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I have to get this off my chest, because I've never been so frustrated reading a manga in a very long time. I also NEVER write reviews on MAL anymore, but I HAD to put my feelings into words for this one because over time I became so irritated reading this that I just had to vent.
I love yuri. I got into it a few years ago but I haven't actually read too many yuri manga, so I've been binge reading a good chunk of them. I like the idea of a fun yuri harem - something like "Sorry, I'm not into Yuri!" is ... pretty good, for example - and I had heard this was "one of the best" so of course I had to check it out. I want to preface this, too, that this manga is not nearly as explicit as the aforementioned "Sorry, I'm not into Yuri!" although it does contain some sexual assault and an incredibly mind-boggling depiction of an indecisive and confused victim of such.

Now, this series started off fairly okay. I enjoyed the basic premise - a girl with social anxiety trying her best to fit in but ultimately failing, and then unintentionally capturing the heart of the most popular girl in school - it's fun, it's stupid and that's all it needs to be. Mai's demeanor and contrasting personality was pretty funny, and I felt I could look forward to how the series may deal with handling Renako (the protagonist) and her traumatic past wrought by social ineptitude. I love stories that handle anxiety well, and I wanted to see how it may come into play here, because the characters were having more intricate conversations than a lot of the other yuri manga I'd read as of late.

However, I was betrayed.
First, I want to point out that the school and characters' incessant praise for Mai and the pretentiousness that comes with it is genuinely annoying. It feels like nobody actually wants to be friends with Renako because they just care about Mai - and they know that Renako is close to Mai, so in turn they're just using Renako to get to Mai. You'd think this would be an actual personal conflict to Renako's character, but it isn't. She just jokes about it and moves on. I also just can't stand the whole attitude of "Mai is perfect and if you think otherwise, you're wrong." That is literally how everyone in the manga feels and it is asinine.
It's just annoying when you think Renako is going to get closer to a character, but it ultimately feels like that character is just another person in love with Mai and is just using Renako for that purpose. It doesn't help that all the praise makes Mai an incredibly arrogant and forceful character - which leads to the next issue that served as the first red flag for this story.

Essentially, there is a scene (which, btw, I have no idea what discussions of this series are like, but it seems on quick glance that people take issue with this too) where Mai sexually assaults Renako in her bedroom until Renako's little sister walks in. Renako slaps Mai, telling her to get out, to which she does. Okay, cool, actual serious conflict here. Mai was rightfully slapped by Renako for forcing herself on her. Awesome.
Just kidding. Not awesome - because now the story essentially frames everything as if RENAKO is in the wrong. Satsuki - another character and close friend to Mai - speaks to Renako on the issue and, while also telling Renako that she is a loser that doesn't fit in, makes it seem as if Renako is in the wrong for what she did, reinforcing Renako's ridiculous sense of guilt. Not only this, but now Mai does something irritatingly contradictory to her character - although she told Renako that she would never give up or break up with her, she immediately, while sulking about getting in trouble for SAing her, starts setting up "lovers candidate" auditions, searching for a new person to potentially become her lover. This forces Renako to feel she needs to APOLOGIZE for slapping Mai for SAing her, as if SHE were in the wrong. GOD it makes me so frustrated thinking about it, especially because Mai acts like the victim herself. This solidified that I no longer liked Mai, and I held onto the hope that the harem elements coming in later would improve my enjoyment.

I was wrong again.

I won't get into it too deeply this time, but Satsuki's arc afterwards is also frustrating. Her emotions are needlessly complicated and it's incredibly hard to tell if she has romantic feelings for Mai, Renako, or both, and because of that I have a hard time discerning her true intentions towards Renako - who to me, is more important, as she is the protagonist. It's implied that Satsuki cares about her, but she also has blatant moments of what is essentially a confession to Mai, so I don't know, man. It doesn't help that literally everyone in this is wishy-washy about what love is. It's not that hard, guys. It's SERIOUSLY NOT THAT COMPLICATED. I'm assuming this arc is where the complaints of NTR come from. At the end of the day, I don't get it. Satsuki is also annoying for circling back to becoming senselessly rude again, but also because she seems disingenuous. I just do not get it.

