Misa's Anime Adventures Part Two~

Hey homefries~
So this is it, part two of my adventures in anime! It's finally done. This one was harder to write than the first one... I'm tired.
I kind of just want to get to it, so I'll keep this short. Part one of my anime adventures can be found here (although you can probably find it just by scrolling down). All my introductory stuff can be found there, so go read that one first ok! If you want. It's up to you. Also, sorry if the names of all the series aren't quite right. Like, I'm not sure if I should call them by simplified names, or the name of the video game it's based off etc. I apologize in advance.
So let's get started, yeah~

Kamisama Hajimemashita (神様はじめました)

I'll start with a positive one. This series is really cute, huh! I'm reading the manga for this, and I really love it, so of course I wanted to watch this. I'm really pleased with this anime. Other than the crappy opening and closing songs, I can't really fault it on any aspect. It follows the story of the manga nicely, up until the last two episodes where it deviates. This is expected, though, as the manga is much longer than the 13 episodes for this series, so a way to end it that doesn't happen in the manga was inevitable. It wasn't a disappointing ending by any means though, in fact it was really well done! I was happy to see that Nanami dancing the kagura was incorporated into the ending, it was really nicely done. The humor of the manga translates very well into the anime, so I found myself laughing while watching just as much as I do when reading. Nanami is a relatable heroine, and she is really likable, unlike many other shoujo heroines who are just downright irritating. You really come to love Nanami, and you want the best for her. I'm not going to lie, Tomoe is pretty much your standard tsundere shoujo love interest, in terms of personality. But you can't help but fall for him anyway. I don't blame Nanami for it, at the very least. Who wouldn't be swept off their feet by that guy... sigh. All the characters are true to form and well done. I would have liked to see a little more from Mikage and Otohiko, but again their lack of appearances is true to form with the manga. The art style is nice. It's not hugely special, but it's well done nonetheless, and I believe it suits the series very well. No complaints there. Overall it's just a very sweet series. I would highly recommend this series to shoujo fans, but I think that's as far as my recommendation would extend. I can't imagine that those who don't typically enjoy shoujo would enjoy this. But, each to their own, right? Give it a go, by all means, for something a little different~ 

Gakuen Heaven (学園ヘヴン)

This is another BL series. Although, at first I was hesitant to call it BL. At it's core, yes it is BL. But other than some purposefully misleading innuendos at the beginnings of the episodes, and then a two second kiss at the VERY END of the series, there isn't really any juicy BL content. But then again, yes, the two main characters love each other, and they're both guys. So I suppose ultimately, that makes it BL. I've read the manga (again, haven't played the game but I wish I could), and it's fairly explicit, so I was expecting at least a little more kissing or something. So at first I was super disappointed by this lack of action, and it gave me a bad impression of the anime as a whole. However, thinking about it now, in hindsight, it actually wasn't all that bad a series. I mean, it grabbed my attention enough for me to watch the whole thing in one day, so that's not a bad sign. The story is actually rather sweet, and I guess because there isn't really any focus on BL elements, it means you pay more attention to the story. In a way, it does center around the love Keita and Kazuki have for each other, but I'd say it's more about the mystery surrounding them - finding out who they are to each other. It isn't about their love until the last few episodes; up until that point I think they don't even realize they're in love with each other at all. The pace at which this all happens is nice, you know, the way that it all unfolds. I admit that while I only picked up this series because I was hoping it would have some nice BL elements, I actually did watch this one for the plot. It isn't the greatest series ever, but it's definitely not bad. I would probably only recommend it to fans of shounen ai, not as a "You must watch this omg you have to", but more of a "You should watch this if you want, it's pretty light hearted and sweet, and it actually has something of a captivating story". But, like I mentioned, don't expect anything in terms of actual BL. 

Inu x Boku SS (妖狐×僕SS)

This was another series that I remember my student really liked. So, after how much I enjoyed Kimi to Boku, I thought I'd give this one a try too. It seemed like a fairly interesting series, and I thought it sounded pretty original as far as plot goes. I've only seen up to episode 6, but I stopped watching it. I hate leaving a series unfinished, so I will get back to it, but not until I've finished some others that I enjoy more. I'm not really sure what it is about this series that put me off, but I just couldn't bring myself to like it. It didn't really draw me in from the first couple of episodes. I thought I'd really love it, but I just don't. Not even the mystery surrounding Miketsukami is enough to make me really want to watch it. However, I've read into the manga a bit, and it seems like it gets much better, so I feel like I should try to watch it again. Just, not right now. The art style is nice though; it's quite simple and appealing. Unfortunately that's all I really have to say about it. Sorry this one wasn't very helpful. I can't even make a recommendation. Maybe when I've finished it I'll come back and revise this. Until then. 

