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The following will be a review of Bloody Monday and its 2 sequels, I'll try my best not to include any spoilers.

For awhile now I've been slowly drifting away from anime/manga as a hobby, but I was bored one day and remembered that I still have a huge list of manga I was interested in reading at one point so I randomly picked Bloody Monday and gave it a go.

I ended up speeding through the entire 3 "seasons" of this series in about a week, which is pretty fast for me considering how many chapters there were.

The basic premise of Bloody Monday is that this ... high school kid named Fujimaru who seems like your average dumb perverted teen boy is actually a genius hacker, Falcon. He and his friends and family get involved in a bunch of terrorist plots, and as the series goes on the scale gets larger and more grandiose, to the point of being ridiculous at times. It's safe to say that if you're looking for a carefully crafted, well-written story line with reason and logic then Bloody Monday will probably disappoint you. I'll admit I was only looking for a fun, action-packed manga that was easy to get immersed in, and I pretty much got what I wanted. But Bloody Monday is filled with over the top contrivances and plot holes, so if that bothers you then I'd stay away from this. Overall I felt like the first season had better writing, the second season had the worst, and the last season managed to salvage what was left of the plot and tied it all into a heartwarming, albeit rushed, ending.

Personally I have hard time judging art because I'm not much of an artist myself, and I often get too immersed into the story to really pay attention to artistic details. Bloody Monday's artwork was pretty typical of shounen mangas, the action scenes were well done and the characters were all distinct. In a manga like this where deception and stealth are central to the story line, the characters' facial expressions all have to be drawn very exactly and I think the artist did a good job with that. The artist also did a good job of casting slight doubt on certain characters without making it too obvious.

Speaking of the characters, I think that's where Bloody Monday shined, with a few exceptions. Although the story was truly ridiculous at times, it was the fact that I had grown to care about the characters that made me want to read all the way to the end of the last season to find out if they all get a happy ending. The lead hero Fujimaru has a lot of typical shounen protagonist traits like a strong sense of justice, compassion for those he cares about, and determination to protect the people around him. In the beginning chapters of the first series I actually found him annoying with how trusting and naive he was, but thankfully he learns from his mistakes and you do get to see how he matures throughout the 3 seasons due to everything he experiences. His friend Otoya would probably be most people's favorite character in the series, and he was mine as well, although the enigmatic J does come close later on. As a whole, the characters were likable and easy to get attached to, although in some cases you just can't get too attached.

Unfortunately, beginning in the second season there arises a very strange, rushed, and random romance aspect that quickly becomes over the top for the nature of this series. Maybe I was reading the manga too quickly or something, but I felt like the romance really just came out of nowhere and became too deep, too fast. And I realize that the purpose of this was to give the main character an even greater motive to reach his goals and make the conclusion more satisfying, but it still felt really out of place at the end. Surely there could've been a better executed way of giving him the same amount of motivation.

Despite some problems with the story and character dynamics though, I still have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed this series, in the sense that I was really sucked into the story and couldn't stop reading. I've missed getting really caught up in a story like this, and I liked that Bloody Monday brought back that feeling.

Overall, I don't think Bloody Monday is a must-read but if you're just looking for something fun and suspenseful with lots of twists and turns to pass the time then you might enjoy this. If you're looking for something more refined and cleverly written then you will likely be disappointed with this series.

Wow. What a ride.

I always found myself fascinated with the premise of this manga even before I began reading it, because it had the "psychological" and "shoujo" tags on MyAnimeList but not a tag for romance, despite the girly art. That, along with various recommendations online for this manga really got me intrigued, and I ended up speeding through Arisa in a couple of days.

The story of Arisa was never a simple shoujo school romcom. From the very beginning, a mystery is presented in the form of Arisa's attempted suicide and Tsubasa's resulting desire to find out why her twin tried to kill herself. ... The subsequent twists and turns shape this manga into a very interesting psychological thriller, albeit involving middle school kids. Now, I'm not going to pretend that Arisa's story didn't have flaws. I won't doubt that many people will pick up on various plot holes and bullshit moments in this manga. However, I found myself so engrossed in the story that I overlooked a lot of these finer details, and I feel that anyone else who gets really into this manga like I did will probably experience the same thing. Arisa is also not your typical shoujo manga, as it relies on mystery and suspense rather than romance to advance the story. The demographic may be shoujo, but much of the drama in Arisa focuses on non-romantic elements.

One of the main reasons I was able to forgive some of the plot conveniences in Arisa was because I was so invested in the characters. Tsubasa really is an endearing lead, and I loved that no matter how tough things got for her, she would always get right back up and try to fix things. She was such a refreshing change from the average helpless shoujo protagonist, and in some ways I disliked Arisa (the character) because she reflected the latter archetype a lot more. There were times when the characters' motives were rather far-fetched, to the point of being ridiculous for a bunch of 13-14 year old kids. But that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the manga, and there were numerous moments in Arisa (the manga) that were genuinely mature and insightful.

