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Ah, the good old days of renting anime OVA from your local video store, back when you just picked up something because the cover looked appealing, and you were young and didn't care how good or bad it was, as long as it was anime. That's pretty much how I ended up watching Twilight of the Dark Master. I was but a young lass, and for weeks I stared at the front cover of the VHS (the older one with the main characters profile gazing at the grimace of a very discontented looking woman), and just knew that my mom wasn't going to ... let me take this one home. So, I asked my grandma. Success!

So is Twilight of the Dark Master worth watching. Well, if you like older 90's anime and don't need an in-depth backstory to fill in the gaps, then yes. Although, I honestly think that anyone who watches anime could enjoy this. It isn't the best OVA, but it's entertaining. So let's break this down, shall we?

Starting off with the story. In a nutshell, the story is about a woman, Shizuka, who's fiance, Eiji, turns into a demon and she seeks the assistance of a Guardian, or demon hunter, named Tsunami, to find and kill it. It's not a very original story, and even as things are gradually explained throughout Tsunami's investigation, there were still some loose ends, or just very vague ideas. Like, why and how was Eiji turned into a demon in the first place? How much time had passed since he turned into a demon? Who exactly is this mysterious antagonist, Takamiya? Is that a clitoris?!?! Whoah.....did a head just pop out of that clitoris?? Seriously, this OVA is 45 minutes long and there is so much information packed into it, but it wasn't long enough to explain everything. I'm going on 30 and I'm still wondering about the clitoris.

And we have our characters. Throughout the OVA a lot of different names will be dropped frequently, and you might be trying to remember who these names belong to. Except for Huang and Chen Long, because even if we never learned their names, we would still remember the borderline incestuous relationship between these twins. But everyone else is just a face. There isn't much characterization or development, and everyone seems pretty bland.

The art, however, is pretty good. I'm very fond of this style of anime character design, it's very nostalgic for me and reminds me of why anime was so captivating for me as a kid. The animation is decent, a tad bit jerky or stiff at times, but nothing worth complaining about.

The soundtrack was interesting. It had so many different tones and vibes that I think this, alone, was the highlight of this OVA. I found myself focusing on the background music quite a bit, and each track fit nicely with it's corresponding scene.

Some may consider this gory and sexual. While there is nudity, fan service, and....a clitoris...?....I'd say the gore is sub-par, and would tone it down to just bloody and violent. Perhaps in 1998 this was considered gory?

But all in all, Shihaisha no Tasogare, or Twilight of the Master, is an enjoyable watch. So, I give it a 7/10.

A prologue to Barakamon, Handa-kun gives fans of the first series a peek into Handa Sei's life as a high school student before he became the arrogant yet insecure calligrapher we came to know and love.

First off, what's wrong with Handa-kun? Lots of things, when you compare it to Barakamon. While the previous series allowed us to experience Handa's journey as he discovered different aspects of himself and his work in a very comedic and inspiring way, Handa-kun imply reminds us in each and every episode that Handa is incredibly insecure, overly anxious, and surrounded by idiotic Handa-worshipers who read into everything way ... too much and, in their pursuit of making Handa happy, actually make him pretty miserable.


Putting that aside, Handa-kun will make you laugh, or at least chuckle. It was easier for me to enjoy this series after I told myself this isn't meant to be like Barakamon, it's just a ridiculous high school slice of life comedy that's supposed to show the ridiculous antics of Handa's class mates and how their over enthusiasm affects Handa.

There is no development until the last episode, and I can't even call it development, it was more like someone finally popped the bubble and said "Hey, no one actually hates you!"

The art isn't as good as Barakamon, it actually looked like it took a step down.

The characters were stupid, I'm not kidding here, they were dumb. The only smart one was Kawafuji, but he was barely in the series....

I didn't commit to the series, it took me months to watch all 12 episodes, unlike Barakamon, which I committed to all night and part of a day. It doesn't really add to Barakamon's story, it barely even touches on Handa and Kawafuji's friendship, and if you watched Barakamon and never even considered to watcha Handa-kun, you wouldn't be missing a thing.

In the end, it wasn't all that bad. I laughed, and I even related to Handa (not so much on the popularity scale, but the walls and teen anxiety). Watch it if you want, but you don't have to.....

I love horror, but find it difficult to enjoy most horror anime as they are either too over the top, or the animation doesn't give that eerie vibe. Yami Shibai was a refreshing take from the blood splatters, with short but effective story telling, very much like camp ghost stories with paper puppets.

Each episode is a stand alone story, no more than 3 or 4 minutes long, focusing on a particular person who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The stories mostly deal with ghosts, spirits and unknown creatures, never really clarifying exactly what is ... happening, which only adds to the eerie confusion and fear of the unknown and unexplainable.

