Distant Worlds: Final Fantasy 2014

Good afternoon!

It's been over a year since I last updated my blog. I'm busy with doujins so I really don't have time to write anime reviews, let alone have the muse to do so. My Japanese language sensei suggested that I'd write again since I often write brief reviews on my facebook posts. But allow me to restart with writing a review on Distant Worlds as requested by a friend

Due to unfortunate events, we arrived late for the concert; as a result we couldn't enter the concert hall until the orchestra finished one set. But we were able to listen from outside and it was equally beautiful. The moment we got in they started playing Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI's final battle theme) which the conductor Arnie Roth claimed that it was something they have never done before.

After Kefkka's final form theme, it's Final Fantasy XIII's signature music, Light Eternal. Not quite familiar with it since I don't really have any interest playing the game, but watching the movie above the orchestra makes me want to play FFXIII. Next they performed You're Not Alone from Final Fantasy IX, which is my favourite piece from the game though it didn't sound too different from the last Distant World's concert in Kuala Lumpur. Before the interval, it's Chocobo Medley; also a little disappointing to me although they put an effort to make it a little different. I am still hoping they mix all the medleys from every game.

So it turns out we missed 6 songs and I was a little upset that I couldn't make it in time to hear Battle with the Four Fiends, and I think it affected my mood during the first half of the concert. But I personally think that the second half was better because of.... FEELS.

Final Fantasy VII's Opening - Bombing Mission wasn't anything special, Final Fantasy VIII's Fisherman's Horizon was ok and I love the choir part. I was excited that they're gonna play Final Fantasy XII's The Dalmasca Estersand as it's the best song in the game though it wasn't as epic as the studio version. Then we go back to VIII's with Don't Be Afraid.

Now the next part has the best feels, both songs from Final Fantasy X back-to-back. The Hymn of the Fayth was short but it gave me goosebumps. I personally think that Zanarkand was the most beautiful piece in this concert. Now this reminds me why have I not playerd FFX remastered yet?? (Oh wait I don't even have the BD yet!)

Battle & Victory Theme Medley was next, I was kinda hoping that they mix all the normal battle medleys something like this because I love all of the battle themes! But oh well at least they performed Gilgamesh aka Battle on the Big Bridge (Final Fantasy V) and Those Who Fight (Final Fantasy VII).

Final Fantasy VI's Opera 'Mario & Draco' (which is a mix of The Opening, Aria di Mezzo Carattere, The Wedding  Grand Finale performed consecutively) has something new in it; the inclusion of a narrator. Though I expected the narrator to have better voice as heard in The Black Mages version (it's in Japanese but you get my point) or sound more British because British accent is sexy. Nonetheless a mouthed the lyrics along with the singers. Maria & Draco never cease to amaze me in spite of being just a minor scene in the game, and I still wonder what is really the significance (Does it has something to do with Locke x Celes?)

A Final Fantasy concert is incomplete without the Main Theme and this is also gives me (forgive my lack of vocab and tumblr influence) SO MUCH FEELS ;__;

And of course, what's a Final Fantasy concert without Sephiroth's theme? One Winged Angel (Final Fantasy VII) was played during the encore and I wasn't surprised. I guess you really can't deny the awesomeness of this song (though some people argue that Kefka's theme was better).

Overall, I think the fast paced songs especially battle themes were not that great, maybe because I'm used to listen to the rock covers or The Black Mages' rendition. Some songs sounded a bit too fast from its original pace. However, I love the slower songs a lot as in... it gave me the chills and made my hair stood at its end. The movie which was played along with the concert was sometimes distracting, the 32-bit cutscenes looks awkward with the live orchestra (but they did maeke me wanna play the games again, and I haven't even finished the classics! Trust me the gameplay seemed much harder than the recent ones). And I do think the 'AMV's could have done been better.

The first DW in KL was better I think...?

So yeah done with the review. I'll try my best to get back to anime reviews next. Luckily I have MyAnimeList that helps me keep track of my completed animes.

Review: Fate/Zero (anime)

At first I wanted to combine the first season together with season 2, but then there’ll be a lot of mixed feelings. Because I find the second season much more exciting that the first. And the main reason is to see more of Broskander.... and to hear the OP by Kalafina.

Season 2 is simply the continuation of the first season, and there’s no ‘RESET’ story mode as seen in Code Geass and Kimi ni Todoke. Those who died in the previous season, just died. In this season we have 2 episodes for Emiya Kiritsugu (and more insert song by Kalafina aw yiss), on why he has such principles and his goals in reaching the Holy Grail.

After knowing what the Holy Grail is all about, I really think that the invention is pointless. And all the battles I saw is just totally a waste of time, a waste of property damage. And the fact that the Servants aren’t exactly having the same wavelength as their masters makes me think that it’s even more pointless. Oh but at least you have an (imaginary) friend to talk to, moreover, they’re heroes from ye olden days WHO WOULDN’T WANT THAT weh.

