Takai's Anime List | Takai's Manga List

Takai's Profile

-INTRODUCTION-

Someone told me that Otogizoushi has a very realistic portrayal of onmyoudo which was the main reason for my interest, along with the ancient Japan setting. Certain character designs caught my attention too, especially Mansairaku.

-STORY- 8/10

"Some day, I wish to dance only for Hikaru-dono..."

Otogizoushi consists of two story arcs. They are very different, I would even say that in a way they contrast each other. Looking at the two arcs together, I developed some very mixed feelings about the overall anime.

The Heian Arc was amazing. The first few minutes were enough to call it a masterpiece. War, epidemic, people are dying, the world is filled with despair. And among all that chaos, a seemingly strong yet vulnerable Hikaru and a mysterious dancer Mansairaku fall in love with each other. The creators did a wonderful job in showing the two contrasting sides: cruel battlefield and people's misery versus the short peaceful moments that Hikaru and Mansairaku share with each other whenever they chance to meet. The way she plays flute for him while he dances for her, the way they comfort each other and complete each other's existence... that sad but gentle romance touch was truly beautiful and left me speechless. I would have given it a 10 without a second thought.

But the story did not end on episode thirteen and instead moved on to the present time, the Kyoto Arc. The second part by itself was also quite interesting, and I found myself easily engaged in the mysteries surrounding the city. It felt somewhat slow paced at times, but overall it was good. There is one big problem though -- it's a completely different story. If it was an independent anime with unrelated characters, then I would not look at it so critically. But it was still Otogizoushi, yet it strayed too far away from the story that I initially fell in love with. True that eventually it started connecting to the Heian Arc, and by the end it even started looking like a sequel instead of a side story, and I won't deny that I still enjoyed it. But after finishing it, and after looking back at the Heian Arc, I realized how beautiful the original story was all by itself, and that the second story might as well not be there at all. It felt like at the end of episode thirteen the creators suddenly decided to make a sequel for the story that already ended and could not continue.

-CHARACTERS- 10/10

I found all main characters very lovable; I liked each one of them as soon as (s)he appeared. They had their flaws, and there were times I got rather angry at their decisions, but I developed a great deal of respect for each one of them. They all had their reasons for stepping (or not stepping) into the battlefield and for helping and loving each other. Portrayal of human bonds was probably the strongest point of Otogizoushi, between the main characters as well as between the antagonists. And as much as I wish the Kyoto Arc did not exist, I liked that the bond between the main characters did not change, even thought they were reborn as completely different people.

Also, Otogizoushi showed the most interesting portrayal of Abe no Seimei I have ever seen in fiction; out of all, this character shocked me the most.

-ART/ANIMATION- 8/10

I loved the art in Heian Arc. The character designs were beautiful, especially the detail in eyes, and the animation was top quality. I was simply speechless at Mansairaku's dance scenes; the battles were great too. Some of the backgrounds looked like paintings, they were that stunning. There were also times when a certain moment would 'morph' into a still image of a slightly different style, and it was such a nice touch.

I honestly don't know anymore whether I am just biased against the Kyoto Arc, but I felt like after episode thirteen the artwork started lacking, along with animation. Maybe the fact that the characters wore different clothes and had different hairstyles threw me off, but in a way it felt like they became different people. I just wasn't as impressed at the art anymore, and there were a lot less moments that I wanted to screenshot. And lastly, I have to say my little personal rant, what on earth did they do to Mansairaku? =/ I do realize that the idea was to 'modernize' the characters, but they didn't have to completely change his hair color and give him that cliche hairstyle that you see everywhere.

-SOUND- 9/10

The music in both arcs was great and fitting. Personally, I enjoyed the soundtrack of the Heian Arc a lot more; it was a lot more soothing and atmospheric. But it was something that would feel right only during that arc, and I do realize that the second arc's music had to be stylized completely differently. Also, I absolutely loved the Kyoto Arc's ending song, which is, interestingly enough, the same song (by the same performer) that Haruhi 'sings' in one of Ouran High School Host Club episodes, but with different lyrics.

