Summer Anime Adventures~

Yoooooo~
Ok, I'm gonna get right into this. In case you hadn't guessed, this is going to be purely an anime post, seeing as I have more fun writing these than I do personal posts... huh.
So this time round I'm pretty much only gonna talk about the current series that I'm watching that are ongoing. Mostly because these series are very rapidly approaching their end, and I need to distract myself from the sad that this leaves in my soul. Actually, there's only about two weeks left for these ones now, I think. I started writing this a couple of weeks ago but I've been really busy recently with work so I kept putting off finishing this. My bad. Also, I'm not going to talk about as many series, but that does not mean that this post will be short. In fact, I feel like it will be the opposite, because I have less anime to talk about, I can ramble  and rant to my hearts content about the ones that I am talking about. This will probably just be a super long, incoherent word-vomit about all my feels. And I am not even sorry.
Actually, I do want to apologise for the crappy quality of this post. I wrote it over the course of about three weeks, and in the end I just got sick of writing it and sort of rushed it. Seeing as I don't write in order of anime, like, I add points and take stuff out here and there whenever the thoughts come to me, it's pretty much just generally crap overall. So yeah I'm sorry, I really hoped this one would be good...

Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club

First and foremost, I wanna talk about the anime that many of us (females, anyway) had been waiting since early this year for - Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. However, I am not going to get into all the bullshit to do with the ignorant male otaku getting shitty about Free! ruining the anime industry or whatever other lame problems they have with it. Because honestly, it's too unbelievably pathetic for me to even be bothered. Most of the time the nonsense they spout is actually quite hilarious. Anyway, all that aside, lets talk about Free! I don't usually peg a series to be a favourite from the first episode, but with Free! it was almost inevitable that it would very quickly make its way up there. If I'm being honest, I feel like I knew it would be a favourite before the first episode had even aired. From that first preview, it had me, and countless others, hooked. I mean, who isn't a sucker for hot, half naked anime boys amiright. In all seriousness though, it honestly isn't just a frenzy of fanservice, and it's far from pointless or plotless. Considering it uses a light novel, High Speed!, as it's base (the majority of this series takes place about three or four years after the events of the light novel), it actually has a lot of space to develop a good story, as a continuation of the novel. And it has been really well executed. Regardless of whether or not you read the light novel, there is a good amount of character development throughout the series, in a way that doesn't feel forced and it quite natural. I feel like I want to say that the story starts of quite slow, but it doesn't actually, and upon rewatching the first episodes, it pretty much gets right into the main plot of the series from the get-go. It's not overwhelming in any sense, though, it feels like it eases you into the story quite naturally. If you're like me, the feels can get a bit overwhelming later on, with all the (realistically portrayed) fanservice, gay subtext and shipping material that the director has so graciously provided us with. But it's the fun kind of overwhelming, if you get what I mean. No? Not really, me neither, but alright. I can't really talk about this series without mentioning the animation. Honestly, the animation is absolutely stunning. I'm not actually talking about the character animation here, though (which of course, is beautiful and realistic), I'm more talking about the animation of things like the water, and background scenery. The water, though, mostly, because we get a hell of a lot of it. I don't really know how to describe it, it's just so refreshing and well done and it feels like you're gliding through the water yourself and it ugh it's just really visually pleasant and enjoyable to watch. I'm not going to compare it to other KyoAni stuff, because honestly, I haven't watched that many KyoAni series. Other than a bit of Haruhi Suzumiya. None of them really interest me all that much. Comparisons to other KyoAni stuff is half of what all the bullshit arguments against Free! are about anyway, so whatever, I don't want to get into that. As much as I want t talk about characters and stuff, I really shouldn't, I honestly could write about them for hours. I'll just say that Makoto is by far and wide my favourite, my baaaaby. I ship Makoharu/Harumako harder than I've ever shipped anything before. Reigisa is canon and don't try to tell me otherwise. Seijuugou basically is too. I also have high hopes for Nitorin. I think Rin is dickwad of the century and he pisses me off every single episode, but no matter how mad at him I get, I just can't bring myself to hate him and I really do love the poor honey. Nagisa really deserves a little more character development. He also really reminds me of Chizuru from Kimi to Boku. Gou is a brilliant character and I'm so glad that the Free!dom actually really love her and accept her (I mean come on, she is the fangirl incarnation in the show). Coach Sasabe is swimming Macklemore. Rei is a huge fucking dork and at first I didn't like him but now I really do. Haru is also a very precious baby, second to Mako. I just want him to be happy. And free. Which, I guess, is basically what the show is all about. If I'm being honest, other than Nagisa there are a few more characters that I would have liked to see fleshed out a little more, but with only two episodes left I doubt it will happen. Wow ok I feel like I've rambled my way into oblivion here help how do I get out and make this at least partially comprehendible. I guess I'll leave it at that. In terms of recommendation, yes. Yes yes yes. I may be (definitely am) a little biased here, but I highly recommend this series. Even for guys. It's still a sports anime, at it's core, and it's about high school guys and their friendship and their competition. The guys just so happen to be super good looking as well as super fit. So it's not that different from something like Kuroko no Basket really //bricked. I'm actually already really depressed that this series is ending. And it's not even over yet. So here's hoping for a second season, huh?