The art and animation are brilliant for this series and type of story telling, completely surprising the audience by not using the typical anime-style designs and going for more story book type illustrations that reminded me of Junji Ito in some ways. The characters move similar to stick puppets, bobbing and floating along according to the storytellers desire. It really makes you feel like you are actually witnessing the 5 o'clock puppet show in the beginning of each episode.

Everyone sounds like a normal person, no over hyped voice acting and the characters are portrayed well. Tension is done well, the darkness and quiet of the series further adds to the atmosphere. Episode 4 really had me holding my breath.

I don't easily scare so none of the episodes managed to make me jump like it did for some, but I still enjoyed the overall creepiness of this show. Because the episodes are around 4 minutes long I was able to enjoy it in one shot without putting off any daily responsibilities. It was fun watching it alone, but I think it'd be even more fun watching with kids or a friend who scares easily.

Komaneko: The Curious Cat is a simple, quiet, and charming stop motion film comprised of a few short stories that revolve around a kitten who enjoys arts and crafts and recording things with his camera. There is no dialogue, aside from Komaneko's occasional "nyaa!", it's just cute music and adorable animation with cute stories that are mainly about friendship.

The main reason why I like this film so much is because it used stop motion animation, which is my favorite, and because there is no dialogue. The quiet and slow pacing makes it relaxing to watch, and at times very much like ... watching an ASMR video, if you are familiar with that. I actually didn't get through this hour long film the first time I watched it because it put me to sleep, but then again it was very late and I had initially put it on to amuse my son, who was wired and refused to lie down. Komaneko did the trick. As soon as he saw the kitten moving about on screen he calmed down and within moments leaned his head onto my chest and that was it. I could have simply shut it off but I was getting into it, until I eventually dozed off myself.

I'd say Komaneko is suitable for quiet movie time. It actually reminded me of the old stop motion Christmas Specials I used to watch every year on TV, like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and A Year Without A Santa Clause. So if you like quiet stop motion shorts that will make your kids shut up so you can get some rest, this may be a good choice.

I knew nothing about Makai Tenshou except that a lot of people who had seen it were either disappointed because they thought it was a sequel to Ninja Scroll, or disturbed by the amount of violence and gore they had to endure in just two 35 minute episodes. Given that it only comprises of two episodes, I was expecting a short, straightforward and rushed story, like Curse of the Yoma or something, and that would have been perfect if that had been the case. Seems to me like they had more episodes planned but the reception was just so bad that they didn't ... even bother to keep going.

Now, that doesn't mean Makai Tenshou, or Ninja Resurrection, is not....enjoyable. I enjoyed myself, although I admit I could have chosen something better to waste my limited free time. The story is decent, not great, but not bad, but I like cultural-religious period pieces so the base of the story revolved around the Tokugawa and the rise in Christianity appealed to me. Add some ninjas and supernatural forces and you've got a promising plot, right? Well, maybe you could have had the series not ended right when ish was about the hit the fan. I was actually interested in what might had happened between Jubei and Shiro, and wondered how other introduced problems and suspicions related the the whole.

The art was okay. If you're not accustomed to earlier anime from the mid/late 90s then the art may not appeal to you, but I grew up with 90s anime so it was all very natsukashii. The animation was smooth and the fight scenes didn't look choppy or awkward.

If you like gore and dismemberment, you'll get more than enough. I've definitely seen worse in other anime, like Genocyber and Corpse Party, but I can see why some viewers found it disturbing or uncomfortable. There are a few scenes that made me say "What the....did it have to be done that way???". If you watch it, you'll see for yourself, I don't want to ruin the surprise.....but there is rape, as a forewarning.

The music is whatever, I don't pay much attention to background music, but it was typical for a Feudal Era anime with all the brass instruments and short but quick notes. Don't expect any traditional inspired intro or outro.

I can't say much for characterization because you don't get to know anyone. You learn about Jubei a bit, you get an idea of whats going on with Shiro and his followers, and you are suddenly introduced to some new characters who seem interesting but cliche. Like I said...had there been more episodes, who knows....

Overall, I gave Makai Tenshou a 5. I expected something REALLY bad and awful, but after watching it, knowing that it is NOT related to Ninja Scroll, I was surprised that I was able to stomach it and actually wonder. It's not great, but it's not so horrible either. I suspect so many bad reviews came from high expections, and maybe because mine were so low that I found it mildly enjoyable.

So, if you like ninjas, blood, intestines, and have problems with commitment, have a good, or bad, time with this one.

Non Non Biyori is one of those rare anime (for me anyway) that I can watch over and over and still love it. The story is so simple, so perfectly enjoyable and heartwarming. It's a pure and innocent show that makes it perfect for family viewing and can often be inspiring, making you want to rediscover your connection with nature and grab your childhood by the horns.

