Catching Up Again

If the internet has dust, then this post has been collecting quite a lot for sometime now. The draft post was saved from two to three weeks ago!

I've been misplacing my smart phone a lot these days and I really meant to post some sentimental things from my birthday. However, I left my phone in my boyfriend's car and I wasn't able to take some pictures yet so I can't brag anything about anything at the moment ~_~

Moving on, I decided to highlight instead the many anime and dramas that I've watched since posting from my last update, not including the ones that I've reviewed, though. I'm not going to list them alphabetically since my copies have jumbled up and I really don't think it's necessary to do that.



Note: I'm sorry if my thoughts are a little jumbled here and there. I wasn't able to finish this post in one go so I might have lost my train of thought a lot of times XO)

One Pound Gospel

Synopsis: Hatanaka Kosaku is a talented boxer who turned pro at the age of 19, winning his debut match with a first round KO. He is talented, but he has no guts. His uncontrollable appetite is an even bigger problem. He can't put himself in the right weight class, he runs out of energy because of hunger, and he gets knocked out while his eyes are set on food at the ringside. However, Kosaku's life changed when he met Sister Angela, a novice nun in the convent near his boxing gym. She became the source of his power, and Kosaku fights only to win her heart. -NTV

Comments: I haven't read the original Rumiko Takahashi manga but I think that this drama is pretty good. I like Kamenashi Kazuya's acting since I saw him on Gokusen 2 and I think that he did a pretty good job in this drama. I really can't say whether the drama does good justice to the manga or not, but this is pretty hilarious. It's pretty easy to finish, too. 

Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou

Synopsis: At first glance, Nura Rikuo seems like nothing more than a normal middle-schooler. In actual fact, he is grandson of Nurarihyon, master of a youkai clan. Having only recently resolved the hostilities between the Nura Clan and the Shikoku Yokai, Rikuo finds no rest as an ancient enemy of the Nura Clan, Haguromo-Gitsune, resurfaces. After 400 years of inactivity, Haguromo-Gitsune suddenly sweeps through Kyoto with overwhelming power. -MAL

Comments: This anime rocks! The second season is even better than the first, and I want a third season!  I'm already quite tempted to read the manga as from what I've heard, it's already on the fourth arc. I might read it. Soon. SEASON THREE! SEASON THREE!

Blade of the Immortal

Synopsis: Manji is an amoral swordsman, who has been cursed with eternal life. He has grown tired of living with all the death he has created. He has no skills other then those of killing, thus he forms a plan to regain his mortality: he shall kill one hundred evil men for each good one he has killed. The old witch who afflicted Manji with immortality agrees to Manji's proposition and Manji is set on his path to kill one thousand evil men. On his journey he meets a young girl, Rin, who has her own vengeance to seek against the sword school whose members slaughtered Rin's family. Rin and Manji journey together, each hoping to find some kind of peace. In their way are many varied enemies. Rin and Manji are almost constantly under attack and must learn to live their lives, avoiding being consumed by revenge. -MAL

Comments: I saw an article about this once from the now defunk Culture Crash and was very intrigued by it. It's quite violent and I'm not really fond of how the story goes. I haven't read the manga so I can't say much for this either. All I can say is that the ending is hanging and it left quite an unsatisfactory ending. :/

Lovely Complex

Synopsis: Risa and Otani are always being laughed at as the comedy duo. Risa, a girl, is taller than the average girl, and Otani, a boy, is shorter than the average boy. The two are always bickering and even their teacher sees them as a comedy act. But as their friendship develops, so do Risa's feelings toward Otani. -MAL

Comments: Okay, now why haven't I watched this anime before? This show is hilarious! Comparing this title to Kaichou wa Maid-sama, I'd say that Kaichou wa Maid-sama wins hands down to Lovely Complex. However, this anime is very charming and surprisingly good. I'm not really into the shoujo genre but this is one of the few exceptions. Although the couple of this story doesn't really have that kyaaaaa factor, their relationship is very much entertaining.  I'm looking forward to watching KareKano in the future. :D

Legend of Legendary Heroes

Synopsis: Ryner Lute is a lazy student of the Roland Empire Royal Magician's Academy. One day, the Roland Empire goes to war against their neighboring country Estabul, and Ryner loses his classmates in the war. After the war, Ryner sets out on a journey to search the relics of a "Legendary Hero" at King Sion Astal's command and finds out that a deadly curse is spreading throughout the continent. -MAL

Comments: One look of the anime artwork, and I knew I just had to download this title. I'd have to say that this anime is underrated and deserves more credit since the story is really, really good. It's a shame that there won't be any second season coming out... soon? The ending is VERY hanging, and, from what my boyfriend has told me, very much similar to the ending of the old Berserk anime series.

