Makai Ouji Devils and Realist

" Bring two people with totally opposite points of view, throw them in a closed room, and watch them scratch out each others' eyes, this is the best description I could come up with for the anime. And I promise it will get you smiling on occasions, feeling a bit sad on a few others, and laughing hard at 2 am in the morning. "

Introduction:

I've been tired lately of some EPIC yet nerve-wrecking anime ( again ! ), so I decided to start some light anime that will leave me laughing rather than worrying. Apparently, Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist was the cure for my heartache and boredom.  Here is the trailer :3 

Editor’s side note: My heartache is due to my favorite anime taking too long to release new episodes. Ongoing anime are a test of patience if you ask me. On another note, Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist is quite a catch. It is funny, funny, with some good plot, funny, and quite a touch of eccentricity if you ask me although slow paced.

Plot:

William Twining is an aristocrat and has everything handed to him. Although his parents died and his uncle manages his financials, he is the top of his class in one of the most prestigious schools. He is a "perfect" by name, social status, and grades. He is one hell of a realist who only believes in the scientific line of thinking. What William doesn't know is that he is going to be denied from all of the comforts he enjoyed when news reaches him regarding his uncle's bankruptcy due to "Bad Investments".

Random snapshot from the anime, LOOK how promising the LOLs are :3 

Editor’s side note: So, what's so special with Twining? What William does not know is that he is the descendant of Solomon, who according to the story is the man who God bestowed upon him wisdom which is represented by the ring which Solomon wears. He also subjugated 72 demons also knows as the 72 pillars. Yet, what happens when the lord of hell Lucifer falls asleep and hell needs an interim ruler? ( Enters the ELECTOR)

A sample of the demon lords that are shown in the series :3 , and YES this hottie is the lord of FLIES -_- 

When William dashes home to inquire about his unpaid tuition, he is received by his house steward Kevin Cecil who informs him about his uncle's bankruptcy.  Desperate to find a method to pay his tuition, William accidentally enters a secret basement in his house and summons a demon when a drop of blood oozing from his injured hand comes in contact with an old magic circle drawn on the floor.

Kevin the house steward, ummm I shall refrain from commenting and leave the rest up to you :3

Editor’s side note: So up till now, we have a hard headed realist who summoned a demon using a magic circle in his basement who tells him that he is the Elector and has the right to choose hell's interim ruler! So how will William react ?

Characters:

1- William Twining: 

An aristocrat who has gone bankrupt. He is also Solomon's descendant, and a hell of a realist. Although, some of the 72 pillars approach him and try to Persuade him to elect them as the interim ruler, William denies each and every single one of them. He, not only denies their requests, but also their existence/nature as well as his responsibility towards them. He claims that they are all made out of atoms and he is not responsible in any way to deal with hell and its problems, that is if it exists to begin with.

On several occasions William will show his true soft nature especially towards his friend and house steward Kevin. I would like to say that his attitude issues are due to his beliefs although I have a feeling Dantalion will patch things up :P !

William and his friend Issac :3 This was one weird moment ! 

Editor’s side note: Twining's attitude sometimes pisses me off. He is proud on several occasions and denies Dantalion who appears to have made quite a connection with Solomon in the past. My brother says William's initial attitude is more annoying than Arthur Auguste Angel's from Ao No Exorcist.

 Arthur Auguste Angel from Ao No Exorcist, PLAIN annoyance on two feet

2- Dantalion:

He is one of Solomon's 72 pillars and also a Nephilim ( I will let you hit your head on the wall while trying to find a definition for Nephilim :3 ). He is the demon who was summoned in William's basement. He is protective of the initial, although William denies his existence and "badmouths" him on several occasions. He has a major connection with Solomon and wonders why William forgot about him (while William has flashbacks regarding the other demons). 

Dantalion is also one of Lucifer's favorites and is quite POWERFUL ! But why is he protective of William and throws his life to protect an Elector who does not even acknowledge his existence ? ( ^_^ ) NYA-nya !?

Dantalion is a very sweet demon if you ask me !

Editor’s side note: Dantalion's voice actor was a shock. I knew I heard that voice somewhere, yet I never knew this deep voice was the same as Misaki Ayuzuwa from Kaichou wa Maid sama as well as Ittoki Otoya from Uta-no Prince Sama and Inuta Kobungo from Hakkenden Touhou Hakken Ibun!

 3-Sitori 

He is also a candidate to replace Lucifer as the latter is in deep sleep. He appears to be a fallen angel as seen in one of Solomon's memories. Sitori is very refined, loves eating biscuits and quite powerful. He reigns over 60 armies of hell and is one of Solomon's pillars.

Editor’s side note: During his first appearance I had one reaction: "NOT sure if MALE OR FEMALE :P " Rest assured, he is a male !

 4- Gilles de Rais 
I do not know why but this DUDE (HE IS A DUDE ) pisses me off. I am not sure if he is a comic relief but he really needs some help. He is quite strong, battles Dantalion in the first episode if I am not mistaken and it is revealed that he is a man who died 400 years ago and became a Nephilim serving under the Great Demon Duke Baalberith. He once was in love with some historical character that we KNOW :3 !

Editor’s side note: During episode 7 mom walks into the room. I hit the pause button and the video stops at this scene. She inquires about the current scene and I tell her some stuff are better left unexplained .

There are other characters, whom I shall refrain from discussing in order not to ruin the anime for you :3

 I love your red hair dude, but hmmmm !

 I fell in love with his voice, he has the same voice actor for shirou from Ao No Exorcist and Hannes-san fron Attack on Titan

 Astaroth-sama quite a character. She reminds me of Youruichi from Bleach !

Camio, he is one of my favorites, pretty refined with a delicate human nature !

Music:

The intro was not bad, quite catchy but not very memorable ( in my opinion ) ! I enjoyed the closing more, and I like the vocals and lyrics :3  :3

Comments:

- I enjoyed the anime. It was a good change of genres, quite funny, and yet has an interesting plot of its own.

- I love how the battle between heaven and hell develops.

- Themes of friendship, betrayal, humans vs demons vs hell are raised and you can't help but love the demons in the series.

- One of my favorite quotes relates to how humans are more cruel that the darkest demons.

Although many might down-rate it, according to the atmosphere and the nature/genre of the anime as well as my psychological state while watching it, it would give it an 8 or an 8.5! Many would argue that it does NOT rival other 8 or 9 rated anime, but within its genre I would say it did a great job!

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.