Key Words: Superhero,
Studio: Gonzo Licensed American Publisher: Funimation
Episodes: 24
Masane Amaha is a very kind hearted and clumsy women who lost her memory during 'The Great Quake' that ravaged Tokyo. When she was found, she had no injuries and a baby clutched in her arms. Six years later, she goes back to Tokyo with her daughter, looking for a peaceful life. Unfortunately, it seems she stepped into something more then what she thought while she ends up diving head first into the legend of the Witchblade and the battles that will happen.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts:Oh god… alright… this one is well… I see it as another one of those 'Queen's Blade' style shows. It's got tones of Fanservice, almost little story, and just overall was made as a thing to show powerful almost naked woman fighting. It's not all that bad I guess in that it's not as boring as Queen's Blade and they actually tried to give the characters some depth but when the main characters breasts are so big that they flop no matter how she moves; it just throws me from the show.
This is based off of an American comic book character and if you look at the two versions side by side, I would probably say this one is the more conservative of the two. As I never read the Witchblade series, I can't say anything about storyline but what I have heard is that this one is only very loosely based on the original. All I do know though is that there is a lot of sexual things in this, especially when it comes right down to the fighting because it seems that all the 'Witchblade' characters get turned on by fighting one another. It makes for great fan service but not for a storyline that is supposed to be serious. The humor also breaks the seriousness of the show although in some parts, I guess it is needed. There are very adult things that they talk about like being a single mother and trying to keep her child while everyone around her is trying to break them apart. I really feel they push it a little too much though as it always seems like no one believes at all that Masane can be a mother. It's like they don't even give her a chance to be one.
The main storyline about the witchblade was nothing but holes in it as they explained little to no info about what was going on. They would lead you in one direction and then into another like they were jerking your collar so much you were having whiplash. Half way through; they added a whole new thing into it they were not even hinting at that just felt plastered in as well. I do have to say the ending was a bit tearful but it in my mind, it was not worth going threw the rest of the show.
The animation is nicely put together, very clean cut and loveable designs though the background is a little lacking in detail although better for Gonzo. Gonzo is a strange studio, they either win or don't. This one… well for the animation, it might be one of his better ones in there pocket. Another thing I hate is the large amount of fan service in the act of large breasted women that their breasts go everywhere. Breasts do not move how their breasts move unless they are full of water and probably about to explode from being inflated that much. The fighting scenes which seem to make up most of the shows is not all that well done, I almost have to say it is a bit like any fighting show where clothing is torn off. Even though her clothing doesn't fly off, it's really more of a fan service to show her butt and breasts every chance they get. Not to mention the rather sexual 'horniness' that she gets while fighting. It's like watching prono in that aspect without the male partner.
The voices now are a little odd. I'm not fond of Rihoko's voice, being a bit whinny in my mind. Most of the voices do match the characters but even though they do, I wanted to cringe when I heard them. I think that the music was really good, perfect for the fight scenes though any other background sounded like a day in the life of the characters, just not that well done. The beginning and ended aren't really very memorable though the opening is a little better then the ending.
It's an ok show to watch but I'm not sure why. The underlining plot is well done and the fan service is ok but other then that, well… I guess I'm fine with one time watching.
Other Reviews:
Anime TV Episode - Part 2 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8YHN348BTGc#!
Whoisyouranime - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXkZw3x1CJg
Aaronbig1 Review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MkD2d58br4
B Review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62LY9dDv8Zg
GonzoJam Review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_7WRyTAN7w
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchblade_(anime)
May Also Like: Eiken, Deadman Wonderland
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Mushi-Shi (Oct 22, 2005 – June 18, 2006)
Director: Hiroshi Nagahama
Fantasy, Folklore, Supernatural,
Key Words: Supernatural, Occult Detective, Spirits,
Studio: Artland Licensed American Publisher: Funimation Entertainment
Episodes: 26
Mushi are the supernatural beings that are the closest to the life force that everyone is a part of. Most Mushi are harmless but some seem to make problems when humans and Mushi alike live side by side. Ginko is a Mushi master and is able to help people pledged by the mushi's power or tempted to use the power. Each episode becomes a story of how he helps them and the strange journey of the Mushi.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: This story is quite lovely. Each episode is pretty much closed off. You can start watching anywhere in the actual show and never really miss anything. The story doesn't really overlap and the only real character that you need to know is Ginko. It helps keep the story straight and you don't have to remember every little detail like when it's a show like Durarara!!! that has a number of different main characters and secondary characters in it. The stories themselves are so cute and yet most of them have a rather sad ending or beginning that really makes you feel depressed and doesn't help you feel better though. The only times I did feel better is the tiny bit of comedy that happens with Ginko and some of his friends. Ginko is sadly not explained much except for one episode in which they talk about his past but I really would like to know much more about that past.