But I gotta admit they’re all really good and nice to watch. As I said in season 1, no abra kadabra POOF you turn into a frog thingy but you gotta use your magic wisely as though you’re in a real battle. Speaking of battles you’ll also see some jet fighting… which makes me wonder where the aircrafts came from. I don’t think it existed during Arthurian legend or Epic of Gilgamesh. But hey it’s magic! Gilgamesh, or also known as “Archer” does not even use bow and arrow to attack, but he opens up a portal to take out the collection of his huge dildos.

sorry i just had to post this w

Going back to Kiritsugu, the probably the second last episode made me go WOW about F/Z (other than Broskander and Yuki Kajiura). All this while I had been supporting Kiritsugu to win the battles (although I still fukken hate Saber) and KILL THE MAGES WITH FAIYAAAA~N , but then he’s given this psychological mindfuck and I got mindfucked as well. I felt guilty all over. Felt guilty for supporting him, felt guilty for having such mindset. But that particular episode OWNS and it made me realized how the second OP very much relates to Kiritsugu. And since then, when I listen to “to the beginning” I feel a sharp pain inside…

Speaking of endings, here’s a bit of spoiler… THE GOOD GUY DIDN’T WIN.

If you've seen or played Fate/Stay Night you would've known this spoiler already but still it answers your curiousity on how it happened. You might feel like your probably favourite team should’ve deserved to become the champion… but this isn’t a contest of how awesome you are as a character, or as partners . No matter how strong your servant is, doesn’t mean that you’re gonna win. No matter how smart you are as a Master, doesn’t mean you’re gonna win either. Ah, Holy Grail is about luck i guess?

And there’s nothing bad about that because we’ve all seen how often the good guys win, and how often the main team of a sports manga always have to win because the plot is about them. Now we see how the good guy had his ass kicked, and how the ‘bad guy’ is satisfied about his so-called goals. And it’s sad that the winner didn’t really have any great wishes to attain the grail, so it’s a waste that it was not given to the ‘supposed’ winner. But at least he did not destroy the whole world. Oh yeah, this is another story where the the shit only happens in one area but they act like it’s gonna affect the whole world, and everything had to happen in JAPAN although you obviously have gaijins as participants.

Art by Yukasu

While it is true that most of the characters are given backstories, I’m just sad that characters like Assassin and even Gilgamesh aren’t given any flashbacks. Assassin is like something to fill in the blanks in the Servants slot, they just can’t wait to finish him off. Gilgamesh on the other hand is just there like a douchebag acting like he deserves to be fangirled over. There doesn’t seem to be any development for this guy either cos he’s an arrogant bastard from the beginning to the end (if turning into a psycho ex kind of character is some kind of development then...okay...). And then there's Irisviel being the isteri solehah, which I personally don't like but sometimes having a character like that is OK.

There’s no need to tell me to start reading the novels or play the VNs etc to understand more about them, I pretty much can refer to their wikia. I’m disgusted by the mage system used in Fate series that I’d rather not indulge in it, disgusted by the battle royale, disgusted by how each of the characters want the Holy Grail for their own selfishness. Especially Saber… seriously, “restore Britain?”. Is she aware about how UK is during that time period? Probably the other Servants too have really dumb goals, unrealistic towards their current state of existence and makes this whole battle royale stupid – except for Broskander’s wish because IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO COME BACK TO LIFE AND DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT.

In spite of all that, this anime is highly recommended, but you gotta endure the dullness of the first few episodes of season 1 (I know some of you suffer this, I did too). And keep in mind there’s the awesome Servant called Rider/Iskander and there’s episode 24 to writhe in pain with. Battle scenes are great too. Oh yeah a friendly reminder; OST by Yuki Kajiura.

i have no regrets

Review: Jack the Giant Slayer

I know I have a lot of pending animes to review, but it's just that I haven't found the mood to rant about them yet. But this particular film is disturbing my thoughts lately so I had to let it out.

Jack the Giant Slayer is a film adaptation of the infamous Jack and the Beanstalk and also Jack the Giant Killer. With some unnecessary romance and a really cool supporting character. Unfortunately the story is not as badass as the title sounds, not even the main character himself.

Story starts with a little boy listening to the story about Giants. I assume this is Jack as a child so I thought it was a neat intro. Then the scene switched to the little girl listening to the same story and I was like "oh crap this story is going to have a fukken heroine". At this point I could sense that the predictability is very high. Fast foward, Jack has to run an errand for his uncle and went to the city and got fascinated seeing the first girl he met. As if there aren't any fine maidens in the village area. Turns out the girl is a princess (why does this sound so damn familiar?). And then this girl is a rebel princess; she wants adventure and seek for her true love. I'm pretty sure this kind of princess is overused, and as I predict the princess ran away from home. And then she meets the main character, all the cheesy lines start from here.

So I'm gonna be straight-forward; the script made me cringe in many parts especially when it comes to Jack and the Princess. So I was like can I skip this part? no? Hurry up and finish talking you two! Wow, I don't mind boy-meets-girl kind of cliche but we need a little more revamp ith the interaction between them (I guess I watch to much anime).

But what I enjoy most is the action part; the fights, the battles, the giant slaying - to the point I think they could've made the story work even WITHOUT the presence of a heroine. The princess role is just as a damsel in distress, and a reason to get the plot moving. Don't be fooled by the armour she's wearing ok, it doesn't mean anything. But I'm sure we've expected more from her considering the fact that she wants one hell of an adventure. Jack on the other hand is some kind of Gary Stu, like the writers have no idea how to create an epic protagonist other than a hormone raging one. Yes I understand that he's a teenager but he's just meh. The best character here is Elmont, cos he's cool in everything, and he's the most significant. Plus he's the loyal vassal type (ultimate weakness!).

