Tide-Line Blue Review

Watched 11/2016

Type: TV
Completed Episodes: 12/12
Aired: Jul 2005 to Sep 2005
Producers: Bandai Visual, TV Asahi, Lantis
Studios: Telecom Animation Film

Tide-Line Blue is an original anime.
Bronze

This wasn’t  a bad anime per say. It just suffered from a few flaws. The world is falling apart and everyone is fighting each other for power. Pretty standard and guaranteed what would happen.

The anime is shown through about half a dozen points of views which made it hard to connect to any one side. The person we are most supposed to care about is a boy called Keel. Keel who was forced from his home by his twin brother and got separated from him. Teen, the twin, grew up on one side of the war and is mature and dependable. Keel was adopted by the leader of the other side and brought up with a silver spoon and doesn’t know how to anything but cheat and lie. Keel is also in love with a girl who has a baby at the beginning of the story.

The twins relationship is a strange one, partly because for most of the show. Keel hates Teen and because he’s now stuck with the people who brought Teen up, is constantly compared to him. I’m not sure about Teen’s feelings on Keel, except he makes it so Keel and Isla are under his father’s protection so I guess he has some feelings for him. When they finally reunite, they do start to get along, though. By the end of the show, they are friends. Not without a few fights, however.

As the story progresses I grew more interested but it was a very close start. The ending was good for the series. Seriously, though, Keel has no life skills. It’s amazing it lives through the show.

 

Gun X Sword Review

Watched 11/2016

Type: TV
Episodes: 15/26
Aired: Jul 2005 to Dec 2005
Producers: Studio Tulip
Studios: AIC A.S.T.A.

Gun x Sword is an original anime written by Hideyuki Kurata.

Silver – Not dropped but unfinished due to technical difficulties.

The first episode was good. Interesting idea and concept, if not a little common with animation considerably more modern than some of the other anime released at this time. In some ways, it’s a little sad that some animes are of a similar quality to this now. Even this was ahead of the time or some studios are not putting their money into this anymore.

In some ways, it’s a little sad that some animes are of a similar quality to this now. Even this was ahead of the time or some studios are not putting their money into this anymore. The effects in this are brilliant, as is the movement of the characters. They are fluid and the fight scenes are beautiful.

I have never watched cowboy bebop (which from the theme and genres I’d guess this anime was trying to be a predecessor from) but this anime reminded me of Yatterman and World Destruction Society at some points. The air of a world which is more technically advanced but still as chaotic and unruly as when it wasn’t. Oh and there is some idoit who is trying to change the world into their own world view.

Our group of mismatched heroes in this one are your a-typical mix of people who don’t quite fit in with the real world. Van’s an airhead who likes putting all the condiments he can on to a cheap dish and forgets his friends names easy, but he does have a heart. Wendy is more your typical serious anime girl and Carum is the knowledgeable wanderer in this scenario. Plus Joshua for comic relief and Pricilla to brighten up the show.

That all being said. There were occasions I was bored with the anime. It made me care for the characters but I had to take breaks regularly. It’s a bit heavy to just blast through all at once. I was getting into the arc again when… the site I was using apparently began having problems. For some reason, I could only see the first 5 mins of the episodes of Gun X Sword so unfortunately, I could not finish the series. Hopefully, when I have time in the future I will return to it.

Kamichu Review

Watched 11/2016

Kamisama de Chūgakusei

Type: TV
Completed Episodes: 12/12
Aired: Jun 2005 to Sep 2005
Producers: Aniplex
Studios: Brain’s Base, Production Reed

Kamichu is an original adaptation written by Tomonori Ochikoshi, Koji Masunari, and Hideyuki Kurata.

Gold

This is was a delight to watch. The main character Yurie is adorable and a real sweetheart who ultimately does her best in the new role she has found herself in. The show is heavily influenced by the Shinto believe that there is a good for everything in existence. One morning Yurie wakes up and knows she is a god. Not quite understanding or believing what has happened, she accidently summons a typhoon and from there her new life as a god begins. Alongside being a middle school student.

 

What’s really amusing is that everyone just accepts the fact she is a god and the first middle school student god. Not to mention teasesher mercilessly (in a good natured way). Kamichu is a hopelessly sweet anime which is hard to pin down in one genre. We have aliens, cats and boats from ww2 which all need Yurie’s help and she goes about it happily. With the occasional hitch in her own life.

