Tuesday, December 31, 2013

December 2013 Rankings

Hope everyone had a good holiday season. How did fall manage to suck so badly? I decided some of the shows weren't even worth the screencap.



GOOD TIER

TOP Anime OP ED Countdown #6

Bakemonogatari ED



"Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari ()" by supercell; performed by nagi (Gazelle)

Monday, December 30, 2013

Anime Admirers 2013: Hub Worlds And Homesteads

The year is coming to an end, and as we reflect back on everything, it is the season for anime lists and more excuses for silly alliteration.



This will be the first in a series of posts about my thoughts on my favorite anime productions from 2013. This post will feature five works, effectively a 10 - 6 listing (but I'm not bothering with numbers), while additional individual posts will follow each day for this week covering the rest. There will be six posts in all, and the normal weekly category write-ups will also continue, so there will be a fair amount of content surging about this week!

Top 10 Anime of 2013

I thought 2013 was a pretty weak year for anime. Of course there were certainly a decent amount of things that I liked and enjoyed. It was difficult compiling the top ten list this year. For the first time I have movies and specials on here simply because I didn't have enough TV series that I loved this year. Number ten was, again, a fight between a couple of series.



2012 CARRY OVERS

Winter Anime 2014 Genius Compendium

The Winter Anime Season Has Arrived. This Pretty Much Means Me Ranking A Ton Of New Anime And Pretty Much Being Dead Wrong By The Time February Rolls Around. Let's Get This Started!



Now, for those of you who don't know how my Compendiums work, it's simple: I only rank all of the new TV anime that's making their debut this Winter. No Sequels (*looks at Silver Spoon and Chuu2Koi2*). No already existing franchises, or I guess long running franchises (*Looks at Saki, Seitokai Yakuindomo*). No Shorts (*looks at Pupipo, Strange +*). And of course, no films or OVAs. It just makes everything easy for me/I get to shine all the new faces in anime. For better or for worse. So, you get how things work? Then I better get started!

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Anime of the Week (11/10

ANIME OF THE WEEK - AOKI HAGANE NO ARPEGGIO



When described in simple terms it seems very straightforward, but too often an interesting villain will be killed off for dramatic effect when if that character had lived he or she could have continued to serve a purpose in forwarding the story. That Arpeggio makes good use of its character resources is a testament to the vision of its writing.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

From this pile of dust into the ideal woman: Nadeko Sengoku

"ACTING NICE IS A CHILDISH PROFESSION - PRETENDING YOU'RE SOMEONE ELSE, AND AT THE SAME TIME, SELLING YOURSELF."



-Katherine Hepburn

2013 Awards

Still in the process or experimenting with how I do these awards. Unlike last year where I chose the best based upon each season, I went with my five favorites of each category. (Though some have less than five simple because I couldn't think of five.)



Best Main Female Character

Random Thought (December 28, 2013 at 11:13PM)

Random Thought 568



Since Winter Anime Season 2014 is coming next week, I think it's the right time for me to reveal my picks this coming season. More than half of my picks are plainly based on my anticipation due to the fact that I am already familiar with their source material. The rest would be by thoroughly reading their synopsis and watching the PVs. Without further ado here is my potential but still tentative Winter 2014 watch list:

Nekomonogatari Black: questions of love?

Sweet dreams or dark nightmares?



A prequel to 'Tsubasa Cat' from Bakemonogatari series, NEKO BLACK lays out exactly what happened during that unforgettable, gold-tinted week; the week when Araragi Koyomi fell out of something that was not a first love

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

12 Days of Anime (2013)

On May 19, 2013, the June issue of Ultra Jump debuted as any normal issue of a mangazine would.However, this particular issue was noticeably different with an announcement following the 113rd chapter of Needless stating that next month's chapter would be the final one.Without any preparation or any proper warning, the sudden and abrupt ending was only a month away.The announcement began to explain the accelerated pace of the last few chapters and the conclusions of many loose ends, but with so much more remaining and the peculiar developments of late, especially some of the absolutely shocking events in 113, you wondered just how the manga could end with an unfortunate amount of unanswered questions.But one month later, Needless 114 debuted and so ended the serialization of my favorite manga.



But rather than , which are all properly documented in my final post on the manga, I wanted to take a moment to remember just how important and significant the anime and manga were to me.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

[] Comic Fiesta 2013 Day 1 & 2

Here we are opening to our avid K-Pop readers to other new and exciting available events to expand your horizons. Comic Fiesta is Malaysia's largest and longest-running animation, comics and games (ACG) convention. Comic Fiesta 2013 was held 21-22 December 2013 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and has attracted thousands of people. Comic Fiesta is truly a must attend event for everyone. There were a huge variety of exhibitor booths with illustrators showing their artworks, doujins and more. Equally, there were art-booths separated by basic art booth and premium art-booths. Items available for sale are mainly handmade. Other than that, there were panel rooms at different time of the day for the fans to get to know guest illustrators, cosplays, PPY and Livetune. Also on Day 1, fans get up close with a Coffytiam Signing session with VOFAN and Yuegene Fay.



One the first day, there was a Group Cosplay Competition and each portray of characters can be seen with passion and hard work. Guest judges present for the Group Cosplay Competition were Xrystal, Yuegene Fay, and Zend. What's more, on stage of the first day at 3PM - 3.30PM was Culture Japan ft. Danny Choo. Following "absolutely crazzzy" perform live on stage and judging by the screams it was a big hit! Game developer of the community-centric rhythm game "osu!" came on stage at 5.30PM-6PM.

Monday, December 23, 2013

The KKS Guide to a Comfy Christmas (through Anime binging) Pt.3

COMFY CHRISTMAS PT.3 (COMEDY)



It's nearly Christmas but that doesn't mean you have to spend time with your family or friends. Here's some more anime that you can use to continue to ignore reality.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Bakemonogatari [Anime Review]

This review can also be found on my profile at



After I rewatched Bakemonogatari, I decided to write a brief review about it. First of all, Bakemonogatari is not kind of anime for everyone. If you're an action junky and can't stand lengthy dialogues between characters, don't bother to pick it up, it's definitely not for you. But if you seek a different, unique content, witty conversations and extraordinary presentation, I highly recommend you to watch Bakemonogatari.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

A Fresh Perspective (12Days#4)

Well, if we were doing the 12 Days as a countdown like some, we'd have skipped #10 and this would be #9. Though we really should be on #7 by now.



As we've come to expect, our hopeless writer can't even meet the deadlines he sets for himself. Not that he doesn't have his excuses. I suppose consecutive all-nighters punctuated by 6-hour exam blocks can be rather detrimental to one's creative output, after all. We'd decided to split the 12 Days posts by three-way rotation, but as the clock rolled past his deadline and then mine and then 's and then back to his again, I decided we'd have to carry on, with or without him. Hopefully he'll be back with us soon.

bakemonogatari/monogatari series

I got to say bakemonogatari was really good, and the sequels so far are fantastic. i think its going to dethrone TT as my favorite series.



very dialogue heavy but its kind of like grosse point blank, the witty dialogue is what makes it good. its near impossible to follow if u dont understand how the japanese language works of course, because nisio isin is heavy on puns and other word related jokes. he also references other manga and stories a lot, most of which i am unfamiliar with but its not that detrimental to the story.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hall of Fame Induction: Hidamari Sketch

In my Anime Hall of Fame series, I highlight shows that I enjoyed a lot and think are worth trying out. Click the "stardf29's Anime Hall of Fame" tab at the top of the page to see a list of all the inducted anime series so far. More anime series will be inducted over time, and this post will be updated with any new information for this series.HIDAMARI SKETCH



Don't worry; these girls' souls are perfectly safe in this show. (Official art for season 4.)

(Update) it was the color of your hair

Long time no update. Things have been a bit hectic for me, particularly with my laptop getting stolen from my house on 11/27 which had a lot of my screencaps I was going to share eventually. Luckily it was only a small portion that I had left only on my laptop with the rest on my external HD. Here's a list of series that will be delayed because I have to do them again. Still adjusting to my new laptop, too.



LOST SCREENCAPS

Hot this Season: Fall 2013

With the lack of quality anime that the summer brought over the fall did not disappoint our expectations what-so-ever. As the season draws to a close we can hi-light the good from the bad and really draw out which Anime's stood out from the rest. There were quite a few this season as this one was a fruitful season indeed. And here it is, in no particular order, the Hot picks of Fall 2013.



Monogatari Second Season

12 Days of Anime #11

As a somewhat older anime fan who's been watching anime for a while, I sometimes reflect on who is anime aimed at, such as in . I confess to finding myself cranky and cynical, when shows aimed at "adult men" most often depict high school girls being "cute", and the more thought-provoking anime often end up relying on sound-bytes of philosophy and gore to show us just how "mature" they are and are even ostensibly marketed towards teenagers.



Uchouten Kazoku showing us a rare level of self-reflection within anime.

12 Days of Anime #8

Sometimes, you just find yourself staring at the screen, mouth agape, as the shiny pictures flash in front of your eyes, and they're just so pretty. I know it seems weird coming from someone who writes (well) over a thousand words on so many shows, but sometimes I just look at my monitor, realize I have no idea what's going on or how to approach it, and just let the shows wash over me.



Stills do this no justice, check the YouTube video down-post

Sympathy For The Devil: PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA ~ REBELLION ~

PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA/ is one of those rare, beautiful times where popular culture has found a way to transcend itself; it took something unique to its medium, and managed to give its usual audience exactly what they asked for while simultaneously undercutting the very idea of it all. Originally a 12 episode TV series that aired in 2011, written by noted nihilist Gen UROBUCHI, and directed by Studio Shaft's most valuable madman, Akiyuki SHINBOU. The final result was a stunning, even shocking reminder that you can deliver a near-perfect piece of entertainment that finds a way to give audiences exactly what they want, despite also never giving them what they expect, and even reveling in how absurd their taste really might be.



