Review Monthly Girl's Nozaki

sailor suits, not for everyone

Chiyo was a high school girl who had a crush on one of her classmates, Nozaki. One day she gathered up the courage to confess her feelings to him. However her confession came out a bit off and she ended up learning for that Nozaki is actually a popular shoujo manga artist and he thought that she was simply a fan of his work. Chiyo is quickly drafted into being one of Nozaki's assistants and learns about the strange little world that surrounds him.

Some times this show is a real wild ride

Monthly Girl's Nozaki is a comedy that parodies shoujo manga (comics that have teenage girls as prime demographic). Like most good parodies the show works best if you know a bit about the genre and itself isn't too hard on it's source material. In fact if you kind of tired of the whole jerk with a very well hidden heart of gold trope that exists in many shojo anime you might find this to be a good alternative.

the blandest bento

There is a fairly broad cast of characters in this show and since of them has their own quirks the show does come with a fairly broad range of jokes. Most of this centers around three would be couples so there is also a good variety in episodes. There are only twelve episodes so don't expect the relationships to go anywhere.

Overall I found this to be a really funny shojo satire show that has a wonderful cast of characters.

Rating the silver host club (Ouran) for being a really nice shoujo flavored comedy.

Fall season overview part eight Gotta try everything

While the post title isn't entirely true I am clearly above two dozen titles tried out for the season and this should be my last post of the season (only eleven weeks until this whole thing starts again) because I need to actually stop watching new shows so I can watch the new shows that I enjoyed watching.

A good librian is a good shepard

is a boy who never really paid attention to school functions but always loved reading more than anything. He gets drawn into some happiness project and it might turn out that he is the school's chosen one. This show feels like your bog standard harem show with a slight library flavoring to it.

Gundam build fighters try

Seven years after the first season the school gunpla club is down to only one member. Cue the mysterious transfer student looks like a dead ringer for Reiji to show up. This show feels as thought it could be a show as good as it's predecessor and even then it was a show that depended heavily on gundam fandom and being ridiculous in a funny or amazing way.

It's got to be twin tails

Soji is a boy loves girls when they wear their hair in twin tails fashion (what we call pig tails in the USA). One day he is approached by a mysterious woman who asks him to become a hero to save the world's twin tails. This show is ridiculous and and a bit fan service oriented but it clearly knows it is being ridiculous. Also the fact that the loli type heroine character is actually a guy makes me smile in an odd way.

Yuki Yuna wa Yuusha

Yuna and her friends are the members of what is known as the hero club. One day they are whisked away to a strange land and are made to fight monsters as magical girls. I can't tell much about this show from the first episode but I liked the visual cues in the show as well as the alternate world which felt kind of like a pastel version of a bones mecha show.

Parasyte the maxim

One night Shinichi is attacked by a creature from space and his hand is infested by an alien parasite. He soon finds out that there are other alien creatures and they are murderous. I found this show was a bit bloody but it didn't feel as gratutous as some other shows. I also like the character of the alien in the main character's hand. 

Fall 2014 season overview part 7 Hulu world

If you know me and this blog by now you know that I start with the crunchyroll shows first and then start reviewing the funimation shows about a week later when they start being available to non subscribers. It gives me some spacing so I am not overwhelmed (even when my timing is a bit more on point). I found some interesting shows in this batch that I hope you might like.

Rage of Bahamut

This is world of fantasy and in that world there are bounty hunters like Leone Favare who are out to take any adventure that offers them enough money or hot women. I saw the first episode of this and it felt like a good action movie with really nice animation. I feel this is for the people looking for another Samurai Champloo or Space Dandy.

Lord Marksman and Vandis

Tigre is a nobleman who is phenomenal with a bow but even is skill wasn't enough to keep him from being captured. However instead of a life in a cell he caught the attention of his captor the war maiden Ellenora. This show is a fan service laden fantasy show but one with enough action and characters to make this more than just a show with boobs.

Selector Spread Wixross

Ruko thought she was going to get her wish with her last Wixross battle but things went horribly wrong. Still she is saddled with her fate as a selector. When just about everyone first looked at Wixross they dismissed it as a Madoka clone but it was at least passable show. With a second season I wonder where this show will take viewers.

