Back to PimpToad's Profile PimpToad's Profile

I've reached a point in my life where my entertainment needs something other than action and excitement. Something that can tug at the heartstrings you know? Perhaps I'm too sentimental unsuited for my age, but I suppose that's just what I require to find something worth of substance nowadays.

SAO2 hardly fits this rather stringent criterion with the sole exception of the last story arc of the season. If nothing else watch the Mother's Rosario storyline to immerse yourself in the almighty feels. The near entirety of the season prior to Mother's Rosario is a nondescript experience, yet SAO2 saved the best for last.

Ironic in that ... I was most looking forward to the GGO arc prior to the start of the second season, yet it was an ephemeral friendship that made it all worthwhile.

Don't let my overall score of 7 fool you. This season of SAO is arguably worse than its predecessor and I wouldn't rate it past a 5 without Mother's Rosario. That story arc is the only thing worth watching in my humble opinion and you would be remiss in neglecting to do so.

PS: Do forgive the bizarre and somewhat implausible series of events in the final episode. Maybe their internet is a better place compared to our own cesspool?

I find myself having difficulty organizing my thoughts on NGNL. I wanted to write this review right after I finished the last episode, but then it would only be riding the hype-train and most likely lacking much in perspective. What needs to be said is probably covered in the multitude of other reviews for this anime so what can I write to contribute?

I found myself skeptical at the concept of NGNL. At first glance, I thought it was something akin to Sword Art Online. And while I found SAO to be a decent enough watch, I don't need to see another "clone" of it. ... What finally pushed me over the edge and give it a try was due to people I can trust to give me good anime recommendations. Needless to say at this point expectations were high for NGNL to perform.

And did it perform right at the very first episode. If you so much as blink while watching NGNL, you may find yourself missing some philosophical outlooks on life. The juxtaposition between these concepts and the lighthearted presentation is astounding. I'll tackle the one that resonated with me the most.

The concept of "the proud weak" struck a cord deep within me. Regardless of how you put it, we are weak and always will be. Our fangs will never be as sharp as those designed by nature itself to be natural-born killers. We will always be prey, yet somehow we find ourselves at the very top of the food chain. How did this come to pass? How did our ancestors overcome this staggering difference in physical specifications? How did the prey become the apex predator while still being weak?

Logically, most, if not all human beings understand how this came to pass. However, we don't really think about it as we believe this is a matter of course. It's natural for humanity to be at the top because that's just the way things are and always will be. There's no point thinking about something that's as natural as the air we breathe.

Yet what happens when humanity is no longer at the top? What happens when our predators have taken hold of the one thing that allowed us to lay claim to our position of power? What happens when we're back to our rightful place at the bottom, shivering in fear at the mercy of our superiors?

NGNL tackles that question in a way one least expects. At it's core, NGNL is a narrative of the human spirit and the potential we are all capable of. And that by itself is worth watching. Everything else is just a nice bonus wrapped up in one very well presented package.

I never thought I would find myself writing another review given the fact that I don't watch anime as much as I used to, but the hilarity that is Princess Lover! warranted another one with my poor command of the English language.

So where to begin?

The plot is straightforward enough...random guy becomes the heir to a vast fortune and has to become accustomed to living as a rich man. So that's where that ends...this anime can be summed up in pretty much one word: Fanservice!

Trying to understand some of the events that goes on as the "plot" progresses is not good for your health and ... I highly advise against it. Seriously...some of the events that occur are downright outrageous and make no sense whatsoever. So stick to the reason why you chose to watch this, okay?

Being the fanservice anime that it is, it knew where to focus its budget. The fanservice art is superb and gets the job done. There are no complaints on this department whatsoever and this may be the only point in which this anime excels at.

The musical score is decent, but nothing memorable so let's keep moving here.

Character wise...well this will pretty much play like most visual novel adaptations out there. You'll grow to like the sub heroines and hate life as the main heroine pales in comparison to them. Seika (the twintail tsundere) is the highlight of the show for me. I can't divulge anymore details without entering spoiler territory, but she fits in to the catogery of "proactive" tsundere. Oh there's also the other heroines...maid-san is nice, the blond fencer is also nice, and the heroine is annoying.

I chose to watch this anime for the sake of the comedy and knew full well what I was getting in to with the 'ecchi', 'harem', and 'romance' tags attached. If you keep those in mind and brace yourself for what's to come, then you'll have no problem getting some enjoyment out of this. And even then that doesn't say much as everything is a giant trainwreck after the Seika arc. Oh and don't even bother expecting a Sylvi route as there is none; go check the OVA if you want Sylvi goodness.

Overall...a deploring anime whose sole redeeming factor is the fanservice and Seika. If you aren't a fan of either, then stay the hell away. If you are...well its only 12 episodes and they really handled Seika's character pretty well.

And that's Princess Lover! in a nutshell.

It has certainly been one long ride! Two anime seasons, an OVA, and the supposed third season known as San Gakki.

We all start by getting thrown into an arc of the manga leagues ahead of where Ni Gakki left off. Needless to say you will be completely lost unless you have been following the School Rumble manga. To make a rather long and tedious story short, this "OVA" combines some of the most defining moments of the manga, to what made the manga a complete wreck in the first place. We have Harima's defining moment as a man to the inevitable train wreck known ... as School Rumble.