The word "Deconstruction" is a dangerous one to throw around these days, with TV Tropes being able to get all up in your grill about what does and doesn't technically qualify as such, but if Watchmen was a deconstruction of costumed comic book vigilantes, if A Song of Ice and Fire was a deconstruction of impervious heroism in a fictionalized version of Medieval Europe, and if Cabin in the Woods was a deconstruction of the insatiable need for an audience to watch young people die for their own amusement, I think it's safe to call Madoka Magica a deconstruction of the Magical Girl subgenre, one which - alongside piloting giant transforming robots, being surrounded by a harem of partially-clothed beautiful women, and adolescents traveling the world without parental supervision, homework, or part time jobs to partake in fully legal dog fights with total strangers - has remained mostly, if not quite exclusively, within the domain of Japanese animation. For once, comparisons tothe 90s equally popular and upsetting Neon Genesis Evangelion and its brutal, self loathing vivisection of its own anime-infused genre are completely valid, perhaps even unavoidable... but unlike Shinji Ikari's journey of grotesque and traumatic self-discovery, Madoka Kaname's adventure never gets quite so far up its own ass that it ever stops being a show about the thing it was going out of its way to tear down in the first place.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Friday, November 29, 2013

The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Semifinal "Analysis"

Wellwe made it. By "making it", meaning me jumping off the ship to avoid sounding like a . I've beendispleased to say the least with how the bracket has gone (not taken into consideration my torched bracket in the omochallenge, but that has been spilled milk for a while now). Partly because it makes me feel like I don't know what music is nowadays. When you have people saying things like "instrumentals/English songs shouldn't be involved in this competition", it makes me shake my head. I guess my definition of "anime music" is a lot looser than most people; if someone said this was an "Anison" contest, than maybe I'd understand.



So I've been refraining to comment on the past couple of rounds because of this feeling, but since we're running into the final four, I feel like I need to at least provide a sense of closure to myself (or at least not feeling like I just quit on this project). In going from 256 songs to 4, there's been a lot of ruminating on what songs mean for people. I still don't feel like I've got that yet, but I'll try somewhat.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Fuwa Fuwa Time!! Sengoku Nadeko appears!! [Indoor Photoshoot]

Sengoku Nadeko is actually a character from the popular anime series Bakemonogatari, she was cursed by a certain somebody and had her body tangled by imaginary snake which torments her constantly as the story progresses. despite all that she is just one sweet character and when realized into an action figure, it ain't shabby at all~ although it took me sometime after it was released, so glad i finally bought her. so more nadeko after the break~



she comes with her default long shirt and jeans, plus her signature coat and hat

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Nisemonogatari's Araragi Karen by Good Smile Company

The Monogatari series has been very successful for Good Smile Company. And while they may have exhausted their line up of girls from the Bakemonogatari anime series, there was no doubt in any collector's mind that once Nisemonogatari hit the airwaves, the Fire Sisters would be getting their own GSC figures. And never one to disappoint, here comes !



Just like GSC's Bakemonogatari girls, Karen's pose was taken from the DVD/BD cover illustration of Nisemonogatari's first volume release. The artwork was done by Watanabe Akio, who handles all key illustrations and character designs for the anime series. So if you get the feeling you've seen this figure before, that may be why.

Anime: Lupin The Third

LUPIN THE THIRD - THE WOMAN CALLED FUJIKO MINE (15)2 Discs (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 298 minutes approx.

There is a fair chance many of you reading this will recognise the name Lupin The Third from Hayao Miyazaki's classic film Castle Of Cagliostro and possibly also Manga's releaseof The Secret Of Mamo a few years back. Well, forget everything you know and love about the Lupin III universe as this series turns it on its head.

The femme fatale that is Fujiko Mine is a constant in the Lupin III legend - the sexy, resourceful, quick thinking and above all dangerous thief who wants it all and will do literally anything to get it. As much as she is a mainstay of the stories she has always remained a mystery for most of us - until now. Based on Lupin III's manga writer Monkey Punch's original stories this is a prequel of sorts, a mature recalling how Fujiko met the other key players in the Lupin III tales - stoic sharpshooter Daisuke Jigen, proud samurai Goemon Ishikawa and dogged police Detective Zenigata - as well as revealing the tragic secrets of her past.

Exclusive Nisemonogatari + Mini Figure bundle available from Eye On Asia

TITLE: Nisemonogatari Volume 1



FORMAT: DVD & Blu-Ray

Otaking 19

Bakemonogatari on crack!



NisemonogatariSpring 2012Episodes - 11Streamed on - CrunchyrollGenre - Mystery, Harem, Comedy, Occult

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Using Anime Soundtrack Albums to Fill Out Your Halloween Playlists

Happy Halloween!



This past weekend my sister was throwing a Halloween party for the extended family and, two days before, she came to me and asked if I'd make a Halloween mix playlist for the party. I knew she was expecting something containing ~10-15 tracks of mainly the "classics" like Monster Mash and a few instrumental pieces like the theme music of Twilight Zone and Psycho; however, I immediately thought of the eerie music from Shinsekai Yori and knew I needed to include that as well.

Initial Impressions

um wat



Okay so after a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong break, I'm going to resume with the blog posts, and this time I'll be taking a look at an anime from the new season: Kyoukai no Kanata, which is an anime about spirits called "Youmu" who are roaming the human realm while being pursued by "Spirit World Warriors", who are trained in fending the youmu off. There has been quite the amount of hype surrounding this show before it's airing, so we're about to judge whether it's worth the hype!

Friday, November 1, 2013

Autumn 2013

This week: an analysis of Mako's character in KILL LA KILL, developing the racist schoolgirls into characters in NAGI NO ASUKARA, enjoying the level of detail in the setting of SAMURAI FLAMENCO, and pretty much hating the Galileo aspects of GALILEI DONNA.



Best episode of the week: KILL LA KILL

Thursday, October 31, 2013

October 2013 Rankings

Happy Halloween, y'all. I ended up watching more shit than I thought I would. Goddammit. I'm going to The Met tonight so I'm posting this without seeing anything that aired today. Also, does anyone know what the hell is up with Pupa these days?



GOOD TIER

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Pendant Light: Boogiepop and Others. The Imaginator and Myself.

I have a stranger relationship with Boogiepop Phantom than I do any other anime.



It is entirely possible I may not have an association with any other piece of media in the rather particular way this series and I have danced around each other over the years.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Seishun Otoko seychelles dress novels

"I think it's about time I talked about Kiss-Shot-Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade. I believe it's something I have to do. I met her in the spring break between my second and third years of high school. That meeting had such impact, and was also quite devastating."" - (Taken from ANN) Type: Movie Produced by: Shaft Director: Shinbo Original Creator: Nisioisin The Positives: Do you remember that very misleading OP of Bakemonogatari? Now that was actually a teaser for the Kizumonogatari movie, the sequel to both Bakemonogatari and Kizumonogatari. The thing is that I read in an interview once that Nisioisin doesn't like to repeat himself, which is something I really like, even though I'm definitely not a fan of his writing style that overemphasizes wordplay and takes ages to get anywhere. Still, this will very likely be full of really nice eye candy and animation, on top of that it seems much more action-packed than what Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari were. The Negatives: That pacing still worries me though. Shaft does have an actual budget for this series now, and they'renot producing way too many series any more like when Bakemonogatari was aired, but I still need to run into a -monogatari adaptation that I really liked.



"The story follows a "time researcher" and a group of children in a depopulated world that finds itself stuck in time. In order to save humanity, some of the characters are chosen to travel to the future (depicted in the anime), and others to the past (depicted in the manga), while those who are deemed unsuitable for the technology stay in the present (depicted in the novel.)" - (Taken from ANN) Type: OVA Produced by: Madhouse Director: Yuzuru Tachikawa Screenplay: Hitoma Iruma Other Notable Staff: Satoru Kousaki (Music) The Positives: This is an ambitious project: it's going to be both a manga, light novel and anime at the same time, penned by the guy who wrote the Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko novels, and I'm curious what his work is like without Shinbo dancing all over it. And really: this sounds very interesting with a story that deliberately spans different mediums. The director will also have his first full-on directing job, and he sounds like a solid Madhouse director here, having worked on an episode of Mouryou no Hako, Kurozuka and Steins;Gate in the past.

many assassin creed 3 conners costume

"I think it's about time I talked about Kiss-Shot-Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade. I believe it's something I have to do. I met her in the spring break between my second and third years of high school. That meeting had such impact, and was also quite devastating."" - (Taken from ANN) Type: Movie Produced by: Shaft Director: Shinbo Original Creator: Nisioisin The Positives: Do you remember that very misleading OP of Bakemonogatari? Now that was actually a teaser for the Kizumonogatari movie, the sequel to both Bakemonogatari and Kizumonogatari. The thing is that I read in an interview once that Nisioisin doesn't like to repeat himself, which is something I really like, even though I'm definitely not a fan of his writing style that overemphasizes wordplay and takes ages to get anywhere. Still, this will very likely be full of really nice eye candy and animation, on top of that it seems much more action-packed than what Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari were. The Negatives: That pacing still worries me though. Shaft does have an actual budget for this series now, and they'renot producing way too many series any more like when Bakemonogatari was aired, but I still need to run into a -monogatari adaptation that I really liked.

"The story follows a "time researcher" and a group of children in a depopulated world that finds itself stuck in time. In order to save humanity, some of the characters are chosen to travel to the future (depicted in the anime), and others to the past (depicted in the manga), while those who are deemed unsuitable for the technology stay in the present (depicted in the novel.)" - (Taken from ANN) Type: OVA Produced by: Madhouse Director: Yuzuru Tachikawa Screenplay: Hitoma Iruma Other Notable Staff: Satoru Kousaki (Music) The Positives: This is an ambitious project: it's going to be both a manga, light novel and anime at the same time, penned by the guy who wrote the Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko novels, and I'm curious what his work is like without Shinbo dancing all over it. And really: this sounds very interesting with a story that deliberately spans different mediums. The director will also have his first full-on directing job, and he sounds like a solid Madhouse director here, having worked on an episode of Mouryou no Hako, Kurozuka and Steins;Gate in the past.
Full Post

Sunday, October 27, 2013

monogatari season 2 episode 15 Rant!

what the fuck was the point!



this is going to have slight spoilers so if you haven't seen it yet then go watch it.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Madame Marmalade's Mysterious Puzzle Question Version, Love Affair, Beyond the Memories, Jinroh Gemu, Madoka Magica The Movie

This week was a back to work week after having fun at festivals. It has been pretty quiet for the most part but due to my schedule I have been able to catch up with a lot of anime I had intended to watch from the . The first impressions are going to come in bits and pieces because I have a lot of film reviews to write and I am also taking part in a read-along for the fantasy novel . It has been over a year since I took part in the last one and I enjoyed it a lot. The group I am a part of get a set of questions every Saturday and then post their answers on a Monday so there goes my review schedule. More posts during the week to bore you with



Reviews? Well I wrote two this week, both for a Kore-eda film. The first was for and the second was for . Both films are rather good and I'd urge anyone unfamiliar with Japanese cinema to watch them.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Indiana Jones and the Shaft Crusade

When Steven Spielberg was making Raiders of the Lost Ark and the other Indiana Jones films he pulled from many B grade adventure movies he saw in his youth. The first three of Indie's adventures take place in the 1930 s because most of the B movies made then were adventure films like Tarzan the Ape Man. In making the Indiana Jones films, he showed that B-movies, for all their camp and cheesiness, could be great given the budget and talent of an A-grade movie. Likewise, by making the Monogatari series, NisiOisiN and Akiyuki Shinbou somehow managed to extract the potential locked deep within the harem genre.