The whole art style is a feast for the eyes and animation almost never falters. This is a show that you would watch if you want something slow and calming as there aren't ever fighting or hard core battle scenes. Most of the time it's more talking and careful thinking within the story. Each background is carefully detailed, even when the show is clouded in mist, you can still see a lot of details within it. Characters seem a bit lacking at times though, some of the side profiles look a little dull and skulls seem deformed. It is just the art style though and not laziness. You can tell that they put a lot of heart into the product.
The music is very pretty, gentle and sweet. The Background music never ever breaks the show and each story has one main song although it is hard picking out that one song out of the many. I fell in love with the Opening as it really sets a mood. I believe it is in English in both the Japanese Dub and English Dub. The dubs are also good in both English and Japanese, though I lean to the English in this. That does mean that there are a lot of voices that are reused but as I never really notice that stuff, I didn't really care.
This is a must see for anyone that likes slow shows but don't touch it if you are really into fast pace Mechas.
Other Reviews:
Glass Reflections -http://blip.tv/glassreflection/gr-anime-review-mushi-shi-5939310
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushishi
May Also Like: Bartender,
Manga: http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-618443/angels-review-manga-and-comics?pg=5#45369409
Movie: http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-607314/angels-review-movies?pg=5#47881087
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Angel Tales (Oct 4, 2001 – Dec 20, 2001), Otogi Story Tenshi no Shippo
Director: Ochi Kazuhiro
Harem, Romance,
Key Words: Magical Girl, Animals, Angels,
Studio: Wonderfarm; Tokyo Kids Licensed American Publisher:Bandai Entertainment
Episodes: 13
Gorō Mutsumi has no luck when it comes to anything at all. He lost his job, can't pay for rent or food, can't find even a part time job, have problems with school, and can't find a girlfriend. But all that changes when he saw a fortune teller who tells of things to change. She places a spell on his cell phone that rings every time a guardian angel comes to see him and help him with his problems. The guardian angels are animals he took care of a long time ago wishing to repay him for his kindness. But a strange evil seems to be lurking to get at him.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: The show itself is so cute and I fell in love with some of the characters. Having said this, it's good to note that this show is pretty much a copy cat of every other harem out there. The story line is not that much different then all the others and it gets hard to keep things in line with 12 girls all over the place. It was hard to keep them all straight though because it seemed that there were more characters coming out of the wood work as the story went on. I don't want to have to have a list with every girl's names and animals in front of me when I am trying to watch it. There is a reason why this show isn't fully well known.
Goro is so bland that he just makes it hard to feel for the guy. There really seems to be no personality and is completely shallow and he can't even feel for the girls feelings at all. Even the girls talk about this in part of the show as his screen time seems to be cut down as more girls come in.
The girls… I can pretty much pick out one piece of their personality and use that to give them a name. Seriously, when you're going to do a harem anime, limit the characters down to at least 6 or 7. Not a whole 12! I mean, it doesn't even make much sense, it would of made more sense if it was the twelve Japanese Zodiacs instead of us getting the frog, the gold fish, the hamster and so on. Then it would work much better to the story of the 4 gods.
The art style is alright, though it felt like the characters have rather flattened heads; especially when they look right at the camera and when they turn, their heads seem oblong too. It's well… mediocre at best. I'm not sure what the artist was trying to do but it's not really well done.
The music was alright, though a bit tinny and music box-ish. The other music really does not stand out except for one song they play over… and over… and over… and over… again. It's annoying and I felt like having a drinking game to that song, it happened so much.
I mostly only watched if for the story line that seemed a little different then the other shows.
Decent, watch it once for the story but don't try to look into the art and music to much.
Other Reviews:
JadedOtakuMedia - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvR-2u7B3RA
Angel Tales OVA (March 6, 2003)
Harem, Romance,
Key Words: Magical Girl, Animals, Angels,
Studio: Wonderfarm; Tokyo Kids Licensed American Publisher:
Episodes: 11 (4 parts)
My Thoughts:
Other Reviews:
JadedOtakuMedia - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bSfQr0TjYQ
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Tales
May Also Like: Fruits Basket,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
VanDread (Oct 3, 2000 – Dec 26, 2000), Vandoreddo
Director: Takeshi Mori
Romance, Drama, Adventure, Sci-fi, Comedy,
Key Words: Mecha, Futuristic, Space Transportation, Aliens, Harem, Yuri,
Studio: Gonzo Licensed Publisher: Funimation (Formerly Geneon)
Episodes: 13
Vandread follows a young boy that lives on a planet with all men called Taraak. Taraak is at war with the woman's planet, named Mejere, which is next to them.
