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May 6, 2024
Pink Heart Jam is a refreshing read from the usual dramatic BL that we are so used to read. In fact, there isn’t much drama to begin with. Just the story of two young adults falling in love and learning about themselves.
You have Haiga on one side, a freshman in university, who isn’t entirely convinced about his sexuality; and on the other you have Kanae, a senior in university, who knows very well who he is attracted to and would like to have a romantic partner.
They find themselves in a very interesting circumstance, and as their relationship progressed they realize that they truthfully care for
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one another.
The story sounds very cliche but it is very realistic in its depiction, especially the more explicit scenes. I enjoyed how both of the two boys wanted one another and none were, so to speak, passive. And not just that, they have realistic problems, goals and a love story that we have heard at least once about from a friend or two.
I would have liked to give it 10 if the story concentrated on the dynamic of the two protagonists with other characters, but this is just a minor criticism that I think could have added to this incredible story.
A feel good story. Not for the people looking for a convoluted story or drama.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 21, 2024
The Decagon House Murders:
An introduction to Honkaku Mystery
When Agatha Christie’s famous novel “And then there were none” came out it spawned a new kind of genre based on the popular whodunnit story.
This is the Honkaku Mystery, as I learnt reading this manga, a subgenre of mystery that focuses on fair play.
Characters were stuck all together in one place with no way of escape, and one by one they all died. So by logic the murdered was amongst them and the characters needed to find out who was the one that was murdering them all.
In Japan, the novel of the Decagon House Murders saved
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the mystery genre. It came out in a time when no one was interested anymore in mystery books and created a novel that followed the works of Christie, Poe and the likes, with a an emphasis on you, the reader, trying to figure piece after piece who was the murderer behind the killings. The genre also uses intense psychological and dramatic elements that fit well with the Japanese style of telling a story, especially a mystery story.
So you can assume what this manga is about. It is in fact based on a novel, a very notorious novel as well. The inspiration for this story comes from of course “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie.
A group of university students, take a trip on an island, to—you guessed it, a decagon house. There, a series of murders start taking place and one after another the characters die. Now they have to figure out who is the one that’s doing all this.
Of course, this isn’t an innovative story, but for the true mystery fans of the genre, this is a must read. The drawings are gorgeous, the characters are memorable, and there is a lesson to be learnt from this story, that isn’t just about the killer.
Personally, I wanted to enjoy it more, because I had guessed way too many things that became true way too early in the story. Unfortunately you finish the manga that you don’t get all the answers leaving you with a lot of questions. I’ve read that the novel does a good job with this part, so if you are curious in looking into it more, I highly recommend you check it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 11, 2023
This read was, for better words, truly unexpected. A lot of people went into this like myself, intrigued, confused. There are about 50 reviews of this mahnwa on this website as of now and most of them are positive. So it begs the question, why does it have such high ratings?
Everyone talks about how this was a beautifully written mahnwa, how it changed their perspective on life, how they enjoyed the art, the implications of the ending … You should read some of the reviews cause they are beautifully written and in my opinion also inspiring.
The story starts like this:
“Do you believe in magic?”
This is
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how this mahnwa actually starts. With a question of all things. Very bold of an author to do this, because you have to sell it when it comes to the end or it’s not gonna work.
Some people who didn’t like all the questions that came with the mahnwa, but I believe this was the point of the story.
To see who would believe. Because that was the point of Annarasumanara.
It’s done quite remarkably.
This isn’t just a story made to inspire teenagers/young adults. This was a story made to inspire everyone, from all genders, to all ages, to all backgrounds.
In 27 chapters this mahnwa encompasses everything that it means to be or become an adult. The biggest plot point is about dreams, but I find that this is more of a camouflage to the underlining plot point in this incredibly written mahnwa, and that is aspirations.
What do you aspire to be when you get old? And if you have gotten to a certain age, is that what you have always aspired to be growing up?
I feel like 27 chapters weren’t enough but that’s just cause I loved the end to this story. A favourite that I will come back to from time to time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 18, 2023
After 15 years I decided to come back to Akuma de Soro out of pure nostalgia.
I had initially read it in high school, during a time when social media didn’t exist, and you had to use magazines to find people to talk about anything.
Going back to this manga felt like jumping back in time, and it reminded me of so many things, first and foremost Hyde, the famous celebrity that way too early took his life, which Takeru (one of the main characters) was inspired from. It’s weird how some of these incredible artists can live on in time through different media. Gone but
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never forgotten.
I thought that reading it now, Akuma de Soro wouldn’t have stood the test of time. It is a Shojo manga, and as so I thought that it was going to be drawn out, cringe and way too sappy at times, but it did the complete opposite for me. It spoke about a variety of different topics, family and love first and foremost, and in an intelligent way, that never felt boring. On top of that it is a story that truly brought me to tears. There will be a lot of times in our life, moments where (even as adults) we have to make choices and, regardless of the outcome, we just have to do our best.
