Anime Review: Date A Live

I have really mixed feelings about this anime... So I'll proceed with this review

A little word before I begin. Date A Live (デート・ア・ライブ Dēto A Raibu) is the anime adaption of the Japanese light novel series, Date A Live. It is directed by Keitaro Motonaga and produced by AIC PLUS+.

Well let the dating game BEGIN!

Story

Spacequakes, a mysterious phenomenon that destroys everything at the point of impact within a given radius. They are unpredictable and appear randomly. Itsuka Shido lives with his sister Kotori in a town that experiences lots of Spacequakes but has proper countermeasure to warn the population and limit the casualties. 

Here's an example of a spacequake

Oh wait wrong picture

One day Shido is (through some complicated circumstances) running to find his sister who is not in a shelter and a spacequake warning has been issued.

He doesn't find his sister but discover that those spacequakes are caused by a girl.

This girl called Princess (Hime) is standing in the middle of the spacequake impact. She is attacked by a squad called the AST who's objective is to kill these creatures called spirits.

Of course he is shocked. But he is more shocked when he discovers that his little sister Kirino.... euh I mean Kotori is actually the boss of a secret organization aiming to stop these spacequakes.

The more shocking fact is that to stop these spirits from wreaking havoc on earth the solution is actually to date them, show them that there are people who actual want her and won't deny her existence.
So yeah in the end Shido will have a harem. This gets a whole lot more interesting when the number of girls slowly grows and the attempts to sway Shidou’s heart commence.

Characters:

The characters all have some pretty unique personality to them that makes them pretty special. The main girls are all pretty interesting even though they aren’t really fleshed out that well. We have a kuudere, a yandere, a tsundere, a loli and the childish one.

Itsuka Shido, the good looking character who gets all the girls etc etc etc.... Your typical protagonist in a harem anime, very generic. Shallow, bland at best, he only serve to advance the harem. An interesting personality Shido has as described by Kotori: "onii-chan had become strangely sensitive to the despair inside people.—Mm. Something like everyone rejecting oneself—thinking that one will never be loved by anyone else. Well, basically what he had been like back then. If there was someone with such a melancholic expression, even if it was a complete stranger, he would probably go help them without a second thought."

The character that caught my interest the most is Tohka Yatogami. It’s still not quite clear how she gains the last name Yatogami. On my first impression, she resembles Saber from the Fate Series. The usage of armor, the aura she gives off and her nickname “Princess” are all very similar to Saber. She even shares the same hobby as Saber (specifically eating). It is hard to tell whether or not the author did this on purpose. Tohka is voiced by Marina Inoue (Mikazuki Yozora in Boku wa tomodachi ga sukunai)

Next is a..... uh.... how should I say it... Oh yeah a Yuno rip-off (Mirai Nikki). Kurumi Tokisaki, who is was the second character that caught my interest. She dresses like a gothic lolita which is not very common these days in the anime industry. She is depicted with a very sadist/masochist yandere tone and I must admit I kinda like it

Next is Kotori Itsuka serves as the protagonist’s beloved imouto (little sister). Technically, Kotori is Shido’s foster sister. Like any other kawaii imouto, Kotori was doomed from the beginning to become lolicon material, much like Yoshino who is also essentially a loli spirit. Other than her loli physique and her tsundere personality, there is nothing moe about her. Well there isn’t much to fit the criteria of moe anyways... Also I should mention that she is voiced by Taketatsu Ayana, some might know her other no...

Sound:

I don't have anything to say, the music is good, the opening is good but I have to talk about ending #1 and #2 Save The World and Save My Heart. They are pretty addictive and I kept listening to them for a while
Edit: The second opening was also a really good surprise and I enjoyed it a lot!

Animation and Art:

The animation and the art were really good, it is always a pleasure for the eye to watch anime with such a good quality. The level of details is really high but still not the best we can get (KyoAni does that). The animation during the combats is smooth and the quality never dropped which is very good point. Here's some image to let you judge.

Difference with the light novel:

Didn't read the novel can't say

Conclusion:

It's pretty complicated to say what I feel about this anime, it is your typical harem anime with some new stuff added that actually doesn't make it like all the other harem. I personally enjoyed watching it because I like Tohka and I would recommend that you watch it
My original score would be 8/10 but the fact that season 2 should be airing around Spring 2014 I shall rate Date A Live : 8.5/10
EDIT: Dropped the rating to 8 because season 2 was... not that good, and the animation quality was awful... 8 because The movie: Mayuri Judgement has been announced and confirmed for 2015.

