Category Archives: Anime Review
Manga Monday Next Week!
So, as you guys know I recently shown off my Manga haul and did a Manga Monday. The goal was to make it a weekly event. The plan is still the same. However, it took me several sittings to finish Tokyo Ghoul, so I have not had a chance to start the review. I enjoyed the book but have some thoughts on it. I dont want to rush the review just to get it out.
I have a busy day ahead of myself starting around 3. So, if I dont have the review done by 3, it probably wont happen today. I also have to run to Walmart and get some other stuff done by 3, so no promises either way.
Thank you guys for understanding. If I do get the blog up, this post will either be put on private or deleted or something. If I dont, Tokyo Ghoul Volume 1 will be uploaded next Monday.
Tower Of God Episode #1 Anime Review
Tower of God is a new anime I just started watching last night. It is shaping up be either the most interesting anime I’ve ever seen or it will crash on its own momentum. The first episode sets up a fantasy setting, a strange objective, and a hole host of characters. What this means for the series as a whole is yet to be seen
Plot: The plot seems straightforward yet eerily mysterious. A tower stands tall tempting its challengers with a simple promise. All that you wish can be found at the top of the tower. Who is brave enough to accept the challenge and who is strong enough to complete the challenge? A better question may be why would someone challenge that. Well, we have the answer for the two main characters, Rachel and Bam.
Characters:
Rachel. Rachel is the presumed love interest of the story. The story comes right out and says this is her and Bam’s story, though I find it hard to call her the main character. She almost seems like an unrealistic goal or dream Bam aspires to reach. I call her the presumed love interest because I don’t think the show elaborates on what kind of love the two characters share and if that love is even mutual. She saves Bam earlier in their lives (how much earlier is not known to the viewer). However, she still chooses to abandon Bam to challenge the tower. Her quest is to see the stars, something she makes known the second they meet.
Bam. Bam is more inline with what I think of a main character. The scene is vague, but I feel led to believe he was trapped in a cave until Rachel finds him. In a way, she may very well be the only other person Bam knows which would explain the obsession with Rachel. Of course, he joins the tower challenge all to find Rachel and reunite with her. He seems very Jon Snow in that manner. He wants to do right by Rachel even though every other character in the show is in it for personal gain. This makes you like him and at times go “kids going to get himself killed.”
Headron- Headron introduces himself on the first level of the tower but his exact role still seems fuzzy to me. He is like a game show host in a way. He introduces the challenger to the floor and what task they will have to undertake. He seems to get a sick thrill from challengers dying or, at least being at a disadvantage. Despite us leaving him on floor 1, I doubt this will be the last time we see Headron.
Princess Yuri and Evan- Princess Yuri shows up to help Bam out in the first floor, and just in time I might add. With her comes a ton of mystery and allure. Her dialogue with Headron leads us to believe their is a royal family lurking around. What do they gain from the tower and the gauntlet the inhabitants undergo? I’m sure all this will be explored later. As for now, Yuri grants Bam access to her powerful sword which allows him to progress through the floors.
The World: The world actually seems terrible. Again, it is revealed Bam was trapped in a hole in a cave until Rachel finds him. Also, stars and the sky are all rumors. This implies people havent even seen beyond the cave ceilings. Such a wild thought. The tower itself is intriguing. The tower will ultimately be made up of several floors (I’m not sure how many floors there will be in total). The floors all range in difficulty, aesthetics, and challenges.
Floor One- Floor one appears straightforward yet is layered in complexity. Bam is also the only challenger on this floor. The room is almost a sewer or water chamber protected by a giant, majestic eel. The goal? Break a giant, black ball while not being ate by the eel.
Floor Two- Floor two is completely different. It is a wide open field where each contestant is tasked with killing the other. The round begins with 400 contestant and they are told to get that number down to 200. This is where the show turns into a Hunger Games or PUBG style elimination event. Honestly, I’m not crazy about the pacing here. People just die left and right. There’s a jump of adrenaline from characters getting absolutely swatted left and right. That jolt of suspense wears off when you realize you don’t know any of the characters and it is just mindless murdering. Still an exciting scene in the moment. I do hope it slows down a bit in the second episode.
Recap: This show has insane potential or could flop. I could completely see it going either way. Everyone was hating on the graphics. It was noticeable but it didn’t derail my enjoyment.