I will spare you the seiyuu talk because I would end up writing a paragraph about each one, but I will mention one. Miki Shinichirou did an outstanding job in this anime, by playing both Mansairaku and Hikaru's bed-ridden older brother. I was especially impressed by the second role; his acting was so believable, and his slightly shaking voice sounded so natural, that you could really feel that Raikou was ill and that speaking was difficult for him.

---

As you can see, I have very mixed feelings about this anime and it was difficult putting them in words.
My recommendation would be to watch the Heian Arc and the Kyoto Arc within a few years of each other and judge the second one as a 'what-if' scenario instead of a sequel. But some people might enjoy both arcs equally, so I can't recommend that method to everyone. read more

-INTRODUCTION-

My love for ancient Japan and Japanese mythology got me into yet another great anime. Onmyouji is even in the title; obviously, I couldn't go past it.

-STORY- 10/10

"If that is your wish, then I will break my heart for the sake of that wish, and I will lend you my strength. This is why I am by your side."

The story is set in Heian period of ancient Japan. It follows Abe no Masahiro (Abe no Seimei's grandson), a young onmyouji in training. Accompanied by his guardian and partner Guren, a powerful shikigami, Masahiro faces off against different mononoke that disturb the peace of the city. The anime is divided into two main stories, which are the adaptation of the first two arcs of the original light novel. The transition between the arcs, however, is done very smoothly, and there is no obvious 'break' point -- the story flows naturally throughout the entire twenty six episodes.

Though some may see it as a comedy at first glance, Shounen Onmyouji gradually develops into a serious drama with gentle romantic subplot that touches upon some of the very important points -- like understanding and acceptance of others, forgiveness, and the search for one's true place in the world. There is also enough comic relief, provided very cleverly and only at appropriate times, to give the partially light-hearted atmosphere and to help the story stay serious without crossing the line and becoming depressing.

While the anime only covers the first two arcs of the novel and obviously doesn't show the entire story, it definitely does not look cut off or unfinished. There is room for discussion after the final episode, but an overall feeling of completeness is present.

-CHARACTERS- 9/10

Shounen Onmyouji has a very diverse line-up of unique characters. Each of them has individuality and different ideals, and neither of them are stereotypical or boring. Their interactions with each other, as well as their inner struggles, are interesting to observe. They are all portrayed very realistically in their behavior; it's easy to relate to them and to see that all beings feel sorrow and happiness equally, be they human, youkai, or shikigami.

Most of the story is focused around Masahiro and Guren, as well as their bond with each other. Masahiro is constantly troubled with being compared to his grandfather, and strives to work his hardest to become a better or at least an equal onmyouji, so that people would see him as an individual named Masahiro and not just "Seimei's grandson". I was very impressed with Masahiro and his determination, and how far he was willing to push himself in order to achieve that place where he can belong while being himself.

The second main character is Guren, Masahiro's guardian who accompanies him everywhere. Although he will not easily admit it, Guren is very attached to Masahiro and is grateful for the 'light' that he brought to his heart. While appearing to be carefree in nature and acting rather silly most of the time (even taking on a form of a small white mononoke when his true powers are not needed), Guren is in a constant battle with himself and his tragic past. He is very strict with himself and takes a lot of responsibility for his actions, which makes it difficult for him to forgive himself and move on.

The two of them depend greatly on each other's support and their bond gets deeper as the series progresses. Masahiro helps to set Guren free from the burden of his past, while Guren always supports Masahiro on his way to becoming a successful onmyouji. Their story, their friendship is very heartwarming and touching.

The reason I had to take a point off is that even though there are many interesting characters, some of them remain in the shadows or only show up for a couple minutes in the entire series. I am talking specifically about the twelve shikigami. Some of them were explored in greater detail, but most of them were just 'there' and left me wondering about many things, especially their reasons for serving Seimei and staying loyal to him for so long. I understand that the anime only shows the first bit of the full story, but as a full-fledged complete TV series with no sequel in sight, they should have either given brief background information on each of the shikigami, or not have shown some of them at all. I was especially upset about the two shikigami (I can only logically guess that they were shikigami) appearing in the final episode, whose names were not even mentioned.

-ART/ANIMATION- 10/10

The art style is very different from the original novel illustrations, but that does not make it any less beautiful. I loved all the character designs, of both human and non-human characters. The contrast between Guren's mononoke and shikigami form was very distinct: Mokkun is small, cute, and childish, while Touda looks strong and mature, with a god-like aura around him; this portrayed his personality well. I especially liked the clothes designs for the twelve shikigami; it made them stand out among all the other characters. The little youkai that Masahiro kept interacting with were adorable and very expressive.

