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- BirthdayJan 23, 1994
- LocationOslo, Norway
- JoinedApr 11, 2012
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Mar 8, 2024
Finished this one last night, and found it a very chill and enjoyable read. It's a fairly lighthearted and simple romcom, but it doesn't really need to be anything more than that.
The story is mostly straightforward, and thankfully it skips a lot of the more predictable set-up that most romcoms suffer from by having the main couple get together very quickly. This isn't a "will they/won't they" type of story, and I think that only works in its favor. That said, it can feel a little formulaic at first since a lot of the earlier chapters just feel like fluff that doesn't really add much
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to the characters. Thankfully it really finds its footing in the latter half of the story when Miria is introduced, and I have to say she adds so much to the manga. She's not only a very fun character, she also adds a lot to the group dynamic of the main cast by having great chemistry with them. I have to admit that I found her romance with Tenma a lot more engaging than the main romance, though that is par for the course for me since I nearly always get more invested in the side-couple than the main one.
My only real complaint with the manga other than the slow pace in the first half is that I found the main couple to be a bit too idealistic at times, mainly because of Kazuma who is just way too perfect. Don't get me wrong, he and Satomi do make for a very cute couple together, and I didn't find him unlikable or anything, but his behavior throughout a large portion of the plot can feel almost satirical in how he always acts like an ideal boyfriend would. Thankfully this is actually addressed later in the story by having Satomi pointing out how it can actually feel a little lonely to be in a relationship with someone who never acts selfishly or makes any real mistakes, which I very much appreciated. It's handled in a pretty mature way and not as something to just be fixed with an apology, which was refreshing and added some much needed layers to their dynamic.
Overall I'd say this is absolutely worth checking out for anyone who is looking for a solid shoujo romcom. It doesn't break any new ground and is pretty light on the drama, but that's only really a negative if you need that sort of stuff in your stories. If you want a chill and wholesome story about two couples who find their way through life together this is certainly worth checking out. Just be aware that it can get a little stale before the second heroine is introduced in chapter 17, so if you don't find the manga too engaging you may want to skim through the chapters leading up to that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 6, 2022
I have no idea why this manga has such a low score, personally I thought it was brilliant. Like, top 10 of all time brilliant.
The story is goofy as hell, but this manga absolutely embraces that and makes it part of it's identity. The idea of a school forcing it's female student's to wear masks to dissuade romance is just as stupid as it sounds, but it makes for some great comedy, and some surprisingly cute romance too.
The cast is solid, the art is fantastic, and the story manages to tell a satisfying tale despite its short length. If you're looking for something for
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a manga that's charming, cute, and funny as hell, I seriously think this is one of the best ones out there, absolutely give this one a read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 15, 2020
As someone who has very warm memories of playing this game on the DS back in the day, I was really looking forward to this movie. Dragon Quest games never had the deepest stories, but they're always engaging, and DQV is arguably the game with the best story in the franchise, so it was very exciting to hear that the choose this specific game to adapt into a movie. However, that also leads to one of the biggest obstacles this movie has to face; it choose the game that would be the hardest to live up to.
The main problem with this movie is that it
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often doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. On the one hand it seems to base itself almost entirely off nostalgia, meaning that if you don't have fond memories of the game and remember it's story fairly well, you'll probably be at a loss for what the hell is going on most of the time. On the other hand, barely anything that happens in this movie is done as it is in the game, with a lot of characters never even appearing, and the ones that do often acting totally different from how they are in the game. Visually the movie also clearly does it's own thing, which isn't necessarily negative as it's visually quite solid for the most part,but for nostalgic fans (which again, this movie clearly tries to pander to) it may be a bit weird to see these characters look totally different from their original designs by Akira Toriyama.
The entire movie also has an incredibly rushed pace throughout it's runtime, which makes it hard to get attached to the characters, as they're always rushing off to the next goal without ever giving us any breathing room to get to know them better. This means major events like Pankraz's death or the hero's return home after ten years as a slave aren't given enough time to leave any impact on the viewer.
