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The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is an anime that needs no introduction. If you’re the least bit familiar with the anime medium, chances are you’ve heard of this series. Though it may be a bit late to write a review for this anime, I’ve yet to see someone who shares my stance on it and has expressed it in a comprehensive and coherent manner, so I thought I’d throw in my own two cents. This review may contain some minor spoilers, though I have tried to keep them to a minimum.

This is a controversial series to say the least. Just from a cursory glance at the reviews, one can see that the community is rather divided on this one; there are those who think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and those who think it’s somewhere between okay and the worst anime ever made. Though I don’t think it’s perfect, I did thoroughly enjoy this anime, but probably not for exactly the same reasons as the former group.

When I was first going into this series last year—​slowpoke, I know—​judging from what I had heard, I was expecting a generic high school slice of life anime with some comedy and moe elements and maybe some fan service (primarily the reason why I had been putting it off for so long). What I got instead was a clever, quirky, self-aware mystery-parody fusion with some light sci-fi elements weaved in and one of the most relatable protagonists ever.

The series follows Kyon, a high school freshman who discarded his belief in the supernatural long ago. That is, until he meets an eccentric girl in his class named Haruhi Suzumiya, who’s all about the supernatural. She drags him into creating the SOS Brigade with her, a club which is dedicated to everything supernatural. Soon they recruit Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, and Itsuki Koizumi into the club. Unbeknownst to Haruhi, these new members are actually an android from an alien world, a time traveler, and an esper, respectively, all sent for different reasons to observe Haruhi, who herself unwittingly possesses god-like powers which allow these supernatural beings to exist by her will alone. The other members must keep Haruhi’s powers in check by preventing her from getting bored, while at the same time making sure she doesn’t find out about their little secret because the ensuing consequences would be unpredictable but almost definitely catastrophic. This creates an unusual and interesting atmosphere of fun and peaceful slice of life mixed with impending doom.

The first thing that surprised me about this series was how plot-heavy it was. The main arc takes up 6 of the 14 episodes, and is an adaptation of the first volume of the novels titled The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. To my knowledge as someone who has not yet read the novels, the other episodes are adapted from scattered chapters in the later volumes of the novels, and though more of the main storyline could not be adapted due to time constraints, I feel each episode still adds to the experience in its own way. There’s a mostly serious but self-contained murder-mystery arc that consists of two episodes (Remote Island Syndrome Part One and Two), and other episodes serve to develop or provide more insight on the characters (The Day of Sagittarius, Live Alive) while some are just plain funny (The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00). All things considered, I don’t think there was a single episode wasted.

The characters are probably the most divisive part of the show. Kyon is the cynical, level-headed protagonist and narrator of the series. His narration keeps the show moving along at a brisk pace, and his inner monologues provide more insight on the other characters and his true feelings for them. He’s the voice of reason in the cast, and is constantly questioning the other characters’ actions and the often shaky logic behind them—​and sometimes the show itself. For the non-critical types out there, this may make him come off as whiny, but for viewers like me whose minds are never at rest when watching, he becomes one of the most relatable characters in anime—​or any fiction for that matter—​as his inner thoughts mirrored my own when watching so closely it was almost scary at times (plus, it’s not exactly whining if it’s all in his head, is it?). It feels like Kyon is somewhat of a self-insert of the author, and his observations are based on things that the author has observed in other media and his own while writing it, and he wanted to make a character that called attention to these things for once in an attempt to reach out to like-minded viewers. Kyon is far from perfect, but that’s part of what makes him so relatable for me. He’s knowledgeable but not beyond his years, he’s grounded in his morals but mostly only when others are watching, he’s observant but still oblivious when it comes to such things as a certain someone’s feelings towards him (and the fact that he himself might be more than just a regular high school student).

But enough about Kyon. How do the other characters hold up? The titular character, Haruhi Suzumiya, is the self-proclaimed leader of the SOS Brigade and the cause behind most of the conflicts in the series. Her eccentricity and constant energy make her very unpredictable. Some would call her annoying, but I think that’s a rather shallow way of looking at it. For me, she was a very unique character whose unpredictability kept me interested and constantly guessing what she was going to do next. Though she is admittedly self-centered, she also has a compassionate side which comes through in certain key scenes throughout the series. The way she and Kyon played off each other's personalities was also very entertaining.

The other characters are somewhat generic and archetypical, but this can be forgiven because the author is fully aware of this and provides a very good reason for why this is so. Haruhi wants her life to be filled with characters similar to those present in the fiction she enjoys (possibly anime and manga), hence why the rest of the main cast is made up of archetypes that can be seen in other series. On top of this, each character has their own reason for being the way they are, and their outward actions may not necessarily reflect how they feel on the inside. This seems like the author’s way of criticizing other anime and manga for using these archetypes without giving a proper justification for why the characters act the way they do, when in fact it is very different from the way people normally act in real life.

That said, the characters’ back-stories and motivations are, for the most part, not really expanded upon or explored more deeply after they are initially mentioned. Some are never explicitly stated and left completely up to subtext. This is likely something that was lost in translation from the novels to the anime, but I personally kind of like how it reflects the overall theme of the supernatural elements being in the background and very much hidden under the guise of a regular high school life. It’s also somewhat refreshing to see a show that leaves it up to the viewer to think about its themes instead of doing so for them. Of course, there will be people who don’t think about it at all, but that’s their loss.