Uchouten Kazoku (有頂天家族)

I watched the first two episodes of this one when it started, pretty much on a whim. The art style was so unusual, same goes for the story and its characters. After the second episode I stopped watching it for a couple of weeks. It was a little too unusual for me at first, and I couldn't see myself getting into it. A couple of weeks ago, though, I decided to continue watching it, again, on a whim. I was bored and wanted to watch something not too serious but something that still had substance. So I found myself drawn back to it. Even now, that I've caught up, and am going to continue to watch it weekly, I still don't really know how I feel about it. It's really... Unusual! I apologise for my lack of variation in descriptive words for this series, but other than something like 'weird' and/or 'interesting', 'unusual' really is the best way to describe it. I've never watched anything like it, it's a stand-alone in almost every aspect. Honestly, I still don't even know exactly what's going on or what the plot is or what all the random with eventually equate to, but for some reason that doesn't bother me like it usually would at this stage in a series. I'm  sort of just going along for the ride with this one, going with the flow and just accepting whatever it throws at me. Not that anything is actually thrown at you, this series has a way of making moments and situations that would usually be be quite intense or dramatic, surprisingly mellow. I'm not going to give examples, because spoilers (if I can even call them that because the way they're handled is so casual), but I feel like if you watch it you'd see where I'm coming from here. Despite how tense this series could be, and at times can be, it's actually very comfortable to watch, while still managing to maintain a level of interest that makes you want to invest and keep watching. I'm kind if rambling here a little, and I knew this would happen, but it can't be helped. This series really is bafflingly likeable. Yes, I like this series. I like it more and more with each episode. I have no idea why I like it. I wish I could give you a real reason. That would probably make my recommendation more valid. But I really can't. It's so unlike what I would usually watch. I thought for sure I would just drop it again. But I haven't, and I won't. And not even I understand why. I was a little surprised though, because from about episode 9 onwards, the content actually gets quite heavy. Hell, it made me cry. So I'm really looking forward to the final episodes. 

Gin no Saji (銀の匙)
For those who don't know, the manga of this series is written by Hiromu Arakawa, mangaka of the Fullmetal Alchemist series. So you can probably imagine my surprise when I heard that she is the one behind Gin no Saji, an educational slice of life about agriculture and farming. That was pretty much the only reason I started watching it. I was utterly surprised, and that quickly lead  to curiosity. It's understandable, right? I was 99% sure I wouldn't like it at all, and would drop it as soon as I picked it up. Long story short, that's far from what I actually did. I really, really like this series. The setting and setup is, I believe, really unique. It's intriguing from the very beginning. The plot isn't all that developed (yet) and while it may seem quite typical on the surface, I believe it's much deeper than it seems. This series has bundles of potential. The art is really nice, nothing too complicated yet it's somehow ridiculously detailed. Sometimes too detailed, when dealing with freshly killed livestock... Ah, and the animation of the food in this series is on a Studio Ghibli level, I am not even kidding. Holy shit I get so hungry watching this series. It's also kind of cool to see elements of Hiromu's character art style, but in a totally different setting. You can definitely tell by the character designs that this is indeed Hiromu's work. Speaking of characters, I think the thing I like most about this series is the characters. They're all so likeable, and exceptionally believable. Despite it being a short series, they've already managed a good deal of character development with the secondary characters, not just our mains. They're vey easy to relate to. I was honestly surprised at how much I (and how quickly) I came to love the main character, Hachiken. He's just so... likeable? I don't really know how to explain it. Just trust me. He's a real good kid, you'll love him. They're all good kids, actually, and really relatable. Huh. This one was kind of short. I don't have that much more to say about it though... Anyway, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this anime, to anyone. I mean, if you generally only like action-based anime then maybe this won't be for you, but I strongly suggest you give it a go anyway. It's fun, refreshing, and an absolute pleasure to watch. 

