Monday, April 30, 2012

Current Anime Episodes Comment - Hiiro no Kakera, Aquarion EVOL, Hyouka, Tasogare Otome X Amnesia, AKB0048, Haiyore! Nyaruko-san

Hiiro no Kakera

 

Episode 5

So the princess needs to awaken her powers to fight against the enemy.
She sure was trying hard to do so.
Tamaki's interesting encounter looked promising for future interactions.
That blond girl sure is cold-blooded when she's spiting threats.


Aquarion EVOL


Episode 18

Andy totally lost it with digging those holes.
Guess getting rejected by Mix did him in pretty good.
Mikono is troubled by her mixed feelings about Kagura.
Her dad's letter didn't help to improve her mood at all...
The new attack showed some nice fighting skills.
Izumo finally decided on a new approach, a diplomatic one.
It didn't end well for Mix.


Hyouka


Episode 2

Oreki sure is a pretty lazy guy.
If it weren't for that girl and his friend to drag him along...
The case of the mysterious book from the library begins.
The investigation was interesting, but short.
Oreki totally has a detective's mind.


Tasogare Otome X Amnesia


Episode 4

Summer training camp.
Yuuko was kinda acting odd.
The pool part was fun even though Niiya was worried.
Exploring the school at night revealed that Yuuko was sulking.
Seems like she is just a regular girl with a crush.
Niiya & Yuuko's midnight swim was pretty romantic.


AKB0048


Episode 1

So this is a futuristic mecha idol anime.
Kinda a cross between The idolm@sater and Symphogear.
Girls worked hard on their auditions and it gave results.
Nagisa had parent problems, but it kinda worked out.
They all made it in the nick of time.
This one is not half bad, has potential.


Haiyore! Nyaruko-san 

  
Episode 4

Mahiro's mom is baaack ^^"
Explaining two girls living with him... a nightmare.
I had some laughs this time LOL
Kuuko's obsession of Nyarko is just ROFL
That Mahiro just keeps collecting aliens *sigh*
Hasuta seems to be the newest addition to his collection..

Anime Movie - Hotarubi no Mori e (The Light of a Firefly Forest)


This is a really nice anime movie. Very relaxed, with nice atmosphere of friendship and eventually love. We follow the childhood of Hotaru up to her teens and her summers with Gai. Their friendship that turned into love was really sweet, but also sad since they could never touch. The ending was especially touching and pretty painful too. Well, I don't want to reveal too much, but I did have fun watching it.
I recommend this since it's really enjoyable.

Genres: drama, supernatural
Themes: folklore, spirits


When she was young, Hotaru was once lost when she played in the forest near her uncle's place that she visits every summer. There, she had a fateful encounter with a spirit, who helped her even though he would disappear if a human being touches him. She began to visit him every summer, even as she grows; while he waits for the summer to come, for their time together to flow again.


Directed: Takahiro Omori
Music: Makoto Yoshimori
Studio: Brain's Base
Released: September 17, 2011

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Current Anime Episodes Comment - Kuroko no Basket, Nazo no Kanojo X, One Piece, Space Brothers, Hunter x Hunter

Kuroko no Basket


Episode 4

The exciting game continues.
Kuroko & Kagami make a great team!
Kise was being a total jerk at times.
After Kuro's injury... things went from bad to worse, but his determination was amazing.
Guess he just doesn't give up even when injured.
Amazing game with well deserved outcome!


Nazo no Kanojo X


Episode 4

Urabe & her new lunch friend Oka were interesting to watch.
Again with his weird dreams... LOL
Guess guys didn't have any luck seeing girls in summer P.E. uniforms.
Oka seemed really friendly with Urabe... friendship request denied or is it?
Wow, that Urabe sure has some weird powers.


One Piece


Episode 545

Celestial Dragon on fishman island.
That guy was totally despicable just like is daddy.
If I were them I'd give him a taste of what's it like to be a slave.
Queen Otohime was acting rashly 'cause that guy was not worth protecting.
It's sad she didn't realize not all humans are good & are willing to change.


Space Brothers

 

Episode 5

Mutta arrived to America... finally.
Hibito's dog APO sure liked his brother ^^"
Mutta sure was behaving more like their mom than his brother *sigh*
Mr & Mrs Smith were a nice retired couple who liked dogs & Hibito.
Hope those brothers will get along better and less distant.


