Toaru no Change of Plans

Akward anime is awkward..

There has been a slight change of plans in my anime schedule. I said I was going to watch Amagami SS because after having seen the first 2 episodes, it looked pretty interesting. But after I saw the 3rd episode I don't know what to think about it any more. I honestly couldn't watch the episode with a straight/serious face. Let me explain..

Dating Simulation.. gone wrong.

So Amagami SS is the anime adaptation based on the Japanese dating simulation game 'Amagami' for the Playstation 2. Even though I knew that beforehand, I was totally not expecting they would literally follow that game's structure. Now I admit that I have played a dating sim or two in the past and they're all pretty much the same, what does one expect..? Though, because it's a game it felt 'natural' and even then, you had control over your own 'character' and the choices that you make..

With Amagami SS being an anime you have absolutely no control (d'oh) so basically you're watching someone else's play-through for a dating simulation. As weird as it may seem, I could see a small possibility of it working out in some way or another.. IF the player / main character didn't pick the most horrible choices available.

So I pressed 'play' to watch the episode.. and early on in the episode I should have noticed the ominous dark clouds already, when the main character wanted another kiss on his brow.. and actually dared to ask. Quickly transitioning into that part of a typical dating sim where the main character has to choose a location to charm and appeal to the girl. Before I knew it, I was watching this dude get on his knees like a stray dog and kiss the back of the girl's knee.. and I'm not referring to the sort of kiss you would give to your mum or pet hamster unless you have some weird kind of fetish. And if the idea of that already wasn't bad enough, the sounds and dialogue were totally inappropriate and I just had to face-palm myself right there. I didn't know if I laughed because it was funny or out of agony and embarrassment, but I couldn't restrain it.

Wrap it up..!

I guess that shows how certain anime titles can still manage to surprise me after watching the first few episodes. The horrible part is that I only described 1 scene from that episode. I'm thinking it probably gets a lot worse later on. However, in spite of all the awkwardness and whatnot I do intend to finish this title eventually because I'm not going to drop an(y) anime for such a silly reason. It will just take a lot longer than I planned.

New Challenger.. sort of.

Meanwhile I have already picked up another title. One which I have watched about 8 episodes of quite a while ago but put on hold because there were more appealing titles at that time. I re-viewed it from the first episode though and I think I was drunk or something when I last watched it, because I couldn't imagine how I could have put this on hold: Toaru Majutsu no Index. The anime has two season and with 20 episodes watched of the first season, I'm anxious to see where it will go from there. So that's the revised plan for now.. and I'm calling it, Operation: Fus Ro Dah! for no particular reason whatsoever.

~ Ja Ne.

Gosick..?

The name as mysterious as it's content..

If not more.. call me oblivious but to me the biggest mystery in this anime was the title they chose for it. Anyhow..! This has got to be the fastest update so far/ever.. ..on this blog. Of course it's not that hard with the small amount of articles and whatnot, but hell.

So I just finished watching this splendid anime, Gosick. With only the last 6 episodes left to watch, it was only natural to watch it through in one go. This one was especially not an exception.. I decided to write a short review right away because it's easier and more relieving to do so when the 'feeling' is still fresh, so let's get to it!

My first impression can easily be explained by how I rushed into this anime right after finishing Ao no Exorcist, without finishing the review first (even though I planned to). Yeah, it's actually that good. It still doesn't match up to Steins;Gate's standards (henceforth called SG) but it's good and kept me on edge in a whole different way.

Storyline & Characters

Okay, I'm going to be honest.. I found most of the mysteries to be rather mediocre when it comes to complexity, whereas I was thinking "Even, I could've solved that.." However! Just because the 'mysteries' didn't consist out of conspiracies, complex chaos theories and whatnot - doesn't mean the storyline suffers because of it, not one bit! The story was rather cute and builds up at a comfortable pace. What kept me really on edge was the sort of 'prophecy' that was revealed halfway which had my dying to see what would happen and how it would all turn out. A single sentence, quite subtly given.. but it captivated me all the way to the end; genius.

The characters were absolutely lovable in my opinion and I honestly wished the best for each and every one of them. Well, at least the majority I guess.. Character development was heart-warming excellent and I for one, couldn't have wished it any other way. Some of the characters were actually so mysterious to keep me questioning which side they were on until the very end.. and that although in certain situations can be frustrating, it is something I can truly admire.

There's one thing however which is really subjective.. you either find it funny, adorable or downright hate it. With this I'm referring to how Kujo ("the male protagonist") has a tendency to shout out the name of Victorique ("the female protagonist") several times.. in a row.. even though sometimes she's right next to him. He also tends to fall into repetition with certain simple phrases and words. I'm used to much worse and it didn't bother me at all.. if anything I thought it was endearing but I can see why some people might dislike it.

