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Moderator Note: This review is for "Daisuki Datta yo, Sensei...", the first two chapters of this one-shot collection.

Ok What do we have here? Another Student x Teacher type of manga. I was quite shock to see that not many people noticed this one (Maybe it's still a fresh one) so I'm now gonna write a review for this.

You guys might be thinking this is just your typical Student X Teacher type wherein both of them met at school, fell in love and then. Well since it's forbidden,they try to cover up the relationship. Most of the time, Manga about Student X Teacher are like that, ... but I tell you THIS SERIES TOOK QUITE A DIFFERENT TURN CONSIDERING THAT IT'S JUST 2 CHAPTERS. It actually started off with something different. It's pacing and development, both plot and character wise, is actually very nice and not abrupt considering that it's 2 chapters.

The art is very eye catching and nice too.

If you're thinking this series goes along with Chocolate Cosmos, Chocolate Kiss, Otona Pink about Student X Teacher relationship. I am telling you IT'S NOT.

It's a very unique manga considering that there are way too many Student X Teacher genres out there. That's why I'm giving it a 10, because it's story stood out.

We all know that we have a “Butler from Hell”- Kuroshitsuji. Now what do we have? – “Lawyer from Hell” – Defense Devil.

Meet Mephisto Bart Kucabara. He was a prince from the Demon world but was banished due to some reasons ( I don’t wanna spoil here), and now he lives in Event Horizon. A place between heaven and hell. In order to get back to his home, he must collect this so called “Dark Matter” from souls who were casts to hell.. He then decided to become a defense lawyer. They let their client(the dead) sign a contract, prove their innocence and claim the ... Dark Matter within them after the case is solved.

At first glace, this manga is just about solving cases. Kucabara meets a soul, lets them sign a contract, finds out the cause of death and the offense they’ve committed before they died, prove their innocence and collect dark matter afterwards. It goes for about 4-5 chapters, but I must say the cases are all interesting – detective stories that have supernatural events. That’s for the introductory part. The story starts to pick up when he meets Sister Idamaria. As the story progresses, it reveals more mysteries, and the questions are slowly answered. The plot would make you say “What!?” or “Holy!?”. It reveals answers slowly but surely. It doesn’t give readers a full blown answer at once that would make them hard to understand or something like introducing many characters at once. As for the art, it is nicely done. Kinda reminds me of Air gear when I first read it.

Overall Defense Devil is a nice action packed manga with a dash of comedy that will make you ask for more. You guys have to read it while it’s still less than 100 chapters. As for the number of pages, it spans just like your regular shounen jump manga (18-20 pages except for the first few chapters). Trust me, this manga won’t let you down.

A very big thanks to YoruAngel866 for recommending me this manga or else I would have missed one of the most epic manga of this time.

PS. I would still like to write more but I think I might spoil you guys so there just read and see for yourself.

Let’s sing a song…

Studio Deen pulled off another heartwarming and emotional anime that will tug at the strings of your heart.

The story of Full Moon O Sagashite is very unique. Sure that it falls under the magical shoujo, typical idol-singer genre, but there existed an aura, an unmistakable atmosphere that persisted throughout the show—There’s a build up of emotions waiting to explode, and it felt like a time bomb the entire time. This definitely cannot be considered the normal stereotypical anime, regardless of what it may seem initially. It also has its own share of drama and slice of life theme – exploring life and ... death that adds up to the twists and turns of the story, making it a somewhat deep-themed , but not a complex kind of anime.

Comprising of 52 episodes, I can’t say that it has an excellent pacing because there are some filler episodes. It started slow, but gradually develops thoroughly as the series progresses. It definitely has a HUGE plot twists, around ¾ , that turns up the drama to really high levels. For every cute and funny scenes, there is an equivalent sad and emotional scene. It’s amazing how Full Moon pulls off both comedic and dramatic elements at the same time. It doesn’t go from a happy, goofy anime to a depressing drama with little transition, but rather the change in the mood/ genre is very smooth. As the series comes to an end, the mixed emotions accumulated throughout the anime blooms into an ending that is far from what you can expect. Honestly, it’s one of the best endings for an anime in its genre.

