Dr_Tokami's Blog

Anime Relations: Bokura no, Bokura no: Tsuisou

Alright, I knew about Bokurano for some time and actually wanted to watch it, although for some reason I was hesitant. But I got it as a rec this month, so here I am.

Story might seem a little bit too simple for some - a bunch of children are given the control over a huge black mecha and now they must fight other mechas in order to protect their Earth from total destruction. But with such simple plot Bokurano shows what really happens when children get such a heavy burden placed upon themselves. I can't say more about the story without going into spoiler territory, so I am going to leave it at that.

Directing was pretty good, pacing is fast yet nothing feels rushed. There are also a couple of great plot twists here and there, some of them are pretty sudden and hard to predict. A couple of episodes are heavily focused on politics, and while a few might find it boring or unnecessary- it still contributes to the overall mood, story and world building, plus it shows us the outcome of various decisions made by our protagonists.

Talking about protagonists, as I already mentioned we have children as main cast. The real beauty of Bokurano is that these children are nor special at all. They are just your average kiddo from a nearby neighbourhood. Each child however is incredibly different, all of them have their own struggles, wishes and regrets. Since the situation they are in is so bizarre and abnormal, we can expect some great character development, not always for the best though. Bokurano brings out a lot in it's characters - the best and the worst, so be ready for some intense psychological scenes.

In anime it's not only all about characters' personality, but also characters' design, right? Bokurano might not have the best designs, but for me it worked well. Each character is easily distinguishable, and has particular details that fit his/her personality. And on top of that we have an astonishing voice acting to complete the characters and make them unique.

Backgrounds were okay, but I don't think Bokurano can brag about it's animations, it's totally not the strongest point of this show. That being said, with such interesting themes they explore - animation is the last thing you will be thinking about when rating it.

Next thing that Bokurano did well is music. They mostly use beautiful and sad instrumental pieces, sometimes adding a chorus. There is no instances where OST is not fitting the scene or easy to forget. OP and ED were absolutely amazing, too. OP expresses so much in mere 2 minutes. I would suggest you read the lyrics for it, because later on they will make a perfect sense and tell more about characters' feelings and thoughts.

All I can say in conclusion is that it is a must watch for psychology/drama lovers. If you are looking for some mecha action then skip this one, it has absolutely nothing special to offer in that department.

It was totally half-assed :^)

Anime Relations: Barakamon

Story~
Based on the manga by Satsuki Yoshino Barakamon follows Seishuu Handa (voiced by genius Ono Daisuke), a calligrapher who feels like he’s losing his artistic touch. After punching an art curator for criticizing his latest work, his father sends him out of the city into the countryside of Goto Island, where he hopes he can learn a thing or two about discovering new inspirations. Of course, what Handa didn’t count on was how colorful the people of the island are.
On a thematic level, Barakamon is about a man trying to discover who he is and what drives him.
Story may seem kinda unappealing to some muh cute loli doing cute things!, after all calligraphy is not a really popular thing outside of Asian countries. But if you are a SoL lover, only one episode will be enough to hook you up.
Characters~
What makes Barakamon great? Yes, that's right, characters.
Anyone can find a character he can relate to. Among the rich cast of the characters I want to point out two "mains" - Naru and Handa.
Naru is a loud first grade girl - a tomboy and a true free spirit. She is truly innocent and full of childhood wisdom with which she is able to cut to the heart of all Handa's problems - often without even meaning to. Naru was voiced by Hara Suzuko, an actual child seiyuu, and this fact just adds charm to Naru's character. She sounds natural and cute (which is a nice change from pro adults voicing children in anime with annoyingly high pitched voices). For Handa, Naru serves as his muse. Every major breakthrough Handa has is somehow linked with Naru in some way. She truly sees into his heart in a way no other character, not even Handa himself - can.
Handa is certainly not always easy to love, but that's a big part of the show's charm. He's uptight and high-strung, being quick to get annoyed at distractions as minor as the antics of children. Handa can be seen frustrated a lot, but he is empathetic because of his difficulties as an artist and those of dealing with his chronic anger management issues. Show certainly shows not only his growth as a calligrapher, but as a person as well.
For me the best part of the anime were the interactions between Naru and Handa. The relationship that forms is somewhere between that of a parent and child and one of two friends. When Handa comes to the island, he instantly becomes the center of Naru's world.
Art/Animation~
Art style was close to that of a manga, so I like it quite a bit. Clean, nice to eyes.
colours were vivd, not too bright. More on a warm side to give this "chill" vibe to the overall picture. Animation was smooth, nothing too special, but then again, it is not a shounen action title.
I especially loved the nature portraying - just simply beautifully done rural area backgrounds.
Sound~
I fell in love with OP and ED right after episode 1. Both songs were rather slow-paced, with meaningful lyrics. Also OP was done by SUPER BEAVERS, one of my favourite j-indie bands (so I might be a little bit biased here).
OST was done by Kawai Kenji, who is not new to SoL genre (he has also done music for Wakaba*Girl and Ranma 1/2). Music was calm, sad at times where it was needed, but I don't think anyone would go and download the full OST collection.
Summary~
A show like this does not come out often. And this is sad. Barakamon is a perfect mix of comedy, valuable life lessons and slice of life. It’s an anime that will leave you smiling long after the credits roll, followed by sadness knowing there are only 12 episodes.

