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Enter the life of a young girl who lives and breathes life as a devout mochi-maker: what does it look like? Tamako Market gives us a pretty accurate answer, all within a year of foreign visitors coming to "bride-search" for a new princess, keeping up friendships at school and boosting the spirits (and sales!) of the local market. Although the story seems quite simple (since it is catered towards a younger audience) and the protagonist is a little towards the shallow edge, I still enjoyed Tamako Market because of the impact of its simplicity and the light-hearted feeling of watching the daily lives of the ... characters play out. It's one of those series that literally lets you step into the local life and see the characters for who they are whilst maintaining the positive vibe of the overall anime.

We enter the world of Tamako Market when a royal bird named Dera, who is looking for a bride for his foreign prince, gets stuck in Tamako's house by mistakenly believing that Tamako was in love with him (actually he just wants to stay for the mochi haha). The ensuing story is fairly simple in that it explores different situations involving Tamako, her friends and her family (and the rest of the local market) within the backdrop of Dera "trying" (he really doesn't try at all, it's just an excuse to stay) to find a bride for his prince. In terms of storyline, it is a pretty standard slice-of-life style anime with episodes about making friends, falling in love, hosting a haunted house and dancing at a cultural festival. But these episodes are still unique in the way they explore the characters, it's a lot more about the characters than the content of the episode.

In terms of characters, the story revolves around Tamako, who is a charismatic, but slightly dense, young girl who absolutely loves mochi. Surprisingly Tamako's character can become a little exhausting from an overload of positivity coupled with naivety, but since this series is admittedly geared towards younger girls, the slightly over-optimistic personality can be forgiven. What kept me interested was not just Tamako, but the rest of the characters and their individual troubles: how Anko (her sister) has a secret crush on her friend, how Mochizu (her neighbour) is trying so hard to confess to Tamako, how Tamako's father consolidates his feelings about the past and how Tamako's school friends (who are very different from Tamako) fit together as a group. Then there's the overarching interactions with the local community - I found it heartwarming to see the solidarity of the people in the markets and their support for Tamako and her family. All these character issues might sound childish due to their simplicity, but even where the character stories are simple, it actually makes it easier to appreciate the theme underlying the episode.

This art is very fitting for that "kawaii" kind of feel and there's no denying that the opening theme is one of my favourites: the song, Tamako jumping down from the sky and the dancing markets make me so happy!

To wrap up, Tamako Market is a sweet anime (literally because of the mochi overload), and I would recommend watching it if you're looking for something simple, but still meaningful and enjoyable.

An anime about swimming... how interesting can it really get? Well yes, the story can be a little simple and sometimes I felt like the series dragged on for longer than it really should have. But for me, the art of this series coupled with the genuine sensitivity behind the story trumps almost everything else (and not just because I'm fangirling over the hot bodies lol!), which is why I believe that Free! is still a unique anime and worth my time watching.

Let's start with the storyline. I thought Free! had a decent story with a relatively rich emotional setting. Three (Makoto, Nagisa and Haru) ... out of four boys from a childhood swim team are reunited in high school and decide to start a local swim club once more upon discovering that one of their teammates has returned from Australia. The story progresses when we realise there is some conflict between Haru (a somewhat swimming prodigy who is completely obsessed with water) and Rin (portrayed as a super competitive guy) which creates unease amongst the team members of the new swim club, especially with the new member Rei (who is almost like a replacement for Rin). The plot then continues to unravel the mystery behind this tumultuous relationship between Rin and the other boys, and what it means to be part of a team in the past and in the present.

Of course, the key themes here are friendship and sportsmanship, which I didn't think would appeal to me as a committed shoujou fan. However, the story did somehow draw me in, especially when I learnt about the motivations of the characters (particularly Haru and Rin) and how they've come to be the type of person that they are. Yes there is a huge sports element to it, but sports is not really the point of the story, it's merely a means of communicating the themes of camaraderie and friendship. In that way, even if you're reading this review with the mindset that you're not into sports and this kind of anime wouldn't appeal to you, I would reconsider because swimming is just the setting, and the story of Free! operates within that setting.