Hunter x Hunter


Episode 29

Gon & Kill in hard speedy training.
That guy is a pretty good teacher.
So they are now official on 200th floor.
The rules from here on are pretty different too.
Gon's first battle in 200s class... not easy anymore.

K-pop group - NU'EST


NU’EST  is short for "New Established Style and Tempo". This is a South Korean boy group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2012. They are the first male group to debut under Pledis Entertainment. The band consists of JR the leader, Aron, Minhyun, Baekho and Ren the maknae (youngest member) of the group. They are an urban electro band.
NU'EST made their broadcast debut on Mnet's M! Countdown on March 15, 2012 with a double stage of "I'm Sorry" and "Face". Also made their debut stages on Music Bank on March 16, Show! Music Core on the 17th , and Inkigayo on the 18th of March.
So far there isn't much about them out there, but since they are just starting their careers there is a whole future ahead in which (I hope) we'll have the chance to get acquainted with NU'EST very well. Also, I hope they'll have other great songs like Face soon! So far, they are my fav band alongside Big Bang, SHINee, 2PM & Super Junior.


Info about the members

Aron (Aron Kwak)
Born: May 21, 1993 (age 18)
Height: 176cm
Position: Lead Rapper, Lead Dancer, Vocalist


JR (Kim Jong Hyun)
Born: June 8, 1995 (age 16)
Height: 178cm
Position: Leader, Main Rapper, Main Dancer


Baekho (Kang Dong Ho)
Born: July 21, 1995 (age 16)
Height: 179cm
Position: Main Vocalist


Minhyun (Hwang Min Hyun)
Born: August 9, 1995 (age 16)
Height: 181cm
Position: Lead Vocalist, Visual


Ren (Choi Min Ki)
Born: November 3, 1995 (age 16)
Height: 178cm
Position: Vocalist, Maknae



Album FACE

Their first (in the hopefully long list of many) album; debut album!

Track list:

1. NU, Establish, Style, Tempo
2. FACE
3. I’m Sorry

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Current Anime Episodes Comment - The Knight in the Area, Accel World, Fairy Tail, Fate/Zero II, Moretsu Pirates

The Knight in the Area


Episode 17

The entered the top 16, but there is still a hard road ahead.
Kakeru took his time off to learn more from the doctor.
Silva vs Kakeru. Private one-on-one in the park was nice.


Accel World


Episode 4

Haru sure has interesting dreams ^^
He got his feelings hurt too...
Guess he was blind to the fact that she actually likes him.
That confession was kinda out of the blue though.
I couldn't believe she would actually sacrifice herself to save Haru.
Taku is the enemy? But why? Guess we'll find out next time!


Fairy Tail


Episode 128

Lucy's distant relative Michelle appears.
The mystery thing in the suitcase looked interesting.
Charla's reaction towards it was pretty serious.
That Michelle is a total crybaby klutz.
The joint mission to catch the bandits was ?!?
Who knew the bandits would be more into guys ROFL 


Fate/Zero II


Episode 4

This was a pretty relaxing episode.
Irisviel it the grail?! That was a surprise.
Gilgamesh is the only servant who is always actively scheming something.
Kirei sure is a bastard like none other.


Moretsu Pirates


Episode 17

Private job to "kidnap" Jenny.
Guess she wanted to avoid that marriage at any cost.
Her uncle was not planning to give up on her that easily.
Blackmail is such a low blow, but was kinda expected.
Can't wait to see how it'll continue.

JGames - Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii)


I just finished playing Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World on my Wii. It's a great game which offers hours and hours of never boring gameplay. The characters are, as you would expect, typically Japanese style since it is a Japanese made game after all. I really enjoyed playing it and it kept me glued to the screen from beginning till the end. The game is not hard at all and I doubt anyone would have any problems or those annoying "I'm stuck" moments. The story is easy to follow and thanks to the characters' additional conversations and explanations you will understand every task you need to do. I highly recommend this game to anyone who likes RPG and adventure games that are not too demanding and adrenaline pumped. Just try it, you'll like it.