Takeru is an incredibly well developed male character, with a multifaceted personality and the wardrobe of a millionaire! I mean, he does come from a wealthy family.
Kayano starts off a little weak but ends up strong and confident and I highly enjoyed how she is the only one who could stand up to Takeru.
But I gotta give it to Mamoru, Takeru’s father. The love he has for his family and his son is so geniune that it brought a smile to my face.
All in all this is an extremely wholesome story that I would recommend to anyone who loves shoujo manga. Yes, some of the topics might be a little outlandish but it’s all treated with respect, and most importantly it works for this story.
I would love to give it more stars but I’m giving it an 8.5 just because it didn’t give me the same catharsis as other stories I’ve read. Still, an excellent read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 17, 2019
This was an overdue review. Sorry.
Love Love has done so much for so many people, despite what you might think of the franchise.
The story isn't something out of a masterpiece. It is bland and simplistic and the characters have one dimensional personalities. Too bland. Too simple. Sometimes a little too simple.
We were thought to believe that compelling stories have to be meaningful, cathartic. Just like life itself. But we sometimes forget that life does not have to be cathartic. It can be simple. It does not have to be convoluted or complicated in order for it to work. Sometimes it clicks. Just like
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that.
Some things do not have to be complicated for them to work out just fine.
Chika Takami knew that. Her friends knew that.
She wanted to find something that made her life shine bright.
That is something very simplistic in the journey of self discovery.
It does not matter where you come from. What you do. What you believe in and who you find along the way. Sometimes things just click and nobody can take those experiences away from you. This is what the meaning of self discovery truly is. It is purely subjective. If you have learned from them it does not matter what other people think.
Love Live is just that. It clicks. In its simplicity it clicks and brings you along the way.
(And it might not, but it's still your own personal experience)
I met a twelve year old girl this past summer that got into Love Live thanks to a friend. We are fifteen years apart and we spent a whole afternoon talking about the story and characters.
I could have never been able to enjoy a conversation with this young girl if it was any other anime. It was an easy going conversation that to this day I cherish deeply, because it made me see something that I had not seen in myself. In order for things to work, I don't have to think too hard about them.
It does not matter if the story is not as perfect as you might think.
It is so important to remember that things don't always have to be difficult. They can be easy. As adults we constantly say "It's difficult". Sure, it is difficult, but it does not always have to be that way.
Love Live is a beautiful story about accepting the simple things about life, because way too often we don't. We just forget them somewhere in the back of our brains, until we go insane.
In my opinion, this is why Love Live is cherished and relatable amongst so many people, because it's about a simple group of teenagers with simple goals, looking to follow a common dream. Whether if it happens it does not matter. It is still the journey of self discovery.
It was the same for me. I started Love Live not knowing what it was and hearing so much hate about it. I almost thought I was going to hate it as well, yet I found myself compelled into an unexpected world that made me laugh and cry and that made me realize, things don't have to drive you mad in order to work. They just do. Go with the flow. If you can't control it don't control it.
I finally got myself to watch the last episode of this anime after a year of putting it off, knowing full-heartedly that there might not be another anime in this franchise. And I was not let down.
Love Live has made an impact on so many people. For bad or for good it doesn't really matter.
I am just so happy that I was there to see it happen.
(Now please don't kill me for writing this) -Peace
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 5, 2018
This is a review of the whole BNHA series so far.
Lets get something straight here: I really don't enjoy superhero movies or comics. It's really not my thing.
Yet. Marathoning this show was probably the most fun and and exasperating task ever.
As so many reviews have stated before this one, this show isn't innovative in any way whatsoever. It's a show about superheroes. Another show about evil fighting good. We have all seen that before. It is what it is. How many more shows can be made without them all looking the same? There was an actual TV show called Heroes. HEROES. Let's please be
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realistic here now. Every single thing that could have been possibly made on superheroes was made. There might be variations, but it's basically all the same.
Boku No Hero Academia is still that. It is still the same thing. Evil fighting good. Good fighting evil. A bunch of heroes trying to get together to fight another group of villains. We have all seen that before. The third season is better. It actually has some cool action scenes. But with this show, I still needed to understand the hype.
The first season was very bland. I tried watching the first season when it first came out and dropped it after only two episodes. The main characters are annoying, both Midoriya and Bakugo. We have all seen these hero tropes before. We have all seen charismatic characters like All Might, and we have all seen secondary characters like Uraraka. So, the characters aren't so compelling. The main character of this show is another 'I have no talents but I have a will of stone'', and the co protagonist is 'I WILL BECOME STRONBER THAN YOU'. Seriously, it felt like I was watching KHR all over again. But- holy shit- these characters make me laugh hard. They make fun of themselves, and they seriously don't care about it.