Loveless (ラブレス)

I want to start by saying that, regardless of what I say here about this anime, I absolutely adore the manga for Loveless and would not hesitate to name it as one of my favourite manga series. That said, this anime is very, very disappointing. I don't even know where to start. I guess it's my fault, in a way, for having such high expectations. I mean, I love the manga, so naturally, I thought I'd love the anime, right? Wrong. I'll start with the story. Well, I would if I could. Basically, there is no story. There is no plot. This anime goes absolutely nowhere, and resolves nothing in the end. There are so many times throughout when you think that Ritsuka has got some leads on Seimei, and that the plot will actually progress along that storyline, but they amount to nothing. They just get dropped, meaning the story is back to square one, going nowhere. It's incredibly frustrating. The worst thing is that with the last episode, nothing is resolved. Not a single thing. This would be fine if there was a second season, but there isn't, and as far as I'm aware, there won't ever be. Leaving this ending as the most unsatisying and irritating anime ending pretty much ever. It seems like the whole damn series is just filler. As for the characters, other than Ritsuka, they're all flat. Generic. Even Soubi. The fighter/sacrifice pairs that come after them don't get developed at all. Hell, their purpose isn't even explained. Ritsuka's friends, teacher, and therapist, even Soubi's friend Kio (who's relationship to Soubi is never explained) are also quite dull, under-developed characters. The potential for each of these characters was huge, but they just fell flat. I think Soubi's character is one of the things that disappointed me most. In the manga, it didn't take me long to understand Soubi and come to empathize with him, and love him. However, the Soubi of the anime did not even come close. Rather than being a character that just takes some warming up to, who you can see has good intentions, he just comes across as a completely selfish, inconsiderate jerk. With Ritsuka's past and all his psychological issues (like his trust issues), Soubi doesn't consider any of this and just carelessly says whatever. Promising Ritsuka that he will always answer when he calls, and then only answering 1/1000 times that Ritsuka does call, is pretty much the worst thing he could do. Lying to Ritsuka when he's promised that he'll never lie. Spouting "I love you" without acting upon it. I felt so sorry for Ritsuka for the entire series, and just wanted to punch Soubi. He's certainly not the Soubi we all know and love. He's so damn annoying and frustrating. The artwork for this anime was okay. Average, nothing special. The character designs were alright. The colouring I feel was way off though. The backgrounds and scenery were dull. I'm aware that this anime was made while only volumes 1-4 of the manga were out, but I don't think that's much of an excuse. It's only 12 episodes, and other series manage to come up with something decent based upon few chapters of manga. As a whole, this series was just no good. Which is a huge let down, to the fans, and mostly to Koga-san. Her manga is beautiful, thought-provoking and very unique and special, none of which is shown through this anime. I would not recommend this series. To anyone. Rather than wasting your time watching it, I instead urge you to read the manga. It's really brilliant, and much more than just your average shounen ai. Please just read it, and don't judge the series based upon the anime alone. That would be the biggest mistake you could make. 

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings (戦国BASARA)

Do I have to explain it. I guess I should try. I love the Samurai Warriors/Warriors Orochi video games, so all of the characters are familiar to me (I know, it's not based off of those games but whatever). It's fucking kickass and you know it. This is probably the most action-based series I like. Like, the fighting scenes in this series are just so damn over the top, it's insane. But it's still good, in a strange way. It's not just the fighting that's OTT, the characters are all so damn dramatic, too. Actually, every single thing in this series is so fucking ridiculous, that it's somehow brilliant. The series does have some very funny moments, too, particularly the interactions between Yukimura and Takeda. Seriously, I wasn't expecting it. Those moments are hilarious. You know, the "Yukimura!!!" "My Lord!!!" scenes. I almost cry from laughing every. Single. Time. I almost DIED from laughing when they introduced Tadakatsu... I mean, seriously, fans have named him Hondam! It's so fucking absurd that it's like a stroke of genius. You can't help but love it. I really don't know what else to say about this series. It's unexpectedly captivating, I found myself becoming really attached to the characters. This is a series that is intense from the very beginning, and it continues to build on that tension. The plot is pretty good. It's like a video game plot, with added drama and interactions. And it's based upon historical events, but made a hundred times more badass. I love historical series, so for me this one is really cool. Even if it is waaaay too over the top. The artwork and character designs are actually very good and tastefully done, though. The background scenery is really pretty. I wish I could talk more about other elements like the plot, but the action overpowers pretty much everything. I'd be hesitant to recommend this series to people who usually aren't into shounen/action/fighting series, and I'm tempted to say that I think in general this is a series that guys are more likely to really enjoy. That being said, I usually don't like series with this amount of action, but I really enjoy this one. So it's up to you to decide whether or not Sengoku Basara is for you. I would urge you to give it a go before dismissing it though. It will give you a laugh, if nothing else. 