Story

Set two years after the events of the original, best selling Gamecube RPG, Tales of Symphonia, embark on a new adventure in the world saved by Lloyd and his friends. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World follows the journey of two young heroes in a world of chaos as their fates intertwine with Lloyd, Colette, and Ratatosk, a summon spirit rumored to be the lord of all monsters.
  • Classic Tale – Return to the world of Tales of Symphonia and discover the aftermath of the merging of the two worlds
  • Over 200 unique monsters – Capture, collect, and feed monsters as they grow, gain experience and even evolve into completely new, more powerful beasts
  • Enhanced for the Wii Console – Environments, characters and effects look better than ever
  • Evolved Battle System – The Tales RPG trademark real-time battle system returns with an all new free run system, dynamic unison attacks and a strategic elemental system
  • It’s your Party – Customize the party with unlimited combinations of monsters and characters throughout the adventure
Official Site ->  http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/dFcvWJKv6eSn5U_oRyh6RvgKUZ83ZmlF


Developer: Namco Tales Studio
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Designers: Daigo Okumura, Kousuke Fujishima
Platform: Wii
Release Date:
Genre: Role playing game
Mode: 1-4 players

Friday, April 27, 2012

Current Anime Episodes Comment - Natsuiro Kiseki, Eureka Seven Ao, Sankarea

Natsuiro Kiseki


Episode 4

Summer time... it's nice.

Drinking Ramune soda and relaxing ^^
The body switch thing was ROFL
That wishing stone sure has a lot of work when it comes to those girls.
Sano... he's one popular guy. It's always sad seeing unrequited love. 
 
 
Eureka Seven Ao



Episode 3

Ao's rebellion against his past.
Those people really are monsters. Turning on Ao so fast.
Ignorance sure brings out fear and stupidity.
The history lesson was interesting though.
The new G-monster was huge, but Ao was also determined ^^


Sankarea

 
Episode 4

Furuya & zombie Rea.
Her dad is a lunatic with a serious daughter complex.
Wanko was all LOL & pissed about that tunnel from last time ^^
Furuya's grandpa sure is energetic ROFL
Guess Furuya's zombie romance came true ^^
Now he only needs to keep her from rotting...

Music Time - This weeks' Asian charts

J-pop

1. Mr.Children: Inori ~Namida no Kidou
2. Infinite: Be Mine


3. C-ute: Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha



4. Hiromi Igarashi: THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 002
5. SUPER GiRLS: 1,000,000 Smile
.
10. F.T. Island: NEVERLAND

.
24. DECO 27: Yume Yume feat. Miku Hatsune



K-pop

1. SISTAR: Alone
2. Busker Busker: Cherry Blossom Ending
3. 4minute: Volume Up
4. Shinhwa: Venus
5. Huh Gak: The Person Who Once Loved Me
.
12. Baechigi: Two Mari (To Mary)


.
16. Noel: Leaving



27. SISTAR: Lead Me




C-pop

1. Show Luo: Bu Ju Ming De Bei Shang
2. Della Ding: Bu Shi Ni De Cuo/Not Your Fault
3. Mayday: Wo Bu Yuan Rang Ni Yi Ge Ren
4. Mayday: Xing Kong
5. Della Ding: Yi Ge Ren Bu Ke Neng
.
11. Kimberley Chen: Ai Ni (Love You) Feat. Lil Jay


.
27. Da Mouth: The Chance of Maybe


New Anime - Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Of the Dead, Lupin the Third, Medaka Box, Gakkatsu!, Polar Bear Cafe

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Of the Dead



Categories: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Magic, Novel, Parody

Aikawa Ayumu was revived as a zombie by the cute necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe. After the zany, madcap adventures in the first season of Is This a Zombie? ended, Ayumu thought his life might finally get back to normal, or as normal as it can be for a zombie. However, destiny has other plans for him. Some guys just can't catch a break.

Number of Episodes: 10




Lupin the Third


Categories: Action, Comedy, Cops, Ecchi, Manga, Nudity, Seinen, Underworld

* Based on a seinen manga by Monkey Punch, originally serialised in Weekly Manga Action.
Many people are falling prey to a suspicious new religion. Lupin III infiltrates this group, hoping to steal the treasure their leader keeps hidden. There he lays eyes on the beautiful, bewitching woman who has the leader enthralled. This is the story of how fashionable female thief Mine Fujiko first met Lupin III, the greatest thief of his generation.

Number of Episodes: 13



Medaka Box


Categories: High School, Manga, Shounen

Kurokami Medaka is an exceptional first year student at Hanokiwa Academy who got elected as president of the student council with a smashing 98% of the votes. Extremely intelligent, strong, and rich; she wants to help anyone in need. To do that, she introduces a suggestion box that allows any student to contact her. Later known as the Medaka Box, it will bring forth incredible challenges to Kurokami and her friends of the student council.