The villain isn't even worth mentioning, but the Giants are brilliant in their own way. To be honest I was almost disappointed 30 minutes before the movie ends cos I thought there wouldn't be any Giant vs Humans battle. As I mentioned earlier, I expected Jack to be more badass - before watching I had a picture of a BAMF hero slaying giants like they're frail bamboo trees with blood splattering around but NO! No no no you only got Jack trying to impress a girl he just met before all this crisis happened. Therefore, I can conclude that the character development is bad.

The story doesn't have that much plot twist... as I said it was mostly predictable (except for Elmont). But if I consider it as a kid's show then I say it's pretty decent and enjoyable. But since it's PG-13, which implies that it's for older people then... they could've written a less shitter princess, script.... and plot.

Ah now I'm relieved.

Review: Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki

Yeahhhh I have a lot of pending reviews but this one deserves to be reviewed now, before I forget all the feels cos the movie is so damn awesome.

Studio: Madhouse, Studio Chizu

The trailer shows the basic stuff, like a girl falling in love with a werewolf (why does this sound so familiar) and have a couple of children with him. What the trailer DID NOT show is how totally different it is from the typical werewolf romance and shoujo shit the story is all about. Which is why you really HAVE to check this out even if it's not your preferred genre.

So you have the usual girl meets boy story, and the girl is attracted to the boy because he seem different. Familiar again? But good thing it wasn't set in a freakin' high school and the girl isn't a Mary Sue although she is kind of ordinary. At least there aren't any intervening characters that drags the whole story into some love triangle/reverse harem crap. It's free from soap opera and illogical happenings (okay except for the werewolf part). The girl isn't freaked out when the guy reveals who he really is, much like a certain empty shell who has the hots for a certain sparkly undead. That aside, the best thing about their relationship is that everything went naturally from just friends to lovers. There wasn't a need for either of them to try too hard to impress one another, those pointless blushings, the in denial scenes and what not. The guy may come off as cold at first but good thing he isn't like Uchiha Sasuke.

And the wolf guy is so sweet that I think I'm diagnosed with diabetes right now.

cooking for his pregnant wife = perfect husband

The art may be simple, yet the animation is pleasant. No one looks as though they're wearing special costume for a fetish-themed AV. The backgrounds deserved the details more than the character designs do.

Now allow me to rant out what I analyzed from the show. So prepare for possible spoilers.

Stories about a single parent is common in anime nowadays but this time it's a single mom who had to raise a pair of supernatural being. I'm amazed at how strong she is dealing with her loss and the burden she had to carry all alone. Deep down I expected her to snap and dump her wolf kids and moved on with her life. But she didn't. She fukken dealt with it. She knew that the children carries their father's abnormal genes that she even studied really hard on how to specifically raise them. So basically the story is about how to raise weird kids if you wanna compare it real life. And it had never crossed her mind to find a new lover/husband just to ease her burden. Rather than blaming her children for being that way, she made a drastic decision that prioritize what is CONVENIENT for the kids. She's patient and works hard all the way, never complaining.

Seriously, are all Japanese moms like that?

Now let's talk about the kids. I think there's a really strong message behind their character developments.

Being born 'special' has its advantages, and at the same time it has a drawback. Yuki (the elder sister) and Ame (the younger brother) both have the dilemma of being born as not normal, but each with their own way. Each of the siblings have their own stories to tell. Yuki was proud to be a wolf at first, but as she grew she felt more connected to the human side. Ame on the other hand was upset that wolves are often portrayed as the bad guy causing him to hate who he is, but the opposite happened. Ame and Yuki had a conflict on 'which is the right way for them to live?'; as a human or as a wolf?

The strong message here is, who are you to say which is the right path and which is not? One may think that the 'normal life' is the best way to live, the other may think that the 'road not taken' is what is best for him. But did it really matter? If you think the path makes you happy, then go on with it. Parents should really take note of this. I'm sure you'd be happier if your kid picks the stable choice (of occupation or degree), but don't turn a blind eye to the one who wants to do something different. Just support him, even if shit happens to him don't go all "told you so!".

I'm proud of both Yuki and Ame. Yuki, for putting a lot of effort to adapt with the normal life. Ame, for choosing the path as a lone wolf. Either way is a courageous thing to do.

Moral of the story, mothers and future mothers should take a leaf out of Hana's book :D

Last but not least, the OST!! The OST!!! By Takagi Masakatsu (not someone from anime industry world apparently). Here's the track I love most (I think it's the one where the wolf boy runs around the mountain with his 'sensei')

Review: Jormungand (S1)

Author: Keitarou Takahashi

Studio: White Fox

Jormungand is like a reverse harem anime (adapted from a manga), but with lots of violence and guns and knives. You have an arms dealer as the main character, and it’s a half-albino girl. She reminds me of Raito Yagami (Death Note) and Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass) in a way, hence making her one of the best female characters in 2012 anime. No, not them… I think she’s more similar to Hiruma Yoichi from Eyeshield 21 as I feel the same demonic vibe from her. Her team consists of random mercenaries who specializes at different things, and are from different background. Unlike the shoujo or otoge harem at least these guys work together to protect her. Most significant character would be the child soldier and the dyke.

