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People with wild imagination can relate to this anime. Just like the synopsis tells, everyone has their own little world inside their minds. It's not very acceptable to talk about them in the public, it makes most people uncomfortable.

It might be just that some people don't have this "skill" or maybe it's not as vibrant and strong. These people might have a hard time understanding people who have a really strong "world" (imagination.). Most strong worlded people learn to "tone it down" and they don't talk about their worlds out in the public. They might even end up feeling guilty if they get lost ... in their worlds, since it's pretty childish or a sign of lunacy.
We tend to encourage children to give up daydreaming. Most young kids, if not all, tend to be very imaginative and world-rich after all.
I understand that it's desirable to chase after knowledge and make ones life better, time is money and do you really have time for dreaming and a bunch of nonsense like that?
I can understand it, but I don't have to agree with it.


This anime is about a world shared with another person. It caughts you off your guard by how whimsical it can be since the anime aims to be pretty realistic with normal-ish voice acting and drawing style mixed with some possibly magical stuff. I don't say it's a bad thing that it's whimsical, it's actually very powerful. It sends the message "hey, what if?". If they would've used some kawaii-sugoii-moe artstyle and "anime voices" the possible magical stuff wouldn't have been as powerful.

I like how they made the characters somehow explained, like why is Juri the way she is? (boring, unreachable and a poker face) but since it's just one episode there isn't much room for other characters to develop. Most other characters are pretty much one dimensional supports, or the main protagonist who is pretty blank so we can project ourselves into him.

[SPOILER!]
In the end, it's revealed that it could be that they really didn't share the world in a special "magical" way after all. The ipod contained an audio where Juri explained her world, and it could be just Honjou listened to the song, fell asleep, track changed and he heard the description in his sleep and it produced images what she described in that track. You know how you sometimes hear speech, music or some other noises and they enter your dream and become a part of it? (my alarm clock often becomes a part of my dream and I fail to wake up to it.)
This possible turn of event is actually very clever. After all, it is only hinted that it might be this way, and if you listen to the audio, you notice there isn't enough descriptions to give a specific picture in to your mind what the girl is like for example. It seems that they saw the same exact world, since their drawings matched. You believe what you want.
[SPOILER END]

The ending is open for interpretation, like I explained in my "spoiler". It's subtle, it's sweet and I loved it. For once, they don't straight up explain what happens, why Juri "remembers" things suddenly, how everyone feels, was it logical or magical... Show don't tell and the art of not explaining every single thing seems to be lost with many other anime shows. This was very welcoming change of pace.


It's a small anime and it only contains possible undertones of romance or affection, but it mostly focuses on the fact that no matter how unreachable or normal some person might seem like, they probably hold a very rich world inside them and thus they might show you a completely different side to them that you didn't except to see.
I think this anime is worth a watch and I recommend it to everyone. It might not be your cup of tea, but it's just one episode, at least you can now write a review about it if you disagree with my opinion. Give it a go.

Yoshiwara Hana Oboro is one of those mangas that I just read for fun in the evenings before I fall asleep. This manga is really short so I was able to complete it. I have a few things to say about this manga...

[Some weird rant]
I know this manga is targeted towards young girls, and these type of romantic shoujos often have a similar thing in common: trust into shady people and they will end up being decent and loving. The love interest of our protagonist is an owner of a brothel, but he is a really good guy. Somehow.
I don't say that just because someone ... is a brothel owner that they are bad, or a scenario like this couldn't happen, but I don't know if it's really smart that these shoujos often make characters that are often seen as bad, and then paint them with a romantic rose color. (some other examples kaichou wa maid-sama, love interest is basically a creep or Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji where the main character ends up into a fake relationship with a person who only exploits her and shames her.)
The problems that could rise from these could be that young girls trust into wrong kind of people and end up getting hurt. It's great that they teach girls not to judge, but you should inform a police if someone stalks you, you shouldn't start working in a brothel, bad people who exploit you and say they hate you won't magically start to love you if you cling on to them and you should be on your guard around a vampire. I'm just saying, being safe is not a bad. Life is not a shoujo-manga.
Maybe I'm over analyzing. I mean, bad boys obviously sell? And it's not the medias job to raise our children. I said what I had to say, don't shoot me down for it. There just seems to be so many people saying that this and that is bad for young girls, but I haven't heard anyone bringing this subject up. let's assume for the sake of this argument that young girls follow examples from fiction and media, IMO these things can do more harm for your children than some sexy video game characters, but what do I know.
[Rant end]

AAAANYWAYS

Overall I liked this manga. It didn't seem to have too distinct art style, but at least it stayed consistent and there wasn't many drawing errors, at least I didn't notice them. Small details like tea ceremonies or historically accurate celebrations were an awesome plus.