The opening animation was exceptionally well done, especially the scenes of shikigami introductions, as well as the scene where Masahiro and Guren reach out to take each other's hand during the line "I will not let go of that hand again" -- it was coordinated perfectly with the song. I also liked the idea of using colored illustrations from the novels as the insert images during the half-episode break points. Overall, the art and animation section gets full marks from me, for memorable designs and originality.

-SOUND- 10/10

The music accompaniment was perfect for this anime. The sad scenes, the happy scenes, the scenes of relief, the feeling and the overall effect were enhanced with background sound. I especially loved the opening song; it went very well with the animation, and the lyrics were suitable for the story. Using Masahiro's character song as the final ending was a nice choice as well.

---

Shounen Onmyouji is apparently one of those stories that somehow adapt from a shoujo novel/manga into a shounen anime, at least according to some informational sites. I am not familiar with the light novel, but this anime is very difficult to categorize because it has a lot of elements from both shoujo and shounen. read more

-INTRODUCTION-

After encountering several one-shots created by Studio 4°C, I told myself that I will not be going anywhere near their works again. I am not a fan of theirs, to say the least. But when I stumbled upon the cover image for Kigeki, I couldn't help but get drawn to it. Unable to fight my own curiosity, I decided to give it a try. How much could ten minutes possibly hurt even if I ended up hating it?

-STORY- 10/10

During such a short time period, the story, or rather an excerpt from it, was very well thought out and beautifully presented. The war setting, as well as some historical facts mentioned in the anime, provided a realistic feel despite having fantasy elements. It created the atmosphere of a dark fairytale that could have really happened somewhere far away where nobody would witness it.

-CHARACTERS- 10/10

We face only two characters in this anime -- a skilled swordsman and a little girl. All she wants is to save her village; all he wants is a book of a certain genre. There is very little interaction between the two of them. He reads the book; she watches him silently.

You will not find much character development or additional information, nor should you be looking for it. Kigeki is meant to be very brief and subtle, and the viewer is not provided with facts that would be unnecessary. There is no need for names, no need for words, no need for anything other than a girl and a swordsman. Which is why I thought it was perfect in this category. The two of them and their unspoken relationship was another beautiful component of this masterpiece.

-ART/ANIMATION- 10/10

Both art and animation were stunning. It's difficult to describe in words something so visually beautiful. It was like a moving painting. The little girl running through the forest, the swordsman's cape fluttering in the wind as he rushes through the battlefield, the blood-stained white flowers... The overall atmosphere and melancholic mood created through the art and colors were truly amazing.

-SOUND- 10/10

The two pieces used throughout this anime were Ave Maria and Erlkönig, both by Franz Schubert. The choice in music was perfect; it almost felt like these pieces were composed solely for Kigeki. They shared and enhanced the overall dark and mysterious mood of the story.

---

I was in awe upon finishing it, because it truly felt like a full-length film. read more

-INTRODUCTION-

Heard the title mentioned in one of the clubs, liked what I saw on the cover, liked what I read in the description, checked it out. And what a wonderful thirty minutes it was; even the extremely slow streaming site could not ruin this for me.

-STORY- 10/10

First of all, the setting is extremely unique. I love the idea of a city where daylight doesn't exist; it adds a mysterious and somewhat gloomy feel to the overall atmosphere. Nearly everything is covered in darkness, and yet this little boy carries on with his job to deliver 'light' from one person's heart to another. The concept is simple but beautiful. Those who know the feeling of receiving a letter from a special person while having an overall bad day will surely be able to relate to it.

Since this is only a special for the upcoming TV series, obviously it does not show the entire story and does not explore all the characters in detail. In this special we are given a short overview of the world and are introduced to some of the main characters. It also covers one of the story arcs, and I loved every second of it. It was beautiful, touching, bittersweet, and very deep. It has that subtle slice-of-life feel to it that makes it realistic despite the fictional setting, some of the characters' mysterious powers, and mechanical monsters that get in the way of Lag's deliveries.