Having said that, I feel like there was a lot lacking in terms of the development of the other characters apart from Rin and Haru. You somewhat get to see a deeper side of Makoto and Rei throughout the series, but barely. It feels like the story almost over-focuses on Rin, upto a point where I didn't really see the point of focusing so much on one character when there's a whole cast of other interesting characters as well. And given that the series had a relatively simple storyline, I didn't see how it dragged on to 12 episodes. There were a few fillers in the middle that didn't really add any value to the plot or to the viewer's understanding of the characters, which made me feel like those one or two episodes were almost a waste considering the direction of the whole series. I mean, fillers are fine, but in a 12 episode anime, you would wonder why there is a need to put in fillers when you could put in one or two episodes about the other characters. But eh, it's not that much of a problem in the grand scheme of things, I guess I just get a little frustrated when an anime isn't efficient in terms of using episodes wisely for viewer benefit.

So now on to my favourite part: the art and sound. I simply can't believe how beautiful this anime is! When I watch real life swimming, it has to be one of the most boring and ugliest sports out there (sorry to all those dedicated swimmers, I used to swim a lot too, maybe I just got over it way too quickly). But wow, Free! has really blown my mind in terms of water effects and displaying the fluidity of swimming. I literally feel like I'm relaxing next to a serene pool when I watch this, the art is such a treat to my eyes. And not just because the guys have hot bodies (but no complaints about that, it only adds to the viewing value for girls like me haha!). If there was ever a situation where I could give more than 10/10 for art, this is it. Also, in terms of sound, I found both the opening and ending themes really nice, they fit well with the simultaneously competitive but fun element of the anime.

All in all, because I was so impressed by the art, and because the story and characters were worth getting attached to, I would definitely rewatch this anime sometime in the future. The experience of watching something so beautiful and exquisite really gave me something to look forward to every week. Maybe it's because I'm the type of person who is very picky about art, but Free! really surpassed my expectations in terms of viewing pleasure whilst also providing a sound storyline.

This title is oh so misleading! As soon as I stumbled across this anime, I laughed at why anyone would call something "Listen to me, Girls. I am your Father!", and seeing as "comedy" was the genre, I immediately expected something terribly seedy. But boy was I wrong! This is the biggest testimony to why no-one should judge a book by its cover. This anime turned out to be a very inspiring and heart-warming story about how a young man takes on the challenging responsibility of caring for three young girls and how they connect as a family, even in the toughest of situations.

The two ... overall themes of this anime are solidarity (sticking together through everything) and what does it mean to be a family. Yuta, a college student, opts to take care of three of his nieces following the death of his sister. At the beginning, it seems a little awkward and rushed as the girls somehow just find themselves in this one bedroom apartment by the third episode as soon as their parents have died, but after the first few episodes, we get to see their lives play out and how each of them is affected by the new circumstances that they've been thrown into.

At first instance, the girls are soooo adorable!! But even beneath the kawaii factor, there's an edge of reality added to the girls as you see more of their back-stories and the way that they handle living in such a tight space, with very little sleep, and with the responsibility of running a household whilst keeping up with school. It's easy to get sucked into the positive and fighting spirit that these girls display, and as the story goes on, they start to impact their neighbours and friends as well. I would have liked to see even more in terms of their back-story and there could have been more of a focus on the emotions of the girls rather than just how they manage themselves. But for the space of 12 episodes, there was just enough character development to warrant a relatively high score on my part.

But whilst the character and relationship development was commendable for the girls, Yuta was not really focused on, except for at the beginning and at the end. But really, he was the one responsible for the whole situation, so he would presumably have been through a lot of emotions and concerns! There were snippets of his feelings here and there, but he seemed to be at work the whole time... which is reasonable I suppose (since he was the main money-earner). But considering that he was one of the key protagonists, I was a little disappointed with the attention that was given to him as a character and I would have liked to see more depth in his development as a person than what was displayed for most of the episodes; fortunately, the last few episodes of this show only just made up for the lack of focus on Yuta.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this show because of the progression that you can see in the relationships between the characters and the sense of family that develops throughout the episodes. It starts off as sad, but really, it is a fun and heart-warming show to watch. And who can complain about the kawaii-ness of the girls, they are so cute!!

So don't be put off by the title, this is definitely something worth checking out if you're looking for an anime revolving around the theme of family and togetherness.