In Search of the lost future

Sou was a normal high school boy who had feelings for a normal girl Kaori.  One day Kaori gets hit by a bus but then the hands of time reverse and Sou is holding some strange naked girl. I know the ending of the first episode was supposed to hook me on the show but the characters felt incredibly generic and the show leaned on Cg way too much for no real reason except to be cheap.

Fall 2014 season overview part six pieces of the past

As the season overview wears on I start grouping a bunch of shows in that I think even remotely sort of look interesting. I can't really think of a theme to this group except for fantasy but I already used that this season and there are a couple more fantasy shows that I plan to look at in the next group. It must be the flavor of the season like the anime equivalent to pumpkin spice or something. Anyway as for my feelings I think there are two show I will not be following, a sequel that I probably will and another show that has caught my interest.

Hi-scool Se ha girls

This is the story of three anthropomorphic sega game systems who are going to a video game school. This is a twelve minute long show that revolves around jokes and references to old sega games. Not to mention the show is entirely done in CG so this is easily not a show for everyone.

Chaika Avenging battle

It has been a month since Chaika and her companions had their battle in the floating fortress and they are continuing to search for the remains of Emperor Gaz. Anyway this is pretty much the same Chaika that anybody who has watched the first season has come to know and you should probably know by now if you want to follow through with a second season before you watch it.

Akatsuki no Yona

Yona is a sixteen year old princess who has no bigger problems then her unruly hair and who she was going to marry. However her peaceful life is about to be turned upside down. This show is a fantasy show with set in an Asian world (it appears to be a blend of Japanese and Chinese elements) although there aren't any supernatural elements in the first episode. Many of the characters that aren't the main character are attractive men so feels like something in the vein of Fushigi Yugi. It looks like it could be an interesting show so I will be following it for a few episodes at least.

Girlfriend Beta

This is the story of several girls in high school including Kokomi who is in the gymnastics club and spends most of episode one trying to return a photograph to a french exchange student. Honestly other than looking at the character designs I have trouble seeing the point in a show like this as it lacks even the simple humor that even most slice of life shows usually go for. The thing is shows of this genre are about a dime a dozen and you will probably find a few better shows for one's ten cents worth.  

Fall Season overview part 5 Stars of Shoujo

I wanted to piece together a shoujo related collection of anime shows and this was the best I could do given what there is out there.

Wolf Girl and the Black Prince

Erika is a girl who wanted to fit in so badly that she made up a lie that she had a boyfriend. To keep her lie from being discovered she became entangled with a boy named Kyoya who is a lot meaner than he looks. This show is a fairly typical shoujo setup with a girl and her jerk with a secret heart of gold. It looks kind of average from what I say in the first episode.

Gugure Kokori san

A bio mechanical doll (or at least that is what she says) named Kohina summons the spirit Kokori san one night and the wacky relationship between the begins as even though Kohina says she wants to get rid of him Kokori san knows that she needs someone to take care of her. This is a strange comedy that might have some attractive men in the show but still works as a comedy for a broader audience. If you have an anime club this show would probably be recommended by a woman but the show should be enjoyable for just about everyone there.

Your lie in April

Arima Kousei was once known as a child prodigy of the piano until one day pressures of the craft got to him. However he meets a talented violinist named Kaori who might rekindle his dreams. This is a romantic comedy that feels like it is written a bit more solidly than the standard fare of the genre. I will be watching this one.

Sora no method

Nonaka returns to the town where she once lived and fines the magical friend that she left behind, Noel is still there as well as the saucer that floats in the sky. I am not entirely sure what is going on with this show but I can safely say that it is cuter than just about anything else this season.

fall 2014 season overview part 4 at your fanservice

I start playing catch up by watching four shows at once for an overview. I intended to have this be the shojo section but I found out that two of the shows I was planning on watching were shorts and I usually don't review those. So I carried on by watching some other more male oriented shows with one possible gem if you are the right (or wrong) kind of anime fan.

Fruit of Grisaia

always wanted to go to a normal school and in a weird way his wish was granted. However the school isn't entirely normal as there are only six students, including him and all of them have shady pasts. While this show does have a lot of fan service in it I found something compelling in the main character and the show's foreshadowing that makes me think it could be something more than a show like Rail wars.

Cross Ange

Angelise was a princess until one it was discovered that she can't use mana thus was sent to a prison and made to fight dragons on a mecha. This is a strange sci fi action show that has quite a bit of fan service in it (what is the deal with those uniforms?). It does look like it has some decent writing behind it but be warned, the ending of the first episode can be quite uncomfortable for some viewers.

