Memories By Inner Light

I told u i would be doing this again so yea... here is the first of a new series of reviews done by myself and rating for the benefit of yourself.

Title: Vampire Knight
Episodes: 13
Seasons: 1 full 2nd season on it's way come October of this year.
Type:Shojo

Summary: Ever since the Twilight disease took over, and even a bit before Vampires were transformed from monsters into blood sucking sex icons, introducing vampires into ANY story was like setting your angst-o-meter at full blast and then throwing all the auxiliary power switches for an extra hoot. This allowed misanthropic outcasts to thrive in their own weird and sometimes....unnerving fantasies about wanting to be possessed by a demon that kills u by drinking u dry and then takes your body as a little portable tiki hut (do your reasearch people!) after ur spirit goes whereever. ANYWAY the reason for the aforementioned monologue was not to discuss Vampires but mostly their effects on culture and especially in recent times how they effect stories. It is with this fore note that I ask you to read the following review and don't get excited. I'm not a fan of these types of shows.
      Vampire Knight is a decent story and in it's own morbid way, it has captured my attention long enough to remain interested in the second season which will be our much sooner than you think. The art is top notch for Vampire Knight. You can see it's Shojo underpinnings of injecting any morbid tale with a few chunks of handsome guys in order to distract u away from "Mr. Angst". one of the main characters.
   There are two main characters both orphaned. In this world Vampires and People roam freely with each other and as a result "accidents" happen. Some such accident occurs and the main character a girl loses all her memories beofre five. The other main character is the son of a dead Hunter (vampire hunter family) family who's family is killed (ANGST ALERT). She loves vampires, he hates them yatta yatta run of the mill garble here.  Then! a dramatic plot twist and more revelations. I guess what i'm trying to say is that the story has been done. This is good, its not a bad series if ur into that sort of thing. Characterization seems to have been forgotten and replaced by long monologues of angsty dialogue. 
    Despite these things i like the show, because it continues to amuse me, i want to know what happens to Zero and the resolution of the love triangle. It is a vampire show so if you don't like it its okay, ino one will hold it against you. I think tthat once the second season comes out it'll be easier to be excited about more angst.

3 outta 5 onigiri.
 

 

Title: W~wish
Episodes:13
Seasons: 1
Version: Japanese w/ Eng. subs
Type: Modern Fantasy, Supernatural, Shoujo

Summary: As much as I had anticipated this show as being really interesting, i must say i was dissapointed. Usually despite 13 eps beign a little hard to tie up a wholly satisfying story, most anime's do a good job of it...This one...did not. Two twin siblings living in utter bliss make a shocking discovery. It's really hard to explain why I dislike this series so much because of my strict NO SPOILER policy. But the characters were unlikable, the plot, poorly constructed and when the hook to the whole show was finally revealed you'd have to be a bump on a log to not at least SUSPECT the whole thing from around the 3rd episode. That left you with about 9 MORE episodes to suffer through until you reached the climax...which was unusual, but the way it was presented really didn't leave me with a lasting feeling like "That was an interesting story". I felt like saying...i wasted my time, and I have never said that about any anime previously.  If you care to suffer through the 13 episodes be my guest, but i would suggest that you avoid this one and find another more fulfilling show to spend your time on.

1/2 an Onigiri outta 5

Note: I know that almost anyone reading these LOOKING for animes to watch would probably know the difference btwn the following two terms but for any casual readers. Here is a small lexicon to understand my categories

Shoujo(or Shojo)-girls anime
Shonen-boys anime

There are differences in art, style, story construction, plot progression, major themes and various other sections that differeniate btwn the two categories. However not only am i not positive about the distinctions since there are varied opinions on the matter, such distinctions don't really have much of an impact on the following review.

P.S. i have also decided to start including which version I watched (i.e. whether it was the japanese version with eng. sub. or an eng. dubbed version)

Title: Princess Tutu
Version Watched: Japanese w/ Eng. Sub.Seasons: 2 (possibly three if one is currently in production) 1st Season is called :The Chapter of Egg, 2nd Season is called: The Chapter of Fledgling so it stands to reason that perhaps a third and final season may bring the story full circle.
Episodes: 26, but the second season makes it a little confusing by fracturing the eps. into halves so sometimes it'll come up as 38 episodes.
Type: Shoujo, fantasy, comedy