It was a lazy review, senpai, don't be disappointed. Have a bonus though

Anime Relations: Ping Pong the Animation

Ping Pong is a story of two high school freshmen, Peco and Smile. Peco is a ping pong genius, able to beat anyone he has ever come across with seemingly no effort at all. Smile, his best friend, on the other hand, while good, is sitting in Peco's shadow as his number two. Yet, after their first inter-school tournament, it is Smile who everyone seems interested in and Peco is left on the sidelines.

At first it might look like Ping Pong is just another sports anime, but that's far from truth. It's not a story about ping pong, but a story of growing up, overcoming fears and self-doubt.


There are four main characters in Ping Pong: Peco, Smile, Ryuichi, and Kong. All four of them face various struggles inside and outside ping pong sport.

Peco has always been the best player out there. Since we always wins, ping pong is great fun to him. But when he moves on to high school, he is forced to face stronger and more experienced players. And after his first loss, he gives up ping pong completely. After losing a goal in life, Peco starts searching for new meaning.
As you can guess, Peco is a nickname (he loves sweets so much that this nickname comes from the mascot of the Fujiya confectionery stores). His real name is Hoshino Yutaka.
His name reflects his personality perfectly. He shines like a star (Hoshi in his name means "star"), especially we can see it when he is playing ping pong. I found it interesting that when he went to the beach and got a tan, one of the characters mentioned how "dark" he is, and it was exactly when he gave up on ping pong. I think it may have been a hint - he lost his "light", did not "shine" without ping pong.

Smile, on the other hand, while having real talent bolstered by hard work, has no desire for fame or fortune. He is happy to let his friend Peco bask in the glory. However, he finds himself thrust into the spotlight when he wins against some of the country’s strongest, even as Peco loses. Without Peco to hold him back, Smile could become the best in Japan...Only if he cared about the sport or his talent.
Smile's real name is Tsukimoto Makoto. He has Moon (Tsuki) in his name that also reflects his personality, he is okay to stay in the darkness, shadows. Here we can see the difference between Peco and Smile - bright light of stars (Hoshino) and dim, cold light of the moon (Tsukimoto)

We also have Ryuichi, the man at the top: the Japanese and world champion. He is the heir to both a ping pong dynasty and a sports supply corporation. He is the captain of the best ping pong team in the country and that's not just that...He also locks himself in the bathroom before each match, suffering from panic attacks. The stress upon him is immense since his team and corporation is a heavy burden for him.

Last, but not the least is Kong, trained nearly from birth to be a world class ping pong player, he was a member of the Chinese youth national team - until he was cut from the team. His only hope to return home and reclaim his spot on the team is to win the Japanese national championships. But if he fails, he will be left without a purpose in life, left exiled in a country where he doesn't even speak the language.
Kong is arrogant at first, looking with disgust at his new team mates. Why would not he? He is superior to these weaklings after all, at lest that's what he believes at first.
His character developed the most to my mind. At first he hates Japan and people around him, but with time he acknowledges that there can be opponents stronger than him, strength is not "everything". One insert song shows us that change in him. He goes to a karaoke bar with his fellow team mates and sings a song. He sings in Japanese (meaning he made the effort to actually learn the language), plus he is surrounded by new friends who look at him without envy or hate in the eyes.