The series has no particular plot, it jumps around the year, moving with the seasons. It beautifully displays the four seasons and creates the nostalgic feelings we often experience, even more so as we watch the ... characters enjoy each season to its fullest, from jumping into rivers to making igloos.

All of the characters are lovable as you quickly get to know them in each episode, learning more and more about them. Watching the four girls play and discover never becomes boring. They do simple, everyday things, but their personalities and relationships with each other make even the most normal tasks enjoyable to watch. The humor is very lighthearted, it's almost impossible to not smile throughout each episode.

I really can't say anything bad about Non Non Biyori. For me, it was the perfect anime. I can watch alone, with my family, over and over. I fell in love with it, with it's characters, and it's setting almost instantly. Whenever someone asks for a recommendation for a slice of life anime, I ALWAYS mention Non Non Biyori. If you want a relaxing, enjoyable, nostalgic and entertaining show, this is where it' at.

After years and years of avoiding Devilman, I finally gave in. I spent my summer watching the three OVA's, read the manga, along with Devilman Lady, and, wanting more, pursued the Devil Lady series. It wasn't enough. The two episode OVA from the 80s left me hungry and unsatisfied. I wanted more. I scoured the internet in search of some ray of light that would guide me to a beacon of hope with promises that a new series was on the way. Nothing.

Ah, but how the weather changes. When I had given up and moved on, I caught ... wind of Devilman Crybaby and almost cried tears of joy. Finally! It was finally going to happen! I was so anxious, I didn't know what to expect, how much would be changed, and I did my best to prepare for this moment by keeping an open mind about his new adaptation.

Honestly, after the first two episodes, I was disappointed. I loved the animation, the score, the character designs and the modern twist, but I just couldn't get with the twerking butts and the flopping tits, just to name a few. I wasn't prepared for the massive close up of a butt jiggling all over my screen. I just wasn't ready for that. I debated whether or not to continue, feeling that the over abundance of raunchiness was too much, but I ventured on. After the first episodes the nudity and sexuality does tone down a bit before it hits you again once or twice a few episodes later. Sometimes I felt like certain scenes were unnecessary, while others did add to the story and show Akira's growth as a character, and explained some relationships between other characters. The pacing was a little odd at first, sometimes cuts felt a little awkward, like it just stopped too suddenly, but I quickly adjusted once I figured out what was going on.

Beyond that, I was satisfied with this anime as a whole. Visually, it's gorgeous, if you like stylized anime, the modern setting made it easy to relate to. Even though some parts were left out, or barely mentioned, they were replaced with other side stories that didn't take away from the story and helped smooth any uncertain kinks or confusions the original manga had left me with.

I knew how the story ended, yet the series did a good job of keeping me in anticipation of seeing how things would unfold and who would be victorious. I was pleased with the outcome and felt a bittersweet feeling afterwards, satisfied and no longer hungry.


Now...I'm ready for a remake/reboot of Devilman Lady....please.

For years I avoided watching Jigoku Shoujo because the description sounded unimpressive and redundant. I was somewhat correct in my assumptions. Jigoku Shoujo is enjoyable, but the repetitiveness in each episode quickly gets boring. Each episode stands alone, focusing on unrelated characters and situations that focus on bullying, deceit, abuse, blackmail, etc, and the inevitable premise due to the victims decision to pursue vengeance by sending their tormentor straight to hell at the cost of their own soul being destined for hell as well.

Ai Enma's role is fairly small, despite being the focus of the series, and her major role ... is to simply do her job without question. Things only shift almost halfway into the series when a reporter gets involved and takes it upon himself to stop Ai, and somehow persuade these damaged individuals to not enter the covenant with Ai by pulling the thread. This, too, gets a tad bit redundant after a while, but I stuck with the series, somewhat bored with the pattern, but still intrigued with the personal cases in each episode.

What does make this series worth sticking with are the individual cases in each episode. They're stand alone stories, and some of them are actually very good and gripping. The series does a good job creating tension between the characters and using a variety of methods to display different types of evil, or sins, that are worthy of a boat ride to hell. One thing the series definitely impressed me with is creating that eerie feeling of sacrificing your own soul for instant gratification, and how some people are desperate enough to escape a situation so badly that they would deliberately damn themselves. At the end of many episodes I found myself reflecting, "Would I have pulled the thread if I was in their shoes?"

It took me a while to finish the first season, like a few weeks, because I didn't feel the need to keep going after each episode so I took my time and watched it when I felt like it, which was usually while knitting. I'm hesitant to start the second season, but I heard that the pace has been varied and that it's better than the first.

Overall, Jigoku Shoujo is a good watch if you don't want cliffhangers, or just need a series to work as a filler between other shows.