Summary: I came across this anime quite by accident, and it must have been one of the luckiest finds i have ever made. I was a bit skeptical about the title. I can only take so much cuteness and Shoujo Anime's have a tendency of using sweetness and cuteness until i have pain in my teeth from kawaii (trans=super cute) overdose. But! This show is a masterpiece. Brilliantly written and acted! The story is amazing, and funny, the characters are interesting and every turn keeps you thinking. It starts off pretty innocently until you find out the main character is a duck....O.O (wtf?! is what i thought) but as the story progresses everything fits into place wonderfully.  Alot of the story telling is done through Ballet which is a HUGE part of this show, and they use classical composers like Tchaikovsky (O god i know i spelled his name so wrong). I happen to love dance myself and this show just pulled me in. Better yet this show is great for kids because there is no blood or gore, minimal swearing (i think i counted maybe 4 "damns" total), no alcohol or drug references, and minimal bloodless violence. Definitely worth the time and the effort to see.


5 outta 5 Onigiri

I've decided to add a new category to make it easier for me to catergorize my reviews so now you can read TYPE , for a quick synopsis of the show's major themes

Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
Type: Sports Anime/Supernatural
Summary: Anyone who knows me knows that I am completely un-coordinated, i'm not good at sports and i really don't care of sports (except dancing, fencing and colorguard). So when i realized that Ginban was a Sports anime i  was concerned that i picked a show i was going to dislike...until Pete Pumps(the show's resident ghost) showed up.   From then on it was an entertaining ride, filled with laughs. Another thing i liked about this story was that it  picked and uncommon sport (i.e. figure skating) and turned it into an interesting concept for a show. In the e nd the animation was passable and the characters while interesting could have been fleshed out a bit more. But it's still worth a shot and it's a short show so if you like figure skating or ghosts that hate tomatos you should check this show out!



2 1/2 outta 5 onigiri

Title: Asatte no Houkou
Episodes: 12 (full show)
Seasons: 1
Summary: Move over Freaky Friday, this story's got you beat! Set in modern day Japan, little Karada Iokawa is well...little. She's in the sixth grade but looks very much like a much younger girl. She lives with her brother Hiro in a small apartment after their parents pass away. When a surprise visit from a strange woman from Hiro's past, a wishing stone, shrine, young love and plenty of days of summer vacation, the setup for this short story is intriguing and  in it's own way unqiue. I'll leave it up to you watch this beautifully animated show to find out all the particulars of this magical story, but if you're looking for a quick introduction to anime this is THE one to pick. Short episodes, only 12 total. It's clean, no real nudity, and while there's some smoking it's tastefully done. The characters are very well developed and the story while a little weatherbeaten in concept still manages to capture and delight, it deals with all shorts of issues about growing up, living with someone else, and living with who you are. Towards the end certain situations become increasingly tiresome, because you're just waiting for the ending, but, when the ending comes again it is very well put together. I suggest it for younger viewers, as well as older. Give Asatte no Houkou a shot! It's worth it!

Rating: 3 1/2 outta 5 Onigiri

 Okay so i've been feeling much better lately and got to finished some hw so i deceded to post another anime review and comment some more on my life thus far. 

So it's tuesday, I went to my class tomorrow i have work. 

I was thinking about baby names yesterday....for no reason really, i read baby names books for fun and especially when I'm thinking about new character ideas when I write, so, that's why usually. and I came up with a really cool boy's name you ready for this? Sylvan. I think it's so cool.  Al and I "talk" about baby names on and off and we both really like the name "Jade" for a girl, one of my favorite names for a girl is Linnea Elise. Al and I both like "Seth for a boy and I'll have to ask him about Sylvan. Haha, it's just so interesting how people's ideas about names change and especially the kinds of names people like. For instance, my friend Court likes tomboyish names or names that can be shortened, and still be kinda girly, so she likes names like "Veronica" aka "Ronnie". Both Al and I have unusual names so we both gravitate towards unusual names, like Jade or Linnea, something different that not everyone has, mostly because we both really like our names and like how it's set us apart from the 20 billion jennifers, megans, and katies, or the 50 billion bobs, johns, and joes. 

It would be interesting to hear more about what you guys look for in names. ^_^ Let me know ^_^

I could smell spring this morning, the sun came though my window and by the time i got on campus that familiar spring feeling seemed to cut throught eh winter drabbness like a warm gentle sigh in a cold refrain. Life seems to be comign bak into the world finally and i can feel the stretch as it wakes up and gets ready to grow. It's an awe-inspiring feeling.  Like being a thread in a tapestry.