But Usny, you argue, harems are mediocre at best despite frequently being loaded with famous voice actresses that play hot as fuck girls who are the only reason anyone ever watches those shows; the Monogatari series couldn't possibly be a harem. Let's go through the list of common harem traits, shall we?

Cool Products Friday, October 25, 2013

For the new update, we've got some excellent products from Japan for you. You can view all new J-List products by clicking .



TODAY'S NEWTo Love-Ru Darkness.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Nonsense and Sexuality: Kill la Kill and the Secret Genius of Hiroyuki Imaishi

So Kill la Kill arrived, it was everything it promised to be, the people cheered, anime was saved (from wha - SHUT UP ANIME WAS SAVED), and the haters proclaimed it to be to the worst thing since Attack on Titan (everyone's least favorite show, amirite guys?). But one quite common, and I suppose expected, refrain is "what's with the ridiculous uniform?".



Ten times out of ten I'd be with them, but this eleventh time is the drill that pierces the heavens and breaks the scale, and instead I'm breaking out a phrase I normally reserve only for Bakemonogatari, Madoka Magica, and Evangelion: "YOU JUST DON'T GET IT".

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Six Edgy or Action Anime Set in a Normal Tokyo

Tokyo is as important to anime as New York is important to movies.Everything tends to get set there and iconic landmarks are shown again and again.It is also interesting how school based anime set in parts of rural Japan / other Japanese locations always have students go "Oooh.The new transfer student is from Tokyo," even though a quarter of the Japanese population lives in the greater Tokyo area.



Shinjuku at Night

Friday, October 18, 2013

Cool Products Friday, October 18, 2013

For the new update, we've got some excellent products from Japan for you. You can view all new J-List products by clicking .



TODAY'S NEW & RESTOCKED ITEMS

Fall 2013 Recommendations

After , this fall season that follows feels really stable and full of a lot of smart, touching, comedic and action-packed series that manage to cover every possible genre with something worthwhile.I like to keep my watch list around ten or so and after viewing the first episode of everything that's airing this season I expected that assembling this list into a reasonable number was going to be much more difficult than it actually turned out to be.With two solid years of blogging under my belt and my third year getting started, perhaps I'm finally finding my groove and getting better at determining what's going to impress and what will end up flopping.



1. COPPELION

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Hangers: Autumn Anime, Week Two

THIS WEEK: Kill la Kill, Nagi No Asukara, Miss Monochrome, Coppelion, Monogatari Series: Second Season, Non Non Biyori, Gingitsune: Messenger of the Fox Gods, and Gundam Build Fighters.



The problem with deciding to write about currently airing shows this season is I found myself convinced into picking up three more, even if they won't all be week to week affairs (that's what I like to tell myself).

Autumn 2013

This week: newfound respect and appreciation for Nadeko in MONOGATARI SERIES SECOND SEASON, comparisons of KILL LA KILL to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Panty & Stocking, the mismanaged emotional aspects of COPPELION, and questioning how the profession of modeling impacts the themes of heroes and justice in SAMURAI FLAMENCO.



Best episode of the week: KYOUSOGIGA (TV)

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Alpha &Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Round 2 "Analysis"

We move into the second round, where some of the competitors have been weeded out, the rounds and time between them are shorter, and we start to get a little tired of some of the songs already presented. The five polls have already been set up, and I'll try to get to them as fast as I can, starting with the brackets here.



BAR2P1

Cool Products Friday, October 11, 2013

For the new update, we've got some excellent products from Japan for you. You can view all new J-List products by clicking .



TODAY'S NEWGate, Demon Queen Maoyu, Rei from Vividred Operation + more.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Japanese Films at the Leeds International Film Festival 2013 Part 1: Anime

The takes place from NOVEMBER 06TH TO THE 21ST and there is plenty of anime getting screened on theon SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH. There are so many Japanese live-action films that they will get a separate post. Here is the selection of anime titles on offer and these are just as great. Just click on the titles to get more information such as times and ticket prices:



11:00 A.M.

Friday, October 4, 2013

IS: Infinite Stratos 2

Adapted from the light novel series by Izuru Yumizuru, the anime returns with more harem silliness and mecha action. While the first season of "IS: Infinite Stratos" is not without fault because it succumbs to the usual pitfalls and issues most franchises in the harem genre suffer from, it was nonetheless a very enjoyable series full of cute girls.



"IS: Infinite Stratos 2" is a fun series to watch when you keep in mind that next to a sci-fi action show about girls doing battle in flying mecha suits, it is at its core a predictable harem series. Its strong suit however is a main cast of lovely girls that are the staple of their character type.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Hangers: Summer Shutdown 2013

THIS WEEK: Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club, Watamote, Silver Spoon, Attack on Titan, Monogatari Series: Second Season, Miss Monochrome, and Uchouten Kazoku



While we're into October, Summer anime season for 2013 has now officially closed up shop for the year and it's time to lock all the toys back in the box and do at least a little light clean up before we have company over for Fall season and get everything strewn about right and proper all over again.

Toeing the Boundary; Impressions of Kyoukai no Kanata

Time to talk the first episode of the promising Kyoukai no Kanata! Now with 100% more exploding youkai.



Three things immediately stand out about Kyoto Animation's new effort, Kyoukai no Kanata (or Beyond the Boundary.) The first is the animation, which true to the studio's standards is expressive and first-rate throughout. The second is that OP and ED are both fantastic stylistically (though closer to standard j-pop musically.) The third is the show's focus on "dark fantasy," a clear deviation from the majority of KyoAni's work. Rejoice, those sick of school life hijinks, cute girls and low stakes! Kyoukai no Kanata has girls who conjure swords out of their blood, monsters that explode into green goo and the fight scenes you've been waiting for since Nagato cleaned house in the first episode of Haruhi. The show even has a sense of humor! But don't worry KyoAni fans, all those school life hijinks and cute girls are right there where you last saw them, with the exception that the characters are now fighting for their lives. With all this in place, you'd think that Kyoukai no Kanata stood a chance of being not just the most unusual KyoAni series in a while, but one of the best anime of the year.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Otaking 8

Talk about the Occult. Maybe it's a popular subject within the anime genre. With that in mind, any type of genre concerning fantasy is the norm anyways so I shouldn't be suprised. I liked Occult Academy so why not this right?



What the heck does a "Tsundere" character mean? Ooooooh...

Monday, September 30, 2013

Random Thought (September 22, 2013 at 11:44PM)

Random Thought 472



Okay, so we get our weekend extended yet again since tomorrow's classes are going to be suspended due to the current heavy rainfalls. Not sure if I will be delighted or not since we don't have full day classes tomorrow anyway since my classes are supposed to start at 11:30 am.

The Best of Summer 2013

Right, so after all those season finales over the past week, I now have a disturbingly empty watching list in preparation for the upcoming Autumn season - so it is time to pick my favourites of the Summer season!It has been a pretty damn good season, normally I only list 5 shows from an equinox season and consider that a decent showing, but this time I have enough good shows to compile a top 10!It has been a while since we had such a strong summer season.



10. DANGANRONPA

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Bakemonogatari

Disclaimer: I do not own Bakemonogatari



Note: Spoiler alert! Read at your own risk

Friday, September 27, 2013

2009: The Internet Finally Takes Over

Feeling rather humbled by participating in the project, Raindrops (@) is a relatively new blogger from the UK who has been a fan since the early nineties. She spends most of her free time watching anime and speculating furiously about the future of the industry overseas. Choosing 2009 was originally a thinly-veiled excuse to mention her favorite show, and you can follow all those opinions on her blog, .As we draw closer to the fifty-year milestone for anime on television, we've seen the medium moving from monochrome to color and from cel animation to digital. Along the way, it's inspired a vast global audience and survived several new home video formats. 2009 ended up being a year bursting with the same rich innovation as anime continued to explore new approaches both on screen and behind the scenes. While I'm not sure whether any will end up as future classics, there were so many interesting projects on offer that I was forced to make some tough choices in selecting the series I wanted to introduce.