She is still a mostly normal girl though and has to deal with her crush and trying to keep up in school. Her two friends are with her throughout her adventures, one who has grown up in a shrine and understands matters of the gods a little better than Yurie and another who unfortunately often ends up being possessed by gods to do their bidding. For example putting on a rock performance.

There is nothing which fazes these girls.

Music wise, it’s good. The opening song suits the anime well. The animation itself has its own flare which makes its unique. Not in a way which is bad, I actually really liked the anime style. It’s great to see a style where the characters actually more with a bit more freedom. The way the characters move really adds to the flavour of the anime.

I don’t quite think it makes my favourites but I certainly enjoyed the anime more than some I’ve been watching lately.

Kokoro Connect Review

Completed 10/2016

Type: TV
Completed Episodes: 13/13
Aired: Jul 2012 to Sep 2012
Producers: Starchild Records, Enterbrain
Licensors: Sentai Filmworks
Studios: Silver Link.

Kokoro Connect is a light novel adaptation by Sadanatsu Anda.

Gold

Kokoro is about five high school students who don’t fit into normal clubs. In Japan clubs are a really important thing and as they can’t fit into one, the teachers make a new club for them called the ‘cultural research club.’ One day the students switch bodies and antics ensure.

Turns out an alien called Heartseed is messing with them to seeing what interesting things happen. The first act has some switching bodies, the second has their emotions going haywire. Heartseed is a bit of a jerk who I think really is just a bored godlike creature. He often apologises in advance for his actions but that doesn’t negate the fact they often cause a lot of distress for the main characters.

‘It just so happens you are some pretty interesting people, I guess.’

‘The phenomena will end when it’s no longer entertaining.’

He’s not kidding with the first statement. Ignoring the back they aren’t part of normal clubs they all are unique people with a mostly unique back stories. Appearances aside. Silver Link is low production so I’ve mostly given up on expecting any form of unique character designs from them. Sadanatsu Anda, on the other hand, seems very good at writing characters. There is a lot of character development in this story.

Not all of the situations are sad or upsetting, some are quite funny. Most are serious through to high school students and cause a lot of fighting. Most of which evoked feelings similar to how I felt when I watched Anohana, which is properly why I have rated it high.

It has good animation and voice acting. It has a good story.It has strong characters and made me feel emotions towards them. All of which rate it a gold to me. It’s one thing to have a good story, another to make the audience actually care about the characters.

Or possibly I relate to Inaba a little too much, but hey! I don’t claim this blog is official. If anything the bad grammar and writing is proof of that. These are just my own personal feelings lol.

As for the ending well. It suited the story 🙂

Futakoi Alternative Review

Futakoi Alternative (Twin Love Alternative)

completed 2015

Type: TV
Episodes: 13
Aired: Apr, 2005 to Jun, 2005
Producers: ufotable, Feel, Studio Flag, Lantis

Futakoi Alternative is a kind of spin of to Futakoi, using the same characters but in a different location and universe. Having not watched Futakoi, there is not a lot I can say about the comparisons but Alternative is fun to watch.

To describe this anime in one word. Weird. Its a fun ride though. Its surprisingly hard to label this anime with a genre as it has aspects of all, varying from one episodes to the next as to which it wants to be. At its centre, its a romance. A story of twins and the man they have fallen for. Unlike its original Futakoi, its not a harem of twins all jumping for his attention. But there is the weird love triangle between the three of the main characters. Rentaro, Soujyu and Sara. All who work as a detective agency.

I can’t say I have any issues with this anime. The story is entertaining and while has a lot of cliques it is well done. Its does give off a feeling of not really knowing what it is. As the anime progresses it gets more serious and serious. Decisions making important factors as the two girls progress though life. All until their 16th birthday when something must happen. Something rather cruel but in many ways a fact of life. Sara is the more independent of the twins and very strong. Going out of her way to protect her sister and do her best for the detective agency.

Its a good anime, I’d give it a silver. Its entertaining, unique and has a lot of comedy as well. The characters are well done and while there were moments of sadness, there were moments of happiness as well.

Weiß Kreuz Review

Weiß Kreuz (Knight Hunters)

Completed 2005

Type: TV
Episodes: 25/25
Aired: Apr, 1998 to Oct, 1998
Producers: TV Tokyo, Studio Deen, Animate Film, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, TMS-Kyokuchi

Weiß Kreuz is a light novel adaptation written by Kenichi Kanemaki and illustrated by Kyoko Tsuchiya.