When it comes to art and animation, it seem to fall between mediocrity and excellent. The character designs are cute and nicely done. The voice acting matches each character perfectly, and the music is downright awesome and addicting. Both 2 OP songs are upbeat while the ED songs are mellow. One minor quirk is that youn might get tired of hearing the same songs in the anime over and over again.

The characters are what make this series stand out. At first, they start out very stereotypical and generic. Mitsuki, who leads a boring life and has a throat cancer, uses music to escape from the harsh world she lives in. takuto starts off as an antisocial and rude guy, unwilling to help Mitsuki achieve her dream, and Meroko, is clingy to Takuto and wants him all for herself. But as the series unfold, they slowly emerge into amazing characters with intricate and delicate relationships. One notable factor is that there remains no antagonist throughout the anime. The fact that the characters drove the entire series without a central villain speaks volumes.

Full Moon o Sagashite is an anime that is not afraid to tug at your emotions. Having recently watched the anime, I can say that it’s an anime that won’t be outdated. I highly recommend this emotionally powerful anime to those who are looking for a different and unpredictable magical shoujo and idol-singer themed anime with well rounded characters coupled with superb soundtrack. Definitely a unique classic series that is a must see for people of all ages.

“ Noblesse Oblige, Please continue being a messiah.”

Even though it was one of the shortest anime to air recently, Production I.G. produced another excellent and satisfying anime again!

The story of Eden of the East is very creative. It reflects the current political and economical situations we are in today. Terrorists, NEETS, missile attacks and 9/11 shows that Eden of the East wants us to relate its story to what is happening in the real world. Aside from the realism that it presents, it also has its own share of mystery and suspense that adds up to the twists and turns of the story. Even though ... it is a political-type of anime, there’s also a dash of humor so as not to make the atmosphere heavy and also to balance the complex plot.

Comprising of 11 episodes, the series was able to present an excellent pacing, revealing the puzzle pieces neither too quickly nor too slowly. At first we don’t know what’s going on, soon we learn about the Selecao game, and Mr. Outside. Later, the origin of the missile attacks is revealed, and finally Takizawa’s identity. It manages to present the pieces smoothly without confusing the viewers. It also didn’t bombard viewers with too much information in a single episode.

When it comes to art and animation, Eden of the East excels. The character designs are simple and stands out. Backgrounds are very detailed. Computer graphics used in the series for the missiles, phones etc… blended well with the regular animation. High budgeted animation was definitely given for this series. As for the sound, the OP song is very modernized, and its meaning suits the theme/message of the anime. The ED song is cool to listen, it slightly resembles the OP of Honey and Clover (in terms of visuals). The voice acting is solid and matches the attitude of the characters well.

The characters are very interesting. Takizawa, being a mysterious protagonist, is not your usual, angsty or “dark” bishounen. On the contrary, he is very likable because he is cheerful and emotionally stable despite having no recollection of his past. Saki is likable as well, although she’s just your ordinary shoujo who usually gets into abnormal situations and doesn’t seem to contribute much to the anime. The other casts are unique especially the Selecao. They are very interesting, each having his/her own stand in changing the world. The casts as a whole are more realistic than animeish and tend to stay away from expected anime archetypes. Most of them were given short but good character developments.

Despite ending in a cliffhanger, it’s still very entertaining that left me wanting for more episode after another. Because the movie isn’t up yet, the ending might be a bit unusual or unsatisfying for some. Nonetheless, it brings us a very unique and interesting plot, and a message that reflects our society today. I highly recommend this series to those who are looking for a different view of politically and realistic themed anime plus well-rounded characters coupled with superb animation and music.

" Eradiction of War through force." ~ the return of chaos

I really like season 1. It has a good dosage of action, realistic characters, mech vs mech fights, and of course, a nice complex plot. Season 1 left us with many mysteries as well as many possibilities on the conclusion of the story, and that's why I'm looking forward to the second season with high expectations, but I think my expectations were a bit crushed since it was a letdown.

With a sequel comes new characters and new mobile suits balancing mecha actions with the plot development. The STORY starts out with a lot of potential. ... It's still jam-packed with actions and climactic scenes that will glue you onto your seats. It still manages to present multiple view points not just the protagonists’ – Celestial Beings and the antagonists’ – Federation, A-laws and Innovators but also the civilians’ through Saji and Marina as well as the children.