As expected of Kyoto Animation, the production values are very high for this anime. A lot of attention to detail was put into the animation, which looks smooth and consistent throughout with few hiccups, though the CGI is iffy at times. Truth be told, the art style itself is nothing particularly outstanding, but each character’s individual personalities come through in the character designs, as well as through the way they move.

The opening and ending sequences are especially well-done; it’s obvious a lot of time and effort (and money) went into making them. The songs themselves are also quite good, as is the rest of the soundtrack. The background music is varied to fit the many different moods of the series, ranging from the happy and upbeat to the dark and mysterious. Some of the tracks are actually very catchy and memorable. The voice talent is good as well; Sugita Tomokazu’s voice fits Kyon’s character to a tee and makes his inner monologues very pleasant to listen to. The other characters do a fine job of playing their characters’ roles, especially Aya Hirano as Haruhi, who also performed the opening and ending songs, plus some insert songs.

I have watched this series twice—​the first season that is, I refuse to sit through the Endless Eight more than once—​in both chronological and broadcast order, and I can say that both have their pros and cons. On the one hand, chronological order has a more coherent plot, but most of the plot-centric episodes are clumped together at the beginning, and the last episode is somewhat anti-climactic. On the other hand, broadcast order has the main arc spaced between the other episodes with the climax at the end, but the mixed-up episode order leaves some glaring continuity issues and forces the viewers to put the pieces together themselves. Either way though, there’s not much progress made from one episode to the next once all the characters are introduced, which was one of my biggest gripes with the series. There are some seemingly major plot points that actually have little to no lasting effect on the overall storyline. Granted, it still does more to make progress than your average slice of life, but it seemed like not enough in this case since the show tried to focus more on the plot. Though I suppose that’s another thing that can be chalked up to time constraints, at least in part.

If anything, the episodes have a lot of variety. Some would say that the show can’t decide what it wants to be, but I don’t mind at all because it actually does a good job at what it attempts, whether it be comedy, drama, action or mystery. Given the context of the story, it also makes sense for the anime to extend into many different genres, since Haruhi wants her life to resemble the media she consumes, which probably contains quite a bit of variety. This may sound like an excuse for the author to attempt a number of different styles without having to build a new world for each of them, which is likely true, but if so then it's a very clever excuse at that.

The series has its own unique brand of humour, which is extremely quirky and often quite subtle in its delivery, and as such, some jokes might go right over some people's heads without them ever realizing that a joke was even there. This is where Haruhi differs from most anime; it isn't afraid to leave some people out on the joke, which allows it to derive humour from places other anime can't. There are plenty of references and in-jokes strewn about, including some brief shout-outs to other anime (Gundam, Full Metal Panic, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) as well as some lengthier scenes which reference other material. Among these, I particularly appreciated a scene dedicated to parodying Ace Attorney, and an episode that was essentially one extended reference to Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Kyon's commentary is full of dry wit, and I personally enjoyed it thoroughly, but again it's a type of humour that not everyone can relate to.

All in all, this is a show that is certainly a lot more than it appears to be on the surface. Rather than pandering to the lowest common denominator, it runs the risk of having some of its humour and intricacies of its plot lost on some viewers, which is unfortunate for those who are left out, but all the more rewarding for those who recognize its brilliance. It deliberately presents itself as a generic slice of life anime despite being more of an elaborate parody of one, and this is very reflective of the way that Haruhi thinks she lives a regular high school life but is actually living in an intricate construct made to keep her from suspecting otherwise. So I find it funny, if not just a tad bit sad, that so many people have written it off as “just another slice-of-life anime” without looking any deeper into it.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya demonstrates what can be done within the limits of a slice of life anime in a high school setting, and shows how something can use familiar archetypes and still be unique. It’s certainly not perfect and it does have its flaws, though I have downplayed them here because rather than filling my already long-winded review with complaints that others have already mentioned, I wanted to focus on the reasons why I like this anime which haven’t been explored in other reviews.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is more than just another slice of life anime. I wish people would read more into it before writing it off as such. read more

The universe sits atop a house of cards, with revolution shaking at the base. And Kaiba truly does hold an entire universe in its hands.
This is Sci-Fi through and through, and every bit of it overflows with imagination and experimentation. The strongest aspect of this show is how comfortable the writers felt in their own world. They put passion into this, and tried to make something that would last in the audience's memories. Apart from any pacing or plot problems that may have arisen, this was written in confidence. None of the lesser points are because of weak willed writers unwilling to be adventurous. If you want to see something different and intriguing, I give a hearty recommendation on that basis alone. If you also happen to be a fan of Sci-Fi, well then, sharpen your knives and prepare for a feast. (Viewers with little patience should probably sit this one out though.)

Right off the bat, Kaiba starts with a character that has amnesia, and that sends up a bunch of warning signals. Many stories with poor writing will proudly display an amnesiac protagonist because it frees up the job of writing complex personality, pre-existing character interactions, and is just a giant gateway to spoon-feed plot and exposition to the audience. But do not fear, for Kaiba never once considers being a shoddy, overused amnesia story. In fact, the amnesia is more of just a presence that is ever-looming, not overbearing. They don't waste energy trying to cover holes with it, but instead rip apart the foundations of this trope and rebuild it anew, devoting the entire premise of this show to memories. Even if the execution wasn't masterful, they plunged head first into trying something different, and of course, that is where this show excels.