Action Each floor looks as if it will rely on action. I’m sure some floors will be more mentally taxing as we go, but that’s yet to be seen.
Romance Again, the plot seems to be a love story. How stable or romantic it is is to be determined.
Plot The plot isnt super interesting in and of itself. The plot is mostly used to justify the setting and Bam’s motivation.
Characters Bam is the only character we got some level of peek into. Here’s a funny thought. Bam rarely says a word that isnt more or less “I’m doing this for Rachel” yet he easily comes off as a main character. It’s a bullheaded, reckless abandonment, throw caution to the wind, that would get old or come off as stupid that I find compelling about Bam. But again, it is kind of stupid still.
The World World, meh. Tower, very captivating.
Humor laugh out loud moments were pretty sparse. It might have had moments that make you giggle but it wont make you fall out of your seat dying of laughter.
Verdict I cannot wait to see how this one unfolds. It will either lose steam or be amazing. Let’s keep an eye out on this one.
Score I’ll give it a solid 8 out of 10. We will see how this score changes as we go.
Bonus material
I watched episode one of this anime last night before bed. I was about to pass out and jotted down some notes so I could freshen up my memory. Check out my early thoughts below.
Love story in epic setting. Each floor has challenges. First one, survive and open ball. 2nd one, survive and eliminate other challengers.
Great plot and characters, animation quality dipped at certain times but was surprising charming and grew on me.
8.0 out of 10.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 1 Review!
Somali and the Forest Spirit is a brand new anime based off the manga of the same name. It is available on Crunchyroll.
.
(I do not own the rights to any pictures used in this blog. All rights reserved to their respective owner)
Spoilers: None really as this is the first episode.
Plot: Set in an alternative reality where humans are nearly instinct, the story picks up by introducing the forest spirit, Golem. While venturing in his forest, he stumbles across a human girl, Somali. Title sequence, fast forward, bam, the two have now formed a duo. Not much more information is given beyond that. However, Golem does reveal later on that they are on a quest for more humans. This quest is a little strange. For starters, a side characters comments something to the effect of, “I didnt think you spirits left your forest.”. Couple that with the fact Golem is void of emotions and always tries to think logically, it appears to be an uncharacteristic behavior. I wanted to set up the plot but I want to dive more into this during our “character” portion.
Characters: Lets focus on the primary two. We will start with Somali. Her name is listed first, but from the first episode I don’t see her has the main character, that would be Golem in my opinion so far. She is one of the last remaining humans. Golem finds her shackled in the woods for some reason. In the city they visit, characters made mention of keeping humans as pets, but the show never tells us why she is in the woods. Despite not knowing her parents and being held against her will, Somali is a very fun loving and free kind of person. She is often distracted by the pets, which by the way, animals are now humanoid and are the main inhabitants of the world. This offbeat, carelessness gets her in trouble. By the end of the episode, I cannot really say she’s undergone any form of change. She even utters the say line from one of the early scenes.
Golem, on the other hand, is very straightforward, logical, and systematic. Every move is very well thought out and often correct. There’s a lot to break down and love about his character. From the early scenes of the show, he is lead on to be a machine, basically. He is void of emotion. He is stubborn. He is unwavering in his decisions. I say all of this, and yet, he undergoes so much change in the first episode. I’m actually really impressed. For starters, Golem is untrusting of the species living in the village. He fears they want Somali (he is probably right, too). He clamps his hand over her mouth and tells her not to be loud as he listens to people walk by their room. Him having no emotions is brought back up and Somali says something along the lines of, “I could feel you shaking. You can’t fool me.”. I dont remember the exact quote but it basically was saying that when he thought Somali might be in danger, it caused him to have feelings.
Secondly, while walking around the market district, Golem noticed all the parents holding onto their kids. I really liked this scene. Initially, the scene looks like it is being experienced through Somali’s eyes. This made me feel sad for Somali on account of her not having parents. By the end of it, you realize Golem was actually paying attention to how the parents interacted with their kids. All this leads up to is them holding hands (um, fingers?), but it will be more powerful once you actually watch the episode. \
The World: Oh, boy. Considering I think the aspect of humans being nearly exist is kinda over done, this show reinvigorated the genre for me. The forest scenery is beautiful. The animals of the world are brand new species as it appears as if cross breeding has occurred. You’ll have cats with 5 tails, rabbits with antlers, a butterfly on two legs. Every character is a new species and that makes it fun getting introduced to new characters. So far, we’ve only seen one forest and one city.