Enjoy

Hakkenden Touhou Hakken Ibun

"Mystery mixed with a tint of darkness, add to it a childish flavor, then cover it with a glaze of pasts that go way back to the existing characters, and make the characters outperform their current selves, is the most vague description I could come up with for the anime."

Introduction:

                Ladies, if you are searching for an anime that will make you swoon and go head over heels over several characters then this is your ultimate call. YES, you may squeal, swoon, and drooling is also an option. There is no need to be shy, I myself did all that while watching the anime ( sis called me a creep but well shikata ga nai!). Gentlemen, if you are searching for an anime with some hot female characters, then you are LUCKY! This anime has lots of remarkable women in it.

                Now that I have your attention, let me introduce you to what I consider one of 2013’s best anime (aside from “Attack on Titan” which I have to see once I am done downloading it and Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi). “Hakkenden Touhou Hakken Ibun” also known as “The Eight Dogs of the East” is a great anime with lots of hot characters. 
           Yet, what makes me consider this anime an underrated anime which deserves more attention and admiration is NOT its hot characters, epic original soundtracks, but its well-formed and intricate plot. The factors mentioned above all contribute to this masterpiece, yet the corner-stone or the icing and glaze to this beautiful cake is the plot. 

~Let our little journey begin!~

     From left to right: Inukawa Sousuke, Inuta Kobungo, Inukai Genpachi, Inusaka Keno, Kokonoe.

1-      Plot:

Hakkenden Touhou Hakken Ibun starts with strong and appealing scene where our main characters (Inukawa Sousuke and Inuzuka Shino) are bloodied and at the brick of death. Our third character Hamaji enters crying over her friends’ bodies asking, yet, more like demanding not to be left behind.

Editor’s side note: To be honest, I downloaded the anime because the story looked nice and the characters looked hot, yet after watching the first scene I got hooked by the ears , if that is even possible.

Hamaji’s words spoken to Shino who appears in this picture somehow touched a deep part of my soul. I am not sure if it were her crying or simply desire not to be left behind (xD)

              Bloodied, Shino the main and most intriguing character states that just when he finally found a family of his own, everything was ripped away from him (referring to Sousuke, Hamaji, and the family dog Yoshiro). With everything burning to ash, a young and handsome man presents Shino with a katana offering him a choice: either to watch his life wither or accept to harbor a monster (Murasame the mysterious demon/deity/entity?) and gain immortality.

As a result, five years after the destruction of their village, we are presented with older Sousuke, Hamaji, and young Shino who have taken refuge in a church at a close village. Later, they receive a summoning letter from the Central Church. Shino meets again the young man of five years ago who states that Shino has to collect 8 mysterious beads and their respective owners.

Editor’s side note: By now you would be wondering what Murasame is. He is a living sword spirit that takes the form of a crow. I am not saying more about Murasame, but he is as cool as heck. He might be mistaken as a comic relief, but his existence and role are far more intricate and significant. 

     2- The bead holders:

             First the bead is a marble looking object that has one word written on it. There are 8 of these including Shino’s and Sousuke’s and apparently the holders’ pasts connect to an ancient period of time when demons and humans clashed. I shall refrain from revealing more concerning the bead holders to avoid any spoilers and will leave the viewer to connect the dots and find how 8 strangers cross paths in the present which have had already aligned way back in the past. On another note, all bead holders are male hotties with characters that make them quite memorable, pasts that vary ,yet have a tint of darkness, and desires that unfold as the story goes on.

3-    Characters:
             While listening to InuYasha’s “Sango To Miroku” original soundtrack I have decided to drop some of the characters in order not to ruin for you season one. Although that might leave you in the dark, including some characters will only render the plot regular and quite passive. Hence, I decided to allocate the characters in three categories: the bead holders, the four sacred Beast wielders/houses and others.

3.1 The bead holders: There are 8 bead holders with 5 common traits including the ownership of their respective beads. At this period of time, I will refrain from pointing out the points of similarity between all 8 characters ( Oh and being a “hottie with a cute body” is not one of those 5 traits although it should be :P ).

3.1.1 Shino Inuzuka: The first thing that took me aback was the voice. I remember screaming Natsuuuuuu ( Yes, Shino and Natsu from fairy tail have the same voice actor). Also, his olive-green eyes are quite intriguing. Although Shino looks like a 13 year old and occasionally acts like a brat, he is actually 18 years old stuck in the form of a 13 year old due to Murasame’s curse. You should keep in mind that in all cases of immortality, their is a price to be paid and in Shino's case it is quite expensive.

