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It is not every day that one comes across a manga that pulls them into the narrative and keeps them gripped from the get go, not necessarily because the manga in question is an on-the-edge-of-seat thriller or is groundbreaking in its premise, but because its exploration and execution of what it brings to the table, no matter how unremarkable it is at face value, are thoroughly refreshing and therefore appealing, especially taking into consideration the host of titles with dull plots and bland, hackneyed characters that populate the anime and manga verse, particularly when it comes to the genre of romance.

Mori Kaoru’s ‘Emma’ is ... one such manga for me.

Set in the backdrop of Victorian England of late 19th century, ‘Emma’ tells the story of a young woman–the titular character, a maid-of-all-work in the household of a retired governess– who falls in love with William Jones, a wealthy young man of the upper middle class. Despite the reciprocated feelings, however, stringent class distinctions and societal norms forbid the two lovebirds to maintain and openly acknowledge their relationship in public.

On the surface, the story is fairly generic. A rich guy sweeping a poor girl off her feet is nothing short of a rehashed scenario that has been done to death for the umpteenth time now and is a trope that is glaringly visible in the shoujo demographic. However, ‘Emma’ possesses a freshness and unique charm of its own, partly due to the lavish details pertaining to its historical backdrop that are so well blended into the story and partly due to an array of engaging supporting characters that are rarely encountered in romance stories wherein it is usually the lead couple that gets to be in the limelight. The storyline has two intertwined threads running through it– one that focuses on the trials and tribulations that Emma and William face, and the other that explores the supporting characters, many of whom turn out to be quite likeable. One thing that is admirable about these characters is that they feel considerably human. They could have had been anyone walking down the Victorian London street. Likewise, it is not difficult to imagine that a predicament similar to that of Emma and William arising from differences in social status could have had been shared by someone from the era as the portrayal of class differences which the primary conflict of the story stems from has been convincingly nailed down, contributing to Emma and William’s love story that factor which makes the reader relate to the couple’s plight.

The artwork in ‘Emma’ is in one word, elegant. Though character designs are plain, a hefty amount of detailing is put into the backgrounds and the characters’ attires. Mori is a self-proclaimed anglophile and that she chose the Victorian Era as a setting for her story therefore comes across as no surprise. Everything from actual locations such The Crystal Palace of London down to little nuances of British life of the time has been incorporated. That a Japanese manga artist has been able to recreate a foreign milieu as accurately as possible with the available research material is commendable indeed.

Reading ‘Emma’ was a pleasant experience for me and I would gladly recommend it to anyone who is looking for historical romance or romance manga in general. It is an invigorative take on an otherwise typical story, clothed in the garment of an enticing time period and charming characters and laced with an ambience that stirs up a feeling akin to that of nostalgia.

Once in a while, there comes along a title (be it movie, book or anime) that takes the audience by storm, sweeping numerous off their feat, leaving several with a bad aftertaste in their mouth and making a few pass the work off as ‘average’ or ‘mediocre’. Online communities, forums, chat rooms and every other nook and corner of the internet known to man turn into arenas of debates, discussions, fanboyism/fangirlism and flaming. It’s apparent that when something is popular, it doesn’t always get to bath in praises. With the acclaim, comes a sheer amount of criticisms. Also, it goes without saying that popularity ... doesn’t necessarily equate to quality.

Sword Art Online, abbreviated as SAO from this point on, is no exception.

SAO, the anime adaptation of a series of light novels of the same name by Kawahara Reki, has been the much talked about show of the Summer and Fall 2012 seasons, and taking into consideration the incredible hype surrounding it with reviews of mixed sorts, it’s likely to stay that way for quite some time. Keeping in mind the vogue of MMORPGs and the demand for something ‘captivating’, the team behind SAO attempts to bring an enticing work to the table by executing the intriguing premise of ‘players trapped in a VRMMORPG where death equates to death in real life and the only way out is to clear the game’. Unfortunately, SAO fails at many levels which is a shame because when the anime kicked off with the highly anticipated first episode, all seemed well and it gave the vibes of something truly worth spending your time on but then it does a flip and from this point, things go awry. And here we have it— one of the most controversial anime of the recent years.

Before proceeding with the review, let’s get one thing straight. I have not read the original source material— the light novels, that is. Hence, I’m not going to draw any comparison between that and the anime. With that out of the way, let’s keep the ball rolling.