With the whole element of memory storage and body swapping, our main character Warp actually spends a great deal of time in a cheaply made, mute body, incapable of speaking. This does suppress how much of his personality can be expressed, and in the beginning, his position in the show isn't clear. The same can be said for many of his companions. But in the same manner that silent or minimalistic films make more from less, we are given brief moments to step into the mind of Warp. Each little morsel of his character development made more savory by their rarity and good delivery.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the entire cast. Kaiba is more about the story, and does sacrifice the quality of its supporting characters for the sake of plot points. Being partially episodic, Kaiba sometimes tries to cram entire character arcs into one or two sittings. Leaving the writers to fall back on melodrama to try and relay an expansive history or grand emotions in a compressed time. It can distance the viewer from the characters and belay the intentions of the production team. In other cases, certain episodes will excel within their limited time, and give us touching, memorable characters and anecdotes. This is a fluctuation in quality that wanes over time, leaving most of the second half solidly written.

Much like GitS: SAC, it's less of a classical narrative, and more of a series of experiences woven together. The precision is still there, and the plot takes you somewhere, just not in the typical manner. Power, lust, greed, lies, righteousness, pain, and bonds of friendship all weave an ever tightening noose that threatens to choke the ruling class. In the world of Kaiba, human equality isn’t even an afterthought, and our crew is ready to take back their dignity, and a little more for good measure. Caught in a power struggle with ever shifting tides, the weak are forever pushed further into the abyss as the strong climb upwards. Puppets and scapegoats, forced into destructive bodies and unable to feel or draw happiness, they are scattered about as simple war machines. Despite all of their artificial power, they remain true helpless souls. With minds used, battered and abused, they dwell in the deepest pit carved by humanity, and sit there alone, betrayed by others' ambitions and their own tainted memories. Kaiba performs a tragic duel between our own identity, and the persona that others sculpt for us.

Kaiba takes up residence in the "here's what we can do with anime as a medium" category. It's artwork contests traditional design and usually comes up on top. On the technical side of things, it goes for fluidity rather than individual details, meaning this show rarely sits still. The frames keep turning, and action, reaction, and intricacy are all captured in the animation. They can afford to do this because of the simplistic character structures and complete lack of shading. Now this is a stylistic choice, and I think it goes well with the overall atmosphere of the show. At times it's truly jaw dropping, and you get the impression that any other style of art simply wouldn't have worked for this series. On the flip side, there are a few moments where nothing is happening, the movement stops, and the magic sort of drains away for a second. However, there is something in the art department that is uncontestedly good. The CG integration is hardly noticeable at all, even when the fast, sweeping shots cover a lot of background, it looks very smooth and naturally painted.

Sticking with story over characters, the score doesn't really have any character themes that show up like in other anime. There are mostly just soundtracks to enhance the action or accompany the mood of a scene. These only show up occasionally, and for the rest of the show, and bulk of it, we're given diegetic sounds and environmental noises that usually complement the atmosphere. In this aspect, it's not the best sound editing I've heard, but most of the time there are clean transitions, good sound effects, and nothing too obtrusively out of place. The music itself is poignant. The melodies of Kiyoshi Yoshida range from whimsical to pondering melancholy, and will stay with you long after the episode has run its course. Just like with Warp's character moments, the music is withheld until it's appropriate, and when it'll be cherished most by the audience. Now, while the compositions are very good, the implementation is a bit clumsy sometimes, and it can get noticeable when songs are reused too often.

Given how Kaiba tries to avoid dry heaps of exposition, the dialogue is an ever occurring source of world-building. Just like the viewer, Warp is trying to absorb everything from other people and his surroundings. This calls for more intricate writing, and is very effective in synchronizing the audience with the emotions and experiences of Warp, when it works. Sadly, the first couple of episodes were still exploring this, trying to find a solid tempo and direction, and so some of the scenes can feel scripted and unnatural. This is particularly noticeable with some moments of oddly placed comedy. But again, this all gets ironed out as the episode count grows, and it becomes a much smoother ride.

The voice acting is above the standard fare, but won't have you clamoring to see the actors in other roles. Everyone does their job, and they do it well, particularly one actor who does deserve special mention. Hisao Egawa knocks it straight out of the park from the very moment he appears on screen. Providing the voice of Vanilla, he steps directly into the character, encapsulating the absurd, blundering, and over-the-top personality of our not so noble sheriff.

In the end we walk away with a very well controlled space oddity that radiates familiarity from the writers, as if they've spent part of their lives in this future universe. A superb drama? Not quite. But an intricate story that explores outside the realm of typical series. With that in mind, this is not a show meant to be watched casually. An attentive viewer is required to get the most out of what it has to offer. If you're looking for something to put on in the background, hold off on this show until you have time to truly watch it. Otherwise, get ready for a fantastic Sci-Fi experience.

My final verdict for this show is a respectable 8.4 read more

Girl Friends is as good as you've probably heard and maybe a little better.

I only discovered this story recently but in a short time, I have read through it twice. I wouldn't do this if I hadn't already had a favorable opinion of the story the first time around but it wasn't necessarily expected that I would find the second read through to be even more enjoyable.