Trinity Seven

One day Arata found that the world was different and the sun had turned black. After finding out the truth he was enrolled into a magic academy. This has all the makings of a silly harem show that I still think this might be better than Magical warfare but honestly that isn't saying much.

Shiro Bako

Aoi and her friends dreamed of working in animation in high school and now they are adults and seeing what that dream is like. This feels like it is a different enough take on the whole "Four or so girls something slice of life" kind of show that I am rather interested in seeing how this plays out. Besides being about animation studio I feel I might learn something about how it is made.

Fall 2014 Season Overview part 3 Generic triggers

I would like to start this article with a bit of an apology. I would have liked to have this post out a lot sooner than I have had but a combination of long work shifts, a computer blowing up on me and a sudden and crippling addiction to stronghold kingdoms have conspired against me. However I have a set of decent-ish shows out to watch or wait for something better to come out.

Joker

There is a phantom thief called Joker who does what a phantom thief does. One day while performing one of his capers he runs across a young ninja burgler named Hachi and ends up taking him on an apprentice. This is a phantom thief show that looks really childish and looks like it is a bright and shiny show that depends on humor.

When Supernatural battles become common place

Jurai Andou is a chunibyo in the school literature club. One day one of his outbursts caused him and four other girls gain supernatural powers. This show feels like it is just another light novel adaptation and feels like is a harem lite show without much in the way of originality. You probably know if you like this show or not before you see this.

Wlorld Trigger

One day aliens called neighbors came through a portal and attacked a city in Japan. There is an organization called Border who has powers which allows him to fight the neighbors and the main characters are a part of the organization. This show feels like it is just another shonen fighting show and if you have seen anything like Naruto and Bleach you probably know what is going to happen, at least in the first episode.

Fall 2014 Season overview part 2 return to fantasy

Now the anime shows of autumn start coming fast and furious and I will have some trouble keeping up with all of them. However I have noticed a couple of sequels to franchises I have liked in the past and it looks like they are not failing me now. Hopefully they can keep up with their good first episodes.

Denkai Gai

There is a manga store called Uma no Hone and all of the employees there are big manga fans in one way or another. Follow them on their wacky day to day adventures. This show is your slice of life comedy this time it takes place in a manga store. While the show has it's requiste four cute girls there are also several male characters as well. The show is decent enough if you like the genre but it is nowhere near exceptional.

Log Horizon 2

When the first season of Log Horizon ended everyone was still trapped in the world of Elder tale and Shiroe and his guild were still working to bring order to the world. As it turns out they are running out of money and so they are trying the daring plan of seeking the source of the world's money. As far as I can tell from the first episode it is still the same old Log Horizon and I think that is a good thing.

Fate stay night unlimited blade works

This is the tale of mages who summon the spirits of heroes and do battle all for the chance to have the holy grail grant one wish. This show starts off with a double length episode details what happened to Rin Tohsaka at the beginning of the show. This version of Fate stay night looks like it is getting off on the right foot and I look forward to watching this. 

Review Sabagebu!

Cute girls shooting cute animals

At first glance Momoka was just another high school girl going to an all girls school. One day she caught the notice of the ultra popular girl Miou who just so happened to be the president of a club in need of members. After some hi jinks and pressuring Momoka agreed to join Miou's survival game club which is all about simulated military combat. As it turns out Momoka is well suited for this club.

Nico Nico douga has invaded this show

Looking at it Sabagebu might look like another onet of those cute girls doing cute things sort of slice of life show. However looks can be deceiving as this show is all about comedy and the plot is entirely subservient to trying to make the viewer laugh. Most often an episode is sliced up into three segments which are just long enough for a complex gag and little else.

Miou does it gangster style

As for the quality of the humor I found the show to work mostly off of a slightly dark form of humor that largely comes from the main character. Perhaps the biggest twist to the show is Momoka and the fact that she is one the most self and twisted main characters in anime, especially for a show that is a set of cute with the activity du jour. However even if a certain segment doesn't work just like the girls in the show it dusts itself off and has another go.

so much for Urara @notyourshield

Overall Sabagebu doesn't try to do anything more that try to make the viewer laugh but sometimes that is all that it takes

Rating the bronze notebook (Death Note) for a nice show that stars a deliciously twisted main character.