As the series progresses, it slowly starts to crumble. 2/3 of the series will still let you ask for more, but the succeeding episodes will slowly tire you out.
First, there’s too many flashbacks. They even presented the pasts of minor/ supporting characters resulting to redundancy of some scenes. Thus the story progresses slowly.
Second, the series somewhat takes a new turn. Their reason for armed intervention is now different from the first season. Their mission now deviates from fighting for eradication of war to just fighting the real main antagonist.
Third, some of the battle scenes are a bit unrealistic. Like a gundam that has lost an arm and both legs can still defeat a gundam with just light scratches( something to that effect) . Also the first season will always let you doubt if they can finish the mission but now, the moment 00 arrives, it’s a sure win.
It’s true that the content of the story is not the most original ( Gundam Wing and Zeta Gundam, anyone?) Even way back in the 90s, stories of gundam end rather predictably. But this second season manages to surprise us by ending up somewhere that we did not expect. I think that’s a plus ( or maybe not).It's more of an aburupt ending rather than a wonderful closure.

The ARTWORK remains cool. The mobile suits still gives a futuristic feel and can be commended for those intricate parts and structures. One minor quirk is that Gundam 00 is a bit similar to Gundam Wing’s Wing Zero when coupled with 0 Raiser which makes it not innovative in design. Kyrios and Ariois didn't seem different at all but Arios was a bit neat compared to its predesesor. Cherudim was just like Dyanames(period).The only notable factor was the big gun that's all. Seravee and Seraphim has a nice vibe although over shadowed by 00 and 0 Raiser.

CHARACTER DESIGNS improved. I really liked Setsuna's matured appearance. The costumes are cool. The appearance of the other characters gives a feeling of maturity. Animation again is smooth and top notch! From the movement of the gundams down to the dispersion of the GN particles, it’s very detailed.

The MUSIC for the second season is good but nothing special. The 1st OP theme “ Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi” by UVERworld gives a pop rock feel – proper for a gundam series. The 2nd OP theme “ Namida no Mukou” by stereopony on the other hand is more proper to be placed on a shoujo anime instead of this one, but it still gives an upbeat tone. The 2 ED themes range from moderate JPOP to mellow which sets the mood for the closing sequence. The BGM suits the scenes and the sound effects are very detailed (such as movements of the grass…).

The CHARACTERS somewhat made a wrong turn. They gave too much emphasis on Setsuna thus there’s little room for character development on the other 3 Meisters as well as other characters. Setsuna still is gundam here gundam there in his head. but he was somewhat interesting for being able to mature so much as things unfold. His perception and his purpose starts to change. Good thing there's Marina to made him realize those things and to balance out, but I think Sunrise could have improved more on Setsuna's character if Marina's character wasn't poorly executed and made a twist on Marina's existence. I think it also wouldn't hurt to place a touch of romance on Setsuna.

Next there’s Lockon Stratos. He still has the same personality as that of the first season, and it’s like nothing has changed. He sopmewhat has a contradiction. He doesn't want to be compared to his older brother but assumes his brothers position and code name. It would be better if they made it similar to Seed’s Mu La Flaga and Rau Le Creuset or Seed Destiny’s Lacus Clyne and Meer Campbell – same face but different point of views and personality. That would have a much better twist. His relation with Anew has a great potential but summing everything up about him made him an uninteresting character.

Alleluja became a boring character simply because Halleluja, his alter ego , is not there to argue with Alleluja’s view. He became your ordinary kind-hearted protagonist without a twist or whatsoever in his personality. It will make you wonder whether he really should be placed under the "main characters" list. He spends most of the episodes chasing after Marie and his interactions with the other Meisters became redundant and dull.

Tieria Erde stays true to his character. Most of the mysteries around him are answered in the 2nd season. His character development is way better than that of Setsuna's. It would have been nice to see the developments rather than just accepting them. It's refreshing to see him mature but he was being overshadowed by other factors thus it kept him from improving further.

There's probably another dozen of characters with varying relevance. Like Saji and Louise's develpment didn't cover much of the main plot and would be better off without them. There are still actually loads of characters that pop up once in a while that holds little relevance. There's way too many extras that should have saved us a dozen or so episodes without them.

