Back to Tea-StainedBrain's Profile Tea-StainedBrain's Profile

I'm very surprised that no one has reviewed such a good manga yet, so I feel I need to do it justice by logging in and write one.

I'll try to write this review without spoiling too much. I have to say I'm lucky to get a hold of the complete raw files and able to read Japanese so I got to complete the series. Scantlations, however, are available up to half of vol.4 so far.


Story: 8

Set in alternative Meiji-era Japan (with emperor "Meidi" instead of "Meiji" in this manga). The story starts off with a boy, from a noble family but in dire financial ... situation. So he decides to work as a chamberlain apprentice, leading him to meet with the female emperor. It explores court rules and westernizing Japan, but not as much as the story between the two characters and the boy's growth over years. Interesting and original story but not as strong as character, so I'll give it 8 for now.

Art: 7

Pretty good art and much better than most Shojo. You can tell characters' faces apart even though they mostly have same hairstyle. The details of Japanese pattern thing is also very delicate.

Character: 9

This is the strongest point of this story.
There will be huge character development in most characters.
The male protagonist is portrayed from being a boy to a young man. You will see a lot of his development in character. He's very sincere, kind and not stupid at all.

As for "the female emperor", I was doubtful of this concept of a female emperor initially - having read Oku and found it not as interesting as it should. I didn't have much expectation for this manga (it's a Hanayome series after all). But this female emperor is in fact a very charming character as well. She is graceful, cool while having a relatable and childlike side to her as well.

Even side characters, such as the protagonist's maid has a very interesting back story. They all have their histories and developments.

ENJOYMENT: 10

I really love this manga. Would definitely recommend it.

Overall: 8

I picked "Sakura no Uta" up because my favourite manga (Aku no Hana) is said to be heavily influenced by it.
I have this mixed impression about this manga.
On the surface, it's old-style manga of 1990s that focus waay too much on comedy with comic-al plot (like the MC's uncle is suddenly a Godfather and at the end the MC became a world's famous artist despite spending his school life as a closet pervert/ secret introvert). I totally couldn't comprehend it at all (maybe my Japanese sucks, that's why).
But at the same time I feel a hidden depth in it. It's almost like Cather in ... Rye / No Longer Human, with a cynical concept that humans are phoney... et c (which I LOVE). In fact, it proves to a total MIND RAPE. It's certainly a seinen/mature manga. In fact, not surprisingly, it was voted one of the most 'traumatising' manga among Japanese readers.

All in all, it's probably too edgy for me, but since I like edginess. 6/10, maybe?

I'll try to make this review as spoiler-free as possible...

Story: 6
Let's start with the positive aspects:
As the synopsis suggests, this story is about ninja. Well, it's not ninja in naruto fashion, but in clan-sort-of fashion with ninja as bodyguards. I found this realistic and interesting. Another nice thing about this manga is the development of romance. In my opinion, it's nicely paced, not too fast. Most shojo manga I have read had this crazy pace of budding romance to the point. This manga, however, made me relate to and see how they (at least the male lead) are attracted to each other. Though I have ... seen some reviews finding this pacing too suspenseful and frustrating, so if you're an impatient type, then be warned.
As for the negatives:
For one thing, it took quite a while for real story to start. You can say the development of attraction is quite slow, well, in the opinion of some people.
Also, while there are many twists, some bits and pieces were so 'twisted' that I was at a loss.
In general, though, it's pretty decent and better than most shojo manga of this time I have read. Let's say most mysteries would be answered at the end.

Art: 8

The at is excellent, eye-candy shojo art (and not crappy shojo art). It started off as a comical style and getting better and BETTER later.

Character: 8

The male lead is probably the most important reason why I enjoyed this manga. On the surface, he's shy and cute, genuinely hating violence, but when it comes to protecting the female lead, he would do absolutely everything and remain loyal to her. I won't spoil anymore, but at one point you sort of know his character well enough to know how he actually feel despite his actions.
The female lead may appear an annoying Tsundere/Hime character at the beginning who doesn't give a s--- about the dedicated male lead. But you will soon learn that she has a reason for acting untrustful like that. Over time, she grew up.
Overall, I think I could see character development in them, but it is questionable if it is well executed or not.
As for the side characters, I think they are pretty average shojo characters, but none of them are really disagreeable (though you might find them disagreeable at first).