 Hakuōki -Shinsengumi Kitan- (薄桜鬼 〜新選組奇譚〜)
Also a series that my student liked and recommended to me. I've only seen the first episode of this one, and I don't really know much more about it, but I am really looking forward to continuing it. The heroine seems likable, and not irritating, which is always a plus. There's a whole bunch of differently attractive guys. And it's in a historical setting, which to me makes anime guys 10000x sexier. There isn't really much to complain about with this one. I'll probably come back and edit this when I've watched more of the series, because I'm sure I'll have much more to say.

Hetalia: The Beautiful World

This doesn't need explaining. Fucking Hetalia. You think this damn series can't get any more bizarre, and then The Beautiful World rolls along. I've seen the other two series as well. I think one of the good things about this series is that, it doesn't really matter if you don't remember what has happened previously. Because often the next episode will be on a completely different topic. Even if it is still on the same subject as the last one, you can still understand what is going on... by not understanding at all. That probably doesn't make any sense, but I can't really think how else to put it. It's just so nonsensical and random, but it really is one the funniest series I have ever watched. Every single episode has me laughing hysterically. Which is pretty impressive, considering they're only five minutes long each. That's another good thing about Hetalia. They're really light and easy to watch, and it's very easy to catch up on the series! And how damn cute is the ending song! Not just for Beautiful World, but for all of them! Italy is so freaking adorable. I feel like I should mention the historical aspect and stuff, but other than saying that it is actually historically accurate and has very clever and funny ways of portraying it, there isn't much else to say. Hell, I really don't know what else to say about it at all. It's just so good (and has GREAT shipping aspects to it too kekeke). Of course, I recommend this series without a doubt. One hundred percent. Although I think I should say that Hetalia generally tends appeals more to females than to males... I wonder why //sarcasm

Tegami Bachi (テガミバチ)

It was the art style that drew me to this one. I picked up the first volume of the manga in a book store, and was in awe of how beautiful the artwork was. I was so surprised to find out that it's a shounen series! I can't really say much more about it yet, because I've only seen the first episode, and I've refrained from finding out anything more about it, other than it's basic plot. Which, by the way, is an incredibly unique and intriguing plot. The anime is kind of long though, so even though I already love it from the first episode, it's going to have to wait. It's one that I'll be working through slowly, I think. But I know I'm really going to like it. I have a good feeling.

Durarara!! (デュラララ!!)
I first heard about this series quite a while ago now. I feel like this is another one of those "who hasn't watched this" series. It's about time I got around to watching it, then, huh? I've only seen the first episode of this one too, and right now I'm really puzzled, but curious as to where it's going to go. I honestly can't even begin to imagine what this series is going to be like, and what is going to happen. I know nothing about the plot or the characters, so I'll just have to watch and find out, won't I? I don't have a clue as to whether or not I'll like it, I can't tell what kind of series this is. But I do have a pretty good feeling about it, you know. I'm excited to keep watching.