The first title on my list, however, should surprise nobody who was active in the fan community four years ago. Its sequels are still selling well today, its theme songs have become anthems and the script was often rumored to be "untranslatable" by fans trying to rationalize the length of time it took to appear in the US. The series I'm talking about is Shaft's BAKEMONOGATARI.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Gashapon! collection

The first time that I tried a gashapon machine was more than 10 years ago, when street fighters and bomber-man were the much sought after third party gashapon series. What I meant by third party is the non-Bandai and non-yujin series that can be bought for 50cents or 1 dollar a piece at those third party gashapon machines that could be found just outside our neighbourhood mama-shop and stationary shops. Today, these third party gashapon machines still exist in neighbourhood convenience stall, food court etc. (A quick search at wiki will reveal that gashapon originates from Bandai Japan, so unfortunately I will refer to those non-Bandai and non-yujin gashapon as 'third party' ones although they were the ones that really accompanied my early childhood) Today, I decided to share some pictures of my street fighter collections. I have kept them all in a plastic contain somewhere in my room and I fear that they may degrade if I continue to keep them hidden somewhere that is warm with no flow of fresh air. Indeed, most of the figures have already a bit sticky. I guess I will have to give them a good wash... My whole street fighter collection These third party gashapon figures differ greatly in quality. Well, the chun lee at the extreme left looks kind of.... On the other hand some pieces such as the ones shown here are of better paint quality Especially Guy(3rd from left, counting the yellow unknown character). Guy was my prized collection since it has a very good paint quality and is the only one that my elder brother did not have :D The two Ken in the above pictures are actually brought from a stationary shop at slightly higher prices, and it seems that they are not third party pieces. The above collection nicely stored in a mooncake box belong(ed) to my elder brother. You can see that they are a few pieces that I did not have ..., which looks very cool. But then, this whole box belongs to me now anyway... :D Next moving on to the main topic of this post - my Bandai and Yujin gahsapon collections that I have been keeping since around 7 years ago. If you remember, there used to be this space on the top floor of suntec city mall, where there were seemingly unending rows and rows of gashapon machines. That was when I started my Bandai and Yujin gahsapon collections. Of course, that gashapon holy land was eventually removed after renovations, where the whole storey became a youth zone. I remember quite a few toy shops closed down after the renovation, in fact only hobby point remained. But then again, today, suntec city mall is undergoing yet a second phase of renovation and hobby point has since moved out.. The bleach gashapon series by Bandai is the really the first Bandai series that I started collecting after I chanced upon the gashapon holy land at suntec city around 7 years ago. It is sad that I didnot managed to collect the whole series. When the first bleach series came out, I still wasn't very keen on gashapon collection, so I just give it one or two tries. However, series after series of bleach gashapon began to be released and at some point I was quite sure that Bandai was going to release all the characters in the future. My interest grew and I especially like the 13 sereitei captains pieces. By the time I decided that I should collect at least each of the 13 captains, most of the first few series has already been sold out... As you can see below, some key member that I am missing includes Aizen, Tousen and Unohana. I tried to buy the whole set from some toy shops but they were all out of stock... Lining up the captains in a line really gives me a sense of achievement. Ukitake, Toshiro, Shunsui, Bykuya, Soi fon, Genryusei Gin, Komamuura, Kensei, Zaraki Kenpachi, Mayuri, Urahara, Ichigo and Rukia Ukitake(second fav piece), Toshiro, Shunsui (my fav piece) Bykuya, Soi fon, Genryusei, gin Gin, Komamuura (4th fav piece), Kensei (this is not a gashapon piece, actually a banpresto keychain, Kensei is one my favourite bleach character), Zaraki Kenpachi, Mayuri (3rd fav piece) Urahara, Ichigo and Rukia Next up will be the Rurouni Kenshin Series. Managed to collect the whole series, including the 2 color variants of kenshin ;D Apparently the pink kenshin is rare I have 1 extra aoshi and infact another Kaoru that I kept mint in the capsule :DRurouni Kenshin is one of the few anime series I really like. The following Bakemonogatari series were bought when I visited Japan in 2010. Gashapons in Japan are very much kept in the same type of capsule as what we have in Singapore.

Some other random gashapon pieces that I collected when I sometimes randomly give a few tries on series that I like or have watched before in animes... Kagome from Inuyasha, the first anime that really got me into watching anime and stuff! Remembered that I watched in on kidcentral on Friday nights some 10 years ago. Back then, internet was expensive and there was no way I could have watched anime streamed online with the kind of internet speed and cost of internet... This Nanoha and Mio figures are the typical 400yen gashapon that I bought when I visited Japan in 2010. They are now one of my prized possessions. And how can we forget the Gundam next series by Bandai, which was very popular with Gundam fans. Gundam Next is the series that are usually sell out fast. In fact, most of the totally empty gashapon machines are those that contain gundam related stuffs. I simply adore the figures as they have good articulation and paint qualities. I was diligently collecting each gundam next series until I ran out of time and budget. Bandai simply keep releasing the Gundam Next series like nobody's business. Today, I think the series is in its 13th or 14th run in Singapore? ex-S, Knight, mk-V, Char's Zaku Sazabi, Sinanju, Kshatriya banshee, unicorn, delta plus rx78, GP01, GP02, ZetaZeta, Double Zeta, Gundam OO series...

While gashapon series are often sold as sets in some toy shop, I have never brought them in such a way. I prefer turning the knob on gashapon machines and then slowing opening up the capsule to see what I get. Sometimes when you get the pieces that you have been hoping for or the rare variants, it just make you feel happy and worthwhile to have given the machine a try. Of course at times you get repetitive pieces, and there is really no one whom you can trade with..., at least none of my school friends are into gashapon. But I consider myself quite lucky most of the times since I rarely get repetitive pieces. Well, after trying out gashapon machines, it is easy to figure out the trick - remember which capsules contain which character and try to figure out which coloured capsule will be coming out next by glaring into the transparent gashapon machine. Of course this can be quite time consuming and when there are no other people waiting to try out the machines, you cant really do anything although you know that the piece that you are waiting for will be coming out in the next 1 or 2 tries... and you never know when you ever have the chance to pass by the Gashapon machines again, which are usually located in town. Also, there is a risk of the Gashapon selling out if they are really popular. In retrospect, gashapon really brought me a lot of fun, as a child and even as a teenager or a young adult. Be it the third party or the Bandai ones, they have always brought smiles to my faces and become part of my fond memories of my childhood and early adulthood.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Lemme See Your Narrative: Imagery, Aesthetic, Beliefs

One aspect I think makes my anime blog distinct from most is that I'm so vocal about my values, so open about their level of influence on my choices, so actively hyperfocused on figuring out what I think about something and why that it can seem I kill any desire I have to negotiate those terms. And from time to time, this makes my tastes seem more schizophrenic than they actually are.



For example: I genuinely dislike NisiOisin's work. I don't think he takes genius, sexual and social perversion very seriously at all, for all his thematic obsession with them. I readily understand the veneer effect of seeing text and repetitious scene splayed all over the screen, the cocky jauntiness, the constant feeling that things are happening, even if one can't understand them. I can appreciate some of the questions he asks, like maybe in Zaregoto (maybe), or a bit of Katanagatari. I don't think he really wants to take a hard, careful look at and through a construction of what is named "shittiness" and figure out thoroughly, meticulously, how it is that values, destructive or affirming, are constructed. Ergo, I find his--as opposed to Shaft's--stuff morally unhelpful and menially entertaining. The single (and I mean single) reason I haven't closed the book entirely on his work is because light novel translatoractively appreciates him.

Friday, September 20, 2013

[Music Monday] Platinum Disco

I watched all of Bakemonogatari shortly before the Season Season started airing about seven weeks ago and I'm having trouble remembering a time where I have fallen so hard for a series like I did for Bake. Of course, I didn't stop there and I have now finished Nisemonogatari (it is interesting how it gets easier to spell the names of each series as you watch them. Who knew?) so I have no doubt anyone who has seen it will know this week's song!



. . . As if the title wasn't spoiler enough. /)-

Music Monday

We've all seen the and references many times throughout the years this site has been up, but nonetheless of all the songs that we associate with Code Geass, who would pick out Kaidoku Funou, otherwise translated as "Impossible to Decipher", which was the second opening theme song to Code Geass?



I have no idea why I have fond memories of this song, we first became acquainted in my HSC year when I preferred to watch anime than study (anime such as Bakemonogatari and Darker than Black, mind you - good, good times). Somehow this song became one of those tracks that I continuously played on a loop in order to force my rebellious brain into focusing on studying, rather than the however many other things it wanted to do. How? Why?

Thursday, September 12, 2013

A Dialogue About Auteur Theory and Adaptations

Inspired by the philosophical dialogues of Plato



Usny: Phil, you've heard of "auteur theory", right?

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Cool Products Wednesday, September 11, 2013

For the new update, we've got some excellent products from Japan for you. You can view all new J-List products by clicking .



TODAY'S NEWGate and the curious Yotsubato robot.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Stubbs' Top 10 Favourite Anime

You can all read the title. I don't need to make a big introduction to this. Just know that this is only my top 10 personal favourites, not the top 10 best of all time. This is just my opinion. That said, here we go!



10) Gosick:

Friday, September 6, 2013

Dubs vs Subs: The analysis

The never ending flamewar of dubs vs subs has been going on for ages. With the way things are with them, it seems like you can only watch one or the other. "Sub people are pretentious purists", "dub people are too stupid to keep up with watching something with subtitles". What about the group that watches both? Sadly they're ignored.



The problem with this flamewar is that, it's mostly opinion based. While there are some facts to support both sides, it still mostly boils down to opinion for which is better. This article is to give details on the pros and cons for dubbing and subbing. This is not to tell you which is better, nor is this for people to engage in the flamewar.

Anime DVD Sales19:12 BST

In its latest blog page, Anime Limited has posted two sales lists for August 2013; first, for the top-selling anime titles, and second, for the new anime titles released in August. Top selling titles overall. 1 Cowboy Bebop - Box 1 Anime Ltd 2 My Neighbor Totoro Studio Canal 3 Pokemon 4Ever Studio Canal 4 Akira Manga UK 5 Naruto Shipp den: The Will of Fire Manga UK 6 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Manga UK 7 Spirited Away Studio Canal 8 Space Battleship Yamato (Live-Action 2010) Manga UK 9 Howl's Moving Castle Studio Canal 10 Fairy Tail - Collection 1 Manga UK New releases in August. 1 Cowboy Bebop - Box 1 Anime Ltd 2 Pokemon 4Ever Studio Canal 3 Space Battleship Yamato (Live-Action 2010) Manga UK 4 Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere - Series 1 Manga UK 5 Hellsing Ultimate Part 1-4 Collection Manga UK 6 KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple - 2 Manga UK 7 Clannad - Complete Series Collection Manga UK 8 Inu X Boku Secret Service Collection MVM 9 Bakemonogatari Part 2 MVM 10 Hellsing - The Complete Original Series MANGA UK
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Why Do People Like Bakemonogatari?

Gee, I wonder.



NOTE: This is not a hate post. It's a post about extreme doubt and ambivalence.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Bakemonogatari's Sengoku Nadeko by Alter

With the Monogatari Second Season anime in full swing, we thought we'd talk about Alter's latest Bakemonogatari offering -- Sengoku Nadeko! We were so impressed with Alter's Senjougahara and Hanekawa that when they announced their plans to release this Sengoku Nadeko figure, we jumped at the chance. Our only complaint was that it took so long for them to finally do a third Bakemonogatari figure! Hopefully Nadeko-chan won't be the last and Kanbaru, Hachikuji, and Shinobu will receive figure renditions as well.