There's also the twist of the movie, which I won't spoil here, but it's fair to say it's a twist most people will either love or hate. I'm guessing most viewers will lean towards the latter. It's not a dumb twist per say, but it IS a confusing one, as it doesn't really add anything to the movie other than a weird, almost cultish, message that encourages escapism to an unhealthy degree. As someone who really adored the game when I first played it, and still occasionally play it to this day, the message didn't resonate with me in the slightest, and I'd honestly be a bit concerned for the people who do. These games are awesome, but in the end they're still games, and should be treated as such.
Sound-wise this movie has a solid soundtrack, but the voice acting is a bit more of a mixed bag, especially if you watch in english. I watched the movie with the English dub, and though the voice actors all do a solid job with what they're given, it's hard to get invested when the script gives them very little to work with. Nearly every line is phrased awkwardly, using wording that sounds either stilted or just plain unnatural, which really took me out of the experience. It also doesn't help that the English lip-syncing is rather poorly done. I watched the movie again in Japanese, and the difference in quality is noticeable enough that I would definitely claim the Japanese dub as superior. Still, kudos to the English voice actors who clearly did their best with what they had.
Overall, this movie clearly tries hard in a lot of areas, but sadly doesn't really live up to any of its many ambitions. It looks and sounds great, but the plot is all over the place with a pace that's so rushed it's hard to ever really care what's happening. It expects you to know the game's story before even watching it, yet at the same time it ignores and glosses over so many major plot events it leaves me wondering who they even made this movie for in the first place. It's not a movie for newcomers, and it's not a movie for nostalgic fans either... It's not really a movie for anyone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Mar 2, 2019
If you're like me, you might be growing sick of the constant need for drama a lot of anime and manga force into their stories. If so, this might just be the manga for you. It's a very simple manga, with simple characters and simple humour, but for the most part it does it's job very well, with the characters being likeable (with one exception), and the humour doing a great job of being cute and heartwarming without ever feeling cheesy.
Story:
The story is as simple as they get really. A girl named Sara gets hired to be a housemaid for her classmate Takaomi's family, and
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quickly grows close to the family. There really isn't much more to it than that. Don't let the genre tags fool you, this is NOT a drama in any sense of the word, and it is most definitely a romance manga. Nearly every character in the story is in a romance of some kind, and for the most part they're very enjoyable to read, even if the end results are mostly very predictable.
Art:
The art is absolutely adorable, every character is drawn in a way that's so cute it's hard not to smile just from seeing their cute expressions. The art is probably the manga's greatest strength, as it's the main reason I found this such an enjoyable read. If you have any love for chibi-style characters, you will definitely enjoy the visual gags of this manga. Not much else to say, but I dare anyone to read one chapter of this manga and never crack a smile.
Character:
This is where my biggest gripe with the manga lies. For as charming as this manga is, there is one character that's bound to be... controversial at the very least. Fairly early on in the manga we are introduced to the other servant of the household, a butler by the name of Akira. Akira seems to be an average 19-year old guy at first glance, but there is one major flaw to his character; he's a pedophile. Yes, an actual pedophile. He openly crushes on Ami, the 7-year old daughter of the household (yes, you read that right), and the only thing keeping him from entering a relationship with her immediately is that the oldest brother and head of the household, Hirofumi, has openly stated he will literally kill him if he tries anything before she's graduated high school. This whole situation is played for laughs, but it's still quite uncomfortable seeing an adult man basically grooming a child to be his girlfriend as soon as she's of age. Wether this is as big a deal for everyone as it was for me is up to each individual person, but to me at least this was a huge turn-off from what was otherwise a very cute and charming manga.
I will say that aside from Akira, every other character is very charming and likeable, and their interactions with each other are mostly very funny to read. The romances are also great (aside from the one previously mentioned exception), with Takaomi and Sara's budding romance being especially cute to watch unfold. Their contrasting personalties and dependence on each other makes them very cute together, and the way they constantly misunderstand each other makes for an adorable, if predictable romance. Other than them, Hirofumi and his romance with Sara's best friend is also quite enjoyable, though it's more focused on jokes than fluff in comparison to the other romances of the story.
Enjoyment:
The manga is totally devoid of ecchi, drama, action, or really anything overly negative in general. This is about cute characters doing cute things together, and it does that very well for the most part. The romances are mostly very cute, with each couple getting their moments in the spotlight, and no love triangles to create unnecessary drama. There are misunderstandings here and there which are big deals to the characters themselves, but it's always done with a undertone of humour, and the misunderstandings are for the most part resolved fairly quickly. Don't read this expecting some deep, interesting story though. This is cute characters doing cute things, and that's pretty much it.