Then comes the art section of this review. I was rather (well completely) disappointed at how the first episode (episode 25) was animated. I expected so much more in terms of quality from an OVA (botched 3rd season). Though I gave the score of '7' given that the second episode (episode 26) completely redeemed the failures of the previous episode. You should be able to see the differences between the two episodes if you decide to watch this OVA.

Then we have the sound section. Nothing really new given that they pretty much reused the tracks of School Rumble Season One and Ni Gakki.

As I have mentioned before, this OVA combines the most defining moments of the manga as well as what made it an epic failure in the first place. When it is all said and done, everything boils down to character development. Even if you haven't read the parts of the manga this OVA covers, you will know how our protagonist (smack yourself if you think I'm talking about Tenma) develops over the course of the second episode. Then prepare to facepalm near the final moments of the episode as the author of this story gives a middle finger to all the fans of School Rumble.

I can't say I enjoyed this OVA to the extent of the first season and Ni Gakki. The elements of what made this show great (the comedy and the shipping lanes) were severely lacking. Though it can be attributed to the fact that we were only given 2 out of 26 episodes...it still wouldn't change the horrible ending of SR. I'm not a big fan of anime original endings, but why oh why didn't they give us one...

Thus ends the story of School Rumble...off to the next future train wreck known as School Rumble Z!

The continuation of DCII, DCII:SS follows the story of Yukimura Anzu, Asakura Yume and Otome, and the mystery surrounding the Magical Sakura Tree.

While DCII caters towards the fans of certain characters, DCII:SS follows the mold of what made the original Da Capo great. Like its predecessor, the story revolves around the mysterious events in the island of Hatsunejima. Although unlike the original Da Capo, the male lead has TWO 'sisters' that are very close to him. Drama ensues...

The character designs for DCII:SS is magnificent, especially those of Shirakawa Nanaka. The actual animation leaves much to be desired, but it is acceptable and in no way ... hampers the experience of watching the show.

Melodrama, a theme that is synonymous with Da Capo. Although somewhat overused, the timing helps accentuates certain key situations in the anime. I consider the actual background music somewhat average compared to its Visual Novel counterpart, but there are no complaints on this end.

Then we have our characters plus generic male harem lead. That itself isn't really fair to Yoshiyuki, who received a much needed boost in terms of personality this season. Even if he is still lacking, the huge improvement made me forget the train wreck that is Season 1 Yoshiyuki. Of course it wouldn't be a harem series without our cute bishoujos! If you expect more development from Koko, Minatsu, and Nanaka, then you are watching the wrong show (sadly).

I started watching Season 2 with great anticipation and I leave it fully satisfied. It stayed true to its source material and I believe that is what makes a great Visual Novel adaptation. Those who aren't overly fond of melodrama and the somewhat predictable plot, then this isn't the show for you. If you have watched the previous season, then I highly suggest that you watch this post haste unless you want to keep that bitter taste in your mouth after seeing a train wreck.

I hope those who read this consider DCII:SS, an anime worthy of the Da Capo name! (Feel free to forget about DCII)

A sequel to a successful franchise, Da Capo II takes us to the journey of one Yoshiyuki Sakurai and his harem. Veterans of the original Da Capo will see some distinct similarities concerning the overall plot and the characters that make up the world of DCII.

As previously stated, the anime of DCII is severely lacking compared to its predecessors. It's not that the story itself is lacking, but due to a 26 episode series being abruptly split in half to two 13 episode seasons.

I find it hard to review an incomplete story such as DCII but I don't want current and future viewers ... to get the wrong idea. To those who have watched this series, you must definitely watch season two or you will have wasted your time. To future viewers, take into consideration that there is a continuation to the tale of D.C.II set to air in a couple of days.

This review might seem out of place, but that's because I know the "actual" story of DCII . "Season 1" is not a good representative of the actual story, but think of it as the calm before a raging storm. Alert viewers would notice subtle hints that were dropped in some of the episodes, which means that there is more than meets the eye...

With that said, think not of this as a review but more of a word of advice. If you felt cheated of your time by watching such a mediocre story, then "Season 2" might just change your mind. Since spoilers aren't allowed, then those who read this will just have to take my word for it.

I for one am eager to see whether the "Da Capo" part of the story will get some screen time. Veterans of D.C.II should know what I'm talking about ;-)

What makes this manga stand out from any of the previous Kanon adaptations to date? Well given the cover of the manga, the answer is quite obvious. However, we have all been fooled in the past!

Not today my friends, for this manga is almost a standalone version of the Kanon series. The arcs of the girls go beyond that of the original visual novel, there are even some parts where the story is different altogether. Needless to say, it is highly recommended to have some knowledge of the Kanon-verse before reading this manga.

Now of course that's not the real reason as to why this ... manga is different. Kanon's own Minase Nayuki finally gets her own story arc told in full! That's right folks, the perpetually shafted Kanon character finally gets her own story out in the limelight! Not just an entire arc my friends, but an entire volume as well (out of two volumes).

I'm quite disappointed as to the relative obscurity of such a great Kanon adaptation/alternate universe. Given that there have been numerous adaptations in the past, I dare say that this even rivals the adaptation by Kyoto Animation.

During the writing of this review, only the Nayuki arc has been partially translated. Because this review is also shameless self-advertising, please feel free to visit my profile and grab the download links from there. I hope that after reading the scanlated version, you the reader can appreciate such a well crafted story; especially to a character who has always been overshadowed by that accursed ~uguu girl.