In fact the female characters are the only ones who seem very eccentric or maybe autistic while there isn’t much to say about the guys. I thought it was weird for a really cool anime to have a few dumb femme fatales.

oh yes please enjoy this song

Or the whole plot even – not sure if I was confused, not paying attention or forgot. What I understood is it’s all about Koko Hekmatyar using her silvertongue to do business. Plus I enjoyed the tactical battle scenes more than anything lol. Obviously it’s all about going for missions, protecting their leader and finding who they are. And then there are episodes which focuses on the individual characters as well. Not sure how all these are connected to the plot though.

It’s really sad that I can’t put much input in this review. I guess this anime isn’t something I could connect with (maybe due to the fact that I’m not a military faggot). It felt like a waste of time as it personally wasn't too memorable, which is why I am hesitating to watch season 2. But I do like certain parts of it, and I don’t regret meeting Koko.

doing it right: military girls aren't supposed to look moe

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

I watched this very late. And I even entered the hall 30 minutes late. Long story. Also this won't be so review-ish because I'm sort of out of analytical words to say :P. Just here to let out my after-effects of the film so if you want a proper review go look somewhere else. Don't trust this one (I only like to attack anime)

Also read the summary in wiki or something, too lazy to recap atm. What I'm excited about they're gonna deal with a DRAGON YYAHGSJAHGJHGSFHGHDFSHGFHDGSFHDG

The 3 hour long movie wasn't a waste. It was fun and it felt like we went through the adventure with them. Throughout the film I was often reminded by Gurren Lagann; on how Gandalf chose an experienceless hobbit into the party of drawves and believed in him. Also on how Gandalf sort of admits why he'd choose Bilbo Baggins was thanks to his own weakness.

Of course the necessity of a fantasy-themed story is good vs typically fated to be evil race. It is a nice change to see dwarves being primary main characters rather than secondary main characters. And lolwhut a few of them are surprisingly handsome especially Thorin and Kili. It's only one third of the book, but I see the character development done pretty well (perhaps just for this adaptation, not that I read the novel). Even Bilbo who I think is just a bystander (this also reminds me of Final Fantasy XII), though i thought it was a bit fast. Still, the whole movie does feel like an introduction episode.

they don't look the same!

The lulz parts are Radagast the Brown and rock giants boxing in the rain. That was one hell of an adventure huh. With the many people in one party I was expecting they die one by one but the dwarves are extremely tough (oh no maybe it would happen in the next 2 movies?!). I'm glad they're extending this to multiple films because often one book adaptations is not enough to be compressed in one film.

My favourite scene is the battle in the orc underground cave; it was damn complicated but really got me at the edge of my seat. And speaking of scenes I think most of them are filled with important ones - maaaaaaaaaaaybe the troll and Gollum cameo felt like a waste of time but it was still really entertaining. More like it gives a chance for Bilbo to display his character.

Eh and let's not forget about the epic choir songs during battles! You know I'm weak for folk-ish music too.

If my mom was watching this she'd wonder why a wizard isn't using his for every little thing. But I was thinking that Gandalf is saving his MP wisely.

While watching The Hobbit I keep thinking of the game Dragon Age, the world is almost similar but DA has its own twists and tweaks. The dwarves are given a chance to shine and show how noble they can be (apart from acting similarly like Meleis), so thanks to that I'm more open to select the dwarf race in my next playthrough.

Review: Kamen Rider OOO

This is the second Kamen Rider series I’ve ever completed, after Fourze - and it might probably be the last. Mind you I’ve never been a KR fan, nor have I become one after seeing OOO and Fourze. I did watch a few episodes of Kabuto, W and Wizard but I wasn't really impressed. This might be the only KR I like very much... and n-no it's like I love it because there are ikemens!

fanart does not belong to me

So I was first introduced to OOO when I visited a Reppu_kiri's house during Eid festives, and part of our gang was there. He imprisoned us in his otaku room and forced us to watch a few tokusatsu series. He showed us the movie where W, OOO and Fourze teams up and there are the first 7 riders as cameo. Taichou skipped the parts where I am not familiar with, so it was later I got struck by a cupid’s arrow seeing how stupidly angelic Eiji Hino looks when he invites Gentarou Kisaragi (Fourze) to team up.

To be honest I LOL’d at the funny song when he henshins. But what made me attracted to watch OOO is where he spawns clones in his Gatakiriba combo.

My first impression of OOO is… well…

First I was mesmerized by the opera version of the “Happy Birthday” song.

Secondly, halfnaked protagonist.

Thirdly, the main girl isn’t annoying.

This is the best introduction episode I've ever seen in my whole life.