I could go on and on about the characters, since this was the most fascinating part of the show for me, but I will leave it at that for now.


Unlike the clean or super popular moe art style/animation of most anime, Ping Pong looks exactly like manga. The art style is at times rough and at others grotesque.
But for some reason it just added more charm to the show, also thanks to this quick, sharp animation we could feel the fast pace of ping pong. Yuasa's animation moves the characters with real dynamism and diversity, especially it is noticeable when they play ping pong.
The frequent use of panelled shots (I really liked this bit) saves budget and adds to the dynamism of the matches
Also Yuasa is not afraid to use an abstract animation style to reflect the players’ state of mind when playing ping pong

Most people find this animation to be cheap or turning off, but for me it just added to the overall score.


I really loved both OP and ED, I found it fitting the show and hard to skip without listening.
OST was also well-done. Especially I liked where in some scenes instead of instrumental track they used Tsukimoto's humming, it was a great thing to do without a doubt.
Another thing to mention is an insert song I talked about in the character's section. Lyrics were a spot on, plus a good execution by Kong's seyuu.
Talking about seyuu, I was taken aback by Peco's seyuu - Katayama Fukujurou. It was his only role in the anime (for now at least) and it was amazing. He delivered every emotion with precision.
Uchiyama Kouki (funny enough, he had a really similar role of Tsukishima in Haikyuu!!) voiced Smile and succeeded in showing Smile's personality properly.


Simply put, Ping Pong the Animation is an amazing show.
The problems that the main characters face throughout the series are both real and relatable; and seeing how they grow into their own through ping pong is an excellent use of a sports setting.
Story had a well-executed conclusion to it - everything felt "right" and "satisfying".
The only minus I can really mention is art, since some people are turned off by it (as I previously stated). But if you can look past this unique animation - you will find something special.

This show (DMMd for short) was my first serious dive into shounen ai anime...or so I thought.
DMMd is an adaptation of a R-18 BL visual novel developed and published by Nitro+chiral (known best for Stains;Gate vn). I did play the game for the sake of this review I swear I did not enjoy it.
Surprisingly enough.. DMMd anime adaptation had close to no gay action what so evah. But was it for the best?

The story takes place many years in the future where the game "Rhyme," a virtual fighting game, is incredibly popular and people possess "AllMates," convenient AI computers. Also there are various gangs full of young people opposing "Rhyme" gamers.
Our main protagonist named Aoba leads an ordinary life, working at a junk shop and living with his grandmother on the island of Midorijima. Unlike his friends, he doesn't participate in Rhyme, nor does he belong in a gang. When town folks begin to disappear under strange circumstances, Aoba finds himself needing to unravel the mysteries behind the island in order to protect his everyday life.
Of course MC can't do that alone, and that's where Aoba's harem friends jump in.