The antagonists could have used more character development. They should have created a feeling of dislike or hatred in your heart but some antagonist didn’t have this kind of feel. Well, Bushido, the fat Blonde and Ali-Al Sachees did kinda show their antagonistic vibe, but the main mastermind Ribbons Almark didn’t. He doesn’t care at all what happens, just domination in his head. Like a puppeteer with very very long strings not wanting to get involved.

Hmm... I think they are trying to make a complex and exciting series by creating more characters, more antagonists for it to have more twists and turns but because it was poorly executed, it lead to the wrong turn of events.

I still prefer the first season because it’s fast paced and more realistic compared to the 2nd season, but Gundam 00 2nd Season is still worth the watch. I think that I just have too high expectations on this anime, though. All in all Gundam 00 Second season is a fine addition to the ever growing and popular gundam saga. Despite the predictable plot , it still has its own charm and originality at some point. It shows us a different façade of an idealistic human truth, contrasting views about war and personal reasons for fighting. It’s already a few steps close to perfection too bad it’s potential just slipped away.

Gundam Wing, Gundam G, Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny etc... There are so many gundam series out there so why bother watching another gundam saga?

Story:
Set in the year 2307 AD, Gundam 00 focuses on Celestial beings and their aim to eradicate war through force with the use of mobile suits known as Gundams.

Well, almost all people have a view of what the gundam story is like: aiming for peace and there’s mech to mech battle. This one has somewhat the same scene, but the only difference is that gundams in here are contradictory to what people think gundams should be. In here, the protagonists (gundams) ... are the ones using force to fight those that pose a threat to peace even though there's "no action of war yet" therefore creating chaos. So this is a twist to the usual gundam story, wherein people’s impression is that gundams bring peace and are the saviors.

Aside from the missions of the Gundam Meisters to eradicate war, there is also a light subplot involving Louise and Saji. They stand on the civilian side’s point of view, and I guess, this is the light part of the story.

The story doesn’t present a one-sided view point, but presents to us a multi-view point story line. It not only presents the view point of the main character – Celestial Beings, but also the view point of the opposing force – AEU, UNION and HRL and even the civilian’s view point – Saji and Loiuse.

Score: 10

Art and Animation:
The characters are well done. Main characters are pretty boys and girls. Antagonists aren’t drawn one sided. There’s Ali Al Sachees’ appearance that gives a creepy war freak feeling and Graham’s appearance gives of a feel of ace pilot.

The mecha designs are very unique. The mechas in here have simplistic and futuristic design and is innovative – not using energy wings or boosters.

The series boasts of awesome high definition visuals. The animation is very fluid and very detailed. From the movement of the gundams down to the emission of the GN particles everything is exquisitely done.

Score: 10

Characters:
The characters are very interesting. The main characters each have a different vibe. There’s Setsuna F Seiei who is silent but not emotionless, Allelujah who has a split personality, Lokon who is easygoing, Tiera who is very mysterious and strict but caring.

There’s also Marina Ismail, a very naïve princess that gives off a motherly image. She saw the world in a different view point because of Setsuna and I think she's similar to WINGS's Releena. Although the only difference is that Releena has more power and has a firm resolve than Marina.

The cast overall is excellent.

Score: 10

Enjoyment:
The fast paced plot, action and mecha fights will keep you glued to your seats. The mystery behind each main character will keep you asking for more. Fans may compare it to WING but it still has its own charm and originality.

Overall:
I say its story line is unpredictable especially the last episode. All in all, Gundam 00 has again marked its own place in the realm of mecha animes. I say this is the way mecha anime should be.

5 cm/second
“Five centemeters per second. They say that’s how long a cherry blossom petal falls to the ground.”

The story follows the lives of Akari and Takaki. It was divided into 3 parts:
The first part is Oukashou – introduces Akari and Takaki’s lives when they were still in elementary school.
Following it is Cosmonaut -- shows Takaki’s high school years and his friend Kanae who harbors romantic feelings for him but decided not to confess.
Lastly, 5 centimeter per second shows Akari and Takaki as adults.

It has a fantastic quality of art. Every landscape and each scene is very realistic. The ending theme suits the meaning of ... the whole movie.

At first glance, it seems like a simple and ordinary romantic movie, but I’m telling you it’s not. Instead it is a very gentle and profound movie that shows us the painful realism in life which is growing in different places can make 2 hearts impossible to be together. This anime presents a real world from a different point of view. It shows us a realistic view of the struggles that people face against time, space, people and love. It also teaches us that true beauty can be found in brief passing moments and that’s why we need to cherish it.