Then I kept watching mainly because I was attracted to the OST and then… there’s Ankh (the red bird guy who likes icecandy). Plus there are the eccentric characters like Kougami (aka cakeboss), Chiyoko (restaurant owner of a cultural restaurant) and Dr. Maki (the doll-freak). Not to forget the bromantic Kamen Rider Birth team; Date Akira and Gotou Shinjurou. However, the main villains called GREED, in spite of being 800 years old are literally like kindergarden kids. But they can be pretty cute, especially Ankh who's very much fascinated by human technology.

zomg coolest human invention evarrrrr

In spite of the typically childish monsters, and lame SFX, the story proved to have a deeeeeeeeeeeep message wrapped around it. Some parts were kinda predictable, but that didn’t matter cos the way it’s presented is rather intriguing. It teaches you how your selfish desires could bring harm to those around you… and OOO takes it too literally and exaggerated it. On the other hand, Eiji and Hina (the not irritating girl with some kind of brother complex) believes that it’s okay to have desires, but it depends on how you make use of it or something like that. So they don't spread the message that we should all become moralfaggots.

They should get married, you know, but I’d think that it’ll make OOO too cheesy if there’s too much romantic stuff. I mean, it’s a children’s show to begin with, ne?

Personally, it’s the crapload of bromance is what made me hooked. It’s what W failed to do (Phillip looks too girly to me o__o|ll and the female assistant is an eyesore ). Other than that, there’s the COMBO THEME SONGS which excites me whenever Eiji does the combo henshin thingy.

I love the songs so much I listen to them everyday~

Review: Hyouka

One look at Hyouka, you’d think it’s just another slice of life genre about high school kids. Little did I know it’s a mystery-themed adaptation of a 2001 novel of the same name. Even the title of the series has a mystery behind it.

Original Author: Honobu Yonezawa

Studio: Kyoto Animation

Well, but guess what, it’s not your average mystery. Hyouka is about the members of the culture club solving unimportant mysteries, instead of the usual murder cases like you see in CSI. And you’ll be surprised to see how mature the characters are in spite of their age, cos you don’t see teens not acting like children fighting over a toy everyday.

How it all began, is when the main guy Oreki Hotarou meets Chitanda Eru (typical boy meets girl scene yay!) in his club room, and they start figuring how Chitanda was locked inside. So Chitanda got all fascinated by Oreki’s deduction skills, so she keeps forcing him to solve petty mysteries. Since she gets totally turned on by curious happenings, the cases needed to be solved in order for her to reach orgasm. So she went on ahead to ask Oreki’s help to solve her uncle’s mystery related to the school and the club like a selfish little bitch.

The mystery of her uncle was a success, but the detective play didn’t stop there, to Oreki’s displeasure. Cos Chitanda would unknowingly force him to SOLVE anything she finds curious by putting her face really close to his, activate her sparkly eyes and would look like it’s the end of the world if he refuses. Good thing Oreki is a nice guy so that little bitch would always get what she fukken wanted. Of course, she gets away with it because she's cute and innocent.

The art and animation is goddamn excellent that's for sure. They sure overdid the sparkling eyes

I appreciate that Hyouka maintains the fact that it's all about solving (not-so-important-and-unnecessary) mysteries in the rest of the episodes. I’m sure it got us all KININARIMASU. But the best case among the rest is the case of the Hyouka Anthology. Nothing can beat that. The next best case is the one about filming a detective story (because there's Irisu-senpai!)

I do acknowledge that without Chitanda, the story wouldn’t advance. Without her Oreki wouldn’t show his detective skills to the world and make the story awesomely unique. But there’s a lot of listening version of tl;dr, you know, like Death Note. Since you gotta explain the logic behind what happened. Sometimes it feels like the girls in the team is for mere decoration, as not only Oreki but Fukube is a very very GREAT character. I’m more than impressed by him (at how he envies Oreki but isn’t angry about it, his opinion on ‘obsession’) although he's just self-proclaimed biological 'database'. Mayaka on the other hand is an adorable character, but it feels like she's just a mascot girl who exists to fill in the blank. Minus the tsundere trait, I notice that are actually a lot of real life girls who has Mayaka’s dilemma.

Chitanda and Oreki appears to be canon, but due to fetish reasons I ship Oreki with Irisu. But seriously, if Oreki does go out with Chitanda later I can only hope that by the time he enters college, he’d dump her and get a new girlfriend who respects his energy conserving habits.

which is why I feel like punching the air in triumph when I see her disappointed face

Even so it’s one of the best animes of 2012 – not exactly my favourite but it’s better than most. I recommend this, but you gotta endure the long dialogs.

Review: Sakamichi no Apollon

Author: Kodama Yuki

Studio: MAPPA

Also known as “Kids on a Slope”, this is about a transfer student (again with the transfer student!) who belongs to a rich family that complains about climbing the slope to get to school. He thought his life would suck at a new place until he has an instant crush on the first girl who is nice to him for no apparent reason. When frustrated, he likes to escape to the rooftop (again with the rooftop!) but when the first time he wanted to go there at his new school the door was blocked by a badass looking guy sleeping under a white sheet. Upon waking him up, the badass grabs the transfer student’s hand and calls him an angel.

Then I became confused, is this anime supposed to be straight or gay…?

