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I didn't exactly read this that recently (a week or two ago I think), but I really liked the anime of this manga, so I decided to give it a shot (forgive me for being too fond of such genres of anime/manga, but eh, it's what I like so just accept me as I am) :P. Well that and I seem to have picked up a weird transition from being an absolute anime fan ONLY to being a Manga otaku and JPOP aficionado (somewhat)...

In a nutshell, it's a story about finding one's purpose in life is, I guess. The central character, Tohru Honda, is the person who connects everyone together in this story (um, obviously), because she fills in a role that other characters seem to have lacked in them (mother figure, friend who understands..etc). In some instances, I guess I could relate in some way to the characters (not to mention I looove the idea of the Sohma family curse heehee!)...But to be honest, Tohru seems just too good to be true so that I feel she''s not as realistic as I would have wanted it to be...I mean, there is a limit to people's kindness ( I would believe)...anyway...

What kept me reading on, past all the cuteness/comedy, is the fact that this manga does indeed tell some parts of life that I, from personal experience can relate to..on some level.

Anyway, if it interests you..go check it out yourself. I'm quite sure your own perception of it will differ, since some can connect with it on different levels, given personal experiences and all.

At the end though...I can't say I'm sad at the ending (it's supposed to be happy after all), but I can't say I'm entirely happy either...eh, oh well...maybe it's just me.

Of course, that still doesn't change the fact that it was a touching story, in its own way, and I enjoyed reading it (losing sleep for the whole time I did heheh).

I'm disappointed though at the degeneration of Natsuki-sensei's style here, as the series began to finish up the story, as I had a hard time identifying certain characters after a while, since they began to look generic (alike) because they lacked distinguishing features. I understand however that the reason may well be due to the mangaka's hand surgery, so I let it slide somewhat. read more

Well, actually I finished this before I began reading Pretear, and also saw the anime way way before, probably around high school (2001?).

Inuyasha is a story about Kagome Higurashi a seemingly normal junior high school girl and a inu(dog) hanyou (half demon) named Inuyasha and their quest to retrieve shards of a jewel called the Shikon no Tama (Jewel of the Four Souls), which then turns into an adventure that includes a youkai kitsune (demon fox) child named Shippou, a monk with a cursed hand (can be taken to mean at least two things here :P), named Miroku, and a taijiya (demon slayer) girl named Sango. The quest for the shikon shards turns into a quest to defeat an evil being called Naraku, and the story begins expanding from there.

Well, as usual some events and characters differ between the anime and the manga, and the manga continues further on than the anime itself.

One thing that's been on my mind though is why there are such a lot of Kikyo haters out there. Well, yeah she was a real pest for the Inu-Kag shippers, but if you look at it from a non-biased (neutral, non-shipping) POV, she was more of the tragic character than an adversary (although admittedly a love rival for Kagome). Had circumstances been different, it may well have been an Inu-Kikyo pairing.

Well I am not a shipper of any sort, although I do occassionally read fics from this series, but still, though Kikyo started out as a betrayed, and therefore vengeful resurrected spirit doll of clay and souls, she still loved Inuyasha (although how she shows it IS kind of...twisted, but let's face it, she's dead, so of course she'd think of taking her love with her to the afterlife/hell where she "initially" probably ended up in).

Kagome does come off as a martyr for love, holding in her feelings of jealousy (although at times rather poorly, since she does take it out on Inuyasha).

These arguments I've presented are actually why I liked this manga, the "love-triangle" between two women, one dead and one from the future vying for the affection of a young inu-hanyou :P What's more fantastic than that?