Recap: 2020 anime is getting started on a good foot. This is a great anime to start your year off.
Action: So far, sparingly. Though, as they get deeper into their hunt for humans, I wouldn’t be surprised if action came up from time to time.
Romance: Our main characters are a forest spirit with no emotions and a child. In other words,
Plot: Didn’t overly care for it before. Now I am very interested in seeing where it goes.
Characters: For two characters that seem shallow up front, I think they are very good characters that will have surprising depth by the end.
The World: Cannot wait to see other places there are to explore.
The Humor: This show is about personal relationships and the journeys we take together, but it can be funny.
The Ending: Maybe one of the best endings to an episode one I’ve ever seen. It does more than make we say “I cannot wait for episode two.”. It also shows growth in our main character right from the start and makes this story that much more enjoyable.
Verdict: Obviously we cannot grade the entire season on one episode, but this is about a promising start as there is. I will be tuning in weekly to see this one develop.
Score: 9.75 out of 10. Remember I’m grading this based off of episode one. I’m not saying the season will remain this strong. I’m just saying that as an introduction, you’d be hard pressed to find one that does it better.
Let me know what guys thought of this one down below.
Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!
Continued reading down below!
Dr. Stone Episode One Review!
The Mandalorian Review
Games that COULD come to the Nintendo Switch this year! (2020)
Girlish Number- Random Wednesday Number 1
Dr. Stone Episode 1 Review
After a pretty long haitus from anime reviews, Crunchyroll and Facebook have teamed up to pull me right back in. Dr. Stone is an ongoing anime based on the manga of the same name. The anime is done by the studio TMS and airs on both Crunchyroll and Funimation.
(I do not own the rights to any pictures used in this blog. All rights reserved to their respective owner)
Spoilers: This is a review of episode one. While there may be spoilers for episode 1, there’s no major spoilers for the series as a whole.
Plot: The idea here is that everyone on Earth gets turned to stone. Some 3,000 years later our two main characters breakthrough their stony exterior emerging to a world where forestry has now overrun the area. Thousands have died as their stone bodies have shattered or limbs have been severed off. Once our two main characters, Senku and Taiju reunite at the base of a river, the two go to work on how to bring the world back to the modern era.
Characters: This section is fairly easy, as they are the only two human beings alive at the moment. Senku is our green headed main character. He is a genius and the show makes that no secret. He has already begun working on a cure for the modern day stone age. I really think people who study psychology and character types would have a field day enjoying him. It’s not really revealed in the first episode, but later you will see he does not play judge, jury, or the hangman. He acts almost like neutral watcher. He wants to revive everyone. Good, bad, murderers, tax collectors, children, bums, it does not matter. I assume this is due to the fact that science really does not take sides. He’s just letting the process run it’s course.
Our next character is Taiju. Taiju is a bit more of a flat and uninteresting character. Now, that is in no way to say he a bad character. He kept himself motivated to live because he had a mission. Before the stone age struck, He was determined to tell his crush Yuzuriha, that he liked her. Of course, tragedy struck as both stone-crossed lovers were soon to be sealed in their rocky casing. But hey, his unwavering desire to confess his feelings for Yuzuriha worked because, well… It is an anime after all.
Now, I’m not sure if this a good or bad thing, but the show is super self-aware of the two character’s strength and weakness. Again the show is not shy about constantly reminding you Senku is an intellectual supreme while Taiju wouldn’t know the difference between a push or pull door even if they were labeled. As a result the show has a stereotypical, albeit funny, role system for the two. Senku comes up with ideas while Taiju goes to hunt down the ingredients needed. The two play off each other’s differences in a way that naturally progresses the plot while also being funny and enjoyable such as the grapes to wine scene for example.