Anyways, getting back to Nadeko...as you can see, she's sporting the casual wear we've come to know and love from the girl possessed by a snake. Complete with her big, fluffy hat and jacket, Nadeko looks absolutely adorable!

Karen Araragi 1/8 Scale by GSC: Unboxing and Review

I only started watching the Monogatari series back in July, but it's quickly become one of my favorite anime series (I actually heavily considered getting the Blu-Ray box set for Bakemonogatari priced at $150). Unfortunately, due to its popularity, a lot of the released figures have skyrocketed in price. This is somewhat of a problem for me since, similar to the Strike Witches line of figures by Alter, I plan on collecting the whole Good Smile line of figures. I decided to start of the collection with the !!



One of the many good things about the Monogatari series is that I find all the characters to be very likeable and interesting. When you mix that with some beautifully sculpted and colorful figures, it really comes as no surprise that I want to collect the whole line of figures by Good Smile.

Monday, September 2, 2013

SCHOOL.......

Yeah........ my summer break is now coming to an end, and what have I accomplished?



ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Thoughts On: Kizumonogatari

So after watching band enjoying the Bakemonogatari anime and liking it I looked into further series/continuations of the story. It appears that the anime sequels are still being produced. As a side note I'll mention that I do dislike 'joining things' partway through' for want of a better phrase, to be more specific: I don't like waiting for content to be produced/released. I'd much rather come once everything is readily available, I theorize this is because of how I typically consume content (In one big go). waiting around on something anticipated really works for some people, I am not one. That said, it's not like I think badly of it, and in cases where stories are wrapped up I am happy to suspend my interest until future entries are fully released.



That rambling intro out of the way, I made the decision that if I couldn't watch the anime I would therefore read the Light Novels. (I almost wrote this sentence as 'would do the next best thing', but then decided that was very inaccurate, maybe this is also for another post, but I often get the feeling when watching anime that I've missed something by not having read the source material it's adapted from). The conclusion to this paragraph is that I was interested in the story of Kiss-Shot-Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade and the story of how Araragi became a vampire, which was referenced or alluded to many times in the earlier portions of the story. This is how Kizumonogatatri became this first Light Novel I read.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Scotland Loves Animation 2013 Festival Line-Up

On the day that , I report about this year's takes place in GLASGOW (OCTOBER 11TH-13TH) and EDINBURGH (OCTOBER 14TH-20TH). If the former bit of news is sad for the loss tat the film and anime world will suffer then the line-up offers positivity because these titles have so much imagination and originality that, even with the Miyazaki-sized hole in anime, great works will still be made.



The line-up features a lot of the biggest anime films released in Japan over the last two years. There are some genuinely lovely surprises like Fuse: A Gun Girl's Detective Story, Garden of Words, and Gusko Budori and some great surprises like Hal and Patema Inverted. Some of these films already have UK distribution deals and some are classics that are getting re-released.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Monster

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Horror, Police, Psychological, Thriller, Seinen

Episodes: 74

Personal Rating: 8/10

Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari blu-ray

After jumping through several hoops, I finally managed to lay my paws on the US licensed Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari blu-ray box-sets (Therightstuf doesn't ship this outside of North America you see.) I surprise myself by popping in the Nise blu-ray over Bake and streaking straight to episode 2 - Nadeko and her Twister/Ou-sama games. While it's disturbing how anime enjoys imparting copious sensuality to their 14 yr old bishoujos (see also Asuka from Evangelion or Momo from To-Love-Ru Darkness), I can't help but relishing in Nadeko's (failed) seduction.



Onward, the creditless OP Platinum Disco was up next featuring another cute 14 year old. This catchy tune was listed as Random Curiosity's top OP for 2012 and is surely of deserving of the honor. Tsukihi herself ranks fairly highly in on my Bake-girls list (Mainly due to Nekomonogatari - Kuro) and I lament her short short arc in Nise.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

30-Day Anime Challenge, Day 16

This one really isn't even a contest. In all my years of watching anime and other animated shows, only once Have I ever been completely blown away by animation. Just straight up blown away. The animation in this show is so good, if nothing ever happened, ever, it would still be worth watching. Got it? Good. Because that show is



BAKEMONOGATARI

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Guts

Do these have Guts? I'm hoping they do, as definitely had some pretty damn good songs like that.

BGR1P1

secret base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~ (10 years after ver.) - (Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai ED)

Kotobukiya's Hitagi Senjougahara Is Perfectly Menacing

I have a confession: I absolutely cannot stand Bakemonogatari. It's jokingly referred to as Eyeballs and Walls of Text in our household, and to be blunt any anime that starts out with an opening shot of panties has me jumping ship immediately. It's just not my cup of tea, though I totally adore the character design and have about a million figures from the series. But I'm getting monogatari fatigue-with Nisemonogatari and whatever the other one is, the new figures kind of have me rolling my eyes. So when Koto , I wasn't exactly jumping for joy.



However, their original Hitagi is my favorite figure of her (a controversial opinion, especially since I rank GSC's at the bottom and Alter's at second) so I decided to hold out hope-and the picture of her looked great. Well now we're getting the promo shots and I'm having a hard time lifting my jaw up off the floor. Holy hell, she is PERFECT. Plus she comes with two ways to display her-handcuffs or, um, dripping goo. You also get to pick between ponytail (the clearly superior option) or short hair. I can't wait for preorders to open!

Monday, August 26, 2013

RahXephon and Blu-ray Bakemonogatari Released Monday

On Monday August 26, the video label will reissue the 2002 Studio series . The eight-disc DVD set that will contain the 26 TV episodes as well as the re-edited feature film version (). The series was previously released in the UK by .

The series is described on Anime-on-line as follows:It is a new reality. For 15 years, the remnants of the human race have fought against the alien Mu and their unstoppable giant Dolem; a battle mankind seems destined to lose. But deep within the captured city of Tokyo, where time flows on a different path and mind-wiped citizens do not even know that they have been conquered, there is something that the Mu fears more than all of mankind's weapons. To find that secret, one young woman must penetrate the domed walls of Tokyo Jupiter and find a single young man, a young man upon whom the fate of all humanity dependsfor in his heart lies the power of RahXephon, and with it all the worlds can be remade. is releasing the first eight episodes of (pictured left) on Blu-ray. (The DVD edition has already been released.) The anime series 's Bakemonogatari light novels. The short stories in NisiOisin's two volumes of Bakemonogatari deal with a high school boy named Koyomi Araragi and strange students he encounters. ("Bakemonogatari" is a wordplay on the Japanese term bakemono for supernatural creatures and the term monogatari for stories.)
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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Anime: EF: A Tale Of Memories

EF: A TALE OF MEMORIES 2 Discs (Distributor: MVM) Running time: 293 minutes approx.

How important are memories? Are they something we simply live with because they are there or are they to be cherished? Can we live with them or live without them? Five teens are about to find out the true power of memories holds, both good and bad in maters of the heart.

Renji Aso is looking for somewhat quite to be alone and read his book. He finds an old abandoned railway station but sees someone else had the same idea. A quiet girl with a patch covering her left eye sits alone intently reading a dairy. She is Chihiro Shindo and Renji is smitten by her. He returns to the same spot day after day to meet Chihiro again, who acts vague around him, which he takes as a sign of her shyness. Renji is about to confess how much he enjoys Chihiro's company when she drops a bombshell - following a car accident in which she lost her left eye, Chihiro suffers from a rare condition in which she loses her memories after thirteen hours.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Alpha Polls 1-4 "Analysis"

I was relatively late to the party for something like this new tournament.Music is something that I hope most people enjoy listening to, and definitely there have been more than a handful of anime that I decided to pick up due to music associated with it, from openings and endings to background music. So I feel like I should have been paying attention to something like from the get-go,or at least from the nominations stage. Others have said that I have "questionable" taste in music (:)), so at least my potential nominations might have made things interesting, although of the results of the nominations point out that such a decision might have been moot. This is too good to pass up though, so I've participated in the , and I wanted to put in my two cents on the songs that are on the ballot as the tournament goes, especially as there's a fair bit that I haven't heard before (which is always exciting). This will be pretty tongue in cheek and probably not up to how I usually write on the blog, but it's good to be reactionary than thoughtful sometimes. And it will probably make me put more effort on this blog than I've been doing in the past two years combined. Whether or not that's a good thing is anybody's guess.



Without further ado, the , with streaming music and everything :

Bakemonogatari

Genre: Mystery, Romance, Vampire, Supernatural

Episodes: 15 + 11 + ??

Personal Rating: 9/10

Thoughts and Predictions On the Animusic Tournament

The first round of the has just begun - go vote if you haven't already -and already, I can feel the disappointment starting to pile up. Intellectually, I know only one song can win in the end and I am excited to see how the matches play out but it's hard to watch favorite songs, or even just well-liked songs, not do as well as one feels they should. Before moving onto my predictions I wanted to highlight these already fallen songs.



I really don't have room to complain - and that's why I'm not - over the number of songs that made it into the tournament from my nomination ballot. If we look at my ballot to see how they ranked

Fun Stuff: My Top Ten Favorite Anime Ladies

I may be all about the bishies, but I've definitely got a lot of love for some of the leading ladies of anime, too! As someone who likes to take the feminist perspective when digesting literature, film, etc, the subject of the role women play in anime is of particular interest to me. Several anime titles (especially those geared towards young men) tend to disappoint me with women whose characters are entirely dependent on fanservice and their physical appearance or otherwise dependency on the male lead(s) without any other driving purpose given, but several shows have developed fantastic heroines who have brains, guts, and emotional depths to go along with their looks.

Here are my top ten anime lady crushes and the reasons why I love them:

10. Kaname Chidori (Full Metal Panic)

Sankarea Review

SANKAREA is impressive on the merits of its story alone and that makes it a good series overall. It is shame that though that the "good" could have been "great", if it only tried a little harder to hold it all together.



INFORMATION

Dat Rainbow (It'sh Sho Intenshe!!)