Arisa has absolutely gorgeous artwork, if you enjoy very girly shoujo-styled artwork. The lines are crisp and clean, and the female characters' eyes are all sparkly and huge. I especially loved how the mangaka drew the sisters' hair, as it was always portrayed to be perfect and flowing regardless of the situation they were in. I didn't really care for the male character designs, but I probably would have found them attractive if I was a bit younger. Also the mangaka likes to feature Arisa (the sister) and Tsubasa in various outfits and hairstyles on the covers and on the pages before the manga, which was really beautiful. The only small gripe I have with the art in Arisa is when certain characters would make evil faces, as these were always overly twisted and hideous for a bunch of middle school kids. But then again, Arisa isn't exactly perfect in its realism (or lack thereof), which I will get to a bit later.

For me, Arisa (the manga) was love at first sight. Everything from the perfect girly art style to the psychological exploration of its characters was exactly what I wanted from this manga. Arisa isn't deep or complex, but it's interesting and immensely enjoyable. I loved reading this manga, and that's why I've rated it so high and why I now have Arisa added to my favorites on MAL.

However, I understand that Arisa may not be for everyone. In many ways, Arisa is a rather unrealistic portrayal of middle school life. Some of the characters' actions in this manga would seem drastic even for adults. But in a sense, Arisa does touch on many aspects of human nature, just in a very melodramatic fashion. For example, the idea of "groupthink" and the diffusion of responsibility that often occurs in preteen and teen social groups was over-exaggerated to extremes in Arisa, but the manga was highly effective at conveying the message that young people need to think for themselves and take responsibility for their own actions.

Overall, I think Arisa is a very good manga when you simply enjoy the story for what it is and don't try to pick apart every little plot device in the story. I would definitely recommend Arisa to shoujo fans, but I would also like to recommend this manga to fans of mystery and psychological thrillers who would like something lighter but in the same vein. Of course, that isn't to say Arisa is light and happy. In fact, much of the story is quite dark. But if the summary (and this review) has you thinking that Arisa might be a good read for you, then I would go ahead and start reading. Hopefully, you'll be sucked into this story as I have been for the past few days.

Okay, so I like food. A lot. I'm not even going to pretend I didn't pick this manga up because I really like sushi and I really like cake. But that's definitely not the only reason why I enjoyed this manga.

The main aspect of the story that made Mixed Vegetables stand out from your typical shoujo fare was its messages about working towards your dreams and fulfilling your goals, while also balancing family life and romance. I started reading this towards the end of my senior year when I was deciding between colleges, and even though the main characters' career paths are vastly different from ... mine, I could sort of understand their frustrations and confusions during that period in their lives. Although it read like a typical shoujo manga in some ways, Mixed Vegetables did a great job of incorporating the idea of choosing a career and following one's dreams vs. doing what your family wants. It also stayed away from too much of the usual romantic drama between the main couple, by keeping the story to relatively few characters and focusing on them achieving their goals rather than creating various misunderstandings.

The characters were definitely the most interesting part of Mixed Vegetables. The lead female, Hanayu, acts nothing like a stereotypical damsel-in-distress seen in many shoujo stories. She's physically as well as mentally strong, and has her eyes set on becoming a sushi chef even if it means sacrificing other things in her life. Hanayu was just so focused and driven, even while juggling family conflicts, relationship issues, and her own lack of experience and skill. Although she made stupid decisions sometimes, it was still easy to relate to her throughout the course of the manga. Hayato, on the other hand, was more of a typical bishounen towards the beginning of the manga. But gradually, we see different sides of him that really go against the norm. He's selfish and headstrong, but like Hanayu, he's focused on his goals and is willing to make sacrifices for them. Hayato is also a bit angsty towards the end, but overall he was a likable character and had great chemistry with the lead female. I also liked the involvement of adult characters in Mixed Vegetables, since so often in manga you just have teenagers running around with no parents to be seen anywhere. The amount of parental involvement in this manga was quite realistic, and fit the context of the story nicely. Plus, the parents were all really likable so that was nice too.

Mixed Vegetables had decent art for the most part. It was nothing incredible, but I did enjoy the detailed illustrations of food and the little tidbits and recipes before and after the chapters. There were a few scenes in which Hayato and Maezawa, another male character, looked very similar, and this could also be seen with Hayato and his father. This was a little confusing, but it's a small detail that can be overlooked.

Overall, I did enjoy Mixed Vegetables quite a bit, despite the long time it took for me to finish it. I found it to be funny when it needed to be, while still offering enough drama to keep things interesting. People who aren't usually fans of shoujo manga may not necessarily find this manga as entertaining, but if you at least tolerate the genre then you should definitely give this a try. Mixed Vegetables uses some cliches and tropes, but also gets rid of a lot of them. It's not perfect, but it's a fun read with relatable characters and an inspiring message.