For this last portion, I want to say that I now find Renako equally as irritating as everyone else. Her nonstop insistence on this nonsensical, sloppily manufactured distinction between lovers and friendship becomes an incredible detriment to the series the deeper you delve inside. At this point, her absolute denial at feeling any sort of romantic interest in any of the girls around her is the most frustrating thing I have experienced in a manga in a very long time. She is constantly - and I mean CONSTANTLY - thinking these nit-picky, indecisive, wimpy, loud, and presumptuous things about any attractive girl that she interacts with to the point where she keeps saying the absolute most dense and annoying thing possible to said girl because she's so nonsensically afraid of feeling any sort of romantic affection towards them. It's even more frustrating when she is constantly telling Sena, one of the other girls, that she is her "angel" or her "number one" or that "her smile is her light in the darkness" or that she just loves her so, so so much but doesn't actually mean that in a romantic sense and will go out of her way to deny any hint of that ever happening ever because................ who knows. I want to put her in a chokehold and call her an idiot. I have never been so mad at a protagonist in a long time. She needs to shut up and just say the right thing, which isn't hard in her circumstance. Instead we get some boring compilation of "problematic" inner conflicts that at this point make no sense and only exist to keep the plot going. If Sena wants to go to the hot spring with you, just go! You're both girls, who cares?! If she wants to cuddle and you love her "sososososososo" much, just do it! What's the issue? I don't get it, man! I don't! And I'm stressed! And angry!

Okay... seriously, though. I am so disappointed with this manga. The character relationships are frustratingly wishy-washy, the protagonist has issues that are depicted superficially and without care, the dialogue and micro-decisions made throughout the interactions, especially by our protagonist, are genuinely infuriating because of how senseless she is. It's crazy how you can write a character that can convince the reader of this facade that they genuinely understand what it's like to be a socially anxious loser, only for them to actually not understand emotional conflict at all and instead will stutter and yell her way through unambiguous scenarios with simple answers. Ah! Oh no! I might see another girl naked in the bath! I should do everything I can to tell her I don't want to, even though it clearly left her disappointed!

I wanted to like this manga so bad, and I will keep up with it solely because I spent time reading the 50 or so chapters of it that already exist. However, every turn of the page seems to anger me now. Renako needs to change. I genuinely don't think my heart can handle it, in a bad way. Maybe I should just drop it after all.

Anyway, unless you enjoy an atrocious attempt at writing intricate character relationships with baffling narrative decisions and a bumbling idiot of a main protagonist that only retains the shallow facade of emotional ingenuity, I personally would not recommend this. I never thought a protagonist could make me so hostile, and I've seen and read a ton of stuff. It's been a while since I've felt this way. I pray that you spare yourself from the same.

What is there to really say about Potemayo? I honestly don't see how anyone could connect hateful words to this series. Based on the attitude or feel of the show, I can't point out any factors that I necessarily disliked. It's more like I can only point out what was left to be desired. Then again, I never watched the specials, so maybe those could fill in the holes left in my heart when I finished watching the 12th episode.

Potemayo is basically about a dude who wakes up to find an adorable yet odd creature in his refrigerator, and with this creature he ... decides to continue living his everyday life. Comedy and Cuteness ensue.

This show isn't moving in any general direction, mind you. As in, there isn't really much of a story to base a discussion on. It's simply a slice of life. It's the definition of SOL, mixed with a little supernatural. (Potemayo and Guchuko could be considered supernatural beings.)
Though, despite this, the show is very enjoyable. It's kind of like comfort food but... it isn't bad for your health. If you're feeling down or just want to relax, Potemayo is a great show to sit back and relax to.
The best comparison I could give you when talking about the feel of the show would be Acchi Kocchi/Place to Place. These shows are EXTREMELY similar and if you enjoy one, you'll enjoy the other.

The music is simple, but its simplicity is what makes it so pleasant. It consists of strings(Violin/Cello/etc.), piano, acoustic guitar... and that's about it. They mix well with the visuals and together they create a comforting atmosphere.

