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Although I really love both anime and music, music-themed anime has always seemed to let me down. From over-dramatic and sappy Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (which I absolutely loathe) to all-flash-and-no-substance idol series like Uta no Prince-Sama and Love! Live The School Idol Project (as well as shows like Kiniro no Corda which fall somewhere in-between), music anime often fails to convey what music is really all about. Regardless of how many times I've heard all these characters say how much they love music and how it brings them together, I've always had a really hard time believing them. Until now, that is.

Since ... Sakamichi no Apollon is a music-themed anime which relishes in its simplicity and realism, its story is far easier to believe and its characters are far easier to relate to (compared to all the other shows in this category). Although I grew up loving the magical girl genre (and other crazy supernatural stuff like vampires), I can definitely appreciate anime that is far more grounded in reality when it is done as masterfully as Kids on the Slope.

From the unique and understated art and animation to a color palette that is extremely vibrant yet also realistic, everything about this anime is beautifully subtle. Although the emphasis on a more traditional Japanese lifestyle as well as a setting involving a slope and a seaside town in the 1960s initially reminded me of Studio Ghibli's "From up on Poppy Hill", Kids on the Slope is far more complex and interesting, hence also far more entertaining.

Despite being able to draw this comparison, I still found the setting of the story to be extremely refreshing, for there are only so many slice-of-life shows set in city schools you can take before getting bored. Additionally, this anime did not revolve around idols (like UtaPri and Love! Live) or classical music (like Kiniro no Corda or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso), but instead decided to focus on jazz - a music genre that is often underrated and somewhat neglected in our day and age. While I would personally listen to classical music, JPOP, rock, or any other genre before jazz on any given day, I know not to judge a book by its cover and to always keep an open mind (especially when it comes to anime).

It is perhaps for this reason that I was pleasantly surprised by the actual jazz music used in this show as well as the fact that I enjoyed an anime focusing on my least favorite music genre way more than I did those that focused on genres I actually like. As such, I think it's safe to say that you don't need to know anything about jazz (or even be a fan of it in the slightest) to be able to enjoy and appreciate this series. Furthermore, this anime is super inclusive when it comes to music and features classical pieces like "Clair de Lune" from Debussy as well as songs from The Beatles and even The Sound of Music. Additionally, the use of JPOP is almost inevitable when it comes to anime openings and endings. While I wasn't a fan of the opening initially, it did grow on me over time and seemed rather fitting for the general mood and tone of the series. The ending, on the other hand, made me happy from the first time I heard it, for I immediately recognized Motohiro Hata's voice (which I first heard in Kotonoha no Niwa and have been in love with ever since).

Another positive aspect involving the sound of this series is of course the voice acting. Although none of my personal favorites were featured here, I still think that all of the seiyuu did a pretty good job and managed to convey the emotions and personalities of their characters really well. I could also hear some regional accents going on (which are always hard to pull off in any language) and I can only presume that they were done well, for if a foreigner with no knowledge of Japanese can recognize them, then so can the actual Japanese.

As mentioned above, this anime is rather subtle and understated in many ways (especially when compared to most of the other shows we've had recently). However, even if there are no crazy hair colors or fancy special effects, the animation still feels pretty sleek and modern. Despite being initially skeptical about it given how the flying music notes in the opening seemed to resemble those from Your Lie in April and the somewhat flat character designs seemed to echo Studio Ghibli (both of which things I actually hate), I was pleasantly surprised by how great and unique the animation actually was. Although at times it seemed more like a Western style of animation rather than a Japanese one, this would obviously fit with the more "Western" music genres (like jazz and rock) that the anime was supposed to portray really well, so it also felt appropriate and refreshing.

Perhaps the only thing more accurate than the pacing of the animation and the "camera angles" was the actual pacing of the story. While seemingly simplistic and relaxed, the plot does have plenty of drama here and there (which almost always seems believable and never over-the-top) and often delves into darker topics involving family issues and personal struggles. If you also happen to like love triangles then you're in for a treat, as there is not only one but two of them, with both eventually transforming into some sort of hexagon. While I don't normally care for such complicated relationships, it was definitely a nice break from the generic harem and reverse-harem setups which are lacking both in purpose and imagination and unfortunately also happen to be pretty much everywhere today.

From its clever use of music and animation to its enthralling pacing and storytelling, it's been a while since I've seen an anime that combines tradition and nostalgia with modernity and innovation quite so well. It's been even longer, however, since I've watched an anime that could actually make me believe its not-so-ridiculous setups and plot devices and therefore also often make me feel "warm and fuzzy" inside.

While I understand that the themes of music and relative realism may not be for everyone, I still think that everyone should give this anime a try. As someone who had almost completely given up on music anime and then suddenly found this little gem and fell in love with it, I think there's definitely hope left not only for the genre itself, but also for anyone who watches it expecting to fall in love with it (or at least enjoy it) too.

When you're a 20-year-old woman who enjoys watching the animated adventures of Japanese school girls, then you know that there either must be something with you that is seriously wrong, or that the creators of this anime must be doing something seriously right. Personally, I like to think it's the latter, and I hope that this review will not only illustrate why, but that it will also encourage you to watch Love Live! The School Idol Movie.

As with the original series, the art and animation used in this anime are truly outstanding. The dance sequences (as well as the outfits and the facial ... expressions) are as spectacular as ever, although now they also come with some new settings and backgrounds.

Since part of this movie takes place in New York City, we get to see a bit of America come to life through the eyes of Japanese artists and animators as well as those of animated Japanese schoolgirls. (Although I personally hate how pretty much every 2 out of 3 movies seem to take place in New York, seeing it in animated form is a different story.)