-CHARACTERS- 10/10

Once again, since this is only a special, I will judge it accordingly and will not subtract from character development either. In thirty minutes, Letter Bee introduced quite a variety of interesting individuals. Except for Lag, none were explored in detail, but all were very memorable. It left me with a lot of questions and made me wonder about their pasts and relationships with each other: how they became acquainted, who founded the Bee Hive in the first place, who were the previous Letter Bees... I can say this much: the cast was intriguing enough to make me want to watch the upcoming full story and learn more about all of them, and that means that the special did its job.

-ART/ANIMATION- 10/10

Both art and animation were simply stunning. I loved absolutely everything about it. The character designs (especially the eyes), the Letter Bee's uniform design, the background shots. The color choice was fantastic; the melancholic atmosphere it created fit in perfectly with all other aspects. It was just beautiful, I don't know what else there is to say.

-SOUND- 10/10

To complete the perfection of this special, the music was also wonderful. It was at times sad, at times uplifting, and it was ideal for the portrayed situations. I loved the contrast between the rather gloomy opening and a cheerful ending theme after Lag successfully completed his delivery and moved on with his companions. read more

-INTRODUCTION-

I liked the promotional image and been meaning to watch this series for a long time, and was actually looking forward to it. But I was rather disappointed. ^^;

-STORY- 5/10

The story is okay but extremely predictable. I did not even have to wonder how everything will turn out, it was that obvious. I did enjoy some of the side stories and flashbacks they managed to cram into an hour long series (each episode is only five minutes). It could have been a better story if it wasn't so short and so cliche. There is also a cliffhanger at the end, hinting that Legend of Duo might continue, but I think they just threw that in to grab the viewer's attention at the last moment; I honestly don't see what is there to continue, nor do I even want to know. ^^;

-CHARACTERS- 5/10

The characters are unbelievably flat and stereotypical, most of their actions are predictable. Duo is portrayed as a villain for some reason, even though he tried to save humanity. I never did understand why he had to be punished for telling them the "secret". Zeig is a typical good guy who fights for justice; he apparently lacks his own sense of reasoning because he goes to punish Duo, his best friend, on someone's orders (some vampire lord I guess). There are also a couple of side characters whose purpose I'm not sure about, aside from interfering with the two main characters all the time. And lastly, there is next to none character development, except a little insight on how Duo and Zeig's friendship began.

-ART/ANIMATION- 6/10

I loved the character designs, which is probably why I was drawn to that promotional image. If there was a Legend of Duo artbook, I would gladly have it. But the fun ends here. The animation is quite hideous to say the least. There are a lot of still frames and flashy gradient backgrounds. The characters hardly move at all, and I noticed that a lot of the same still images were used over and over on different backgrounds. The death scenes (of humans) were done rather nicely in comparison to the rest of the show; at least these had actual animation.


-SOUND- 6/10

The sound wasn't that bad. I liked the music during the tragic scenes, it was quite fitting. The rest of the show had some weird techno-like tunes playing on the background, and I grew tired of it rather quickly. Overall, the "soundtrack" if I dare to call it that, was on the same level as the rest of this anime.

---

It had potential, but I guess the production budget was too small.
Since it'd only take an hour of your time to watch it, I don't think it would hurt you. But don't expect anything great out of it. read more

-INTRODUCTION-

The very first time I encountered the world of HaruToki was when I saw the live performance of one of Akuram's character songs (Nisshoku no Kagiana), performed by his seiyuu Okiayu Ryôtarô. I became curious and researched Akuram, but sadly could not find any pictures of him without the mask. After many days of searching, I finally found a scan that showed his face, and was awed to say the least. That eventually led me to become even more interested in the anime, and even though I only heard rather bad things about it, I will never regret that I watched it and I'll make sure to watch it again.

-STORY- 7/10

"No matter how beautiful or kind, you must never let a demon into your heart."

This is definitely not the most original plotline. A normal high school girl gets pulled into a different world, and has to fight the evil while being surrounded by a male harem... at first, sounds very familiar to many other plots. The reason is that HaruToki is based on a dating game, and this fact cannot be disregarded when judging the anime. Personally, I don't think I can name more than a couple romantic simulators with a strong plot. In fact, a romantic simulator has no need for a deep plot. Because its true strength lies in a different category -- the characters.