I'm cutting this review short because as I've stated before, there isn't much to say about Potemayo. This is not a bad thing. The show is simple and straightforward. There isn't anything bad about the series, you just leave... wanting more. It doesn't feel finished and it's one of those shows where you wish it were longer. You want more content. You want to see more snuggling between Sunao and Potemayo.

All in all this show is adorable and funny and you should watch it.
And with that being said;
Honi. Honi. Honi.

I'll start off by saying that if you're a fan of the series Baccano, Kyousogiga, or both, then you're going to love this show.

This series, in my own humble opinion, is basically perfection.
It took only one episode for me to completely fall in love.
Allow me to explain to you exactly what it is I feel about this series.

Kekkai Sensen is directed by Rie Matsumoto, who I personally see as a genius. Her directing style is extremely distinct and very unique. She has a wide range of creative camera angles along with her brilliant tactics into making something engaging or exciting. If you ... want an example of her work, watch Kyousogiga. That show is fantastic as well and I highly suggest watching it.
And although her directing style is super energetic, she somehow manages to make it so the show is easy to follow, despite all of what's going on at once.

When it comes to it's story, Kekkai Sensen makes great use of the world it has created. Countless things could happen in this twisted version of New York City. I won't tell you about anything that happens in the series, because honestly I went into it blind, and I wish for you to do the same.

The art is most likely the weakest point in the series, if we aren't counting camera angles as an artistic value. The only reason why is because the animation isn't exactly up-to-par with all of the other shows airing this season, yet it still manages to at times create it's own special atmosphere which continues to engage me in it's marvelous universe.

The Sound and Characters are both fantastic aspects to this series, and I emphasize the character importance because they're easily the best part of the show. I can't even tell you how fun it is to watch these people interact and work together. All of their personalities are non-generic and the director takes advantage of it's wide variety. Not to mention, there are actually about 5 or so voice actors who play main characters in Gintama! How much more fun can a series get when it comes to it's characters? (Shinpachi, Hijikata, Sarutobi, Katsura and Kagura, from what I remember.)

My enjoyment is an easy 10. This show is a marvel. Never in so long have I seen a new series be so eccentric and unique.
It's truly a gem, and I hope that other people can realize this as well.
I apologize if my review was lacking, since I'm more of a creative writer, not a critic. So my vocabulary and descriptions tend to be less varied when it comes to writing reviews...
Either way, please, give the show a chance! You won't regret it!

(OH, I MUSTN'T FORGET. THIS SERIES LITERALLY HAS ONE OF THE BEST ENDING SONGS/VIDEOS OF ALL TIME. GO LOOK UP IT'S ED, I PROMISE YOU WILL LOVE IT. THE OPENING IS FANTASTIC TOO.)

Garo: Honoo no Kokuin is one of the most perfect medieval fantasy anime I have ever seen.
Even more so that there's going to be another season and a movie.
And now I've placed it in my top 5. I can't recommend it enough.

I'm not going to give you a description of the series because the synopsis should be enough. The story in itself isn't too hard to follow and there isn't too much to it, but the execution of that story is what counts.

Story: 10
It's simple, yet solid. The execution is marvelous; it's exciting, unpredictable, heartbreaking, and engaging. Everything in this ... story is explained and the show doesn't try too hard to seem "edgy" (I'm just saying so because there's a good amount of death in this series), nor does it remain cliche in any way. I might as well include the setting in this section since it's part of the reason I enjoyed it so much.
It's a medieval fantasy, thus it's a world full of villages, castles, farmlands, plains, forests... all that great stuff. Although what makes Garo so great is that... it makes use of those settings, creates something beautiful with them.

Art: 9
The character art is very unique, and although it's fairly simplistic, it's actually very appealing. I find that the art style calls for more fluid action scenes, which it does indeed; the action scenes are exciting and VERY well animated. Even the CGI for the Makai Knights, although I'm not a fan of CG in a 2D series, is great.