Full Metal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos

Synopsis: A fugitive alchemist with mysterious abilities leads the Elric brothers to a distant valley of slums inhabited by the Milos, a proud people struggling against bureaucratic exploitation. Ed and Al quickly find themselves in the middle of a rising rebellion, as the exiled Milos lash out against their oppressors. At the heart of the conflict is Julia, a young alchemist befriended by Alphonse. She'll stop at nothing to restore the Milos to their former glory – even if that means harnessing the awful power of the mythical Philosopher's Stone. -Funimation

Comments: I'm disappointed with this movie in so many levels. Firstly, I got overly excited about its trailer since this movie was announced right after we had a marathon with FMA Brotherhood, only to find out that there wasn't any available copies yet. Secondly, this isn't even connected to the main story compared to FMA Conqueror of Shambala. And thirdly, the art, animation, and even the story line sucks. Period. You're better off not watching this, trust me.

Toaru Hikuushi e no Tsuioku

Synopsis: The story revolves around Charles Karino, a Levamme Empire mercenary aerial pilot who mans the twin-seater reconnaissance seaplane Santa Cruz. One day, he receives a preposterous assignment: to fly solo over 12,000 kilometers of enemy waters to transport a girl named Fana del Moral. Fana happens to be betrothed to the empire's crown prince and is a girl possessing beauty "equal to 5,000 beams of light". -ANN

Comments: Another disappointing movie. I had high hopes of this title because I thought that the synopsis was very intriguing. I'm not overly sure if people share the same sentiments, but my boyfriend and I agree that this isn't that good. Probably because we watched this right after we watch Hotarubi no Mori e.

Beelzebub

Synopsis: The story follows the "strongest juvenile delinquent", Oga Tatsumi, a first year in "Ishiyama High" the school for delinquents. One day while sleeping next to a river he sees a man floating down it, he pulls him to shore and the man splits in half revealing a baby boy. This boy is the son of the demon king and he has been chosen as the one to raise it with the baby's demon maid Hilda. The story follows his life with the child and at the delinquent school. -Wikipedia

Comments: Baby Beel~! Personally, I thought that this was some gag show since the start of the series was kinda dragging. I really like this anime and the story is quite enjoyable. This is categorized as shounen so you have to expect some shounen-ish situations with the main characters. Also, the ending is very hanging so I decided to read the manga since it's still ongoing. I think that this is somewhat underrated (since none of my friends apart from my koibito watch this) but I think it's really good. Pudi pudi pudi pudi DOSKOI!

Kiki's Delivery Service

Synopsis: Kiki is an enterprising young girl who must follow tradition to become a full-fledged witch. Venturing out with only her chatty black cat, Jiji, Kiki flies off for the adventure of a lifetime. Landing in a far-off city, she sets up a high-flying delivery service and begins a wonderful experience of independence and responsibility as she finds her place in the world. -Disney

Comments: No serious thoughts about it. Pleasant to watch for an old Ghibli film, but it's nowhere near Howl's.

Millennium Actress

Synopsis: When Studio Gin'ei commissions filmmaker Gen'ya Tachibana to make a documentary in commemoration of its 70th anniversary, he travels to a secluded mountain lodge to interview the idol of his youth, the enigmatic Chiyoko Fujiwara, who was the studio's leading lady from the 1930s until the 1960s. As Chiyoko reminisces about her life, Tachibana and his cameraman suddenly find themselves on a rich and dazzling journey through time. Chiyoko's films and personal memories intertwine with present events and stretch the boundaries of reality. -ANN

Comments: From the makers of Perfect Blue and Paprika. Nice psychological film, but light compared to Perfect Blue. I love how the sequence of events were shown and the ending has a nice twist to it. 

The Cat Returns

Synopsis: The Cat Returns is something of a loose spin-off of "Whisper of the Heart" as it features two characters from that film: Muta (the cat from "Whisper") and the Baron (the cat statue from "Whisper"). There is no other connection between the two movies and this is not a sequel. The story is based on Neko no Danshaku (Baron of Cat) by Hiiragi Aoi.

The main character of the story, Haru, is a clueless, ordinary 17-year-old girl. She has no special abilities and neither is she an extraordinary beauty. When faced with reality, she is unable to make decisions for herself, thus often sways to others' opinions to avoid challenge. One day, Haru saves the life of a cat without considering her own safety. The cat turns out to be the Cat Prince from the Kingdom of Cats, however as a result, Haru is trapped in the world of cats. Can Baron and Muta rescue Haru who has wandered into the world of cats? -AniDB

Comments: Another Ghibli film. A nice film to watch when you're bored, but really not that remarkable.