Easily could have been the best part of this anime. I must admit, characters in the original game looked one-dimensional at first, but their development was well-done, plus it was interesting to see how each character explored his own unique "theme". I won't go into deep analysis of each character there, but will talk about 2 my favourite ones - Clear and Noiz.
Clear's theme was the most thought provoking one. His "route" in game was rather sad, full of interesting dialogues exploring all the possible answers to the questions above (under the spoiler). At some point the game even tries to come up with an actual answer to that. Clear as a character had depth and different sides to him, his inner struggle was understandable as well, so "drama" did not feel forced. Overall his story was beautifully executed. And all that was thanks to a romance with Aoba, who helped Clear to finally accept his true self.
Noiz's character was quiet, yet arrogant and blunt. It was hard to bring myself to like him at first. But the more I played, the more I could understand the reasons behind his annoyingly melancholic/rude behaviour.His theme was "loneliness", or even "social rejection". While it seems a little bit overused, still a lot of people might actually relate to these. Noiz was rejected by his parents and other children around him since he was a child and thanks to that Noiz suffers from various mental disorders. After meeting Aoba and, eventually, becoming closer - he overcomes his fears, depression and anxiety, learning that life is not so bad after all, and there are people who will accept and love him for what he is.
Aoba plays a role of a "saviour" or a "messiah" if you want, as he helps each character to overcome their serious or-not-so problems. That is why the "romance" aspect was crucial in the game. But what about anime?
Sadly, anime has almost no real relationship development or chemistry between the characters. Some might say it helped to fit in more "shounen"-type story in. After playing the game and watching the anime I can say that's not the case here. "Shounen"-like story falls flat on it's face since the main focus of the show is still CHARACTERS. Each character gets one episode to develop, overcome his problems and also help Aoba to push the story forward. You can never pull this shit if your episodes are 23 minutes long. Audience has no time to become attached to the characters, so what's the point of even having 5 episodes dedicated to each character when no one cares anyway? Even Aoba gives no fucks about each one of them after character's "dedicated" episode is over.

It was bad. Animation was meh at best. At some points I wanted to unsee this shit.Characters clearly could not talk AND move at the same time...
Backgrounds sometimes used a really ugly 3D that would stand out so much that only blind person won't notice how shitty and cheap it was.
The only good thing - character design. They used really bright (even could say vivid) colours that made characters' futuristic outfits look even better.

Okay, this one was a bit hard to critique. Mostly they used some upbeat hip-hop/trip tracks or something? I am not really into this kind of music, so..
At times they were using a really nice instrumental music that fitted the mood (especially sad scenes), I liked these tracks.
Talking about the OP.. it was a really strange one. When I first heard it I had a vision where I decided to go to some club to dance, but ended up in some shady gay bar where this OP song was playing. Though after 5-7 episodes I even started to like it a little!
ED was aright, first 6 episodes had the same one, but episodes 7 to 12 all had a different song - special "theme" of each character. I can see why they did it, ED songs in episodes 7-12 reflected the different personalities of the main cast.
My main complaint regarding sound though is seyuu.
Seyuu cast mostly consists of a pro R-18 Drama CD actors. While it is of course a huge plus, and they did a brilliant job in the game, for some reason their characters lack emotion in the anime. For the most part voicing was okay, but in some important scenes seyuu just did not deliver what was needed. I am struggling to find a reason behind this, but I assume that anime did not have a huge budget (well not a shocker after such animation), so seyuu cast just kinda went with the flow and did not really care at this point.

I do admit that I find yaoi anime/games disgusting, but these characters and story for some reason resonated with me.
I give kudos to the director who fitted 6 "routes" from the original game (content worth 25~ hours btw) into 12 episode anime, without really leaving behind any piece of the main story.
But that's not the story alone that makes anime a good adaptation. I can't see this show as a good stand-alone anime either. Some things left undiscovered/unexplained in the anime, the pace feel too fast, characters and their relationships are also messy and unclear (Why these guys help Aoba in the first place? How they became best friends in no time? Why they are neglected after each "dedicated" episode?). Also anime contains a lot of plot holes, but then again the length and the structure are at fault here, since creators did not have enough time to make clear every little thing in this world of Aoba and others.
At first I wanted to make it a rant review, but after some thought I decided not to. I am not sure why, it seems to me that this anime and the game deserved at least some solid analysis and not just troll summary.
So should you watch this anime? Clearly the answer is No. Should you play the game? If you can live with some yaoi here and there - that won't be a big deal then.

