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Nov 7, 2012
There are very few anime that make an impression in less than 10 minutes. This feeble attempt at showing the events of Hiroshima's devastation at the end of World War Two, however, managed to do just that.
The story is simple, and clear. There is happiness, and life. Then confusion. Then death.
Made in the 1970's, the art is even simpler than the story, but manages to capture the everyday world of Hiroshima in 1945 well enough in only 9 minutes. In fact, there is a ghostly beauty to the children playing, the soldiers going to work, and young girls going to school. The whole
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city is bathed in a sort of cream and pink light. But when "pikadon" (the early japanese word for the bomb meaning "flash" and "boom") finally falls three fourths of the way into the anime, the art takes a rather drastic direction. The colors change from pink and cream to black and red, as the short film portrays the burning, melting people of Hiroshima. Believe me, although simple in art, the images are enough to disturb. This short film pictures civilians with no skin, skeletons clothed in ash, and flesh dangling off arms like rags. But perhaps the most disturbing aspect is knowing every bit of it is true.
The sound was beautiful, a soft piano piece playing in the background most of the time. When the piano wasn't playing it was silent, with the growl of the explosion.
The characters, as many as there were, were barely explored, but somehow, the viewer felt an instant connection to the little boy with the paper plane. Watching him experience the bomb was unforgettable. The knowledge that his existence was wiped away in only a fraction of a second was a heavy weight.
The film, on a whole, was entirely haunting. Though made for children, it disturbed me. It was absolutely something I will never forget.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 7, 2012
As there is only one episode out currently, this review will be updated as the series continues.
What does it take to know another person completely? Hopefully some time spent talking, laughing, and making memories with one another would be enough. However, the kids of Kokoro Connect are about to know much more than they ever wanted to about one another.
I can honestly say hat I've never run across a STORY like this one before. I'm careful when addressing "slice of life/comedy" animes, as they all seem to harbor the same thoughts, elements and general feel. However, as I continued to watch the first
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episode, I started to see some potential. That potential came with the "Freaky Friday"-type idea, that I've personally never seen done in an anime before. I was instantly captivated by the plot, earning a 9 in the story category. I can genuinely say that this is going to make for a funny show.
As for the ART, I'm not a fanatic about the K-ON style that so many animes have adopted recently, but I don't dislike it, either. But what Kokoro Connect failed to do was at least bring the glossy, polished feel to their show that was expected. While the color pallet is pretty, it doesn't look as finished as I would normally like. I suppose I'll get used to it, though. It is over-all not Kokoro Connect's strongest asset, earning a fair 6.
SOUND is okay; not really much to say. A bright and happy OP that I will hopefully not end up skipping. The ED is fine, too. At least its not overly annoying. Aside from the theme songs, the OST was very nicely done in the first episode, using clever entrances and drop-outs that turned out to be very comical! Over all sound, I give it a 7.
Even though it was only the first episode, the CHARACTERS do show some promise, even though there are some typical archetypes. In Kokoro Connect, you get your expected serving of an energetic female lead, mixed with what appears to be two female tsunderes (one being more so than the other), with two honest boys. I don't feel quite that it is quite apt to judge in this category, since its very hard to have deep character growth or portrayal in the first episode, but I will tell you this: the characters are entertaining, earning at solid 8.
My ENJOYMENT settles at a positive 9. This anime has done something which many in the past have failed to do, and that is captivate me with their plot line.. Not their beautiful graphics, nor their likable characters (although neither of those are bad) which usually keep me watching a show, but instead, the wonder of what is going to happen concerning plot.
My overall feel is that it looks to be a promising show! I look forward to more episodes coming out each week. Its definitely a show worth a try.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 31, 2011
I have to admit that this anime was on my "plan to watch" list long before its airing. I didn't expect a spectacular story, nor deep character growth, nor captivating elements, and its a good thing, too. But whats wrong with watching an anime with no depth, and no serious plot, if you're just looking for entertainment and a few laughs? Nothing, right?
Right..?
I didn't, and you shouldn't either... Because honestly, in my 5 episodes of watching Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, thats pretty much all it is so far.
Boku wa starts us off with ....badabada-bing, our scary-eyed, delinquent protagonist, Kodaka. Then, we meet
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lonely, hyperactive Yozora, who forms a club, dragging Kodaka with her. The story is basically Haruhi Suzumiya meets Toradora with a lot of innuendo thrown in. Not that that's not entertaining, right?