The World: This is also easy. There essentially is no world to discuss here. Mother Nature has come to reclaim most of her land. Some statues have survived the test of nature and time, but they are few and far between. Animals, for some unknown reason, were spared the same crystallized fate the humans experienced, birds notwithstanding for some reason. This is part of the fun though. How will Senku and Taiju interact with animals? Will they find remains of old buildings they use to interact with? Are there others who have shattered their mold and now walk with the living again? How will the world react to a sudden rise in the human population again? Ultimately, the world right now is a blank canvas and I cannot wait to see how Dr. Stone splatters itself all over the page.
Racap: I knew this was the anime I wanted use to rekindle my spark. This premise sounded super enjoyable and I have not been disappointed. I’ve watched the first three episodes as of now and it really keeps getting better.
Action: While nonexistent in this episode. Episodes two and three do help deliver more of a punch.
Romance: Taiju clearly has a crush on Yuzuriha but you will have to keep watching to see if they end up together.
Plot: I came for the plot.
Characters: But I stayed for the characters.
The World: Empty and underdeveloped, but that isn’t exactly a bad thing.
Humor: A definite strength and high point of the show is the humor. For a pseudo-apocalyptic world, these two really don’t let that fact stop them from smiling or cutting up.
The Ending: The ending is great as we see they have possibly cracked the code for cracking open that hard outer shell.
Verdict: While this is episode one of a show that currently only has four episodes out, I’d be lying if I didn’t say the hype is there. It is going to be so fun to see what’s left of the world. If Senku and Taiju have shed their rock skin, whose to say other’s could not? How will differing viewpoints of Senku and people he resurrects clash? The world is currently empty which hurts this episode’s score but I think makes me more excited for the show as a whole.
Score: A solid 8.5 out of 10. Mostly, because there are still so many question marks that is hard to get a perfect score.
I will revisit this one once the season has wrapped up. So let me know what you guys think so far. What animes should I review next? Let me know down below.
Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!
Continued reading here!
ReLife Review
Food Wars Season One Review
My Hero Academia Review
Manga Monday(On a Tuesday!) ReLife Vol 1
I really wanted to get this up yesterday but school work was too taxing. I dont want to have to wait til next week, so I’m doing it today!
I read ReLife by So Yayoi and published by Earth Star Entertainment.
Right off the bat, I really enjoyed this and I’m happy to be reviewing it so be sure to check it out afterwards.
Okay here we go!
Spoilers- Meh. They hint at some future stuff we will discuss but nothing major.
Plot- So I checked this manga out because it seemed like a change of pace. I had just done One Punch Man(Check out my review here!) and I wanted something a little more deeper than OPM. Arata is a 27 year old loser. He does not have a job, his family has little faith in him, and he’s fallen out of the loop with friends. Honestly, this is pretty much how I felt a few weeks ago, so it was very easy to put myself in his shoes. Anyway, he is selected for the ReLife program. This program leaves him 27 but gives him the appearance of a 17 year old. I thought this program was going to put him in another body or something extreme, but alas it gives him a second chance at high school. Why is this important? Arata cannot find a job, and ReLife offers to help him once his one year trial is complete. This is his story in the life of a high school body once again.
Characters- Oh boy! Normally I can only talk about one or two characters, but there’s actually a few characters in here that we get a decent understanding of who they are.
Arata- For starters, our main character. He was denied another job and now his family is no longer going to support him. He tries really hard not to connect with any of the high school students, but due to his overwhelming compassion for others and his inability to stay low-key, he ends up having several interaction with the students. He is not very good at this being younger and adjusting to school. One of the many things he fails to recall is that he can’t smoke. Not only is he now technically 17, he’s also on school grounds. It’s quite humorous how the students and teachers interact with his hmm, “forgetfulness”.
Ryo- One of the funniest character’s to a manga I’ve ever read. He is the ReLife agent who offered Arata the pills to change him. He is also Arata’s overseer. He takes the pills with him. Ryo knows how to get inside of Arata’s head and push his buttons. He is always making jokes about how dumb Arata is, or joking about Arata falling in love with the students, and is just always making Arata feel embarrassed. This interaction between the two main character’s really makes this a special manga to me. Ryo genuinely is interested in Arata as a person and is truly captivated by Arata’s interaction with his classmates. This makes the dialogue exchange between the two so honest and so welcomed. Not to mention, it’s absolutely hilarious.