For all you girls out there: Have you ever dreamt of strutting around in your town, driving away the wrong-doers and spreading some better karma around? Have you had to juggle your family expectations, your friends, your love life, your academics and everything else in between? Do you believe in female solidarity? Do you enjoy kicking some butt when there's some drama brewing? Do you love shopping, dancing and eating (a lot!)? Then you might just qualify to be the next super gal. The anime Super Gals tells the story of three best friends (or, you could say "gals"): Ran, Miyu and Aya, who pretty ... much run the town of Shibuya. Through their ups and downs, they live a very fun and eventful life, which was very entertaining to watch. Although I felt sometimes the characters seemed a bit shallow, and yes, some of the dialogue is a bit cheesy, but the overall story of Super Gals kept me engaged, and I really enjoyed the random drama in each episode. Note that this is a pretty standard shoujo comedy/romance (so if you're looking for something new and different, don't expect to find it here), but I'll still explain why I liked it.

Story: 8/10

At the start this really did look like a typical shoujo storyline: three girls who decide to be close friends, and who see each other through the trials and tribulations of a typical teenager life (whilst shopping, partying and making more friends along the side of course!). And in a way, that's exactly what you get for the rest of the series - 52 episodes of Ran with her aggressive happy-go-lucky attitude, Miyu with her lovey-dovey almost-wife-like romance with Yamato (Ran's police-officer brother) and Aya's gentle, yet hardworking, way of managing things. But, there is a subtle build-up throughout the episodes. Some fall in love, some fall out of love, and I guess some learn their life lessons through their relationships with each other. By reaching the end of the anime, I really felt like I'd experienced another year in the crazy, glamorous and hectic (but fun) life of a highschool "gal".

Art: 7/10

I scored the art a little lower than I scored the other categories, mainly because I personally have a higher standard in terms of fluidity and style for shoujo anime. But having said that, I was still satisfied with the way the characters were drawn - they had cute expressions and the outfits really fit the retro vibe of the anime.

Sound: 8/10

Again, along with the art, the music was quite retro (I mean, the type of music you dance to in an aerobics class if you were in the 80s/90s). I actually really liked it! Maybe because I personally like that kind of para-para music and dance, but it certainly added a bit more flavour to the anime.

Character: 8/10

I have to say, as with most anime, the characters here are what kept me watching the rest of the anime. Ran's tough, but still extremely feminine, personality really drew me in - she shrugs off all expectations other people have of her, paves her own path and fights for the people she loves. She acts as an inspiration to most of the other characters in the anime, and should act as an inspiration for people watching the anime. The only problem is, she is still in highschool gal mode, so some of the things she said seemed pretty ditzy and shallow - especially how she only lived in the present and always seemed to want boys to treat her all the time. But hey, can't expect a highschool gal to be perfect, I still thought she was worthy of being the protagonist.

I also liked the fact that the three girls had very different personalities. Ran's was by far the most established; Miyu and Aya started off almost as side-kicks, and then grew to be more comfortable with who they were by the end of the series.

The boy troubles were so much fun to watch - especially with Yamato, Rei, Yuya and Tatsuki. The way Yamato secretly loves Miyu, the way that Yuya laments over Ran (who barely sees him as anything other than a friend), and the crazy lovey-dovey antics of Tatsuki add the romantic element to the anime. Sometimes, you get a glimpse through the boys' eyes, which is refreshing. My favourite boy out of them though has to be Rei. I don't want to spoil anything, but whilst he seems cold and distant, he pushed Aya to become more than she was.

But the action doesn't stop there: Ran also has mutliple rivals, Naka-sensei, her family of devout police-officers, and several other friends who add adventure to the storyline. Yes, towards the end there were still new characters being introduced, which was kind of annoying to keep up with, but I feel like it was still worth having a whole host of characters rather than focusing on just three main ones.

Enjoyment: 9/10

So I'm finally up to my favourite part: telling you how much fun this was to watch! This is just one of those girly pick-me-ups that is so easy to watch. There are funny moments, and sad moments, but altogether, Super Gals was extremely entertaining to watch, even if some of the episodes were a little random. I will admit, this is a pretty stereotypical high school comedy. But this is the genre that I like, so this anime rated well for me.

Overall: 8/10
So overall, if you're looking for a comedy with lots of girl power (in a not too cheesy way), Super Gals might be worth a shot.

Feel like a break (from your very normal day) but can't afford a Kit-Kat? You might find Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou the perfect quick fix for a little high-school humour. Or if you're a girl like me and find silly high-school boy antics and bro-talk strangely funny, then you will most probably find yourself laughing your way through it and foregoing most of a day's work to watch the rest of the episodes.