SAO on the surface has a fairly interesting premise, no doubt, and it’s executed well to some extent or so did it initially seem. The very idea of a large number of people logged into a VRMMORPG with the intention of embarking on a virtual reality adventure but only to be struck with utter horror as they’re faced with the shocking truth of the game has been put into effect quite satisfactorily in the first episode. It’s pretty much what I’d call an excellent start. However, SAO effortlessly manages to send all my expectations and enthusiasm down the drain for it takes the show only an episode or two to reveal its true colours followed by the disappointment it has in store.

So, what goes wrong? Well, many things.

Following the Great Beginning, the first arc decides to take a detour and invests on a few episodes dealing with side stories in which our protagonist Kirito gets acquainted with one girl per episode and ends up rescuing her from a jam. This is precisely why I like referring to this bunch of side stories as ‘episodic harem’ wherein the primary heroine of the story and Kirito’s love interest Asuna is assumed to be constant and the other girls are variables. Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, these side stories have very little to nothing to contribute to the series as a whole. Admittedly, they equip the viewers with some clever, little details here and there regarding how the game world works but they hardly have any bearing to the overall plot. The primary goal of these filler-like episodes appears to be that of giving our hero clad in black an opportunity to flaunt how much of a chick magnet he is and how he has it all that takes to be the coolest dude in this world made up of zillions of pixels. To boot, the characters (read: cute chicks) that appear in these episodes have absolutely no substantial role to play in the story later on. ‘Side’ characters indeed. And SAO knows how to effectively sideline them.

When the arc finally gets itself back on track, it’s only natural to hope that the show will now have something worthwhile to deliver. However, that isn’t the case. If anything, some severe cracks begin to appear as very soon the focus of SAO is the romance between the two leads which is, in one word, cheesy. At this point, opinions are divided. The romance aspect, for some, can be appealing while for others, it can be a major turn off especially if they don’t like the characters involved. It all comes down to personal preference. However, personal preferences aren’t a convincing excuse by any means to overlook the fact that the story, world building and everything else take a backseat for the sake of allowing the two leads to be lovey-dovey in the backdrop of gorgeous sceneries. When the arc does manage to divert its focus on to some ‘serious business’, things look good for a while but with a rather unimpressive ending, the first arc concludes on a pretty bad note in my book.

And then begins the second arc which, to be blunt, is a letdown again.

The second arc or the ALO arc is set within ALfheim Online, a VRMMORPG successor to SAO. Kirito logs in with a mission to rescue his wife (Asuna, duh) from the clutches of an archetypical antagonist who is a disgrace to all the villains in fiction we have come across so far. This arc showcases some really eye candy visuals but that’s pretty much its only redeeming point. It doesn’t have anything much going on except for a few climactic action sequences now and then with intense battle music playing in the background that last only for a while. Not to mention, there’s another girl added to Kirito’s harem.

And then the hilarity ensues.

The manner in which ALO is brought to a close is appalling to say the least and at the same laughable because it doesn’t hesitate to use the much notorious plot device dues ex machina, ruining whatever hopes there were for the final confrontation with the villain. The poor conclusion could be excused if it was handled more cleverly and convincingly but a blatant ass pull is by no means satisfactory. If anything, it only proves that the writer faced a dead end and was unable to think of anything better and creative, and expected the audience to swallow down whatever he could come up with, no matter how downright stupid it is.

Among all the other things, the most easily noticeable flaw without a doubt is the execution of the plot itself which is all over the place. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out after a couple of episodes that SAO suffers from poor pacing and inconsistency. It appears to be highly indecisive as to what exactly it wants to do and how to get it done. This is mostly evident in the first arc which is incredibly rushed at many parts. There’re timeskips and the next thing you realize is that the characters have already cleared quite a lot of floors while keeping us, the viewers, in the dark. This makes the plot disjointed, prevents any sort of correlation to the win-or-die situation that the characters have been put into and gives everything the feel of it being nothing more than a piece of cake. The struggle for survival and a sense of urgency are hardly felt even though the lives of the characters have been said to be literally at stake. The episodes dealing exclusively with the lead couple taking some time off for a ‘vacation’ and subsequently ending up building a virtual family can further make one wonder: Why are they so carefree when they’re supposed to chalk out plans to beat the game and make a quick escape? To put it in other words, the arc has a tendency to go off track. It lays down for itself one thing but ends up doing something else altogether. It’s uncertain as to whether to make itself come across as a story of survival set within a VRMMORPG or as a fluffy love story. In due course, it decides to juggle with both but doesn’t get either of them rightly done. Not to mention, when the situation demands it and the writer goes out of any creative ideas to move the story forward, the characters’ actions are made to contradict the established game mechanics and the only reasoning that’s provided for such miracles is ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way, and there’re times when true love and determination can overcome any obstacle in the game’.