If you watch anime, then you probably know how the Japanese cleverly avoid copyright issues by switching around letters and slightly altering logos of famous brands and trademarks. This movie is no different, and its Japanese take on Times Square and Broadway is nothing short of hilarious. The Phantom of the Opera becomes "Phantasm", Mamma Mia! becomes "Oh Dio", and (my personal favorite) The Lion King becomes "The Tiger Queen". If these funky signs fail to elicit a laugh or a smile from you, then worry not, as there is plenty of Engrish and cultural clashes to keep you amused. From American girls making the Japanese girls feel uncomfortable by being overly friendly, to the former not knowing what "school idols" are and the latter being fed up with eating bread, all these funny / awkward incidents are extremely well grounded in reality and make this movie feel as authentic and realistic as its depictions of Central Park and the Statue of Liberty.

Although I would have personally loved to have seen the girls spend more time in NYC so that they could have come across more different, foreign (and inevitably funny) experiences, I do realize that the prime focus of this anime is music and singing rather than international differences, similarities, or cultural clashes. Since younger audiences might also be unable to catch on on these little quirks, having the girls quickly go back to Japan seemed like an understandable and logical course of action.

Regardless of whether the girls are in Japan or America, they always stay true to themselves and not only engage in their usual antics but also go through the usual struggles. Nevertheless, this movie is far from being repetitive and is not only consistent in its quality of art and animation, but also in its level of amusement and entertainment.

Love Live! The School Idol Movie is just as amusing, entertaining, and endearing as the original series. As mentioned above, in some aspects, it's even better (e.g. settings, art, and animation) while in others it's slightly worse (the story and the struggles are slightly predictable). Overall, however, it is a cute and sweet little movie as well as a wonderful addition to the Love Live! collection. Although you're likely to forget the bubbly and generic JPOP songs featured in this film, you're definitely likely to remember its lovely characters as well as the endearing, positive tingles they will have made you feel inside. If you love Love Live! (or at least kind of like it like I do), then this movie is one you simply can't miss.

As much as I love and adore anime, I wouldn't really call myself a Studio Ghibli fan. On the contrary, I'm more of an anti-Ghibli kind of gal, so to speak. Before you stop reading my review or call me a lunatic, however, I would like to point out that I did watch over a dozen Ghibli films before coming to this conclusion. Although most people would like to argue that every single Ghibli piece is a masterpiece, I beg to differ. Out of all the films produced by this studio which I have seen, there were only two that I really liked and only ... one that I completely fell in love with. However, as an adult, I know that you don't have to "love" something or to be a "fan" of it in order to appreciate its positive aspects. When it comes to Studio Ghibli, there are undoubtedly many of these, and From Up on Poppy Hill is no exception.

Featuring a classic combination of Ghibli themes and elements that audiences have come to love and recognize, this film has everything from depictions of nature and Japanese culture to interesting boats, cars, bicycles, and unique fantasy-like settings. If you loved Totoro's tree cave, Howl's moving castle and Chihiro's bathhouse, then you're in for a treat as this film features another unique building / setting full of life, color, and mystery.

The Quartier Latin, however, is not the only thing that comes to life in this movie. From the protagonist's house to the town where she lives as well as the city of Tokyo, every single place featured in this movie has an air of magic and adventure. Rather than magic, however, this film's focus is definitely on history, for it is set in 1960s Japan. Given this not-so-distant past, the story inevitably becomes laced with nostalgia, originality, and a timeless beauty.

Despite its interesting historical aspect and appeal, the story itself is somewhat lacking. Since this is not unusual for a Ghibli movie, I was hardly surprised or affected by this fact. Furthermore, the plot was also hardly surprising and fairly predictable, as was the slow pacing and the occasional moments of boredom and tediousness. Despite the writer / director throwing in some uncharacteristic plot twists, character development and plot progression remained largely inexistent, but again, I wasn't particularly surprised.

As always, it was the art and the music that saved the day for me. No matter how boring or uninteresting the story would become, I could never look away from the screen given the gorgeous settings mentioned above. Furthermore, there were also many beautiful landscapes featured throughout the movie, and the usual attention given to details in the background was simply impossible not to admire and appreciate. From book titles to grains of rice, the attention to detail and intricate art used in this film is not only an ode to Studio Ghibli, but also to Japanese culture as a whole. This further reinforces the feeling of nostalgia and classic-ness, for despite coming out only five years ago, the art style and look of the characters is not so different from those we may have seen ten, twenty, or even thirty years ago. (Though I am personally not a fan of all these characters looking like exact, plain, carbon copies of each other, it definitely makes the Ghibli trademark familiar and recognizable while also giving the film a bit of a "retro" feel).

Despite everyone trying to trick you into thinking that this movie was in fact made in the 60s (or perhaps a decade later, at most), its high, modern quality, its vibrant colors and its funky background music will tell you otherwise.

Although no longer composed by Joe Hisaishi, the soundtrack still feels like a unique combination of old-school and modernity. While the original music sounds fun and sleek, the addition of actual songs from the 60s seem to take you back in time as well as to match the overall mood and tone of the story pretty well. The song used in the beginning is a cute and interesting tribute to the traditional Japanese breakfast, while the one at the end is almost unbearably beautiful.