The title itself is a metaphor representation of reminiscent of the slowness of life. Cherry Blossom is metaphorical of how often people start together slowly and as the cherry blossom falls it just shows that people also slowly drift to their separate ways.

5 cm per second is an enjoyable and poignant tale that will make you reflect on the realities of life. It is highly recommended for everyone.

This anime is one heck of a puzzle! That’s what I can say.

Set in the western part of the world particularly in USA around 1930-1932, This anime revolves around themes of robbery, assassination and a slight world of mafia.

I thought that this was another Lupin III or Cowboy Beepop style of anime because their OP themes are somewhat similar. And Yes, they are a bit similar, but Baccano! still brings out its own originality.

One notable factor of this anime is that they are able to show the different point of view of each character in a particular scene and that’s why there are recurring ... events. To put it simply, the characters are in the same time line, but it shows each character’s view in that particular span of time. ( Example: The scene right now is that you are reading this review. Later it will show what your mom’s doing during time that you are reading this review.)

Why did I describe it as a puzzle? It’s because if the anime Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has jumbled episodes, this time Baccano! has jumbled scenes. It is a bit confusing because for example, if at first they are at the 1931, later they will jump at 1930 and then to 1932 and back to 1931 again. The way they switch the scenes from present to past don’t seem like a flash back or a character reminiscing a past event at all, but rather each character’s view point in that particular time, and I guess this is also one notable factor of this anime.

Since it involves mafia, assassination and killings expect it to be bloody as that of Elfen Lied. Aside from Mafia, assassination and robbery, it also involves alchemy in it. Alchemy in the sense that there are characters who are immortal. I’m not gonna spill who or how they became immortal because you should find that out yourself. There’s also a slight dash of comedy, but it sometimes is a bit annoying. Perhaps another thing that keeps this anime going is the mystery behind immortality since you ought to piece together all the scenes to be able to grasp their connections , and thus making you chase the episodes until the end.

All in all, Baccano! is one entertaining puzzle to piece together.

June 1983 marks the fateful event in the quiet village of Hinamizawa. Can this predestined event be broken?

When the doors of Higurashi naku koro ni closed, we are left with so many loop holes and questions that are left un answered.
1. Who is this Oyashiro-sama?
2. Why is there someone dying and disappearing every year at the night of the Watanagashi festival? Is this really a curse or someone else's doing?

Higurashi naku koro ni kai, the second season explains most of the events in the first season. Unlike the first season, this is told mostly in the perspective of the shrine maiden Rika. Viewers will again ... get to see the different angles of the incidents once again and how it seems to keep repeating itself for many years. Rika, who now lives for the thousandth time in Hinamizawa, wishes for a miracle to happen in order to change the fate of not only the village but also her friends. But when she was about to give up all hope and succumb to fate, Maebara Keiichi and her friends try to help her out. But will it be enough to bend the will of destiny? There's only one way to find out.

This series sends us a message that we have different doors ahead of us each leading to a different outcome and it's up to us to decide which one to take. All in all, this thought provoking series gives a satisfying closure to this well-planned mystery thriller story.

The only question remaining is that will you be able to break through your fate?

The story sets in Hinamizawa, a quiet village in the rural area, where people are living in harmony. Each year people celebrate the Watanagashi festival as a sign of gratitude to Oyashiro-sama, their local guardian. But every year, during the night of the festival, someone dies and another disappears. This is believed to be a form of punishment bestowed by the angry god and up until now, the series of deaths and disappearances remains a mystery.

This psychological thriller anime is told in an intricate manner. It doesn’t unfold in a linear manner but first presents to us the basic details, and the succeeding episodes explain ... each details in an in-depth style. What makes this stoy interesting is that one needs to watch the whole anime in order to fully grasp the main plot. Each episode is connected to another which leads to new mysteries that make up the bigger plot. Also, since this 26-episode anime is divided into chapters composing of 4-5 episodes, starting a new chapter will always made you think ‘ What happen? I thought it’s like this..’. Thus leading you to chase the whole series until the end.

Higurashi naku koro ni will surely not let fans who like psychological thriller and thought provoking series down.

I’ll give it a 9 since not all questions are answered. Hopefully the second season will be able to answer them all.