The previously mentioned issue regarding Akira and his "love" for a child is the only real drawback this manga has. If you can stomach this, it really is worth reading, and I can say that as disturbing as his character was, I still managed to mostly ignore him and enjoy all the other great aspects of this manga. If Akira's creepy lust for a child isn't enough to deter you from reading the manga, I can practically guarantee you'll have a great time with this, as this manga nails pretty much everything else. It's such a shame too, because I really can't blame anyone who are unable to stomach such a character, and as such will avoid the entire manga altogether.
Overall:
Despite how much my review focuses on a single negative aspect of the manga, I had for the most part a great time with this one. A likeable cast, great humour, cute romances, and an adorable, if simplistic, art-style makes this a highly enjoyable read, that I would recommend to anyone who are looking for something that will them smile. My score might be a tad generous, but I really think that one very glaring issue aside, this is one of the most enjoyable manga's I've read for quite some time, and I'd hate to let that one bad aspect ruin what is otherwise one of the cutest manga's I've ever read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 21, 2014
Heaven's Memo Pad may seem like a noteworthy anime at first glance. I mean, the concept is a fairly interesting one. A bunch of NEET's spending their days solving mysteries? I for one, found this to be an intriguing premise, and as several fans of the show compared it to the excellent Durarara!! and the somewhat disappointing but still decent Eden of the East, I pre-ordered this show and couldn't wait to watch it. Imagine then my disappointment when I finished the last episode, only to feel cheated, angry, and somewhat sad as just how much of a missed opportunity this show turned out to
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be.
I could go into depth about each and every single character, but I really don't see any point to it, as not a single one of them has anything noteworthy about their personalities or designs that make them stand out in the slightest from your stereotypical slice-of-life anime, not at all helped by how overly sexualized every single female character is in this show. The main protagonist Narumi Fujishima may be the most whiny, self-righteous hypocrite I have ever seen in an anime. This is made ten times worse by the fact that every single character in the show seems to worship the ground he walks on. Not that the rest of the cast is any better. Yes, even the much revered Alice, the heroine of the show, fails to be memorable in the slightest. This isn't entirely because the character herself is bad per say, as I'll admit she is at least somewhat better than the rest of the awful cast this show has. It's rather because the show prefers to show her being a stereotypical tsundere crying because her teddybear got dirty than ever actually showing her intellect, which we are told about at least thrice every episode, but never get to witness first-hand. She's supposed to be an ace-detective and master hacker, yet we never ONCE see her actually conduct any research or get to see her thought-process when solving a crime. Rather, she just tells us how the crime was done, and then it's back to showing her getting scared because the lights went out.
Now, this wouldn't be such a big problem if it wasn't for how seriously the show takes itself. More than once I found myself surprised at just how deeply the show wanted me to care for a character I had just been introduced to. Or other times, it would show just how "close" Narumi was with a person he had met twice, and hardly even gotten along with at first, before suddenly having no qualms about sacrificing his own life for that person. This is only made worse by how poorly told most of the "mysteries" are, which range from being mediocre to flat-out offensive, but I'll get to that in a second.
The "mysteries" themselves are often not even mysteries at all, and instead of actually giving the viewer the necessary clues to solving the crime on their own, the show rather purposefully HIDES information from the viewer until the last second where they will quickly explain the mystery in a way that makes it seem like even the writers of the show have lost interest and just want to explain it quickly and be done with it. Each episode often ends with an incredibly cliched and boring "philosophical" (and I'm using this term loosely) monologue which only serves to hammer in the point the episode very obviously is trying to get across. Most of these points are either incredibly obvious, or just downright stupid, but it wouldn't be such a problem if the show didn't constantly shove this point down your throat just to make absolutely sure that you get it.