Now, for those who look for substance in any given story, it’s almost a fact that no amount of fanservice, eye candies, self-insertion or guilty pleasure factors can possibly compensate for a substandard storytelling. Yet that’s what SAO tries to do. It brings in all the aforementioned elements to sugarcoat its sloppy writing. On the whole, there’re no sincere efforts made to incorporate details that would contribute in some way or the other to world building or characterization whatsoever.

While the poor quality of the writing is the key factor, the other aspect that contributes considerably to the mediocrity of the show is the characterization. Simply put, SAO’s characters are bland. Essentially, the show has its focus on only two characters: Kirito and Asuna. The others are just there; mere devices to move the story forward. And a few have nothing to contribute to the plot at all. For instance, the ones featuring in the side stories.

Let’s talk about the protagonist Kirito first.

An unsocial, reserved yet headstrong player who knows how to get things done his way and is determined to beat the game. That’s basically how Kirito is portrayed in the beginning. At this point, he seems like a good riddance from the generic wimpy male leads that have become so much of a commonplace in anime. A proficient main character who knows how to deal with things is something refreshing to witness once in a while. Unfortunately, the impressions didn’t last for long. In desperate attempts to make his character more ‘appealing’, Kirito is depicted as a ‘perfect’ being which leaves his character with little plausibility and much insipidity.
He’s a guy with a heart of gold.
He has an ‘ideal’ girlfriend/wife.
He’s admired by those around him.
He can ‘unintentionally’ make every other woman adore him, romantically or otherwise.

Thus, he serves as a mere self-insert character for wish-fulfilment and at the end of the day, there’s nothing ‘individualistic’ about him. Gary stu is probably what describes his character the best, and if paired with the Mary sue of the show, we get a lead couple that seems to have been cut out straight from a tacky romance fanfiction.

Yes, when I mentioned ‘Mary sue’, I was referring to Asuna.

Asuna as the female lead is as stereotyped as they come. Much like Kirito, her character is heavily idealized. She’s pretty, popular, kind, caring and every other man wants to have a piece of her. Oh, and did I mention her cooking skills that level up with each passing day? After all, her foremost duty is to cook for Kirito and show how much she cares for him. While initially she’s portrayed as a strong, independent female player with a tsundere-ish attitude, it doesn’t take her long to make a transition from that to a deplorable damsel in distress, requiring her knight in black robe to come to her rescue whenever she’s in a bind. Kirito fighting her guild leader to earn her some time for honeymooning is laughable to say the least. It soon becomes apparent that she doesn’t have much of a role other than serving as the love interest of the protagonist and being the object of fanservice now and then which might be successful in pleasing the male audience somehow but that alone can’t make up for her badly written character. In fact, the other female character the show cares to put the spotlight on also ends up becoming the target of fanservice but doesn’t have anything else going on for herself.

If you haven’t guessed it already, I’m talking about Kirito’s beloved imouto.

Throughout the first arc, the writer must have had been itching to include a love triangle in the story but couldn’t find a potential candidate to get the job done. As the first arc comes to a closure and the second arc begins, he grabs the opportunity, puts Asuna behind the bars (so that she’s not an interference in what he’s attempting to do) and introduces Suguha, Kirito’s cousin sister. The sole purpose of creating her character, it appears, is to make way for a generic love triangle and melodrama. Suguha loves her cousin but can’t do anything about it because he loves Asuna. That’s the bitter truth. Hence, she looks up to a certain someone she happens to befriend within ALO and hopes that he’d be able to sooth her aching heart. However, she gets trolled… badly. This, in turn, leads to more drama that’s somehow supposed to be heart wrenching but it isn’t.

The remaining cast consists of two antagonists, both failing to make any sort of impression though the one making his debut in the second arc can be a good comic relief at times, and a bunch of side characters that wouldn’t have had made any difference even if they hadn’t existed. The bottom line is, the characters of SAO are a half-baked lot devoid of any depth or development. They could’ve perhaps turned out to be interesting if they were more fleshed out but who cares about that as long as they appeal to the intended target audience?