Okay. Next, we've got some pretty okay artwork. Honestly, so far, this element has got to be my favorite. I'm a fan of the way Kodaka is drawn. Everyone else is okay, too.
For character depth, none so far. All the characters are proving to be a little cliche with no originality so far, but we're only on episode 4, so maybe that will change. Wasn't expecting anything better, right? So, here we go. Kodaka, our protagonist, is the delinquent who really just wants to make friends. Aside him, we've got the feisty, dark-haired commander, the big-breasted blonde who's obsessed with dating sims (which, honestly, I find to be kinda funny), the nun (...which I'm still trying to figure out?), the clingy scientist, the obsessed little sister, and the boy who looks like a girl who reminds me so much of Hideyoshi from Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu that I refer to him as Hideyoshi. Notice that Kodaka is the only boy (other than the boy-girl) that I've listed. Harem much? Just a little.
Sound? Eeehh. The opening theme is downright horrid. The ending theme is not much better. The voice acting is alright, though. I find each character's voice to be pretty suiting, especially Yozora's voice. I like the way they used a girl with a slightly lower voice, instead of another lolita with a squeaky high voice; and trust me, there are some of those present in Boku wa.
Enjoyment? Its alright. I watch every new episode. I keep up with all the characters. I laugh at the jokes, and roll my eyes at the perverted moments. Despite the epic plot lines and lack of character depth... Boku wa is entertaining, I'll give you that. If you don't jump in expecting a masterpiece, I think you might like it, too.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 12, 2011
"I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders or espers here, come join me. That is all."
(Note: This review is based on the first book "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", not considering the following novels such as "The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya" nor "The Boredom of Haruhi-" and so on and so forth.)
Most everyone knows the tale of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kyon, and the SOS Brigade: They search out the world for the extraordinary. Little does Kyon know that all the extraordinary is Haruhi herself.
The story of Haruhi Suzumiya is so completely wonderful. When
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I finished the light novel of Haruhi, I watched the first episode of the anime, and was completely dumbfounded on how similar the anime is to the novel. Its absolutely a perfect replica. Like the anime, the novel is narrated by our own Kyon, who's sarcasm and wise-cracks honestly never get old. The story from his eyes had a certain element of charm that only added to the already wonderful plot line. I can honestly say I enjoyed every moment.
What makes the book, though, is the characters themselves. I could rant about Haruhi-- her energetic, selfish, odd, enthusiastic, impatient, colorful and utterly hilarious personality-- but honestly, the character that I really loved was no other than Kyon. From the beginning of the book to the end, we lived through Kyon's eyes while he struggled with questions such as "I AM a normal highschool boy, right?" to "Why did Haruhi choose me?" to "What IS Haruhi to me?" The character growth in Kyon is outstanding, though I have to say that I liked him in the beginning... and I LOVED him at the end. I'll take my own Kyon, please.
Did you know that light novels have PICTURES? I was a little bit too delighted when I figured that out. I was spastically waving the book in front of each of my family members, saying, "LOOK!! ITS BEAUTIFUL!"
Okay. I'm going to end this art section before I embarrass myself. Anyways. The art is beautiful. It captures the scenes perfectly.
My enjoyment? A 10, without a doubt. I had a friend ask me if she could borrow the book when I had finished it. I replied, "No. I'm reading it again." Because, I have no interest in ordinary novels. If there are any novels here that has the wit, charm, humor and enjoyment that Haruhi Suzumiya had, come join me. That is all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 21, 2011
Ah, Ponyo. I remember watching the very early commercials for this movie. I absolutely couldn't wait for it to come out on DVD. I stopped by Walmart every day until I finally got my hands on yet another one of Hayao Miyazaki's films. My reaction after sitting through almost two hours of the film is a bit difficult to explain.
I do believe that any anime's quality is based really on characters. You can have a freakin' awful storyline, but the cast of characters can be so funny, original and entertaining that it doesn't even matter. I can't quite say that Ponyo's characters reached that
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level of ingenuity.
With that, we have our infamous Ponyo. One moment she's a goldfish, the next she's a human, with wild red hair, and yet, in the next moment, she's something strangely in-between the two, which comes off looking somewhat like a frog and a duck at the same time, if thats something you can picture. She's very cute when she's fully human; don't get me wrong. But like all cute little girls, she does have this air about her thats like, "Wow. You're a brat," which is especially prominent in the way she addresses her father, and the way she's constantly bossing around the poor boy who so gracefully rescued her. Perhaps thats just Noah Cyrus' poor dubbing of Ponyo, though, she does have some cute lines, including her yelling at the top of her lungs, "IT'S HAM!!"