Enjoyment: 9

Despite all the flaws, I totally enjoyed this manga. Must be because I have a thing for nice-but-actually-badass charcater, though! The male lead is totally my type.

Overall: 8

While I think it doesn't deserve a 9, I really enjoyed this shojo manga so much that I think 7 would be too low. So, yes, if you like somewhat suspenseful drama, go for it. But if you're looking for master-bodyguard rom-com or naruto-like ninja action, then no. Oh, but if you're looking for something like Nabari no Ou, then I guess it is pretty similar in that it's more character-oriented than action-oriented.

*Warning: This review contains some spoilers*

Many people probably pick up Reincarnation no Kaben (aka. Petals of Reincarnation) because it is written by the author of the memorable Suashi of Metorite.
I also have the privilege of knowing Japanese and getting to read the raw till the latest chapter (chapter 21), so I was lucky to get to the great twist of this story (around CH8-9) and fell in love!

Story: 9

Reincarnation no Kaben (let's say RnK for shot) has, as the name suggest, reincarnation theme. Indeed, reincarnation stuff may strike you as cliche at first, but this one is interesting in that characters get a 'talent' from ... their past reincarnation (i.e. legendary sword skills, Mathematician's stats-calculation ability...etc) of famous personalities, not the memories and all that jazz. So, it turns out to be something like an ESP, superpower manga, but at the same time quite different.
In my opinion, though it's better to be original, being cliche doesn't make a manga bad. To me, how it is executed is more important, and the way RnK is executed is so unusual. And, let me emphasise, it is full of marvellous plot twists, as expected of this author.
The story is quite on the violent and cruel side, but not all as gory as Another and Kami-sama no Iutoori-esque survival manga. At least, it is not filled with friendship, hard wprk and victory idealism.

Art: 9

The art is excellent. I have no problem telling characters apart or what's going on. The art might not be the most original and could become quite unclear in action scenes, it is much better than Suashi no Metorite. You can't help but think this promising manga now developed into a full-fledged gem! It's certainly an eye-candy in a psychologically intense scene.

Character: 10

I think this the paragon of this manga!

First of all, I really love the male protagonist. It begins with him saying how talentless he is, but it is implied that he is not a 'no-good' guy. In fact, he's hard working and get something like 80% on his exam (which is quite good). But he's not satisfied as he's like a jack of all trades, not outstanding in any particular way. And there is a valid reason for this being his background... He is not your fluffy shonen manga protagonist sprouting pretty morals and craps. He's an anti-hero (and I like that) while not being completely evil and showing hints of kindness sometimes. He's a man of contradictions, probably after his past reincarnation, which gives his character quite a depth. I will just say though that he's an intelligent character, which makes seeing how he use his ability more enjoyable than other manga with stupid protag (*cough* charlotte *cough*).

Other characters, on the other hand, may be less original, but all of them are driven by a desire as desperate as the protagonists (that they can die for it) for the ability. The female protag(?), for example, is not annoying and quite relatable. Other characters took after their past reincarnations of famous personalities, which are quite interesting.

ENJOYMENT: 10

I totally enjoy this. Probably because I'm a sadist reader who loves dark stuff, revenge and broken MC (*sweatdrop*).

I, got into this manga simply because I found the sypnosis interesting (and the mc somewhat badass-looking). I only learned that it was the very same author as Suashi later. I admittedly had a high expectation before reading this. And it was NOT a let down at all. In fact, it exceeds my expectation.

Personally, I love this manga much better than Suashi. I think the author has progressed much further from his first work.


Overall: 10

This truly is a underrated masterpiece! A hidden gem! I couldn't recommend it more.