Makai Ouji Devils and Realist (魔界王子 devils and realist)
Ok, so I may or may not have wanted to watch this series purely because it was BL... Well, actually, I don't think that's entirely true. While yes, that was most of the reason, I did like the sound of the plot, and it vaguely reminded me a little of Kuroshitsuji in many aspects. Plus, this series actually had a lot of pull factors for me overall. I like series with devils and demons and fighting for the boy and seeing different representations of heaven and hell in anime and I mean who doesn't love a good harem BL series am I right and boy it helps when all the characters are devilishly handsome (see what I did there) and I love European settings in anime and oh did I mention that I love series that are set in past times/ historical series and series that do have a good solid plot that while not being so tense and serious and angsty that it makes it uncomfortable to watch but still has no problems keeping me interested and invested and wanting to watch more and that really makes me come to love and care about the characters and wish for their happiness and wow yay for run-on setences, but do you kind of see what I mean? This series really does tick a lot of boxes for me. Actually I feel like I just summed up this series and my feelings towards it in one long shitty sentence. You're welcome. Now, while I say that I liked the sound of the plot, that isn't to say that there is much of one. From what I've seen so far, the only really major thing is about William being a decedent from Soloman, and being essentially the next Soloman and all that. I can't really see this series going anywhere in terms of story development, unfortunately. I'm really not sure what will happen in the end, but I feel that it's going to be a kind of disappointing ending. Somehow, William will find a way around having to chose someone to be the interim ruler. Or something. Either way, I doubt it will get a second season, and with only two episodes left I really can't see how they can give this series a satisfying ending. Well, I'm enjoying it all the same, just don't go into this anime expecting mind blowing plot and brilliant storylines. In terms of the art, the anime really doesn't do the manga any justice, I'm afraid to say. The animation is average, at best, and really doesn't capture the beauty of the characters or the setting of the manga. It's kind of a shame, but it's not too bad. It's not like the animation is so crap that it renders the series unwatchable. It's still perfectly pleasant to watch. It's just that the artwork of the manga is much, much better. I don't really have much more to say about this series. I mean, it's pretty good, yeah. If you're like me, and you're into this kind of series then I'd definitely say to give it a go. But, honestly I'd say it has a pretty narrow target audience, and I wouldn't recommend it as a general 'oh my god you have to watch this' to just anyone.

Dangan Ronpa (ダンガンロンパ: The Animation)
I honestly thought I wasn't going to watch this series past episode one. I told myself I wouldn't. And I almost didn't. I lasted about a month before I caved. You know what. I regret nothing. I'm getting kind of lazy with writing this now, so I'm gonna try and keep this short. At first, I really didn't like the animation style. Honestly, I'm still not a huge fan of it. At times I find it a little too dark, no matter how high the brightness on my laptop is, so things are a little hard to make out. Other than that, the character designs are very simple. A little too simple, for me personally, but hey. Overall it's not bad, and it's still perfectly watchable. I'm aware that these are probably all stylistic choices and such, and that it's probably trying to match the style of the game (which, by the way, I have not played and it's likely that I will not play sorry not sorry), so I guess it's just me being picky. But like I say, it's still watchable, in fact it's extremely captivating. I'm talking about the plot, here. It's certainly not your typical 'put a bunch of strangers/friends somewhere isolated and watch them fight to the death' story. This one is very intriguing, and really plays on the elements of mystery and suspense to keep the audience hooked and wanting to know more. Now, as I haven't played the game, I wouldn't know how true-to-form the anime is, and whether or not the story is different and/or better in the game, but as far as I'm concerned, this adaptation has been very well executed. I haven't really seen any negatives about it in that aspect (or any aspect, for that matter), so I'm gonna guess that most people are fairly pleased with it. If I could give one piece of advice when it comes to this series, it would be; don't get attached to any of the characters. Other than Naegi, and maaaybe Togami and Kirigiri. Other than that, just don't, ok. This one is almost, if not as, ruthless as Shingeki no Kyojin. I would recommend this series to most people. I would probably hesitate to recommend it to someone who doesn't like mystery series, where questions go unanswered for episodes at a time. But, like I say about most series, just give it a go. You never know unless you try, right?