Sousuke is a different character all together. He's actually someone I could stand being around, because of his adorable little hair cut, his caring spirit for Ponyo, and the way he just is that makes me wanna scream, "YOU'RE JUST SO CUTE, YA KNOW?!" But that aside, Miyazaki did well in creating a loving, caring character thats very believable as a little boy, though, I did forget at times that he was a kindergardener, 5 years old to be exact, because of his voice and just manner of maturity... which is not really a bad thing, I guess. We all wish 5 year old would act older than they really are, right?
Other characters include Ponyo's father, whose name escapes me, but if you've seen the movie, or seen pictures of the movie, he's the guy that you look at and just think "What... is... that...?" His only definition: Weird. Just plain weird. He does have some pretty interesting lines, however, one of which left me rolling around on the floor laughing. At least there is comedy in the movie, if nothing else!
But, like all Miyazaki films, the Art is not something that can be overlooked. It was absolutely flawless. The underwater scenes were so beautiful, I watched the whole movie again just for the art. Miyazaki's animation NEVER disappoints, even if his characters and story-line do.
So, my opinion on the movie? "Eeeehhh, it was alright. I wouldn't buy it. It was nice to see once or twice." But in all honestly, the film was just a little bit... boring. It didn't have Princess Mononoke's intensity, or Whisper of the Heart's romance, or Spirited Away's adventure, or Castle in the Sky's comedy. However, it did have a nice little contribution of beautiful art and a cute story. But thats really all it was. It was "cute". It was "okay". It was "eeh". It was "nice". It was, "Huh.... Well, that was weird."
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 17, 2011
"Can you throw away love for money?"
Hadashi de Bara wo Fume, or, Stepping on Roses, is quite an appropriate name for this beautiful series. While drinking up the soft, tender, velvet petals of the story, there's also the sharp pain of the thorn, hidden, and out of sight.
Sumi, our selfless heroine, is thrown into turmoil when her older brother gambles away all of their money, leaving her adopted siblings literally no money for survival. Frantic, Sumi runs around town, offering herself for money. Then, our heartless hero, Souichirou, offers to buy her. He explains he must get married in order to receive an
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abundant inheritance from his grandfather, but there shall be no love in the marriage. He is not to love her, and she is not to love him. Souichirou narrows his eyes as the questions arises, "Can you throw away love for money?"
Sumi could have said no. But then, there would be no story.
Thus begins Stepping on Roses. Sumi's job? Don't mess up. Don't embarrass Souichirou. Don't disgrace the Ashida family. And above all: Don't let anyone find out that she is actually from a poor family.
The first person who introduced this story was my younger sister. She could not stop gushing on how wonderful the characters were, how breathtaking the art was, and how captivating the story was. I just didn't want to read it, however. But, at the constant urging of my sister, I finally picked up the first volume. I was very disappointed that I had put it off for so long. Because she was absolutely right: The characters are wonderful. The art is breathtaking. The story is captivating.
Sumi herself makes the story so enjoyable. Her caring spirit is a beautiful contrast to the terrible character of Souichirou. She is creative, thrifty, and compassionate, not to mention beautiful and really sweet. She tries her best at everything, and when she has the opportunity to benefit herself, she chooses to bless those around her and the people she cares about. She tries very hard not to upset Souichirou, her husband, who very often threatens to "sink her to the bottom of the sea" if she were to embarrass him in the slightest way. When dazzled by the charming Nozomu, she regrets to say, "I forgot... I'm the wife of this awful man!"
Hadashi de Bara wo Fume. Under the flowers and loveliness, the story still has mysteries yet to be uncovered. Under the fake impression of husband and wife, is a young girl who puts up with a heartless man in order to keep her family from starvation. Under the typical overrated story line of a tsundere male and a helpless female is the beautiful story of Stepping on Roses.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 17, 2011
There are some anime's out in the world that have a satisfied ending, some that have ones that just leave you hanging, and some that end fine, but you are just so attached to the characters and story line that you can't possibly end the adventure there. Thats when you either start the anime over, or pick up the manga. For me, it was the latter.
I didn't even know there WAS a manga of Toradora! until after I had seen the entire anime. If you HAVE seen the anime of Toradora!, I'll say that the manga is extremely close to the anime. I've even noticed
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some similar lines. It has the same gut-busting humor that leaves you rolling around on the floor, and the same tender moments that you can't help but smile at. However, one quality that I like about the Toradora! manga that I seemed to have missed in the anime was Takasu Ryuuji's constant narration throughout the manga. Through his eyes, we see many more details and feelings than the somewhat rushed thoughts in the anime.