This is from Bakemonogatari, right?And did y'all spot the Double Rainbow reference?If not, I'm disappointed.And you probably didn't spot the Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei references a few posts back either, or the Oreimo ones, or the Kuroshitsuji ones.If that's the case, I'll be horribly disappointed in worldwide youth culture.Ya gotta be able to handle hard-core references!!It's practically a requirement!



Updates;

Fun Stuff: Summer Season Impressions

Now that the summer season is in full swing, it's about time for me to take a look at the shows I've been watching and gather early impressions. Overall, I've been very pleased with my personal selections, as well as the variety of shows available this season overall. There's a little something for everyone this time around, and since I enjoy several different genres, I've been as happy as a clam over the diverse selection. Here's what I think thus far:



Attack on Titan (second half)

Ending Theme Song of Nekomonogatari (White) "Ai wo Utae"

One of chrams of the anime version of "Monogatari" series would be goodness of the theme songs.



The ending theme song of the first anime of the series "Bakemonogatari" was especially wonderful.

Medaka Box Abnormal: Season 2

Age: 13 and up

Rating: 7 1/2 out of 10

Episode Count: 12

Friday, August 23, 2013

JJ's anime review: Bakemonogatari

WHAT IS A GHOST? WHAT IS A GOD? WHAT IS A VAMPIRE, A MONSTER, A HUMAN? ALL ARE JUST ABSTRACTS, WORDS WHOSE MEANING WE THINK WE KNOW. LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER, AND YOU MAY BE SURPRISED BY WHAT YOU FIND. IT COULD BE TRUTH, IT COULD BE THE ANSWERS YOU LOOK FOR, OR IT COULD, IN THE END, BE NOTHING MORE THAN SMOKE IN THE WIND. JUST ANOTHER GHOST, BUT IF YOU LOOK ONLY AT THE SURFACE, HOW WILL YOU EVER KNOW?



"WARNING - THIS ANIME REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK "

Effect of Music to Anime and Games

Today's topic is not animations or games but music.



I love music so much as well as animations and games as you may realize from previous articles in this blog.

Putting It All To Rest: Hourou Musuko and Aoi Hana

A couple of months into my senior year, Ion about how much I despised the J.C. Staff adaptation of Takako Shimura's Aoi Hana, which made me so violently angry, I would eventually claim that I sought to smash in my computer monitor by the third episode. The comment wasn't for effect; I'm too earnest for that. I oozed similar rage in , in which I more or less asserted that I was done seeking wholesale realism in anime, which for the most part tended not to come together, anyway. However out of whack I was over the course of that godawful year, I don't apologize for the particular sentiments. Such energy wasted over clumsy banging on the table! The feelings are still ambivalent or negative, but I don't care anymore. It's no longer worth it.



Half-expected her to whip out a bokut .

Anime Season Midterms

The final part, Sunday. Quite a few shows, some of them even air on Sunday, or late enough at night that I can't watch them before I get back from work. Definitely a strong day in terms of the shows it contains, probably the strongest day. I work on Sundays, alas, making it not as pleasurable as it could've otherwise been.



: Blood Lad, Makai Ouji - Devils and Realist, WataMote, The World God Only Knows Season 3, Free!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Summer 2013

During whichever week this belongs to: complaints on the detective/mystery work in DANGANRONPA, how Index continues to undermine Misaka's character in TO ARU KAGAKU NO RAILGUN S, excitement over distinguishing Fu's character in TAMAYURA ~MORE AGGRESSIVE~, and a slight but refreshing and welcome change in MONOGATARI SERIES SECOND SEASON.



Best episode of the week: MONOGATARI SERIES SECOND SEASON

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Monday, July 22, 2013

First Impressions: Summer 2013

BLOOD LAD



To be honest, I really wasn't expecting much out of Blood Lad. For a while I've had an aversion to vampire shows, so at first I was wary. I only really watched the first episode because I heard there would be monster girls. I made the right choice, because what I found in the pilot was something I had never seen before. Blood Lad is a wholly unique show in which almost every aspect I can think of is done differently. The character designs are refreshing and interesting, as is the whole show's look. The animation is done in a fun and surprising way that literally didn't allow me to get bored. The comedy is unorthodox as well and managed to get more than a few surprise laughs out of me. I was really invested in the main character Staz from the get-go, and I'm interested to see all the other characters that are shown in the opening sequence.That being said, I really hope that Blood Lad doesn't turn out to be a straight forward battle anime like the aforementioned opening seemed to imply. As long as it stays as fresh and involving as it's first foray, I think I'm going to continue enjoying this series.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Summer 2013 Set Menu

*GASP!* Choices, choices!



Is it just me, or are there a crap-ton of interesting shows this summer? I don't think my menu has had this many entries in a single season for, well, ever. I thought I was doing pretty good clearing out my watching list with the close of the spring, but then I started trying out summer shows and found myself loathe to drop any of them. Most of them were an immediate "Yes" after just one episode, but we'll see how many are still around midway through the season.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Summer 2013 Anime Top Starters

Summer is here.It's hot and time for some refreshing anime.While this season doesn't necessarily quench my thirst with each show individually, the overall spread of excellence is enough to keep me hydrated until the, usually better, fall season.Unless otherwise noted, I will be using the names used on Crunchyroll for the series.In addition to today's feature, I'll be announcing a new column at the end of the blog - so read on!



Rather than posting my usual first impressions, I'm going to be going with a top 5 format to cut to the chase and provide you with what you're looking for:"What anime should I watch this season?"

Friday, July 19, 2013

Monogatari: Second Season is BEAUTIFUL

And oh so glorious.



So glorious.

It's Here! My Summer 2013 Anime Picks!

These are my recommended picks for the Summer 2013 Anime Season. Going to do something a little different this time and list the other anime I'm watching as well below the highlighted picks.



* HYPERDIMENSION NEPTUNIA - I'm sure I don't need to even mention how much I love this series and why it's on my list of anime to watch this season lol. Join our favorite goddesses as they compete for shares and work together for the greater good of Gameindustri all while being funny and entertaining at the same time.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Anime Roundup: Summer 2013

Looks like I need to write up another apology. The kombine moved over to a new server over the weekend so there are still a few kinks, though the site is mostly functional. Just a few missing bits here and there which I'm looking for and getting restored. But I can still post and, with the new season just starting, it looks like a good a time as any for the usual roundup post! First up, a look at the shows just gone!



BEST SHOW

A New Anime Season + Genshiken

It's time for a new anime season, even though I still haven't caught up with the previous one. There are some nice new shows starting up this time, including a "second season" of , more . a reboot of the Rozen Maiden gothic doll series, and an anime based on the popular (and ecchi) games for the PS3. I'm also happy to report that, for the first time in six years, we've got new to watch. Genshiken is a slice-of-life series about a "circle" (what a club at a university is called) dedicated to the study of Modern Visual Culture, mostly related to anime, manga, games and cosplay, and along with the Daikon IV opening animation, Gainax's seminal Otaku no Video and Welcome to the NHK, it's really come to define what being otaku is. What I like best about the series is its realism, the way different types of fans (, , BL loving , ) interact with each other in realistic ways, and nitty-gritty details like how they go about getting jobs after college are part of the story. The new series features all your favorite characters plus some new ones, and updates the story nicely...though how is it they're making Bakemonogatari and Oreimo jokes if the story is supposed to be set in 2004-2005?

It's great to have new Genshiken to watch.
Full Post

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

A Closer Look at Asia's Favorite Chord Progression

Have you noticed throughout your years of music listening that Western pop and Asian pop, in broad generality, "feel" very different from each other? If you thought that there might be a certain harmonic disparity between the two, you'd be right. There is a specific harmonic unit that appears incredibly abundantly in the latter but rather rarely in the former, and it boils down to just three chords.



Here it is, the single most distinctive and frequent sound signature of East-Asian pop music, transcribed in the key of G:

Monday, July 15, 2013

First Impressions: Summer 2013 Anime Season

This is one of the best anime seasons in recent memory. It has everything. Comedy, drama, robots, animal abuse, deadly lolitas, etc. I have around 20 shows to cover so you know the deal -- this will be quick and dirty. Most of these impressions are based on one episode. This means my opinions could (and probably will) change. After all -- Angel Beats started off great and then turned into one of the most disappointing anime ever.



DANGANRONPA: THE ANIMATION

SHAFT to Animate Nisekoi Romantic Comedy Anime

Fans of the massively successful manga let out a cry of happiness today as the infamous studio stepped forward with news that they would be animating its recently announced anime adaption. SHAFT is renowned for its quirky storytelling techniques and distinctive abstract art style made famous by the monumentally successful series and . The anime adaption will be directed by Bakemonogatari's director Akiyuki Shinbo, and upon hearing the news the creator of Nisekoi, Naoshi Komi said that he jumped for joy, and who could blame him?



Nisekoi tells the story of the son of a yakuza gang leader called Raku Ichijou and the daughter of a rival gang, Chitoge Kirisaki. To settle a disagreement between the two gangs, it is decided that the two rival gang leader's children will be paired together. Unfortunately, Raku has already been kneed in the face once by Chitoge by the time this has been decided. The two had grown to dislike each other while searching for a locket that Raku was given by his childhood sweetheart. However, to keep peace they are forced to put on a fa ade that they are in love, which proves to be a huge challenge due to multiple keys to his locket existing and Raku having a crush on another girl.

Summer 2013 Anime that Might Join Weiss Schwarz

Sean(KuroNekoXIII6) - July 15, 2013



As we all know, every season there are a couple anime series that are selected to join the popular anime card game, Weiss Schwarz.This summer season there are actually a lot of series that possibly might cometo Weiss.

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai

I relate to stories of being a useless lazy piece of shit (notice how this review for a Winter season anime has been published in June) and I am also a fan of SHAFT's output in general, so boy is Sasami-san@Ganbaranai the series for me! Well, at least in theory, anyway.



Sasami-san@Ganbaranai focuses on the life of the titular Sasami, who starts out as a hikkikimori pampered by her enigmatic, siscon older brother, as she observes and occasionally tries to prevent all the weird shit that goes on with the help of the three Yagami sisters. One of whom is a robot. Another is a God (sort of). And Sasami herself certainly isn't a regular human.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

The Art In OreGairu Does Not Suck

This would be my reaction to you if you told me the art and character designs in Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru are ugly.