Shingeki no Kyojin (進撃の巨人)

What a better way to finish this than with Shingeki no Kyojin. Wow. Where do I even begin with this series. Let's just keep in mind, that I suck and no matter what I say, I'll never be able to this series any justice. Ok. This series has seemed (to me at least) to grow in popularity very, very quickly. One minute nobody knows about it, next thing it's all anyone can talk about it. And that is for very good reason. I first heard about this series about a month ago. I immediately became interested... to say the least. This is something that I have never seen done before, this is a story that is so original and intriguing, that whether or not you want to, you become insanely curious and you have to know more. I don't usually go for horror anime or anything, so when I first read about it I was a little scared. But, at the same time, my curiosity was piqued, and it was only a matter of time (i.e. later that same day) before I had to start watching it. Thankfully, it's not too gory, although there is a fair amount of blood. I've seen some manga caps, and they are much more graphic. I'm very interested in reading the manga too, so I'll be picking it up soon. The art style is actually quite interesting too. I don't think I've seen art like this with any other series, particularly character design and perspective shots. For such a grim series, it's really beautifully done. The landscapes are gorgeous, the Titans are disgusting. It's so conflicting and contradictory that it's in perfect harmony. I know that doesn't make sense, but I can't really word it properly. I think some of the most satisfying scenes are the ones where the characters are zipping around on their 3D Maneuver Gear. Those are some of the coolest, most breath taking shots I've ever seen. Unfortunately, there isn't always much of a chance to enjoy them, as they're quite fast paced and if you blink you'll miss the stunning visual work. This is a very well done anime, the visual style and effects are in a league of their own. Also, how cool an invention is the Maneuver Gear? It's so creative. Despite there being quite a lot of action in this series, it's not difficult to follow, and it's never unnecessary, unlike a lot of other shounen series. That is to say, this series is anything but your typical, run of the mill shounen. Do I even need to mention how fucking brilliant the opening song choice/animation sequence is? No, I don't. The characters themselves are wonderful. Even at only 12 episodes, they're extremely well-developed, and that's not just the three main characters. You become very attached to most of these characters, which, by the way, is probably not a recommended thing to do, considering how quickly and ruthlessly this series is to kill them off. Really, this series is ruthless. It's brutal. It will wear you down emotionally and mentally. The endless tension and suspense will have you ripping your hair out. You'll wish you never watched it. But for some reason you will keep coming back for more. You won't be able to let it go. It's an experience, all right. But it's so worth it in every way. I could go on forever about this series, but in the end the best thing to do is to watch it for yourself. Like I mentioned, it's only up to episode 12, so it won't be hard to catch up. Hell, you can catch up in a day or two. Honestly, it will be the most frustratingly fulfilling thing you could do with a day. Watch it. Don't question it. Just do it. 

And that brings me to the end of my current adventures in anime! There's plenty that I still have to watch, so I'll go do that now, huh.

Oh, also! It's less than a week until Free! (aka Swimming Anime). I don't know about you guys, but I'm flipping my shit. So keen! Bring it on! 8D

See you next time! Hopefully I'll have a normal post for you~

Now Playing - バイバイ by 7!!

Misa's Anime Adventures~

Well hey there~

I'll start by saying that I'm really excited about this post, and that it's going to be a little different from my usual. This post is going to be entirely dedicated to geeking out over anime. Uh oh looks like my inner weeb is showing.
Actually, even more unusual, I found that I had so much to write about, that I've decided to make this a two-parter. So, this post is part one. Part two will be a whole new post, and it's already in the works~

Over the past few weeks, pretty much the only thing I've been doing to pass time is watching anime. This is actually kind of weird for me. For about a year, I didn't really have much of an interest in watching anything. I just read manga. All the time. For some reason I just, couldn't be bothered with anime, I guess. I enjoyed reading much more.
A few weeks ago though, I found myself really super bored, and I suddenly had this urge to watch Ao no Exorcist. I've read a bit of the manga (although I can't remember where the hell I'm up to) and I'd always wanted to watch the anime. So, I sat down and started watching it. And I watched half the series in the first day. This is what rekindled my love for anime. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I scrolled through animefreak.tv and decided to have a look at all the series that I had been wanting to watch or was just curious about. I watched the first episode of all of them, and then grouped them into series I would continue watching straight away, and series that I will watch when I'm finished with the first group.
Now, let me just clarify; I DO NOT CARE about what series are new or old, ongoing or complete. I don't care about watching whatever is popular right now. I'll watch whatever the hell I want, when I want. Ok good we're clear.
For me, when it comes to choosing which anime to watch, it's down to a few main factors; if I'm reading/have read the manga, if I like the art style, or if it has been recommended and/or it's popularity. That isn't to say that I'll watch any series that's popular, but sometimes I'll be interested in finding out what the hype is about, you know. There's also some series that don't follow my reasoning, I'll just come across it somehow and be intrigued by it. But, as a general rule, those are the things that influence whether or not I'll watch a series. It may be just the one reason, or a combination of them.