So why am I watching this when I have the weekly challenge? Simple, Ufotable seems to have several series which are sequels of previously made animes. So I started with this.

The animation is terrible, but has a very realistic tint to it. This is an anime created in the 90s after all. The movements are stilted. The voice acting also so. The lines blurry even in the highest definition I could find. But like all 90s animes, you don’t watch them now for their animation quality. You watch them for their story. I do think anyone who tries to compare this with animation now is silly. It was not good bad then, its terrible now. Simple. 

Also this is rated 13+. I think it says a lot about how we have progressed that this was only rated a 13. Now it would likely be 17+. With themes involving prostitutes, life or death games, guns, violence and much much more this anime is not for children. At least when you compare it to Magi which was given a 15 in England, certainly this anime would have been given higher!

This is a show about assassins trying to kill their targets who are usually up to no good. The first few episodes introduce us to this characters, explaining their back stories and how they ended up with the group. From careers ruins to lost lovers. The stories are sad and only a touch clique. Ultimately this anime is pretty standard in its premise. Its one we have seen a thousand times and one we are likely to see a thousand times again. This show is also meant to be a bishounen show. Full of handsome men and beautiful woman. Except the the bad animation ruins that.

The story itself is passable. Nothing new, more particularly exciting but there. See Bad guy. Stop bad guy. Met cute girl in process. Girl survival rate 50/50 in process. Because we haven’t seen this formula a couple hundred times and somehow I doubt it was original back in the 90s either. One of the detectives turns out to be related to the bad guys. One of others has a sister in a coma. Its all very clique. So Bronze. Its not something I would say people need to particularly go back and see but its not a bad ride.

Yuri Kuma Arashi Review

Yuri Kuma Arashi

completed 2015

Type: TV
Episodes: 12/12
Aired: Jan, 2015 to Mar, 2015
Producers: Frontier Works, FUNimation Entertainment, Media Factory, Mainichi Broadcasting, Movic, Gentosha Comics
Studios: Silver Link

Yuri Kuma Arashi was an original anime project written by  Kunihiko Ikuhara, though the manga written for it was published before the anime was released.

In the beginning we hated you so

In the beginning we must have loved you to

And so we wanted to become true friends with you. To cross the wall

I’m not really sure how I am meant to feel about this anime. I guess a silver? I’m not likely to forget the plot and I think I enjoyed it. It’s very surreal. Like a strange cross between xxxholic and utena. With added Yuri, cannibalism and less guys.  This is a story is about the love and bonds we share and how the world likes to destroy those bounds. I called it cannibalism however its bears eating humans, admittedly disguised as humans but still the same.

We don’t really see any blood, but this anime is definitely NSFW. Containing a lot of suggestive scenes. Even in the opening there are a few moments of ummmm. Toe biting? Yuri in genre is not a genre I enjoy, and it was only because of my weekly challenge that I watched this. That and the artwork is not moe and has decent proportions. Unlike most things Silver link makes – thank god! I do have a limit with ecchi stuff and the appearance of the characters. Not to stay the artwork is pretty. Its very shoujo, almost CLAMP like. Big round eyes and long legs and bodies. The story is one with twists and deep symbolic meanings. This story is laced with symbolism and if you think this anime is as simple of bears wanting to eat humans, you would be wrong. If anything the idea of an ‘invisible storm’ is proof of this. Those who don’t fit in and conform to society’s ideas are excluded from the herd and left to be eaten by the bears. Not literally from the school, but rather from the herd’s events etc. Sound familiar? Just think of your own friends who are LGBT or simply not the standard model, how much they have to face from people. Society is not forgiving to those who stick out.

Love is more times than not in anime over sexualised. It’s refreshing to see any anime about love being more true and honest. Kureha is in love with Sumika. Even after she dies, she is determined to not spoilt that love, or friendship. Declaring for a while afterwards that she doesn’t want to make any more friends. Sumika is her only friend. Not that it doesn’t stop the others from trying. The storm taking more than one form once someone has been removed.

The bears, for reason of their own, wish to protect Kureha. Because one loves her due to the kindness showed to her once she was young. Refusing to give up on love. Eating girls who become a threat to Kureha, Jealousy. Love. Determination. Also lost chances. This anime covers the complexness which is love while keeping it sweet and innocent. For the most. But not only love itself but the fight people have to face against society’s view of their love. How people choose to get in the way of love. Because they don’t agree with it, or because they want it themselves.

