On the Third Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

Three Shounen Timeskips
Two Crazy Whores
And A Pair of Giant Matrix Boooooobiiiiiiieeeessss!

This year saw timeskips in three particular shounen series (Bleach, One Piece, and Fairy Tail) leap to the forefront of my mind - though two of them I first encountered in their respective manga at the back end of last year. In an odd sort of way the three kind of feel like some kind of arse-kicking Japanese version of the three ghosts from Dickens' A Christmas Carol - Naruto's timeskip is oooold news and just jangles around in the background like Jacob Marley.

Bleach: The Ghost of Christmas Past Interestingly enough, Bleach is the only one of the three whose timeskip I've not actually encountered this year. I read it in the manga at the end of last year and since I stalled on the anime, I've yet to see it there. In a sense that makes Bleach the most fitting to be my Ghost of Christmas Past, especially since the majority of my enjoyment of the series is well and truly in the past. Scrooge reliving the happiness and misery of his past sums up my relationship with Bleach. Everything was all fine and dandy at the end of the arc, so why, WHY did he have to do a timeskip and continue?! As much as I love Renji's smexy new hair-do, I still can't help but think, Bah Humbug, Ichigo. Bah Humbug.

One Piece: The Ghost of Christmas Present

Much like Bleach I read the timeskip in the manga last year, but I did encounter it in the anime this year. When I think of the Ghost of Christmas Present I think of a jolly, bearded man showing everyone having a warm and happy Christmas, and that's exactly how I feel about One Piece. Despite being over a year into the jump manga wise, it still feels present, like it's ongoing an not just a thing of the past. Oda has carefully held back on revealing every change all at once so that it's like we're still living the skip, still reeling from its impact and not just treating it as something that happened a while ago in the past.

Fairy Tail: The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come This year saw Fairy Tail become the latest of the big shounen series to throw in a time jump, and this series ends up as my Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I know I will have this to come in the anime soon enough and I've yet to experience that, but mainly, I look to the future with it, because I'm still unconvinced as to whether this skip is genius, or utter folly. It's an unknown quantity for me at the moment and I look to the future to see where Mashima takes this and just what I'll make of it.

25 Days of Manga: December 11th - 15th

December 11th
Karneval (5+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 2 Volumes

Impressions: I'm seriously beginning to think that the majority of my Christmas holiday is going to be spent glued to my iPad catching up on all the series I've picked up from 25 Days. Among them will most definitely be Karneval - especially since I'll get my fix of pretty guys. The central premise is simple, Nai is looking for his friend. However, surrounding this quest there seems to be quite a lot going on, all of which makes for an engaging read. The action, monsters, and intrigue all make me want to read on more so I can find out more about what Nai is, what happened to his friend, learn more about the group "Circus" that they're travelling with. I think once I learn more about the characters the rating I've given it could rise, and I'm looking forward to finding out if that's the case.

Rating: 3.5/5


December 12th
Little Busters (1+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Dropped at 10 Chapters

Impressions: This is the first title from the 25 Days that I've actually decided to drop. After reading all the chapters available, I'm still unimpressed with this particular incarnation of the franchise. There's a reason that the other two titles in the Little Busters series are 4-koma - the sort of content just works better within the confines of four panels. At its core, this manga is about a group of friends setting up a baseball team, however the actual baseball side of things kind of gets tossed to the side in favour of random antics. Likewise there's another plot thread revolving around mysterious notes delivered to Rin via one of the stray cats, except that kind of gets dropped after three chapters and has yet to reappear. As manga goes it wasn't horrific, and it does have odd moments that can be funny, but to be honest by the time I got halfway through, it was becoming a bit of a chore to finish the rest.

Rating: 2.5/5


Bonus: Little Busters: The 4-Koma (4+ Vols ongoing)
Status: Stalled at 19 Chapters

Impressions: Having been unimpressed with Little Busters, I can't say I was hugely looking forward to picking up the original 4-Koma manga, but having already decided to fill in the entire franchise, I went ahead anyway, and you know what, I'm glad I did. While still not my absolute favourite 4-koma manga, this was certainly leaps and bounds better than it's remake. With none of the baseball aspect, Little Busters: The 4-Koma focuses entirely on the antics of the main group and their friends. Undoubtedly it's a very easy read, and great for killing a little time. It certainly made me laugh, particularly the first chapter where they're discussing possible nicknames, which ahd me in stitches at one point - two words... Golden... Sphincter. I've read all that's currently avaialable, and while I'd happily continue reading more when it's been released, I won't be rushing to read it immediately.

Rating: 3.5/5


Bonus: Little Busters EX (+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Stalled at 3 Chapters

Impressions: Unlike the other offerings in the franchise, this manga only focuses on two of the main group and their new friend, a transfer student who is also a spy. Out of the three Little Busters titles, I'd say that EX is the funniest. With Saya (the secret agent) running aorund doing all kinds of spy-like things and then proceeding to practically give away her job every few minutes, the laughs are far more frequent. In a sense, this series reminds me a bit of Kill Me Baby except with a bumbling spy instead of a capable and deadly assassin. I've only read a few chapters so far, but I'm looking forward to reading more.

Rating: 3/5



December 13th
Vinland Saga (10+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 3 Volumes

Impressions: Vinladn Saga has surprised me. I took a little look at the base entry on Anime-Planet, saw the cover image and noticed the revenge tag and wasn't necessarily looking forward to reading it. However, in much the same vein as Wolf Guy I've found myself thoroughly enjoying this manga. I can't even fully explain why I like it so much other than Vikings are awesome. For some reason I just find myself enjoying the brutality of it all and the gritty artwork only enhances the whole thing. I have a strong feeling that my rating for this will rise a bit once I've read more, but unfortunately I've had to put myself on a self-imposed ban on continuing any other manga (bar weekly chapters) until after 25 Days. Needless to say this will be one of the first things I pick up on December 26th and is a very high candidate for getting a proper review from me.