Story: 7/10
Well for starters, there isn't much of a plot. If anything, the story is all about high school boys living out their regular high school life, hence the title. But gosh, these ... boys are hilarious! They decide to do some very random things with their friends: impersonations, pretending to be cool to girls, wierd themed games, escaping crazy sisters and planning "how to be the best bro" strategies. Each episode is a collection of around 3-4 mini stories about the boys (in a group or individually) going through some boy-ish dilemma or the other, and each of them, whilst being totally random and unrelated, is really fun to watch! I will admit, after a while (by the time you get to episode 7 or so) you can start to see a pattern with the jokes and it can be pretty predictable, but still worth watching. There are also high-school girl dilemmas tacked on the end of each episode, but to be honest, I'm not really loving those as much as the high-school boy dilemmas.

In a way it is slightly annoying that there isn't much of a development in terms of the story throughout the anime. But the collection of jokes is quite easy to watch episode after episode, and there's no need to remember any important details because of the random construction of the story. And whilst you may be thinking "So is that it, I'm watching a collection of boy jokes??": well, yes and no. On a slightly deeper level, you do get an insight into the theme of brotherhood throughout the series. There's a distinct ways boys act when they're together as bros, which keeps the overall story together in one piece.

Character: 8/10
The three main characters that recur in the show are Tadakuni (possibly the most normal boy out of the three), Hidenori (is ostensibly cool, but really the strangest bro in the group and comes up with the craziest plans) and Yoshitake (equally as silly as Hidenori, but on the slightly dumb side). These boys spend a lot of time together as friends, and they get up to some crazy things as high-school boys. Throw in a host of classmates, the boys' school council, some sisters and a random girl reading by the river side, and there you have the ingredients for a good mix of stories: from sibling wars, to culture festival competitions and, of course, the random "romantic" exchange of conversations at the river side! I love the eccentricity of the characters, mainly because half the humour of the show comes from their stupidity! However, don't expect to see too much character development or romance from this show, it's purely focused on giving us snippets of the boys' lives.

Art: 7/10
Pretty average considering I'm normally the type for cutesy/pretty shouju style art, but I guess simple art works for this type of anime. Gotta love the crazy facial expressions on the boys faces when they're in the middle of an important scheme, does crack me up!!

Sound: 7/10
Same as the art, it works, so it's good I guess.

Overall Enjoyment: 8/10
Normally I do like watching a series with depth and development, but Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is a refreshing change if you just want something to laugh about. It is simply humour, and yes the jokes get random sometimes, but overall I found it was a fun little break from my normal routine, particularly because the episodes are so short!

You know that feeling you get when you're stuck on the hardest maths problem at the end of your exam? Or the feeling you get when you're playing chess and all of a sudden the opponent has cornered you in a check? It's that feeling of "Oh crap, well now I'm stuck, how do I get out of this one?!"... well, that's the feeling I get in every single episode of Mirai Nikki, seeing a *DEAD END* prediction of the future and praying that the protagonists know a way out of it.

Story: 10/10
Let's start with the story, I think that's kind of what won me ... over for this series. The basic idea is that 12 players are given future diaries, which are used as tools to fight each other for the position of the next God. Yes, it reminds me of a cross between Hunger Games (the book) and Death Note (the anime, and you should watch if you liked Mirai Nikki!)... but that's just the type of plot that makes the anime so exciting to watch because the characters are constantly in life-threatening situations, and they don't always have time to think of the most strategic way to get out of it. On top of that, there are all these character relationships (like alliances between enemy groups) that makes you constantly wonder who will suffer betrayal first. It is kind of evident that Yukki and Yuno would be the last two in the game and that there would be some kind of awkward showdown (I mean, look at the cover photo of the anime lol), but the twists and turns along the way are not always expected, and each little secret you discover helps you to unravel the mystery behind the whole story and goes to explain why Yuno is the way she is.

Character: 8/10
The characters themselves really dramatise the anime to the next level. The character everyone can most relate to is Yukki, the poor little lamb! He is simply an everyday 14-year-old observer who keeps to himself and writes random things in a personal diary on his phone, and yet, because of this, he is chosen to be part of this crazy game. He starts off as completely helpless, and constantly needs others (especially Yuno) to help him survive in the game. Sometimes it can be annoying, because you would think the protagonist boy should be a bit stronger than that. But he is the most realistic character in there, I mean, I would have reacted the same way, a bit dazed and reliant, if I was just thrust into a survival game. Plus, towards the end he really starts to discover the strength in himself, and you see him grow out of his shell little by little as the anime progresses.