Sound: 10
Let me start by saying; Keiichi Okabe NEEEEEEEEEEDS to compose more soundtracks! He's perfect for medieval series like this! (If you want to hear any more of his soundtracks, look up the OST for the video game "Nier" or the soundtrack for Yuki Yuna is a Hero.)
The music is VERY atmospheric and creates a sort of unique vibe that makes the world feel more melancholic yet beautiful. Before the OST came out, whenever I heard particular songs in the show, I'd keep replaying that scene just to hear the music. I've never seen a medieval series with such a perfect OST. After hearing this soundtrack, Keiichi Okabe became one of my new favorite composers.

Character: 9
Wow, the character development in this series is fantastic and it's clear as day. Leon transforms out of his naivety and into something more mature and understanding. Alfonso, as well, and even German! Each character has their own backstory, which are all emotional in some aspect, and you can really tell how the characters grow closer to one another.

Enjoyment: 10
When it comes to medieval fantasy series, you really can't get any more perfect than with Garo. It's a beautiful, well-written emotional journey in an atmospheric medieval world. I can't wait for season 2... and I highly recommend checking this series out. It was overshadowed by Shingeki no Bahamut, which aired the same season and was by the same studio (Studio MAPPA). (I loved Bahamut too, though!!)

Anyway, I'm not the greatest when it comes to writing reviews. (I'm more of a story-writing kind of guy.) So, I hope you'll give the series a shot after reading!

I'm actually kind of surprised there isn't a review for this manga yet.
I'm just going to make this nice and simple, seeing as the chapters come out pretty slowly and I don't remember too much about the beginning.

Story: 9
I remember I felt as though this manga had a pretty slow start. Not much romance was happening at all. It was more like, a long stream of steady character development, but it wasn't enough to hold all of my interest.
Eventually, the romance started to sprout.
And I love the way this story goes about it.
If I could find a way to ... describe the approach to the romance of this series it'd be... mature... and delicate. It's most certainly slow. And as I always say; The slower the romance, the better! (Slow romance tends to have a lot more development and meaning to it.)
The story is about a young, I believe 15-16 year old boy and a woman in her mid-twenties, who end up living together because the woman (Narumi) is working for his mother, who is a manga artist.
Eventually throughout the story the two begin to learn more about one another, and even start to change the way they live because of it.
For example, Narumi actually starts drinking less and less throughout the series because Jun told her he doesn't want her to drink anymore.
After a while, Narumi starts to noticeably gain romantic feelings for Jun, but she's actually partially conflicted to feeling this way, due to the difference in their ages. So she keeps it to herself, only to at times show her true feelings ever so slightly in situations that call for it.
The same goes for Jun, though he's a tad more clueless about his feelings than Narumi is.

Errr, I better stop before I end up summarizing everything that has happened so far.
The story is very good and approached in a well done manner. It's one of the slower romances, which means it's one of the better kinds of romances.

Art: 7
The art isn't the greatest thing in the world, but it isn't bad either. I'd say it's straight out "good" and nothing more or less than that.

Characters: 8
Jun, the main protagonist, isn't really why I'm giving this section an 8. I'd say it mainly goes out to Narumi, and a couple of Jun's friends, because they're all simply charming. Narumi is very well developed and it is interesting to watch her struggle with her inner romantic conflicts when it comes to Jun.
Plus she wears glasses. That's a big plus.

Enjoyment: 9 and Overall: 9
Kono Onee-san wa Fiction desu!? was a bit slow at first, and I believe my first rating for it was around 7 or so. After a while, it's grown to a 9, and a strong 9 at that. I look forward to every new chapter, and pray that it isn't ending soon, seeing as it has tons of potential.

You know what? Why not. I'll spend some time to write up my opinion on this show. And since there isn't much to it, it's going to be short.

Majimoji Rurumo is... nice. That's it. It's a nice, relaxing series with an overall... soft tone to it. There is some fanservice but really, it's nothing too severe compared to other J.C. Staff anime such as To aru Majutsu no Index or Hentai Prince.
I've literally given everything about this show a rating of 7/10. That seems like the perfect number for this series. I don't mean that in a bad way.
It's hard to badmouth ... this series if you understand what it's aiming for.