What makes Girl Friends so enjoyable is the construction of the story, being that's it is about as solidly put together as any collected manga this large as I have ever read. To be honest, I don't know what my impressions would have been if I had been waiting months between each chapter but I have a feeling it would have been a fatiguing experience in impatience. Reading this story as one giant book (or 2 back to back large books in the most likely case) really is the way to go and the reason for that is that really isn't any good stopping points between beginning and end. Even as I read it the first time over the course of a few days, I would find myself reading a chapter or two more than I intended to.

That need to keep reading is the result of the story's excellent flow. I imagine there are some who feel that there are some points where things drag on a bit too long, even I was getting a little restless for resolution the first time I read through Volume 4. Having read some other romance manga recently, ones that really showcase the bounds of dragging things on too long and rereading Girl Friends, my opinion of that point of the story has even improved. While the relationship between our two main characters evolves at a steady but slow pace, the world around them and the story itself never noticeably halts. New and almost always interesting things are happening in every chapter and the story does a masterful job of doing this while managing to connect all these ever changing and increasing elements to the main two characters, be it for emotional development or simple plot advancement in which they are of concern. It also does this without making it feel as if the world is not exclusively revolving around just these two for the sake of the story, as there is a fairly solid cast of secondary characters that all get a steady amount of mostly satisfying development.

Furthering the point that this story is best when viewed as an entire complete work is fairly solid continuity. Many reveals and tied up loose ends in the later chapters are the result of subtle ground work laid in the earlier chapters. A small scene about any particular thing from Volume 2 may wind up being used part of a larger pay off event come Volume 5. This is were reading through a second time makes this story really excel, as you will probably not notice these little things the first time around. I'm not sure how much planning went into this initially, the nature of the manga format can make this kind of story telling a burden and a risk but the results give the story a feel of dedicated craftsmanship in any case.

Aside from the story structure itself you have good bunch of secondary and minor characters. The secondaries, the school friends, get a mostly satisfying amount of development with only one short sticked girl never particularly going forward in any regard. They also manage to stay secondaries in spite of this, with the exception of one arguably ill advised chapter dedicated to the most developed of these characters and personally, I think she earns it.

The artwork is appeasing, particularly in the second half and feels like an important part of the story telling during the more dramatic moments of the story and providing at least a few laughs during the more lighthearted sections. It is an important aspect to the plot, particularly early on, that the characters of the story live out a fairly feminine and somewhat glamorous lifestyle and seeing things like careful makeup application and trying on clothes makes this manga a lot more interesting than it would me to just read about these things happening. That said, I don't think this particular story would translate well to an anime, as a lot of fans seem to want, nor do I feel it needs to.

Further reviewing of the structure of the story is going to force me a bit into a spoiler territory but I would be remiss not to discuss it, consider this a stopping point if you feel strongly about not knowing any part of the outcome of our two main characters. Yes, I recommend this story if you hadn't gotten that.

Maybe my favorite thing about this story is that it doesn't end where you might expect it to. Most of the story is a waiting game to see whether or not a relationship between our two main characters will happen. There is plenty of tension as the story moves between the two girls and their lack of ability to express to each other the entirety of their true feelings and even understanding what their own feelings are. In a lot of stories, once your characters finally get through to each other and come together, this might be the end. Sometimes that's appropriate, sometimes a short epilogue might suffice but in the case of Girl Friends, we actually get a whole final Volume that covers into the relationship.

This is risky in a story that for the most part has been about pre-relationship tension and its no small task to keep things interesting but Girl Friends actually manages to get even more interesting in the final Volume. Things you might not expect to be covered in this story but are covered quite well are post established relationship issues such as jealousy, trust, what love really is, future planning, sexual tension and what it means to be in a same sex relationship, particularly a girl-girl one. The final volume packs all of this very well, giving it a faster pace while remaining satisfying in its payoffs.

My favorite moment may be when a relatively minor character gives her explanation of the nature of a loving relationship to one of our mains. Its a very grounded and I think, realistic view that somewhat clashes with the type of love that had been built up to this point which had been very young and storybook with a large emphasis on dependency and possessiveness. In many stories, you never get to see both of these types of love represented and even less so, see the former evolve into the latter. The result of it in this story is played to the last page, where we see the love between these two had indeed evolved to a place where the reader can feel assured that their love really has a chance of lasting against any detrimental odds.

As solid as the story is, it is the unfortunate reality that the story did need to end at some point and while the aforementioned conclusion is a satisfying note to end on, you can always expect a lose thread or two. One thing that is acknowledged in the final pages but that we never get to see fulfilled, is that someday these two girls are going to have to come out to their family and friends, if not to society in its entirety. It's a shame we don't get to see this for a couple reasons. For one, the taboo of their relationship is a source of much of the stress for at least one of the girls, who at a few points actually feels disgusted with her feelings. While I have no reason to feel she hasn't overcome this on a personal level, publicly kicking this sense of shame to the curve almost always has a good feeling in a story about it. The other part of the problem is that the secondary characters of the story, their various school friends, all seem like they would be anywhere from very supportive to even enthusiastic about their relationship. That they keep this from them, for the time being that is included in this story, feels a bit unfortunate. If there were ever a down the road sequel, these reveals have a lot of potential, especially with the girls' respective families.