The second most important person to talk about is Yuno: a psychotic girl who constantly obsesses over Yukki. It's hard to understand Yuno, mainly because her character purely exists to "protect Yukki". But you get to see some insights and reasons behind her dark side as the anime progresses, and what you find towards the end is quite a surprise.

Then we have all the players in the game, who all have different pasts, different personalities and, of course, different future-prediction devices. This is what really makes the anime like a bit of a roller-coaster ride, the characters work together and against each other to find each others' weakness in order to win, and you discover something new in every episode that makes you go "aha!! so that's how it is..."

Art: 9/10
I liked the art overall, the violence was well depicted without being over-dramatic or cheesy. The character expressions also worked well with the emotions of the story.

Sound: 7/10
I guess I didn't notice this much, but I suppose it would have worked since I didn't notice much of a discrepancy between the animation and the music.

Overall Enjoyment: 10/10
Maybe I'm just a sucker for strategic-mystery-romance anime, but this one was really addictive. Mirai Nikki just has the right amount of suspense and action, without losing out on the character relationships. Yes there may be a glitch here and there in the plot (especially in the last few episodes), but the crazy journey that you go through with Yukki, fighting to survive this game, draws you in very easily!

I don't think I've ever cried more than twice during an anime series, but I broke the record for this one. Kobato is one of those gorgeous stories, with both sweet moments and ridiculously sad moments, which just makes you go through a roller coaster of emotions throughout the whole anime.

Story: 8/10
I must admit, at the beginning I was a little skeptical. As soon as I saw a cute girl with a talking soft toy and a magical flask, I immediately thought this would be a Cardcaptor-Sakura-alike anime (not that I have anything against Cardcaptor Sakura, I just thought this show would have a lot ... of shoujou-magical-girl type elements to it). But boy was I wrong! Yes the first half of the anime focuses on how Kobato, the heroine of this anime, heals people's souls in order to fill the magical flask and fulfil her wish. But even the way that Kobato acts to heal people is not in a magical way, instead she helped them by talking to them, singing to them and by helping them as a complete human being (so things that even you and me could do!). In fact, it's best that you not think about this anime in terms of magic, I completely forgot that there was magic involved until I heard the stuffed toy talk lol. The story is more about how Kobato finds her place in the human world, and how she understands other people's hearts and minds by living in this world, which, at the beginning, is for the purpose of filling the magical flask. But, as you get into the series, the more characters she helps, the more entwined they become with her own life, and eventually she becomes part of the community of people, living with them and striving to protect the people she loves. She ends up working at a local nursery, where she learns about all the different characters in the nursery and how she can help them out, purely because she cares about them with her own heart.

Character: 9/10
The main heroine here, Kobato, is absolutely adorable! She reminds me a lot of Tohru in Fruits Basket (which you should also check out if you like this anime!) because she genuinely cares about other people and because she always seems to say the right things at the right time to make you feel better. It's hard not to love Kobato; even though she is a little bit of an airhead, she really makes this anime very sweet and light-hearted, and the way she helps someone just makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside (even though the person being helped isn't you lol).

Then there's the stuffed toy dog that she carries around everywhere called Ioryogi, who is somewhat like her guardian, but is completely the opposite of Kobato. He is hot tempered and gets annoyed very easily, and he always seems to be frustrated by Kobato at the beginning. But, like almost everyone else, he warms up to her as the show goes on, and I really like how you get to see him worrying about Kobato and not just himself.

Although Kobato ends up helping a lot of people along the way, I think the two main people who she forms a connection with are Sayako sensei and Fujimoto. Sayako sensei is the gorgeous lady who runs the nursery, but who struggles with debt problems, and struggles to keep the nursery going. Fujimoto is a law student who spends more time helping the nursery and juggling part-time jobs rather than studying so that he can keep the nursery alive along with Sayako sensei. I think these characters add much more emotional drama to the anime, because behind the happy faces (well, Fujimoto's face isn't as happy, but nevertheless) that they show their little nursery kids, they hide much deeper and darker secrets that prevent them from being truly happy. But, as Kobato discovers, there's more to them than just a desire to keep the nursery going, and we eventually dig back into their past to draw them out and solve the problems wrapped up in those secrets. I particularly loved the (extremely) slow and gradual impact she makes on Fujimoto, because he is the biggest mystery from the first episode all the way till the last episode, I honestly didn't think he would budge at all from his harsh and self-contained attitude!