If it wasn't for these two positive aspects, my review would have mostly been negative due to all the problems this movie had as well as my general dislike of Studio Ghibli. However, I must give credit where credit is due and I have to admit that watching this film was fairly enjoyable. Although I probably wouldn't watch it again or recommend it to my friends and family, I would definitely recommend it to someone who is a fan of Studio Ghibli, Japanese culture, or simply beautiful art coupled with beautiful music. As always, I would also advise you to keep your expectations pretty low and your mind pretty open if want this movie to be at least remotely memorable rather than entirely outstanding, amazing or surprising.

- Haruka, what's so great about Starish?
- They sparkle, and that makes me want to watch them forever.

Although it may sound silly as an inspirational quote, the reality is that it sums up this anime pretty well. While you may not find great life lessons or cultural facts to be learned from this show, you'll definitely find some sparkle in it (lots of it, in fact), so if that's your thing, then Uta no Prince-sama 2 is definitely for you.

Having gone from being 1000% about "real love" to being 2000% about it, things definitely get more intense. From the extra sparkle to the ... excessive and awkward use of Engrish (in both songs and dialogues), the protagonist's eyes have become even creepier, the school even prettier, the lines even cheesier and the guys even more flamboyant. Besides all these "intensifications", new guys also join the picture and range from "professionals" to wannabes (along with the odd prince).

However, if you've seen the first season, then you probably know that, no matter how many boys join the cast, Shining Saotome will always be the man. Seriously, he's still the best thing about this show and probably will continue to be for all the seasons to come.

But rather than write an essay about all the redeeming qualities of this wonderful character, I will instead point out some of the strengths and weaknesses this second season had so that you may decide whether you actually want to watch it or not.

If you're a fan of the overall look and style of this show as well as the art and animation, then I have good news for you. These have definitely improved and the characters no longer look like they're convulsing during the dance sequences. This doesn't save them from continuing to look completely ridiculous, but hey, that applies to more than one aspect of this anime.

Although no girl is silly enough to believe that they can be surrounded by almost a dozen males all fighting for her attention, UtaPri 2 takes the "unbelievable" to the next level. From adding princes mentioned above to settings and outfits that are even more lavish and extravagant than those in the first season, this show loses what little credibility it had beforehand. While I have seen my fair share of schools that are simply too pretty to be real in shows like Ouran Koukou Host Club, Vampire Knight, and Diabolik Lovers (notice how only reverse harems take place in fancy schools?), the academy in UtaPri 2 is on another level altogether. As if that wasn't enough, the protagonists also engage in spontaneous tea drinking in the foyer and have thousands of roses delivered to their love interest's dorm room, because, hey, isn't that what all high schoolers and college students do?

Every single time when I thought that this anime couldn't get any more ridiculous, it always managed to prove me wrong. This inevitably made it pretty addicting, even if it was for all the wrong reasons. In many ways, UtaPri 2 is "so bad it's good".

From an opening that sounds like it's trying way too hard to be cool and edgy to an ending that pretty much sounds exactly the same as the one used in the first season, the songs are just as bubbly and forgettable as all the ones used before. Additionally, the main characters now all come with their own songs too, which sound... Cringeworthy. Although some of the songs were okay (and I know that they were performed by experienced seiyuu who underwent rigorous singing training), most of these character songs sounded outright bad and again made this show almost too embarrassing to watch.

My biggest problem with this anime, however, is the Engrish. Although I know that actual JPOP songs throw in some Engrish about 90% of the time, UtaPri 2 songs not only use it 100% of the time, but also happen to do it pretty terribly. From phrases like "believe heart" and "release sing" to "let's peace", "let's song", and, my personal favorite — "we love song", the use of terrible grammar is just another aspect which makes this anime unintentionally hilarious. I mean, would it really have killed them to hire an English language consultant? While I understand that a lot of the budget for this anime must have gone to fancy special effects, artists, animators, and famous voice actors, I feel like they could have set apart a bit of money to save themselves from total international embarrassment. Or simply not have used this much Engrish to begin with. (Seriously though, is that how Japanese kids talk these days? I really hope not).

Besides the songs, some seiyuu also sounded pretty questionable when acting out regular dialogues. While I have no problem with male voice actors sounding ridiculously childish or ridiculously manly, I simply couldn't stand Cecil's weird voice. Although I've often found some female voices in anime to sound annoying, this has never happened with male voices to me before, so this was another aspect in which UtaPri 2 managed to surprise me (albeit in a negative way, too).

Furthermore, (though I don't know whether this was due to his annoying voice or his general lack of personality), Cecil just pretty much sucked as a character. Despite supposedly being "foreign", he doesn't happen to have an obvious accent when speaking Japanese. Instead, he speaks incredibly slowly and his slurred speech combined with excruciatingly long pauses make him sound like he's mentally impaired rather than simply from a foreign land. As if that wasn't enough, he also happens to tag along to literally every single "event" or "happening" in the show and just adds unnecessary dialogue, weirdness and ridiculousness to it (though I've kind of learned to take the latter as a good thing).

Nevertheless, Cecil is neither the first nor the last unnecessary character in this anime. While it could be argued that he added a teeny tiny bit to the plot progression and development of the series, the same cannot be said about all the other new characters (e.g. the members of Quartet Night and Heavens).

When Quartet Night was first introduced, its four new guys seemed just as flashy and flamboyant as all the others and it looked like they had potential to become interesting characters. As the story went on, however, they were essentially forgotten and were always seen lurking in the background complaining about everyone and everything else. Near the end of the series, one of them finally did something "important" (which could have easily been accomplished by any regular member of Starish), and which also happened to remind us that they were actually, well, there.