Ao no Exorcist

Synopsis: This world consists of two dimensions joined as one, like a mirror. The first is the world in which the humans live, Assiah. The other is the world of demons, Gehenna. Ordinarily, travel between the two, and indeed any kind of contact between the two, is impossible. However the demons can pass over into this world by possessing anything that exist within it. Satan the god of demons, but there's one thing that he doesn't have, and that's a substance in the human world that is powerful enough to contain him!! For that purpose he created Rin, his son from a human woman, but will his son agree to his plans? Or will he become something else...? An exorcist? -MU

Comments: This is one shounen show that's one of the many titles that are growing mushrooms in my collection. It's really good to watch, but I'm disliking the way how the show makes the story seem more predictable. It's a shame that the ending of the anime is like shit so I decided to read the manga instead.

Persona 4

Synopsis: Persona 4 takes place in a rural town named Inaba. There have been mysterious murders occurring whenever there was fog after heavy rain. There were also rumors about a channel on television airing only at midnight called Mayonaka TV, during which it is said that one can see his/her "other half" when staring at the TV screen.

After hearing about a recent unsolved murder which occurred during the fog, the characters—Narukami, Chie, and Yosuke—discuss how each of them had attempted to watch the mysterious TV channel and witnessed the murder victim. The protagonist later realizes that during midnight when the channel is on, his body can phase into his television set as a gateway to enter another world infested with shadows.

After discovering this, they all decide to explore. When first completely entering the world, dazed and confused, Narukami meets Teddie. Mayonaka TV and the town murders seem to have a connection. The murder victims may be merely victims of Mayonaka TV. Everyone decides that they will together try to solve the mysterious murders by exploring the hidden world of Mayonaka TV. -MAL

Comments: This is an adaptation from the Persona 4 video game which is one of the many games that my boyfriend can't stop talking about. I don't think I would have any time to play the game at all and get engrossed to enjoy the story of the game as much as he did, so this anime is quite a blessing. It's nice but kind of predictable. There's an upcoming OVA that I plan on watching.

Muscle Girl!

Synopsis: Ichikawa plays the part of Azusa, the only child of the owner of a small female pro wrestling organization. After her father dies of illness, she has to take over the business, which is already losing money and is on the verge of shutting down. To make things worse, their referee suddenly disappears on the day of one of their shows, leaving behind only a resignation letter. The desperate Azusa then runs into a young Korean man (Lee). She persuades him to serve as a referee just for that day, though she doesn’t realize he is actually a popular star in Korea. -Tokyograph

Comments: Fangirls, all together now... LEE HONGKI! I think that this is a failure of a drama, which is kind of sad since I expected a lot just from reading the plot. I wish they had another scriptwriter that would expand the drama more, maybe give emphasis on Hongki's character instead of just concentrating on that girl's wrestling business. Plus, the quality of acting is quite disappointing. A low budget drama maybe? I think so. And, honestly, I just watched this show just because Lee Hongki is in it.

xxxHolic Rou + Adayume

Synopsis: xxxHolic which takes place 10 years after the xxxHolic Shunmuki setting.

Comments: I saw this anime before I got to finish reading the manga. This was lying around my computer for so long that I finally decided to watch it. Quite a sad turn out of events. And dammit CLAMP. I hate you for leaving the story hanging like this. Sooooooo many unanswered questions right at the end of the manga. >:[

Junjou Romantica 2

Synopsis: Season 2 of the JR series. Three very different couples caught up in a storm of pure romance!

Romantica: Misaki is struggling to prepare for his college entrance exams, so his brother arranges for a private tutor. But Misaki's nightmare is just beginning when his tutor, Usami, comes on to him! How will Misaki ever manage to pass his exam? And why does he feel so mysteriously drawn to Usami?

Egoist: Just when Kamijou's life is at its lowest, he has a chance meeting with a man who never lets anything hold him back: Nowaki. His name means "typhoon," and he's about to take Kamijou on a whirlwind ride that will turn everything upside-down.

Terrorist: Miyagi always seems to shrug off the cares of the world with a joke and a smile, but even he has problems, although he doesn't let them show. Foremost is Shinobu, a relentless young man who's adamant that they're destined to be together. -MAL


Comments: It's about time I finished this, teehee. I'm really not that interested with it compared to a couple of years ago, but oh well.. must watch all the stuff I've been hoarding. NowakiXHiroki is <3 Next up, Sekaiichi yay (~o~)