Allll right! That brings us to the end, of this post, and of these anime because I'm pretty sure they all only have about one week left hahaha I'm sorry this post is so late... While I am very sad to see these series end, I am very excited about the fall anime lineup, particularly about Meganbu oh my goddd it's the swimming anime but with megane boys who isn't excited about that and they actually have nipples this time whoa guys. I'm planning to make another post once the season has started, and I've got my list of the ones I'll be watching, and give my first thoughts/impressions. That will probably be my next post all together, as like I said at the beginning of this one, I've been busy working lately, and that's pretty much all I've been doing. My life literally consists of work and anime right now, so I won't be making any personal posts for a while I'm afraid. Not that you care. But yeah.

I'll let you go now, if you actually bothered to read all of this, or just skim through, or just skip to the ones you like or whatever, I'm equally grateful! Thank you very much! You know, you can always feel free to come and talk with me about anime, or manga or anything like that! Just find me on Twitter or Tumblr, or here, anything is fine~ Just be aware that once you get me started, I may not be able to stop.

Until next time~!

Now Playing - 予襲復讐 by Maximum The Hormone

Memories Drift In And Out Of My Mind~

And the little people get left behind~
So whateverrrrrrr~

That may or may not be one of my favourite Adventure Time quotes ever. I have my reasons ok. Anyway it's only marginally relevant to this post, in the way of I have forgotten pretty much everything that I have done between now and my last post. Which, was over a month ago huhuhu forever a useless blogger. That being said, I probably haven't even done that much, so I guess it's no huge loss. I feel like my posts are just getting really repetitive. Me not remembering if I did anything of interest, and just rambling about music things or anime things, because that's pretty much all my life consists of.

Other than going to work on Sundays and Mondays, I don't really get out that much. If I do go out it's usually just to go to the supermarket or the library or something. I don't mind it. I prefer staying home. This past month I only really made an effort and got dressed up to go out once. It was nice, I do like making an effort. I just don't see the point in going to all the trouble if I know I'm only going to be out for like, an hour. And I'm actually really lazy and it takes me ages to get ready and sometimes you know, it's just not worth it. This one time I was actually out for the whole day though, so I tried.

Yes hello this is my face and I actually kind of liked how it looked that day ok.

Top notch editing I know try to not be too overwhelmed. (She was pulling a huge derp face and would probably de-friend me if I posted the normal picture).

I didn't get a chance to take a full outfit picture this day, so this will have to do. I was wearing tattoo tights with scissors on them with thigh-high ripped socks over top, and my white Doc Martins. The shirt is Super Lovers and the cardigan is Listen Flavor. 

Other than that, and working, I didn't go out much. Just stayed home watching anime. No regrets. 

I received my copy of GOTCHAROCKA's Crisis~ No Toya card again this time, but I was pretty happy to receive the card with all of them! I would like to review the album, but I feel I've left it too late, and honestly I think I need to listen through it a few more times before I'd be able to review it properly. By properly, I mean more than just mindless fangirling about how fucking fantastic it is because it is fUCKING FANTASTIC OMFG. 