Onto the technical aspects now.

In the department of visuals, A-1 Pictures does a pretty good job. Within the game, the vast tracts of greenery, the beautiful cities during the night, the castles… they’re all a pleasure to behold. The animation is also well-handled for the most part. Initially I wasn’t much pleased with the character designs but they gradually grew on me, and I personally find a few characters like Asuna, Heathcliff and Lisbeth to be very well designed.

The music is composed by one of the most renowned composers in the anime industry, Yuki Kajiura. While the soundtracks aren’t bad by any means, none of them stand out much except the one that plays during combat/intense scenes. In fact, that’s the only track that can be heard playing most of the time in the entire show. A few other tracks, though they aptly fit the scenes they’re played in, are easily forgettable. The same applies to the opening and ending themes. Nothing groundbreaking there. I’m a fan of almost all of Kajiura’s works and if compared to her previous works, SAO’s music is lacklustre to say the least and so much so that it’s hard to believe Kajiura is the composer to begin with.

To wrap up the review, SAO had the potential to be something good but that potential goes down the drain due to poorly executed plot and bland characterization. It starts off in a satisfactory manner but goes downhill thereafter. Nevertheless, it can be an entertaining ride if one keeps their expectations low and swallows down whatever it has to offer without questioning anything. One of the reasons why SAO has been a letdown is the anticipation the majority had for it prior to its airing but that’s justified since the light novel series from which the anime is adapted is one of the most popular ones out there.

[Edited on March 20, 2017]

If I have to sum up Kaikisen in a few words, they would be: Mesmerizing, Serene, Euphoric, Profound, Phenomenal. A modest coastal town, the tranquil sea and an intriguing legend about a mermaid that engulfs the town. It might not be the most original setting or premise but it is done so well, the first few pages were all it took to draw me into the story.

While the manga’s charm without a doubt lies in the mystery surrounding the mermaid’s existence and her ‘egg’, the characters and their portrayal are yet another of its redeeming points. We have our protagonist Yosuke who is ... caught in a dilemma as whether to be rational and shrug off the legend that’s so earnestly accepted by the superstitious town folks or to believe in the whimsical and accept the fact that the mermaid does indeed exist somewhere deep down the vast sea. Then there is Yosuke’s grandfather, a headstrong believer in the sanctity of the pact that has been said to be sealed between his ancestor and the mermaid, and in stark opposition is Yosuke’s father who wants to make quick money by taking advantage of the sensational legend and by complying with the development projects launched in the town. In the midst of it all is Yosuke himself who doesn’t know what to and what not to do.

My only gripe and a small one at that is the way the story is wrapped up. The ending feels a tad abrupt and doesn’t make much of an impression. However, on the whole, Kakisen is a very good manga that is worth your time if you are looking for something intriguing to read. The story is appealing and the art is neat and detailed. Definitely one of the best short manga I have read.

“When I wear this cape and do a spell, it suddenly starts to snow. Snow that falls in the summer. But you know what's surprising? It's not snowing outside. It only snows inside this magic tent. And when the snowflakes touch the ground, they disappear without a trace. It's a little sad...”

We are all bounded by endless responsibilities, expectations, insecurities and uncertainties. Being practical and working our socks off is the way to accomplish something in life that can bring money into our pockets, we are told; building castles in the air is not. Somewhere along the way of growing up, trying to live ... up to the expectations weighed down on us and being constantly advised what to do and what not, we deliberately go astray and stop chasing our dreams. How strange it is then that we find delight in trivial things which are often a medium for us to escape our monotonous life. Annarasumanara tells such a story.

Yun Ai is a poor girl who struggles to feed herself and her little sister. Her goal in life is to grow up, work hard and make a decent living, and she despises irresponsibility. Her classmate, Na Il-Deung, is an example of people who are driven by the belief that being at the top means everything in life, all thanks to his parents who don’t expect anything less than hundred percent from him. When these two encounter a mysterious magician who calls himself R, things begin to change.

Annarasumanara is an insightful tale; a wonderful blend of fantasy and reality. The profound effect it has on the readers owes to the fact that the characters are easily relatable. There are three individuals around whom the story revolves: Yun Ai, Na Il-Deung and R. While on the surface they are mere products of the author’s imagination to have his story centred on, yet their persona holds much more than meets the eye. As we delve into the story, we begin to see ourselves in them. We all have, at one point of time, wondered: What am I doing? Where is my life heading to? Am I living my life the right way? What do people think about me? Should I always heed what others advise me to or live my life the way I want to, try doing things differently? Is success everything that matters or is there something else in this life that holds a much greater importance? These are some of the questions that Annarasumanara attempts to explore through its characters and it succeeds in doing that in a conceivable manner.