Often, as I watch anime I tend to lose sight of why I'm watching it in the first place. Is it for the intellectually stimulating story lines? The deep symbolism and metaphorical allusions? The way it probes into universal truths about humanity and society?

Or do I watch anime for the entertainment value? The aesthetic quirks that make anime, anime? The amount of fun and excitement to be had, with a group of larger-than-life characters?

There are many shows out there that are very enjoyable in a cerebral way. Revolutionary Girl Utena, Neon Genesis Evangelion, etc. The list goes on. Those series require the viewer to think, ... and are created with many questions purposely left unanswered. There are also shows so mindless that the only real way to get enjoyment out of them is to completely turn off one's brain while watching, such as the Symphogear series.

And then, there's Kill la Kill.

I'm not going to try and argue that Kill la Kill is exceptionally intelligent, but nor will I dismiss it as simply brainless entertainment. Rather, this particular anime falls somewhere in between rationality and insanity, and that alone makes it worth watching.

To be honest, I went into Kill la Kill with few expectations. Everything I had heard regarding the anime was either exceedingly, fanboyishly positive, or equally dismal and negative. I didn't expect to enjoy at all, but I ended up loving every moment of it.

The plot of Kill la Kill is quite simple to begin with, but later becomes so convoluted and large in scale that the initial premise is almost nowhere to be found. There is one major twist in towards the latter half of the series that throws away nearly everything that has been set up in the beginning, and this may come across as ridiculous to a lot of viewers. However, I personally found the "all according to plan" aspect of the twist to be set up quite well. Other than that, I also enjoyed the way the story was built up to be greater and greater in scale, from the actions of a few affecting a few to those same actions affecting the fate of the entire universe. It's so crazy that it's almost absurd, but Kill la Kill manages to hold on to a shred of believability no matter how insane, ridiculous, confusing, and over-the-top the plot gets.

Although the characters in Kill la Kill are all larger-than-life and are prone to drastic and sometimes downright insane actions, they all become quite endearing towards the end of the series, save for the major antagonists, who are equally twisted and detestable. If you're looking for a show where the villains are redeemed at the end, then [SPOILER WARNING] this is not your show. That being said, there are many instances of moral ambiguity in the other characters, and watching them grow throughout the course of 24 episodes was very enjoyable.

The music and art style of Kill la Kill match the story very well, with heart-pumping rock tracks during the battle scenes and a sketchy, cartoony animation that keeps up with the quick pace of the show. The budget of the animation seemed rocky at times, as evidenced by the not always consistent quality, but that didn't get in the way of my personal enjoyment of the show. The OST also contained several songs that are quite catchy and fit the mood of the series very well.

I think the biggest redeeming factor of Kill la Kill was its atmosphere. It's fun and crazy, but retains a serious edge when it needs to. It takes itself seriously within the context of the show, but it also doesn't expect its audience to take everything seriously. Kill la Kill knows exactly what kind of show it is, and valiantly tries to hide it without seeming like its trying too hard. Yes, there's a ton of fanservice and more sexual innuendos than I can bother to count. Yes, the plot goes off in a million different directions, and yes, sometimes nothing really makes sense in the show. But despite all its flaws, Kill la Kill managed to be entertaining in its craziness and bold in its outright rejection of many tropes and standards, all the while touching on social/class issues with a brash sense of humor. Where Kill la Kill fails in respectability, it succeeds in making the entire show itself basically the moral of the story: That humans have the will and the ability to do whatever the hell they want if they are motivated enough.

Kill la Kill is not the product of years of creative ingenuity, rather, it is spontaneous and doesn't hold back on anything. If you're looking for something to help you ponder existential issues, Kill la Kill is not the show you should be watching. Likewise, if you're looking to waste your time on dumb fanservice, Kill la Kill is also not the show you should be watching. But if you're looking for a solid piece of entertainment, if you're willing to overlook a few technical flaws for something fun and unforgettable, then you will definitely find it in Kill la Kill.

I recommend this anime to people who just don't give a fuck.

Do you ever just have those series that you really want to love, but just can't for various reasons?

Well, No Game No Life, or NGNL for short, is that anime for me.

The premise starts out interestingly enough, with two genius gamer, hikko-NEET siblings who find themselves transported to an alternate fantasy world where everything is decided by games. There, they are caught up in humanity's struggle for survival, which is mostly based on politics and the relative strengths of the other races, since in the alternate world there is no war or killing. Since Sora and Shiro are already incredibly skilled at games due to ... their talents in logical thinking and strategy, they have no trouble playing their way towards being the new rulers of Elkia, the human kingdom, and subsequently challenging the other races with the ultimate goal to defeat Tet, the god of the game world.