Later it is revealed that the sexual orientation of this anime doesn’t even matter, because the best part is you’re introduced to the wonders of Jazz music, and Jazz rendition of well-known songs (at least I know Someday My Prince Would Come and also Favourite Things). I’m never really into jazz but I do enjoy the jazzy songs found in video game OSTs and such. So I pretty much can appreciate Jazz music more thanks to this one. That said, Apollon has one of the best OSTs in 2012 anime, composed by Yoko Kanno. On related note, I love the OP; "Sakamichi no Melody" by YUKI.

Since the setting is like, 50 years ago in Japan, and the fact that the demographic is josei, you don’t see any of those typical shits you see in high school anime nowadays. Firstly, NO SHORT SKIRTS. Then you have a record shop. Then you have a couple who actually eloped (I think the development is rather stupid but I guess that’s how the youths of the old days was like?). A confession that didn’t cocktease you until you reach the last episode. Stuff about student activism somewhere. And also a different music genre that emerges to cockblock the two boys’ relationship. And this jazz medley:

Kaoru (the pianist) and Sentarou (the drummer) is the typical combination of 'opposites attract'; the former is the clever, rich guy, and rather weak... the latter is the trouble-making dumb guy who can easily beat up a bunch of third years. What the have in common is both are strong-willed, and both are familiar with music... just that initially their views on music were really different. They may be opposite, but that's the ideal formula for BROMANCE - no doubt about it! Now don't get the wrong idea as these guys do have the girls that they fancy nah they're probably  bisexual. Character development is great, not just individually and between those two but also with other characters as well. One of the things about the ending would give a you a bit of shock, when it's really not supposed to be that shocking.

The story stays true to the manga at least, except a few scenes/chapters have been cut to compress it into 12 episodes. But at least you get to hear the songs come to life.

If you like something different from typical shoujo shit, or typical music-themed anime go ahead and try this one. If you're a girl who enjoys "bromance" then this is for you too :3

Review: GOSICK (Anime)

This is another 2011 anime that I forgot to review. And I liked it a lot.

Based on a light novel, GOSICK is about a tsundere loli detective with her unintentional assassistant who came from Japan. The year is 1924 and set in European country called Saubure. In spite of it being a fictional country, the reasoning behind the mystery solving session is not too farfetched. And at least they don't disturb too much historical facts for being a fictitious country. I have never seen or read any mystery-themed anime/manga (I don't Conan), but I've seen an episode of CLAMP School Detective but the mystery of that particular episode is not mysterious at all. I had to restrain from laughing at the detectives wondering about what happened derp-ishly. However, what makes GOSICK an interesting mystery, is not because it's another typical Sherlock Holmes mystery (not that I dislike) him, but most of the time Victorique deals with revealing the truth about urban legends. Yeah she can even deduce how magic trick works. So yeah it's not an actual detective story but more like doing some mythbusting the classical way.

Apparently, in an anime world, regardless of where you are as long as you look weird and foreign you're often the topic of urban legend gossip. Like the classmate's are like "omg he's a death god" just because his has black hair and is Asian but lulz Kazuya Kujou doesn't even look Japanese for heaven's sake. But then it's typical of anime artists to make Japanese having big eyes and colorful hair. And as a desperation move the author just had to use that popular stereotype probably to attract moetards. But surprisingly I like this loli tsundere, maybe it's because she's smarter than most tsunderes out there. Then there's also the cockblocker character whom I think would be good friends with the anti-social detective but turns out she's just there to be a busybody. I am a little disappointed at the relationship between characters part, especially when it comes toVictorique Du Blois who only wanted to open up to just one person.

he does not look Japanese

While I like all the cases they involved themselves in, the only thing I am disturbed with is the fact that the 'grey wolves' clan has some kind of superpowers thing. Here I thought it would be another urban legend thing to unravel, but turns out the bad guys were obsessed with the idea until the end. Now I am not sure what the 'superpower' really is (was it to bring fortune?), but it seem to indicate having a genius mind. But lol is that even an inheritence thing? The bad guy could just take any genius to help him take over the world or something instead of making a woman suffer thanks to a prophecy he believed in. good thing that's the only shit stuff about GOSICK and you can only see it at the last few episodes and suddenly the ending looks like the writers forgot the show is about mystery. Or maybe it wasn't in the first place. I pretty much enjoyed the mysteries rather than the actual plot... It's probably just me because the real story seems out of place with the whole thing we see.

The romance here, between the main characters is naive and pretty common, high school crush and one love triangle thing. What you see in the promo poster is what the canon pair is, so there's no suspense there. However, when it comes to the adults they have a rather mature and unorthodox take on it. Personally I love how they write the adults compared to the little kids.

and i love his hair

While I like the ED, the OP sounds too modern poppish it looks out of place for the gothic setting.

If you're a moetard do pick up this show, and even if you're not a tsundere loli fan do try this out and watch it for the urban legend mythbusting. Eventually you'd find Victorique to be charming too.

Review: Fairy Tail - Houou no Miko

After Naruto and Bleach failed me, Fairy Tail is the only shounen I cared about (at least until Magi came along). I shall explain why another time, but not here or else it'll become a super long post.

Since the movie is shown in local cinemas, and only on certain dates, coincidently yesterday the schedule was perfect and the cinema is quite near my area. Now I'm not realy of movie spin-offs so I didn't expect much from Houou no Miko (I'm not really gonna summarize the plot since you can read it elsewhere). By the way there were probably like ten people inside the cinema w.