Onto the artwork now. Annarasumanara’s biggest asset is the art, no doubt. It is spectacular and unique to say the least. The use of cut-outs of real life photos and the subtle use of colour here and there are very creative indeed. The character designs are pretty good too and the facial expressions of the characters have been done well. Annarasumanara offers a visual treat and sometimes you will find yourself pausing in between to take a closer look at the subtle and beautiful visuals.

To conclude, Annarasumanara is one of those works of fiction that are something ‘out of the box’ and I believe it should be given a shot irrespective of what genre you are fond of.
Allow yourself to be spellbound and then ask yourself, ‘Do you believe in magic?’

Reading shoujo manga, at one point of time, was almost a hobby of mine, something that I enjoyed tremendously. I could read almost anything and everything that the genre had to offer, irrespective of how good, bad (or downright horrible) that piece of work was. The obsession was relatively short lived though, thanks to the gradual loss of interest in the genre. Through the course of pursuing this guilty pleasure activity, I came across works that could be passed off as decent and those which made me feel like I might punch my computer screen in disgust if I read any further.

Kyou, Koi wo ... Hajimemasu without a doubt falls rightfully in the latter category for me. Yeah, you get the drift; get ready for the rant.

If I have to sum up this manga in one word, then it is ‘atrocious’. It is your clichéd, run of the mill shoujo story without any substance or sensible development; rather it only keeps getting worse with every chapter. Actually, there’re better stories out there with more or less the same setting and plot but this one is so bad that even calling it ‘mediocre’ is unimaginable, in my case at least. Throw in a bunch of shallow, stereotypical characters of the worst sort and you have the recipe for a horrendous piece that is Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu.

Speaking of the characters, Tsubaki Hibino, frankly speaking, is one of the most infuriating shoujo manga heroines I have come across. She was somewhat likable in the beginning when she actually had a backbone and didn’t let her guards down before the male lead but that façade of her wears off in the blink of an eye when one morning she wakes up and the realization dawns upon her that she is in fact madly in love with Tsubaki Kyouta, the male protagonist of the story and an equally annoying character who appears to suffer from something called the jerk syndrome. He is your clichéd, school’s heartthrob with a nasty personality and yet girls dig him because he is just so hawt! The other characters, if there are any that is, are more or less bystanders. Oh wait. Did I mention Hibino’s sister? She pulled off her role of the ‘bitchy rival’ in this incredible love story pretty well. I will give her that.

The artwork is the only aspect of this manga I can rate a bit high in comparison to everything else it has to offer. There is the typical shoujo feel to it but it is well done nonetheless.

For some reason, this manga is actually admired by many people which comes as a surprise to me. Well, whatever said and done, I am no one to question their taste. But now that I contemplate, I wonder why I even went through the trouble of reading those 13 chapters. Was I that bored and jobless? Possible. That or I, somewhere deep inside me, was wishing for something good to happen in the story, only to be utterly disappointed as it did not even come close to anything that would make me feel optimistic about it. The bottom line is, Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu is by no means worth recommending to anyone who is looking for a decent piece to read. You might pick it up if you wish to pass your time but if you ask me, I would suggest you to look for something else.

-Dissection of the score-
Story: 3 | Art: 6 | Character: 2 | Enjoyment: 2| Overall: 3

[This review is an edited and improvised version of the original review posted on October 16, 2011]

The Twelve Kingdoms is a series of light novels by Fuyumi Ono (Ghost Hunt, Shiki). It began publishing in 1992 with the final volume releasing in 2001, totalling to 11 volumes. Later in 2002, it received an anime adaptation that spanned 45 episodes.

The anime begins with a timid high school girl named Yoko Nakajima who along with her friends is dragged into an alternate world that is poles apart from the one she is familiar with. Although the idea of a naïve, clueless protagonist being transported into another world is nothing innovative and rather typical, The Twelve Kingdoms takes this very idea and turns ... it into a captivating story that quickly drew me in. Slightly reminiscent of prehistoric China, the world of the Twelve Kingdoms is a fascinating one. Here monarchy prevails; each kingdom being under the rule of an emperor who is chosen through the ‘will of the Heavens’ that is regarded as the ultimate authority and the ultimate cause of the very existence of the world. Despite the fantasy setting, the facts that punishment is inevitable for the wrong doer and that we reap what we sow are, needless to say, prevalent in both the worlds. Similar to our world, the society is riddled with politics, discrimination, the thirst for power and subsequent corruption. The universe of the Twelve Kingdoms is intricately detailed that is both intriguing and convincing.