Always fighting to get to the top, Hibiki Tokai is a 14 year old 3rd Class Citizen trying to get respect. He decides to try to steal a very large weapon called a Vanguard to show off but ends up going for a ride in the brig of a Warship made of a new part built on top of a part of the old transport ship that brought the men to Taraak.
During a battle with the Female pirates lead by Magno Vivan, the men's ship brakes and the newer part escape. Hibiki, Bart Garsus, and Duelo McFile are captured by the women along with many of the other men still on the ship. The rest of the men are released but before the 3 others could leave, the 2 ships (the Pirates and the old transport ship) become combined and teleported far into another galaxy.
On there way home, they find that the planet earth has been pretty much destroyed and so they are trying to harvest other planets for parts to rebuild the human race.
Through there journey back home, they must learn how men and women can once again live under the same roof.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: I think that this show was well put together. It had its bit with comedy but also had a couple good lessons inside such as life can't be token for granted and how man and women can balance each other out despite differences. Sadly, we don't get much of the characters back stories like I would really like and I really wanted to know why Hibiki was so special though part of me feels like I can tell just by watching it.
The strange idea of men and women being on separate planets leaves a lot of fan girls thinking of Yaoi and Yuri and it does happen just a little bit in the show. The yuri comes out much more though because most of the women in the show have other women they like but it seems a lot of the girls seem to fall for the men as well. It's strange since they are not supposed to think that way when In our day and age, it is not normal to be thinking about the same gender, and when I say this, I mean as a whole and not as the individuals. I'm fine with the Gay and Lez love scene as I am a bi myself. There is a lot of sexual things within the show and lot of hinting including the 'Power Rangers Combined' way they did the VanGuard and Dread combining.
The animation was pretty smooth and the colors worked nicely together. The fight scenes are ok though they kind of do more speedlines in the background sadly or go for a somewhat cheep looking CG animation. I was not very fond of that or the fact that everyone's hair seemed rather blocky and stuck in place with a lot of hair gel. The ending is just a lot of fan service slapped together with a running sequence. I really feel this was part of the low points for this anime and kept skipping it over and over because of how completely stupid it looked.
The English voice actors have a pretty good just of what I would see for a voice but the voice of Dita in the Japanese dub is rather bothersome to me. Some of the other nameless girls don't have good voices in the English which makes me happy I don't have to hear them all too often.
Other Reviews:
SFX Review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRiEEqRkem8
Vandread: The Second Stage (Oct 5, 2001 – Dec 28, 2001)
Director: Takeshi Mori
Romance, Drama, Adventure, Sci-fi, Comedy,
Key Words: Mecha, Futuristic, Space Transportation, Aliens, Harem, Yuri,
Studio: Gonzo Licensed Publisher: Funimation (Formerly Geneon)
Episodes: 13
As they journey continues, they keep learning more about each other. During a fight with 'The Harvesters,' they find a young girl named Misty who is from the same galaxy as earth. The girl is very knowledgeable in Earth and teaches them about their origins. Will they be able to reach Mejerr in time?
My Thoughts:
Other Reviews:
Wikipedia Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandread
May Also Like: Birdy Almighty,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Witch Hunter Robin, ウィッチハンターロビン(July 2, 2002 – Dec 24, 2002)
Director: Shukou Murase
Drama, Supernatural, Mystery, Action, Urban Fantasy,
Key Words: Witches, magic,
Studio: Sunrise Licensed American Publisher:Bandai Entertainment
Episodes: 26
The world is full of people of all different kinds. Some of which have a special gene (or seed) in their bodies that can give them supernatural powers once awoken. These people are called craft users and most of them will go mad with power, destroying the world around them and almost showing themselves to others. That is where Robin Seres comes in. Robin is a Witch that was trained to go after other witches using her craft of fire. Sent from the Main branch of the organization called "Solomon" and joins the smaller Japanese branch of Witch Hunters called the "STN-J," she was to help capture the witches that may harm others. Can she learn how to get along with her new coworkers, especially Amon, her partner? And why has there been more Witches awakening?