Number of Episodes: 12



Gakkatsu!


Categories:Comedy, School Life, Shounen

In a fictional school, "Tender Tank" Rareko is constantly opening absurd yet strangely enthusiastic debates, this way creating a lively classroom life. Bringing up tremendous themes, she and her classmates exchange words like sword-strokes, and here and there even a profound remark is slipped in.
Fun and informative debate comedy, packed into only five minutes each time.

Number of Episodes: -


Polar Bear Cafe


Categories: Josei, Manga

Shirokuma Cafe revolves around a Canadian white bear that quits his boring job and starts a cafeteria near a zoo. He loves telling tall tales and always brags about himself. According to him, he was picked up by a human couple who owns a diner while he was drifting around on an iceberg.
Though he has lost all contact with his Canadian family, he has discovered a new home in serving the diners' clientele, thanks to the kind couple. His café is an embodiment of his personality. The place is always packed with many regulars, animals and humans, who are drawn by his charismatic magnetism.

Number of Episodes: -

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Current Anime Episodes Comment - Medaka Box, Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? of the Dead, SKET Dance, Naruto Shippuuden, Sakamichi no Apollon, Tsuritama

Medaka Box


Episode 1

Hmm.. this kinda reminds me of Sket Dance on some level, but it's way cooler.
Student council president sure is an unusual girl.
Zen-kun doesn't have it easy with her though.
The kendo club story was totally ironic & ROFL, but with a positive ending.
Hyuga was kinda annoying & totally deserved getting beat up by Zenkichi & "trained" by her. Interesting first episode. Will give it a try.

Episode 2

A case of sabotage, poor Ariake.
Zenkichi totally doesn't have it easy anymore ^^"
Medaka sure is a great detective.
Isahaya totally got off easy, with only a guilt trip.
The missing dog mission was ROFL, Zenkichi got stuck with a beast.
The effect Medaka had on the dog was just shocking LOL

Episode 3

Hitoyoshi is really giving it his all to train in every possible sport.
Guess that's a requirement if he's gonna continue dealing with the president & requests.
The anti Medaka "club" with that crazy guy in charge looks like bad news.
Kouki from Judo club was impressive & totally swept off by Medaka.
Kouki vs Hitoyoshi rivalry was LOL

Episode 4

Hitoyoshi vs Akune! No wonder he was avoiding Judo club.
White vs Black belt. It was a nice match.
OMG, even Akune joined the student council. That sure made Hitoyoshi mad.
Guess those two will be clashing horns from now on.
Akune's first official request was not easy as he though, but he did his best.


Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? of the Dead



Episode 1

Season 2 has begun. Hope we'll see some more great & fun moments.
Aikawa the zombie thing during the day was ROFL
The alcoholic girl ghost puking rainbows & flowers was LOL
Haruna's powers still aren't back, but Ayumu as Masou shojo is just so wrong on so many levels.
Totally ROFL!!! first episode!!


Episode 2

I totally felt sorry for Aikawa. That kind of embarrassment was just too much.
On the other hand it was just weird how the whole thing was considered cool in the end.
Trip to the mountain was pretty lively ^^" LOL
OMG, he finally got a confession from Sera, pretty scary though.

Episode 3

Mysteltainn on life support since last time..
Sera & Ayumu's nakedness LOL
Yukinori & Haruna totally messed up with the curse dance.
Weird-ish episode.

Episode 4

Aikawa... first the mecha model & then cosplay cafe.
He's walking a dangerous path this time.
It was an interesting coincidence all of Aikawa's household worked there LOL
Poor Aikawa took another dose of abuse from the girls.
I don't think he's normal anymore after all that.


SKET Dance


Episode 55

Bossun drank an experiment again ^^"
It was funny how his expressions got reversed LOL
Keeping up with his facial expressions was kinda hard & confusing.
Jason-sensei & omiai .... .... ROFL
Second part with the origami was not bad.
Who knew Bossun had another hidden talent.


Naruto Shippuuden


Episode 260

Another trip back to the past.
Naruto-Sasuke relationship and Sasuke's betrayal and transformation.
It was a nice recap of the events, but nothing we haven't seen before.


Sakamichi no Apollon 


Episode 1

Damn... didn't expect it to be this interesting.
Sentaro & Kaoru, what an unusual friendship ^^
Those two really get into some weird situations LOL
Jazz... seems like an very unusual band idea.
This seems like an interesting anime, will be watching it.