Anyway, enough philosophical jibber jabber! 

and onto the anime review!

Title: Midori Days!
Episodes: 13 (full show)
Seasons: 1 i guesstimate
Summary: Apart from being one of the more unsual love stories I've watched recently, this was teh first anime i've seen in a while that has a really fat cat in it, that makes multiple appearances...and is therefore a source of continual mirth throughout this series. Tought guy, Sejii, wakes up one morning with a little more than high school acne to worry about. It seems as through some sort of magic a girl has replaced his right hand! Talk about freakish! As the story unfolds we learn that the girl's name is midori and that she's had a HUGE crush on  Mr. Tough  Guy for three years now. We also learn that her original body has slipped into a strange coma, and is unable to be wakened. This cute anime is your typical fare for most romantic comedies, but it's presented in a rather unconventional way and makes the whole things much more enjoyable. There is some nudity, some alchohol and cigarrettes, but other than that the show itself is rather harmless. The characterization of each individual character is fantastic, but all and all their relationships, mostly how they interact with one another is largely left unembellished which takes away from the story and from the "romance".  Still it's funny and enjoyable. The story is pretty base, if you're looking for a Romeo and Juliet type romance look elsewhere. but if you're looking for some good clean silliness, you've come to the right place. 

Rating: 2 1/2 outta 5 Onigiri

So today is the last day of my break *sigh* tomorrow it's full on back to the grind.  

Too bad today really stunk....i guess it's better that i'll be bak in school...i won't be dissapointed like this anymore. I won't expect stuff, i won't get my hopes up, and i'll be too busy to get my feelings ignored. 

That being said, i managed to finish another awesome anime show (so i guess the whole day wasn't a waste *smile*) So here's the review!

Title: Ghost Hunt
Episodes: 25
Season: 1 so far as I know (hoping for a 2nd!)

Summary: When bumbling spooky story lover Mai accidently causes an injury to an assitant to a ghost hunter, she if roped into being an assitant to the Shibuya Psychic (sp?) Research Institute. At the head of this organization is Shibuya Kazuya, an arrogant and aloof prez of the company, despite his cold and hard exterior Mai doesn't mind him and together with the help of the real assitant, Lin, friends the buddhist monk, Bou-san, a miko spiritualist Ayako, a roman catholic priest and exorcist from Australia John, and a televised spirit channeler Masako, they take on some bone chillingly frightening, and spine tinglelingly interesting cases of the supernatural made manifest in the day to day to  rather unusual circumstances like freakish mansions or forgotten japanese shrines. The series is episodic in nature, but it's not like there's a case per episode, they take a nice amoutn of time to build up the story and give the viewer evidence before explaining and finding a remedy for the supernatural disturbance, so..one case could take three or four episodes. still the characters are very well put together and the stories are extremely entertaining. I love these kinds of stories, so I'm kinda biased but I can't help it, this show is absolutely amazing, and I highly reccomend it! It can be scary so...if you're brave, watch it in the dark! if not, grabba teddy and a night lite and enjoy!

Rating: 5 outta 5 Onigiri

*feet throbbing* sheesh....that was a LONG shift at work.....7am-2pm.....i'm outta my freakin mind.....idk WHY i decided this was a  good thing to do....and why i repeatedly make myself accessible...maybe b/c I need the money...I made good tips today....hopefully that'll help a bit. My feet are killing me.

 I'm listening to some strange music i discovered after i got julian RockBand for Christmas. A flood of mostly really dumb rock music came in,  but there are some pearls among the swine...haha...like Ballroom Blitz by Sweet. "and the man in the back said, "everyone attack!" and it turned into a ballroom blitz!'" that song is so weird, but i love it. haha. It's quirky...and random haha....hmmmm reminds me of a foot weary waitress i know....