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts:I love the darkness that is in this. I first got into it by accident and it has had me hooked for a while now. The story line feels a lot like the idea of almost every business is corrupt and has some mystery aspects that almost make it go into a genre of its own. I would have liked to have more answers though, since some things were not explained well. In the end, I felt more like I had more questions then answers and made things a little bothersome. The ending flew me for a loop though, and I have no clue what to think of it. I don't think it was a really good note to leave us on. Another problem is we do not get really any background story about anyone. Sure we get very tiny hints about Robin's but that's it.
The animation is really well done though some of is a tad to dark to see what was going on without lightening your screen. The whole feeling of the show is dark and most of the scenes happen at night or in dimly lit rooms. The design of Robin really makes her stand out with the 'handle bar' pig tails she has. I have never seen a character like her before so I knew right away that she was special even outside the anime. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters seemed way too simple and in the background then I would have liked, making characters that should have stood out just not feel interesting.
The English voices are somewhat to be desired, though I think they picked almost the right tone for Robin, Amon, and one or two others. Some of the other characters I would of liked a little deeper voice or a different vocalize. I really wish Robin would have a little more emotion though, but that wasn't the fault of the dub, the sub has that as well. The music is well done, perfect for the darkness and I loved both the opening and ending though the opening animation didn't fit the story line at all it seemed.
Other Reviews:
Whoisyouranime - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biGaLTBXMO8
Glass Reflection - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRzaSXi5qe8
Link to Wikipedia Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_Hunter_Robin
May Also Like: Darker then Black, Ergo Proxy, Wolf's Rain, Trigun, Hell Girl
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Elfen Lied, Elf Song (July 25, 2004 – Oct 17, 2004)
Director: Mamoru Kanbe
Drama, Psychological Horror,
Key Words: Blood, Gore, Nudity, Moe,
Studio: ARMS Licensed American Publisher: Aesir Holdings
Episodes: 13
In Kamakura, Japan, there is a new race known as the Diclonius, a strange being that is mostly human but are on a different genetic level then humans in the sense that they have physical abnormalities that look like horns growing out the sides of there heads. One such creature is the pink haired girl Lucy, who had been locked up in high security for most of her life for experiments. She manages to escape, wreaking havoc on the facility until she was injured and disappeared.
On the beach across the way, two locals named Kohta and his cousin Yuka suddenly find her on the beach but in a childlike state, not able to even speak really. They name her Nyu and take her in, soon being caught in an unending struggle between protecting her from the Special Assault Team and learning about her violent tendencies.
My Thoughts: Warning, this is a highly graphic show. There is a large amount of Nudity, Gore, Blood, violence, and body parts being ripped off. If you are squeamish, this is not the show for you.
The story is actually extremely hard to understand and as of now, I have not read the Manga. If things are explained more in the Manga, then that's fine but they should of also been explained in the show as well. At first, we follow a young girl named Lucy as she escapes from what looks to be a military base or some sort of lab. She kills everyone around her until finally being shot once and escaping. When she wakes up, she seems to be a whole different person as she acts like a little child who knows nothing of the world, including only saying the word Nyu. I am not going to liar, a lot of the stuff that happens with her, Kohta, and Yuka is really boring. It becomes a very slice of life story that just felt bla. The more exciting parts were with the other Diclonius coming out to play but even then it was rather confusing.
One of the main problems I had was that they never actually explained what Diclonius really were. All I really understood was that they were all female and they infected men so that children would be born as their kind. They also have a strange physic arm thing that can kill people yet go through walls. At least, go through walls when they wanted it to. At times, it felt like they couldn't do some things just because of plot points. I think that was one of the problems main problems I had with the story, the fact that it all was set for plot reasons.
If you go past the gore and nudity, there is an interesting meaning behind this anime which is nice to see. Human's want to get rid of the Diclonius while the Diclonius want to get rid of the humans. This tug of war seems to be similar to the mass genocide that happens in our own world. It's not really about species fighting here, its more about Religions and ethnics fighting then anything else. Muslims against Jews, Blacks against Whites, and visa versa. Those are only examples and can be flipped around. Any group that wants to kill another group of people till there is no more. From what I can tell, the Diclonius were pretty much locked away right at birth, used to do tests on. I think that part made me side more with them instead of the humans.
The artwork can be very bright to very dark, with no real middle man in-between. I am not too much of a fan of the art style although I did love the beginning art based on Gustav Klimt's design. Gustav Klimt was a famous Artist who did amazing work for those who did not take art history like I did. Studio ARMS made this and they are known for their satanic nudity shows, and I have to say, I think this one is the more tasteful. These are the guys who made La Blue Girl, Kite, Master of Martial Hearts, and Queen's Blade… and those are all shows that I was not really ecstatic about.