The setting of the story is kinda rough. As you can tell, it's about Yoshiwara and it's brothels. It doesn't try to paint a beautiful picture, but it gives so much more insight what being a prostitute in Yoshiwara really was like, the good and the bad. There was pride even in being a lady of the evening in Yoshiwara. That part of the manga was probably the most well handled. Just like you would probably know, prostitute does not exactly describe a "working girl" in Yoshiwara that well. There was so much more than just, well, selling your body.
I liked the plot, even if it has kinda been done many many times before. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the last chapter felt really rushed. It made me go "Really? This happened?" and it was a small let down. It was weird that the main character forgot all about her goal and wasn't really bothered by it. You could argue that she came to terms with things, and that her goals changed but I think it should've been shown a little better.
The romance aspect of this manga was kind of a let down, there only some moderate amount of it. I wanted more.
And then there is the ending which was really rushed... I get the feeling that before the finale chapter, the artist got the news that the manga has to end and they had to rush everything and it really did hurt the story. That's a real shame, but I have to give credit where credit is due, when you compare this to other series that have to suddenly stop, it was handled surprisingly well. The story was finished and plot got sorted, even if some things felt a little bit too convenient and a bit out of place. You could see what kind of a direction the manga was supposed to take if it would've had more chapters.

This was a decent ride. It was nothing special, I wouldn't say this was a waste of time, but it was not a masterpiece either. It was short and sweet, and gave a different perspective in things. The historical setting was interesting and had great little details so it educates the reader. Those looking for something fun, but with serious matters and a fair amount of romance, this is a great read.

This short manga really hit hard. It seems like it tackled some real issues and events that some people might have experienced. At least it sometimes felt like someone had read my diary or something!

An otaku girl who is in love with a 2D-character... We've all been there. But then BOOM reality starts hitting her! How can she manage relationships in real life?

What really made my heart warm and fuzzy was how Koino (the main character) starts to realize how "real" and strong real life romances can be. How holding hands for the first time is a big deal and all...
It's funny because I ... used to be about the same age as Koino when I got into my first serious relationship. Kinda similar-ish events occurred to me and it's really strange. It's so heartwarming (and heartbreaking) to nostalgisize about my younger-teen years through this manga.

So... Is it any good? Now that you see my rating, no, it's nothing special to be honest. I tried to lower the score and be more objective so my review could be accurate for you.
If you can't relate to the manga, or if you don't like Shoujo/romantic manga's, then this is just an okay read. It's definitely not bad, and it might make you laugh a few times how it pokes fun at the whole otaku -scene and all, but it's not a masterpiece. I liked it so much as I did because my personal feelings and memories mixed in there.
The overall story is alright, sometimes it felt a little bit rushed (the developing feelings and stuff), but this is a really short manga to begin with.
The art is alright. Pretty basic for a romantic shoujo -manga... I Don't think I'll recognize the artist anywhere since they don't have a style that stands out too much, but there really isn't any other complaint about the art. otherwise the art stayed consistent and there wasn't too many "weird mango animu anatomy poses" in there, so the art was enjoyable, too bad it's really similar to many other shojo-manga artists...
The comedy might be the biggest selling point of this manga. Like I said earlier, it makes jokes about otakus and it throws in a few misunderstandings that are a bit tragicomic, but the story is still not a 100% comedy, so if you came for the laughs, pick something else. Afterall, this is a romantic manga aimed at young teenaged girls so there is other stuff in there too than just comedy. It's about ones first love and relationship. (or a second love in this case? Eh.)

Should you read it? It's not a waste of time, and if you got the feeling that you could relate to the manga or you otherwise like short romance stories, this just might be the package for you!

There wasn't many reviews so I decided to change that.

what can I say about this piece? It's extremely short, but worth the read. It's different stories about womanhood and obstacles in life.

