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

Anime Review: Sword Art Online

So today I will be reviewing a new anime that only finished airing recently: Sword Art Online.

Before I begin I would like to say that yes it is a popular anime, yes it has flaws but it is really enjoyable. Even though the beginning is a bit rushed, you will still enjoy every second for different reasons: The original story (and no it's different from .Hack// you hater, the Light novel was released before the .Hack// fanchise) the enjoyable music AND the lovable characters.

Story:

The story begins in 2022 when the first virtual gaming console with a full diving game was released. The game, called Sword Art Online created by a famous scientist Kayaba Akihiko, offers real life feelings and needs, like you have to eat, sleep and all.

The story follows the adventure of Kirigaya Kazuto (ingame: Kirito) a geek/gamer who lives with his uncle and aunt and has no friends. Kirito was one of the beta tester of the game thus having a direct access to the game without the need to buy it.

Things start to go awry when players try to log out only to find out that the "Log Out" button does not exist. The creator shows up claiming that all the players are now his prisoners in-game and that the only way to get out is to clear the game. Also in-game death means death in real life, "once you die in a world you die everywhere" - Kayaba Akihiko

Upon realizing what is going to happen, Kirito runs to the next town in order to clear quests and raise his level (this is a plus because these days most of the anime protagonist would have sat in a corner and cried... Yes I'm looking at you Haruyuki from AccelWorld)

Anyway Kirito start searching for the 1st floor's boss. While searching for him he joins a temporary party and meets a girl: Asuna.

While raiding the boss, the party leader gets killed and Kirito is the one who slays the boss. Other people understand that he must have been a beta tester and label him as a beater (combination on cheater and beta tester).
And thus begins his real adventure as a solo player in that jungle-like world.

I won't spoil the rest of the story, I will just say that the second arc (arc not season) is focused on the relationship between Kirito and his sister: Kirigaya Suguha.

Characters:

About Kirito, he's the badass type of boy who get girls easily and can solve all problems without even sweating a bit and has many friends. The boy most people want to be.

He’s a guy with a heart of gold.

He’s always at an advantage.

He can accomplish whatever he wants to with little effort.

He has an ‘ideal’ girlfriend/wife.

He’s admired by those around him.

He can ‘unintentionally’ make every other chick adore him, romantically or otherwise.

About Asuna: Asuna as the female lead is as stereotyped as they come. Much like Kirito, her character is heavily idealized. She’s pretty, popular, kind, caring and every other man wants to have a piece of her. Oh, and did I mention her cooking skills that level up with each passing day? After all, her foremost duty is to cook for Kirito and show how much she cares for him. While initially she’s portrayed as a strong, independent female player with a tsundere-ish attitude, it doesn’t take her long to make a transition from that to a deplorable damsel in distress, requiring her knight in black robe to come to her rescue whenever she’s in a bind.

Other characters like Silica, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth and Yui are here just to add some humor and make you laugh!

Sound:

The music is composed by one of the most renowned composers in the anime industry, Yuki Kajiura (nuff said!!!!). While the soundtracks aren't bad by any means, none of them stand out much except the one that plays during combat/intense scenes. In fact, that’s the only track that can be heard playing most of the time in the entire show.

Opening 1: Crossing Field

Opening 2: Innocence (didn't put the original video for spoiler purpose)

Animation:

Within the game, the vast tracts of greenery, the beautiful cities during the night, the castles… they’re all a pleasure to behold. The animation is also well-handled for the most part. Initially I wasn’t much pleased with the character designs but they gradually grew on me, and I personally find a few characters like Asuna, Klein, Heathcliff and Lisbeth to be very well designed.

Difference with the Light Novel:

The light novel goes more into details explaining things and deeper, especially the relationship between the characters. And it has more side story that are pretty enjoyable.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, sword art online is a great anime, even though the two main protagonist are very criticize-able the plot always has this thing that pushes you to continue watching it. For those who don't know it the Light novel is much more in advance, meaning that it goes after the end of the anime. I have read it and I can personally understand why were all these choices made. Bear in mind that every decision taken has a consequence in the future.

Final Grade: 9.7/10

Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and subscribe for more weekly reviews.

Season 2 has been announced!

