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Dec 21, 2011
The feeling of fulfillment comes in many forms. For young Buntarou Mori, rock climbing quickly became a passion and a reason to enjoy life, as well as a fulfilling sensation. Who would have thought that the sport of rock climbing could make such a deep and interesting story?
Story: 9/10
Shinichi Sakamoto did an absolutely wonderful job of mixing sports with drama and a hint of some psychological and romantic aspects. It's a more serious manga, yet you're presented with story full of moments where you want to cry happily for the characters fulfilling their accomplishments, smile at the seemingly rare adorable scenes, and laugh at some
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of the more comedic characters. The best thing about the drama is that it's not just melodrama that you can find in any old shounen series. There's no antagonist out to destroy the world and make life hard for Buntarou. Nope, this is just a simple tale of a boy who came to find something to live for...but it's so much more than that.
Art: 10/10
As with other seinen manga, art is really crisp looking and not over-the-top. Buntarou isn't some big ol' macho guy full of testosterone, nor is he a girly looking dude with fabulous hair and a pretty face. He simply looks like an average man (okay, well maybe his hairdo is still kind of crazy, but this is a manga after all). The female characters aren't depicted as petite little things with D-cup boobs-- they accurately portray an average woman's body. Backgrounds and the like are wonderfully detailed yet still keep a realistic aspect.
Character: 9/10
It was kind of hard for me to rate this section, to be honest. The main character that I felt really was able to develop was Buntarou, but he's the only one. The supporting cast (Hajime, Masao, and Yumi) are all important but their characters never really undergo any huge developments. Then again, I can see why; after some certain events happen, they're not really necessary at all in the story anymore. Even though only Buntarou received development, I feel like Shinichi did what he felt was best for this manga considering the story DOES revolve almost solely around Buntarou.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I'm a sucker for seinen manga, although the idea of rock climbing as the main point of the story put me off a bit at first. I'm really glad I overlooked that and still decided to give it a try, because now Kokou no Hito places 2nd in my top 10 favorite manga. Everything about this manga is phenomenal, which is why I sat down and immersed myself in the story so easily. I struggle a lot with concentrating, and thus am wary of getting into series that have more than 20ish chapters, but I definitely don't regret my decision to get into this manga.
Overall: 9.5/10 (rounded up to 10/10)
Please give Kokou no Hito a try, regardless of what your tastes are. Whether you're a fan of rock climbing or not, I believe you can come to enjoy this manga for the drama/psychological aspects as well. If the genres don't make or break a series for you, it still has some of the best character development I've seen in awhile, and the art is pretty to look at if all else fails.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 25, 2011
Some may argue that this anime is just another BL anime focused on fanservice for the girls. While I'm not totally denying this, I do have to say that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. Unlike Junjou Romantica where it's just SEXSEXILOVEYOUSEXSEX every episode, this actually has a pretty good story.
Story: 7/10
It's simple, sweet, and straight to the point. Some may view that as a good thing while others may disagree and claim that's a bad thing. Personally, I thought the story was fairly well done considering this is a BL anime. One of the biggest flaws, however, is
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that the drama is kind of forced upon the viewer...but since this is a Shungiku Nakamura series, we all know the drama isn't going to end in heartbreak or tragedy; you know all of these guys are going to eventually end up in a relationship and live happily ever after because, well, that's just what happens in her works. The drama is there to interest the viewer, but it doesn't necessarily serve a big purpose within the story. Do I think that's a bad thing? I believe if it's a device to interest the viewers, then go for it.
Art: 7/10
Deen did much better this time than in Junjou Romantica, that's for sure. The backgrounds have a more soft feeling about them, and it reminded me of Hourou Musuko's background art (if you haven't seen Hourou Musuko, the gist of what I'm getting at is that the background art is done extremely well). So the backgrounds are beautiful, that's fine and dandy. But the characters? I don't mind that they're all bishounen/"bishies" because that fits in with the theme, but...ugh, the faces. And the hair. They're all identical. I'm not talking about the color of the eyes and hair, but the shapes and styles are basically all the same. It's just a little thing but it bugs me when I get the characters confused since they all look too similar.
Sound: 5/10
It's really nothing very special. The opening is upbeat which fits Sekaiichi Hatsukoi considering this anime is a lighthearted romance/comedy, and the ending is more serene. As for voice acting, it was simply alright. The ukes sounded girly and whiny and the semes sounded manly and rough. Too bad that, like the art, everyone sounded the same. It was a mediocre performance on the seiyuu's parts.
Character: 5/10
Character is where the series starts slacking, because they're all so stereotypical and it can get REALLY annoying after a couple episodes. All of the ukes (Ritsu Onodera, Chiaki Yoshino, and Shouta Kisa) have the typical I-don't-want-you-to-kiss-you-even-though-I'm-obviously-in-love-with-you-so-I'm-just-gonna-keep-pushing-you-away-because-I'm-stupid attitude, whereas all the semes (Masamune Takano, Yoshiyuki Hatori, and Kou Yukina) won't give up because they know the ukes are undoubtedly in love with them. There's slight character development, but not enough to drastically change their attitudes or anything. It's the average stuff you see in BL which is why I rated it as such.
Enjoyment: 8/10
I like this series, don't get me wrong, but some major flaws and the ending prevented me from giving this a 9/10 like I would have originally put as my enjoyment score. I looked forward to watching a new episode every week, but it simply didn't astound me like some other anime has done. I'd still consider it a favorite, but objectively speaking there are quite a few weaknesses within this series.