Actually, something that you may have noticed that's been happening with me is the move away from music being my dominant interest, back to anime and manga. I say 'back', because before I was obsessed with jrock and visual kei, I was already obsessed with anime and manga. So this is all nothing new to me. It's hard to explain really, but basically I have a very one-track mind, and I can't really be obsessed with more than one thing at a time. You know. Like, I'll still love my other interests, but I can only handle one dominant interest at a time. I know, it's kind of pathetic huh... But it's just the way my mind works, I can't help it. Because when I'm interested in something, I throw my whole being into liking it. It's hard to keep up with myself sometimes. In a way though, I've realized, that's why I've stopped being so interested in music. Well, that's not right. I still love music, and I still listen to music all the time. I guess I should be more specific, and say that's why I've stopped being so interested in visual kei. Why I've stopped trying to immerse myself in it. It's too hard to keep up with the whole scene, sometimes. There's always something being released, from countless artists, be it a single, and album, a DVD, magazines. Bands are breaking up and forming left right and center. It's actually exhausting trying to keep up with it all, and there came a point for me where it was no longer fun to try. It wasn't something I enjoyed doing. Trying to be up to date on all the artists I listen to, trying to hunt down entire discographies before I felt I had the right to call myself a fan, knowing who is releasing what and when, and deciding which releases I would be able to buy. I found myself no longer being able to justify spending $35 on a single, or $50 on a mini album. Keeping up with interviews and live streams and blogs and twitters... honestly, it just became too much. I feel like there's so much pressure, if you're a fan of visual kei, for you to be and act a certain way. I don't really feel like getting into all that right now though, so I'll just leave it at that. And actually, I feel happier now because of this. I just listen to whatever I feel like, whatever makes me happy. I do still listen to the visual artists that I like, of course, my favourite bands are visual. But I've stopped forcing myself to try to keep up, and I'm branching out my musical tastes a bit. It's refreshing, you know. 

Anywaaaay. Speaking of anime (we weren't really speaking about it but humor me ok), instead of spending all my earnings on CDs and the like, I've been buying more anime and manga related goods. I regret nothing.

Two issues of Pash! magazine (June issue with Karneval on the cover, and August issue with SNK on the cover yehyeh). The Karneval Illustration Book, which is really beautiful by the way. If you're a fan of the series this book is a must. Volumes 10+11 of the Karneval manga, a another Karneval book. I'm not sure what it is exactly, it's more manga and I guess stories that aren't related to the main storyline? Idk, but it was super cheap, so I got it. Nice order, huh. It cost me an arm and a leg in shipping, but it was so worth it. 

Then I received this order just yesterday. Pash! September issue with Free! on the cover (hnnn babies), Karneval Animation Guide, and Karneval volume 1 on Blu-ray. While the Blu-rays are substantially more expensive than the DVDs, they do have English subtitles and are compatible with my PS3, so I didn't really have choice. It's very pretty though huhuhu. I've also ordered some SNK phone straps, some useless Karneval merch, the first SNK Illustration book and the second Karneval Blu-ray. I'm also waiting until it's a little closer to the release date to order the Free! animation guide book. I'm pumped, yo.

Also, I'm not sure if you've noticed the difference in the quality of my photos between the last one and all the rest. It's because the last photo was taken on my new iPhone 5 whaaaaat uuuuuup~ I'm sorry, I'm just really stoked to have it. I've already had it a week but I'm still buzzing over it. Ah, I can feel my Apple snob status has been elevated 50%.  

And that's all I've got this time, really. This post was super all over the place, so I'm sorry about that. How do blog. Idk. Haven't figured it out yet sorrrrrrry. 

I'm planning on making my next post another anime post, but this time mostly centered around the on-going series that I'm watching right now (with the exception of SNK cause I've already written about it). I'm actually really excited to write it and I'll probably get started on it within the next few days, so please look forward to it! It'll probably be 100% more interesting than this lame post (and all my other lame posts about my life for that matter). 

No now playing today because I'm not listening to anything. I'm blogging and watching Must Love Cats at the same time. 

Stop the time~

What's uuuup~
This post is going to be back to my usual. Whether or not that's a good thing, I'm not entirely sure. My past three posts have been better received than any of my others (ie my anime and PIECE post). So, it would seem that my 'usual' isn't the best way to go. Honestly, I wouldn't mind just continuing to write about anime and such, as I actually really enjoyed it. But at the same time, there's a little more to my life than just anime, and while it isn't ever all that exciting, it's still my life, you know? And I want to write about those things too. After all, this is my personal blog. I've always believed it to be a place where I can word vomit and rant and just get anything and everything off of my chest. That being said, I will definitely be doing more anime posts in the near future.