Rurumo is a light-hearted series about a boy who meets a witch. It's really just an episodic series based on their daily life together. That's it. And actually, it's pretty calming. It's one of those... feel-good series. It's not too be taken too seriously and yet, at times, it still manages to be fairly touching. It has its moments.

I do really like one thing, though, and that was Kouta's attitude towards Rurumo. He's a perverted kid throughout most of the day but, whenever he's with Rurumo he seems to lighten up and treat her sincerely. And it's a good feeling to see that change within him. It feels like he genuinely wants to see her become happy while living in his world.

Despite all the fluffy feelings I hold for this, there is ONE slight issue I had, and really it was only present in the beginning.
At first, I don't know if it's just me but, it felt as though... Rurumo and Kouta barely spent any time together. Like, there's barely any scenes involving both of them in the same area and interacting with each other and when there was, it was short and trivial. So... it felt kind of empty whenever Kouta said something meaningful to her.
Later on in the show this is fixed when Kouta starts to spend more on-screen time with her and, there are small dilemmas (As in, nothing drastic or life-threatening) that bring the two closer. The climax of those episodes tend to be heart warming and put a smile on my face, or had me saying "D'awwww..."

The sound creates a sort of atmosphere to the show that I haven't really felt in a cutesy series before. I'm talking about the music, which mainly consists of a guitar playing a... I hate to use this word again but, relaxing tune. Acchi Kocchi was similar with the music though that seemed to consist of more effort in the music than in Rurumo. At least, in my opinion.

The art was average. Animated by J.C. Staff, it was expected by me to have nicer looking animation but, it didn't. I don't have a problem with this, seeing as the level of animation fit the show nicely.

Overall Majimoji Rurumo is a feel-good show. It's not to be taken TOO seriously in terms of plot and, really, I see it as something to help you relax or put a smile on your face from time to time. Something to watch nonchalantly, I suppose you could say. A solid 7 out of 10.

I was bored one day, browsing through Crunchyroll, and came across Mushi-Uta. After reading a quick synopsis of the series, I gave it a go. It was different than I expected. Completely different. Though, I mean that in a good way.
It was certainly enjoyable, yet really the only downsides to it for me were the last episode, or should I say, last battle, and some missing plot devices that could have extended this show even further.
Let's get to it, then.

Story: 9
I shouldn't exactly say that there's a story to this show... it's more like, an ongoing conflict between two groups of ... people. One group is out to destroy the insects and create the fallen, while the other is out to save anyone who is a host to the insects. To find a place where they belong.
The "story" of this series focuses strongly on the relationships between characters and how they grow during the situation that they've been put into. So, there isn't exactly a main plot other than one of the character's goals that she is striving for. I guess you could say it's character driven?
The basis of this show is certainly unique and quite interesting. The way the characters deal with these insects is intriguing. And while it is interesting, it just could not bring itself to it's full potential.
There are some plot elements introduced that are just kind of... there. They're introduced and, that's really it. Nothing beyond them is explained or take action. Such as, the three main devourers. Only one is introduced and, what happens to her in the end is really hard to determine. Also, the ending comes along without telling us what happens to other characters, such as ones that have become fallen. Of course, the fates of the three main characters is shown but... no one else, really.
Other than the aspects that were left out of the story or left unexplained, I don't really have much else to complain about. It's a solid series, and it really pulls you in throughout the entire show, especially if you're a fan of romance and the relationships between characters. I'll explain what I mean by that in the character section.

Art: 7
I have to be fair, this series is from 2007 so it doesn't have the best quality animation out there. Though, I do have to say, the soft coloring and art of the series is very appealing and fits the mood extremely well. The action scenes were alright for the most part, and the last episode does contain some bad CG... that doesn't matter much since, there isn't too much action to begin with. It does it's job. The animation is nice and smooth, too. There just wasn't much impact to the action scenes.