There are plenty of other problems with the show as well, like the mediocre voice-acting, the forgettable soundtrack or the cliche script. But by far the biggest problem the show has, is just how UNINSPIRED it feels. This show claims to be about NEET's, showing the society that scorns them just how much they are capable of, yet it's hardly ever brought up, much less focused on. Alice is the only NEET in the entire show with any importance whatsoever, and even then it's not as if the show actually discusses this matter at all. Not a single character ever looks down upon or even seems to care that she is a NEET, nor does it add anything to the story. The writers or the show could have easily cut out the fact that she and some of her friends are NEET's, and the story would not be altered in the slightest.
The other topics the show focuses on, like prostitution, drug-addiction and gang wars are all horribly presented, and obviously written by people who have no knowledge or understanding of any of these topics. The gang war is portrayed in such a black and white manner it borders on being comical, and the shows portrayal of drug-addicts is so biased and ignorant it is bordering on being offensive. The show portrays drug-addicts as literal scum, people with no sympathetic traits whatsoever, only looking to hurt others and get high, because as we all know, drug-addicts are all evil and hate everything good in the world. Having known several people whom have struggled with drug-abuse, I can't say how distasteful this show portrays drug-addiction and it's victims. The entire moral of the "drug-arc" seems to be that all people who do drugs are evil, and they should be scorned rather than helped. Honestly, as if the show didn't do enough wrong already, it will now try to force a very ignorant message on it's viewers when it's crystal clear the writers of this show have no knowledge on the subject.
Despite how much I've ranted, not every little thing about this show is terrible. The show does have some decent animation, and while it fails to deliver any of what it promises, it does, if nothing else, at least have the potential to be good. Had the show been given more time to establish it's characters and storylines, as well as being written by more talented writers, I have no doubt this could have been a good, if not even great show. As it currently stands however, it is not a show I would really recommend to anyone, no matter their preferences, as there are much better shows that go into a lot of the same subjects as Heaven's Memo Pad, like Durarara!! or Paranoia Agent, and unlike Heaven's Memo Pad, they are written by people whom seem to actually know what they are talking about. If none of my arguments have shaken your resolve to watch this anime, at least be wise enough to watch it online first to be absolutely sure you actually want to PAY someone for this drivel. Your hard earned-cash is better spent elsewhere.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Aug 22, 2012
Enter Baka and Test. A rather simple show at first glance, but after completing the entire series I have to say... It was still rather simple. Simple is by no means a BAD thing though, in this case it's quite the contrary. But I digress. Why don't we go over this one step at a time?
The story is about Akihisa. Like most male anime heroes, he's rather dimwitted. So it's no shock that he is placed in the lowest ranked class of his school, where the students are hardly given ANYTHING, and are treated as trash. In the class with him, is big-boobed and big-hearted
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Himeji, tomboyish but sweet Minami, cold and brilliant Yuuji, perverted Kouta, and Hideyoshi, who is the most sought after girl in school despite that he isn't a girl at all.
Over the course of the show we are also introduced to the adorable but DANGEROUS Shouko, the half-crazed Miharu, the playful and teasing Aiko, the rock hard "Iron Man", and the FFF, who are basically guys who will kill you if you date someone because they are incapable of getting dates themselves.
While none of these characters sound particularly original, the show still manages to make them one of the most likable gangs of friends you will EVER see in an anime, mostly thanks to the brilliant interactions between them. Even Akihisa managed to become a really likable guy, despite that I usually hate the main characters of such comedy-shows. In fact, there isn't a single character I can say I disliked, as they all have something going for them.
Referencing countless shows and games, Baka and Test is truly on of the funniest anime's you'll find, with hardly any cheap fan service jokes (There are some, but 90% of these come from Hideyoshi, which makes it different, considering he isn't even a girl). You will find references to Metal Gear Solid, Mad Max, Code Geass, Apocalypse Now!, The Grudge, Gurren Lagann, and hundreds of other shows and games. Many of these are quite obscure and well hidden, but they're still rather funny even if you don't know the reference. In fact, I must say I was shocked to see that the humor of the show was in fact quite clever, and manages to parody anime with great effect. Both newcomers and hardcore anime enthusiasts will find plenty to laugh at here.