The English voice acting is very bland and boring. A lot of talking was put in but none of it really made any sense when they got into the technical aspect. Kohta really felt like he didn't care at all what was going on, yet he was one of our main characters. The music is the best part of the show sadly, with its dark yet tranquil feeling. One minute, it will have you in tears as the next moment; you have chills up your spine.
So overall, this show has to be one of the better animes I have seen come from Studio ARMS, though I can't say it was the best. Though a lot of things about the dub and story felt like they dragged on, I did get curious about the overall message. At least see it once to say that you have seen it, but I wouldn't really watch it again.
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfen_Lied
Other Reviews:
JesuOtaku Anime Review - http://youtu.be/aOCKalE7qrw
May Also Like: RIN – Daughters of Mnemosyne, Higarashi,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.
Papa to Kiss in the Dark OVA(Nov 23, 2005 – Dec 21, 2005),
Yaoi, Romance, Comedy,
Key Words: Incest, Shounen Ai, Nudity, Sex, Slapstick,
Studio: TNK Licensed American Publisher: Kitty Media
Episodes: 2
Mira Munakata is a freshman in high school who has always had this dream of being his father's wife ever since he was a child. He is always confused by this because his father, Kyousuke, always plays off of his sons love, bringing him into bed and teasing him with acts of love. However, things seem to go downhill when Mira finds out he's adopted and even worse, it seems his father is cheating on him with a women who is acting with him in a movie. What will happen if the two marry and Mira is forced to lose his lover?
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
My Thoughts: This is a very beautiful story, even if it's a little sappy sometimes. I feel for the characters a lot and want them both to be happy but once in a while, I feel like the incest just makes me fall shy of wanting to keep watching it. At the end, I was torn between happy that it was over to wanting more. I still feel dirty for the incest part, I just can't get over it.
Some of the context just seems like they went a little too far on the story for it to be somewhat real. I wouldn't call this a hentai since you never see the lower half of the characters but there are some scenes not for the children. I say, if you are old enough to watch hentai, then you can watch this but if not, I would be a little reluctant to say go for it.
Mira normally ends up being a rather whiny little bitch at times, and can't seem to do much for himself, always going to his father for most of it and yet when the drama starts, he is at a loss of what to do.
The animation is beautifully done, clean and clear so you can get every little detail of the characters. Sometimes it does fall short but I don't think I have seen very many shows that don't fall short at some point. I have to say most of this show is rather well done which is normally the first thing I look at.
The music hides in the background most of the time but does help break up the scenes so it's not too overboard in their storyline.
Now we get into the characters and boy, are they strange. Most of them seem to be one hit wonders in the show, one dimension and not really diving into their backgrounds. The only two we get a history from is Mika and Kyousuke and even then, sometimes, their background seems to jump around a bit.
I really love the Romance but not sure about the incest part of the story.
Other Reviews:
Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_to_Kiss_in_the_Dark
May Also Like: Gravitation,
Been so busy with Life but at least I'm getting some reviews done.


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text:
For almost a decade now, the mid-Columbia community has voiced its overwhelming support for the restoration of the White Salmon River and the removal of antiquated Condit Dam whose operating license has expired. The staff of the Federal Energy Commission (FERC) concurred with the dam removal vision in their recently released Draft Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement which says:
" . . . staff finds that the Settlement Agreement with modifications dam removal alternative would provide the best and most cost-effective means of removing the project facilities and reservoir sediments while concurrently providing for the protections of environmental resources, and therefore, recommends the Settlement Agreement with modifications dam removal alternative . . ."
State and federal agencies, the Tribes, wildlife and fisheries biologists, conservation, fishing and recreation groups and the owners of the dam (PacifiCorp) are all on board with a dam removal agreement signed two years ago by all parties which allows for decommission of dam facilities in 2006. This is an unprecedented level of cooperation and the public will not be footing the bill as one my suspect. Dam removal will be paid for entirely by the dam operator, PacifiCorp.
While all appears in order, there are some who wish to kill the deal. A handful of opponents have been waging a disinformation campaign for sometime now. Their arguments are woefully transparent, however and have been dealt with in detail in all the reports leading up to the Settlement Agreement. Even the National Hydropower Association, the pro-dam lobbying group, said that removing Condit Dam is a "win-win" solution!
Admittedly, dam removal will be painful to fisherman who have been using the Northwestern Reservoir for a long time and for some of the cabin owners who lease land in the area from PacifiCorp. Our compassion for them can be balanced with the knowledge that Condit Dam is old and will be silted up completely and useless in less than 20 years.