Though Yoko’s struggle to survive in the uncanny world she has been dragged into is central to the series, she is not always under the spotlight. Several other characters also have their own stories to tell, a few of whom are more memorable and relatable than the protagonist. There are four arcs in total of which the first arc basically sets the stage. My personal favourite is the second one, the Black Kirin arc which is unrelated to the actual story. Unfortunately, this arc suffers a loose end which is never tied up and this is one downside to the anime. The third arc introduces a few other characters and is centred on three females, Suzu, Shoukei and Yoko herself. The fourth arc is again hugely unrelated and although its story by no means is bad, it was sort of disappointing for me. Why? Because, considering that it’s the final arc, I was expecting the anime to be wrapped up in a decent manner but the ending, I felt, is rather abrupt and that immediately calls for a second season for the rest of the novels to be adapted. However, it appears that a sequel any time soon is highly unlikely.

The anime is sometimes criticised for its tendency to be slow paced at many parts. As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it and seldom felt bored. One thing is initially daunting though and that’s the bunch of assorted terms thrown right off the bat that you require to have at your fingertips or you’re most likely to feel lost through the narrations and conversations between the characters. However, the terms shouldn’t be a problem after a couple of episodes.

One of the assets of the series is the characterisation. Each individual has an appealing personality and something to offer, no matter how trivial their role is in the story. They’re easily relatable, and you can’t help but sympathise with them as they go through their difficult times and feel contented when they make out of their tribulations. You can actually learn a thing or two from them. Rakushun, Taiki, Shoryu, Rokuta and Shoukei are my favourites among the supporting characters. On the other hand, Asano and Yuka failed to leave any deep impression on me. They could have been used in a better way to stimulate Yoko’s story in my opinion. Speaking of the protagonist Yoko, her character has been well handled for the most part except certain instances where I couldn’t help but be put off. For one it is a bit unnatural to see a crybaby turning into an outright bold young lady at the drop of a hat, as is the case with Yoko. Secondly, her constant whining about how ‘incompetent’ she is is downright annoying though that’s pretty much justified on a second thought. Apart from that, her inner conflicts and the lessons she draws from her experiences through the course of the series are delivered in the most conceivable manner.

With regards to the visuals, ‘old school’ is probably what describes The Twelve Kingdoms the best. Character designs are pretty good as well though the characters’ faces seem a bit off at some scenes. Speaking of the OST, the anime has some of the best background soundtracks I have heard in a while and aptly fit the situations in which they are played. The opening theme is an instrumental music that starts off slow and captures the audience with its transition into an epic, battle-like piece halfway.

To wrap up the review, it seems that The Twelve Kingdoms is a somewhat underrated show. If you’re looking for a decent fantasy anime with a historical feel and political intrigue, I see no reason why this show shouldn’t be given a try. It has its flaws but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying what it has to offer.

Tari Tari is a glaring example of an anime with commonly done themes, as is evident from one glance at its genres— School, Slice of Life, Music, Drama. It is centered on five members of a choir club, each with their own tribulations of 'growing up' as they strive to make the best out of their last year of high school, rectify some mistakes made in the past and accomplish their goals. There are quite a handful number of titles out there that make use of this subject with the hope of bringing something decent to the screen. Some pull it off somehow while ... a few mess up, and while it's true that Tari Tari is by no means groundbreaking, it certainly lives up to what it attempts to achieve and what any sane viewer would expect it to be— a simple, unpretentious and heart warming school drama.

Last year P.A. Works, the studio behind Tari Tari, gave us Hanasaku Iroha and anyone who has watched it must have felt the resemblance between the two shows since both more or less take a similar approach in terms of not only the story but also to some extent, the characters and of course the visuals. I must confess that the only reason why I picked Tari Tari was because it seemed to be reminiscent of Hanairo which I admired a lot when I watched it a year ago. Like Hanairo, Tari Tari starts off with a somewhat laid back atmosphere and then takes a dramatic turn, especially towards the end. It delivered everything it could have, given its length and the story line, and probably would have felt draggy if it was any longer. The characters were lively and relatable. The way it was wrapped up, though nothing unique, was quite satisfactory overall.