Hishiro- Hishiro is the silent type. Noted as not smiling too much or ever having friends, she normally keeps to herself. She has been class president every year beforehand and looks to keep that title headed into this year. She takes a liking to Arata(or so it is lead on to believe). Which is a concept I debated on how I felt for a long time. Ryo heavily suggest Arata give her a chance. Arata’s response is no because she is ten years younger than him, despite him looking like a 17 year old. Which i agree with Arata. He still has the mind of a 27 year old. But every since they begun “talking” Arata seems more happy and lively. There’s a scene where they flirt over business emails(Yeah, email). Which ends in Arata laughing so hard. This scene is really well done, because it’s two characters who do not fit in too well with their peers, but in this moment they are letting their walls done for each other.
Rena/Oga/And the rest of the bunch- She is another female student in Arata’s grade. She is eyeing the class president spot but first must dethrone Hishiro. She finds Arata as a disturbance due to him getting busted with cigarettes and not having a pencil, but she does lend him one. Oga so far as come off as a funny smooth talker. I believe he’s only had one scene, but I very much enjoyed his personality while he was there. Ms. Amatsu is here to make Arata look bad. She is a 25 year old who is already doing more with her life than Arata. She also busted him with the cigarettes and forces him to write an essay. The last character introduced was Honoka. I believe little has been revealed about her so far, but I’m sure we will see how she ties into the loop soon.
The World- This category does not so much matter with mangas like this. It’s your every day earth much like ours.
Recap-
Action-None.
Romance- I do not think it’s come right out and said anything. If I had to guess, Arata could hook up with Hishiro. Rena and Oga might be a thing. They appear to flirt a bit.
Plot- It feels like it’s been done before(reminds me of Case Closed which is never a bad thing). But I like the spin of seeing him adjust to high school life
Characters- Such a lovely batch of characters.
The World- Bland. But it doesnt have to be anything more than what it is.
Humor- One of the funniest manga’s I’ve ever read.
Verdict- Hilariously well done. It does not have action, which can be good. It does not rely on effects or being over the top like One Punch Man. The characters will have you in stitches. Easily one of the best manga’s I’ve read.
Score- 9.5 out of 10. Yeah. I love this manga. I did not know it existed two days ago, but much like how I fell for Food Wars, I’ve fallen for ReLife. You should too! Volume One ended hinting at the last subject before Arata who did not do so well, Volume 1 and 2 are available free on Crunchyroll, Volume 5 is coming out next week, and there is an anime coming out next month! What are you waiting for! You have no reason not to give it a try!
Monster Musume Recap
Monster Musume is an anime based off the manga of the same name. The manga is written by Okayado. The anime is directed by Tatsuysa Yohsihira through Lerche Studio.
Spoilers: Very minor. Monster Musume was nowhere near my anticipation list, but I had some free time and decided to watch it. We have a lot to discuss with this one.
Plot: The plot is actually cool. A huge new law was passed. The law allowed mystical species to come live with the humans. There are some conditions however. They range from very common sense ones like no human shall hurt a mystical species and vise versa. To very political ones like you shall not make love with the mystical species. Than there is the sub plot. The ever strange and dangerous love story of Kimihito Kirusu and Miia, a half human and half snake creature. Miia loves Kimihito and wants him to be her first love. However, Ms. Smith, the one who looks after Miia, stands in the way. She constantly reminds Kimihito that loving her would be the same as hurting her, which is against the law.
The Opening: This opening scene might have been the best of any summer anime. This is because it did what an opening scene is suppose to do. It establishes our characters and their motives. Kimihito understands loving Miia back would be against the laws. Miia doesn’t understand the severity of mixing species. We also see that Miia is madly in love with Kimihito. The scene also sets up the tone well. It is very much going to be about their relationship and the show is not going to shy away from sexuality, in fact, its going to embrace it. For these reasons, you know what you are going to get before the theme song even starts.
Characters: For a show about a larnia(Half snake half human) girl trying to get her host family to fall in love with her, the characters are surprising great. I actually really like both Miia and Kimihito a lot. You can totally feel for Miia. Shes in a strange new land and just wants to be loved and liked but the man she wants to love her, cant. Kimihito, even though he wasn’t suppose to be her host family, he still manned up and took her in. Plus, it would be easy for them to try to carry out an affair in privacy, the fact he doesn’t shows he does care about her. On top of that, some layers are added to them when Miia learns that humans don’t like her, but Kimihito stands up for her. My only reserve right now is that I know other girls get added later, so i am worried their relationship will not mean much later on(I have not read the manga so I have no idea how future relationships are going to work out).