The only character that looks different in the manga than in the anime is Ryuuji himself, which really bothered me at the beginning. He looks harsher in the manga than in the anime, always looking angry or annoyed (which, could be a tribute to his murderous eyes), and is frequently drawn in the "chibi" form. However, I really grew to love the way that he looks in the manga. He is truly one good-looking kid. He's one of those rare protagonists that you actually LIKE. I know. Crazy, huh?
Most everyone else looks the same, especially Kitamura Yuusaku, whom I can't help but chuckling at, every time I think about him. Kawashima Ami is still the same witch she is in the anime. I shall forever hear Hori Yui's delightful voicing of Kushieda Minori in my head every time I read her lines.
Now, if you HAVEN'T seen the anime of Toradora!, you're tossing around the question, "Should I read Toradora!?" Since the manga was based off the anime, you might be worried that you're gonna miss something by not watching the anime first. I'll tell you this: the manga is a great place to start. You're hardly missing anything by not watching the anime, in my opinion, though, I do have to say, some moments in the manga are just so ridiculously funny because I remember the same scene and the tone of voice the characters used in the anime.
The story is really about a Takasu Ryuuji, and his new next-door neighbor, Aisaka Taiga or the "palm-top-tiger" as she is called at school, and the deal they make-- Taiga will keep quiet about Ryuuji's crush on her best friend, Minori, as long as he becomes her servant, or, as she calls him, her dog. This story line isn't exactly original, but what makes Toradora! so absolutely wonderful is the absolutely original characters. So, in a whole, whether you've seen the anime are now starting the manga, or have just considered reading the manga without even having knowledge of the anime, all the aspects contribute to the glorious story of Toradora!
So, after reading this extensive review, the question in your mind might still remain: Should I read the Toradora! manga? Oh, but don't bother worrying any longer on the subject. Here, I'll make up your mind for you. Yes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 12, 2011
When I first heard about Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo(The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), I have to admit-- I was skeptical. It sounded just kinda stupid to me: A girl who went back in time, and paid for it later. Woop-de-doo-dah. However, when I finally got around to watching it, I really regretted not seeing it sooner. (Very first review, so bear with me on this one!)
Story (9): You've read the synopsis, but I don't really think that it gives enough credit to the story. Its about a high school girl, Makoto, who is klutzy, unorganized, and not very lucky. Then one day, she
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wanders into the science lab, trips, and thus begins her wild adventures. From being saved by a bike wreck, to leaping back in time to simply steal pudding from her sister, Makoto's time leaping is original, funny, and new, while also having consequences so real that made me think, "I sure am glad I'm not Makoto right about now!"
Art (8): One of the reasons I put off Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo is because of the art. I'm extremely picky when it comes to art. I'm used to watching masterpieces such as Hayao Miyazaki's films, and wasn't about to commit to something I didn't think reached that level of art. In truth, it doesn't. However, I grew to really like the simple style, and really admire the way the background scenes contributed nicely to the moods of the character. I especially admired the "frozen in time" scenes. Very beautiful. It was nicely done.
Sound (10): Certainly a soundtrack I want to pick up. Most of the music is piano, which adds nicely to the heartfelt/intense scenes, and also the happy, funny scenes.
Character (10): Definitely my favorite part of the whole movie. The main character, Makoto, can't be described in any number of words, though I do have to say that she was freakin' hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing practically the entire movie. She was voiced so wonderfully by Naka Riisa-san, whose voice is at the perfect level to where its not high and annoying (like so many of the recent anime characters) nor does Makoto sound like a man. Makoto is actually one of those rare anime heroines that you actually grow to LIKE. Its not this "For crying out loud, buck up!! Will ya??" or this "Okay. NO BODY is that nice in real life." or this "Listen, stop. Just go away," nonsense that just makes you want to shut the dang movie off. She was new and original, and, even in her emotional moments, was 100% believable.
Her two friends, Kousuke and Chiaki were very nice companions for Makoto. They were just about as funny as she is.
Enjoyment (10): A perfect ten. This anime made me laugh till I was on the floor, banging the table in front of my with my hands, like we all do when we are frightfully amused. I was so worried for the characters at time that I had to go pop myself a bag of popcorn while I was balled up on the couch, wide-eyed. Auuunnnddd, I have to admit: I teared up at the end. Just one of those rare, wonderful animes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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