The stories have very serious topics like unwanted pregnancies, self harming, eating disorders and the like.
Some of the stories take a bit more symbolistic route, but all of them are easily understandable. I noticed that I had to take a break after each story because the subjects were so heavy that I couldn't focus on the next story without thinking the previous one through. Thought provoking would be accurate word here. I don't know ... if some of these stories are supposed to be educational, I was a little worried about the eating disorder story, because it takes the whole "anorexic people see themselves fatter" and turns it around... I don't know if it's a good message for a person who is or has been anorexic, but I don't think the point of the story was to do that.

The art in this is different. Each artist has their own styles but they are all extremely nice to read in my opinion. Watercolors look very nice and it just happens to be my weak spot. The first story uses beautiful scenery and symbolism to make through a story about pregnancy.
I really can't say anything more. It's an art comic.

Characters... Well, we don't really get to know them that well since the stories are short, but for what they are, the characters are nice. I think they are supposed to be slightly blank so that people can find some resemblances and can relate to them.

this is not exactly a funny comic. I enjoyed the messages and the art, but I don't think that many people can find enjoyment in these comics so that's why I only gave it 7 on enjoyment.

Overall I think this is a nice comic about womanhood. There were some possible parts where men could relate to too, and I'm pretty sure that this comic provokes it's readers to think. It's a beautifull and simple, there is no reason why you should still ponder on whether or not you should read it. It doesn't take that much time out of your day, unless you stop and awe the art in it.

This used to be one of my favourite movies as a kid. It also made me scared of meat-eater-plants, octopuses and falling stars. Especially falling stars...

I may be a little bit biased with this one, but I noticed that there was not a single review for Moomins! I tried not to put too high ratings, but it's so hard. I already feel like I'm giving it lesser score that I actually think it deserves. Sometimes it's hard to be objective...

So where should I begin? Yes, it's a "children's movie", Moomins are targeted for children (which is odd since the original source, Tove Jansson, didn't emphasize ... them to kids especially...) but you can see a lot of mature themes and grim moments - I wasn't allowed to watch Moomin's before going to bed when I was a kid. Do I still watch Moomins? Of course! This is a good example of an animation that pleases everyone - at least I've never heard of a person who hated Moomins.

The lore and the world in Moomins fascinate me a lot. This movie is no different, and it serves as an "origin story" to the show and it underlines the tone that the whole show will have - except I remember that the show was a little bit more lighthearted, which can be explained by the plot of this movie; A gigantic star is falling from the sky! You remember when Final Fantasy 7 went grim and melancholic when the star was peeking from the horizon, soon to be crashed on earth? Well same here, except the gripping feeling is through the whole movie "Will they make it in time?".
The story is done well, it really gives you the feeling of a long and exhausting adventure, even though it's a short movie. The setting is build up perfectly for the show to continue where they left off, but the movie stands alone perfectly - just like the show does (so you don't need to watch them both if you don't want to.).

The art style... oh boy. I just love it okay? It's simplistic but detailed where it needs to be? That sounded confusing.
I haven't seen same kind of art anywhere else. I love how the hills, forests and other landscapes look. The colors blend together beautifully and give away a serene and a mystic feel in some way. Sure, the characters may seem a little bit simply done, but I think that's a matter of opinion if it bothers someone or not.
For it's time, it was really pretty and I think it has aged perfectly.

The characters are the weakest point to be honest, but they are still pretty decent.
I've always loved Snufkin (really? that's what you call him in english/japanese?) and he definitely shines in this one once again. I just think he is so cool, travelling all the time and being handy, friendly, few with words and mysterious.
The protag in itself is pretty neutral moomin, someone that the audience can relate to and look up to, since he is also quite brave.
I was often referred to Little My as a kid because of my short temper... Eh, people either love her or hate her.
But the blandest character... Floren. She is bearable in this movie, our heroes save her and her brother and she is pretty neutral, but in the show... She is just so meh. I never really liked her as a kid that much since she was too girly and moody in my opinion.
This movie has it's great, okay and meh characters. All of which succesfully entertain you and makes you feel attached to them. The best character? The muskrat (a philosopher muskrat) who lives under the bridge. His most famous line "Stupid woman - Cleaning doesn't help anything" is a bit of a running joke in finland.

and the music! It's awesome. Do I need to say more? (go google "Sumio Shiratori" soundtrack and listen those sweet tunes) THIS MUSIC SHOULD BE ON SOME VIDEO GAME OH MY GOD IT'S SO GOOD! (I'm sorry I had to.)
but... the voice acting. I really can't bear the voices in japanese. Maybe it's nostalgia, I don't know. Little My sounds really unbearable. I prefer the Finnish voice acting and subtitles. Maybe it won't bother you. It bothered me.