Anyway, enough of that. So, what series have piqued my interest?
And, what do I recommend? (Not that you care but still)

Karneval (カーニヴァル) 

Actually, this is the one I want to talk about the most. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know, Karneval has been the only thing on my mind, and the only thing I'll talk about. I am in love with this series. Don't bother sending help, I've drowned in it's glory and gone to heaven. I haven't been this into a series since Ouran High School Host Club. My wallpaper is Karneval. My iPod screens are Karneval. My Tumblr dashboard is Karneval. My brain is Karneval. I'm obsessed. I've been sucked in and there's no chance of ever getting out. I've already read all the currently scanlated chapters of the manga. I'm up to date with the anime, and eagerly await each weeks' episode. I can't get this damn series out of my mind. I was mainly drawn in by the art style, but when I read the plot I was beyond intrigued. The story is unique, and totally gripping. The characters, while a little eccentric, are completely believable and relatable. You care about these characters, what happens to them and how they feel. I can't put into words how amazing this series is. I wouldn't do it any justice with my nonsensical ramblings. Just, check it out ok. It's seriously underrated and needs more love. Also, the anime follows the storyline of the manga pretty much down to the last detail, so far. So that's pretty cool. But the manga has progressed much further than the anime, as far as I can tell the Smoky Mansion arc is going to be the story for the final episodes, so I'm really hoping there will be a second season (the first season is 13 episodes, with episode 12 coming out this week). If there is I will probably cry. I don't even think I need to say that I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this series.

Junjou Romantica and Sekaiichi Hatsukoi

(I'm writing about them together because I'm lazy ok)

I know, you're probably thinking, where the hell has this chick been? Hiding under a rock? Rest assured, I've known about these two for ages. It's just that for a long time, I was fighting myself, I didn't want to admit that I was in fact, a huge fujoshi. But this year especially, I have come to love and embrace that part of me. So when I started watching all this anime, I naturally wanted to pick up Junjou and Sekaiichi. I've also started reading the manga for Sekaiichi, although I'll probably wait until I've finished it before starting the Junjou manga. From watching the anime, I just found myself more drawn to Sekaiichi. The characters, the plot... I just found everything more absorbing and believable. So I wanted to read the manga for that one first. Actually, I think that if you watch the anime before you read the manga, it's pretty misleading. Especially if you haven't heard of or seen the series before. The anime is pretty light and fluffy and you never really get to see all that much. Yeah, you see some kissing and some shirt lifting and stuff, but other than that it's mostly quite SFW. Nothing explicit at all. The manga, on the other hand, I would say is fairly smutty. Not overly graphic or explicit, but you do see a hell of a lot more. You actually get to see the characters doing it, it isn't just implied like in the anime. Of course, this wasn't surprising for me, I was fully expecting the manga to be much more explicit, as the first time I heard about these series was through manga caps from the sex scenes. That's the reason why I was so interested in the series (I know, I'm sick). But if you weren't aware that the manga was like that, and decided to read it after watching the anime, I imagine you'd be in for a shock. Whether it would be a good or bad shock is up for you to decide. I would 100% say good. Anyway, I'm completely uninvolved in any kind of anime/manga fandom, so I have no idea what the general consensus is, but in my opinion, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi > Junjou Romantica. Sorry not sorry. That's just how I feel. But I would highly recommend both series to anyone who is into BL. I would even go so far as to recommend it to someone as their entrance to the BL world.

Kimi to Boku. (君と僕。)

I remember my Japanese student from last year really liked this series. And now I do too. Pretty much whenever I ased her what she was watching or reading, her response was 'Kimi to Boku~'. I asked her what it was about, and she sort of explained it to me the best she could. I gathered that it was slice of life about five teenage guys, and honestly I thought it didn't sound that interesting, and didn't plan to watch it. Then one day me and my friend were making her a... present, of sorts, by photoshopping our faces onto photos of things she liked. I suggested we do Kimi to Boku (and no, I won't show you the finished picture it's too omg). Anyway, we google searched it, and I found myself really liking the art style and character designs. So, I later went and looked into a little more, and decided to add it to my list. One of the best decisions I've ever made. I am so glad I changed my mind about it, it is absolutely fucking hilarious. Also, with so many fantastical series out there, a slice of life like this is really refreshing. It's totally relatable, but still one of the funniest anime I've seen in a long time. Personally, I think that it's really hard to pull off slice of life without it being boring, but this series has it down. Even though the demographic is shounen, I think almost anyone can immensely enjoy this series, and for that reason I highly, highly recommend it. Seriously, watch this series. It will be the most fulfilling thing you'll do all week. I promise. 