But it's not a done deal yet. A big turnout for the salmon, the river and dam removal tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hood River Inn is absolutely vital to convince FERC commissioners to adopt the findings of their staff.
Daniel Dancer
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text: Breadcrumb Home Scott Suttell Blog April 03, 2013 02:30 AM Rough road likely ahead for mapping the human brain Scott Suttell Tweet Share Share Share Email More Print A quick-hit edition: A Cleveland Clinic neurologist is quoted in this Wall Street Journal analysis of the government's ambitious project to map the human brain, detailed Tuesday by President Barack Obama. The bottom line? The project "faces uncertain funding and scientific challenges that could impede its success," The Journal says. The project is pegged to receive $100 million for its first year under the White House budget plan. But the president acknowledges Washington's strained politics and tight finances "may make it difficult to ultimately secure that funding," according to the newspaper. A brain map could improve the treatment of schizophrenia, epilepsy and other disorders, The Journal says. It also could help "develop novel technologies to produce images showing the brain at work — how, for example, a memory gets formed, how it is stored and how it is retrieved." But a major scientific hurdle is that "there are as many neurons, or nerve cells, in the human brain — about 100 billion — as there are stars in the Milky Way," The Journal notes. Dr. Javier Provencio, who specializes in brain injuries at the Cleveland Clinic, tells the newspaper that the project will yield benefits but is unlikely to provide a complete map of the brain. "For very simple things like going from thinking about your arm to actually moving your arm, it's a pretty straightforward system, and we know what the connections are," Dr. Provencio said. "Now try (understanding the circuitry) behind hunger, or being scared. …It's simplistic to say we're going to map all of that." It will be fun to have Kevin Costner shoot the coming "Draft Day" in Cleveland, but the economic impact estimates from the state of Ohio aren't all that exciting. From the state's March 29 news release about the film, which starts shooting in May: The shoot will take approximately 100 days, and the crew will need some help from the local public. More than 1,200 extras will be used in the production of this film. And when it's all said and done, approximately $1 million will be spent in Ohio thanks to this movie. All that for $1 million? The Ohio Film Office says the state's Motion Picture Tax Credit has attracted 47 movies, TV series and commercials since the start of fiscal year 2010. "To date, the Ohio Film Office has provided more than $58 million in tax credits to Ohio productions, which have employed more than 20,000 Ohioans and contributed nearly $205 million to Ohio's economy," the state says. In other words, the economic payoff is pretty modest. You know how we've heard businesses are very eager for meaningful tax reform in Washington, D.C.? Shockingly, this seems not to be the case. From Politico.com: At first, it seemed like an idea the White House, Congress and corporate America could all agree on. Every company would play by the same tax rules: They would give up their special tax breaks in exchange for lowering the basic tax rate from 35 percent to as little as 25 percent. But with Congress starting to dig into the details, many captains of industry are backpedaling — and fast. The corporations aren't keen on giving up the special tax breaks that have let many of them pay Uncle Sam less than advertised for years. And they've gone on the offense to protect their favorite loopholes. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants any tax rewrite to protect breaks for capital investments, such as new machinery. Pharmaceutical and tech companies are telling the House Ways and Means Committee that R&D credits should be preserved. Energy companies don't want the treatment of expenses related to drilling touched. "They're all excited that we're looking at this opportunity, but they're also nervous about what we might do," says Rep. Pat Tiberi, a Republican from suburban Columbus who is the Ways and Means subcommittee chairman. "There are companies today that have an effective rate in the single digits who wouldn't like the fact that we're going to take away credits and deductions to make (the tax code) simpler." We all knew the recession was bad, but these numbers still are pretty shocking. "February's median annual household income (of $51,404) was 5.6 percent lower than it was in June 2009, the month the recovery technically began; 7.3 percent lower than in December 2007, when the most recent recession officially started; and 8.4 percent lower than in January 2000, the earliest date that this statistical series became available," The New York Times reports, based on income data compiled by Sentier Research. You also can follow me on Twitter for more news about business and Northeast Ohio. Recommended for You Crain's Morning Roundup Business headlines from Crain's Cleveland Business and other Ohio newspapers — delivered FREE to your inbox every morning. Sign up for the Morning Newsletter. Email Address View the discussion thread.


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OAKLAND — Cranking through her final few laps, widening the yawning gap separating her from the rest of the field, cyclist Alison Tetrick drove to finish strong.
