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I'm the type of person who tends to judge the book by it's cover. Bad habit, I know, but sometimes I just can't help myself. This is why it took me months after the anime release to finally give this series a try. And oh boy, I'm glad I did. I've actually rewatched the series recently and so I've decided to finally write a review.

I'm sure that everyone has at least heard of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica by now but there's probably still a few who still can't bring themselves to watch something so 'girly'. If you're one of those poor souls, keep on reading.

MSMM ... starts out as any other anime in mahou shoujo genre. It even looks like one: cute art style, colorful costumes, squeally voices. The plot also seemingly fits the theme: a very ordinary girl somehow finds herself in a not so ordinary situation and receives an offer to become a 'magical girl'. A very familiar setting. However, there was simply no time to start thinking of the show as clichéd and boring, because soon enough I started getting this feeling that something was just 'off'. I felt like I kept noticing these hints, but they were so very subtle I could never be sure if it was really a hint or just part of a somewhat whacky art. It felt like having a premonition of something bad about to happen. And by the 3rd or 4th episode it was quite clear that this isn't gonna be an ordinary mahou shoujo anime.

To be frank, I believe this is exactly why this show has received such wide acclamation. It excels at tricking the audience into thinking they're watching some dumb 'magical girl' show but when nothing goes as expected, you can't help but feel astounded.

I have to admit that this was my first anime from Shaft so the highly unusual art style was something I didn't expect but at the same time was impressed by it. The characters are drawn in a rather shabby way and the backgrounds of the fight scenes look like something that belongs in a scrapbook put together by some schizophrenic person. Very chaotic, very spectacular and somehow very fitting.

On to the characters. There is as much character development as it is possible to squeeze into 12 episodes without making it all feel unnatural. Every character has their own story. Even the super creepy cat-like creature Kyuubey. We're given the chance to see things from every girls perspective and follow their struggles as they go through a full spectrum of emotions: hope, happiness, sadness, grief, even helplessness. They all start out as magical girls quite heroically, that is until they realize the true weight of their choices. That's were the show goes really dark really quickly. It's hard not to feel sympathetic towards them as instead of being the little girls as they are, they fight very real battles, experience loss and start raising existential questions that should not concern someone their age.

To sum it all up, I'd like to say that this was one of the most memorable anime series I've had the pleasure of watching. And so I would like to recommend it to everyone. Of course, I can't guarantee that everyone will like it, that would be quite revolutionary, but I firmly believe Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica falls into the 'must see' category.

Present is a short 40-page-long story about love and presents. Yes, it‘s all about love and presents. But don‘t expect it to be sweet and shallow. It‘s much deeper than that.

Story
Present is a one-shot manga so I won’t say much. Basically, it’s a story about a student who falls in love with her teacher. Sadly, she has a rare disease which causes her to fall into a deep slumber. Doctors do their best to prolong her life but when Hanako finally wakes up, she has only three days left to live. It’s up to her husband to help her spend her last days happily. ...
Actually, the plot is very unique but you probably won’t realize that until the very end. And let me warn you, although the plot is short and quite simple, not much is explained. It’s left for the reader to grasp everything on his own so it might be confusing at first. It’s just like receiving a present: you get a beautifully wrapped box but no one tells you what’s inside.

Art
Well, Boichi obviously has his own style. His art is nice and consistent and even though it’s not really my type of art, I have to admit that he manages to capture the mood incredibly well.

Characters
You can’t expect much of the character development in 40 pages. Surprisingly, this is not the case in this manga. The characters are consistent and very profound. Sometimes their behavior is unexpected but realistic nevertheless. Each of the main characters has a unique personality and a strong presence. This is probably what I appreciate the most in this one-shot.

Enjoyment
As for me, this manga was very enjoyable. I liked it even more than Hotel (a very popular one-shot from the same author). Boichi managed to trick me into believing what I was supposed to believe so the ending was quite a shock. I actually had to just sit for a few minutes and let everything settle in. I was in awe.

Overall
All in all, I give this manga a big round 10. If you like one-shots, read Present. If you don’t like one-shots, read this anyway. You won’t regret it. It might not become your favorite manga but it’s definitely worth your time. Well, it won’t consume much time anyway:)

‘Everything should just be destroyed…’

At first, I was intrigued by the fact that Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is catastrophe themed because you won’t find many anime of this type. And I was pleasantly surprised that such anime not only exists, but it can be very enjoyable too.

STORY
Tokyo has been hit by a huge earthquake and a young girl Mirai, her little brother Yuuki and Mari, a woman they happened to accidentally meet, sets off on a journey to reach their home as the whole city crumbles to dust. After first few episodes the plot seems to be a bit dragged out. The main characters simply wander ... from one refuge to the other, trying not to get squeezed by falling debris. However, the ending takes it all. It even left me crying for a moment.

CHARACTERS
I was impressed by the sense of realism that the characters give off. They keep on going without even knowing if their houses are still intact, not even if their families are still alive. This gives off a very human feeling of fear, anxiety and hope which remain throughout the series.

ART & MUSIC
Both art and music are satisfactory. Everything is drawn in a simple and a bit plain way. Nothing spectacular, but nothing tawdry either.

All in all, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is quite interesting, easy to watch and very touching. It’s a nice mix of some action, drama and tragedy.

How would it feel to have 3 billion years of memory? My brain can’t even begin to comprehend something so vast. And yet, this is exactly what this manga is about.

Honestly, it's hard for me to find the right words to describe this manga. I don't want to simply recommend a manga because it's good. I want to share an experience. I won’t hesitate to say that this, at least for me, was a masterpiece. Of course, it’s not perfect, but after reading tons of mangas, Omoide Emanon was like a pearl in the sea of clichéd and boring stories.

First of all, let me ... be clear that there's no action here, no real character development. The story doesn't focus on romance and it's not exactly a slice of life either. The plot is surprisingly simple and yet it feels like it doesn't fit into any category. It's a very heartfelt, one of a kind story that simply draws you in and makes you feel at peace.

Emanon is a young, beautiful and mysterious lady who without much ado starts telling her unbelievable story to some stranger she met on a cruise ship. A story of how she came to possess 3 billion years worth of memories. I'm not gonna say anything else about the plot. The story is short as it is. Instead, I'll tell you how I felt while reading it. I felt like I was in tune with the entire universe.

It's been some time since I've read this manga, but it still remains fresh in my memory. It firmly occupied a place in my heart and no other story has come even close to the uniqueness that is Omoide Emanon. I would recommend this manga to any mature reader.