The world: The world is actually surprising close to ours. Even though mythological creatures do not exist in our world, both worlds share a huge common characteristic, the fear of people who are different. Here in America, weve been struggling with equality and acceptances of others for hundreds of years, longer than that for the rest of the world. I think thats where this show shines. The humans are straight up nasty to the other species, Miia in this instance. Miia has done nothing wrong and is not a bad creature, the humans are just wicked in the way they treat her. With more creatures getting involved later, I am interested to see the world adapt to these creatures like our world has adapted to concepts we are not comfortable with.
Recap: Went in thinking this would just be a show of fanservice and cheesy romance, and it definitely has both. However, the worldly and political view of this show makes me feel like I am watching something deeper and that Kimihito and Miia will be part of a movement. The show surprising has a lot of heart and soul to it and it makes me interested in what will become of Miia and Kimihito. Lets break it down some more:
Action: Action is here surprisingly. In a world where humans and creatures do not get along, fights will ensue it seems. Romance: Clearly the bread and butter of this show. The first arc, at least, seems it will be about their relationship Plot: The plot and subplot are good. It sets up the romance and why it will be difficult to achieve.
Characters: The characters are very solid.
The World: Very cool world, cant wait to see it expand.
Humor: A surprisingly very funny show.
The Ending: The ending was nothing special but it didn’t lower my interest in seeing later episodes either.
Verdict: You got to go in with an open mind. It really isn’t just about the fanservice. They explore the world and characters quite nicely for a first episode. I was very impressed with this show, however, I see potential parts that could make or break it. If it stops exploring the world and just focuses solely on the sexual content, it could get old fast. If it explores the realm of equality and what true love is, I think it could be a great show. Only time will tell what direction it takes.
Gate Recap
Gate is an anime based off the light novel of the same name written by Takumi Yanai and Illustrated by Daisuke Izuka
Kurojishi. The anime is directed Takahiko Kyogoku and ran through A-1 Pictures
Gate received an honorable mention on my most anticipated list. I think this might be a hidden gem.
Spoilers: Only minor spoilers dealing
with episode one.
Plot: A gate opens in Ginza, Japan. Monsters and soldiers come rushing out and attacking the citizens. The JSDF have way more advanced weaponry and fight back. Itami is an adult male who is on his way to a convention to buy items to fuel his fantasy addiction. That faithful day, the city is attacked and Itami helps save hundreds of lives. He is later promoted to second Lieutenant and is upon the soldiers that get sent into the gate to investigate the new world.
Characters: Itami is really the only main character explored, though we are introduced to two other soldiers, one who shares an interest in the fantasy world like Itami. Right now Itami is kind of forgettable as far as main characters go, but I think Ill really like Itami later on for some reason. In later episodes we will be introduced to mythical creatures like elves and such.
The World: Could be my favorite part. So far, episode one took place in Japan. The ending had soldiers going into the gate to see whats on the other side. And its the worst(and maybe the best) thing, it ended with the military just crossing over. so the audience caught just enough of a glimpse of the landscape in the distant and the charging number of forces the opposition had. The world seems like its going to be fleshed out very soon. Which, of course, has me excited.
Recap: Episode one is a set up episode. While there is action and character introduction, and some exposition, don’t expect anything too dramatic from this episode. I think this episode ended greatly and has a bright future. I still haven’t seen gangsta or God Eater, but this show went from an honorable mention of summer anime for me, to possibly my number two pick. Lets give it a closer look:
Action: Plenty. None of it important so far though. I am sure there will be more.
Romance: None that I recall. As we get introduced to later characters, we will see if anything blooms.
Story: Good so far. It sets up a new mystical world.
Characters: Not a strong point so far. I am not crazy about Itami but there is still a lot of time left for him to grow.
The World: The aspect I am most looking forward to. It should be fun to watch it develop.
Humor: Definitely not the funniest to me. But we’re about to be exposed to a world of new characters that could spice up the humor.
The Ending: Great ending! Maybe the best of any summer anime. It had me ready for episode 2 for sure.