Rating: 4/5



December 14th
Afghanistan (Oneshot)
Status: Read

Impressions: As soon as I discovered what this was about, I immediately thought "must rec with Hetalia". It follows along the same lines with various countries being personified, but instead of being cute boys doing random funny things, it's about moe chibi girls doing random funny things. Afghanistan is a sweet, clumsy, and overall fairly pitiable little girl trying to make a living on her own and make some friends. Enter Pakistan and the others and the hi-jinks ensue. As a oneshot, it naturally isn't very long, and it's not my favourite of 4-koma manga, but it's certainly an entertaining read.

Rating: 3/5


Devil May Cry 3 (2 Vols Complete)
Status: Read

Impressions: Maybe if I were familiar with the games, I'd have enjoyed this manga more. As it was, the idea was OK, but to me the whole story seemed a bit all over the place. Whether the manga expected you to have prior knowledge of the characters, or it just didn't do a brilliant job of introducing them, I don't know, but I didn't find myself really getting into the story, nor really caring about the characters. I think what didn't really help is that it didn't end. While it's listed as complete at 2 volumes, there was supposed to be a third - unfortunately the author quit and it was never published. If you like the games, have a read, you may well find more in it than I did, but while demon-slaying and action are generally the sort of thing I like, this just didn't do it for me.

Rating: 2/5


December 15th
Oyasumi Punpun (9+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 2 Volumes

Impressions: I had pretty much zero idea of what to expect when it came to reading Oyasumi Punpun so I was quite pleased when I found that actually I quite enjoy it. This is one of those manga that I would personally describe as being somewhat offbeat. Quite simply the story follows a schoolboy, Punpun, as he goes through life where he learns about love, sex and everything else in the world. However, Punpun is actually shown as a bird as opposed to a human boy and he's surrounded by all sorts of craziness, from his dysfunctional family amidst a domestic violence induced divorce, to the love of his life who threatens him with death if he lies to her or fais to keep a promise, oh and he's frequently visited by "God", a smiley guy with the most unhelpful advice in the universe. When you look at it, the topics covered are generally very serious but are dealt with in such a way that it can become quite humorous. For example, Punpun experiencing his first wet dream and believing that his brain was shooting out of his privates, or him becoming semi-traumatised by pictures in a medical book, is darkly hilarious. There are times when it seems a little odd, but I'm really enjoying it. It's something different from a lot of the stuff out there that you read. The character designs aren't pretty. In fact the humans are a cross between realistic and ugly, which alongside the cutesy design of Punpun and his family makes you sypathise with him more. This has become one of my quiet favourites of 25 Days so far. Looking forward to more.

Rating: 4/5

On the Second Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

Two Crazy Whores
And A Pair of Giant Matrix Boooooobiiiiiiieeeessss!

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahoy!

Despite having been hooked on anime for about seven years now, I had somehow avoided watching the uhhh... "gem" that is School Days. Eventually, this year, I bit the bullet and finally watched it, and holy crap, I don't think I've ever watched a series where I've hated the entire cast so damn much! Now, today's "Day of Christmas" I've called "Two Crazy Whores", but to be fair, only one of them is a whore *cough Sekai you dumb slut* but they're both certainly psycho enough! As much as I detest Sekai with every living fibre of my being, I can't help but admit that she was basically what ended up making the series. Had she not been such a complete tart, the infamous final episode would never have happened nor all the sexual exploits leading up to it. Instead it may have ended up as just another sappy school romance, but still, both her and Kotonoha are complete nutjobs.

How could you not eat my dinner?!

With Sekai it all starts out nicely enough. She learns of her friends crush and decides to help him. Then she falls fo him and continues to "help him" with kissing and eventually shagging practice until she fully steals him away. At this point, she's just a bitch and worthy of being pinned down in a half-nelson while being stabbed in the eyeballs with chopsticks. Then, after having given Makoto the sex-bug (and probably some kind of STD) and deciding that she's pregnant, that's where it all goes downhill. makoto being the arse that he is basically dumps the cow when he learns of her "situation" and apparently this is how Sekai deems fit to deal with it... Why you no love me anymore? OMG you threw my dinner in the bin! *grabs kitchen knife* STABBY STAB STAB! ... Yeeeeaaaaahhhh... 'cause THAT'S rational.

For the majority of the series Kotonoha is essentially everyone's source of pity. She fell for a guy, who hen dumped her and never told her about it, thus making her claims that they were dating seem like she's a pathological and deluded liar while balls-for-brains Makoto gets off scot-free. After deludedly refusing to believe that she and Makoto have broken up, Kotonoha seems to get more and more distanced from reality. Then Sekai does her nut and sends Kotonoha completely off the deep end. OMG! He's dead! *sends text from dead Makoto to meet Sekai* You lie bitch! *grabs meat cleaver* SLASHY HACK SLASH! Told you. *sails off into sunset with severed head on a "nice boat"* This bout of insanity you can at least see coming, but hell, action-reaction, people! Makoto was a dick, Sekai was a slut, but there's no way their actions warranted this level of WTF-ness.

Huh. So THAT'S what her innards look like.

Love it or hate it, you have to admit that School Days has managed to carve (sorry, no pun intended) a place for itself in anime history - but clearly not for decent storytelling. Frankly, this series made me angry, but it's certainly not one I'll forget in a hurry. What I can say in all honesty is that if my true love HAD given me these two for Christmas, I don't think he'd be my true love for much longer.