Togainu no Chi (咎狗の血)

Here's some dark BL. I'm aware that this anime is based off the video game, which I REALLY wish I could play. Actually there's a lot of BL games that I'm so desperate to play. I am really liking this series so far. The art style is really cool, and the story is dark and twisted. With all the fluff that I read and watch, it's good to have something serious, where the characters are thrown into the depths of despair and have to crawl their way out. That may be an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. I'm up to a point where something really fucking unexpected just happened and then the episode ended, so I'm sort of nervous excited to watch the next one. That happens a lot in this series. Expect the unexpected, to say the least. I don't want to say more until I've finished it, so I'll leave it at that. I highly recommend this, especially if you're tired of typically fluffy BL and want something edgier. 

Gravitation (グラビテーション)

Then there's Gravitation. Some old(er) school shounen ai. It was... put simply, it was okay. The characters kind of annoyed me. Ok, they really annoyed me. I thought I would totally fall in love with Shuichi, but I was just irritated by him all the fucking time. I also thought I would like Eiri, but he's a total jerk. Not even the tsundere kind of jerk, he was just a straight up dick head. I didn't even like Shuichi's friend, who's name I don't remember right now. I didn't like any of them. I found it hard to connect with any of them. And that is a huge, huge negative for me. If I can't connect with a single character in a series, then that is a problem, and usually means I won't like it. Not to mention the art is pretty bad... I feel like this was done on a budget. I may be wrong. It's probably just that it's old. But I still didn't like it. That promo pic up there is pretty misleading, the characters don't look that good in the series. I don't think I'll bother reading the manga for this one, although I have already read some of the super extremely graphic, explicit R-18 doujinshi based on it (although I believe they're by the same author as the original series). Actually, I didn't know the two were related until  after I had started watching the anime. But, you don't exactly read that kind of explicit smut for the 'plot', do you... So I feel obliged to read the original manga that this anime is based from, just in case it's better. I'm not sure though, because this anime really didn't do it for me. Maybe I'll read it if I get realllllly bored one day. As for recommending it, in short, no. I don't recommend this anime. It's really frustrating and I consider it a waste of time. Read the manga, it's probably better. 

Gakuen Alice (学園アリス)

This is one that I've been reading the manga for a long time, I was just too lazy to watch the anime. Also, from just looking at promo pics for the series, like the one above, and stills from the show, I absolutely hated the art style. I think this is the main reason why I avoided watching this one for so long. When I saw it for the first time, I was actually really angry that they had even bothered to make it. I mean, Higuchi's artwork is absolutely beautiful. It's flawless. Her character designs are so well done, and cute. Then I saw this and I was like, you've got to be kidding. Look at what they did to her gorgeous characters! The cuter ones, especially, like Mikan and Luca. They're not cute at all - they're ugly. I apologise if that seems harsh, but it's just my opinion. Ranting aside, I've only watched the first episode, and while I'm still not crazy about the art, it does look better in motion. I'm going to keep watching it soon. I'm curious to see how closely it follows the storyline of the manga. I can't imagine it will be too different. I'm really wondering what arc they'll use as the finale, too, as there's so many great, suspenseful arcs in Gakuen Alice. I can't really make a recommendation yet, as I've only watched one episode, but the manga is so good I'm going to recommend it anyway.

K (K Project)

I was super interested by the art style for this series. Seriously, the character designs are flawless and the backgrounds and everything are just omfg perfect. I'm working through it, and it's really quite a captivating series. I'm only up to episode 6 right now, but I'm really liking it so far. I'm very, very curious about it, so when I get time (hopefully within the next few days) I'm hoping to finish it. I don't want to say too much, because I really think you should watch it. I'm not worried about this series letting me down, I know it's only going to get better. So yeah, even though I've only seen a few episodes, I can already recommend it. Yeah. Those few episodes were THAT good. 