Verdict: I have a feeling it is not for everyone. The characters so far aren’t that memorable and its not the funniest show, but the world seems like it has so much potential. Maybe I am over hyping it. I do believe it has to time to develop into a solid summer anime.
Ushio and Tora
Ushio and Tora is an anime based of the manga with the same name written by Kazuhiro Fujita. The anime is directed by Satoshi Nishimura and ran through MAPPA studio.
This series ranked two on my most anticipated anime of the summer. In short, it lived up it.
Spoilers: Minor spoilers just involving the first episode.
Plot: Ushio is a young boy who is left to look after his dad’s temple while he is away. Upon cleaning, he falls into a basement where he meets a demon trapped by the beast spear, the one his dad had been telling him about. Here in the basement with the exchanging of dialogue between the two, I knew I was going to love this anime. An unlikely of bonds is formed when Ushio must unleash the demon to save his friends. The two will now attempt to work as a team to stop the remaining demons Tora’s demonic aura attracts.
Characters:My favorite part of the anime. I will just be talking about the two title characters. Ushio is a lovable main character. He is very funny, loves his friends, and is actually quite fierce. He never truly seems scared of Tora. In fact, he quickly takes control of him. Tora is hilarious for an “evil spirit turned good guy by force” character. I am absolutely amused by their dynamic together and can’t wait to see them grow has demon hunters.
The World: It is pretty standard. The fantasy aspect of it comes from Tora’s aura attracting evil spirits.
Recap: My favorite anime so far, I wish it was already done so I could just watch all the episodes at once. Watch this anime if you’re into action anime with comedy. Lets break it down by category:
Action: There wasn’t action until about 20 minutes into it, but that’s okay. It was awesome and I know future episodes will have great action as well.
Romance: You get the sense of love triangle between Ushio, Nakamaru, and Inoue. I haven’t read the manga so I don’t know what develops but my money is on Ushio and Nakamaru.
Story: The story may not be groundbreaking but I’m definitely into it and sets up for an awesome story.
Characters: Ushio and Tora alone are awesome. I hope Nakamaru and Inoue play larger parts in later episodes.
The World: As mentioned, the world doesn’t seem any different from your average anime other the fact there are demons on the loose.
Humor: Hilarious anime. It doesn’t just rely on them two bouncing off each other. Ushio is pretty funny by himself and when he is around Nakamaru they’re funny as well. Definitely a strong point.
The Ending: Maybe the best ending I’ve seen from the summer animes. It ends on a high note and has me so beyond pumped for episode two.
Verdict: Anybody who loves a great action show with funny characters to go with it needs to watch this. It has been my favorite summer anime. Go watch it.
Charlotte Recap
Charlotte is a new summer anime written by Jun Maeda and directed by Yoshiyuki Asai and runs through P.A. Works Studio.
I gave Charlotte an honorable mention on my anticipation list of summer animes. I decided to give it a watch.
Spoilers: Much like Rokka, and probably most of these episode one reviews, there will not be any major spoilers involving the series but of course we will be recapping the events.
Plot: A boy named Yu Otosaka has a weird power, he can use Ino’s mind transfer jutsu for five seconds to take control of someone. What he does with this power vary, if its a girl, he will “check” them out, if its a guy, he will inflict pain on wrong doers, but the biggest emphasis they make is him using his powers to cheat on tests. Two agents of a very special school are sent to catch Yu in the act. They recruit him to join the school to help bust people who abuse their powers.
Setting: The setting is Hoshinoumi Academy, Xavier’s school for the gifted(Just kidding but same premise). We haven’t even seen the school, I assume we will see it by episode two. So far, the setting has been Yu’s school and Yu’s house. I can’t comment on the setting but I do want to see what this school has waiting.
Characters: While I think Yu’s sister will play a role in future episodes, I will just be looking at the three characters with super powers. First, Yu. Yu, as I mentioned, can take control of peoples mind for five seconds. There are two major catches to this power. For starters, he has to be able to see them. This limits who he can control. Secondly, he also inflicts damage to himself from hitting his head on varies objects. I do not feel strongly towards Yu. He is a liar and a cheat and designed to be that way. The ending did put him in a position to be more likable moving forward, but so far, I am not a fan. Next, Takajo. I liked Takajo. I feel he could fall into the role of comedic relief, but I think he will be a fun character. He moves super fast giving him the power to seemingly teleport but he cant control where he stops so he runs into a lot of things causing him to be hospitalized countless times. Lastly, Tomori. She has the power to hide herself from a single persons visual recognition. She was recording Yu and is the one to bust him as well. I like her personality. I think the three of them will blend into a real fun group down the road.