Sound: 8
I won't say much about this, but I will state that I loved the soundtrack. Although I loved it, I gave it an 8 because it doesn't use a wide variety of songs. It uses a nice mix of violin, piano and even some saxophone, which usually I don't care for but it seemed to fit nicely in this series. I do love me some violin and piano though.
It certainly added to the emotion, though, as certain scenes felt more... magical, or enticing, because of the creative visuals and beautiful music.

Character: 8
If you've ever seen Darker than Black or even Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom then the main character may seem familiar to you. In Darker than Black, Hei is an assassin who works undercover, though during the day, he's a normal college student. Though over time, due to certain events, he begins to grow actual feelings. In Phantom, Zwei is a normal teenager forced into the ways of an assassin, but slowly begins to break away and gain emotions after the encounters he's had with certain people. Kakkou, or should I say, Daisuke, is extremely similar to both of these. The only difference is, he isn't really an assassin... though he does go out on missions, using his skills to take down insects. And during the day, he's a normal school boy. Over time, like the other two characters mentioned, he starts to change his ways and views on things after encounters with certain people. After experiencing a somewhat normal life. He begins... to care for others.
You can really notice how the characters grow in this series. Daisuke, Rina and Shiika, all change in some way or another. I only gave it an 8 because, well, they could have been developed even further and, at times their personality seemed sort of... bland. They're all experiencing some kind of depression, some kind of worry... though they're all determined. It's a nice cast of characters. Fairly small but, watching their relationships grow is certainly entertaining. Plus, don't you love shows where enemies (Rina is trying to save hosts while Daisuke takes them down) go to school together without knowing they are who they are, and end up getting close to one another? I won't say anymore. You'd have to see for yourself. It's really interesting, I swear!

Enjoyment: 9
I felt really attracted to this series... it had an overall... melancholic feeling to it, and I really enjoying characters like Daisuke and Rina. Other than the final battles which, I didn't really care for, this series kept me wanting more. I'm glad I found it... but I only wish that it was longer. Oh well...

Thank you for reading! Now, time for me to look through some of that soundtrack...

I don't know exactly how I feel about this series. I like it, but then again, there are some things I don't.
I'll just have to tell you something important before you watch this show;
It is not a harem.
Yes, the main character, Akamatsu, does hang around several girls at all times. But, there's only one girl in which the show romantically develops. This is a good thing, and although it's not a huge change, it feels different from the norm when it comes to romantic comedies involving several girls.

I'll make this a quick first impression, for people who are curious. I'll just ... say right now, this show isn't anything special. There's a lot of cliche involved here, mainly having to do with the sort of accidents where the main character ends up grabbing a girl's breast when falling over, and then getting hurt for it.

Thankfully, he's not necessarily dense. He notices and takes opportunities to get closer to Rino, the girl whom the show romantically develops. Although these aren't anything major, they're refreshing.

Other than that small difference, the show is an ordinary romantic comedy in terms of plot. For some odd reason, this show stands out for me this season, when compared to the other romantic comedies that are airing. I think it may be the atmosphere, which feels... I don't know. It just feels comforting, I suppose is a good word for it. It's silly and it's really not that serious at all.

I'd say give it a shot if you're looking for a relaxing romantic comedy to watch. The characters aren't too crazy or loud and neither is the execution or pacing. There are some scenes that made me laugh, but only a bit.

Don't come into this series expecting anything serious or unique. It's not. That's really all I should say.

Another thing I noticed that makes this show feel different than the other romcoms is it's type of comedy and it's lack of fanservice. Both I see as a good thing. There's fanservice involved but, it's not nearly as much as you'd think. It leaves more room for dialogue and actual character interactions in which both are fun to see in this show.

In the end, the show is average. It has its cute moments, and I'm glad the main character Akamatsu retains some sense of self in the end by doing what he wants, unlike a lot of dense main characters in romcoms. It's a good show, but nothing worth recommending or buying. It's relaxing, and it's good if you just want something to pass the time.

"Life arises from death. In order for the wheat to bud, the seed must first die."

This is my first time writing a review for a manga, so I apologize in advance if I sound like I'm giving this manga too much praise. I don't read manga often, I usually just stick to watching anime, so I can't compare this to anything manga-wise.
Of course, whenever it finishes, I'll rewrite this review.