I'll admit, with the hype surrounding NGNL along with the bright and colorful poster art, I was really excited for this show. I really love genius characters in anime, and having two of them as protagonists seemed almost too good to be true. Unfortunately, Sora and Shiro didn't quite live up to my expectations. While they both turned out to be Gary Stu/Mary Sue-type characters, the biggest problem was NGNL actually takes itself, and by extension its characters, pretty seriously. Sure, there are numerous comedic moments in the show, but those were always brushed aside whenever the real plot kicked in, making the tone rather inconsistent and the characters wholly unbelievable. Plus, the quasi-incest relationship between Sora and Shiro was uncomfortable at best, and icky at worst. I have no moral issues with the subject of incest itself, but too often in anime and manga it's played off as a joke and for fanservice rather than handled well. But then again, I don't really know if there would have been a better way to portray the siblings' relationship, as NGNL constantly fluctuates from being entirely serious to silly and fanservice-laden.

The plot itself felt rather contrived, as it needlessly forces the "logic" behind the games down its viewers' throats one minute and has the main duo peeking at another character's panties the next. I don't mind fanservice occasionally, but NGNL's fanservice was neither tasteful nor funny. Sora's attempts at winning the trust of the female characters is usually just thinly-veiled sexual harassment. I know that's kind of the point, but I just didn't find it entertaining. Also, NGNL likes to trick its viewers into thinking that Sora and Shiro winning game after game is the product of intelligence and logic, when in reality most of the explanations they come up with are completely ridiculous and unrealistic. This would be fine if the show was trying to parody the whole "ALL ACCORDING TO PLAN" thing a lot of anime incorporate, except for the fact that NGNL also takes this very seriously, as if everything happening is totally plausible. And in my opinion, the contrast between the fanservice-heavy comedy parts and the relatively serious game/politics parts just doesn't really work too well.

One of the few redeeming factors of NGNL is its art style, which is quirky, vivid, and all around nice to look at. The animation and music weren't always top-notch, but at least the bright colors and cute character designs made me ignore some of those faults. The art was definitely also unique, as I haven't seen many anime series with that particular use of lighting and color palette.

All of that being said, I do have to admit that No Game No Life was fun at times. That is, it's the kind of dumb fun that you would enjoy at 2 AM with your brain turned off. And okay, Shiro was pretty cute. But that doesn't change my overall opinion of the series. I don't hate NGNL, but after reading a lot of other reviews and people's opinions on this show (not to mention the current MAL ratings for this show, holy shit) I just couldn't understand why it's so popular and highly regarded. Maybe for some people the idea of a world where everyone plays games to solve problems is their idea of paradise, or maybe the way the main characters defy logic and reason with their wins really gets people's blood pumping. I really don't know. But as for myself, I can only say that although I had some fun with No Game No Life at some points throughout its 12-episode run, it was ultimately not my cup of tea and had many flaws that detracted from what first seemed like an interesting concept.

[Note:] This review was originally written on my blog, and is technically rated a 6.5/10. I'm pretty generous when it comes to ratings, though.

Sundome: The first manga to ever make me cry.

When I first came across this manga, I didn't expect much. Even though the tags included "psychological", the ecchi elements of the first few chapters made me believe that it would just be a run-of-the-mill, borderline hentai manga with a few unique twists.

Oh, how wrong I was.

Story: 8
The story of a young, nerdy loser hooking up with a cute girl is pretty standard in ecchi manga. It has been recycled time and time again without fail, and for many people, reading one is like reading all of them. However, Sundome is different. Rather than using sexuality as ... a way to tantalize male (and female) readers, this manga explores sexuality in order to make a greater statement about the human condition. While there is plenty of fanservice throughout the story, much of it is used to heighten the raw emotions and carnal desire expressed throughout this manga. And rather than attempting to go for cheap panty shots and breast grabs, Sundome is not afraid to explore several darker sexual fetishes such as erotic asphyxiation. Much of the story plays on the dirty, gritty, and creepy side of sexual fetishes, but oddly it does this in a way that makes the romance between the two protagonists more believable.

The ending of Sundome can be seen as controversial for some, but I felt that it was the only "true" ending a story like this could have. Although the title, Sundome refers to stopping right before orgasm in a sexual act, the story itself becomes less about sex and more about love, and loss.

Art: 7
The art style for Sundome tends to fluctuate at certain intervals throughout the manga, which can be jarring for some. During the slice-of-life school scenes, the art is much simpler, without much shading or detail to body contours. But in the scenes depicting sexual acts and various perversions, the art is much more fluid and detailed. Obviously, due to the nature of this manga this change is to be expected, so I had no problem with it. Overall, the art conveys the story properly and I don't have too much to say about it.