-CHARACTERS- 10/10

Romantic simulators (and anything based on them) are all about characters; if it doesn't get full marks in this category, it immediately fails in this genre. However, HaruToki does not fail, in fact it passes with flying colors. It is a collection of many unique individuals, each with their own inner troubles, dreams, reasons, and weaknesses. Each of the Hachiyou get an episode or two to themselves, to let the viewer look a little deeper into their past and their hearts, to understand them better. Not only the eight guardians. The Oni leader Akuram with his eternal hatred toward humans, as well as his loyal subordinates; the seemingly strong yet vulnerable princess Fuji; the proud little Tengu of the North Mountains... There is not a single dull personality in this anime; if there is anything I enjoyed the most while watching it, then it definitely is the variety of characters.

-ART/ANIMATION- 9/10

The original characters designs are amazing, all of them. You might have expected the creators to focus mostly on the eight guardiands, HaruToki being a dating game for girls and all, but this is not the case. Each design is unique and beautiful, for both main and minor characters. The clothes designs are especially lovely.

The transition into anime was good too, but somehow did not deliver that same feeling of being completely in awe before something truly beautiful. It's understandable that the anime version had to be modified and maybe simplified to an extent, but I still believe that there is room for improvement. However, that does not change the fact that the anime adaptation was nontheless great, and some of the scenes were truly stunning.

-SOUND- 10/10

My personal opinion is that HaruToki has one of the best soundtracks ever. There is probably not a single scene in this series that is not accompanied by music. Not just any music, but beautiful music that greatly increases the emotional level of the overall situation. Even while listening to the soundtrack separately, it's impossible not to recall the events that went with it.

Aside from the instrumental pieces, there are also many character songs -- songs performed from the characters' point of view by their respective seiyuu. Usually, these are released outside of the anime as separate singles or albums. In the case of HaruToki, however, those songs were a moderate part of the story. They appeared during the most crucial moments of the anime to intensify the atmosphere, and most of them talked about the characters' inner thoughts and feelings that would have been left unspoken otherwise.

---

This is the kind of anime that you must really judge as something individual. If you plan to compare and contrast HaruToki with other reverse harem series, then I suggest you walk away from it right now -- chances are, you simply won't enjoy it. read more

-INTRODUCTION-

I've been looking forward to this anime ever since I saw one of the promotional images -- Natsume sitting on a tree branch with his foot slightly touching the water underneath, and an unusual looking cat by his side. I fell in love with that image alone and could not stop thinking about it. Needless to say, I watched Natsume Yuujinchou while it was still ongoing and waited eagerly for the subtitles to come out. Now that it's over, I can say for sure -- it was a short but beautiful experience, and became one of my very special personal favorites.

-STORY- 10/10

"Thank you... for not growing to hate humans."

Each episode Natsume encounters a different youkai. Sometimes, it's a youkai seeking to get his/her name back; at other times, a youkai wanting some other help from Natsume, which he can never refuse.

As much as those stories revolve around youkai, Natsume Yuujinchou is ultimately about humans. It focuses on the bonds between humans, as well as the bonds between humans and youkai.

Each story is very well thought out and carries a deep message that Natsume derives from his encounters. Reasons why Natsume cannot let go of his bond with youkai, reasons why youkai fall in love with humans; Natsume Yuujinchou is a collection of beautiful bittersweet pieces of a not very ordinary every day life. Each piece left me with a somewhat sad but warm feeling and made me go back to re-watch and think upon it again and again.

-CHARACTERS- 10/10

Natsume Yuujinchou is full of unique personalities. Natsume does not help youkai just because he has nothing better to do. His bond with the beings of the other world is very deep and is explored in great detail. From a boy who was forced to shut himself off from nearly all humans, Natsume grows to trust humans again and shares his experiences with others. Seemingly eager for nothing more than obtaining the Book of Friends, Madara is also not that simple of a character. With time, he becomes attached to Natsume and, despite his own constant contradictions, appears to worry more about his companion than the actual book.

Youkai are also very interesting. Although most of them appear only in their assigned episode, each one is very memorable, and their personalities and inner troubles are so well thought out that it's hard to believe that they were really present for only twenty minutes.