But I wouldn't actually be surprised. There are two major off-putting factors when it comes to OreGairu on face value: 1) it's yet another pretentious light novel romcom adaptation and 2) the character designs are not cute. It just goes to show that you shouldn't judge a novel by its cover (literally!) and OreGairu is a series with a lot more substance than what it initially lets on. The seemingly sloppy art style merely contributes to this. It takes the focus away from the visually pandering element of most anime of its genre and emphasises the twisted nature of the tropes that are explored within this series. Like the story, the art isn't always pretty and ultimately it rings as incomplete and half-done when viewed as a whole, but that in itself is an interesting and striking effect. Far from sucking, the art in OreGairu actually makes the series better.

Summer 2013 Season thus far...

Among all those new series that has begun airing, a few has already proved to be interesting, in terms of its plot and animation designs.



What came as the more significant series this season was Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Katanagatari

KATANAGATARI



Oh welp. I'll dump what's on my mind.

Why Every Anime is Set in High School

Anyone that has watched enough anime outside the shounen and fantasy genres notices that every other show seems take place in a high school. They feature characters that are high school students, or are based on a certain kind of after school clubin a high school.While fanservice potential no doubt contributes to the reason this is such a prolific setting, I believe the perfusionthink it stems from cultural norms.



There's a Japanese proverb, "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down", which I'm sure feels right at home in the rigid, protocol-filled Japanese society. Japanese people are expected to conform to societal expectations and behavior by the time they enter the professional world. While they are in the education system learning about science, history, and the 50 billion kanji they need to know to be literate, they still have some freedom to act like fun-loving teenagers instead of like robots responsible, conforming adults. Due to the less strict environment and the fact that schools are a powerhouse of social interaction, characters are much more likely to express their personalities. No doubt this is where many of the archetypes that come up in every main character's class come from.

Katanagatari -The Story of Swords-

EPIC ! I don't know another words to describe it, just epic.... Really good story, and it's my first time to watch such anime that have a narator inside it lol. Although the duration is so long (about 50 minutes, almost 1 hour XD so be patient when watching this series), it's worth watching it. They have great soundtracks too. No regret.

The story itself was telling about Togame, who was searching for a new right hand after betrayals to her from her excrews for her mission, searching 12 legendary swords. She sails the sea and arrive on a liveless island. Nobody live there except two brother and sister, Shichika Yasuri and Nanami Yasuri. Both are the daughter and son of hero from past that has been deported into the island. And then something happen and blah blah blah, I don't want to spoil it XP

I know it's too late for write an article about this anime, but I will do what I like, ahaha forget it swt.

- Watching new anime

It's been ages updating this blog, due to the final exams I wrote about last time and also due to a lot of catching up with friends and relatives. My younger brother finished and passed his highschool finals last week so we had to throw a party also, holidays are coming up pretty soon and I've been making plans with friends and family.



As for today's conent. I haven't been adding too much new material to my Kanji Decks but I have been watching a ton of anime and reading some manga. I normally use animefreak.tv but since Im quite the graphics-admirer I started downloading HQ versions. As for Manga, the sites I use for raw downloads areor . Unfortunately, getting to the download link is quite a hassle but the database is vast and overall good quality scans. Worth checking out. Last week I added some anime to my collection:

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia Review

Here we are with yet another review, this time with Dusk Maiden of Amnesia! Available from Hanabee on Blu-ray or DVD, the Blu-ray can be reached at



Look forward to more reviews in the future, as we work through our backlog of anime~.

Summer 2013

The calendar has turned and July is upon us, marking the conclusions of a number of beloved anime last week and signaling the advent of dozens of new shows for the next three months.As with every other season preview here, this one will take a complete and comprehensive look at all the shows airing this Summer with a special focus on all the new franchises and series premiering for the first time.Also included in a quick note about my plans for this season which will include a hiatus to some extent which will likely changed how I write about anime this season.So with that, onto the anime for Summer 2013!



Regarding my planned hiatus over the Summer, I will be moving sometime shortly and beginning to work more than ever before, which leads me to believe I will be taking a break from blogging for a while.If I can manage my time and find a way to keep current with a number of shows and write about them every week, then I'll likely continue to blog the various anime that I watch over the next three months.However, I am planning for the event that I am unable to blog, so I am putting a warning here and will make another announcement later should I actually take a vacation from blogging.That being said, I'll also probably have a lighter load of anime this season as compared to previous seasons, so even if I do continue to blog, I'll likely be watching fewer shows than normal which will give me a lighter load to watch and write about every week.However, that load really depends on the quality of anime this season, so let's see what's coming out this month, starting with the sequels and other continuations.

Monogatari Series Second Season

No doubt one of the most anticipated series overall this summer is , the latest anime adaptation based on the various stories in thelight novel series written by Nisio Isin.



While it is labeled 'second season', it is in fact the third full cour "Monogatari" anime after "Bakemonogatari" and "Nisemonogatari", not counting "Nekomonogatari (Kuro)" which spanned only four episodes.

Back of the Envelope: Light Novel Adaptations

Light novel adaptations are interesting things.



There - I've said it. I actually enjoy the genre that LNs and their adaptations represent, both academically and personally. Maybe it's just the blogs I subscribe to or people I chat with, but the genre of LN adaptations seems to stir up strong feelings on both sides of (Western) fandom when it comes up online, especially since they're all the rage nowadays. Is the extensive adaptation of the genre a good thing? I don't know (although the response might be similar to ), and I'm not going to try to discuss the deeper issues behind what LN adaptations mean for the anime industry and the fanbase as a whole today. Instead, I'm going to put things in groups and pretend like it's somehow important to stick labels to things.

Best Anime Series of 2009

Now that I have just over a month of free time before I start working again, I finally have some time to write a few more articles for my blog. Since we are still have a year away from a 2013 anime review, I am going back in time and catching up with earlier years, which brings us to 2009.Here are the top ten anime series based on composite scores from different anime websites:10. EDEN OF THE EAST ()



No. of episodes: 11

Tamayura More Aggressive

No doubt the series was anticipating the most this summer season is , sequel to the "Tamayura ~futatose~" original anime and the "Tamayura" four episode OVA.



Absolutely love the "Tamayura" franchise, it's a wonderful slice-of-life show like "Aria" or "Sketchbook ~full color'S~" that is filled with heartwarming moments and tales of the characters leisurely daily lives, my favorite style in this genre.

Notes on "Otaku: Japan's Database Animals": Part 2

These are a series of notes compiled over time concerning Azuma's Otaku: Japan's Database Animals, what I think is one of the most insightful books in the absolutely enthralling subfield that is anime(-related) studies. See for context.



PART 2. SIMULACRA AND METANARRATIVES

Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu

Based on the "Tokurei Sochi Dantai Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu" manga written by Ikoma with art by Tomomoka Midori, this slice-of-life comedy series is all about a group of girls and their daily shenanigans in the school's airsoft gun survival game club.



Been looking forward to and quite enjoyed its first episode, it felt like the all-girls school vibe of "Maria-sama ga Miteru" coupled with the new friendships within a club element of "KON!" all mixed up with the girls involved in gun and warfare element of "Upotte!".

What makes a Monogatari

My relationship with the Monogatari series is a one-sided long distance relationship at best. As much as I'd like to get closer, the language gap is large, quite large. I've spent a lot of time trying to get through the difficult Japanese and sometimes I have to admit there will be parts I'll never understand until a better translator comes by. Unfortunately, good translators are hard to come by and Nisioisin induces translator burnout. To be completely fair, his works are not impossibly difficult to read but translating is another beast entirely. A task I wonder anyone will ever complete.



(By the way. the unofficial , after the unfortunate demise of the official one, is going along surprisingly well. I can tell you the translator is lazy but capable.)

Summer 2013

This post reviews: KIRINO MOSAIC, GEN'EI WO KAKERU TAIYOU, MONOGATARI SERIES SECOND SEASON, KAMISAMA NO INAI NICHIYOUBI, and UCHOUTEN KAZOKU.



Looks like there'll be three parts for my posts for Summer 2013.After this, I might post a couple of posts before I go on hiatus, though I might try something different for the month of July.I guess we'll see once these posts are finished up.

Summer 2013 Anime

Genshiken 2

There were some watchable things in the Spring season, but the stand-out item for me was Chihayafuru, which was carried over from the Winter.


Thursday, July 11, 2013

“Bakemonogatari Premium Item Box” to Release This November!

[1]



On May 22, Koyomimonogatari, the newest novel in the popular Monogatari series, went on sale. Also, the second season of the Monogatari anime series will begin broadcasting this July. Because of this, Nisio Isin's Monogatari series is collecting huge interest. Now, one more item for the series is picking up added attention from fans. On May 23, it was announced that a "Bakemonogatari Premium Item Box" will be released from Kodansha on Nov. 21. This curious box is filled with a superior selection of items related to Bakemonogatari. The first item that will catch fans' eyes is the figure "Nendoroid Hitagi Senjogahara" produced by Good Smile Company. Senjogahara has high popularity for being the main heroine in the Monogatariseries. This figure features her lovely form in the chibi style characteristic of Nendoroid figures. Also included in this set are three clear posters drawn by Vofan, the illustrator of the original work, Akio Watanabe, character designer on the anime series, and manga artist Hajime Ueda. These too seem like they will be popular with fans. Furthermore, one more item to take notice of is the short work "Hitagi Figure" drawn for the occasion by Isin. We can't touch on the details of this, but judging from the title, it will most likely be related to the figure included in the set. A premium item box being sold by a publisher is all but unheard of, but it's possible to say that it will include ideas from the publisher. The price of this set is 5,985 yen (tax included). Pre-orders are now being accepted until July 1. It's also worth noting that this set is only being sold to those who pre-order it. For those who definitely want it, it's important to act soon. Furthermore, a special site for this product has opened. For those in Japan, you can download the pre-order form from this site or pre-order it online. With the novels, TV anime, and now this premium set, the world of the Monogatari series is expanding even more. "Bakemonogatari Premium Item Box" Special Site:

#277 What are you watching this Summer 2013?