Story: 9
Ahhh, The Grim Reaper and the Four Girlfriends. I'm not generally a fan of harems, mainly because I'm sick and tired of cliche'd ecchi moments mixed in with an impossibly dense ... main character.
Thankfully, this series is different. It sets down an intriguing twist to the harem genre, one that actually makes you think. At least, for me it does.
I won't give you a summary of the story, since you can read the synopsis for that.
I love this manga. I really, really do. The story is actually very enticing. It's also very well written. It's unpredictable, in it's own way. The main character is forced into this harem, with the threat of the end to his own life. Later on, after a couple hilarious situations he's caught in, the story suddenly twists into something even darker that actually causes me to wonder. The story is simple, but what makes it great is what happens between the characters. Which I'll explain in the character section.

Art: 9
I don't really know what to say about the art, but I find it to be great. The drawings are fantastic. (Of course, after reading Nurarihyon no Mago my expectations for manga art has been through the roof lately... I should probably fix that.)

Character: 8
The story consists of mainly 7 different characters. I'm just going to talk about one of them... for now. For the others, one was just introduced so I can't really say anything about her yet. The Four Girlfriends are all different types of girls you'd see in the harem genre throughout different series; The Yandere, the Sadist, the Genius and the NEET. Well, I'm not sure if "genius" is the right word...
The main character, Kaoru, is someone who I'd love to talk about. He's a smart kid, and I feel bad for him. All his life, he's wanted a beautiful and pure relationship with a girl. One that grows slowly overtime and becomes something... more, but not inappropriately. This is mainly due to his addiction to Shoujo manga, he's found his ideal type of relationship. Though, because he's a loner, after being forced to date someone, he puts four love letters into four random girls lockers, expecting them to mostly decline. (Since he doesn't talk with anyone. At all. So they basically don't know him.) Of course, to his demise, they all accept his love letters.
Thus, his hopes and dreams of a pure relationship are completely crushed. Why? Because of a selfish grim reaper who kills him, and then decides she'll let him live if he can "make something out of himself". And this dramatic change in his life really shows in the way he thinks.
I remember in one chapter, he points this out when he's with the Shinigami;
He notices his heart beats faster when he's with her, that he may be blushing, too. But then he realizes that this is mainly because any boy could feel this way from an interaction with a pretty girl. Then he also points out he should hate her, and that he does. He should. She's basically ruined his life, and she continues to make it worse by messing around with him.
I don't know where I'm going with this. The latest two chapters have caught me off guard and were fantastic. I could rant on about this all day. (Which is what it's turning into, so I'll stop here.)

TLDR; He's a great main character who's smart and knows how to deal with his situation carefully. He isn't dense, and he genuinely wants a sincere relationship with someone. He actually hates the person who ruined his dream, and for a good reason, too.

Enjoyment: 10
I love this manga. It's hilarious, and it has an extremely interesting twist on the harem genre. The story is actually very well written, and I have a feeling it's going to blossom into something brilliant. Especially at the rate it's going. It is serious, too, it's just some situations he's in are funny. Very funny.
The only downside is how slow the chapters come out.

I feel as though I went a little off track there in the middle. It's late. I need sleep.
Either way, I full recommend this manga to anyone who loves harems with a twist, a dark and serious twist. It's great. Seriously. Read this manga.

This show is one of the few this season that did not reach my expectations. When it was first announced, I was stoked. The PV made me even more excited when I saw the artwork.
I read some of the manga, but as I realized it was nowhere near as far as the LN was, I stopped and figured I might as well just watch the anime instead.

Many people see this anime as overrated, which is understandable. I see it that way too. It was hyped up as it came out, and it certainly doesn't deserve the hyped it received. The same could be ... said about series like Attack on Titan, which I also find to be overrated. So why the high score? I suppose I'll tell you.