Kimi ni Todoke (君に届け)

I'm also reading the manga for Kimi ni Todoke, and I have to say that I absolutely love it. It's just so damn cute. It's probably one of the best shoujo mangas that I've read in a long time. It's so atypical, but still perfectly shoujo-ish, if that makes sense? I don't really know how to explain it properly, but I just really enjoy this series for various reasons, alright. Sawako is so lovely, isn't she? Actually, I think I love all the main characters in this series. And the artwork is beautiful. I've only watched the first episode of this, but I will watch the rest very soon. I can't wait. I know for a fact that I can already recommend this series, highly, especially if shoujo is your thing. But I think that the characters are relatable to everyone, so no matter who you are, I think you can enjoy this series. 

Psycho-Pass (サイコパス)

This one is REALLY intriguing. The plot sounds so complex, like it's a series that's really going to make me think. The first episode had such an impact, I was really impressed. I'm really looking forward to watching more. Often though, I find that I don't feel like watching really serious, dark stuff, so I'm going to have to wait until I'm in the mood to watch it. It's not a bad thing, because when I feel like watching stuff like this then I'll watch for hours. I don't really know much more about it other than the plot summary on Wikipedia, and I don't want to know more yet (spoiler, you know), so I can't make a recommendation just yet. But I get the feeling it's going to be quite draining mentally and emotionally. In a good way, though. When a series has that much of an impact on your state of mind, you know it's damn good. Check back in when I've finished it, yeah?

Kuroko no Basket (黒子のバスケ)

The view I have of this series, based solely on what I've seen around the internet, is basically 'who hasn't watched this'. Well, I haven't, yet. I've only watched the first episode. Honestly, it isn't typically the kind of series that I'm into (I'm not hugely into sports series), and from the first episode I'm really not sure if I'm going to enjoy it or not, but I've decided that I will give it a proper go. I may end up really liking it. Actually, I found out about it through other people's ships (boyxboy ships ofc) and the pairings and stuff on Yaoi blogs. So I'm looking forward to being able to make my own ships for this kekeke sorry not sorry. I'm sure it's a very good series, and I'll definitely watch it soon. It seems like it will be quite funny, though, so that's always a plus!

Uta no Prince-sama (うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪マジLOVE1000％)

 Ehh... I'm not really all that into this series. Other than the damn stupid title (like seriously), it's just really not that interesting. I guess I was expecting too much when I first started watching it, because of all the hype around it, so I was really disappointed by this series. I'm almost finished with the first season, and I honestly don't think I'm going to bother watching the second. Hell, I don't even know if I can be bothered finishing the first. I don't really know how to explain what it is about this series that I don't like. The characters aren't believable at all, or, for the most part, likeable. Other than Ittoki (I tend to fall for characters like him a lot), I don't find myself drawn to or liking any of them, particularly. The plot is... well, what is the plot? You tell me. It's boring, and to me, it feels like there isn't one. I'm sorry, but this one was a big miss for me. I will admit that there are a few moments where it becomes quite tense and suspenseful, and I think these moments are the only reason I've watched as much as I have. But I've pretty much lost all interest in this one. If I'm wrong, and it does get better, then please tell me and explain it to me. I want to like this series, but I can't bring myself to like it yet. I will also admit, that I do get the damn closing song (what is it, Maji 1000% LOVE or something?) stuck my head ALL THE TIME. It's seriously annoying. Especially considering I don't really like any of the characters singing voices. I mean, I don't hate them, but I don't like them either. I'm sure they could have found some better singers, considering these characters are supposed to be idols. But this could just be me being picky. Anyway, in terms of recommendation, I would hesitate to recommend this series to someone. I'm really leaning towards not recommending it at all, but in the end I guess it depends on what you're usually into and what you're looking for. I want to say that if you usually go for fluffy, light hearted shoujo then you should watch this, but I'm a mega shoujo nerd and I didn't even like it. So, I'll say, if you're looking for a typical reverse-harem, simple series to watch casually, that doesn't require much concentration, then you should watch Utapri.

That's all for part one of my anime adventures. Wow, this turned out long! I enjoyed writing it though, so I suppose that's the important thing.
Part two will be coming hopefully sometime within the next week, so look forward to it, ok! Or not. You don't have to. It's up to you. But I'd be really grateful if you did!

Now Playing - ヒーロードールTV (Hero Doll TV) by 時空アンドロイド-PIECE- (Choujikuu ANDROID-PIECE-)