Overall: 6.4/10, rounded to 6/10
Sekaiichi Hatsuko isn't atrocious, nor is it a masterpiece. It's slightly above average. The story and art are nice, but that's really all this anime has going for it. If you like BL, you'll probably enjoy this. If you're wondering whether you should dip your toes into BL by using Sekaiichi Hatsukoi as your starter series, you might finish up episode 12 and feel pretty underwhelmed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 16, 2010
So Queen's Blade is back with a second season. If you watched the horrendous first season, you're probably doubting whether you should start Gyokuza wo Tsugu Mono or not. Even I have to admit that I put off starting this season because I didn't want to sit through another 12 episodes of a jumbled up story that relied purely on fanservice. Thankfully, this is nothing like season 1. Pretty much the only similarity between season 1 and season 2 is that there's still an insane amount of fanservice. But Queen's Blade now isn't an anime that you want to laugh at for being so bad.
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Gyokuza wo Tsugu Mono is...actually pretty good.
Story: 8/10
Instead of an almost episodic plot containing random fights that didn't help progression at all, this season has a solid storyline. Every episode, two Queen's Blade contestants battle it out, and one, of course, is eliminated. Progressing through this kind of story makes it tremendously better and enjoyable, because you're not just focused on Reina and the girls who want in her pants the whole time. Throughout each and every episode, you get a sprinkle of a lot of characters doing a ton of different things, which I believe is one of the biggest reasons why this season's story is great.
Art: 8/10
No, I'm not giving this a high score just for the boobs and ass (although the girls are admittedly super hot, which is obviously good for an ecchi anime). One of the best things about the art is that the story is actually set in a Medieval world this time around. I really adore the styles that were in the Medieval times, so I appreciate the gorgeous detail in the backgrounds and such to make it actually look like it belongs in that era.
Sound: 9/10
Queen's Blade has outdone itself again. I fell in love with the soundtrack for Rurou no Senshi immediately. Surprisingly enough, I like Gyokuza wo Tsugu Mono's soundtrack even more. The opening is a beautiful piece of work, while the ending is upbeat and fun to listen to. Voice acting is fantastic as always. Voice acting was phenomenal, which is something I didn't expect out of a show that prides itself on fanservice. There was a particular scene where Tomoe cried out in despair, and to this day I remember it giving me a humongous chill. I'm still shocked that a simple scene in Queen's Blade actually made me shiver just because of the incredible voice acting. I'd also like to note that Miyu Takeuchi's voice was simply perfect for Aldra.
Character: 8/10
Thank God, Reina isn't just an annoying idiot anymore! You can tell how much she matured, and it's great. I found myself rooting for her this time, while last season there were plenty times where I wished she would die and Tomoe would take the spot as the main character. Reina isn't the only one who matured-- Tomoe ends up growing up due to an unexpected twist, Listy...well, Listy has something that happens to her that I can't say without spoiling, Nanael is still Nanael except a little (and I only mean a little) less stupid, and even Claudette becomes a likeable character since she's not a humongous bitch anymore. The characters aren't just certain stereotypes put in to please viewers, they actually have their own personalities now.
Enjoyment: 7/10
Even though the fanservice is still off the scale, I can't help but like this series. As a straight girl, I can't say the nudity really did anything for me, but it also didn't dampen my enjoyment of the show either. Most importantly, this season renewed my faith in Queen's Blade. Instead of dropping it after trudging through the two seasons like I initially thought I'd be doing, I definitely plan to watch any future installments.
Overall: 8/10
If you're hesitating to watch this because you're thinking that it may be as atrocious as the first season, please give it a try. You'll see the vast difference after watching just one episode, and I'm sure you'll appreciate Gyokuza wo Tsugu Mono regardless of whether you liked Rurou no Senshi or not.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 15, 2010
At first glance, Reimei no Arcana may seem like your oh-so-clichè romance and shoujo manga set in fairytale land. Thankfully, this isn't the case. Reimei no Arcana has a more deep, almost depressing story behind everything. There's blood. There's violence. There are characters that actually develop instead of just act the same throughout the story. This really isn't the typical romance manga directed at young girls.
Story: 8/10
While it's not the most original plot in the world, Rei Toma executes it beautifully. The princess who has been shunned all her life is in an arranged marriage with a prince that she finds disgusting. After spending some
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genuine time together and going through certain events, however, they come to understand each other more and more as time goes on. Of course, they then develop actual feelings for each other. However, don't be fooled-- the story doesn't magically lose its grittiness for the sake of turning everything into an upbeat romance.
Art: 9/10
The art is simply gorgeous. The girls are beautiful, the boys are handsome. The clothes are wonderfully detailed, and the settings fit in perfectly with the theme. My only complaint is that, like a lot of other manga, the heroine's eyes are way too big for her face. I understand that it helps to add expression, but it just looks silly when everyone else has normal sized eyes except for the main character.
Character: 8/10
At first, characters seem like they're nothing very special. Loki is the sweet, caring friend to Nakaba, whereas Nakaba is a princess who's slightly depressed due to her situation, but still attempts to have a somewhat good outlook on life...until she meets the tsundere prince Caesar, that is. Thankfully, Reimei no Arcana has wonderful character development. After some certain dramatic events happen, you can see how much each character in this manga has grown up. They feel like their own fleshed out person rather than a mere stereotype.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I simply love romance manga that are unique. I enjoy my romance/comedy/school/shoujo manga from time to time, but they get boring very quickly due to a lot of them having nearly identical plots. Reimei no Arcana is a wonderful hidden gem of romance manga out there.
Overall: 8.5/10 (rounded up to 9/10)
If you're looking for a typical cheesy romance where no character development takes place, I advise you to pick up one of the various one-shot shoujo manga out there. If you're looking for a deep romance manga that actually has an interesting plot and well-developed characters, by all means, read this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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