Art, Sound & Animation

When the storyline is good enough and progresses in a comfortable way, it kinda lowers the bar for the graphical and sound aspects.. or so I think. If there was any song or sound 'out of tune' with the scene I would have noticed it because it's quite a big factor for that matter. This was actually the least of my worries as I was a lot more into following the storyline. The opening and ending theme fits the anime because it has a rather cute and loving feel to it, like Romeo & Juliet.

Art and animation-wise I thought it to be beautiful and well-put. It didn't had that much special effects or anything, but the genre and setting doesn't require such in the first place. It was good, seamless.. no oddities found on my part. The Victorian theme was a beauty to behold and made it stand out from the usual romance titles which often take place in and around school(s) environments.

The Ending & Conclusion

Once again I'd like to point out how the story captivated me to it's final conclusion. Especially the last two episodes had me clenching my teeth because I just couldn't bear seeing it unravel in an unsatisfying ending. Until finally and fortunately my anxiety was tempered by a high sense of relief. I think I'll leave it with that.

So the final verdict and I can be very short in that: this is definitely one of my favourite kind of anime/genres. Though it didn't stir or drive me to emotional bursts, I truly enjoyed the unravelling of this mystery anime.

Nothing New.. Yet.

Nothing has changed from the plan in my previous post. Going through with Amagami SS now unless I find something more urgent and exciting along the road. "Bla Ba Bla, Yadda Yadda Yadda.. Boku wa.. Kira desu." ^^;

~ Ja Ne.

The Blue Exorcist & Mysteries

1st Impression, a Foiled Title?

Ao no Exorcist.. I actually got to finish it earlier than I expected. As with most titles I enjoy I watch them in large batches if not in one big marathon. This wasn't any different, except.. My usual gluttony for episodes with this title did not occur out of the desire for wanting more because it was so exciting, but more as to have it seen and be done with it. I mentioned previously that it looked promising and it even though it really did have potential, I was saddened to see that it didn't develop any further. Now I wouldn't say it was a total flop because it's still really enjoyable if you're into the typical shounen anime. For me it was a subtle and nice change of pace from the previous 'mind-bomb' anime, Steins;Gate. Otherwise, I would have probably felt like I was watching another "normal" anime. Though there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it also doesn't offer much of a rising excitement curve.

Storyline & Characters

The story is a bit 'so-so' and plain. It's not so much the choice of genre and categories but more as to how they were performed and shown. It's good enough for a normal typical shounen anime, but to my regret it lacks a lot of depth for it to truly ascend beyond mediocrity. One can already imagine the storyline by thinking of the few keywords that define it's genre (e.g. Demons, Exorcism, Supernatural etc).

The characters were actually pretty entertaining, from the high-school delinquent main character to the reserved and somewhat shy female classmate. Character development is definitely present but not in substantial amounts or to philosophical degrees. Nevertheless it fitted the story and with that view of perspective I'd say it was really good.

Art, Sound & Animation

This anime proves that it doesn't take much to please me when it comes to art, sound and animation. The opening and ending themes were music to my ears (d'oh) or in other words subarashii! Also the soundtrack was splendid, fitting and inflicted me with the proper 'spirit' regarding that particular scene. I'm not going to nitpick with sound effects because frankly, to me it all sounds the same. It takes a really high level of depth in this department before I consider it above average.

Same as with sound, the art and animation were just right for me and it takes a certain amount before I consider it on a 'Da-Vinci' level. Especially art is one of the most subjective aspects, I couldn't possible dislike an anime for it's art unless it was actually drawn by a 5-year old in MS Paint. Art is unique and sometimes highly quality-dependent (e.g. try comparing the first episode of One Piece with a more recent episode, and you'll see the difference). So to me, both art as well as animation are solid and pleasing to the eye.

The Ending & Conclusion

So with all the above in mind what can I say about the ending..? ..to me, it doesn't really matter if an anime has a happy end or not. But what I want and expect from it is to be either a mind-blowing twist, something satisfying and fitting or just something that takes a hold of me and doesn't let go. After going down an entire road of episodes, of course the ending should be a big importance - and as with such I want something I won't easily forget if I even ever would. Now, I don't think I'll be forgetting this one any time soon.. ..but alas, I don't mean that in a positive way - and I think that says more than enough. It wasn't bad or anything. It was just.. nothing special.

So the final verdict on this title? I was lingering around a 6 or 7 but in favour to the new lovable character I met in this anime (Shura Kirigakure) I'll choose the latter. She reminds me a lot of Revy and a bit of Yoko Littner which I of course adore.