ANYWAYS!  I  know you're probably wondering what happened to my anime reviews (and if u were';t....*sniff* i feel unloved*. I DID finish Hand Maid May so I'll be posting that below in just a sec.

k...sec's over

Series: Hand Maid May
Episodes: 10 for one season and one teaser for a possible 2nd season
Seasons: 1 season, and most probably another on the way

Summary: This show is proof that deep down computer geeks are sexy....well at least the main character of the story...tho...why...is still up in the air. When said computer geek breaks through a virus given to him by a jealous rival a strange package arrives at his door. Enter hand maid may! A 1/6th the size of a normal human, but with a huge desire to work and be useful...She's a robot (of course) but behaves veyr much like a human (as expected) and naturally falls in love with computer geek (tho i'm still trying to figure out why). The story line is very cute, but the characterization is weak and by the time the last episode comes on, u don't really feel closer to any of the characters....it doesn't pull you in that way but the plot twist and the cliffhanger are pretty good tho not the stuff of FMA or Inuyasha, or even, Chobits. It seems that alot of the Android type shows follow a particular type of pattern and it's up to the writers to really make it different, or make the show come alive...and in some parts it didn't happen here for me. But it's still a good quickie show and a good introduction to anime if you're interested in finding out more about it. Mixes funny and charming well. You'll like it!

Rating: 3 outta 5 Onigiri

 Okay, so i liked doing that review and i just finished Chobits recently so i figured i'd humor myself (and my boredom) with another review.

Title: Chobits
Number of Episodes: 26
No films
Seasons: probably more of a small mini series so i'd wager a 1/2 a season

Summary: Abysmal Student and Country Boy, Hideki, finally makes it into college...or so he thinks. the reality of the situation is that he's in tokyo for cram school, and doing pretty badly at that too. Besides being a country boy in a big city, hideki learns about all the technology he's missed out on, while he was still taking care of cows, specifically Personcons (exceptionally human like androids) and of course, wants one desperately. So, when he finds one laying in the trash he immediately takes it home and that's where our story begins. Enter Chi, a most unusual Perscon with very human like qualities, with a penchant for accidently shorting out other persocons and electronic appliances innocently and comically, much to the chagrin of poor Hideki, who above all else is a compulsive neurotic worrier. There are a lot of sexual innuendos in this series, so it's not for the kiddies, and while there is relatively no violence, the story tends to strain at some parts making pieces of it drag a bit. The story is passable, and the likeableness of the characters carries it's weak spots through okay enough. The plot is short, and in 26 episodes they cover a lot of ground. The relationship btwn Hideki and Chi is not as strong as eveyone seems to assume and by the time the series closes, I was left wondering if it made sense. *shrugs* still and all, Hideki's neurotic behavior and talking to himself, and Chi's irrepressable innocence and happiness, makes this show a nice respite from the day to day doldrums.

Rating: 4 outta 5 Onigiri

I'm tired....and i still didn't do much today. tomorrow I'll be spending the day with the bf so it should be fun and i have to remember to take those movies back to the library they're over due -____-....*sigh*....anyways.

I'm pooped out and kinda lonely. everyone had somewhere to go tonite, or something to do (that wasn't a group thing) so i'm sittin up here by myself debating about whether i want to keep watching either Love Hina, or Hand Made May and finish it. obviously there doesn't seem to be anything pressing terribly on my time at the moment, since i've been considering this option for the last 20 minutes or so. 

O! i didn't tell anyone but i'll be starting an Anime Review Guide somtime soon. scattered thoughout my entries, very now and again after i finish a show i'll give a breif summary of the show (no spoilers i promise!) how many episodes total. How many seasons, and my rating (from zero to five rice balls....in japanese rice balls are called onigiri so if i say onigiri, now you know ^_^)

So i figured i'd kick off this little venture with my very first review posted tonite, i picked an easy one, FMA so read and enjoy:

Title: Full Metal Alchemist
Number of Episodes: 51 (and one full length movie as a continuation story so round it up to 52)
Number of seasons: approx. 1 (i guess)

Summary: FMA, is the tale of two orphaned brothers trying to do the impossible while staying close to one another and dodging death, disaster and the government rife with political intrigue, making this plotline juicy with tons of twists and turns. Obviously Alchemy is involved and is a HUGE aspect of the series. There is graphic violence, if you're squeamish this is DEFINITELY NOT a show for you. But if you can get past the squirting blood you'll find a wonderfully written story that is as action packed as it is emotionally stimulating. The series starts out a little slow but it's comedic aspects carry us along willingly until all hell starts to break loose in the mid to late 20's episodes (maybe 22, 25ish?).  The array of characters is varied and colorful ranging from the height conscious Edward Elric (who HATES milk and is NOT short) to the enigmatic Colonel Mustang, and the kind-hearted Alfonse Elric who loves kittens. Definately not a show to miss!

Rating: 5 outta 5 Onigiri