As the creators of the anime remembered the existence of Quartet Night, they tried to give them some minimal (and rather rushed) character development in the last two episodes, but of course this pretty much failed. Why keep introducing new characters if you're never going to develop them or use them for anything else?

The epitome of undeveloped characters, however, are definitely the members of "Heavens". They're repeatedly labeled as "cool" and "amazing", but this is always hard to believe since they're never shown doing anything other than bragging. (Ok, so they do sing one song at the end, but that's about it). Mind you, I was initially excited about this new idol unit / group / band / whatever because it meant hearing another one of my favorite seiyuu in one of my not-so-favorite anime, but given the excessive amount of characters in this 13-episode series, he only got to say about 5 lines, at most.

Nevertheless, I did keep my focus and attention on this show throughout its 13 episode run (unlike when I was watching SAO, Clannad, and other boring crap which constantly had me looking at my phone).

Whether it's because of its explosion of color and flamboyance or for its sheer ridiculousness and lack of credibility, this anime is oddly addicting and is therefore far from being blatantly bad. Sometimes bizarre, sometimes crazy, and almost always grammatically inaccurate, the second season of Uta no Prince-Sama is one worth watching if not for its fickle plot and too-many characters, then at least for its beautiful art, its rather decent animation, and, to use the finest internet lingo of our day and age, — "for the lolz". While you won't come out of watching this anime feeling more enlightened, I guarantee that you'll at least come out feeling oddly entertained and strangely amused.

I'm gonna be honest. The only reason I watched Clannad was so that I could eventually get to Clannad After Story which everyone seemed to have deemed the best thing since slice bread. While the second season did not live up to this reputation or my expectations, the first season was certainly just as bad as the MAL reviews claimed it to be, if not worse.

In the beginning, this show had potential. Sure, the school setting may have seemed repetitive, but the characters looked pretty and quirky enough to be interesting and have actual backstories and personalities. Turns out I was wrong. And very much ... so.

Although the first couple of episodes reminded me of Angel Beats due to their combination of slice-of-life, supernatural, action, and school settings (as well as the occasional joke), this all quickly faded away into oblivion.

Characters that were initially introduced were never developed. They hardly did anything interesting, ever. The only character who actually seemed to "do things" was Tomoya, and these "things" usually consisted of meeting new girls and interacting with them.

Since Clannad is based on a dating sim game, I understand where this format is coming from and how it could work there. The player chooses a girl and then her story unravels in one way or another. However, since this is an anime and you can't really choose anyone (though even if you could I probably wouldn't bother), these girls just all randomly come into the picture and never seem to get out of it. They offer no funny jokes, unique personalities or clever dialogue. They're just... There. Weird smiling / blushing / frowning blobs that all "care" for the protagonist in some way or another even though most of them hardly know him. However, we don't really know him either, since, as I said before, he hardly ever does anything other than trying to talk to these purple-haired blobs who are always surprised and amazed by everything that comes out of his mouth.

Since the characters in this anime are practically non-existent (I mean they're there, but I wouldn't go as far as calling them characters) it's no surprise that so is the story. Sure, one of the girls wants to start a theater club, but by the time that becomes apparent, so many pointless interactions (and episodes!) have passed that you can hardly remember what it was we had all come here for.

The supernatural aspects of this show also hardly make any sense (ok, so they're revealed in the second season, but I honestly shouldn't have to wait 40 episodes to understand something so trivial), as do the totally lame pet boars and starfish obsessions.

As if the weird hair colors, pets, and "sneak peeks from the other world" weren't strange enough, the art itself is also pretty odd. While the girls are all apparently designed to fit the "moe" (aka bland, pointless cuteness) criteria, the guys just look weird most of the time. With huge eyes and unnatural haircuts as well as odd hair colors, it's really hard to take them seriously. (But then again why would you? It's not like they actually have a personality or anything worth discovering or learning about, so...)

It is perhaps for this total lack of motivation or personality that even the voices of the female characters sounded annoying. Seriously, all they do is go "Huh?" "What?" And "Tomoya-kun!" Consequently, I thought that Yuuichi Nakamura might be the saving grace of this mess since he's one of my favorite seiyuu, but even this kind of failed. Clearly, there's only so much you can do as a good voice actor if there's hardly anything for you to voice... I mean, with no personality and no story, what can you really talk about and act out?

Since another redeeming quality when it comes to anime is usually music, I was hoping that perhaps this might make things better, but even this ranged from completely mediocre (at best) to outright bad. Both the opening and ending themes were boring, bland and entirely unremarkable (just like everything else about Clannad) while the background music was just disastrous. The main theme sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie made in the 90s and was just as awkward to listen to as the fake moe voices or the strange pet boar noises.

My guess is that the music was taken from the game too, but honestly, an anime is NOT a game and I wish the creators had understood that. Trying to transfer a game directly to an anime format without making too many changes made this show pretty awful (at least for me) and extremely tedious to watch. For a show with no plot, no other interesting aspects and basically no redeeming qualities, it also lasted WAY too long and therefore gave me way too many excuses to just look at my phone or do something else.

While I would never recommend Clannad to anyone, I think that there might be two settings where watching this show might be remotely bearable:
1. If you've played the game before and enjoyed it, hence know and love the characters.
2. If you're playing a drinking game and have either already lost or will soon lose the ability to be rational as well as make good judgments.

If neither of these categories apply to you, then you're probably better off doing something else. Unless of course you're a masochist or simply don't care about the advise caring people have given you. In that case... Whatever floats your boat.

Before taking an anime hiatus, the name "Black Butler" seemed to keep popping up everywhere I went. From fan art to posters and symbols, the name had been etched into my mind before I even got anywhere close to watching this show.