Yes it is a very generic shounen movie, it's just like the story arc. You have a client, you have good vs evil, you have teamwork, you have amnesia, manry tears, friendship, ecchi (with Lucy as the main p0rn Star but why not erza??) blablabla but nonetheless I enjoyed it.

The art isn't very impressive, just as the anime is. I sorta expected they'd refine the art style in animation. Okay maybe Gray's body is the only thing worth mentioning LOL! Not until they went to a city with some kind of Indian-like culture where suddenly the anime looks beautiful. The city reminds me of Magi's Magnoshutat in a way except that Fairy Tail doesn't have any twisted things regarding magic power unless it's Edolas. But the was one thing which is rather effective to me is their 'night time'; you can really feel that the events happened at night and how creepy it is especially when you have a villain who lurks in the shadows. Of course the series have events that occur at night too but in the movie it's really dark.

Speaking of villains, none of them were very interesting. The antagonists are another magic guild called Carbuncle, with rather typical villains whose leader want nothing more than power and immortality. But meh I figured that they have no time to develop the bad guys so I just consider them as cockblockers. One of the villain minions is also a Holder Mage who uses requip, so it's an Erza rival... but the most challenging part is she keeps dispelling Titania's requips until she puts on the wedding dress (she looks awesome fighting as a 'bride'). However, among all the Erza battles this one is the most dull. In fact, most of the battles are not so memorable and by the end of the movie it looked rather messy. I mean, even by reading the manga I can feel how epic the battles are but the movie didn't give me the same feel. Gray and Juvia did another Unison Raid against a magic bullet shooter which I think is the best fight scene here.

I expected some kind of omfg plot twist but then it's just, well, okay whatever the backstory is, is still kinda acceptable. I think if I was a child watching this I'd probably cry at the sad ending (It made me remember the first time I secretly cried over a fictional character's departure - it was a Doraemon movie) but for an oldfag like me the connection isn't enough to move me.

The only thing that made me smile, are the OSTs which I recognized rather quickly especially at the beginning so I thought I could just enjoy the movie thanks to the audio. As expected from Takanashi Yasuharu! I think they have new rendition of Fairy Tail main theme. And then there's Erza in Bridal gown. And then the epic Fairy Tail bromantic teamwork scene.

One questionable thing is that at which timeline did the movie occur in? I'm sure it's after the 7 year timeskip but then the guild is back in their original building. And if I'm not mistaken they mentioned Bacchus somewhere. So I'm guessing that this happens some time after the Grand Magic Games, or else I'd just consider this as not important.

I'm not a NaLu fan but Hiro Mashima himself has confirmed that they're canon, the movie justifies that but I'm glad Natsu isn't the horny guy type so Natsu is still being himself, telling that you have friends to back you up etc (instead of "oh it's ok i'll be there for j00")

Review: Brave 10 (anime)

I read the manga first, mainly because I like stories in historical setting.. and especially when it's in the sengoku period. The art is very eyecandy and the plot is, well... generic shonen plot but who cares. I'm in it for the hot guys.

Studio: Studio Sakimura

Original Author: Shimotsuki Kairi

Unfortunately, even with the hot guys, being limited to 13 episode makes the story look even more meh.  But since there wasn't much shounen during that season, this keeps me entertained. There are other attractive looking villains in the manga the anime didn't include, probably because it was unnecessary. There are also enjoyable 'filler' chapters in the manga the anime ignored.

Brave 10 is an adaptation of the fictional 'Sanada Ten Braves' story, with some extra stuff like fanservice superpowers based on elements (fire, water, lightning etc). While the original Braves are supposed to be ninjas, lead by Sarutobi Sasuke... However, Brave 10's protagonist is Kirigakure Saizou, a ninja of the Iga clan and the bloody useless Isanami, a slutty-looking priestess from Izumo. Yukimura Sanada needs to collect 10 people into his harem -regardless of gender- including the spineless priestess. This part is interesting since each of his harem member has their own specific powers. She's the only one annoying in the story and is kind of Mary Sue. Worse part is she holds the 'key' to something that moves the story. Other than his beloved harem, along the way Yukimura meets other historical figures like Masamune Date, Mitsunari Ishida etc.

You also have Takehito Koyasu as this fabulous version of Masamune Date. Cue eargasm.

Honestly I don't remember the OST or superb the animation is. Oh great this means that I really watched it for the fanservice... and seiyuus. Plus you really can't have a successful anime which has more than ten people compressed in 13 episodes D: The last few people recruited into the Braves didn't have the chance to develop.

Yet the most interesint character is Ana I think, but I'd rather not spoil much. Perhaps I'd talk about her more once I review the manga.

I'm not sure how the manga ends (haven't got there) but the way Brave 10 is really shitty when little miss annoying damsel reveals her true self. You know what, I always hated it when an anime is about to end cos they usually end it with something that makes you wanna flip your table. Another disappointment is that you don't get to see Yukimura in his crimson armour, but he's clad in sexy Yukata all the time flipping his fan. Which means that you don't get to see Yukimura being the awesome warrior of every thousand years in action =3=

whatever you say~

It's a shame for a historical-based story to turn out like this though. It could've turned out better. But to hell am I gonna indulge in some moeshit sengoku anime. I might as well play Sengoku Basara 3 after this.