Still. This isn't new either. So why is it so much fun to watch a bunch of teenagers making fun of themselves and their superpowers/quirks? Maybe because it's one of the most redeeming qualities of this show. Some things you just gotta make fun of. Like, there is a guy that is able to shoot a laser beam from his pelvis as he is thrusting. ACTUALLY. You guys have no idea how ridiculous it is and then watch him save people with the same laser beam. And another character that can detach his hair/balls (please just trust me on this) making them attach to things. You can take it as you want, but for some this can really make you laugh.
I keep on looking forward to the next great hero with a funny quirk, mostly because it is entertaining to see how they actually manage to use it (or make fun of it). This is not a spoiler- but one of the greatest things about this show is how they can take a pretty cool quirk/power and give it to a complete idiot, like for example Monoma from the second season.
So really, this show doesn't bring anything new to the table. Leave all your expectations aside, and go into it just to laugh. I truly believe that if a show leaves you with something then it's done it's jobe. I don't think this show was meant to do anything new or innovative that hasnt already been done, but just make people laugh. Maybe some might find some more enjoyment in the more dramatic scenes, but for me personally, they don't come through as much as the funny scenes.
Now, because I can't wait for the fourth season, I'm going to go read the manga. Byeeee
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 11, 2018
As plenty of reviews have already stressed out, this is very much like an other idol show. It is not necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of shows that became successful following a particular format, and those achievements should not be diminishes. Look at Kuroko no Basket. It just happens that Bang Dream falls in that specific genre. So, onto the review.
The story is very basic. A high school girl, Toyama Kasumi, looking for inspiration, follows a trail of star stickers to a pawn shop, where she finds a red star shaped guitar. She decides she wants to learn how to play the instrument
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and find people to put a band together. Everything works out in a way or the other. She finds the right people to play in the band and they are able to perform on a live stage. With some complications along the way, but you get the point.
Through out the story, the main characters go through some major character development, making them a little bit fleshed out, and a little less one dimensional. At the beginning of the story they downright look like stereotypical anime characters, but to the end, you can see their personalities shine with all their flaws and imperfections, making them all extremely relatable and likeable. Even the ones that you are not completely fond of.
The animation is not horrible, but they could have been able to do better. The CGI aspect is really cool looking, but it just doesn't save some of the more atrocious looking parts of the animation.
What really stands out from this show, in my opinion, is the music. This is no Nana or K-On, but the music is still pretty darn good. Rock songs have always been my favourite thou, so I might be a little biased while going into this, but you cannot tell me that Time Lapse doesn't friggin pump you up. It makes you wanna do a massive workout, and run around doing stuff. It is very classical rock, with tones of pop and and musical theatre, but you kinda get the gist. If you like idol anime music, you will probably like this kind of music. Poppin'Party is pretty standard though when it comes to Bang Dream music.
There isn't just one type of genre. If you go into the game, there is a whole variety of songs to listen to from five different bands with specific styles and songs. That is what makes this franchise so much fun. Putting different bands together to showcase the genres out there (ranging from musical-theatre to gothic), with relatable characters and fun stories, is something that very few have done.
To be honest, the reason why I am giving this review 8/10 is because I play the game, and I can see the characters, the story and the music develop in such a way that you don't really see in the anime. If you are just gonna watch the anime you might be a little disappointed, but if you go into the game, you can just see why it is so compelling and fun. My favourite band isn't even Poppin'Party (Toyama Kasumi's band), yet they are still lots of fun to listen to.
Lastly, Bang Dream in reality is not about Poppin'Party. Bang Dream is Poppin'Party, Afterglow, Rosalia, Hello Happy World and Pastel Palettes. Bang Dream is about finding your own musical preference and style, while obviously finding entertainment in cute girls and pretty cards.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 9, 2018
This is going to be a review for both Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni, and Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai, since I literally watched them back to back and I have a lot to say about this series.
So before I start, if I were to rate Higurashi based on only the first season, I would have given this series a 9/10. No question, but Kai really didn't come through with me, so my rating went down to a 8/10. Still good, but let me explain.
The story is already well known.
A young boy named Keichi Maebara transfers to a small village close to
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the mountains and befriends a group of school girls. Things look peaceful, but this little village holds lots of secrets.
Even after ten years, Higurashi still stands the test of time. Keep in mind, this anime came out 10 years ago, but it is still relevant to this day. If you are a lot like me, you will come out of this anime thinking: "Was this really made 10 years ago?" You have that lingering sensation, that pit in your stomach, that you know some of the topics at hand are still discussed within society to this way. To name a few: the topic of bullying, abuse, hardship, abandonment, trust and most of all fate. At the end of the day, Higurashi heavily focuses on the friendship between all the main characters, but as I stated, there is so much more to it.
And for me, this is why I loved it.
The second season was tamer and not as scary/gory as the first one -reason why I was a little disappointment with the developments of the second one- but all in all, it's a series that I highly recommend anybody to watch.
It actually shows that not many things have changed in ten years since it first aired-regardless of what people may think. And within all this gore and horror, it demonstrates that -even if you were to have a replay button- life isn't easy, and we just need to go live it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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