Seriously though, I like the many character interactions and I see why a myriad of "non-canon" pairings are quite imaginable. There's also elements of "nakama" working together to achieve a certain goal, and then there is also a look at sibling relationships: like in Inuyasha's and Fluffy (Sesshomaru)'s case, Sango and Kohaku, Kagome and Souta...plus parent and child relationships or lack of (there are so many examples of this). Plus I like the "alternate world" feel which I sort of associate to Fushigi Yuugi as well. read more

I've finished reading the manga (although I'm quite sure I haven't finished the anime (but yes, I know the anime ending, and the gist of the OVAs...well the 2nd in particular). Though I would just looove to read Tasuki's backstory (written by someone else than Watase-sensei though)...

Well, what do I say? I sometimes wished that I could be like Miaka and get sucked into some fantastical "other universe" just to escape reality..but then, who hasn't, even just once? Especially if you get to meet quite a few good-looking young men along the way, and end up having not only 2 of them falling in love with you. Hail the powers of Harem-type anime! Or, in this case, reverse-harem :P Bah, but I do read Ouran after all..so there :D

Still, in the end, I somewhat have to agree with one of the people I've read the post of, in a discussion thread about this series. Miaka ends up with someone who is um...not EXACTLY Tamahome (then again, Suzaku did say that Tamahome in the book was based on Taka from the real world and NOT the other way around..heh, so that means Suzaku was just "taking credit" for seemingly granting Miaka's third wish?)

Btw, Suzaku looks rather..eh, cool too :P But I still have my Tasuki *grabs the Fang Boy and clutches possessively, glaring at everyone in warning "MINE!"*
=^-^= heheh..sad, I know. But I am a rabid fangirl..sometimes. Just creeps me out that there are fanfics that actually pair Tasuki with Tamahome..and even Chichiri x.x eeek! Must be because of the earrings..but I still think he's simply gorgeous :P MEH!

Well, if you got lost because of that fangirl moment, I apologize...

To top it all of, I like this manga because it's basically a story of how taking chances and facing responsibility (I won't say reality, because let's face it, most of the story happens in a fantasy book world) will lead you to have experiences and meet people you might otherwise have never experienced, and met. I admire the focus on the power of love to overcome all (although it gets a bit too unreal at times), and Miaka's determination and guts. Also, admittedly the idea of a harem full of handsome guys (I mean come on, it was obvious from the earlier parts of this review anyway!) :P read more

Well, I saw this around February, and got interested because I kept seeing the OP (Precious Memories) in the aniMYX segment. What's cool about that fact is the video for the OP gave it a really interesting summary of sorts, for the anime, that is.

Well, this anime is based on a visual novel (game) so that already gives you hints of it being injected with quite a bit of drama (and if you're like me, and have seen the video I was talking about, well it gets rather dramatic and heavy quite early on).

The story is basically set in three timelines. The first is when the main characters are still in highschool (me thinks, since they're talking about college and so on). Then after something MAJOR happening, skips on ahead to a few months after that event, and then a looong time after that. (Am I making sense?) Basically, the main characters' lives are all turned upside-down and the dynamics of their relationships with each other are examined, both before and after that really important EVENT. (If you want to know the whole picture, just look for the anime..or game even).

I'm really rather impressed since I think the anime conveys the hardships of such a condition/situation pretty well, and it also explores how relationships can be affected by something so traumatic. Also PTSD is explored here (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, I think). Which is also something that made me interested about it. To be honest I liked the flow of the story in this version, as compared to the other one, the OVA: Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~, because I think the latter doesn't end erm...believably.

That, and I guess I just like Mitsuki better than Haruka (who shares the name of a rather famous anime character from another entirely different series altogether...brownies for those who guess right :P). read more

I've been told of this series (well, actually the manga...) by my bestfriend Krys since forever...I suppose :P It's only recently that I got around to actually be able to watch it, since it really piqued my interest. It sort of reminded me of Ouran HSHC... and of course since it did, I immediately fell in LOVE with it.

Well, Special A (or SA) is about this rivalry between a girl and a boy (Hikari and Kei), wherein the guy always seems to beat the girl in all contests the girl challenges the guy with. Ah! But here's the catch: the guy likes the girl while the girl is DENSER THAN LEAD to even know the guy's feelings :P Cute, I know...