Story: 8
The story is similar to Attack on Titan, which is why it's compared to it all the time. Basically, the human race is cornered by an extremely powerful mutant species, and they're trying their hardest to struggle for survival.
The plot here is a bit different, though. The creatures, known as Gastrea, are like zombies in terms of being created by an infected directly implanted into the body. Except, these things are nothing like zombies. Whatsoever. Which is good and bad in it's own way. (I'm sick of zombies, though, there aren't many good zombie anime out there.)
Anyway, the plot is straight forward with a couple of sidetracks here and there. Usually these sidetracks are to introduce more characters, such as Tina. This can be a good and a bad thing whichever way you see it. I don't really mind, so it didn't really effect the score. Though the Gastrea aren't actually dealt with until near the end.
The pacing is fast. Extremely fast. To the point where it may be way too fast for you. The pacing bothered me, but at the same time, I understood that it was necessary, since the plot for Black Bullet is huge and hard to compress into 13 episodes.
Other than the pacing and sidetracking, the story wasn't very original. There are several series with similar story lines, but I suppose the way it's dealt with in this show can be considered "unique".
When it comes to the ending, though, I was satisfied. I won't say anymore because... it may hint some kind of spoiler.

Art: 10
The art style of this show is fantastic. It's fresh, new, and the animation is flawless. Definitely fits the 2014 quality bill. The way the city is portrayed is also perfection, in my eyes. It has a sort of dark sci-fi atmosphere to it. Which is great, because I love those kinds of things.
Character designs ranged, from simple and bland to... interesting. I liked some of the children's outfits, such as Enju. Characters like Kisara and Rentarou had plain outfits. So on and so forth. Either way, the art is outstanding.

Sound: 8
There isn't really anything stand-out in this section. The soundtrack was good but not worth mentioning. Though, I liked the atmosphere is helped create. The opening is catchy and fits the show well, but the ending... the ending song is amazing. I never skipped the ending song, I could not get enough of it. Beautiful.

Character: 8
Again, nothing really worth mentioning except for the portrayal of the character's feelings and conflicts.
For this, my biggest example is Rentarou.
After a bit of time, Rentarou actually begins to question why exactly is he even bothering to protect humanity. He's noticed how horrible we can be, especially in the treatment of the cursed children. He doesn't like or accept the way we treat each other, and begins to hesitate. There's also his feelings near the end of the show.
He begins to notice that, after the amount of murders and deaths he has witnessed and/or caused, he's starting to become used to people dying. It's uncomfortable for him, and it would be for anyone, to realize that you basically don't care anymore if someone were to die either because or not because of you. This aspect really only appears in the last episode, but the show did a fantastic job growing those feelings up until that point.
The relationship between Rentarou and Enju is also something else worth mentioning. Rentarou does his best to give Enju a good life, despite the times their living in. He pulls her away from gory scenes that may effect her mind or lies to her to make her feel better about situation, as any parent would. After a while, there's a shift. Really in the end though. Rentarou then turns to Enju, after realizing his feelings for people deaths are weakening, for comfort. An example of this is a scene where he begins to cry, lays his head unto Enju's lap and tells her "Please stay by my side, forever..."
It was touching, and it was a relief to see the main character not shy away from getting close to someone like her. If you consider it romantic or not, it's your call. I don't know what to call it yet.
One thing I disliked though was in the end. A certain character has a sudden shift in feelings, apparently turning "evil". But why? I don't understand the sudden change in emotions. Just before, they were acting fine. Now they're evil? Please help me understand!

Enjoyment: 9
Overall, this is a good series. Actually, I'll give it the status of "just above good" as in, it's not quite at the level of great, but it's a little in between.
The action scenes are VERY fluid, I may add, the there's many unpredictable twists and turns that lead to the deaths of certain characters. Trust me, it's not just random, merciless deaths like in Attack on Titan either. I promise.

Overall, this series receives an 8/10.
If you're looking for a sci-fi survival action series with outstanding animation and good action, look no further. It's fast-paced, but it's definitely entertaining in it's own, unique way.
(Plus there's a lot of emotional scenes that actually had me tearing up, and at one point I found myself crying like a baby, and I wasn't really sure why it had effected me so strongly.)