Basically, this anime is deep. Very deep. With hidden means and a fantastic story line. Don’t be put off my the fact it is yuri or the fact it is surreal. It is a gem in the dust which likely deserved more attention that it got.

‘Is your love true?”

“Will you eat humans, or will you become invisible?”

So many deep references I’m not going to even begin because you could write papers on this anime!

For people who enjoyed this, I would recommend Utena. I did some researching and it turns out they are both directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara which explains the similar feelings between the two.

Ai Yori Aoshi Review

Ai Yori Aoshi (Bluer Than Indigo)

Watched 2009 roughly.

Type: TV

Completed Episodes: 24/24

Aired: Apr, 2002 to Sep, 2002

Producers: J.C.Staff, FUNimation Entertainment, Movic, Fuji TV, Pioneer LDC, Cosmic Ray

Ai Yori Aoshi is a manga adaptation originally written by Kou Fumizuki

This anime is not one I remember much to at all, which makes my rating low anyway. I remembered it was about a normal guy who suddenly gets a traditional Japanese wife/fiancée. I didn’t remember they were childhood friends. I also remembered this anime gave me a similar feeling to Chobits/dearS but pretty much nothing else. Oh! Also that he is estranged from his family and thinks this is a set up.

Don’t get me wrong, I properly should re-watch this before reviewing but considering how much I remember of other series I watched at the same time, it doesn’t really give me a good enough incentive to try again. It suggests to me that I didn’t really enjoy this anime, or well, I enjoyed it enough to complete it but not enough to retain much about the story. Give its age and its genre types, its not really the sort of program I would watch now. Maybe in summer I will give it another change but not for the moment.

Sorry any fans of this anime, and I do encourage people to watch it themselves due to my lack of memory but bronze.

Ano Natsu de Matteru Review

Ano Natsu de Matteru (Waiting in the Summer)

Completed 2015  

Type: TV

Completed Episodes: 12/12

Aired: Jan, 2012 to Mar, 2012

Producers: J.C.Staff, Geneon Universal Entertainment, Genco, AT-X, Sentai Filmworks, Showgate

Ano Natsu de Matteru is an original anime series written by Yosuke Kuroda, with original character design by Taraku Uon.

In summary, a typical anime about the summer in high school, complete with trip to Okinawa and four triangles. With the twist of one of them is an alien and the fact they are decide to make a film over the summer.

This anime has a similar feeling to it as Anohana. Except not as good. admittedly though, Anohana is a tough one to beat though in this genre. Ano Natsu de Matteru is a enjoyable if typical drama. The male lead, Kaito is a typical lead with very little personality and his main trait being that he loves of filmmaking. He falls in love with a new student at his school. Ichika, an alien who is searching for a place in her memories and ends up living at his house. As you know, so many animes work. Kaito doesn’t quite live alone but to clear that end up his sister goes on a work trip for the summer to Boliva of all places so its just the two of them. And his friends when they come barging round.

I’m not going to lie, I spent most of this anime not really liking Ichika. She’s very bland. With even less to say about her than the male lead. Apart from the fact she goes beyond in love with him and almost to obsessive early one. Following him whenever she sees him with other people. Though she doesn’t seem to quite realise it at first. I find her tiresome and I’m not sure how much she actually adds to the story ignoring being an alien. Also I found my self taking Kanna’s side in the fight for Kaito’s heart. Ichiro just appears out of nowhere and steals it without giving Kanna a chance. But I guess that life. If it hadn’t been a alien, it would have been something else I think sadly.

Honestly the amount of time spend on the characters is enough. They are a pretty pathetic lot really. Massive love rectangle between the lot of them, with an added two girls for the okinawa episodes. I quite like the fact none of them end up with who they want though. More realistic that way. The character I wished we had learned more about was Remon/Lemon, though I realise this anime was the wrong genre for that.

Lemon is a young looking girl who is actually much older than she appears, though her actual age is never specified. She is introduced as Ichika’s classmate who for unknown reasons wears a different uniform to the rest of the school. It quickly becomes apparent she knows far more than she lets on. It is discovered eventually she works for the men in black but its an sideline. She is mostly in charge of filming the events which are going on. She is the most interesting one to me and I wish we had learnt more about her. Like why she was there in the first place? Does she spend every summer at that school or what?