-ART/ANIMATION- 10/10

The artwork is beautiful. It may seem rather simple, but it couldn't be more perfect for this anime. In fact, the simplicity of it is what makes it truly stunning for me. It greatly enhances the story and the atmosphere with its warm colors and memorable designs. Also, every time a scene of Natsume returning youkai's name is shown, I fall in love with this anime all over again; it almost makes me feel his breath as he blows out the letters from the page.

-SOUND- 10/10

After the very first episode, I fell in love with both opening and ending songs. Like the artwork, the soundtrack is beautiful in its simplicity and fits Natsume Yuujinchou's atmosphere perfectly. It's the kind of music that probably would not feel the same or as special outside of the actual anime, but combined with the rest of the aspects, it becomes a wonderful soundtrack.

---

What more can I say? I fell completely in love with this anime. If you want something relaxing and heartwarming, Natsume Yuujinchou is for you. read more

-INTRODUCTION-

When I first came across Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora and looked at a couple of screenshots, I decided for myself that I would be staying away from this anime. However, my love for seiyuu as well as my curiousity got the better of me, and I watched it after all. It was not as bad as I expected, and in fact, it was quite good. Not my cup of tea in general, but it did have some great points.

-STORY- 7/10

At first, I was pretty excited about the story. As cliche as it sounds, fairytale-like plot just doesn't get old for some people. However, as time went by, it became more and more complex, and I wasn't sure whether it was changing for the better. The problem here is not with the story itself. It was a well thought out plot, with romance and family conflicts involved. But the elements used to display that plot were simply too much. Angels, mecha, cat girls, magic, science, all mixed into this seemingly simple story, did not improve it at all. Those elements looked more like fan service than anything else. Some stories are best if kept to the level of 'normal', and Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora is one of those stories. I liked the idea of absolute angels, but there was just no need to include every possible fan service element out there to display it.

Putting fan service aside and pretending that I didn't see little girls, giant mechas, and occasional unnecessary nudity all the time throughout Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora, it was indeed a rather nice story. In fact, the two final episodes touched me so greatly that I almost wanted to disregard all the downfalls. But looking back at it, I can't grade an anime based only on the first episode and a beautiful ending.

-CHARACTERS- 10/10

This is the strongest point of this anime. It has a lot of characters, and most of them are very unique. The main female character did not seem so impressive at first glance, but she developed and matured throughout the anime and became much more admirable. The seemingly invincible "prince" Kyoshiro turned out to have quite a few weaknesses and complexes. By the end of the series, he left me with an impression that he is not the kind that saves the princess, but is instead the kind that needs to be saved. I liked that a lot because perfect heroes are just boring and I can't sympathize with them. Setsuna's eternal loyalty toward Kyoshiro also touched me a lot. She was in my opinion the strongest of the females; after all, not everyone can stay by the side of their beloved person and not give in to selfish desires.

Aside from the three leading ones, the background characters were also quite impressive. They had a purpose and their relationships with each other were well thought out and interesting to observe. I have to admit that to me the most memorable and brightest of them all turned out to be Kyoshiro's older brother, who was also the most shocking one and truly made the series more enjoyable.

-ART/ANIMATION- 8/10

The art is very pretty but nothing too outstanding. Character designs are very well done and interesting. The animation is also great. However, once again, it seemed overdone. Extremely bright colors and sparkling scenes. It is definitely a matter of opinion, but personally I found it too hard on the eyes and simply distracting, considering that the story is nowhere near a comedy. It would have gotten full marks if it was not so colorful.

-SOUND- 9/10

The opening and ending themes are simple, but nice and catchy. They fit perfectly well for this kind of anime. The background music during the battles and during Kuu's talks to her prince is very impressive and greatly increases the dramatic impact. Overall, the soundtrack could have been even better, but in this case it really doesn't need to be. The music choice in this anime is a perfect fit and doesn't need to stand out any more than it does.

The seiyuu work was, of course, outstanding, and I will spare you my unprofessional fangirl comments. I will mention, though, that Kazuya is probably the most impressive role that I heard from Narita Ken so far.

---

It's the kind of anime that you can only truly appreciate if you look deeper, past all the fan service. Unless, of course, fan service is what you are looking for -- it has plenty ^_~ read more