Girl Friends gets my full recommendation and since it has been read and acclaimed by many before me, I would not be surprised if you see me using it as a benchmark in other reviews of applicable works. read more

Let me start this review off with a miniature literature lecture. Charles Baudelaire was a crazy French poet who was an aspiring lawyer but decided to drop it all and become the archetypal struggling artist. He borrowed money extensively and spent them on booze and whores. Of course, he burnt out and died from overdrinking alcohol but he left behind a grand literary legacy. His poetry was vulgar, decadent and entirely brilliant, inspiring a movement called the Symbolist movement.

But rather than focus on Baudelaire, let’s focus on another poet called Rimbaud (Takao also reads him). Rimbaud became and avid fan of Baudelaire. He was a young teenager and felt trapped in his parent’s home. He frequently ran away from home and eventually moved to Paris to join the Symbolist movement there. The most important thing he preached was the theory of the voyant. Rimbaud believed that a true poet (the voyant, or seer) could only achieve the pinnacle of his art with what he called ‘the derangement of the senses’. He believed that a poet had to achieve every kind of evil and suffering, to make his own soul into a monster. He saw Baudelaire as the first voyant in the whole of poetic history. Of course Rimbaud took the same path of decadence Baudelaire took. His poetic career only lasted 5 years, yet he wrote works that are widely read by the French public even to this day. After his 5 years in Paris, he spontaneously decided to travel to Africa and in the end became an arms dealer. He died of a sickness he caught overseas.

Finally let’s go to an era that’s closer to our time, around 1940s – 1950s in America. A group of Literature students in Colombia University felt sick to their stomach about the actions of the US government and about life in general. Of course, I’m referring to the Beat Generation. Allen Ginsberg’s famous “Howl” and Jack Kerouac’s famous “On the Road” became a cult classic, leading to the rise of an entire new counterculture movement altogether. The most important thing is that the members of the Beat Generation were influenced by Rimbaud. When one reads On the Road reads up about the lives of Beat Generation writers, the main theme running among them all is spontaneity and anarchic freedom. They aimed to flout the rules and societal norms as much as possible and to lead a life of utmost chaos.

After reading a couple of the reviews posted on this manga, I see the same things repeated again and again. I see people reading it as a manga about Femdom and they claim the plot is unoriginal because the “sadistic girl forcing the guy to make a contract” has been done before. On the other hand I saw the work as a completely differently thing altogether. Of course it requires a certain mindset to see this perspective.

There are those people who take a look at the society they live in and genuinely hate it to the very core. They see people who live lives of unhappiness and die unfulfilled. They get the impression that everyone is socially isolated from everyone. They see people indulging in stupid pleasures like dirty jokes and momentary experiences like karaoke sessions. They think chasing after stuff like wealth and cars are just another form of escapism and self-delusion. They dream of running away to Woodstock in the 1960s and spending 3 days of freedom and drugs and rock and roll. They dream of following the footsteps of street artist Banksy and spraying paint and art all over the walls of the city. They think that people are only truly free when they are free to run around in fields, to scream, to have cathartic moment after cathartic moment, to ride On the Road without limits and without care. They don’t like the obligations they have towards society and think it’s a complete waste of time, to live such a myopic lifestyle.

Of course, all this is like simple Anarchist theory. You can read more about these sorts of theories of human freedom in things like the works Situationist International and the movie My Dinner with Andre. What I see Aku no Hana as is a portrait, a representation of the burden (and it is a huge burden) and yet simultaneous beauty of leading the lifestyle of sin Baudelaire and Rimbaud once led. Nakamura isn’t just a sadistic BDSM queen; she’s a representation of that lifestyle, a symbol. Takao submits to her because the sheer thrill of their exploits is a form of exaltation. Likewise, I was drawn towards the glimpse of that lifestyle, two people doing things I could never have done and looking so unbelievably joyous in their carnage.

Normally I classify works under two forms. One is a work that is a beautiful illusion, a work of fiction that is perfect in every way for escapism and sentiment, drawing out simple emotions. Things like melodramas and thrillers and comedies fall under this territory. Then there are those that have glimpses of direct, real lived experience within them, those works that can give you bits and pieces of life. These are the works that will enrapture your soul and depress you because they capture just a mere iota of a full experience that you know is currently out of your reach or force you to confront a dire reality. Things like Welcome to the NHK, Subarashii Sekai (by Inio Asano), Synecdoche New York, All About Lily Chou Chou, Fight Club (to a small extent, it’s more of a thriller).

It didn’t pick up though until that first event in the classroom. The ultimate glimpse of pure anarchist delight embodied in the two dancing adolescent youths. There’s a certain mindset that you need to have before entering such works, the mindset that you are both lonely and damned, the twisted romantic view of life. Aku no Hana is a work for dreamers. The first step is to not see the main characters superficially as a mere twisted couple mimicked in many other stories but representatives of different aspects of humanity. Anarchy, conformity, angst, spite, jealousy, rebellion are all present.

Seeing past all the standard critiques, it’s not a matter of clichés or characterization at all, in the end it all comes down to how much you empathize with that beautiful vision of anarchic self-destruction.

This review may sound like it comes from a complete sociopath (Most likely. I had Fleurs du Mal and Rimbaud's Complete works before I even knew of the manga. Also I'm one of those hopeless dreamers who plans to live some kind of struggling artist life in the future) but this is just a single perspective that may perhaps change some people's views when engaging with this manga (I hope). read more

STORY

Diamond Dust, when the moisture in the air freezes in the cold mornings, it sparkles like diamonds. The legend of Diamond Dust says that if you're lucky enough to see it with the one you love, you'll be happy together, or you can wish upon it and find happiness.