For some reason, having read the manga, I liked the anime just as much as(if not more than) the manga. I suppose with such a short run (just 1 season, standard number of episodes for a single anime season (24)), you have to be a bit creative with how to present the story. And it did this SO WELL, in my opinion, since it covers a lot of the romance and pairings that took quite a bunch of chapters to develop, and somehow squeezes it in that short amount of time without it feeling TOO rushed. (Although Kei to me seems a bit...er desperate, as compared to his manga self)

There are of course some differences (but I think they work!) in the anime as compared to the manga, but if I go on about all of it, this review would be meaningless. Better you just read AND watch to decide! Also, I enjoyed that Host Club episode! The manga doesn't have it! Well sort of does, but not like in the anime!

I feel a little sad though that Ryuu didn't get his pairings (which are in the manga)
My favorite characters have to be Ryuu, Jun, Tadashi, Kei (his faces are just...priceless!), Megumi (Independence Day Attack-voice!), the school president (although he also annoys me), Kei's dad (ehehe) and I suppose Hikari is good too (since she's so hardworking..but her utter denseness annoys me).

I however am so angry with the fact that Aoi was portrayed here as someone like "the devil's advocate", (with Kei's ojisan being the devil) because in the manga, his motives are better explained, and he is redeemed (will in my book anyway! He's one of my fave characters :P) read more

I had played the game, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness on my PSP some time ago, and I liked the story. So wondering if there were other related media for this (as usually is the case for good JRPGs, and in some instances, popular fighting games as well), I sought and luckily, I found!

It's really more on the funny side, and not much serious, which is actually a good thing, since this is what makes the series work for me. I dislike series that try to make a story based mainly on comedic elements incorporate or even twist itself into something deeper, which of course wasn't how it was meant to be in the first place.

I like the dynamics of the trio: Laharl, Etna and of course Flonne and also the usual appearance of Vyers, or better known as "Midboss-san"...that made me laugh more times than any other "element" in the manga actually. Plus Laharl's trademark laugh, ah, but it's better to hear it, so the anime would be better for that.

Basically what I liked: the hilarity of the story. The serious sides are better done in the anime or better yet, seek the game! read more

It's a short series, since it only ran within one year, with 4 volumes in total. It's actually titled Prétear - The New Legend of Snow White, which I only learned when I was browsing it through (answers.com)

I was able to see the anime version of it first, and thought that it was the typical magical girl show, with the costume changes and magical powers and being surrounded by a harem of good-looking young guys.

The anime and manga version of it differ somewhat, both in characters and plot, though unlike some of the manga-anime I've recently read/watched, I actually like the anime better than the manga in some respects, due to certain story elements being different, especially in Sasame's case...

I shall leave it to you to discover what these differences are, since if you're interested enough, you'd be curious enough to check it out for yourself.
Anyway, despite the "snow white" in the title, the story isn't exactly 100% "Snow White: The Fairy Tale"-inspired. Well, ok, there are the SIX (they're missing one though to complete the seven :P) cute guys (not dwarves) and the Pretear(sort-of snow white), and you have the "evil" stepmother, and the stepsisters (annoying/obnoxious, and cold/distant), and the "kiss", but the meat of the plot is of course different.

I actually like the fact that this story is character-driven, in that it focuses on the different personal issues and experiences of the characters, even the villain of the story has their side (as to why they're became the way they were), explained. Though not all of their back stories are given (since it's a short series anyway).

For some reason, Hayate (Wind Leafe Knight), kind of reminds me of Tamahome (Suzaku Seishi from Fushigi Yuugi). It must be the hair or something...lol
Well, I enjoyed reading/watching this because some of the characters' questions and thoughts are stuff I've thought through and pondered on as well. Sasame (whom I like, actually), in the manga sort of answered a bit of what I had been asking myself in the past rather well.