Visually, Tari Tari was a treat. It was a pleasure to behold the beautiful, detailed backgrounds. The character designs were fine, nothing revolutionary there. It also had some nice catchy songs that fit the bill. I especially like the opening theme 'Dreamer' by AiRi and I'll probably be humming it for quite some time now.

Overall, Tari Tari is your run of the mill school life-esque drama that certainly doesn't stand out much but I see no harm in giving it a try if you ever feel like, that is.

I've always had this habit of picking up stuff to watch and read on a whim, and lately I have been doing that quite frequently. Without giving it a second thought, I put Dantalian no Shoka on download. Not that I was expecting anything much from it to begin with but to be honest, Dantalian no Shoka is a letdown.

- STORY -
Adapted from the light novel of the same, Dantalian no Shoka (also known as Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian or the Mystic Archives of Dantalian) is set in the backdrop of England after World War I. Hugh Anthony "Huey" Disward, a young man ... and ex-Pilot inherits a mansion including a vast library from his late grandfather. He encounters and soon befriends a mysterious, petite girl named Dalian who is the guardian of the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian accommodating several thousands of 'phantom books'. Phantom books grant 'forbidden knowledge' which in the wrong hands can impose grave danger. Huey is proclaimed as the keykeeper to Dantalian's archives by Dalian, and together the pair must unravel incidents involving the misuse of the phantom books and restore peace and order.

The first thing that struck me is how similar its premise is to that of Gosick. Dalian, one of the two leads, is nothing more than just a copycat of Victorique. But that's not where the problem lies. The series is episodic with each episode dealing with a particular phantom book and the threat it poses to people including its owner, and the duo ultimately saving the day using their ability to access Dantalian's Archives. Most of the episodes are boring to say the least. I occasionally paused the video to check Facebook notifications. In other words, it failed to keep me hooked. To boot, some of the episodes felt absolutely stupid. For instance, the latter half of the eighth episode (Book of Relationship).
Another flaw is the ambiguity. Many of the things are either not explained clearly or they're left totally unexplained which results in confusion and you don't know what is exactly going on.
In the entire anime, the only episode I can call decent is the one involving the perfumer. Which episode was it again? Let me check. Okay, the seventh one. The rest of the episodes are not even worth mentioning. I remember having the urge to skip a few parts of them.

- CHARACTERS -
The cast failed to leave any impression on me. To a small degree, Dalian is interesting but then again, she is an imitation of Victorique from Gosick. Huey is decent. Among the supporting characters, Armand is easily the most annoying character following Camilla. There is nothing to say about the rest of the characters as they only appear in their respective episode, play their role and exit.

- VISUALS -
There are some instances when the art is gorgeous with rich textures and lighting effects. The backgrounds are pretty well detailed too. I remember there was this particular episode in which the art resembled illustrations from storybook. I liked that innovative art style. The character designs, on the other hand, are above average.

- AUDIO -
The best thing about Dantalian no Shoka is the OP 'Cras Numquam Scire'. Besides that, I don't remember any other soundtrack. Did anything even play in the background in the entire anime? Maybe it did but I failed to notice. The ED 'Yes, Prisoner' is so-so. Sawashiro Miyuki as Dalian's voice actress did a good job.

- CONCLUSION -
I am at a loss of words here. I can't seem to find anything else other than 'mediocre' to describe Dantalian no Shoka because, well, that's what it is. Judging by the synopsis, you may expect something intriguing but to put it bluntly, that’s not the case. Well, you can still give it a shot if you can’t find anything better to watch.

“How long was I locked up in that room? A day? A week? I could no longer tell. On top of driving you crazy, the darkness and isolation also robbed you of all your sense of time.”

Kirishima Seiichi’s life has so far been full of ups and downs— recurring letdowns in his career as a writer, the tragic death of his son and to top it all, the cold and distant attitude of his wife. With the alleged intention of overcoming the loss of their son and starting over a new life, Kirishima takes his wife on a peaceful island vacation. However, behind ... the façade of the doting husband, his idea of ‘starting over’ is different and when his plans go wrong, things take an unexpected turn. And then begins the nightmare… somewhere deep inside a cave there is a savage beast with a craving to feed on the flesh of those who stray into the cave, having no clue of what awaits them there.