Anime Review: Angel Beats

Hello everyone! Today I will be reviewing one of the best anime out there that really affected me: Angel Beats

Before I begin let me say 2 words about why I began to watch this anime:
   1- The original idea (the plot take place in the after life)
   2- The beautiful art/animation
   3- The presence of guitar

With this being said I will begin the review (you can read relaxed, I won't be spoiling the story)

Story:

The story takes place in school acting as a limbo for those who died. People who are sent there are those with lingering attachment to life and are rebelling against there past; In other words people with a hard childhood (sickness, paralysis, un-achieved goals etc...).
Note that people who committed suicide are not allowed to go there and people there can still feel pain, sadness and can "die" (they will awaken sometimes later with no injuries)
The story begins with Otonashi Yuzuru, a boy who awaken there not remembering anything about his life.

Upon awakening he is approached by an armed girl: Yuri Nakamura

Yuri tells him that she is a member of the Afterlife Battlefront (Shinda Sekai Sensen or SSS), an organization she founded and leads against the oppressing God and his messenger Tenshi (Angel in Japanese).

Tenshi

There is a rock band called Girls Dead Monster that act as a diversion for the SSS missions and a guild that mass produces weapons.

The rest of the afterlife school is populated by a large number of "normal" students and teachers Yuri deems "non-player characters" (NPCs) as they are not human, but look and act the part.

Also if they just do like everybody (go to class and everything) they will be obliterated and reincarnated as a sea barnacle (or so they say)

Now I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers, I will just say that the story is really not what you might believe, things are very complicated. We have some childish humor but we also have this dark atmosphere when some of the SSS member's past is revealed. Each one has a unique story, torturous, depressing tale. 

The ending will leave you in tears

(image pretty much accurate of how I felt at the ending)

Characters:

As I mentioned before the story follow mostly Yuzuru and the SSS in their fight against Tenshi. Though we might notice that not all the character's past is covered (the Manga and the Light Novel do)
Each of them also have a special way to make you laugh as they are funny as hell.

Sound:

Nothing to say, the music is awesome, perfect, you will never forget it.

Opening theme "My soul"

"My song" One of the most emotional

And the ending theme which is relaxing after an action episode

Also the music really fits the situations, happy songs in happy moments, sad songs in sad moments.

Animation:

The animation in this series is quite detailed and beautiful. The school campus looks good and the scenery is close to flawless. The character designs are wide and different for every character. It doesn’t rely on sex-appeal or moe characters, which is refreshing. The amount of detail put in the weapons and instruments is impressive. If you’re knowledgeable with these kinds of things, you can clearly see what model, brand and such the different items are. The violence is dramatic, but not «gory» or noticeably special.

The action scenes does not disappoint as well. It gets your blood pumping, and that’s all it takes for a viewer to want to see more.

The series has its own band called «Girls Dead Monster». The amount of detail put into their performances is incredible. If you watch closely, you can see that the guitarist holds the correct chords, the drummer hits the right drums and the bassist plays as if it was a real performance. Now THAT is amazing since anime often just lets the guitarists hand slide up and down the neck of the guitar and so forth.

Difference with the Manga:

The manga is still ongoing, and it is wider since it covers more the SSS's members story.

Conclusion:

Overall, this anime is one for all tastes, and it will have you crying and laughing at the same time. You will start thinking about your own life in comparison to the pasts of the members of the Battlefront and get caught in deep thought. It is visual and musical brilliance, and I would recommend seeing this if you want a mix of everything. It did turn into one of my favorites the moment I finished it, and the same may happen to you.

Final Grade: 9.8/10 MUST WATCH!

Anime Review: School days

So as I said my first post will be reviewing the latest anime I watched: School Days

School day is a psychological. Do not think it is a regular love story between a boy and a girl playing in school, no no. It is an anime with a dark plot, twist that will make you go all Incredible Hulk on it (don't know how my PC survived this experience). It is about how cheating can mess up with your life and the heart and heads of your loved one. It shows how the human heart and mind are very fragile and how friendship is very precious and when destroyed in the worst way, it can have the worst consequences.

Story (Spoiler Warning when mentioned)

The story Starts with Itou Makoto, a normal high school person who listen to music and have some perverted thought like all boys of his age. 

Makoto has a crush on the girl that always ride the train with him, Katsura Kotonoha. Kotonoha is a shy girl with big boobs who always was victim of bullies since middle school.

Saionji Sekai (Makoto's friend) discover that he likes Kotonoha, and so she decide to help him and eventually hook them up

Now (and it was pretty much predictable) we discover that Sekai has feelings for Makoto and kisses him.