This is the central theme to the stories of love, friendship, and self-discovery about six girls in Hokkaido of northern Japan. Each has two episodes dedicated to them (except for Suomi).

Episode 1 & 2 focus on Atsuko Akanegi, a 20-year-old girl who runs a fish-market with her mother that her late father left. They don't have a lot of money, and Atsuko has to work while her friends go out to have fun. There is a guy who wants to marry her, and he would help with her finances, but Atsuko has a crush on a jazz musician, who tells her the story of Diamond Dust. She doesn't want to marry for money, and wishes her mother would see that. But she doesn't realise that her mother understands her feelings more than she knows. Her story is about mother-daughter relationships, as well as searching for your happiness: what makes us happy? Money? Love?

Episode 3 & 4 are about Karin Shiraishi, a 15-year-old girl who is hospitalized with a serious illness, but refuses to go through with surgery because she is scared. This story is about self-discovery, and being able to find the courage within you to go forward. I like this story the most, because I'm able to connect with it and relate to it the most, because sometimes I think I really am spoiled, and I don't even realise it. And we all have moments when we're scared and find it hard to discover the couragous side of ourselves. Karin is a pretty human character, because she is selfish and spoiled, but also kind and wants to get better even though she's scared.

Episode 5 & 6 are about Kyouko Asahina, who is rather uptight and bossy. She's just too driven on her own goals to see what everyone else must be feeling. A talented film-maker, she wants to create the perfect film to win the festival, but is frustrated that nobody can understand the pressure she's going through, not even her boyfriend. In the process, she forgot why she started filming in the first place, and how fun filming was. It takes some trials for her to finally realise what it is that she wants to create. Her story is about learning to appreciate something while you have it, because sometimes, you don't realise how much it means to you until it's gone. I didn't like Kyouko's character too much at first, because a lot of times she really is unreasonable and selfish. But she's also very passionate about what she loves to do, and that passion blinds her judgement sometimes. Really, Kyouko is a very human character, representing the selfishness and passion in all of us.

Episode 7 is about Suomi Kitano, a figure skater who had an accident and stopped competing because of it. The accident involves her best friend and skating rival, whom she wished back then on the Diamond Dust to share the gold medal with. Then she meets Haruto, a skater who fought with his friend because of skating, and he asks her to skate with him. Going onto the ice, Suomi remembers how fun skating was, and how it shouldn't come between friends. Her story is about friendship and loving what you do. Even though her friend was skating rival, neither of them let that come between their friendship. Her story is the only one with one episode, and I wished it would be longer. Suomi is a bit strange, but she is cheerful and gives good advice.

Episode 8 & 9 involves a radio-broadcaster named Shouko Saibara, who is having an affair with a married man, but he doesn't answer her and doesn't see her much. It got to a point where she wonders if she's always talking to an answering machine, just like how she's only talking to a microphone at work. Her show involves people sending in stories and questions about romance, and she gives them advice. But one day, she wonders if she should really be giving other people advice on love when she can't even take care of herself. Then she starts to wonder if she can be heard at all, or is she merely talking to the microphone. This story is about knowing that you are heard, and that you are important to someone, even though you may not realise it. Shouko is also very human, in that she has doubts about herself, like we all do sometimes.

Episode 10 & 11 focus on Akari Harada, whose father drinks a lot, and goes to find gold dust instead of working. He is the one who tells Akari about the Diamond Dust, and how he went to see it with her mother. At first I thought her father was horrible, but later on, I realised that her father is just a man who wants to chase his dreams and live the way he would be happiest. He passes this message on to Kurokawa, a friend of Akari's at work, who gave up making sweets because he didn't think he was good enough. This story is about chasing your dreams and not giving up. This one is perhaps the saddest out of the six.

The last episode ties up everything, and brings everyone together, and answers some of those questions left in the previous episodes.

The stories themselves are really touching and sweet, despite their rather ordinary settings and plots. And this is what makes this series special: the ability to move the audience.

ART

The style of the characters is not all that special or different. But perhaps that is meant to be, because the girls are meant to represent typical girls.

However, the backgrounds are very beautiful. Many of the settings are based on real places in Hokkaido. The night city in episodes 1 and 2, and the sunset scene in episodes 5 and 6 are especially memorable. Also, I love how they represented the beauty of the Diamond Dust itself.

VOICES

The voices are mostly well-done, suiting the characters. I did find that Atsuko's voice is a bit too high-pitched for someone her age. But otherwise, the girls are well-portrayed, even though nothing really stands out all that much.

MUSIC

Music is one of the strength of this series. The background music is rather unique. It sounds like a mixture of Chinese bamboo flute and Erhu (Chinese 2-stringed fiddle), and it's quite soothing to listen to, and a bit sad. It helps bring out the emotions of those important moments. However, the same (or similar) song is played throughout the series, and I wish that there were a bit more variation, or a theme song of some sort for each girl. The most memorable is the ending theme "Aitai ~Love Theme from Kita e.~" by ALLEY:A. It's beautiful and moving, and very suitable for the series. I'm not too fond of the opening theme "Hop Step Jump" by Five Spirits. It's a high-energy and happy song, which, while energizes the audience, doesn't quite fit with the theme of the stories.