Sound: 9/10
The music in Kobato is very heartwarming, particularly the song that Kobato sings right at the beginning (which she sings again at some points throughout the series and towards the end). It's just soft and beautiful, and it suits the anime very well!

Art: 10/10
This is definitely worth a 10/10, the characters look beautiful! I especially love Kobako, because she has lovely long hair and because she is put in four different outfits for the four different seasons (so you can place the anime in the different seasons). The children in the nursery are also really cute, and overall, the art just makes the anime even more enjoyable to watch.

Overall Enjoyment: 9/10
Without giving you any spoilers, I just wanted to say that, towards the end, I realised that I just didn't want to lose Kobato, it makes you want to cry in those last few moments of episode 23 and 24! The story may have been a little simple, but I just loved the life and relationships that Kobato made for herself in the time she was given the magical flask, because towards the end it becomes more about her love for others rather than about the magical flask. It's something that I'm really glad of taking out of this anime, and very applicable to life in general.

If you're looking for something sweet and heartwarming to watch while you sip on some milk with biscuits (makes the anime even more sweeter, trust me!), Kobato is definitely a good choice!

Just this morning, I realised I call my favourite friends "cute" a lot, which can be really annoying after a while. But, the main protagonist, Tohru, from Fruits Basket made me realise that calling people "cute" means that I actually care about them. It's just these little feel-good moments and quotes from this anime that I think makes the simple story behind Fruits Basket a truly meaningful experience to watch.

Story: 7/10
To be honest, the story is pretty average. An orphaned girl named Tohru turns up at a house where people turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac when touched by the opposite gender because of ... a curse. And literally the rest of the anime is about her trying to retain and understand the secret behind the Sohma family curse. Most of the episodes are about how she makes the family get along, particularly the other two boys Yuki and Kyo. Although the story may be simple, it does give a good backdrop within which the characters themselves can expose themselves and develop.

Character: 10/10
Let's start with Tohru. She's your average high school girl, but for some reason, she just knows what to say at the right time. She acts as the glue for the Sohma family (which is pretty much all made up of boys, hint hint nudge nudge, slight romance coming up...); and although sometimes I find her altruism frustrating, it offsets the rest of the characters. I actually learnt a lot from her words, she's almost like a mom, despite her having lost her mom. But really, I do see her as the ultimate model mother figure of the anime, she even cooks and cleans for the family! And most importantly, she cares about every single character, which is why everyone seems to love her.

Then we have the two protagonist boys, Yuki and Kyo, who are almost opposites. For example, Yuki turns into a mouse whilst Kyo turns into a cat. Opposite enough? On top of that, Kyo is hot-tempered whilst Yuki is has a softer character, and both like to fight with each other. But, when Tohru enters the Sohma house as a result of the Sohma family secret, Tohru makes it her mission to make them understand each other better, which slowly starts to happen. The interesting thing we discover as the anime progresses is that deep inside, the Sohma family all share a longing to be accepted and loved, which is why sometimes I found myself realising that this anime has a lot to teach about people and their inner selves. I was constantly drawn in by the lesson learnt each episodes; and although Tohru can seem like she's preaching a little bit when she starts talking like a mom, she still delivers some very deep and insightful comment about people and their behaviour.

Sound: 9/10
I always felt like crying when I heard the opening theme music, it is so beautiful! And on top of that, the background music is generally quite gentle and suits the anime well.

Art: 8/10
The art is neither fantastic nor lacking, again, I think the colours and cute drawings suit this shouju style anime. And just putting it out there: Yuki is sooo adorable!

Overall Enjoyment: 8/10
Although the story itself didn't mean much to me at all, the things that the characters expressed really hit home. The characters' emotions and Tohru's little "life lessons" are what make this anime so memorable to me. Once you've watched this, sometimes you might find yourself wondering what your close friend was feeling yesterday and what you could do to make them feel better today.