On the First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

A Pair of Giant Matrix Boobies!

I only got around to watching Highschool of the Dead at the beginning of this year as part of my "catch up on 2010 anime" session and without a doubt there was one part of this series that stuck out in my mind more than anything else. Sod screwdrivers to the heads of your walking dead, what every zombie apocalypse truly needs is a buxom woman whose breasts joggle about while avoiding bullets in extreme slow motion. Move over Neo, step back Wachowski siblings, there's a new master in the world of "bullet time" and this time they come with cleavage!



Seriously, if my boobs could do this, I'd never have to work again!

25 Days of Manga: December 6th - 10th

Another five days, and another five different types of manga. Again this week has provided a mixed bag of titles, from mainstream shounen, to the supernatural, to boy love, so on with the post!

December 6th
Suiiki (2 Vols Complete)
Status: Read

Impressions: Far and away this is the best manga that I've encountered so far during 25 Days. I must say that when I discovered that one of the manga on my list was by Yuki Urushibara (creator of Mushishi) I couldn't wait to read this. Luckily, I was not disappointed. Suiiki follows the story of a long-forgotten village and one family's connection with it. It's very much the sort of manga one would expect from Urushibara, a gentle, supernatural drama with a quiet charm of its own. My only quibble is that there isn't more of her manga out there. If anyone likes the tone of Mushishi, go read this immediately, as I seriously believe you will enjoy it.

Rating: 4.5/5


December 7th

Ge: Good Ending (8+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 1 volume

Impressions: Based on a game, Good Ending is about Seiji Utsumi, his affection for his senpai, Iketani, and the help he receives from beautiful classmate, Yuki. I hadn't expected to like this too much, but surprisingly, I found it quite enjoyable. it strikes me as a typical romance based on a game, and I have an idea of how things will eventually turn out, however, currently, I'm enjoying the ride. There's a decent amount of comedy mixed in with the plot and while it's possibly that it'll wear thin, at the moment Utsumi's hapless idiocy is rather amusing. At the moment, I'd say that Good Ending is the ideal thing to open up when you want to switch off and unwind.

Rating: 3.5/5


Bonus: GE: Good Ending Oneshot (Oneshot)
Status: Read

Impressions: Since I'd started to read Good Ending, I decided to take a look at the one shot that started it all. By nature of being so short, there's no time to dwell on events, so everything jumps ahead quickly. However, I did find it interesting as it gives some idea of where the main manga will go from where I am (not that it comes as much of a surprise).

Rating: 3/5



December 8th
Monster Hunter Orage (4 Vols Complete)
Status: Reading at 1 volume

Impressions: I have to admit that when this was requested I smiled as it was already on my want to read list. I do enjoy Hiro mashima's work, and having played a little of Monster Hunter Tri, I was intrigued by a manga based upon the franchise. So far, I'm only a little way in, but it bears all the Mashima hallmarks: the wacky comedy, awesome poses of awesomeness and some kick-arse action. The central concept is certainly engaging enough, but I'm wary of making much more judgement until I'm further in. Definitely can't wait to continue this one.

Rating: 4/5



December 9th
Café Latte Rhapsody (1 Vol Complete)
Status: Read

Impressions: I used to love shounen-ai and yaoi in every form imaginable. Nowadays, while I still enjoy the occasional romp into these genres, I don't tend to gravitate to them so much. Café Latte Rhapsody is a short and sweet tale about two men finding each other and entering into a relationship. The twist this time is that one is younger than the other and despite looking like a harsh and scary man is about as opposite from that image as you can get - he's a timid, caring and horrifically awkward boy. Generally this was an easy-read but I did find myself getting REALLY annoyed at Keito. His excessive clinginess annoyed me to know end as he ended up just seeming like little more than a pitiful puppy taking shelter from the rain. I imagine that anyone who really enjoys this genre will like this title, but I can't say I was blown away by it.

Rating: 3/5


December 10th
Otome no Iroha (1 Vol Complete)
Status: Read

Impressions: Despite having been able to keep up to the at least one post a day deadline, due to a sudden bout of intese but incredibly awesome Anime Planet badge work, I ended up getting a little behind on my 25 days reading. So I decided to pick up an easier one-volume offering for today's submission giving me time to get ahead again. My pick was Otome no Iroha a comic manga about twins whose genders are reversed overnight. In general I found this a bit of a throwaway read. It was good fun - certainly the horror of Iroha waking up with meat and two veg between her legs was pretty damn funny - but far from a masterpiece. Most infuriating of all was the ending, in that it basically didn't. One aspect was wrapped up, but nothing was properly resolved and was left wide open for a sequel that never came. Overall, worth a read if you like gender bender and have a spare half hour or so, but horrifically rushed/lame ending.

Rating: 3/5

25 Days of Manga: December 1st - 5th

So, my 25 Days of Manga challenge has now officially begun! So far I can safely say that I'm finding it an interesting experience and I'm surprised at how many series I want to continue reading, despite being the sort of things I'd never normally touch. So, here's a rundown of the first five days of my challenge!


December 1st
Zetman (15 + Vols Ongoing)
Status: Stalled at 3 volumes

Impressions: So I started with what I figured would likely be one of the manga I'd least enjoy in the hopes that I wouldn't I didn't completely ignore it (sub-consciously or otherwise). I'll whole-heartedly admit that I looked at the cover of volume one, thought "oh man..." and was fully prepared to drop it as soon as I had enough synopsis fodder. What I hadn't bargained on was actually enjoying it. I devoured the first three volumes and will definitely be picking the rest back up when I've finished with the 25 Days. What I like most about it so far is that it's more psychological than I had expected. It focuses very much so on the idea of justice and what's truly right and wrong. Does the use of excessive violence against a bad guy really make a hero, or is it just a case of two monsters clashing? It makes you think and the story certainly doesn't hold back. It's not the most spectacular manga I've seen, but I'm intrigued to see what comes next as I feel that I've only scratched the surface.