His character is that who cares for others especially Sousuke and Hamaji. Although harboring a “monster” within him, Shino appears to be close to Murasame which is evident through their quarrels over food and especially meat. He is also capable of utilizing Murasame’s katana form to both drive away and slay demons who tend to endanger those who the earlier cares about. Shino has a great fear that is the result of harboring Murasame, yet, I am not revealing that as it is nice to discover on your own. His character evolves from the bratty Shino you meet at the early episodes to quite an astounding shroud yet caring character who would go lengths to protect those he cares about.
Wait until you see Shino's OTHER form !

3.1.2 Sosuke Inukawa is a true gentleman with short hair and blue eyes. His sincerity was one of the great points at the beginning of the story. He looks out for Shino as both a brother and parent and would walk miles to guarantee his safety. Although both Shino and Sousuke barely survived the incident at their village, Sousuke as a result is able to shape shift into a dog form which is that of their old dog Yoshiro (why and how come is left for the viewer to uncover :3 ).
He is a mature character that has a dark past that haunts him starting season 1 and is more prominent during season2. I do not intend to spoil, yet there is a price for everything and I hope this anime does not get me crying at the end!

3.1.3 Genpachi Inukai is introduced in the second episode as a prisoner of some twisted monk shrine. He is the captain of the Imperial Military Police. No need to say more, as episode two revels more about Genpachi and Kobungo’s past, yet one thing to keep in mind is that those two are the demons of lightening and wind respectively. Genpachi shows romantic interest in Shino on several occasions when he mistakes him for a woman. Also, Genpachi’s past is quite sad, being a soldier, having his squad wiped out, among other reasons that remain to haunt him until the present time.

Editor’s side note: I always had a thing for anime characters in uniforms, and looking at Genpachi I can’t help but swoon. His character is one that is well mature; his sense of responsibility and gratitude are remarkable. I find him pretty smart, attractive, and dependable.

3.1.4 Kobungo Inuta is shown at the beginning of episode two to be searching for his brother “Genpachi” who has been missing for over a week. Although those two are not related by blood, Kobungo has served as a foot soldier under Genpachi’s command at some point in the past. Those two are close, and Kobungo is quite a character that clashes with Genpachi’s serious hot soldier attitude. The earlier is quite funny, hardworking, caring, and protective of Genpachi who was suicidal after some incident that concerns the Northern Village. ( NO more spoilers :P )

3.1.5 Keno Inusaka is a hottie that reminds me of Shi Ryuki from Saiunkoku Monogatari. The first time I laid my eyes on him I knew I was in love (AGAIN)! Keno is a dancer and performer. He, like all the bead holders has an interesting past of his own. It seems that Keno had his heart carved out of his chest when a man killed his family and stole everything he held dear. Although he lost his heart Keno did not die and was able to cut his enemy in the face which blinded his left eye. The latter character’s identity will leave your jaw open so I will leave that to the viewer to discover on his own. On a second note, although Keno looks like a girl ( he is cute enough to be mistaken for a woman), he is quite a swordsman, which is revealed when he and Shino clash swords. It was quite an intense scene if you ask me.

3.1.6 Dosetsu Inuyama : Shown in Season 2

3.1.7 Daikaku Inumura : Shown in Season 2 

3.1.8 @.@ ?

3.2 The Four Sacred Beast Houses/wielders:

I won't elaborate on those four, but one Rio, Kaname and Nachi are quite hot ( that put aside, they play some important role linking the 8 bead holders to their past specifically Satomi Rio). They are also the hosts chosen by 4sacred beasts that are considered equivalent to gods. I shall not ruin for you the sacred beats' names or nature :P Ohh Yatsufsa-san is kawaaiii and Kaede is WELL nyan nyan :3 :P 

3.2.1 Rio Satomi  ^_^

3.2.2 Kaname Osaki 

3.2.3 Ayane Mizuki         

3.2.4 Nachi Hinozuka

3.3 Others

Hamaji: She is Shino and Sousuke’s adoptive sister. She is kidnapped in episode one which forces Shino and Sousuke to answer the church's summoning.