Episode 2

Kaoru is determined to learn jazz.
Sentaro always seems to save his ass.
Their jazz band sounded really nice.
Even Kaoru relaxed and enjoyed himself.
His feelings for Ri-chan were pretty obvious.
Day at the beach was nice.

Episode 3

It was love at first sight.
Guess even big delinquent guys like him get lovesick.
Sentaro & Yurika ^^ It was fun watching him all awkward are embarrassed.
Group date was nice, but not everyone was happy.
Hope Richie gets his answer soon..


Tsuritama

  
Episode 1

Well... this looks very interesting.
Yuki's facile expression under stress is just gruesome.
New transfer kids looks like he's gonna make things fun ^^

Episode 2

Yuki & Haru, now that's a weird couple.
Natsuki always seems kinda grumpy and disintrested.
Haru is definitely the life of every party/group.
That water gun totally has some special power.
At least Yuki is making some progress.
The weird transfer student Akira seems like a future member of their weird group.

Episode 3

The fishing experience continues...
Practicing accuracy was fun to watch.
Yamada & his crew look like a fun bunch as well ^^
Yuki was feeling down 'cause of his grandma, but he persisted with his training.
Haru is just amazing with his ability to be so cheerful.

K-pop group - Block B

 
Block B is a South Korean boy group created by Cho PD under label Brand New Stardom. They made their debut in April 2011 with the promotional single  "Freeze!" The group consists of seven members: Zico (Woo Jiho), Lee Taeil, B-Bomb (Lee Minhyuk), Ahn Jaehyo, U-Kwon (Kim Yukwon), Park Kyung, and P.O (Pyo Jihoon). The members of Block B have dancing, rapping, composing, and singing experience. Block B is short for the term Blockbuster, with the group having high hopes of making it big in the music industry. The group has its roots in hip hop which clearly shows after seeing a few of their videos, but have interest in branching out into different genres too. In early January 2012 Block B made their return with a new mini album titled 'Welcome to the Block'. All in all they are a pretty unique group with great music.


1st Album - New Kids on the Block

1. Halo
2. Tell Them


3. U Hoo Hoo
4. Wanna B
5. Freeze!


6. I'm the Only One Like This?
7. Tell Them (Inst.)
8. Freeze! (Inst.)



2nd Album - Welcome To the Block

1. LOL
2. Go Crazy (NalinA)


3. Did You or Did You Not
4. 100% (Synchronization 100%)
5. Action
6. Go Crazy (Inst.)


Single Albums

1. Wanna B
2. Freeze!
3. Am I the Only One Like This?


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Current Anime Episodes Comment - Jormungand

Jormungand



Episode 1

This one kinda reminds me of Black Lagoon.
Jonah... he kinda reminds me of Revy ^^
Think he's gonna be my fav character.
Kako sure can be pretty funny, especially when sleepwalking LOL
I like this one, will be watching it.

Episode 2

Koko's fit at the beginning was LOL, she sure can make interesting faces ^^
This was one intense job that got complicated fast!
Interesting how Koko can smile in totally serious/life threatening situations.
Valmet has a total thing for Koko, there was a nice yuri moment.
Really nice episode.

Episode 3

Chinatsu & Orchestra... that is one unusual partnership.
Jonah home schooling sessions were LOL
It probably felt like torture to him as well as totally unnecessary, so he ditched LOL
Good thing Jonah has a need to be Koko's bodyguard 'cause she really is fearless.
Sometimes too fearless for her own good.
Those assassins were really persistent, but starting a private war in the middle of town is just not a good idea no matter how you look at it.

Anime Magazines - Animedia May 2012

My copy of Animedia May 2012 issue arrived today. It was a nice surprise since I didn't expect it to arrive so soon. It has a total of 151 pages and the cover is featuring Medaka Box. Inside you can find the usual new info and cool illustrations of the currently airing anime in Japan as well as the popular anime at the time. When you start browsing through it the first thing you'll notice is the extensive article about the recently ended Gintama. I had a few laughs just remembering all the hilarious episodes while looking at the illustrations. After that were the articles about the latest airing anime and the popular ones that finished airing. All in all it is a pretty good issue.
Omake/Free stuff this time were gorgeous Inu x Boku SS clear file, Fate/Zero / Kimi to Boku 2 big reversible poster and Guilty Crown poster.
Getting these anime or manga or both magazines is a great thing since they're always overflowing with interesting new info and cool illustrations.