Rating: 3.5/5

Bonus: Zetman (1994) (Oneshot)
Status: Read
Impressions: While looking for Zetman to read, I happened upon the original oneshot that spawned the series and read that as well. The story for this is somewhat different from the main series and honestly, I'm not so keen. Instead of all the intriguing storytelling with the relationship between Jin and "gramps" and the ex-stripper, he's a game developer working on a project infused with his sense of justice and during a freak event, he kind of... melds with the game and becomes Zetman. While the idea of fusing with your own game is kind of interesting, a one shot is really too short to do it justice. It touches on the themes of hero vs vigilante, but it doesn't go that far. Additionally, it doesn't end. It just sort of... stops, which is slightly annoying. I can safely say that I had read this as a oneshot then found that a full series had been made from it, I don't think I'd have been picking up the main manga.

Rating: 1/5


December 2nd
Teppuu (4+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 2 volumes
Impressions: Not being particularly into sports in real life, I used to avoid anime and manga that focus on any kind of sport or athletic competition like the plague. Nowadays, however, my stance has changed and I tend to enjoy all manner of sporting-related manga and upon receiving the request to read mixed martial arts manga, Teppuu, I thought, hey, why not! What I ended up enjoying most about Teppuu is that the protagonist isn't inherently likeable, in fact, she's kind of a bitch. With her aroogance towards her own abilities, seeing her fail when she first tries mixed martial arts and watching her finally gain some enthusiasm for something is engaging. The development is plainly there to see, which for me, is what any kind of sporting manga is all about. Definitely looking forward to continuing on with this.

Rating: 3.5/5


December 3rd
Boukun Tyrano-san (Oneshot)
Status: Read

Impressions: Suggested by the lovely Chii, I knew that there was no way this would be a straightforward oneshot, and boy was that train of thought right. The basis of this story is that the consciousness of a male T-Rex named Ralph has transported through a temporal magnetic field and landed in the body of a honour student teenage girl. If you're thinking "WTF?!" right about now, then we're on the same wavelength. Initially the manga seemed to focus on the humorous situation of the haughty Ralph being in a completely foreign environment and not being best pleased about it. Certainly, the initial part was amusing for a bit - cure gratuitous panty shots, but then it starts taking a more "science-y" route and the entertainment drifts off. It's certainly an... "interesting" take on a dinosaur manga, but I can't say that I was overwhelmed by it, and in all honesty, I was a little bored by the end.

Rating: 1.5/5


Wolf Guy (10+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 2 volumes
Impressions: I've never been hugely into werewolves, so picking up manga about werewolves wouldn't generally be top of my list. However, Wolf Guy has very much surprised me. It's not a pretty manga by any stretch of the imagination, it's raw and violent, but damn, I've found it addictive. I can't even quite explain why I enjoy it so much, possibly just because it's something completely different to the sort of series I normally pick up. I mainly just enjoy the idea of a werewolf hating humans and wanting to be left alone, but frequently getting caught up in what he deems as petty fights. I also find the hints that his homeroom teacher is managing to melt his icy exterior engaging to read. Should be interesting to see where this series goes and I'll certainly be keeping up with it.

Rating: 4/5


December 4th
Black Paradox (1 Vol Complete)
Status: Stalled 4 out of 6 Chapters

Impressions: Ahhh Junji Ito. I first discovered his unique brand of WTF?! horror with Uzumaki and then promptly moved onto Gyo. I've fallen in love with his work, so when someone requested this in the thread, I knew this would be in the definitely pile. Black Paradox focuses on a group of four people who met on an online suicide community. They meet one day in order to kill themselves together, but thatnks to some doppelganger-related incidents, their first attempt fails. Then when they try again, one of the foursome starts projectile vomiting weird shining stones. These stones then form the core of the story as two of the group decide to make some money out of it. Little do they know the true nature and danger of this new material. This is definitely pretty high up on the weirdness scale, even for Junji Ito and I can't say that it gripped me as much as either Uzumaki nor Gyo. Unfortunately, only four of the six chapters have currently been translated, so I have no idea how it will end, but so far it certainly seems to be trademark Ito with events spiralling out of control in a generally messed up direction. I definitely want to finish the story as and when the last two chapters become available, but it's not making my "Best ever manga" list.

Rating: 3/5


Faster Than A Kiss (9+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 2 Volumes
Impressions: This is one manga that was already on my want to read list before it was requested, so I was more than enthusiastic enough to make a start on it. Shounen whore though I may be, I do enjoy a good bit of shoujo from time to time, and Faster Than A Kiss is certainly a pleasant distraction. Generally student-seacher relationships aren't my bag when it comes to anime and manga, but this for some reason has captivated me. I personally find the contrast between Fumino and Kazuma's odd lovey-dovey moments with their generally platonic home life engaging. It isn't a straightforward love fest. Instead, it's complicated. Sure, there's plenty of that lack of realism I've often noticed in shoujo romances - I mean c'mon... two kids run away from home and the elder girl's English teacher instantly says come live with me, yeah I'll marry you without a moment's hesitation... really? However, the lack of reality makes for some good escapist reading. I can see this being one of the first series I get up to date with once I've finished 25 Days.