If you're looking for a little pick-me-up, I would suggest Fruits Basket, it really is adorable and positively memorable!

Why do I sometimes think of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" when I see the chaotic and misunderstood yet super cute relationship between Shizuku and Haru? Maybe because it sometimes feels like the two protagonists are struggling to come to terms with each others feelings in quite ridiculous ways! I grew to really like the characters and themes of this anime, and even though I haven't finished watching it yet, I think it deserves a review.

Story: 9/10
This anime really surprised me with its originality, it's not quite the cute lovey dovey story of high school students. Shizuku is a self-focused study freak who, at first, ... is forced to deliver school handouts and messages to Haru, who is known to be a serious troublemaker. He mistakes her actions as acts of friendship and starts following her around everywhere. Little does Shizuku realise that she slowly starts falling for Haru, and the rest of the story is about how these characters come to terms with their feelings. Thrown into this romance are some hilarious and silly moments, especially because Haru and Shizuku are almost polar opposites, so they end up confusing themselves over whether they like each other. The mix of comedy and romance makes this anime very easy to watch, particularly because the story itself is driven from the eccentricity of the characters and their nature, so you really get comfortable with the characters themselves.

Character: 10/10
The characters are what really make this anime special: you've got your opposite two protagonists (a girl who loves studying and has only ever cared about grades, and a misunderstood delinquent of a boy who is actually craving for friendship on the inside). On top of that you have a bunch of interesting friends: a shy school-rep who doesn't fit in with her peers, a cute classmate who cherishes her online communities and a baseball player who just goes with the flow. What is unique here is that although everyone in this anime is different in their own right, they all have the desire to make and maintain friends (except Shizuku, who then slowly realises the value of friendship). Even beyond romance, one of the key themes of this anime explores what it means to be a friend; and I think on that level, although the characters are ostensibly hilarious together as a group of friends, you really get to learn how they feel as they develop these bonds with each other. I really loved the character development in all the characters in this anime, particularly in Haru and Shizuku! And don't forget our beloved rooster that Haru just decides to bring in to school... he also has some exciting moments lol!

Art: 9/10
I thought the characters were nicely drawn, their expressions and looks definitely suited their inner character whilst maintaining the elegance of an anime.

Sound: 10/10
I actually noticed that the background music in this anime is extremely adorable and comical. It feels like if I played that music and went for a walk down the park that a random Haru look-alike holding a rooster will pop out of nowhere! And the opening theme song is super cute, gets me hyped for each episode haha!

Overall Enjoyment: 9/10
Gotta love this complicated but very intriguing romance story that's chock-a-block full of awkward and hilarious moments! I just loved the characters and I loved the drama that they created between themselves. I was surprised at how I kept watching episode after episode non-stop, maybe because it is not your ordinary school romance, which I kind of like seeing.

So if you're looking for something refreshing with a large variety of characters and a whole lot of romance and friendship drama, then this is perfect for you, so do check it out!

I'll start by saying that Paradise Kiss is a pretty straightforward anime, no crazy plot twists or tricks. It's about some random girl who is asked to be a model for a bunch of fashion students. But since that moment, the change in her mentality and her attitude is inspiring, and I loved how she really rethought her relationships and focus in life, just from this one event.

What drew me in at the beginning was definitely the art: the characters are gorgeous without being too girly or cute. Yes their haircuts are a bit funky, but the way they are drawn really brings them to ... life and adds colour to their personalities.

And that's the second thing that drew me towards this anime: the fact that the characters are so outlandish but believable. Most other anime have almost archetypical characters, but Paradise Kiss tries to steer away from the typical anime characters by adding a bit more story and and depth, especially with Yukari and George (and their complicated relationship).

And lastly, and most importantly, I felt like this anime was almost like a real story. You can't just expect everyone to understand how everyone else is feeling in real life, emotions and thoughts are sometimes unpredictable. Sometimes I would honestly be wondering if George is using Yukari or if he really likes her. Also, the character development you see in Yukari is incredible, from a girl who conforms to the typical expectations of a high school student, to a girl who wants to discover more about what she wants to do for herself in the future. Maybe it's a little bit of a reflection of my own life story, but Yukari's development really made the difference in the story, which is what made me want to watch it right to the very end.

If you like watching characters develop on an emotional and spiritual level, if you like fashion and if you like the idea of being independent and following your dreams, then you will definitely love Paradise Kiss!