Seeing how boring my summer actually was, I decided to go back to watching anime and the name Black Butler was the first thing that came to my mind. After doing a quick Google search, I saw a bored kid with a weird eyepatch (was this show about classy sassy pirates?), and also skimmed through the description of the first episode ... (which involved a servant trying to cook a guest he had just put in the oven). Already, this show was starting to look not only pretty wacky, but also strangely morbid and disturbing , so I almost didn't go through with watching it, but hey, anything's better than going out and melting under the scorching summer sun.

Having already developed a bit of a negative bias towards this anime, I wasn't really expecting to enjoy it, let alone fall in love with it, but then again, falling in love is always something unexpected. After overcoming my initial surprise about how funny and pleasant this show actually was, I noticed some other positive aspects such as the art, the music, the voice acting, and, of course - the interesting characters and the intricate story.

Since I was already attracted by the compelling premise involving the whole deal-with-the-devil theme, I was pretty much ecstatic when I found out that the show was set in Victorian England. Having already fallen in love with Ashita no Nadja many years ago precisely because of its European setting and enchanting depictions of period costumes and architecture, I knew that Kuroshitsuji would not disappoint in this aspect.

Surprisingly, the art not only met my expectations, but also exceeded them by far. Besides the lavish architecture and costumes, the colors used were also very aesthetically pleasing and sophisticated. Furthermore, the use of so much color was in itself unexpected for an anime constantly dealing with death, demons, and general creepiness.

Another thing which I didn't expect for such a PG-13 show was the amount of blood involved. Although it was nowhere near the pointless and ridiculous gore of Elfen Lied, it did "come out" quite often and there were even some random flying limbs involved every now and then, but hey, I guess it was all for the sake of art.

Nevertheless, the attention to details like the intricate patterns on the tea sets and cutlery as well as the wrinkles on shoe laces and bows made every moment of this show gorgeous and memorable.

However, what would a pretty setting and detailed backgrounds be without dynamic characters and an interesting story? (Well, probably Sword Art Online, but that's not the topic right now).

Besides being beautifully designed and animated, almost all the characters also happen to have interesting backstories, odd quirks, and very unique personalities . Although the protagonist could easily be summarized as a bit of an immature brat who only wants revenge (and doesn't even know how to tie his own shoelaces), the reality is that Ciel is far more complex than that. From a traumatic past to a depressing near future featuring his imminent death as well as a chaotic present, you can definitely see why he behaves the way he does and why he would make a deal with a demon.

Although even less is known about this demon than his current master, he still manages to convey a strong and cunning personality which not only seduces and charms everyone around him within the anime, but also many of those who watch it from "the outside" (after all, he was named the top male anime character and best "husbando" at least two years in a row. Or something like that).

However, it's not just the individual personalities and backstories (or lack thereof) of the two main characters which make this show so appealing, but also their relationship. Although it is meant to be that of a master and butler (or servant, if one were to simplify), having the latter be after the former's soul makes it difficult to decide who controls and overpowers who. Additionally, this dark butler also acts as a chef, teacher, companion, and anything else his master might require, which sometimes makes him look more like a caretaker or parent figure rather than a purely evil demon. (This is further reinforced by the fact that the MC is an orphan who has been living without much love and affection for quite some time).

While this relationship is both very difficult to define and extremely entertaining to observe, there are of course other characters, relationships, and interactions which also come into play and make the story all the more interesting. From cross-dressing shinigami (or Death Gods) to the Queen of England, this anime has everything to take you on a wild ride while making you laugh and cry along the way.

Furthermore, the characters are not only brought to life through the power of beautiful art and animation, but also through that of amazing voice acting. Although Daisuke Ono is in a class of his own and uses one of the sultriest and most beautiful voices I have ever heard in anime for his role as Sebastian, other seiyuu like Fukuyama Jun and Hiroki Yasumoto also never fail to surprise and delight with their equally impressive vocal ranges and amazing performances. The success of the Kuroshitsuji seiyuu events as well as the awards won by Ono-D for his work in this show should therefore come as no surprise. (What does come as a surprise, however, is the fact that a vacuuming robot featuring phrases by Sebastian Michaelis was actually being sold in Japan. Guess there are people who are even more obsessed with Ono-D's voice than I am, huh).

For the record, I also tried to check out the English dub but this was very brief since I simply couldn't stand Ciel sounding like a whiny, constipated little girl. Although he is voiced by a girl in Japanese too, he doesn't sound as one as much as he does in English. Sebastian, on the other hand, sounds pretty great with an (unfortunately fake) English accent as do the other characters. Having a special (though also fake) accent for the Indian characters was also appreciated since they didn't get one in Japanese.

Besides the fabulous voice acting of the main and supporting cast, another great aspect of this anime (which also happens to be really underrated) is definitely the music. Although Yuki Kajiura didn't compose the soundtrack for this show, her band Kalafina is featured repeatedly and makes a beautiful addition to all the other music used in Kuroshitsuji. Besides Kalafina's Lacrimosa and Becca's "I'm alive" as the ending songs, the opening theme called "Monochrome no Kiss" is also pretty awesome and fits with the overall mood of the show really well.