4/10

TL;DR

Anime Relations: Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei, Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei Specials

Story
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is an anime based on a novel by Morimi Tomihiko.
This anime is a genre bending existentialist comedic drama about an ordinary young man who tries to live the rose-coloured campus life, but fails miserably wasting his 2 years of life. The series builds itself on the concept of multiple paths of choice given the exact same situation. In each episode Watashi, our dear narrator/main character, chooses a different school club, ultimately meeting the same people in varying circumstances. It may sound very repetitive for some, but each scenario is fun and unique enough to stand on its own.
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei also deals with the timeless themes of angst, apathy, and the general hopelessness that plagues many college-bound youth, although the demographic is leaning towards Japanese student society.
Another thing that should be mentioned is YST's extremely fast pace both in speech and direction and the massive amounts of dense exposition thrust onto the viewer at all angels. The anime is only eleven episodes long but at a slower pace it could easily become a 2-cour show. However, the fast pace does a great job reflecting the hectic college lifestyle and holds firm to the idea that time flies when you're having fun.
Characters
The main character Watashi, which translates into "I", acts as the narrator, which drives the perspective of the anime. He is sassy and sex crazed but also deeply humble, proud, and innocent young man. He is someone anyone will relate to somehow. Probably that was the reason to not give him a real name, so the audience could relate more.
The other characters are equally delightful in their depictions, which begin archetypical and seemingly one-dimensional. Watashi provides us alternate looks at these characters, with each episode giving us more information about these characters. The development of supporting characters come naturally, and their presence in the story support Watashi’s characterization.
Talking about characters, I want to mention the great job that Voice Actors did. Main cast includes such names as Yoshino Hiroyuki (Ozu), Asanuma Shintaro (Watashi) and Sakamoto Maaya (Akashi). Of particular note is Shintaro Asanuma, who has lines that require him to speak a mile a minute. But he managed to deliver his lines and character well without a hitch, which was a nice surprise for me.
Art
I think this is one of the strongest sides of this show. Each frame of YST is pure art. There's simply not much else to say about it. Unique, imaginative, it reflects the mood of each scene perfectly.
Sound
Opening and ending fit the show so well, that you can say they become the part of each episode. So I would recommend not skipping OP or ED in order to get the most enjoyment out of the episodes.
OST is done by Oshima Michiru, woman know for her soundtracks for such titles as FMA, Hal, Sakasama no Patema and etc.
Soundtrack blends in well with the overall setting and art style, being simple yet beautiful.
Summary
In conclusion I would like to say that this anime was directed by Yuasa Masaaki, probably one of the most "hipster" directors out there. His other works include Kaiba, Kemonozume, Ping Pong The Animation. But Yuasa's directorial and artistic touch is exactly what makes this "boring" at first glance story and concept a true masterpiece.
I would recommend this anime to everyone and anyone. Only 10 episodes were enough for me to add this anime to my favourites. And it took 11 episodes to give this anime a solid 10.

10/10

Anime Relations: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun Specials

Story
The anime follows Sakura and her endless struggle with confessing her feelings to her schoolmate Nozaki, who is a shōjo manga artist who goes under the pseudonym Sakiko Yumeno. Show did a great job with portraying romantic comedy in a school setting and the hardships of being a recently debuted mangaka. I liked that "love" was not the main focus of the series, running gags and shoujo manga parodies were funny as hell.
The only problem I had with Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is that it was a bit repetitive at times, using the same gags, but it is not a real problem, since the anime is only 12 eps long. I just did not have enough time to really count it as a minus.
Characters
Oh boy, the cast was brilliant. None of the characters felt one-dimensional or annoyingly boring. This is the strongest spot of the show, in my opinion.
The only character who felt controversial and unstable was Mikoshiba. Despite having the looks and catchy pick-up lines, he was portrayed as an otaku who studied the basics of relationships with the girls in sim dating games. I could not believe this even for a second.
Seyuu did a great job as well, it was a joy listening to their voices. Indeed, they made heroes feel real.
Animation
Bright colours, fluid animation, well-done backgrounds, detailed character design.
Of course it is not 10/10, but it fitted the show perfectly.
Sound
Music was done by Hashimoto Yukari, who knows damn great how to create a superb OST for a romantic show. She has also done music for Toradora, my favourite romance anime, so I was pretty much hyped about listening to Nozaki's OST.
I would like to mention OP song as well. It was catchy and had a nice lyrics.
Summary
Overall, it was great.
I liked everything - story, music, interactions between characters and gags. It has some flaws, but they are so minor, that some peeps won't even notice them.
I would recommend this anime to everyone and anyone who just wants to relax and have a nice evening with a hilarious, yet sweet comedy.

7.5/10