Recap: Awesome anime. Definitely worth the first viewing. The first half was great, adventure packed, and hilarious. It kind of slows down after the first half. It ties up some loose ends such as Yu and his love interest and Yu and his sister moving. Lets break it down by categories:
Action: Did not rely on action to carry it. The most action is Yu getting beat up by Tomori.
Romance: I was actual interested in Yu and Yumi. Unfortunately, they killed it off so we will see if Tomori and Yu become something.
Story: I’ve already made the joke that this is X men with less powerful mutants, but that is what it seems to be. I’m into it nonetheless though.
Characters: A fun bunch so far and will only add more characters once we get to the school.
The world: Cannot comment on the world too much. I like the ideas of kids with super power but the world leaves a lot to figure out later.
Humor: The strongest point of this anime is the humor. Its not as funny as Amagi Brilliant Park, but it definitely will have you laughing.
The ending: Sadly, the ending was just a clean-up session. The meat of the show is in the middle. But the beginning was good enough to leave me still hyped for episode two
Verdict: A definite watch if you’re into a comedy about kids with super powers.
Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers
Summer anime is here and I am so happy! Now I will not be reviewing these summer animes like other ones(such as my food war review). This means I will not rate them on a scale of 1-10, but rather how much I was into it and if im interested in continuing onward. So without further ado, our look at Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers
Rokka: Braves of the Six is an anime based off a light novel and manga both written by Ishio Yamagata, light novel is illustrated by Miyagi and the manga is illustrated by Kei Toru. The anime is ran through Passione Studio and is directed by Takeo Takahasi.
So earlier I ranked this anime number 4 on my watch list this summer.
Spoilers: Some stuff does indeed happen in the first episode that obviously affects the future episodes. Spoilers will just pertain to the episode but will not ruin the series moving onward.
Plot: So, the first episode has a chunk of exposition which is expected. The legend goes that a demon god awoken and started killing vast numbers of people. The god of fate summons the Brave Six to fight the Demon God. It is noted that this has happened two other times in the past. In present day, fiends begin showing up and killing the former braves. The characters have reason to believe the demon god will awaken again during the year. Instead of waiting for the Brave Six to be announced, one man tries to earn his spot. That brings us to the beginning of episode one.
Characters: So far we have only been introduced to two of the six, so those will be the only two characters I write about.
First up, Adlet Mayer. He is the self-proclaimed “World’s Strongest Man”. He interrupts a very important fight and demands that both fighters now fight him. He wins, but is thrown in a dungeon. Later, the goddess of fate elects him to be one of the brave six. This is where we meet our second Brave- Nashetania Loei Piena Augustra. She is more of a spellcaster, as opposed to Adlets brute gimmicks. She bust him out of the dungeon and not much more is learned of her other than those two big things. So we’re left not knowing entirely too much about this generation of braves right now. The episode does end with them riding off to meet up with the others.
Setting: The setting is set in a fantasy-like world full of magic, demons, and questery spirited people. I do not believe it gives a set time period, though a get a fairly old vibe from the dungeon, the fact they use horseback, and even the art displayed in the show I dont believe is a modern style. But I cant be certain, of course.
Recap: A pleasant start to my summer anime watching. I have watched some other ones, so I can say this one wasn’t my favorite, but as far as me watching episode two, I will probably definitely watch it. I am interested in meeting the four remaining braves as well as the fiends and the demon god. I’ll shortly break down more specific categories
Action: Okay. Definitely see this part improving has the series goes on
Romance: None that I could detect so far.
Story: Interesting enough to make me want to see what happens next
Characters: The only one we’ve explored so far is Adlet and even that wasn’t extensive
The World: Pretty average fantasy world so far, has potential to be flushed out more.
Humor: Definitely not the funniest, but it has its moments.
Verdict: Has Potential to be very good.
Da_Hubbz 