Character: 10
This is where Sundome shines. Our protagonist, Hideo Aiba starts out as a shy, awkward, nerdy high school kid with no plans for the future besides the porn magazine he's planning on masturbating to tomorrow night. When he meets Sahana Kurumi, the "female love interest", it's love at first sight and his entire life is changed. Except...it's not actually that simple. Sahana turns out to be much darker than your average shounen romance female lead. She's not a tsundere, kuudere, or any type of dere, which was immensely refreshing. Although she's cute and upbeat at school, her darker side is only shown when she spends time with Aiba. Speaking of whom, Aiba also grows throughout the series, becoming much stronger and a better person. It was interesting to see his devolution into basically a sexual deviant, while at the same time becoming more assertive and responsible. The amount of character development seen in this manga is just amazing, as even two of the side characters grow into an interesting relationship. All in all, the characters in Sundome were portrayed very realistically, albeit with all the sexual tension. It's rare to see this amount of psychological character development in an ecchi series, and Love Hina this definitely is not.

Enjoyment: 8
I enjoyed Sundome immensely, despite being a girl and being bombarded with tons of fanservice. This manga is proof that a manga based on sexual themes can be very dark, thought-provoking, and almost tragic. Although the middle sections may have dragged a bit, Sundome was overall a very enjoyable and emotional read.

Overall: 8
Sundome is a manga I would recommend to anyone who isn't too grossed out by sexual perversions. Obviously, readers need to be mature enough to handle certain themes for this manga, but as long as that's not a problem, Sundome is a great read. There's something for the ecchi lovers, but there's also plenty of character development and dark romance for fans of those.

Sundome definitely left an impression on me, and it will surely do the same for you.

"Solitude is everyone's greatest fear."

When most people look at the mahou shoujo genre nowadays, there are probably two things that immediately pop into their heads. The first is a traditional, happy-go-lucky mahou shoujo series with young girls fighting evil with the power of love and friendship, a la Sailor Moon or Pretty Cure.

The second is Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the dark and gritty reconstruction of the genre that became the darling of the anime fandom almost overnight.

However, Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Pretear, or simply known as Pretear, seems to straddle those two preconceptions. While the series starts out as light-hearted as a traditional magical girl ... series, the latter half exposes many of the darker elements that made Madoka Magica so popular, even though Pretear was created nearly a decade before. And while I'm not here to compare Pretear to every other mahou shoujo anime out there, I do find it important to place the show in the context of something in a genre that is meant for younger girls. With that said, let's begin the review.

Story: 8
Pretear definitely had a slow start, and the first quarter or so is extremely episodic with a monster-of-the-week formula. The tone was very light with numerous comedic moments that you would expect to see in a typical shoujo series. However, around the half way mark, Pretear begins to unveil some of the darker undertones and by the last few episodes, it becomes quite emotional and dramatic. There is a sense of despair in those final episodes, as characters are put through many difficult situations. Although I wouldn't necessarily call the story philosophical in any way, the depth is there if you look for it. Throughout the latter half of the series, themes like unrequited love, abandonment, and loneliness play a huge role in how the story pans out. And while this type of drama may not appeal to everyone, I certainly found the story to be quite gripping and emotionally charged where it needed to be. Pretear also borrowed some ideas from famous fairy tales, so it was also interesting to see those elements come into play at various points in the series.

For those who have read the manga and enjoyed it, keep in mind that the anime story line is quite different from the midpoint onward. However, I personally felt that the anime version was much more enjoyable with the changes added, since it contributed to the drama and overall feel of the series. Although the manga explored similar themes, the anime changed the plot in a way that made much more sense, in my opinion.

Art: 6
When watching Pretear, I tried my best not to gripe about the art and animation too much, given that the show was produced in 2001. Still, I can't say the animation was top-notch, and even the character designs weren't all that great. Himeno in particular had this problem of looking too thin and lanky from afar, and the faces of all the characters were often distorted slightly during some scenes. But since Himeno transforms into a different form with each guy, the costume changes were very pretty to watch. Overall, don't expect too much from the art and animation. It wasn't terrible to the point of making my eyes bleed, but it definitely wasn't outstanding.

Sound: 6
Unfortunately, the sound department for Pretear was also not top-notch, but this probably had less to do with the production year and more with the type of budget usually given to a title like this. There wasn't much music throughout most of the show, and even during the emotional scenes in the finale, they just reused the opening theme over and over again. Although the opening theme wasn't bad, it eventually became annoying because they played it often more than once in several episodes. At other points during the show, the music was either not noticeable or wholly nonexistent. As for voice acting, the roles were played out quite well but none of them stood out. A few were even slightly grating, such as Mayune and Yayoi, but this might have been due to the characters themselves being rather irritating at times. Overall, the sound was just mediocre. Not horrible, but not great either.