Next-Up!

After I had finished watching Ao no Exorcist, I already jumped into a new title on which I'm already over halfway. The anime is called Gosick and having watched about 18 episodes, I can honestly say I'm enjoying it a lot more than the previous contestant and I'm really anxious to see how it will end. I'm quite the sucker for mysteries and similar aspects and theories so I could have seen it coming really. After this one I'll probably be watching Amagami SS, what seems to be another high school romance title. It has been a while since I last saw a decent title in this genre. I've only seen 2 episodes so far, but the story - though awkward at first seems to be interesting enough. So that's the plan laid out so far, unless I get struck by another great mystery title.

Still need to get around to writing reviews or whatnot about the titles I have skipped mentioning but I'll get to it eventually.. All in due time, until then..

~Ja Ne.

>1 Year & Steins Gate

I'm Back..?.. I think..

It has been a while since I last wrote something here, more than one year already.. I guess time really does fly by when you're not paying attention to it. There were times where I have been thinking about returning here and picking up where I left off but I never got to actually put things in motion. Even though things still aren't going that well around here in paradise, I finally came back because of one big reason/inspiration: Steins;Gate.

What is this "new" anime..!?

So yeah, I just finished watching this masterpiece of an anime and to be honest when I first saw the name of the anime I wasn't expecting that much. However after reading the synopsis and finding out the story takes place after the events of Chaos;Head it started to intrigue me and arouse my curiosity. Other than that it was the art/quality of the animation that really appealed to me (from the screenshots I had seen). I suppose a name that is connected with a semi-colon should have gotten me to realize or suspect it had something in common with Chaos;Head but in my defence, the site where I discovered it and got it from had it up as Steins Gate with a space, so yeah.

Anyhow, with the above few aspects in mind I started to get some hopes up for this anime, yet still not expecting too much of it. Because after all, even though I liked Chaos;Head it certainly couldn't match up to my all-time favourite Code Geass or Higurashi. I never would have thought this anime could have knocked those titles off of their rightful thrones..

..It is.. My new #1..!

Out of all the series that I have seen, there were quite a lot that were able to move me, stir me or even brought me to tears. "Then again, It doesn't take that much for anime to 'move' someone like me emotionally - because as a true otaku I gobble these things up like candy, as I like to get involved with the story and characters. ..or maybe that's just me." But nevertheless Steins;Gate probably takes the awesome-cake right here. I don't think I have ever experienced this much emotion from an anime, without counting Naruto because of the unfair amount of episodes.. and even then I don't think it got that intense for me with Naruto.

Steins;Gate managed to bring a smile early in the beginning and even got me to laugh out loud at the quirks and habits of the main characters. A smile which eventually slowly but surely turned into a frown, a sad face and even tears. In my opinion it has all the ingredients for a perfect design in it's genre. An absolutely intriguing theory regarding time travelling and changing one's past/future accompanied by a lot of twists and thrills to keep the viewer on the edge of his/her seat after every episode. The humorous parts early on were (for me) the perfect stage for the story to develop and transition into the Sci-Fi Thriller which earned the honorary place as my new and first #1 favourite anime (before this the #1 place was shared among multiple series).

I might write a full actual review someday, but for now.. ..BAM!

Gomen ne.. Lelouch.. Rika-chan..

Needless to say I totally adore and am deeply fascinated with series that can do that to me. Hence why Higurashi, as a 'mindplay' title was always and still is high up in my favourite list along with all the other similar series.. (and of course Code Geass which was there for it's own reasons). But for now this is how it is and I'm sure this is how it will stay.. ..until of course a new potential challenger appears..

So.. what's next..?

Up-next is an anime of which up to this moment I have only seen one episode of. A title which in spite of all the scepticism and whatnot I have briefly observed looked like a promising series to me. Ao no Exorcist is the name. Again I'm not going to expect too much from it (that way I can't get disappointed) and from what I have seen so far from the first episode, I certainly don't think it will match up to Steins' standards. Nevertheless the animations looked great and the story seemed interesting and actually managed to 'grab' me, so yeah.

I never listened to/followed other people's scepticism and criticism anyway so why would I now..? If I were to address my 'watching behaviour' accordingly to what the majority likes and disregard the series with negative votes - I would have probably turned into a Narutard. There are so many titles which are severely underrated and do not deserve all the negativity, because in the end; "Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.." da na..?! ^~^

I am not a sheep.. for I am, Ferizo.. Mad Scientist Frantic Idiot "D." Otaku..!

In the meantime whilst I'll be watching Ao no Exorcist, I might update this blog with random posts about the games and/or series I have seen during my >1 year of absence. So until then..

Ja ne.