However, it is not just these songs which deserve praise and admiration, but also those original ones used as background music throughout the series, such as "La gardenia" and "Die Hasen". Although I personally think it would have made more sense to use more songs in English since this anime is actually, well, set in England, I think that the music director did a wonderful job in incorporating not only different European languages into the soundtrack but also some more classical and darker vibes. Besides German, English, and Italian, the show also features songs in Latin and Hindi as well as themes reminiscent of Gregorian chants. Consequently, this makes the anime feel, if not entirely English, then at least very sombre, European and Victorian. Despite the bad pronunciation by some of the artists who sung the songs in German and Latin, the Japanese tenor who was hired to sing the songs in Italian has an impeccable accent and makes them sound, if not entirely like opera, then at least like classical crossover or operatic pop. This makes Black Butler the perfect combination of modern and Victorian, hence overall timeless and cosmopolitan.

Although it may not be everyone's cup of tea, Black Butler is a beautiful and unique anime that is definitely worth watching. Whether it be for the original story and wonderful characters, the gorgeous art, animation, and music, or the random quirky humor, it has something for everyone and is therefore difficult to define or categorize simply as "another shounen show". For me, the only problem was how creepy and disturbing the anime got towards the end, but since it is likely that this was what the creators had originally intended, then this should probably count as a strength rather than a weakness.
Consequently, while Kuroshitsuji may not be THE best show I have ever seen in my life, it is certainly ONE of them and therefore holds a very special place in my heart and soul (as well as my MAL favorites, of course). If you're asking yourself whether you should watch Black Butler, then, in the words of Sebastian Michaelis, all I can say is "Yes, My Lord."

When an anime is so full of pleasant surprises, there's only one word to describe it — delightful.

Since I first started watching Chihayafuru after finishing Death Note, I honestly wasn't expecting much from it. Sure, it had some good reviews and an interesting premise about some obscure Japanese card game, but I still couldn't see it turning into something amazing (or even remotely entertaining).

If anything, I thought I might learn something new about Japanese culture. After all, 15 years of watching anime had already taught me a bit about Japanese food, festivals, traditions, etiquette, and honorifics, so why not learn about card ... games too?

As I started watching Chihayafuru with this post-Death-Note-depression / let's-watch-anime-for-educational-purposes mindset, I was immediately blown away by how fresh and unexpected everything about this show was.

Immediately, the first word that came into my mind was "striking". Although this was mostly related to the art, the story, music, and characters didn't seem too bad either, so I kept watching.

The stunning art often reminded me of "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso", for it was not only beautiful and colorful, but also somewhat realistic (no green / purple hair or pet boars in sight). Although some of the characters have pink or blue-ish hair, the shades are either light or dark enough to make them resemble natural hair colors and therefore seem believable. Their eyes are also very expressive, which makes it difficult not to be completely mesmerized by the show or to ever want to look away from it. As if that wasn't enough, everything was also extremely well animated and again reminded me of the anime mentioned above, for the opening has hiragana subtly flying around in the same way that there were music notes and letters flying around in the opening of Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso. Given this beautiful and modern art and animation, I thought that this anime had to be from last year (or from 2 years ago max), and was therefore surprised to discover that it came out almost five years ago.

Another surprise included hearing Mamoru Miyano come into the picture. Even though he's pretty much in every show I watch these days, I still wasn't expecting him to show up in an anime I had never even heard about before. Although his voice acting definitely made everything better, it wasn't the most important aspect of this show and simply complimented all the other seiyuu who were also very good. Chihaya's voice in particular was extremely pleasant to listen to and conveyed lots of different emotions without ever feeling fake or sounding annoying. Other seiyuu shined not so much for their voices as they did for their accents, which in this case had to do primarily with the Fukui prefecture (though characters from other regions also appeared). While I'm obviously no expert when it comes to Japanese accents, I could definitely hear the different intonations these "regional" characters used as well as the particles they added at the end of their phrases (e.g. "ya" instead of "wa", "ga", or anything else).

After my initial surprise of casting such talented seiyuu for such a seemingly shallow anime, I quickly discovered why they were hired for the job. While one would expect this show to be about a silly card game as well as the usual puppy love and love triangles you normally find in school settings, this anime was far from being so one-dimensional and predictable. From complex personal struggles to dynamic relationships, everything about it was moving and poetic, and, most importantly, in constant movement and evolution.

As the characters developed and the plot unraveled, there was not only scenic art and captivating eyes to look at, but also lovely voices and background music to listen to. While nothing out of this world, the themes and songs used in Chihayafuru are very fitting and appropriate, hence helping the story progress really well. This makes the anime feel consistently peaceful and relaxing but also intense and dramatic when necessary. Comic relief hasn't been forgotten either, and often appears in the form of chibi faces, character quirks and criticisms, and, of course — cheesy jokes.

Consequently, Chihaya Furu ends up being a wonderful show all-around and probably one of the most underrated of all time. Whether you want to watch it for the beautiful art, the great voice acting or the novelty/educational aspects involving Karuta, you definitely need to experience the wild ride that this anime is. You may still not know how to play this Japanese card game even after watching 25 episodes revolving around it, but hey, at least you will have seen how fun it can actually be.


PS: my only problem with Chihayafuru was how the final episode did not offer an ending for the first season but was instead used to set up the premise for the second one. Although I could personally watch every single season of this show over and over again, I understand that some people may not have the time or the desire to do so, so offering some sort of resolution rather than leaving around so many loose ties would have definitely been appreciated. However, since Chihayafuru is neither the first nor the last anime to pull this trick, all is forgiven in the name of an otherwise wonderful show.

While I was watching Death Note, there were many questions which kept popping up in my head, with the main one being, of course — "why did it take me so long to get to this show?"