I think that I fell in love with Miyazaki's films because of Moomins. They are in many ways similar. And no wonder; Akira Miyazaki worked in this! He may not be Hayao, but the similar feel this movie and the show has is striking. Moomins are enchanting and enriched my young mind with wonder and adventures. If you love Howl no Ugoku Shiro or Majo no Takkyuubin, I think you should check out moomins.
This is a show/movie I'm going to revisit many times and in a few years I'm going to watch it with my own children.

(I'm sorry if my review is too hyped, I tried to tone it down. Moomins are my weak point and it's terribly hard to stay objective about them! I have notalgia goggles and I admit that.
You can see if I'm only talking and go watch it! It's only 1h and 15min movie! If you get hooked there is always the show too!)

I first heard about this manga from a friend of mine. I was excited since she is really harsh and critical so she must know what is a good read...
but then I read the synopsis. I was so let down, "this is so used theme!". I didn't like the main character and her original attentions and reasons. I avoided the series...
Up until I accidentally payed a crunchyroll membership I forced myself to take a good use of it and came up with Skip Beat. I decided to give it a shot... Before I knew it I had binged the whole anime. I instantly switched to ... manga where it was left off and so far I have always read it when I got the chance.

It's great. It's one of the best "shoujo"s out there and it has great comedy. I recommend the anime too since it did a great job at giving so similar feel and soul as the manga did, and that's rare. I often hate the anime adaptations no matter what.
It has romance, but it doesn't get boring. the characters seem pretty real with mixed emotions and unsolved feelings. This series won't start with romantic stuff, actually quite the opposite.
*possible spoiler* The main protag holds her grudge against love for a very long time. She eventually grows as a person and she gets better goals in life, (I'd say that's not exactly a spoiler since it's kinda expected of her, but sorry anyways) but you have to follow her undevelopmend-ness for a long time - but this time it's not a problem. I often get annoyed by shoujo series rushing their stories. *spoiler ends*
But sometimes even I get bothered by how little the characters and feelings develop against each other - and I have given a nickname to this series "cocktease". I actually feel like a schoolgirl once again when I'm reading this manga and something "romantic" happens, no matter how small and insignificant it is to me in reality, I blush when it happens in this manga. A lot. And that's a really nice feeling. It doesn't rush itself and I really get the feeling that the mangaka values more her characters than the whole "tell a love story" -concept. I ended up hating and loving everyone in this story.
I adore the comedy in this, like I said before. It's not some cheap moe or pervy-humour all over the place. Most jokes comes from the characters and their interaction. There is some characters though that don't seem as "real" or are somehow unnecessary - but some of them have had their excuses and reasons come up as the story progresses, some.
But.. I do have a complaint regarding the art. It's really beautiful and detailed, especially the eyes. I love how Kyoko's eyes have been made both in the anime and in the manga. But like I said the art... I'm not a big fan of extremely long leg -manga style. Sometimes it broke my immersion when there was a whole body shot and the legs were so damn long. Every now and then males had too thick neck too and sometimes the hand palms were too big too... I don't want to complain about something so little, but for me it did break the immersion. It could be a stylistic choice but it's a style choice that ticked me off. It's just me. But like I said the art is otherwise very well done and beautiful. It just suffers from the barbie- syndrome (long legs) like many other Shoujo -mangas, and it just happens to bother me. You might find it attractive and it's okay.
But I have another complaint too... And it's about the art. (I'm sorry). I sometimes had a hard time understanding where everything was. But it can just be me not paying attention. I just wish a little bit more background art.
Now that I've criticized so meanly the art I have to praise it a little bit more. I loved how the mangaka saw extra effort to some simple things like belt rings or buttons on a phone. I especially love the presidents mobile phone, I want one like that! So what I mean to say is that the art has some nice details.

I've actually awakened some desire to act within myself while reading this. A lot of the acting problems and settings seem somewhat realistic. If you're an actor you might consider picking this one up - but I don't know how realistic it is since I'm not an actress after all so don't blame me if I it's not realistic.

What can I say? It's a manga that exceeded my expectations. The idea and the synopsis are really simple, but within there is a nice story and a manga that hooks you up.
Actors are cooler than I thought.