PRESENTATION

I think this is the greatest strength of the series. I love how it's set up like a series of short stories, connected with a common theme, and tied up at the end. It is ordinary at first glance in terms of plot and characters, but I found it special because of the emotional impact it has, and how I am able to relate to the stories (yes I cried a lot, get some tissues ready). It's not for those who like action/adventure or fast-paced stories, but if you're into drama and slice-of-life romance, and want something sweet and touching, then I definately recommend it. read more

Ah, yes. Tokyo Mew Mew. How happy I am to finally get to do this review. It was one of my first mangas. Well, here's my review.

Story: The story wasn't that bad. It had an environmental message in it, and the romance between Ichigo and Masaya was really sweet. Kish's unrequited love for Ichigo was also done pretty well, especially in the last two books. I nearly cried with Ichigo during book seven when Kish was revealing his feelings. It also has side stories such as Petite Mew Mew where the girls are in kindergarden and Tokyo Black Cat Girl, the prototype for Tokyo Mew Mew.

Art: For the most part, the art was cute and pretty. Males in this looked kind of weird at times, though. I liked when characters got really big heads. It looked funny. (You'd have to see the manga to understand what I mean; I can't describe it properly.)

Character: While the lead character Ichigo is cute, and her love interest, Masaya is sweet, there wasn't enough of the other characters. Ryou gets a bit of a backstory and so does Keiichiro, but the other Mew Mews get none and are pretty much supporting characters. While I haven't watched the whole anime, only 21 out of 52 episodes to be exact, I can say this much: the anime was better for character development with the other Mew Mews.

Enjoyment/Overall: This was a very cute manga, and I would recommend it for those who like cute things and magical girls. It could have been better in some areas, but it was still entertaining. read more

"The idea of redemption is always good news, even if it means sacrifice or some difficult times." - Patti Smith

It's never too late for redemption. Onani Master Kurosawa is a slightly disturbed, funny, heart-wrenching, heartwarming, beautiful story that seems like a perverted or erotic story at first. Although these appearances are often, they serve the purpose of characterizing Kurosawa as the soft spoken yet shrewd person that he is.

This manga will make you cringe, it will make you disgusted, and it will make you angry. But it will teach you a lesson that life often tries to make across, but few really accept: people change. Let's get to the story.

When you first meet Kurosawa, it is doubtless that he appears to be a despicable and perverted boy under the guise of a quiet student. His "habit" in the girls bathroom shows his true nature, and continues for some while until he is discovered by Aya Kitahara, an equally reserved student who is consistently picked on. Chaos ensues. Every action that Kurosawa makes, every step that he takes, brings him ever closer to shame and heartbreak. The plot twists will pull you out of your seat and leave you full of anger and despair.

Art is good overall, and the artist has improved considerably since his previous works (including Molester Man) but still keeps the habit of leaving poorly developed backgrounds compared to characters. This plays well into the manga though as backgrounds pull forward when they are needed in certain scenes.

The character development is outstanding and is the best I have seen of almost any manga I have read. Watching Kurosawa, Kitahara, Takigawa, and even the supporting characters change and react to the story really puts the plot and characters on the same plane. Kurosawa's development through the story (although initially this may seem impossible to the reader) is brave, uplifting, and heartwarming, especially as you watch him learn empathy and sympathy. As the reader, you can really relate to Kurosawa even in his strange circumstances. The author builds you up to break you down, and back up again, all the while you can fully feel his happiness and his pain. The author can make characters make 180's or reveal their true nature at unpredictable angles.

This manga is one of my favorites and was an extremely enjoyable ride, something no one who enjoys manga should ever pass over. Words cannot do the beauty of this story justice. read more

Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman is an anime that is based around the mascots of a pachinko game. That would not sound particularly appealing except for the character designs were done by Monkey Punch(Kato Kazuhiko), the artist behind the Lupin III series. If you are familiar with Lupin you probably noticed the similarities in the art style and even the characters looks. Also the anime had Satoshi Hirayama, someone who has worked on a few Lupin movies working on it. So, with such a recognized artists being involved with this anime why do so few people seem interested in it? I will try to answer that with this review, but I just want to point out that despite the similarities this is NOT just Lupin in 1800s Japan.

Story(6): The story is fairly straight forward and not very original. It takes place in 1800s Japan, where a crew of "get backers" try their best to help out people in need. No matter what the problem is, or how dangerous, they deal with it. The leader of this crew is Roman, who is shown fairly early on to have a suit that pretty much gives him super powers. The suit has to be used sparingly though, so it is only used when things get serious. A few episodes in it is shown that there are some western naval forces off shore, and the story basically revolves around explaining what they're doing there and what their objective is. I would define this anime as an action/comedy, it is about half serious moments and fighting half comedy bits. This is where I felt the anime really lost a lot of its potential. There were very obvious issues with pacing, and lacklustre attempts at comedy. The writers attempted for it to be an action/comedy, but in my opinion they failed. The comedy falls short, and quite a few episodes are wasted on them trying to get laughs. For me the show felt at its best during the more serious moments. During the last few episodes it was clear that the time spent on failed comedy attempts could have been used for more back story and character progression. I know what they were going for, and I don't think the comedy should have been taken out completely but it just fell short. The serious moments still had a kind of parody type comedy to them, since a lot of the things that go on are just ridiculous. Kind of like JoJos Bizarre Adventure, how it isn't a comedy but some of situations that occur just make you laugh. Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman could have been improved greatly if the writers tried incorporating more of that style humor.