Rating: 4/5



December 5th

Kingdom Hearts (4 Vols Complete)
Status: Read
Impressions: My knowledge of the Kingdom Hearts games before this was limited to say the least; all I knew about them was that they were a series of video games starring a plethora of various Disney characters. I've never played a single one of the games, and I think if I had, I would have gotten more enjoyment from the manga. I may well get lynched for this given the popularity fo the franchise, but as a standalone manga, it wasn't great. For a Kingdom Hearts virgin, it felt like there was a lack of explanation at times. Events seemed to happen all to quickly - something I noticed was also a problem in the various Legend of Zelda manga I've read - and with o much chatter about hearts and darkness and keys etc flying about, it wasn't always the easiest story to follow. That being said, when I did get into it more, my Disney fangirl took over and seeing classic characters in manga form ended up being the biggest selling point for me.

Rating: 3/5


Bonus: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2 Vols Complete)
Status: Read
Impressions: Continuing on from where Kingdom Hearts left off, Chain of Memories focuses on Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy making their way through a mysterious place known as Castle Oblivion as they continue to search for King Mickey and Riku. From the minute they step into the castle they begin to lose their memories and the deeper the go, the more they forget. Initially it seemed like this was going to be a rehash of it's predecessor with Sora travelling into different rooms formed from his memories of the places he'd previously been to. After heading to Traverse Town and then Agrabah I began to roll my eyes at the thought that "oh God, they're just going to go to all the same bloody places again". Luckily, they didn't and ended up going along a route that was far more complex involving a mysterious organisation and re-written memories. Again, like Kingdom Hearts the manga speeds through each event and it wasn't always as easy to keep up, and unfortunately from my point of view, the novelty of the Disney characters wasn't so prominent and I ended up semi-confused (and frankly a little bored) by the close.

Rating: 2.5/5


Bonus: Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (2+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Stalled at 2 Volumes
Impressions: After finishing Chain of Memories I was finding it a struggle to raise enthusiasm for continuing the franchise, but I was determined to fill in all four entries. This installment introduces Organisation XIII more and focuses on Roxas, his daily missions and his friendship with Axel and Xion. In a change of pace from the rest of the franchise, 358/2 Days almost borders on slice of life. It's not mind-blowingly awesome, but it is fairly enjoyable. In particular, I like the concept of beings with no hearts learning what it means to feel and really, what it means to have a heart. Undoubtedly, I found this much easier to read than Chain of Memories and, while a side story to the former, it's worth reading directly afterwards to make a little more sense of certain parts of Kingdom Hearts II.

Rating: 3/5


Bonus: Kingdom Hearts II (5 Vols Hiatus)
Status: Read 5 Volumes
Impressions: Kingdom Hearts II throws a curveball right off the bat by focusing in on a supposedly regular boy enjoying his summer break. However, the boy is named Roxas (ringing any bells?) and consistently has dreams about Sora. Soon, strange things start to happen around him and mysterious people appear before him and Roxas begins to wonder if this is all related to his dreams. Soon enough he learns that he carries half of Sora's strength with him and in order for him to wake from his deep sleep, Roxas must vanish. With the re-introduction of Organisation XIII and the appearance of a mysterious man named Diz, it seems the manga is set to follow Roxas' decision of what to do. However, a volume and a bit in, Roxas returns to Sora's body and the focus switches back to the main quest. Now Sora et al are back on the hunt for Riku and King Mickey while trying to prevent Organisation XIII from causing too much trouble, oh and to make matters worse, Maleficent's back and trying to use the Heartless to take over the world again. While I'm still not utterly in love with this series, the re-emergence of different Disney characters ahs kept me reading on, and while not top of my list, I'll likely continue reading anything new that comes out. I think my biggest criticism of the franchise is that it's very repetitive - something that I imagine is mainly down to the nature of the games. Kingdome Hearts II in particular is returning to the format of the original, with Sora, Donald and Goofy travelling from world to world searching for their friends, defeating enemies and helping various Disney characters along the way. It may be comfort reading in that sense, but it does get a little on the stale side after a while.

Rating: 3/5

Things to Come and General Ramblings on Genre Preferences

First off I feeel I should apologise for a complete lack of posting in the last week and a half - I blame this entirely on two things: Legend of Zelda - Skyward Sword and Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7. What I can promise however, is that December will be seeing a fairly hefty post count. For the month of christmas I am undertaking two challenges. The first is a standard ani-blogger thing: I'll be doing my own "12 Days fo Christmas". So, from the 12th - 24th of December I will be posting about various christmas anime and manga in whatever way feels vaguely appropriate at the time.

My second challenge is somewhat larger and will be my main focus in the upcoming month. As a christmas present to Anime-Planet, I am doing "25 Days of Manga" in which I will be adding at least one manga synopsis to the database a day based on suggestions from community members in this thread. As a companion to this, I have decided that every five days I will be posting my thoughts on each manga since I will be picking up series I may never normally have touched. So, stay tuned for more posts from me in December!

One thing that I have noticed however, is that from looking at the list of suggestions in the "25 Days of Manga" thread, I started to think more about genre preferences when it comes to anime and manga. Having taken on this challenge, I will be reading manga that both appeals to me (some I had already marked as wanting to read, others are series from some of my favourite mangaka that I didn't know existed), as well as some that I would never normally have even looked at, let alone considered. It made me think that really, doing this will be a good experience, as it will expose me to genres I'd never normally bother with too much. Now, we all have certain tastes when it comes to any form of entertainment, but I can't help but wonder, should we stubbornly stick only to those which we like, or should we occasionally try something out of our comfort zone?

My thoughts are yes, we should. I'm not saying that we should all immediately change our entire viewing menu to something entirely different, but who knows what you're missing out on if you vehemently cling to one or two genres. After all, tastes change. When I first started watching anime I was, for lack of a better phrase, a yaoi fangirl. I lapped up every single shounen-ai and yaoi title that I could get hold of. However, I soon grew out of that and began to gravitate more towards slice of life, comedy and eventually shounen - all three of which now form my core choices of preferred viewing. You need to take risks sometimes, or you could be depriving yourself of a new passion. Had I not taken up a friend's recommendation to watch Bleach years ago, I may never have gotten into shounen and I certainly wouldn't have discovered the joy of watching (and reading) One Piece.