"It's all about staying focused and pacing your body at that point," Tetrick, a 2016 Olympic hopeful, said minutes after streaking through the finish line, arms up in triumph. "You can perform better, through the fatigue, when you know that finish line is ahead."
Tetrick, a 28-year-old who rides for Exergy TWENTY16, emerged as the fastest rider in the 24-woman field Sunday, capturing the women's Oakland Grand Prix. The 34-mile race consists of 40 laps, reaching speeds faster than 30 miles an hour through windy, hilly downtown streets.
Hundreds of cyclists from California and Nevada swooshed through downtown Oakland for the ninth annual Oakland Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. The closed-course race is the last of the 20-event season for the Northern California Nevada Cycling Association's professional tour.
Sunday's 10 races in various divisions drew hundreds of spectators and about 300 riders, ranging in age from 12 to 60, said race Director Mark Sneed. Organizers doled out about $5,000 in cash and prizes, he said.
"The course is very challenging, very technical," Sneed said. "The riders really push it to the limit."
The 0.85-mile rolling hourglass course is a loop of city streets a stone's throw from Lake Merritt, featuring five 90-degree right turns, two 90-degree lefts and one hairpin right. Each lap culminates in a quad-burning uphill drive to the finish near 19th and Harrison streets.
Spectators and vendors gathered at Snow Park, adjacent to the race beginning and finish line, watched packs of riders pass by in a blur and hear an announcer bark updates through the microphone.
The race and turnout have grown every year, said race founder Robert Leibold, of Velo Promo, a bicycle event promotion company. The event is part of a burgeoning cycling scene in Oakland.
"Oakland is not quite Berkeley or Santa Cruz just yet in terms of being a cycling mecca," Liebold said, bolting away for a moment to halt a car that took a wrong turn and crept toward the downtown track's boundary. "But Oakland is coming up."
Leibold said he hopes to book live music performers and draw more industry vendors to next year's races.
Organizers were quick to praise Oakland's city government for helping host a safe, competitive event.
"The city has been great," Sneed said. "Public Works smoothed over the roughest parts of the streets to help us make Oakland's only USA cycling event a reality."
Contact Robert Rogers at 510-262-2726 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/SFBaynewsrogers.


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Here's something for your need for motivational and spirit lifting music! The track combines lite rock and orchestral elements and its instrumentation includes guitars, bass, drums, piano, strings, and horns. I have envisioned it on a montage video which shows some kind of progress, development or team spirit. I hope you like the track and find it inspiring!
Please, don't forget to rate your purchase! Thank You!
You can also find this track in my The Positive Pack, which is a package for positive, commercial friendly music.


text:
What is the secret of this Legendary Single Malt? Since time Immemorial, The Macallan has been distilled by Craftsmen on the same estate in particularly small, Hand Beaten Copper Stills and, whilst Other Distillers no longer insist on using Oaken sherry casks, at Macallan this Costly Tradition is maintained. The Results are shown partly in The Macallan's Sumptuous Colour, partly in the 'Nose' and Wholly, may we venture?, in the Glass. Its preminence is perennially Confirmed in 'blind' tastings of the Finest Malt Whiskies, where The Macallan is Time and Again accorded the Supreme Laurel in its category, befitting the Definitive Dictum on the Macallan, ...The Single Malt Against which Ultimately all the others must be judged.' 700 ml
$495.00 $1,100.00Temporarily Out of Stock
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A catholic monastery devoted to the teachings of St. Benedict
Welcome to the website for the Office of Monastery Vocations for
Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Since you have landed here, you are
probably discerning a religious vocation and wondering if you might
be called to be a monk. Good. The Church needs faithful and
generous men who will accept the challenge of moving a little apart
in order to seek God and to share the fruits of their prayer,
study, and labor with the rest of the Church and the world as only
monks are able to do.
These pages will help you to better understand what a monk is
and how the monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey are. The very best
description of a monk is perhaps found in the litany prayed over a
monk when he takes his solemn vows:
he be blameless in life.
he be strong in temptation.
he be wise and humble.
he be steadfast in prayer.
he be learned in Holy Scripture.
he be distinguished for obedience.
he be known for compassion.
he be diligent and skilled in his work.
he be serious and cheerful.
he be established in peace.
Men who are discerning often wonder if they are good enough,
strong enough and holy enough for this life. Lay those fears aside.
The newcomer is not expected to be holy already; he must simply
have the desire for holiness. St. Benedict writes in his Rule:
"Seeking his workman in a multitude of people, the Lord calls
out to him and lifts his voice again: Is there anyone here who
yearns for life and desires to see good days? If you hear this and
your answer is 'I do,' God then directs these words to you: If you
desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious
talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do
good; let peace be your quest and aim."