Despite being classified as a "harem" anime, I'll have to disagree on this. Yes, the two female leads of the show are in love with the same guy, and yes, it does seem a bit weird at times that two gorgeous women would fall for the same guy (Actually, I take that back, as it's only in Himeji's case it seems forced and unrealistic, as season two of the show makes it perfectly understandable why Minami would care so deeply for Akihisa), but by only having two girls fight for Akihisa's affections instead of twelve, it manages to give each of the girls their time in the spotlight without having it seem forced or just plain dull (Although I think the show gives a bit too much attention to Himeji, despite Minami being the more interesting of the two). Aside from Akihisa, the other characters are given love interests as well, which Yuuji being stalked by his childhood friend Shouko, and Kouta having a charming back-and-forth with Aiko.
To be honest, I felt the real meat of the show as far as romance goes never came from Akihisa and his two fair maidens, but rather from Yuuji and Shouko, as their chemistry is... Interesting, to say the least, but still quite deep in fact, with some of the cutest and saddest moments in the anime coming from these two. In fact, the only really serious scenes in the entire show is found in the episodes focusing on the relationship between these two characters.
This show really caught me by surprise. Anime focusing on humor in general isn't really my cup of tea. Having watched Heaven's Lost Property, Genshiken and Ouran High School Host Club, three of the so-called "funniest" anime shows of all time, and not really enjoying any of them, my expectations for Baka and Test weren't exactly sky high. But that's also why I was not only shocked to find myself rooting for the characters, but actually laughing out loud at several of the shows jokes. Yes, Baka and Test is funny. And not only is it funny, it's CLEVER. Boy, could the creators of Heaven's Lost Property learn a thing or two from this, as Baka and Test makes it perfectly clear that titty-jokes for 20 minutes is neither clever nor good comedy.
The show has great animation, an awesome soundtrack, superb voice acting both in japanese and english, one of the catchiest openings to any show I've ever seen, and some truly heartwarming moments at times. The adorable characters will charm your socks off, despite the fact that most of them are just stereotypes. The plot is simple, but you'll still find yourself watching episode after episode until you suddenly realize you've watched the show all the way trough. It also has loads of mini-skits which are all hilarious and well worth a watch.
If you're looking for an anime with some actually clever humor that isn't 94% titty-jokes, with charming characters, great art, and a soundtrack that is will have you humming the main theme for weeks after, then this is most definitely a show for you. By far the greatest comedy-anime I have ever seen.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 14, 2012
This was honestly one of the dullest anime's I've ever seen.
Despite an awesome setup and a lot of potential, the series failed to amaze me at every turn, mainly because of it's dull and generic cast of characters. Despite having a wide array of characters, none of them really stood out to me, and made me care about what happens to them. The only exception is the grumpy old lady Madame Torogai, who was the ONLY character in the entire show who made me care in the slightest about the story.
Although the main character Balsa isn't really such a BAD character, she is by no
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means a good one either, as she doesn't stand out at all from the "overly serious badass woman" stereotype. Aside from Balsa, her love interest Tanda has to be the dullest character to ever appear in an anime, with little to no personality whatsoever. The worst of the bunch though, is the crybaby prince Chagum, who seems to spend 90% of the show whining and acting like a spoiled little shit, which is only made worse by the fact that is voice actor, Naoto Adachi, does a terrible job portraying him. Not that Chagum has any redeeming qualities to begin with.
The story itself isn't much better. without spoiling the plot (not that it really matters), the story is weird, yet unimaginative, long, yet simple, and more than anything, it's boring. Yes, this series is so very boring that it will feel like a chore to watch it. This is not at all helped by the standard animation, and extremely poor 3D effects. The 3D effects are so bad they look like something out of an 80's cartoon more than a modern anime.
But despite all that I've said, I still don't consider Moribito a BAD anime, as much as a boring one. The series isn't even remotely funny, even when it tries to be, it's characters are amongst the dullest and unimaginative i've ever seen in an anime, and the story isn't interesting or original enough to be engaging. However, the series does manage to stay realistic throughout it's course. Sure, there is some magic and spirits and whatnot, but as far as the world itself goes, it always keeps it's feet on the ground and doesn't lose focus. If you want an anime that really catches the style of ancient Japan without all the fanservice, and overly dramatic anime fights you see in most anime today, then you MAY be able to enjoy Moribito. However, this is really all that the series has to offer, so if that's not enough (it certainly wasn't for me), I would steer clear of Moribito.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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