4- Music:
An honest piece of advice, DO NOT skip the intro. The lyrics tell exactly the story from Shino and Sousuke’s perspective. I enjoyed listening to the short version as well as reading the lyrics while humming along. ( I try not to sing along since I have epic singing skills :/ )

On another note, the Original Soundtracks within the anime are quite interesting and memorable. The anime also includes some insert songs. Another piece of advice, do read them carefully and try to interpret them as they contain major spoilers. I would love to have you listen to the song sung by "umm the guardian" { let us keep it at this level of vagueness} but making you listen to it will ruin the nature of both Shino and Sousuke :3 ! 

Themes:

Mystery mixed with a tint of darkness, add to it a childish flavor, then cover it with a glaze of pasts that go way back to the existing characters, and make the characters outperform their current selves, is the most vague description I could come up with for the anime. Yes, there is a good pinch of sadness, darkness and despair in the anime that will sometimes leave you heavy hearted or with an open jaw. ( episodes 10-12 from season 1 and episode 8 from season 2 were quite a shocker. In my case, Episode 8 left me speechless at 6am in the morning for around 3 minutes until the closing song finished. and trust me I couldn't sleep easily that morning! ).

Comments and Thoughts:

 - Always keep in mind that immortality has a price and for our young characters it is a HUGE price/debt that has to be paid.

- The bead holders share a past and this is related to the prologue that shows the Fusehime and the 8 warriors. Although both season one and 2 ( which is still ongoing ) does reveal much, I have a feeling it will be an epic showdown at the end of season 2.

- I enjoyed the characters' growth, the animation, the Osts, and the simplicity and perfection of the storyline.

- Remember what might look like random occurrences and meetings actually build the stage for the bigger plot that includes all characters.

Scoring:
All in all I would give season one an 8 to an 8.5 and season 2 a tentative 9 ( we still need to see how season two will resolve the plot as it is still ongoing). 

I rewatched season 1 with my brother while following up season 2 and made lots of conclusions after connecting both seasons. The anime has an essence of its own and a beauty that not many will admire if they do not keep an open mind.

My thoughts on: Rebuild of Evangelion 3.33 You can (not) redo

This time instead of reviewing I'll just write my thoughts on the movie Evangelion 3.0

I know lots of you didn't watch it yet so I'll make this short enough to sum it up in 2 images with a minor spoiler (nothing big, it won't ruin the movie)

Here is the first one 

This is pretty much how things happened at the producing studios (Khara).

And next one is: 

Ok that's it for today stay tuned and subscribe for more anime reviews!

Anime Review: Shinsekai Yori

Yeah I was pretty busy these days sorry but I promise to try and write more often.... GOMEN NASAI!!!!
Anyway this time I will be reviewing an anime that deserve much more attention and was dropped by many because they failed to understand the real message behind this anime.

Everything in life is covered in mystery. Do you choose to live in blissful ignorance, or do you make a difference against the harsh realities?

Before I begin you should please take note that if you came here expecting a funny and positive anime leave. Shinsekai Yori is not a light watch, it requires you to always analyze the situation, the concept and ideas being discussed to enjoy the serie to its fullest. It also provides you with experience.

This review will be spoiler free, read without hesitation.

With this being said, on with the story.

Story:

The first scene takes place in the modern days with people exploding and dying for some unknown reason.

A thousand years later, the world is ruled by humans with psychic power called Cantus which can make the impossible possible. In this new world, Man has neither need nor want for technology and reigns supreme over the New World's indigenous species called Bakenezumi (Queerats) and other new organisms we come across as the story unfolds. All seems well and peaceful in the Utopia man has created for itself, however Man's evolution came at a price and the New World's mysterious history is written in blood and hidden in secrecy.

The story follows the steps of Saki Watanabe and her friend, Asahina Satoru, Ito Mamoru, Akizuki Maria and Aonuma Shun, at the Sage academy where they are known as group one and learn to control and harness their Cantus. 

From left to right: Shun, Satoru, Saki, Maria and Mamoru

Despite the dark, foreboding tone set from the beginning, it's not until the group uncovers a secret on their school trip that everything starts to go dreadfully wrong for them. Disappearances, assassinations, and invincible beasts aptly called 'Fiends' are but a handful of the mysteries revealed to Saki and her friends. Society is evidently not the utopia that it seems.

There are 2 time skip in the story and all of them will leave you like "what the hell? Why are you doing this you know it's wrong"  but we later discover that everything has an explanation.