Art(8): I'm a sucker for Monkey Punch's art style and character design. Without a doubt the show looks good, it has that 80s-early 90s look but with the modern polish which I love. The animation during the action scenes is done very well. While I'm sure not many people would say it is bad, I'm sure there are some who just aren't a fan of this particular style. I happen to really like it.

Sound(6): Well, hard to really say all that much about the sound. It was good, the voice acting was very well done(apart from some amazingly bad engrish), and each character had a lot of personality. Never noticed any really bad sounding effects or anything like that, although I admit I don't pay that close of attention to that stuff. I enjoyed the OP and ED a lot. That is about it.

Character(8): Like the art the characters where one of the best things about the anime. Each character was likeable and had tons of personality. Everyone I've heard says the main character is just like Lupin, I don't completely disagree but they are different in a lot of ways. It isn't just Lupin with a beard in 1800s Japan, he has his own personality. One character who is very much like a Lupin character is Okuni, who is just like Mine Fujiko. There is also Suzuki who is very similar to Goemon. Still they both have their own personalities and differences, they're not just clones. The rest of the cast plays a big part too, especially the members of Romans inner circle who help him. Including Romans little sister Koharu, who is a prime example of good female character design. She is extremely cute and loveable, based completely off her personality and design not ecchi fanservice or panty shots. Then there is the rest of the gang. Gennai, a perverted old man who invents all the gadgets the crew needs. Hans, a German doctor who also has found a way to create zombies that he uses for assistance. And finally Kanade, a shrine priestess, who also like Koharu is a great example of good female character design. They all secretly work together to help others, no matter what risks it involves.

Enjoyment(7): I enjoyed the anime, it never really felt like I was forcing myself to finish an episode. The only thing that caused me to give it a 7 instead of an 8 is the lacklustre attempts at comedy, and one or two episodes that I felt were just not done well at all.

Overall(7): It's not perfect, but what pains me the most is the potential of what it could have been. Still, to anyone looking for a fun short anime that thought this looked interesting I would recommend you give it a shot.

Thank you if you read all of my review, this was my first attempt at doing a written review for an anime. I hope it was helpful. read more

I finished watching Highschool of the Dead: Drifters of the Dead a few minutes ago, and those were my initial thoughts:

It is hard to write a good review with one hand.

Onani Master Kurosawa is something entirely different than what you see at first glance. If you are expecting something erotic or funny, you are looking in the wrong place. Those that can get past the synopsis and exposition will be rewarded, as when you reach the real bulk of the story you will realize just what it has to offer.

It is no secret that this manga deals with mature themes. The problem lies within the fact that it paints the wrong picture for potential readers. The focus is not to be sexually explicit. Rather, it is presented to us in a way that is very conservative. It shows nothing more than what is necessary to get the point across. In the big picture, this is not a perverted manga in any sense. It is sweet, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

The story quickly lays the foundation for a school-life setting with a character who has a secret "daily routine". Our main protagonist, Kurosawa, is a guy who cares nothing for interaction with others. He has no friends and has never fallen in love. He converses the minimal amount to simply maintain relations. What he doesn't know is that his seemingly harmless ritual is about to become something that weighs more heavily on him than he could imagine. This story shows us just what can happen when you get in over your head, the consequences of your actions, realizing what you want in life, and much more. Once the plot picks up, you will find yourself always wanting to know what will happen next. The contents are never predictable, and every bit of it is believable. It controls your emotions like a puppet on strings. It will make you feel.

The art is sketched, fitting in perfectly with the mood of the manga. It does a great job of showing character's expressions, using many close-ups and careful shading. Much of the emphasis is on the characters, so the backgrounds are usually simple or non-existent. Overall it is very clean and should bear no complaints.

Characterization is simply amazing. No matter how perverted Kurosawa is portrayed, the fact still remains that he is an incredibly well-rounded, believable, and likable character. The manga has the ability to create Kurosawa as if he were a character born from your own thoughts. While I am not referring to perverted thoughts, his reactions to a given situation are so real that you often think and feel the same way. I felt his anger when he was betrayed, I felt his hopelessness during his hard times, and I felt his happiness when something warmed his heart. Over the course of the plot, Kurosawa changes slowly into an entirely different person. He begins as an introverted kid who violates people in his thoughts with masturbation, yet in the end he becomes undeniably mature. He battles with self-realization, learns of consequences, finds the good in people, and comes to understand what he wants in life. Without a doubt, he is a character that will fill you with emotion.

If any manga is capable of changing my view on a character, it is this one. It does not just tell you how someone feels, it places you in the shoes of a person and allows you to understand it from their point of view. Even if you think a character will play a generally small part, they always end up coming back and influencing Kurosawa in some way. We are allowed to see every character's true thoughts, whether it be directly shown to us or revealed through Kurosawa's deductions. However, you will never feel as though you can predict a character's actions. While they surprise you, every bit of it is believable. This is what depth is all about.

Overall, Onani Master Kurosawa is definitely something you will appreciate reading to the end. It brings us a small introduction and builds off of itself, constantly raising the bar. It gives us a surprisingly large impact that can be found in few other places. To sum it up, it is simply a work of art. read more