Oh yeah! I want to talk about this before I forget. About two months ago, I finally caved and, wait for it... made a Tumblr. I KNOW I'M REALLY FUCKING LATE OK BUT FOR SO LONG I WAS JUST LIKE NO LEAVE ME ALONE. But I pretty much lurked in the background without actually having a Tumblr for like, over a year, so I figured I should just get over it and sign up. And I regret nothing. Absolutely nothing. So if you're interested, my Tumblr Stop the time. It's multi-fandom, and I do reblog BL/yaoi/NSFW. Fair warning. I pretty much just reblog a shit tonne of Shingeki no Kyojin (mostly Ereri/Riren), Karneval, and a bit of Free! and Adventure Time stuff. I know it's really plain, but I don't really care too much about the layout of the actual blog. The dashboard is where it all happens, anyway. I just prefer simple things when it comes to layouts and stuff. That should be apparent from the layout of this blog, and my Twitter. Anyway! Follow me if you would like, I'll follow back! Probably... so long as we have some things in common.

Anyway I've realized that I really don't have anything interesting to post about. Ehhh sorry about that! I guess I'll just do a really small pic spam with some things that I've been doing recently. It's small because I haven't actually been taking that many photos lately. Also, there aren't really any outfit photos as I've been lacking inspiration lately and haven't been as bothered with my outfits.

I went and got my nails done, again by Satomi at S's Nail. This is one of my absolute favourite nail designs. I will definitely be getting it again one day, maybe in the reverse. Ah, but my nails were longer this time so they grew out reeeally quickly and got kind of annoying. 

Idk. I found this picture in one of the magazines at my nail place (it's also a hair salon) and I just found it really funny. It was a Japanese guys hair style magazine, but I think this was a section on eyebrow styling or something. Honestly, I was just looking through it to scope the hot Japanese guys while waiting for my appointment.

This seems to be the only outfit photo I've taken lately... OTL
Well, I did really like this outfit, so I guess it's ok. 

I also really liked how my makeup turned out that day. Not that you can actually see it. I'm sorry, iPod cameras are crap quality. 

Went out for dinner to a little local Japanese restaurant. I love it there, the food is cheap and so good. Their green tea ice cream is the best~ 

Then the other day I went and had my nails done again. It was about a month after my last time. I went for a much more simple design this time, mostly because it was much cheaper, but also because with the base gel being clear, it won't be noticeable when they grow out. I actually really love them, they're so pretty. 

Other than a few other small outings here and there, and going to work, I haven't done all that much. I'm still pretty much just watching anime all of the time. I also bought the Sims 3 University recently, so that's taking up lots of my time too. Oh, I have had lots of new music though! 

Grimoire, album from Nocturnal Bloodlust. Before even getting to the music, I just want to say that this album is one of the most beautifully designed albums I've ever had the pleasure of owning. It's so stunning. That photo does it absolutely no justice. As for the music, well. It's Nokubara. These guys are so amazingly talented and so fucking kick ass. I can't even make the words to describe how GOOD this album is. It's just... ugh perfect from beginning to end. 

Satellite Cube, mini album from PIECE. This is it! We waited a year for this. And they did not disappoint. I'm going to be honest, when I heard about all the changes that were happening with PIECE, I was a little worried. I was worried that they wouldn't be PIECE anymore, that they'd lose that special something (whatever it is, I'm not sure) about them that made me fall in love with them. This mini though... it's easily one of my favourite releases of the year. It's absolutely perfect. They pull of the whole, space android thing so, so well. It actually suits them much more than their previous style. That being said, when I listened to this for the first time, I felt this rush of relief. Because, despite how much they'd changed, in every song, I could still hear 'PIECE'. I love every song on this mini. They have all improved so much, they've come so far. I feel like finally, their talent is shining. And I couldn't be happier, I couldn't be more proud. 

GIGA, album from Jackman. About this one, actually... I haven't listened to it all that much yet. I'M SORRY. I got this album around the time that I started watching anime again, and in all honestly I haven't been listening to much music since then. Anime is pretty much taking up all my time and head space... But I will sit down and listen to it properly very soon! It's Jackman, so I already know it's going to be fantastic.

Nanda Collection, album from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. I missed out on Pamyu Pamyu Revolution, so there was no way I was going to miss out on this one. I don't really know what to say about this one. She's just so brilliant. This album is so much fun. It's just great, ok, she's great and asdfghjkl;

So yeah, that's pretty much all that's been going on with me. I'm sorry, this post was really fucking boring. I guess I really should just stick to passionately ranting about anime. 

Now Playing - milk tune. by SuG

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!

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