I bet you're wondering where Naruto and Bleach chapter reviews lately. Well, they're not coming. Naruto is getting very suspenseful, but also slowing down to one event per chapter. Bleach is too busy flipping through their multitude of new and old characters that I'm losing focus from the main story.



But let's talk about anime.

Katanagatari

KATANAGATARI



Oh welp. I'll dump what's on my mind.

Katanagatari -The Story of Swords-

EPIC ! I don't know another words to describe it, just epic.... Really good story, and it's my first time to watch such anime that have a narator inside it lol. Although the duration is so long (about 50 minutes, almost 1 hour XD so be patient when watching this series), it's worth watching it. They have great soundtracks too. No regret.

The story itself was telling about Togame, who was searching for a new right hand after betrayals to her from her excrews for her mission, searching 12 legendary swords. She sails the sea and arrive on a liveless island. Nobody live there except two brother and sister, Shichika Yasuri and Nanami Yasuri. Both are the daughter and son of hero from past that has been deported into the island. And then something happen and blah blah blah, I don't want to spoil it XP

I know it's too late for write an article about this anime, but I will do what I like, ahaha forget it swt.

Best Anime Series of 2009 - Meta Ranking & Analysis

Now that I have just over a month of free time before I start working again, I finally have some time to write a few more articles for my blog. Since we are still have a year away from a 2013 anime review, I am going back in time and catching up with earlier years, which brings us to 2009.Here are the top ten anime series based on composite scores from different anime websites:10. EDEN OF THE EAST ()



No. of episodes: 11

Summer 2013 – First Week Impressions (Part 2)

This post reviews: KIRINO MOSAIC, GEN'EI WO KAKERU TAIYOU, MONOGATARI SERIES SECOND SEASON, KAMISAMA NO INAI NICHIYOUBI, and UCHOUTEN KAZOKU.



Looks like there'll be three parts for my posts for Summer 2013.After this, I might post a couple of posts before I go on hiatus, though I might try something different for the month of July.I guess we'll see once these posts are finished up.

Summer 2013 Anime – first looks

Genshiken 2

There were some watchable things in the Spring season, but the stand-out item for me was Chihayafuru, which was carried over from the Winter.


Anime: Bakemonogatari Part 1

BAKEMONOGATARI PART 1 (EPISODES 1-8) (15)2 Discs (Distributor: MVM) Running time: 193 minutes approx.

Koyomi Aragari is a high school boy and former vampire destined to help the girls of his school deal with the various demonic apparitions that blight their lives, with the help of the mysterious hippy like Meme Oshino.

For the first time in my six years as an Anime reviewer I am actually stumped as to what to write, such is the perplexing and abstract nature of Bakemonogatari. Based on the light novels by Isio Nisin, the title is a portmanteau of the words "bakemono", meaning ghost or monster, and "monogatari" meaning story - so it's a "ghost story" if you will. The plot may be simple, hence the vague outline above, but the content and presentation takes the surreal and esoteric manifesto to new and often baffling and obnoxious levels of mind jarring. If you think you've seen it all in shows like FLCL or Mawaru Penguindrum then think again, with this title arguably likely to prove to be more contentious than these two combined.

Of camps and the end of spring.

It's been a somewhat productive month? Maybe? Due to things out of my control haha.

Aaaanyway I guess I'll start where I left off, at the start of June.


Dusk Maiden of Amnesia Review

Here we are with yet another review, this time with Dusk Maiden of Amnesia! Available from Hanabee on Blu-ray or DVD, the Blu-ray can be reached at



Look forward to more reviews in the future, as we work through our backlog of anime~.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Summer 2013 – Season Preview

The calendar has turned and July is upon us, marking the conclusions of a number of beloved anime last week and signaling the advent of dozens of new shows for the next three months.As with every other season preview here, this one will take a complete and comprehensive look at all the shows airing this Summer with a special focus on all the new franchises and series premiering for the first time.Also included in a quick note about my plans for this season which will include a hiatus to some extent which will likely changed how I write about anime this season.So with that, onto the anime for Summer 2013!



Regarding my planned hiatus over the Summer, I will be moving sometime shortly and beginning to work more than ever before, which leads me to believe I will be taking a break from blogging for a while.If I can manage my time and find a way to keep current with a number of shows and write about them every week, then I'll likely continue to blog the various anime that I watch over the next three months.However, I am planning for the event that I am unable to blog, so I am putting a warning here and will make another announcement later should I actually take a vacation from blogging.That being said, I'll also probably have a lighter load of anime this season as compared to previous seasons, so even if I do continue to blog, I'll likely be watching fewer shows than normal which will give me a lighter load to watch and write about every week.However, that load really depends on the quality of anime this season, so let's see what's coming out this month, starting with the sequels and other continuations.

Summer 2013 Anime Season Previews/Thoughts

* for larger image.



Hey guys this is Ash. The blog isn't fully revived, but the new season is starting next week (or has already started for some shows) and I'd like to at least do one of these. My life right now is a bit hectic and who knows when it will get better, so wish me good luck!

Tamayura More Aggressive

No doubt the series was anticipating the most this summer season is , sequel to the "Tamayura ~futatose~" original anime and the "Tamayura" four episode OVA.



Absolutely love the "Tamayura" franchise, it's a wonderful slice-of-life show like "Aria" or "Sketchbook ~full color'S~" that is filled with heartwarming moments and tales of the characters leisurely daily lives, my favorite style in this genre.

Notes on “Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals”: Part 2 – Simulacra and Metanarratives

These are a series of notes compiled over time concerning Azuma's Otaku: Japan's Database Animals, what I think is one of the most insightful books in the absolutely enthralling subfield that is anime(-related) studies. See for context.



PART 2. SIMULACRA AND METANARRATIVES

Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu

Based on the "Tokurei Sochi Dantai Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu" manga written by Ikoma with art by Tomomoka Midori, this slice-of-life comedy series is all about a group of girls and their daily shenanigans in the school's airsoft gun survival game club.



Been looking forward to and quite enjoyed its first episode, it felt like the all-girls school vibe of "Maria-sama ga Miteru" coupled with the new friendships within a club element of "KON!" all mixed up with the girls involved in gun and warfare element of "Upotte!".

What makes a Monogatari

My relationship with the Monogatari series is a one-sided long distance relationship at best. As much as I'd like to get closer, the language gap is large, quite large. I've spent a lot of time trying to get through the difficult Japanese and sometimes I have to admit there will be parts I'll never understand until a better translator comes by. Unfortunately, good translators are hard to come by and Nisioisin induces translator burnout. To be completely fair, his works are not impossibly difficult to read but translating is another beast entirely. A task I wonder anyone will ever complete.



(By the way. the unofficial , after the unfortunate demise of the official one, is going along surprisingly well. I can tell you the translator is lazy but capable.)

Anime: Bakemonogatari Part 2

BAKEMONOGATARI PART 2 (EPISODES 9-15) (15)2 Discs (Distributor: MVM) Running time: 171 minutes approx.

The mind bending, supernatural encounters for high school boy and former vampire Koyomi Aragari conclude in this second release, as he seeks to free more troubled damsels from the animalistic demons that possess them.

Two stories make up the final set of episodes in this two disc set. With the subject of his most recent rescue, Suruga Kanbaru, Koyomi heads off to an ancient shrine to perform a ritual task for his own saviour, the enigmatic Meme Oshino. On the way the pair cross paths with a young girl frantically fleeing from something. Upon arriving at the shrine they find a pile of chopped up snake corpses and assume the girl had something to do with this. The next night they meet the girl again and Koyomu recognises her as Nadeko Sengoku, a friend of his younger sisters. Revealing reptilian scale patterns all over her body, Koyomi concludes that Nadeko has been possessed by a snake.

Friday, July 5, 2013

CRUNCHYROLL TO STREAM MONOGATARI SECOND SEASON THIS SUMMER

Aniplex of America has launched fan-favorite DVD and Blu-Ray releases such as Bakemonogatari, Durarara!!, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the Garden of Sinners and Blue Exorcist. The company's ever-growing line-up of shows includes our most recent titles ...

IL SOLE PENETRA LE ILLUSIONI ~ DAY BREAK ILLUSION TO SIMULCAST ON ...

(July 2, 2013) – Tarot cards and the occult foretold that Crunchyroll, Inc.'s destiny is to simulcast the new mystic IL SOLE PENETRA LE ILLUSIONI ~ DAY BREAK ILLUSION this season in partnership with Aniplex of America,. This series is set to ...

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Bakemonogatari Is An Amazingly Well

Kotaku AustraliaOne , in particular, has stood out to me as a must watch: Monogatari Series Second Season. There's just one problem, I haven't seen either of the preceding two series, Bakemonogatari and Niseimonogatari, nor the OVA. While I have been an fan ...

Aniplex Acquires Rights to Release Bakemonogatari Season 2 and ...

While that trend is extending into Nekomonogatari Black and Bakemonogatari Series Second Season when those two are due to be released stateside, Aniplex will also be streaming the series for those of us without the means to fork over the annual GDP of ...

Daisuki to Stream Monogatari Series 2nd Season Anime

The will be Daisuki 's first simulcast title. The series will premiere on Daisuki exclusively on July 6 a few hours after its broadcast in Japan. The simulcast will be free and in HD quality. Daisuki will also stream Bakemonogatari ...

Nekomonogatari (White) Anime's 2nd Promo Streamed

The official website for the Monogatari Series Second Season began streaming the second promotional video for the adaptation of NisiOisin 's Nekomonogatari (White) novel on Friday. ...

"Bakemonogatari" Premium Item Box Art Previewed

Monogatari's busy year continues in November with the Bakemonogatari Premium Item Box, a collection of goodies that includes Ishin Nishio's novella "Hitagi Figure," a Nendoroid Senjyogahara Hitagi produced by Good Smile Company and clearfiles and tin ...

Bakemonogatari Director Shinbo, SHAFT Make Nisekoi TV Anime

Komi, the creator of the Double Arts manga, first made Nisekoi as a one-shot manga in Shueisha 's seasonal Jump NEXT! magazine in 2011. Komi then launched the manga as a regular series in the main Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in November 2011.

Crunchyroll to Also Stream Monogatari Series 2nd Season Anime

The media distribution service Crunchyroll announced on Wednesday that will stream the Monogatari Series Second Season television series. Crunchyroll will ...