Additionally, aside from personal tastes changing as you mature, just because you like one genre, doesn't mean that you will ultimately love everything that it has to offer. Recently I picked up Choir!, a 4-koma comedy slice-of-life manga - something that should in theory have been right up my street - however, I could barely make it through the first volume and promptly dropped it as soon as I had enough fodder for a synopsis. If not everything in one genre is to your tastes, it's likely that you won't hate everything in a genre you don't particularly enjoy. As much as it may be more convenient to simply put a blanket over one type of series and exclaim "I hate xxx", there's always an exception to the rule. I personally have little time for mecha, yet I found myself oddly enjoying Neon Genesis Evangelion (well except for the last few episodes - seriously? SERIOUSLY?). Likewise I'm not a fan of zombies, or ecchi, but for some reason I genuinely love Highschool of the Dead. For me it's proof that no matter how much you think you may know yourself, there's always room for surprise!

I guess, amongst all my rambling here, my overall point is this: don't limit yourself. Try something new every now and again and if someone (who you trust I hasten to add) recommends a series to you, don't immediately dismiss it if it's not something you usually go for, as you could be surprised. And if any of you do feel inspired by this post to go and watch/read something different, then brilliant and I hope the experience pays off; and if not... well at least it'll make you appreciate the genres you like even more.

As for me, well I'll be galloping into the next 25 days with an open mind and a hint of excited trepidation in the hopes that I'll stumble upon new series that I can appreciate and enjoy.

Fall 2011: Mid-Season Review

We're now 7 weeks into Fall 2011 and this autumn's offerings are now in full swing, so I thought it was about time to do a mid-season review of the shows I've been watching.

Bakuman 2

Number of Episodes Subbed: 7

Total Episodes Planned: 25

Impressions: After the initial re-introduction episodes, Bakuman is back in full swing and it's really getting to the good stuff. The honeymoon is well and truly over for Takagi and Mashiro as they struggle with adjusting to their new editor and keeping Detective Trap steady in the rankings, but then, it all begins to come crashing down as they face another serious setback. Meanwhile, though Ashirogi Mutou continue to form the show's centre-post, we're getting to see more of the other mangaka and finally we're introduced to the eccentric Hiramaru. His complete lack of motivation or work ethic makes for a glorious juxtaposition with the other mangaka - plus the relationship with his editor is hilarity in a bucket. The expansion beyond the two central characters does wonders for the show and makes for a much more meaty plot. Though rivals, each of the different mangaka have a solid foundation of friendship, which causes them to rally around and support each other. I love the dynamic that this group (also known as Team Fukuda) has, because while you ultimately want Mashiro and Takagi to kick everyone's arses in the rankings, seeing them ally against a common enemy is exactly what shounen is all about, and considering how episode seven left off, I cannot wait for more.

Overall Conclusion: Still my favourite anime of the season by a decent margin. I simply can't get enough of Ashirogi Mutou.

Current Rating: 5/5

Keep up the good work, boys!

Ben-To:

Number of Episodes Subbed: 6

Total Episodes Planned: 12

Impressions: This series if dumb with a capital "durrrrr". To be perfectly frank, I spend most of my time wondering why the hell I'm watching this, as outside of the supermarket scenes it's somewhat dull, and it's beginning to get to the point where I'm having to really motivate myself to watch the next episode. For a while there was more of a plotline introduced, and the rival gangs on the hunt for lunch and glory was making things more interesting. However, that particular arc has been wrapped up in the latest episode, so I'm intrigued as to where it will go from here. The true glory of this show still remains in its ludicrous premise. That the entire thing is based around trying to get a half priced bento lunchbox and just how brutal the fighting gets because of it just never seems to get old. If it weren't for the supermarket scenes, I think this would have joined the dropped pile several episodes ago. Also, Satou dressed in a sailor outfit and animal hat wandering into the convenience store = funniest scene yet!

Overall Conclusion: I'm only watching this for the supermarket fights, but the sheer idiocy behind the premise has yet to get old and I'm still finding the seriousness of these battles hilarious.

Current Rating: 3/5

Eyes off the fried chicken box; that's mine, bitch!

Chibi Devi!

Number of Episodes Subbed: 5

Total Episodes Planned: Currently Unknown

Impressions: With only five 5-minute episodes, there's not too much to go on really. The plot has taken a definite diversion from what I was expecting, since crybaby Honoka has already decided to give up on looking after the kid and is trying to get replacement parents. Of course, whether that actually happens remains to be seen. The anime is continuing along as it did at the beginning and Mao is still very much on the "DAWWWWW!" side. Honoka, however, I keep wanting to punch. That girl is a pitiful, whining, crying mess and an idiot to boot (seriously, you drop your kid off at a demon baby nursery and are then surprised to learn that there are other demon babies out there... really? REALLY?). When you look at how she behaves, it's no wonder the dozy bint has no friends at school. Luckily, I don't think we're supposed to massively sympathise with her - at least not judging by a comment I saw in the manga where Mao's parents were unsure whether to leave their child with somone who has such "personality problems".

Overall Conclusion: Still cute, but Honoka needs a slap.

Current Rating: 3/5

Oh my God, will you stop bloody crying already!