The first three episode are like the typical anime love triangle. Eventually Makoto and Kotonoha become lovers and start going out together.
Here things start to go the wrong way. Makoto on the phone tell Sekai that dating Kotonoha is "tiring"


I will be SPOILING the whole story in this section, if you don't want to be spoiled jump to the next section. You have been warned

I will make this short and not detailed. Watch the anime
Sekai and Makoto start "dating" without Kotonoha's knowledge, he's cheating on her and eventually he sleeps with Sekai (multiple times). The comes in Makoto's childhood friend Otome Katou.

Makoto is now cheating on Sekai and Kotonoha (who is convinced that Makoto still loves her) and eventually sleep with her (little detail worth mentioning, they are filmed and they don't know it)
So Makoto is now a guy who is obsessed with sex and is sleeping with every girl in the school. He eventually musters the balls to tell Kotonoha that it is over (followed by a reaction of disbelief from her)
Now we introduce Sekai's best friend Kyoura Setsuna. She cares deeply for Sekai and eventually goes to Makoto to make him promise that he will take care Sekai (because she is traveling) and even sleep with him to convince him (how intelligent)

Lets press on things. Sekai discover that Makoto has been cheating on her and falls into depression and to top it all is waiting for her periods which (wait for it) are not coming... pregnant. That's what you get B**CH.
She tells Makoto that she is pregnant expecting him to take responsibility. This news eventually slips and all the school now knows about it. All the girls are now avoiding Makoto who is now depressed. He doesn't want to go back to Sekai.
He finds Kotonoha on the road and eventually and apologize to her and she (stupidest thing ever) actually forgive him. They go back together, dating and sleep together. Sekai catch them in the act and just leave while crying.

Here is the most interesting part and the BIGGEST SPOILER, so if you DON'T want to be spoiled please do skip this section in particular

Sekai goes to Makoto's house so that they can talk about the child she is carrying (abortion in other word) she propose to make tea and goes to the kitchen. Meanwhile Makoto who left his phone in his room receives a message and go to check on it. It is from Sekai saying "Sorry..... Farewell" he turns around to ask her what is the meaning of this only to find her right behind him, knife in the hand, and stabs him.
Kotonoha come to his house and finds his dead body on the ground. She sends a message to Sekai using Makoto's phone telling her to meet him. Sekai go to the meeting only to find Kotonoha with Makoto's head (disgusting eh?). She tells Sekai that she is lying, she is not pregnant and it is just an excuse for Makoto to come back to her. She stabs Sekai.

Happy ending?
END OF SPOILER

Characters:

The characters in this anime are seriously some of the dumbest people I have ever seen. Makoto especially - after watching about 5 episodes I wanted to smash his face in. His idiotic expressions, his whiny sped voice, everything about him. I hated it all. I hated the way he looked, the way he talked, and everything he did. My hatred for this character is unparalleled to any other characters I might have ever hated in my life. The only props I can give to the people who dream't up this character was that we got to see him go from a selfish idiot to a selfish asshole by the end of the series.

That rant out of the way, I don't have much to say bout the other characters which was mainly composed of idiotic girls that for some reason or another couldn't get enough of this whiny faced idiot.

We only notice an evolution of Kotonoha and Sekai.

Sound:

The opening sounded great, but it didn't really suit the series considering how dark (and idiotic) it became. The opening was way too happy in contrast to the story. Otherwise, bgm was decent, even good at times. No big comments 

Here the Opening theme which I really liked

OST: Anata Ga Inai

OST: Kanashimi no

Animation:

 I thought the animation and character design was pretty good, one of the series stronger points. All of the character designs although not unique, were nice, and the colors brought out the mood fairly well. 

Difference with the Mangas:

In the mangas the plot is simpler. The beginning is the same, but we find a faithful Makoto who is not a stupid arrogant cunt. I liked it more than the anime.

Conclusion:

This story is more about the idea behind cheating and how it can affect you and all the people around. I am very neutral concerning the anime because without the ending it would have been the shittiest anime ever. Also bear in mind that the studios are making everything to make you HATE Makoto so that the ending would be better and more enjoyable

7.9/10, Watch if you want

Introduction

A little introduction to my blog!
I'm here to do some anime reviews as well as mangas review. I will try to to make it the best way I can to ensure that it is understandable and accessible to everyone. I am also open to your suggestions. Feel free to leave a comment to give me your opinion or what anime you want me to talk about
Now I will be reviewing the latest anime I watched on my next post
Arigatou :)