Character: 9
This is definitely where Pretear shined. Although the characters each follow archetypes, each of them develop enough that towards the end of the series they become quite likable. Save for a few, even the comedic relief characters end up being important towards the end. The main lead, Himeno, is your typical ditzy shoujo protagonist. What makes her unique at first is her physical strength due to years of martial arts training, but this aspect of her character is not brought up as often as you would think. Himeno is quite admirable as she attempts to understand and help others while blocking out her own vulnerabilities, and this makes for much of the drama in the series. The seven "Leafe Knights" are her comrades and protectors, and while two of them, Hayate and Sasame are fleshed out more than the others, all of them become endearing to the viewer by the end of the series. The antagonist, whom I won't name because of spoilers, is actually a very tragic figure and easy to sympathize with. Although I wished her character back story was elaborated upon a little more, I still felt like her plight was understandable.

And then, there's Himeno's family. One thing that really separates Pretear from the hoard of mahou shoujo anime is that a lot of attention is given to the main female lead's family. If you've ever watched Sailor Moon or even Madoka Magica (to a lesser extent) you'll find that the family is introduced, then effectively disappears for the climax of the series. But Pretear is not just about romance and magic; the theme of love in the family sense is also explored quite well. Throughout the series, Himeno's family serves as a source of happiness as well as conflict, and this was very interesting to watch. Although I do wish more insight was given on her relationship with them after the final battle, the growth of that relationship through the rest of the series was still quite good.

Enjoyment: 8
Overall, I have to say I was quite impressed with Pretear. Since I read the manga before watching this version, I was a little nervous as to how it would be adapted. I expected a normal magical girl series, but what I got was something that was actually a few shades darker than the source material. Of course this is no Madoka Magica, but it's definitely not Sailor Moon either. If you're a fan of mahou shoujo series, then Pretear is definitely a show you should watch if you haven't already. If you don't necessarily like traditional mahou shoujo but you would like a fantasy romance with a few darker psychological twists (but not enough to make it truly grim and gritty like Madoka Magica) then Pretear may be something you would like to check out. All in all, while Pretear wasn't perfect, I did enjoy it a lot. The first few episodes dragged a bit, but once I bit into the meat of the story it really captured me. The finale especially was quite enjoyable with all of the emotional drama.

Overall: 8
I've pretty much said everything that needs to be said, and this is already a really long review so I'll just leave it at that. Watch this series if it looks like something you'll enjoy, and keep in mind that it isn't actually all it seems to be at first glance.

The more I think about this series, the more I'm inclined to believe that Natsuyuki Rendezvous is not a romance.

Sure, it may say romance in the tags. It may be a josei. It may even be billed by the creators themselves as a romantic story. But the way I see it, this series is simply not meant to be a traditional romance, regardless of how it's being sold.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous, simply put, is a story about life and death. Love is used as a theme in order to make the story more understandable and easy to relate to, but at its core this anime focuses on ... the aspects of living and dying and loving while living and dying more than anything else.

Although it's easy to interpret this series as the love story between two characters, Hazuki and Rokka, I tend to believe that it is actually more about Shimao and Rokka and their relationship before and after Shimao's death. After all, there are probably more flashbacks shown of Shimao and Rokka's life together than of Hazuki trying to woo Rokka, or even of Hazuki and Rokka spending any time together. When you see this anime as Hazuki's story; told from Hazuki's perspective, it becomes very confusing and at times, uninspired. But it's when you see this as being told from Shimao's point of view that everything begins to make sense. Hazuki is simply the catalyst; Shimao is the one this series really revolves around.

Which brings me to the main point of my review.

At first glance, Shimao is an easy character to dislike, or even hate. He seems selfish and spiteful, only hell-bent on keeping Rokka to himself even after he has died. However, if one looks deeper, Shimao becomes quite complex. No one could possibly know what it feels like to be dead, yet able to watch over the one you love. "Out of sight, out of mind" would probably be the concept one would fear most in a situation like this, yet Shimao refuses to give up on Rokka. This determination comes not out of selfishness, but deep, unconditional, perhaps even irrational love. It's love that made Shimao a little selfish, a little crazy, and a little possessive. But it's also love that made Shimao able to set Rokka free in the end.

Rokka is innocent and naive, not like a child, but in the way that only a young woman who has already gone through so much pain can possibly be. In many ways, the world of love is completely foreign to her. Shimao was like her other half, and they fit together so perfectly and naturally that Rokka wasn't even aware of what they had was half the time. When Hazuki enters her life, Rokka is so unaccustomed to being sought after that she continues to reject his advances, even after she knows she has fallen for him.

And finally, Hazuki, the catalyst. In many ways, Hazuki is not the idealized character we've come to expect in romances. But then again, as I mentioned, this really wasn't a romance in the first place. Hazuki represents a symbol of new found hope in Rokka's life. He's rough and unpolished, but he's enough to make her happy again. In my opinion, Hazuki would never replace Shimao completely in Rokka's heart. Yes, Rokka loves him and cares for him deeply, but he will forever be the reason Rokka was finally able to move past the pain of losing her true love. Hazuki is the catalyst to repairing and concluding the relationship between Rokka and Shimao, and in many ways he "saves" Rokka from despairing for the rest of her life. But he isn't the one who was able to set Rokka "free". Only Shimao had that power, and when he finally uses it, Hazuki is able to support Rokka and get her back on her feet.