Chihayafuru

Number of Episodes Subbed: 7

Total Episodes Planned: Currently Uknown

Impressions: This series took a little warming up for me, but after watching episode four, I fell in love with it. I think what I love most about this is how they've made the competitive aspect so engaging. In theory, watching people play a card game (and a card game based on ancient poetry at that) should be mind-numbingly dull. However, the vivacity and passion with which Chihaya plays makes for compelling viewing. Additionally, that the beautiful teen is up against the odds when it comes to attracting new club members endears her plight, because hey, who doesn't love an underdog. Fundementally though, I think what appeals most to me is that it's essentially shounen for women. The manga is published in a josei magazine and is specifically targetted at women, yet it bears all the hallmarks of a good shounen: a determined protagonist with a clear dream (I'm gonna be the pirate king world's #1 karuta player) and an ability to affect those around them, intense battles, a smattering of comedy, and a hefty importance placed on friendship. I'm hoping this series keeps up its current pace, and doesn't let the romantic undertones overwhelm the game.

Overall Conclusion: This has rapidly become my favourite new series of the season. Can't wait for the next episode.

Current Rating: 4.5/5

We want YOU in our karuta club!

Hidamari Sketch x SP (Complete)

Number of Episodes: 2

Impressions: Before I start, I wholeheartedly admit that I'm a Hidamari fangirl. I've loved it ever since I saw the first series several years ago, so every time I get a new fix of Yuno and the others, I get a nice dopey grin on my face. This autumn's two-episode offering places focus more on the girls' antics outside of school, so get ready for trips to the pool and an art museum. Out of the four skits, my favourite was undoubtedly the excusrion to eat barbecue with their landlady - the highlight of which was the scene in which they played Russian Roulette with wasabi-laced sushi. While enjoyable, x SP didn't quite seem to live up to its predecessors. It was good, but not exceptionally brilliant. For me, I think this is partly down to the fact that Nazuna and Nori have yet to fully ingratiate themselves to me - in particular, Nazuna seems kind of meh as a character and brings bugger all to the table. Nori at least has the whole technology aspect going for her (though this makes zero appearance here), Nazuna meanwhile just seems to get left out for not being the arty one and barely makes her presence known. However, despite not having endless love for this particular special, I still liked it and I'm still looking forward to the next series.

Overall Conclusion: Solid Hidamari goodness, but not its strongest offering.

Rating: 4/5

Sae hugging a pillow. Just... because.

Kimi to Boku

Number of Episodes Subbed: 7

Total Episodes Planned: 13

Impressions: While it may have been relegated to my second favourite new series of the season, I continue to loving Kimi to Boku and still I believe it to have one of the most interesting group dynamics I've seen for a while. While initially I wasn't keen on the newest addition to the group - blonde-haired Chizuru - I've actually found that his presence is kind of awesome. The lively teen adds some much needed vivacity to the gang as it not only forces them into action, but it also highlights both Yuuki and Yuuta's deadpan personalities, as well as Kaname's serious and adult nature, which ultimately adds to the humour. I now have an odd sort of relationship with this show, as I don't tend to race to watch it the second it's finished downloading (as I tend to do with Bakuman, Ika Musume, Working'!! and to a certain extent Chihayafuru) but I still thoroughly enjoy it when I do sit down to watch.

Overall Conclusion: Best cast dynamic of the season, funny, charming and entertaining to watch.

Current Rating: 4 - 4.5/5

EEEEEEEAAAAAAAGLLLLLLLLLE!

Morita-san wa Mukuchi 2

Number of Episodes Subbed: 7

Total Episodes Planned: Currently Unknown

Impressions: My thoughts on this have yet to change drastically. Most of the time I sit through the three minutes and don't raise a smile. But, while I don't find it hugely funny, it is easy watching. I must admit that I did enjoy this latest episode with the trainee teacher, mainly because it shook things up a bit instead of focusing on Mayu and her dead, soulless eyes (seriously, they have NO LIFE in them whatsoever; they creep me the hell out).

Overall Conclusion: Not quite drop-worthy, but still only alright.

Current Rating: 2/5

Even this sweet potato isn't enough to bring a sparkle to my eyes.

Shinryaku!? Ika Musume

Number of Episodes Subbed: 6

Total Episodes Planned: 12

Impressions: Ika-chan is as entertaining as ever and I really do adore the three setches per episode format as in a way it feels like you get triple the amount of laughs. I did particularly like the skit with Ika Musume and the remote-controlled car. Seeing her act as a R/C and bashing herself into the wall had me rolling on the floor. Also, Mini Squiddie made a welcome return in the latest episode. I think the Mini Ika-chan sections are some of my favourite as she's just so utterly adorable that I kind of wish I had my own little squidvader. This is definitely one of my most anticipated each week.

Overall Conclusion: Still great fun, though I wish they'd stop occasionally skipping weeks, I like my weekly dose of squiddy goodness.

Current Rating: 4.5/5

Oi, oi... Why didn't you give me 5/5?

Tamayura ~hitotose~

Number of Episodes Subbed: 7

Total Episodes Planned: 13

Impressions: Tamayura is continuing to amble along at a steady pace. The melancholy vibe form some of the earlier episodes has now ebbed away a little as the show is branching out to look at some of the other characters and there's less mention of the deceased father (well apart from the latest episode). Now, the series has more of an aura of adorability to it, and it's certainly easy to watch - though I still wouldn't watch it while tired as I get the feeling that it's calming influence and slow pace would send me to sleep within minutes.The biggest let down of the whole anime is the visual aspect, I have a 1028p version and it still looks like it was made a good five to ten years ago - simply put, the animation is not of 2011 standards, which is a shame because the static backgrounds and skies are beautifully drawn.

Overall Conclusion: A sweet and harmless series, but it's still not managing to completely win me over.

Current Rating: 3/5

Say Cheese!