(RB, Prologue, vs. 14-17)
Join Saint
Meinrad vocations on Facebook
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© Saint Meinrad Archabbey 2018


text:
and crying.
Just lately a nursing session can last around 40 minutes as she feeds (only one side) but then stays latched on till she is deep in sleep then pulls herself off chocking with a mouth full of milk.
She is maybe teething as mentioned before - she crys so much more at the moment and seems uncomfortable but I have no idea what it is.
Just now she cried for about 10 minutes, I offered her the breast a few times and she just cried on it and then I lay down and offered it to her again and she took it as if she was starving - so I'm quite confused - any ideas?


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After writing a review on my current Pacifica collection, I decided that I needed more solid perfumes that suited the Autumn/Winter season. Researching the Pacifica site I decided to hunt down four more scents, Mexican Cocoa, Spanish Amber, Tibetan Mountain Temple & Lotus Garden Review.
Ooh yes. Not happy about the pricing. These are just $9 each on the Pacifica US site, in the UK they are sold for £10 or sometimes more. Cheeky!
Anyway here is my more exotic Pacifica collection!
I had to buy Tibetan Mountain Temple – what an unusual name! Apparently this is a homage to the Dalai Lama and Tibetan people.
Well, does it smell like a monk?!Vetiver, with a smokey, resinous scent, is reminiscent of the fragrant smoke of incense burnt throughout the temples and sacred spaces in Asia. Patchouli is subtle, but deep. Ginger and orange zest lighten the burning intensity of the blend.
This one reminds me of incense, but a subtle, earthy one with a spicy warm edge. It's quite nice, unusual but not my favourite. It's one I would wear on one of those whimsical days for no particular reason.
Lotus Garden:
Perfumed with green notes, citrus, lotus and olibanum; every ingredient is carefully layered together so that each inhale takes you deeper into bliss. The lotus, said to always be looking for its place in the sun, is a symbol of strength, unyielding passion, spiritual enlightenment and unconditional love.
This is the only floral choice from the four I bought. It reminds me of orchids and there's a sort of wet garden smell to it. It's a nice one, not madly memorable but I imagine most people would enjoy this clean floral perfume.
Spanish Amber:
The fragrant elements of amber can be found in natural oils such as labdanum, a resin obtained from the Rock Rose shrub found on the shores of the Spanish Mediterranean. he fragrant elements of amber can be found in natural oils such as labdanum, a resin obtained from the Rock Rose shrub found on the shores of the Spanish Mediterranean.
This is my favourite purchase – I like warm, slightly spicy scents any way and this one is quite sexy, it's got this warmth to it that's bordering on floral but not quite. It's really nice, simple but really appealing.
Mexican Cocoa:
When you eat or smell chocolate, particularly true Mexican Cocoa, you are indulging in one of the most powerful and beloved recipes in history. It is said that cocoa ignites passion, temptation and pleasure.
Apparently Mexican Cocoa is one of their most popular fragrances and this was my wild card choice – I'm not really one for smelling like food, not even chocolate but this one I felt, could be spicy and comforting. Well..it's definitely not like typical chocolate, more like a dark chocolate with an earthy feel
I don't actually like this one very much…I dunno, if I smelt this on someone else I'd be thinking, what chocolate bar have you just scoffed?! eek!
I adore my original pacifica's and though these are jolly good fun I have to say, I think I prefer the more straightforward scents and either the floral or spicy ones.
Amber is my favourite and Mexican Cocoa and Tibetan Mountain Temple are just strange!
I will buy more of these, but in more conventional scents like Jasmine and Cinnamon rather than a strange blended one.
Pacifica's solid perfumes are vegan and paraben free.


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Wednesday, August 3, 2016
The following is a list of useful questions (provided by the National Cancer Institute) that you may want to explore with the research staff when considering participation in a clinical study. Many of these questions may be addressed in the informed consent document, but be sure to ask any that come to mind as you make your decision about taking part in the study.
No one, not even medical professionals, can predict whether the treatment under evaluation in the study will prove successful. This is a serious decision. Before agreeing to participate in a study, you should feel free to take the time to discuss the study with your doctor and trusted support members. Your doctor may be able to give you helpful information, but recognize that only you can decide if the study is right for you.
Source: American Cancer Society - A Checklist of Questions to Ask the Research Team
Last Reviewed: May 09, 2011
Professor of Bioethics
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University