As far as the other aspects of this anime goes, the action is so random and very clique in its reasoning. It does spice up the anime though. Otherwise its just a lot of tears as everyone is in love with someone who is in love with someone else. Part from the main pair. With some summer cheer as they have fun occasionally.

I give this anime a bronze. It was enjoyable but nothing special nor unique and I spent much of it disliking the main characters which always knocks a show down a few pegs.

Welcome to the NHK Review

NHK ni Youkoso! (Welcome to the NHK) 

Watched 2015

Type: TV

Completed Episodes: 24/24

Aired: Jul, 2006 to Dec, 2006

Producers: Gonzo, ADV Films, FUNimation Entertainment

Welcome to the NHK is a novel adaptation originally written Tatsuhiko Takimoto.

The closest thing I can compare this too is Catcher in the Rye. By no means do I think this is any where near as good but the themes are similar, if only with a Japanese twist in it. Watching a character which a serious social problem, spiral worse and worse. Sometimes getting better only to regress. The people around him struggling with there own problems. This anime is about the issues everyone faces and a bunch of people who learn to overcome them.

As you can tell, this anime is fairly deep at times. It has moments of funniest, moments of pervertedness, but at the heart, this anime is very realistic in how the world works. Some people leave school and swim easily. Others sink. The world can be very cruel and harsh at time but people learn how to get though it all. In many ways parts of this anime can be very sad. Dreams don’t always come true, as much as we would wish it otherwise.

The main character is a hikikomori. Plain and simple. Satou Tatsuhiro is 22 years old and has dropped out of college. He is an example of a growing social problem in Japan of a NEET who never leaves his house and lives off his parents. However things can’t remain like this forever. Satou desperately wants to get a job and be normal but is terrified of doing so.

Like anything Satou’s mind spirals out of control, and he comes to the conclusion their is a conspiracy around him in order to keep him as a Hikikomori. The Nihon Hikikomori Kyoukai, aka the NHK. Or for those unable to speak Japanese ‘The Japan Hikkomori Association’. A company which does its best to keep hikikomori’s as such in order to give society something to laugh at. When things are going bad, the NHK are shown by purple creatures. If they show up, bad things are happening.

This is a fairly important thing and not something too far from the truth. The idea of someone panicking to the point where conspiracies become real and they are obsessed there is one against them I mean. When people lock themselves away from the real world, it’s not that hard for them to become paranoid of the world outside. Our mind can’t really cope with being stagnant, which is why people are better off with some form of job. Its not just money, but giving ourselves a purpose. For a lot of people, all they really need is a purpose, or in the case of the Hikikomori, a kick to get started.

Part of the problem with being Hikikomori is that parents enable the consideration by continuing to pay for their children once they are adults.There is no need to go out because everything is always there. Obviously there are other factors but parents are often part of the problem and not the solution from what I have read and studied. This in itself is another key issue which is played out in Welcome to the NHK. As money becomes tighter, parents are less and less able to help their children out. Gone is Japanese golden age where such things were possible.

So how will this particular NEET overcome being so? For reason unknown at first, a beautiful girl has taken interest in him. Misaki has chosen him for a project which will hopefully save him from being a Hikikomori. This girl crashing into his life with more effects than he could have foreseen. She is mystery and basically a stalker. Seriously, between Misaki watching him from her house on the hill to Sadou’s sempai and old crush almost getting him to commit suicide, I was very tempted to stop watching this anime. The themes just a little too twisted, but I persisted, given this anime has a very good reputation on the net.

Misaki grew on me, especially as it grew obviously she was as socially awkward as he was. She wasn’t just a girl out for kicks, though she does seemingly grow obsessed with him. At first I wondered if we were going to end up with a character with Yuno levels of obsession. However, it turned out to be less obsession and more a kind of dependence. Everyone has one friend right? Misaka’s friend is Sadou and she gets very worried when he goes off with other people without mentioning anything to him. On the other hand, she is the only one to check up on him and make sure he is still alive. Even feeding him when his allowance gets cut.

As far as the animation style goes for this anime, its not beautiful or sleek. Its plain and drab. Honestly it just adds to the story. This is a real world story, despite the conspiracy, nothing particularly amazing happens. Ignoring the episodes when Sadou gets hooked on to online games on the hope of making money. The different between the virtual world and the real world are stark. Especially when you compare the bright colours of the computer world to the dim of the room Sadou is hiding in. All in all I give this anime a gold. It is an excellent anime with some pretty strong characters and themes.