Saike Mata Shitemo (aka Psyche Mata Shitemo) sypnosis is quite misleading. You probably think this is going to be a redemption/ time-lopping manga, but that's actually the beginning of the story. This is about a guy with special power...And, yes, this is another ESP manga for you, but it's definitely NOT like some half-hearted ESP shows with screw-up logic (*cough*-Charlotte-*cough*).

*I've read 15 chapters (including the latest) so far...

Story: 9

The manga spends about 6-7 chapters on what its synopsis goes, and it did really well, and I felt it was even more relatable and realistic than other time-loop manga (i.e. ALL You Need is Kill). And, ... unlike All You Need, this manga doesn't end at succeeding at saving his friend's life. (Won't tell you more as it would be a spoiler). And, unlike the inadequate (though interesting) Charlotte, there are realistic details of time looping process. The manga captures the fact that saving a person's life is not so easy damn well. It would kinda remind you of Final Destination a bit.... (Not in a scary sense as this is a relatively heart-warming story.) Having said that, it has a darker tone, which reflects human psychology profoundly.


Art: 8

It might look like a lolicon art at the glance, but it's actually good -quality and I think the style simply takes after Shaft's Madoka kind of drawing. I can distinguish people perfectly well, and the character design is not exaggerated. Everyone looks cute and the scenery is nice.


Character: 10

The male protagonist is extremely relatable (at least to an introverted otaku like me). He is just your usual guy who initially doesn't know his identity or dreams or substance... etc. Not that he's an extreme doormat, he's just a disillusioned middle-schooler, cynical about society's phoniness and all. But over the course of saving his friend, he develops and learns to appreciate life, seeing the value of actively helping others. Ultimately, he decides to be a 'hero, and NOT in a crappy cliche Shonen manga sense, but through a logical and well-paced stages. All in all, he's a very admirable character who you can relate to. This manga guarantees you a character development.

Other characters are equally well developed and likeable.

Enjoyment: 10
I love it! It's funny and relatable at the same time. QUite different from most time-loop series I've ever experienced so far.

Overall: 9

A very interesting, realistically paced and psychologically profound manga with a shaft-ish art and a very relatable and likeable protagonist. I would definitely recommend this manga.

Ranpo Kitan: Game of Lapace is an anime based on the mystery fiction by Edogawa Ranpo, a Japanese alternative to Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes or Hardy Boys.

The anime modernises the setting to thge contemporary Japan, but still keeping boys as main detective characters. In a nutshell, it's sort of like BBC adaptation of Sherlock. So, if you like the series, you should also enjoy this anime as well.

Story: 7

Well, as with many 'modern-set' adaptations, the story isn't original because it's based on other people work. But you have to understand that you may find the twists and plots quite cliche and orthodox since Edogawa's work ... is heavily inspired by Doyle's mystery style popular at the time. Edogawa's specialty is pretty "ero, guro and nonsense," so if you don't like those themes very much, then you might not enjoy this show for its plot. It's not as gory as made-for-gore's-sake shows like Another or Blood-C, though.

Art: 7

Average for a 2015 anime. Not too terrible, but just 'acceptable.' Having said that, the noir colour scheme and lighting are employed very expertly, capturing the atmosphere of mystery. I also appreciate the fact that the producer applies theatrical stage direction, such as light casting and shadowing people until they are introduced, implying theatricality of human nature and all. There is an imagery of butterfly too, but so far (episode 3) I couldn't see how that relates...

Sound: 8

The sound effect is pretty mediocre,but I love both the opening and ending. Though it's probably partial of me considering Amazarashi is my favourite band, I do think that Amazarashi's song "Speed and Friction" is well-choreographed with the OP animation, creating this overall sense of mystery.

Character: 8

I think the cream of this show is the characters. Well, yeah, boy detectives are common enough, but these are not just normal boys.

