Friday, July 13, 2012

The Sad Truth About Anime

Enough Said. 
If you know a show that disproves this correlation, do not hesitate to let me know the name. In my personal experience, this prediction has not failed me.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Honey & Clover ( 1 & 2 )

Welcome Back Anime Fans! Round 2! Fight!

Objective:

Hello, I am an avid anime fan with various genre interests. I will review anime from various genres ranging from "Mecha" to "Slice-of-Life" and everything in between. I update this blog ( and more to come in the future ) daily, and I take recommendations through my e-mail or comments. The shows that I will review include Honey & Clover, School Rumble, Darker Than Black.

HONEY & CLOVER

Because Wind Running Through Your Hair Makes For A Good Scene!
With a unique intro, Honey & Clover caught my attention immediately. I know what you are thinking after seeing that for the first time ("What the !@#$ was that? And what was up with the shrimp cocktail?"), but did it not also made you think that the anime would be worth checking out? And my suspicious paid off because Honey & Clover was indeed clever, humorous, dramatic, and unique.
If Morita crosses his legs any more he will be officially neutered.  
Honey & Clover focuses on a group of college students and the day to day challenges that they encounter. At first the characters might seem slightly dense and dull; however, the plot picks up quickly and you are left asking to know more about each character's back-story. This show is well balanced with perfectly timed comic relief, drama, romance, and character development.  Unlike what you might expect, this show is not a childish anime (although the pictures might suggest otherwise).
Beware: Serious Drama Will Be Discussed Below
Honey & Clover manages to explores rather dark and serious themes such as finding a fulfilling lifestyle, accepting your feelings for others and by others, and living with regrets. To summarize, Honey & Clover  develops into a personal and heart felt show because of the tacit understandings the characters develop for each other. When you see Honey & Clover I am confident you will be able to relate to at least one of the main characters and feel the emotions they feel on their turbulent journey.    

Although I try not to pick favorites when reviewing an anime, I applaud Morita (pictured below asking his broke college friend for money) for being a lovable character, hilarious, spontaneous, and being an important driving force of the plot.
Morita's Diary: "Today I Totally Ripped Off My Friend. I Love My Life!"

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Gintama, Steins;Gate, Toradora! Anime Review

Welcome Anime Viewers!

Objective:

Hello, I am an avid anime fan with various genre interests. I will review anime from various genres ranging from "Mecha" to "Slice-of-Life" and everything in between. I update this blog ( and more to come in the future ) daily, and I take recommendations through my e-mail or comments.

GINTAMA

First up is a hilarious show called Gintama. The comedy of Gintama is due to exaggerations, expressions, and ridiculous plot development.
Now, be honest. Are you not at least curious to find out what circumstances they got themselves into?
Even though the show breaks the "Fourth Wall", which is synonymous to breaking out of character and speaking directly to the audience, it maintains a humorous atmosphere. What the show lacks in plot it makes up for it in the ridiculous circumstances that your beloved characters manage to find themselves in. I highly recommend Gintama to anyone with knowledge of various animes (which are often satirized).
I don't suppose you know this reference.
In a nutshell, I highly recommend this show because of the undeniable humor. I am certain that any viewer will be able to relate in some manner to at least one of the characters because of the range of characteristics: sadist to masochist and everything in between.
Gintama has more characters than there are visible stars in the background. I am not kidding.

STEINS;GATE 

Lab Coat (+10 science), Sandals (+4 hacking), Cat Ears (+3 Moe), Black Suit (+4 Stealth), Bokken (+5 Blunt Attack), Loose Red Tie (+3 Appeal), Blue Cap (+2 UV Ray Protection), Glasses On Nose (+3 Vision)
Steins;Gate is an anime adaptation of a game that explores the alternatives worlds created by the implementation of time travelling (at first known as D-Mail). Okabe (Lab Member #1, is the leader of the team, wears a fashionable lab coat, is prone to maniacal laughter and being a mad scientist, and is the official inventor of time travelling.) 
Unfortunately that is not a spaceship.
Steins;Gate explores the consequences of time traveling, sending text messages through time, and ultimately altering a course of events. This anime is appealing to various viewers because of the memorable characters, time traveling theories, romance, and plot twists. Overall, the plot becomes very solid after episode 12 when the climax is reached and you gasp in awe as the most unpredictable line of events unfolds. The OVA (episode 25) does a great job at tying together loose ends in the story and gives a strong indication of  the course of events to follow. I can guarantee you will not regret watching this show.

A Pose Like Okabe's Guarantees Your Acceptance Into M.I.T

TORADORA! (Tiger and Dragon)


From Left To Right: Taiga, Ryūji, Ami, Minori, Yūsaku
What can I say? I am a sucker for romantic comedies; however, unlike the numerous high school comedies with cliche plots, Toradora manages to keep me on the edge of my seat with the unusual plot, rich character development, and complex emotions. 

NOT a complex emotion.

Complex Love "Triangle"
This anime is recommended for anyone who enjoys romance, comedy, and slice-of-life anime. As a last comment, Toradora begins as a romance-comedy but develops into a mature story due to plot twists, confessions, and emotional struggles. Enjoy the show!