The story also treats lots of subject; I will discuss a few here:

As if to defy the conventions of mainstream anime, sexuality plays an important role in the story. The main characters are not innocent and devoid of sexual feelings, even despite their young age in the first two arcs. Much like us, they fall in love, experiment and desire to act out on their feelings. They are not restrained by otaku concepts such as 'purity', and this is an immense benefit given the mature tone of the series. One further thing to note is that they do not only express romantic and sexual desires towards the opposite sex  but towards the same sex as well.

This created so much controversy, I wonder why... Even if the viewer finds bisexual interactions to be uncomfortable, there is scarcely a scene that displays such behavior in the first place. These relationships are not used for superficial shounen-ai or shoujo-ai appeal, but are instead there to reflect the characters maturing in a society unconstrained by social stigma.

Wow if I'm going to talk about every aspect of the story I'd better make a Wiki page... I guess this is enough story wise. 

Characters:

There are very good characters but not much detail or development were given to them, aside from maybe Saki. Saki, the main lead and the narrator, serves as a sort of proxy for the viewer so I will focus mainly on her.

Saki is a calm, smart person who always know how to maintain her cool even when facing danger or learning shocking things (like how their society came to existence). She cares deeply for her friends and refuses to abandon them. She is also very stubborn.

 Interestingly enough, most of the other main characters, aside from Satoru, are mostly used to reveal some secret of the world. The side characters are mostly people presented to give the viewer some much needed info.

Sound:

The music is mostly composed of haunting choirs melodies, percussion and ambient noise which serve to "heighten" the tension. There is no opening, just 2 ending theme. 

Ending 1

Also there are a lot of OST that really stand out. Here are some of them

Also there is this one soundtrack that some of you might recognize, it is called New World by Antonin Dvorak! It is really a relaxing soundtrack and I invite each and every one of you to listen to it! 

Animation and art:

The art is somewhat unusual but fitting for an unusual story, more so than any other art style I can think of. Though not much attention is given to detail as far as facial characteristics go, it beautifully depicts the scenery and maintains an overall cleanliness to it anyone ought to be able to appreciate. Truly, it is beyond my ability to describe the fascinating world of Shinsekai yori but I would wager it is unlike anything you have likely seen; before. 

A1 Pictures has done this series justice in its world building, using just the right colors and shading to create a perfect blend that is both visually pleasing for the average viewer and stays true to the story's setting. The studio has done an above average job the majority of the time with the animation, slipping up only occasionally and consistently producing quality episodes. It is worth nothing that there are some scenes - quite a few actually, that are absolutely breathtaking in their beauty.

 And of course this is only augmented by the angelic scores that play at just the right time, at just the right pitch to deliver a powerful trifecta performance of story, art and sound in an astonishing meld.

One of the strongest aspects of Shinsekai Yori is its atmosphere. Throughout every episode exists an overbearing sense of dread and melancholy: the feeling that something very bad is about to happen, and indeed it often does. The pacing is also very much on the slow side, with several expository episodes before the story finally takes off, but once it does it becomes very difficult to stop watching.

Shinsekai Yori is a macabre, sometimes uncomfortable story that will succeed in immersing you in its dark atmosphere. There's nothing else quite like it out there, which makes it an especially enticing experience. 

Difference with the Manga and the novel:

Didn't read the novel but the mangas is another story. What I mean is that it is very close to the anime but with some difference.... Also it contains lots of yuri (No I am not making that joke)

Conclusion:

Overall, Shinsekai Yori is an excellent anime. It’s a chilling tale that will leave you impressed long after you've finished it. It slow paced and subtle story actually end up working in the anime’s favor. It’s detailed and intricate story as well as its themes will leave the viewer immensely satisfied in the end. Some of the best kinds of stories are the one that make you feel emotion, and boy will this anime invoke plenty of that. It’s a spectacular show that shouldn't be missed by anyone. 

Final Grade: 9.8/10 Must Watch

Anime Review: Another

So today I will be reviewing a relatively new anime: Another

Before you begin let me warn you: If you are under 15 turn away, this anime is bloody, gory and this review will contain some sensitive material.
Also this anime will change your perception of life and death (and dolls). I personally loved it (even though I swore to never ever rewatch it I found myself watching it again the other day)

Story:

Well this is a tough one... Another is full of twists and stuff but I'll make it "spoilerless" (hard)
Anyway the story takes place in Yomiyama and follows Kouichi Sakakibara, a young boy with lung disease who just transfered to junior high at Yomiyama North (actual name of the school) from Tokyo. He lives with his grandparents and his aunt Reiko.
A little spin off here: There is a rumor in Yomiyama that 26 years ago a person called Misaki, who was in class 3-3 and was very popular, died with all his family in a house fire. Misaki's classmate's unable to accept this horrible truth began to act as if he was still their with them and acted along (even the teachers did). Anyway at the prom's picture it is said that Misaki appeared on it. It would have been nice if this had stopped here but...