Hideout is one of those manga that knows how to pull its readers into it from the first page itself. It begins on an interesting and slightly disturbing note that quickly managed to pique my curiosity and kept me glued to it until the very last page. The entire story is narrated from the point of view of our protagonist, accompanied with brief flashbacks now and then. The series is pretty short, consisting of nine chapters. This length is apt taking into consideration the storyline for if it was any longer, it would have only felt draggy. That said, while I personally liked the twisted and unpredictable ending, I’d have preferred if it was elucidated a bit more but then again on another thought, if it did, it would have probably lacked the same impact.
Even in a manga as short as this, the characters have been depicted quite well. Kirishima Seiichi, the protagonist, comes across as an ordinary writer who only wished to make a decent living out of his writing and live happily with his family but then things start to topple over. His wife Miki adds to his despair by repeatedly reminding him of his failures and that he is at fault for everything. And then there is the ‘beast’ whose sole purpose of existence is to create terror.

Actually, where Hideout shines is the brilliant artwork. The sharp, dark tones complement the horror and uneasiness evoked by this manga. Every page and panels are so finely detailed that sometimes I paused reading just to take a closer look at the art. Kakizaki Masasumi is mostly notable for his artwork in Rainbow but since I haven’t read it, I’m not going to make any comparisons between this and that. I might as well go as far as to say that Kakizaki is one of the best manga artists I have come across solely judging his work in Hideout.

To conclude, I’ll gladly recommend Hideout to anyone who is looking for a short, intriguing horror tale. The story is concise, the art is outstanding. It is undoubtedly worth giving a shot.

Based on the manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell is an account of a not-so-distant future when it’s not uncommon for you to walk on a busy street and bump into cyborgs— humans who have been ‘cyberized’ to such an extent that every aspect of their functioning is taken care of by high-tech equipment within their ‘shell’, the prosthetic body, and ‘ghost’ which is the slang term for consciousness. So what was it that you really bumped into? What is it that differentiates a human from a cyborg? What makes us human— the biological matter, the consciousness or the ... memories? These are the questions which Ghost in the Shell explores. On the surface, it’s a cybercrime story. Rapid progression of cybernetics has resulted in various complications, particularly ‘ghost hacking’. Section 9, a unit of National Public Safety Commission of Japan, is responsible for dealing with such sensitive crimes. The protagonist is Major Kusanagi Motoko, a member of Section 9, whose body is almost entirely cyberized with the exception of her brain which is organic. With the aid of her co-workers, she must track down Puppet Master, an ingenious hacker.

The movie is an intricate piece of work with technical terms and phrases popping up every now and then. This makes it difficult to comprehend many parts of the movie and sometimes you have no clue what’s going on, especially if you’re watching it the first time and you don’t have at least a minimal knowledge of cybernetics and the like. However, if you watch it with enough focus, grasping the overall plot should not be that difficult. Basically, you need to look at it as a reel of threads instead of trying to disentangle every intertwined thread if you’re a first time viewer of the movie. For an in-depth analysis, you may require to watch it a few more times until you’re contented enough.

Although cyberpunk is the core, Ghost in the Shell also has several philosophical aspects. Cyberization enables storage of memories in external devices like hard drives and consequently their sharing. You can share the memories of a party you went to with a friend— what you saw, what you heard and even the sensations you had. So, how would you define ‘reality’ in a world where accessing others’ memories is as simple as browsing through files and folders on your computer? How would you know that the memories you possess are ‘real’? Candidly speaking, you’re no longer your own master in such vulnerability. Keeping aside the philosophy, let’s move on to the other aspects of the movie.

Visually, Ghost in the Shell is spectacular. Considering that the movie is more than a decade old now, the animation and graphics are noteworthy indeed. The action scenes are so well animated that they leave the viewers in awe. Not to mention, the backgrounds, machines, skyscrapers and other objects are really well detailed, rendering the movie what it is— a futuristic thriller.
There is not much to say about the audio. The voice actors did a fine job, if not the best. The song ‘Making of a Cyborg’, a traditional Japanese chanting more or less that plays during the opening credits and a few other scenes give an uncanny feel to the movie and is in contrast to the ‘futuristic’ theme.

To wrap up, Ghost in the Shell is a classy sci-fi thriller that not only offers an insight into a time when the line between man and machine constantly blurs but also provokes thoughts about what’s in store for us in the near future. It’s a must watch for every sci-fi fanatic out there.