Since it first came out 10 years ago, I have not only heard about this anime and its concept (as well as its huge fan base), but have also constantly stumbled upon drawings, pictures, merchandise and many other things depicting L, Misa, and Light Yagami as well as the Death Note itself. Even though that should come as no surprise for a show that has managed to earn many ... awards (including cultural ones), beat a few records and top numerous lists, there has been many a time when I have come across an anime which was praised by pretty much everyone, but which I simply couldn't enjoy, appreciate, or even relate to in any way. This was not the case with Death Note, however.

Beautifully unpredictable, masterfully consistent and dangerously addictive, Death Note is a show unlike any other. Although "unpredictability" and "consistency" may seem like contradictory terms, the former has to do with the plot while the latter has to do with the overall quality of the anime. Sometimes you see a show which starts out great then quickly loses momentum and essentially commits suicide (Sword Art Online) while others you see one which takes forever to become even remotely interesting (Clannad, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, etc.) Thankfully, Death Note is neither one of those, for it manages to turn its compelling premise into a story that unravels at the perfect pace and in a gorgeous fashion, hence creating an anime experience unlike any other.

While most will admit that the second half/arc/whatever of this anime was not as good as the first and may have even been created solely for the sake of prolonging it, it's still pretty entertaining and far better than most of the shows I've ever seen. Furthermore, I also appreciated the fact that the writers would occasionally change and spice things up by introducing new characters, removing others (whether permanently or temporarily), and even making them lose and regain their powers. Although there were a few times when I didn't like the direction the show had taken, it still kept me watching and on the edge of my seat during pretty much every episode.

Given these changes as well as the constant plot twists and cliffhangers, it was impossible to get bored while watching it (and most of the time to predict what would happen, too). With a story so powerful, it would have been easy for the creators to "not bother" or simply "be lazy" about all the other aspects of the show (i.e. art, animation, voice acting, and music), but "lazy" is a word that is probably not in the Japanese vocabulary.

Although I initially disliked the rather realistic art and the very dull color palette, it definitely grew on me as it evolved and developed over time. Besides the rather creepy-looking and disturbing shinigami, there were other characters and scenes (especially in the beginning) which I legitimately thought to be ugly, though a more precise term would probably be visually unappealing. Consequently, I greatly appreciated it when light and color were cleverly used to highlight certain characters or define certain moments (e.g. the graduation ceremony with the falling Sakura petals). Overall, the edgy art definitely complimented the edgy story and characters really well, while the special effects used for the writing, death, and other "action" scenes were subtle yet striking.

Another aspect which was used subtly and cleverly was undoubtedly the music, for it added drama, suspense and emphasis to many important moments without being overbearing. The addition of choir singing as well as the sound of ringing bells was also lovely and fit in with the many biblical themes and references featured in this anime. As a result, the soundtrack and music used in this show stay in your mind as a great aspect of the show but not as its only positive or most important one (as in Madoka, for example).

Furthermore, both openings and endings are also very appropriate and are likely to bring back memories of the anime whenever you hear them. Again, I was not initially a fan, but as I heard them repeatedly, I really started to enjoy them and was actually sad to see the first opening and ending being replaced with the other ones. Although I would never listen to that kind of metal/screamo stuff on its own, I must admit that it fit the overall mood and tone of the show really well and was therefore tolerable.

Last but not least, I would also like to point out the fabulous voice acting which made this show so great. Despite already being a fan of Mamoru Miyano before watching Death Note, I was pretty excited to listen to his work here as it has been praised by many and is deemed to be one of his best roles of all time. In the beginning, it didn't seem particularly remarkable, but as the show went on and Light started expressing more and more complex emotions and found himself in more and more difficult situations, Miyano's acting definitely shined through and made the character really come to life. L's character offers a nice contrast to this by having an almost deadpan tone of voice most of the time, as does Misa's with her ridiculously sweet and sugary one. The rest of the cast are also pretty good, especially when it comes to creating a bit of drama with screaming, crying, and the like.

Although I'm a hardcore subber, sometimes (when I'm seriously obsessed with an anime), I will go back and watch certain episodes in different languages just to see how they compare to the original. Since I was lucky enough to download a Death Note version which came with five different languages, I decided to check them all out after I finished watching the show in Japanese. Although the English dub wasn't that bad (and was far better than most English anime dubs I've heard), the pronunciation of several names and words did make me cringe a few times. Furthermore, the Light in this version did not manage to convey that great of a range of emotions and did not sound as natural as the Japanese one. However, I discovered that this was true for most other versions as well, hence further confirming the fact that Mamoru Miyano's vocal range and acting is on a whole different level and is practically impossible to surpass. Nevertheless, the L in this version was pretty awesome and sounded almost exactly like the Japanese one (as well as much better than the ones I heard in Spanish and French). Out of all the other characters, I'd say that it was Ryuk and Rem that always seemed to sound great in every language and didn't differ from their Japanese versions too much. Misa's international voices were also pretty good in that they sounded far more normal and believable, though I guess some might actually prefer her ridiculously high-pitched, childish and immature Japanese tone of voice. (Fun fact: while the English, Spanish and Portuguese dubs all use the word "shinigami", the French actually use the literal translation, i.e. "God of death" in their own language).

Since every aspect of this anime was clearly developed with much care and intelligence, it is no surprise that the show manages to be both interesting and intelligent too. Despite being an anime about death and murder, there is never any gore, and blood is seen very rarely (unlike in some shows which are supposed to be far more kid-friendly but feature way more depictions of it, like Kuroshitsuji). Combined with some difficult kanji, cleverness, morality issues, biblical references and realistic art (the majority of Death Note characters have probably some of the smallest eyes I've ever seen in anime), this allows for a very mature mood and overall sombre tone. It is perhaps for this reason that the use of jokes and funny moments is also fairly limited, while chibi gags or any other signs of stupidity are nowhere to be found. Consequently, every moment of comic relief is one that is cherished and appreciated, not to mention enjoyed just as much as the plot progression and the character development themselves.