Un-Go

Number of Episodes Subbed: 6

Total Episodes Planned: 11

Impressions: I often tend to find that I'm inexplicably drawn to most of the anime from the noitaminA timeslot, so it's of no surprise that I've picked up another one and have added Un-Go to my fall list. Having only decided to pick this up last week, I've worked my way through the episodes at a reasonable pace, and so far I'm rather impressed. It's not a series that has me immediately hooked and begging for more, but it is enjoyable. I enjoy the detective genre at the best of times (I blame Conan for this), but what I like the most about Un-Go is that it deviates from the traditional idea that the genius detective sweeps in and saves the day. Yes, the genius detective does sweep in and solve the case, however, that his deductions are frequently hushed up and replaced by fabricated conclusions to best protect those with power means that he gets none of the glory and a completely contrasting nickname of the "Defeated Detective". I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what comes next, especially considering how the latest episode ended.

Overall Conclusion: One of the more intriguing series of the season so far and I'm interested to see what comes next.

Current Rating: 4/5

Oh noes! There's been a murder!

Working'!!

Number of Episodes Subbed: 7

Total Episodes Planned: 13

Impressions: Just over the halfway mark with this series now, and it's still going strong. In some of the more recent episodes there has been more attention paid to the relationship between Takanashi and Inami - in particular the lolicon's jealousy toward any other guy that gets near Inami. While I fear that it could end up taking centre stage, at the moment it's providing a decent amount of entertainment. In particular, the latest episode with Takanashi going a bit loopy had me giggling quite a lot. Certainly this season seems funnier than the last, and I look forward to watching each week for my next dose of light-hearted fun. I also love the ending theme, it's one of the very, VERY few songs that I actually sit through every week and enjoy.

Overall Conclusion: Damn funny and enjoyable, though I hope they don't go too overboard on the Takanashi/Inami thing.

Current Rating: 4.5/5

Bad dogs must be punished!

4-Koma Manga: The Holy Grail of Anime Adaptations

While thinking back on my post about why sequels suck I found myself focusing on how in general 4-koma adaptations tend to avoid the sucky second season trap. This got me thinking about the various anime versions of four panel manga that I've seen and why I've consistently enjoyed each and every one of them.

The primary reason as to why 4-Koma translates successfully to anime lies in one simple fact: generally there's not much of a story. Now before I start getting irate fans banging down my door trying to explain the infinite complexities of K-On!'s narrative to me, hear me out. By it's sheer nature, four panel manga is set up as a series of short gags, with some kind of punchline each time. That isn't to say that there's no story as nine times out of ten there is an overarching narrative, but it's certainly not the correct format to use for any kind of plot-driven manga, be it serious or comic.

One of the problems with anime adaptations is attempting to comprehensively translate a solid story into an entirely different medium without losing the essence of the source material. Many time this involves cutting out odd details, expanding upon others, or even changing certain parts entirely, and in doing this opens up the anime to criticism from existing fans of the manga. For instance, when it comes to shounen, many of the battles which are punchy and dynamic in the manga lose some of their fizz in an adaptation when they become dragged out. A prime example of this is the battle in Naruto between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, the manga's pacing works well, but in the anime, it seems like Hiruzen and the snake-tongued maniac spend endless episodes standing still causing the viewer to become frustrated and yell "JUST PULL IT OUT ALREADY!" at the screen.

With a sketch-like nature, this is something that 4-koma doesn't suffer from. While an anime will expand each scene, it manages to keep up a similar pace to the manga allowing the jokes to work just as well as they did in the original. A prime example of this is Azumanga Daioh. To date this remains one of of the funniest series I've seen because it keeps a steady pace, keeps the jokes coming thick and fast, and doesn't become too frenetic.

Another thing that 4-koma adaptations never suffer from is filler. while they undoubtedly contain plenty of padding, it doesn't tend to disrupt the show's momentum. With many adaptations, there's a distinct drop in quality when it comes to filler arcs, for example, compare the piss poor Lurichiyo arc in Bleach with the awesome Hueco Mundo battles, or the short but somewhat dull Rainbow Mist arc and the equally short but far more entertaining Buggy arc from One Piece. Filler in plot-driven shows tends to be more obvious, but because four panel manga generally tend to play out more like a series of slice-of-life skits, additional content tends to be of a similar level. I rememeber reading Hidamari Sketch and being surprised that some of the scenes I'd seen and loved in the anime weren't actually in the manga.

I also wonder if sometimes there's less attachment to having the story in a four-panel adaptation be 100% accurate to the source material as there is with narrative-focused manga. Rarely - if ever - do I see people moaning "but it's not like that in the manga!" about a 4-koma adaptation. People become attached to a story, and if an adaptation alters that, cuts bits out, or doesn't do it justice, there's more room for fan fury - and this is true for all literary to video media adaptations (I remember getting seriously pissed at the omission of Voldemort's family history in the movie of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince). However, four panel manga is more about the individual scene and character dynamic than the story as a whole, so I personally believe that if the way the protagonists interact with each other and the style of humour remains the same, it's easier to please - or at least placate - the fans.

Certainly from my point of view, the most successful manga to anime adaptations are those that are from 4-koma (or those that seem like they should be four-panel, but arent - Nichijou, Chi's Sweet Home, Shinryaku! Ika Musume). In not being restricted by a distinct and well-loved plot, these series have more freedom and more opportunity for creativity. They're easy-watching, damn good fun, more often than not leave you wanting more, and offer up that age old rarity: a decent sequel.

New Anime Review: Hanasaku Iroha

New Anime-Planet review for one of my favourite series of the year so far.

Hanasaku Iroha Review by cassiesheepgirl | Anime-Planet