Here, we have Akechi, the genius boy detective with quirky and somewhat cheeky personality, basically an adolescent Japanese version of Sherlock. This might sound unoriginal, but the original Edogawa work also intended to create a Japanese Sherlock Holmes, so technically this is not 'unoriginal.'
Then, we have Kobayashi, who according to the original work, is an adolescent boy, who is very good at disguising as a female. Hence, his character in this show is designed as an ultra-androgynous boy, who makes your eye bulge upon learning that he's a 'boy' in the first episode. Many people find his character to be shallow due to his lack of 'human' reaction and empathy, but I'm convinced they just misunderstand his character. In fact, Kobayashi is an interesting character in this aspect. I'm sure you're probably familiar with the pop-culture term "sociopath," or psychologically speaking unaffected psychopathy. Kobayashi is reacting to murders around him like a game not because he's shallow, but probably because of his mentality. Rather than striking me as an extreme doormat, he surprises me on several occasions.
Finally, we got a fanboy spectacled classmate, who is actually a son of a telecom CEO, who could be quite annoying but hilarious at the same time. There is also a hackneyed 'young and righteous cop,' though.

Enjoyment: 7

Well, it was good but failed to sustain my interest after that fluffy filler episode, so I put in on hold.

Overall: 8

A pretty average plot, but fun for any mystery fans with interesting casts of characters.

This is my first review on MAL, so please be easy one me ;)
**This may contain some spoilers...

Story: 10

ZnT has a highly original plot, standing out from the clinches filling the anime world these days. Why, well, it's about terrorist for screaming out loud! And not just terror in the name! Pretty dark, yes. Quite satirical, too. It might not strike you as unique at first. But don't let the poster (whatever you call it) fool you that this is yet another high school filler-filled show.
This is about teen terrorists who blend in a high school during the day and secretly plant terror attacks against ... the evil govt, but their lives at school are rarely mentioned in this show. If you are, like me, no-nonsense filler-hater, you will definitely love it!

The characters' backgrounds are even more interesting. The terrorists have their (psychological and ulterior) motives. Even the unlucky girl has an unfortunate dysfunctional family life. You will learn to understand (and maybe sympathise with) 'these' terrorists a little if not a lot.

Instead of revealing all the information at once, the plot slowly and gracefully unfolds. Giving pieces of jigsaw and hints little by little, putting you on the edge of your seat. I even fell for some of their red herrings! I love how every incident and minute thing would connect in the end!

The tactics and science in this show is incredibly realistic and relatively sophisticated, but not too complicated for laymen like me to understand (cough*mahou*cough*koukou*cough*)

Even though there are only 11 episodes, this show manages to pull off with out too many plot holes and end beautifully unlike most 10-something-episode shows these day.

Art: 10

Personally, I think the CG is top-notch. I am pleased with how characters look! Not to OOT but not too plain (with the exception of Lisa).

They also have this summer theme background. The vast blue sky and summer sun. It is visually stunning. Breathtaking. Powerfully beautiful.

The scenery has even the most minute details. I remember a cop's house scene was filled with child's toys in vivid details!


Sound: 10

The soundtrack and background music are undoubtedly great, suspenseful and corresponding with the mood of the show.

The OP and ED suits the story well though personally I didn't find them that catchy or memorable.

Character: 9

I adore both Nine and Twelve. And I don't usually like more than one character! They have no superpower, but superhuman brain power. Strangely, they manage to keep me glued to the desktop all day. Oh, and, that Twelve's psychotic smile! I even like the investigator and Five!

The only thing I find quite illogical is how rapidly and drastically Twelve changes because of Lisa. But it's true that he shows some interests (and care?) in her since very early on. Would that be counted as a problem with character development?


Enjoyment: 9

This is definitely masterpiece anime. Educational, suspenseful and worthwhile spending your time. Definitely not a run-of-the-mill crap.

Personally, I am not a fan of shows with no supernatural/ special powers, but I still enjoy this one very much and would definitely recommend it!


Overall: 10

Original and great anime! Fantastic art and sound. Enjoyable plot and characters. Highly recommended for those who like no-nonsense, unique and critical shows. Well, even if you like fillers or a bit of spice-of-life, it's still worth watching!