The story begins with Kouichi waking up at the hospital.

He is visited by 3 of his future classmates (because he didn't get to go to school yet) who claims to be representatives from his class.

Visit's over, Kouichi went to take a walk, he catches the elevator quickly and gets in. He doesn't notice that someone was already in there, a girl who is also at Yomiyama North wearing an eye patch and carrying a doll.

She is going to the B2 floor (the morgue) claiming that she has to meet her other half (creepy eh?)

First day of school (for him) he isn't greeted the way he was expecting it, the mood in class is gloomy, dark, tense etc... Some people try to get to know him but there is obviously something going on (from their attitude)
He meets the Eye patch girl again on the rooftop, her name is Misaki Mei (suspicious eh?) who tells him to do not get close to her and to stop trying to talk to her.

That's mostly it for an introduction, the plot is simple: one tightly-written, carefully thought out, involving a relatively small number of characters, which proves surprisingly durable as a twelve episode series, having avoided the trap of the same cliff-hanger ending every time; they always manage to throw in a new and interesting variation. The resolution of the story-line was amazing; it managed to bring all the strands of information which we had gleaned and wrap everything up in a style which was paced exactly right; fast, but not hurried or rushed. I certainly didn't see the final twist coming- not many people did- but it was masterful. It was also the most emotional moment of the series; even those of you who have laughed like maniacs throughout the entire series will suddenly become somber during the final five minutes. Being mindful of the strict limits on what I can actually say about its specifics, I shall merely say that it was a perfect ending to a brilliant series.

Characters: 

Kouichi Sakakibara is a regular junior school students, interested in arts with some cooking skills who always gets involved because of his high curiosity level in the most dangerous stuff. Oh and I forgot to mention he is a horror story lover. He is always trying to find what is happening, we can say he is half clueless...

Misaki Mei: A mysterious girl who apparently can only interact with Kouichi.

Izumi Akazawa, the class representative, is blunt to the point of being rude, but is quite the deceiver and manipulator behind the scenes, as it later turns out.

Not every character is what they seem to be. Only the end will tell you everything!

Sound:

Well... how to say it... the sound is the key (bad musical pun... sorry). From the start, the music creates a sense of eeriness, from simple melodies to electronic effects and string sections. As difficult as it is to describe, I would like you to imagine a full orchestra having a psychedelic freak-out (think of that section of A Day in the Life) with a hair-raising selection of electronic hums and whines added, and then multiply that by about ten. That's about what it's like (or as best as I can put it into words). The music never quite goes away, unlike in other, lighter series; it drops right down to a few notes on a piano, but still gives you the sense that something's always just about to happen.

The opening theme

The opening is one of the freakiest thing. Just read the lyrics, they are all about death, emptiness, void and blood... And the video doesn't help to ease the tension!

The ending (it is quite relaxing and gives you a sense of peace)

One of the many scary OST

The scariest OST

Animation:

The art is simply beautiful. This might actually be quite near the top in terms of the best series I have ever seen art-wise. The characters aren't that different from any other series, but the backgrounds are amazingly well defined; they really are just bliss to watch. The art mostly depicts death, lots and lots of death, with some dismemberment and impending doom thrown in. In almost every scene, there's a sense of decay, everything looks decrepit and rusty, the buildings look deserted, and there's gratuitous use of deep, dark reds wherever possible. If it's outdoors, there are crows perched on the roofs, looking hungry. If it's indoors, like the hospital, then the lights are dim and flickering occasionally

Difference with the manga and Novel:

Concerning the manga some stuff might change but you will get the same feeling as the anime.
I haven't read the novel, a book can't be judged by it's cover but THIS IS TOO MUCH

Conclusion:

If you are still with me (and it's quite likely if you are indeed reading this sentence), I recommend you go and watch Another now. It's only a few hours out of your spare time and you really have nothing to lose except a night's sleep if you are easily scared. If you are going to watch it, I can recommend watching it at midnight, it's surprisingly good fun (if your idea of 'fun' is the same as mine, that is).

Final Grade: 9.8/10