What happens after we die? Do we simply close our eyes for the last time and slumber dreamlessly for eternity? Or will we come back to watch over the ones we love? What if the ones we love cannot move past our death? And what if we're the ones who cannot move past our own death?

At the end of the day, those are the questions Natsuyuki Rendezvous tries to answer. It doesn't do this perfectly, nor is it without some flaws. But I'll affirm wholeheartedly that this series made me cry. It made me rethink the meaning of life and death, and life after death.

And perhaps, it also made me wonder about *love* after death.

How exactly does one go about reviewing what is likely the most hyped as well as the most hated show this season?

It's not easy, that's for sure.

Some of you may remember my previous review of Sword Art Online, when it first came out. For those of you who don't, let's just say it was anything but...positive. I wrote what was meant to be a troll review, intended to make fun of the folks who hyped up this series when the first episode aired. It was snarky and heartless, but it was directed more towards those reviewers than the show itself. To be honest, I wasn't ... sure what to expect from this show either. I know a part of me wanted this to be really, really bad. But strangely, whatever expectations I had for SAO in the beginning have completely disappeared by the end.

Before I begin, I have to point out that Sword Art Online is extremely flawed in numerous ways. That I can't deny. However, sometimes it's not simply the technical things that make a show worth watching. If I were to review this show with complete objectivity, it probably wouldn't get much higher than a 6. But I find that I just can't do that. Why? Because this show, somehow, has found its way into my heart.

Story: 6
The story is mediocre at best, and absolutely absurd at worst. Although the premise of a fully immersed virtual reality is appealing, it isn't very original, nor is it always executed well. I found myself questioning the mechanics of the two virtual worlds several times, and finding no comprehensible answer. The plot is often riddled with holes, and even if you were to ask me now, I couldn't tell you exactly what the point of many of the events was. Quite honestly, the first quarter or so was dreadfully boring. The side stories weren't very engaging, and there was no real sense of danger for much of the first arc. However, I began to fall in love with not the plot itself, but the world it created. I was never interested in MMOs until I watched Sword Art Online, and it was the whole idea of living in a virtual world where anything is possible that really got to me. I could never see myself at the frontlines clearing floors and battling monsters like Kirito and Asuna, but I could see myself as the old fisherman, peacefully living out his life as if taking an extended vacation. It wasn't the story itself that got to me, but the romanticized notion of an endless virtual reality. I suppose that's escapism, but then again, isn't that the core of this series?

Art: 7
The art in this series was based off the SAO light novels, so there isn't much I could say here. I rather liked the character designs, and I always thought Kirito had a suave look to him with the head-to-toe black. Pretentious? Extremely so. Cool? Definitely. The fight scenes were not as well-animated as I would have liked, but again, this didn't really detract from the story. The best scenes, in my opinion, were of the opulent, beautiful buildings and cities in both of the arcs. The lake house during the Aincrad arc and the neutral areas in the Alfheim arc were breath-taking, and I once again felt a longing to live there myself. All in all, the art and animation was decent. They weren't phenomenal, but they were well done and nice to watch.

Sound: 8
What more can I say? This is Yuki Kajiura, the Goddess of Anime OSTs. Sure, this wasn't her best work. I much preferred the music in Madoka Magica, or even MaiHime. However, the beautiful, haunting choral melodies and the rich orchestral pieces were still good enough to garner a solid 8 from me. In terms of voice acting, everyone seemed well-suited for their roles. I never read the light novels before watching this, so I didn't have any preconceived notions of what the voices should sound like. But I never found a single voice to be grating or "off", so I suppose everything is good in that department as well. Overall, the sound was great.

Character: 6
Unfortunately, this, along with the story was where we run into some trouble. The protagonist of SAO, Kirito, is your textbook Gary Stu. He's decent-looking but not gorgeous, with his own personal harem of pretty girls. He's compassionate towards his companions, and loves his girlfriend unconditionally. He's incredibly powerful, somehow able to pull off ridiculous feats at the swing of his sword. His amazing ability to defeat just about anyone and anything is never fully explained, other than the fact that he spent all his time playing online games and he used to train in kendo. Basically, he's a self-insert character with godlike abilities, and from the moment the show starts, you know there isn't a single character who would be able to overpower him. However, I found it very hard not to like him after awhile. Is it not reassuring to know that the main character, the guy you're rooting for in the story, will always prevail? To me, that lifts a huge weight off my chest while watching the show, allowing me to not have to worry about whether or not it will have a happy ending. And I like happy endings, dammit. So regardless of how contrived Kirito's invulnerability was, I couldn't help but be sold by his "strength" and "power". I suppose Asuna needs some justification too, right? Well, to be honest, Asuna was too many different things all at once. She was tsundere, strong on her own, and perfectly capable of defeating her enemies, but she was also a hopeless romantic and later on, a classic damsel in distress for Kirito to rescue. Undoubtedly, Asuna was the "perfect girl" as deemed by the author of this series, and this left her in a bit of an identity crisis after awhile. But despite all this, her love for Kirito was real; more real than any affections the other female characters had for him. You could argue that Suguha loved Kirito very deeply as well, but her love for him never made sense. He was in a coma for two years, and no matter how you looked at it, he was related to her. And for a love to be truly real, it has to reciprocated as well. The romance between Kirito and Asuna is something that will always have a place in my heart. It was cheesy and irrational at times, but it was beautiful and uplifting all the same. In the end, it's simply two people in love, and that's one of the most heartwarming scenes you can imagine, regardless of the time, place, or situation.