Even if you're not looking for the answer to the meaning of life, Pretear will be a good read. read more

I have seen this in its anime form since 1998 (around the time of Fushigi Yuugi(which, incidentally I only have recently been able to read through to the "end" as well) and have only now just read through it...but then it finished (serialization that is, 1999) some time ago...anyway...

Okay, well if you liked the anime (which was full of non-canon/non-manga based episodes near the end), then I think you will still love the manga. Besides, the most interesting part of the story happens in the Jinchuu arc (which I had been hearing/reading about in various fanfics, but only now understand fully).

Hnn, well what hooked me to the anime was comedy, and although it may not be as pronounced in the manga, it's definitely there...I wouldn't like reading anything too serious after all (this is the reason why I don't survive reading assignments spanning chapters *sigh*)

But overall, I find myself agreeing to Kenshin's decision to continue his life's struggle as a form of atonement. After all, it's not very productive if you were 6 feet underground...you'd only be fertilizer then :P

The ending really does leave a lot of room for fanfics...so I see why there's such a lot of them floating around.

Well, I'd love to see how Watsuki-sensei would have continued this (if he hasn't already, or is still planning to...er, someone tell me if this is the case)

Why I liked this manga? It has that balance of comedic stuff but still retains the more "serious plot", and the character conflicts are given more depth by actually having it analyzed through a single person's point of view, well belief anyway, in this case, Kenshin's. I also enjoyed watching Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship developing: from the chance encounter in the beginning blossoming into something more, built from trust and love that have withstood countless trials along the way. read more

I forgot exactly when I finished this...but here goes.

Hmmm, well I am such a fan of Joker now, and am so pissed at the anime for not showing more of him...damn you animators! *shakes fist threateningly* (but eh, let's face it, what anime has translated everything from the manga it was based on into the screen with 100% fidelity?) it's all the differences in manga and anime's medium...staff (often, the author of the manga has little to none to say about the anime...)

But enough about me comparing apples with oranges(even if the oranges are genetically modified to resemble the apples :P) haha!

Well, what I first noticed it that the manga's drawing slowly evolves (not a complaint, just observing), and although Recca is, like a lot of characters in shonen genres, idiotic and bullheaded, I can forgive how he is.

As for Kurei, I am just thankful that he wasn't exactly all "black"= evil because he was born that way. The anime painted him to be the bad guy just because, and didn't exactly tell us the hows and whys of the Kurei that made Recca & co.'s life a series of bloody battles...

Well, in the end, I felt really sorry for him, with Kurenai and all..(go read why).
All in all, I'd say more or less a typical shonen? One of the archetypes for shonen of more recent times, anyway.

I like it because of the the idea of Madogu (those Hokage weapons), plus also the deeper story as to just why Recca is the bearer of a "special type of flame... read more

Well, I was only expecting to watch Special A at the time, but found this instead. Since it was the weekend then, I was able to watch 4..or 5 episodes of this, from around episode 4 I believe. Initially, I expected something like Detective Conan, but of course that was wrong. MaLoki is a show that focuses on Norse mythos, the main character obviously being one of the deities.

The show is good for laughs, I'll admit, but if you're looking for detective work here, the manga does a better job, though of course the manga's focus isn't on that so it's still a far cry from any mystery novels and such.

It's surprising for me to find out that the mangaka who made the series which this anime is based on is also the co-creator of another anime/manga I watched and somewhat liked, Tactics.

Honestly, I like Yamino-kun here better than Loki, though he has his moments. Mayura is a bit more loopy here than in the manga, but she has her "fushigi mystery!" moments in the manga too..just not that often.

This series, manga or otherwise, I feel needs a little more fan love and I recommend it, as it's a funny series, but also delves into mythology (if a little bit distorted from the actual Norse myths) but as usual, I would rather people go for the manga instead, although the anime does have good clean animation and the episodes are nice, they just don't have that same feel as what the manga had. But maybe that's just me, missing the murder elements in the manga...ah well. read more