The only downside to this anime would perhaps be the ending. Although it was far from disappointing, I believe that it had way more potential and could have been executed differently (or could have simply happened sooner and have involved different characters). Since the outcome of the story was evident from the beginning (it's even mentioned by one of the characters), this greatly diminished the shock value of the ending and made it less powerful. This could have probably been avoided by doing it differently, but at least it wasn't an entirely bad or unrealistic ending (or one of those where the director simply hits the reset button like in Oreimo or Clannad After Story).

Thus, the moral of the story is that a little magic goes a long way when combined with a lot of brainpower as well as some charisma to charm and manipulate people to your advantage. Besides toying with people's emotions, being smart and resourceful also helps you make the best of shinigami loopholes and use not only humans, but also Gods of Death to your advantage. However, I think it would be best if Light Yagami himself told you about that, so why not go watch his story instead? Because, ultimately, no matter how many reviews you read about this show, nothing compares to the amazing experience that is seeing this masterpiece for yourself. Prepare to have your mind blown (not literally, of course) and try not to wait 10 years to watch it like I did, for that time is probably better spent re-watching Death Note, writing bad people's names in killer notebooks, or making shady deals with shady shinigami.

When I first heard about Hetalia, I thought it would be my next favorite show. As someone who loves to travel, has lived in different countries and regularly interacts with people from different cultures, I found the idea of personified nations coming together in one show simply brilliant. Hetalia, however, is far from being so.

From the idea that Italy is the most helpless and useless country in Europe to the concept of China always setting up Chinatowns wherever it goes, this anime has its fair share of Japanese stereotypes as well as the right amount of racism and prejudice to make it kind of ... hilarious. For a Westerner, however, these jokes often fall flat and have nothing to do with our own stereotypes and personal bias.

As such, watching this show subbed can be funny at best, but far too often it turns into something plain weird or confusing. It doesn't help that most countries are personified as males and that there are plenty of gay undertones going on throughout this series.

For this reason, the anime quickly goes from achieving its potential of being a slightly-offensive-but-funny show to being plain cheap and wacky. Nevertheless, there are some moments that even non-Japanese people can relate to if they enjoy studying history, geography or traveling. An example of this would include America being a total narcissist with a hero complex who always has the wrong idea of geography, Japan visiting France and finding everything closed due to ongoing strikes, and England always being mocked for its terrible food, among others.

Although some stereotypes are expected and understood (while others only relate to Japan), there are also some interesting facts and fun trivia to be found in this series. From political interests and relationships to embarrassing situations (e.g. The king of Spain telling the Venezuelan president to shut up), this show has moments when it can be very informative and not purely gay.

For me, some of the most interesting "fun facts" I learned were on the topic of micro nations. Having never heard about their existence before, I found myself doing some online research on them and discovering that their portrayal in Hetalia was pretty accurate.

The chibi gags tend to get a bit excessive, but they go with the overall silly and unpretentious tone of the show. The voice acting is pretty good (but not groundbreaking), and the same theme songs being sung by different "countries" (and hence having different lyrics) is often really cute and entertaining.

Although the art is nothing to write home about (mainly because of the excessive chibi use) it gets the job done and greatly improves with each new season of the show.

Consequently, Hetalia is a unique and strange anime to watch, for it claims to have some kind of story but for the most part just doesn't. As mentioned above, the humor is also slightly inconsistent (as is everything else) and makes it difficult to give this show a really high rating. Although I found this show to be fairly enjoyable, it didn't really meet my expectations, mainly because I felt that it had the potential to deliver much, much more.

The only times I ever binge-watch anime is when I'm either extremely bored or the series is extremely entertaining. Although the 2nd season of Love Live! School Idol Project is far from being a masterpiece or one of my all-time favorite shows, it's oddly addicting and, most importantly, far better than the first season.

Despite being turned off by the many problems the first season had, the positive reviews and the amazing art made me want to continue watching this show. Luckily, I was not disappointed.

Although the music is still a bit too generic and immature for my personal taste, there are lots of fun ... new songs and dance sequences. The dance sequences seem to have definitely improved as the CG is either used less or in a more subtle way (or maybe I've just become used to it). As such, all of the performances are seriously striking and make you wish you were up on stage dancing with μ's, too.

Additionally, the art is as gorgeous as ever (if not more so) and features some of the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen in anime. The voice acting does not disappoint either, and the girls quickly transition from sounding slightly annoying to actually sounding kind of cute.

Most importantly, however, the story itself is far more interesting. Although the girls are still trying to participate in the Love Live! Contest and face many problems along the way, their struggles now seem far more believable and even relate-able, specially for fellow girls (after all, who has never dealt with the horrors of gaining weight, feeling awkward when wearing cute outfits and enduring painful workouts and diets?)

As if that wasn't enough, there is far more emphasis on the girls as individuals with their own fears and ambitions rather than simple singing blobs that all love each other for no apparent reason. By showing more of their family, childhood memories, and personal problems, it is easier to see them as real human beings that try really hard to fulfill their dreams. Unsurprisingly, their relationships also benefit greatly from this and allow for far more genuine interactions.

Overall, this is a surprisingly enjoyable show that, while slightly cheesy and juvenile, portrays human relationships, struggles, failures and successes in a way that is both beautiful and believable.