Enjoyment: 10
I feel like I'm taking a huge leap here by giving this series a 10 in this particular category, but I believe I must. When I let my brain process this series, it's obvious that SAO has countless problems. There are so many things wrong with how this show was executed that I couldn't even begin to describe them, and even as I enjoyed it, I took note of these things. However, when I watched this, it wasn't my brain that responded, but my heart instead. I felt genuine empathy for the characters, and I was fully engrossed in their exploits. I was somehow able to ignore all of the glaring flaws and instead concentrate on the message of the series, which is surprisingly hopeful. It no longer mattered to me how haphazardly the story was developed, or how awkward the pace was, or even how absurdly overpowered the main character was. I absolutely loved every moment of this show, even as I think back to the first few episodes where nothing really happened. Sometimes, it's the essence of a show that gets to you, not the individual little things, and that's exactly what happened to me here. I give this show a 10 for enjoyment, not because it was intellectually stimulating or incredibly innovative in anyway, but because I loved watching it and I won't be able to stop thinking about it for a long time.

Overall: 7
I can't possibly rate this a full 10, of course. Every series has its faults and its merits, and despite the fact that I could overlook the flaws in my own enjoyment, I can't just pretend they don't exist. But if there's anything to be learned from a show like this, it's that sometimes emotional investment is worth a whole lot more than a perfect story with deep characters. Sometimes, in order to find a show enjoyable, you just have to go out and enjoy it. Thus, Sword Art Online gets an 7 for being the best badly-executed self-insert fanboy-pandering show I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

Before watching this special, you might want to have a Wikipedia summary of Code Geass at hand, especially if you have not watched the main series in a while. Nunnally in Wonderland references many events from the series, so it's good to be familiar with them.

Now, onto the review.

The main premise of the special is that Lelouch tries to tell an interesting story to Nunnally, like he used to when he was younger. He envisions his sister in his own version of Wonderland, with most of the other characters from the original series make brief appearances. Crazy things ensue, and many people will find this ... method of storytelling off-putting. After all, Nunnally in Wonderland is essentially Lelouch's (rather siscon) twisted fantasy. Everything that happens in his Wonderland parallels the "real world" of Code Geass in some way, and this special cleverly lampoons many elements of the series. Although many people found this to be insipid and devoid of the intelligence that was in the main series, I found the gags to be quite entertaining. It definitely lacks the drama and coherent plot lines of the original though, so if that's what you're looking for then you are sure to be disappointed.

This special was clearly low-budget, as the artwork was mediocre at best and the animation was virtually non-existent. As this was meant to be more of a picture drama than an actual anime episode, the lack of art quality isn't much I can complain about. CLAMP's noodle-arm character design is still there, and overall the art was pretty consistent--as in a consistent level of bad.

From what I know, all of the original voice actors from the series with roles in this special were able to reprise their respective roles. Thus, I have no complaints in the voice acting department. Lelouch sounds as he always does, and Norio Wakamoto, a fan favorite, really had a chance to ham it up in this. The king's booming, regal voice is always entertaining to hear, and his silly scenes in this special were no different. Much of the music from the original series was used here as well, though much of it featured that light-hearted school setting/student council tune. Overall, the sound was fine, though nothing special, unless you were a big fan of the original OST. If you're also a big fan of any of these seiyuu, then at least check this out for their roles.

Surprisingly, despite all the crazy gags and antics in this special, the characters actually stayed...well...in-character. Though the situations were changed, Lelouch was still Lelouch, Suzaku was still Suzaku, etc. If you liked their original characterizations, then you should not be too disappointed by how they are portrayed in this. Though, if you're looking for any character development or major backstories, you won't find it here. In this special, the purpose of the characters was to create humorous situations, and in that it succeeded reasonably well.

Overall, I personally enjoyed Nunnally in Wonderland. It might turn some viewers off because it lacks the drama, intelligence, and seriousness of the main series, but as a cheeky, ironic little piece of comedy that pokes fun at its parent series, it really is quite enjoyable to watch. I would recommend this to anyone who wouldn't mind a sillier, stranger side-story from Code Geass.