I'd highly recommend this to girls if you want a kyaa-fest. To both girls and boys you can just ignore the anime and go straight to the manga. More bromance and you can also see more boobs there (in case you're a fan of boobs).

yeah I'm sure it's not w

Review: Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

aka Daily Lives of High School Boys

Studio: Sunrise

Author: Yasunobu Yamauchi

There's not much to say about this show since it has no plot and the main point of Danshiko is self-explanatory. Why am I attracted to this show more than Nichijou is because the characters are boys and when they do video game/anime reference I can relate to them more. Why I love this show is because it's funny as hell.

Sometimes what you watch is like a waste of time, but it's worth the laugh. Perhaps if they're girls doing silly things I'd be more inclined to drop it in the garbage. I love it best when they do their 'role plays' - it kinda reminds me of my childhood (not that I am a tomboy)

They have subplots like "Literature Girl", student council, each of the character's sisters etc. But I gotta say the most annoying characters in Danshiko are the girls, especially those in the High School Girls are Funky segment. As a girl myself, and from girls school, I kinda doubt girls do such things cos I really can't relate to it (perhaps its due to the fact that I was more antisocial back then).

I'm highly recommending this anime if you're looking for something light and something to cheer you up. If you happen to have quit or bored of anime, or not even an anime fan, you should give this a try! :3

Review: Strawberi Cinta

oh look! A meleis movie in my blog!

Why is this doing here? Because I'm somewhat enraged at how horrible it is and as a weeabo this NEEDS to be analyzed, so that you shallow meleis could see why it's really shitty cos I fukken hate it when you guys say "wah suwiiiit jerk citer nieyyy!!!".  Now I have no confidence that I have high readership but in case they stumble upon this post, be prepared.

I'm also prepared to be accused of being a race traitor - which is what meleis love to do when they're butthurt - even if they don't know what my actual race is.

Stolobeli Cinta is supposed to be a romantic COMEDY film, which I somewhat agree because the funniest part is listening to the half-assed effort of the actors of Japanese characters to speak in Japanese. And if I'm not mistaken I saw the tagline which says it's an Islamic themed film, which I think is another lousy excuse. Gonna explain later.

First 5 minutes into the movie I literally felt like crying because of two reasons; 1. a Japanese tourist wearing a so-called lolita clothes; 2. Her Japanese sounds like Korean who just went back from several Japanese classes. What makes them think all Japanese, or even lolita fan Japanese would visit another country wearing a costume is beyond me. Sometimes she wear those lensless glasses. Is that Japanese fashion?

I'm sure you anime people, even without attending to Japanese classes, know by now how the intonation and pronunciation of this language is like. You're so used to it that you find Yana Samsudin's Japanese makes you ears bleed. And they even tried to play with mispronunciation to be funny but since you know so well it's NOT how Japanese speak in katakana you know it's not even funny. Since the show is about foreign tourists of course there are some English, and the English is baaaaaad too.

Then we have the Japenis girl and the tourist guide, they just met by the way, seemingly have a crush on each other for no reason. Yeah yeah you can use the excuse that you don't need a reason to fall in love blablabla even Mr. Tourist guide admits that he felt something special - his statement reeks CREEPINESS rather than oh-so-sweeeeeet. Just because he's a tourist guide, he took the advantage to ask the Japenis girl out which makes him look like he's the type who'd just hit on any cute girl from the East. There's not much of backstory for him except that his dream is to eat icecream with a girl who likes stolobeli, and he even told that silly story to the Japenis girl and asked "Cute isn't it?".

NO.

THIS is how you're supposed to act:

owait-

Part of the reason I dislike Mr Tourist Guide is because I don't really like guys who takes advantage of his position to get some cute chic he just met at his job, and Pierre Andre is not even a hot stud so I find it weird why would this Japenis chic fall for him FOR NO REASON. And that's not even the worse of it because the way their relationship develop... you couldn't feel anything from it. Not sure how the meleis could feel it but after watching a lot of romantic animes/j-movie and reading manga of the same genre, you'd know Japanis Girl x Tourist Guide relationship is the most shallowest of all.

"A true man is a man who oves VANILLA" hwahahhaa omg is this supposed to be words of wisdom??

AND WHAT IS WITH THE FIRST NAME BASIS?? SEE HOW MUCH YOU FAIL METROWEALTH!!

Then they have the side characters, one is a weeabo and the other is Fiffy Natasha (the singer of kawaii kawaii handphone. the song is DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP). Yet another fail attempt to put comedic elements. Japenis girl and Fiffy Natasha makes very unconvincing Japanese persons cos they EPICLY FAILED to act like them. Seriously bitches do you even do your research?? It's okay if you're not a fan of Japanese dramas but is it so hard to take time to study them?? Memoirs of Geisha had Chinese actors to play the Japanese and they could pull it off!

You know what's worse? Okay now I can finally get to the main plot. So Japenis girl came to Malaysia to look for her mom (turns out her mom is Malay, and she's half-Japanese hwahahah but still no excuse to butcher moonspeak since you fucking live in Japan for 15 years), but the story itself, rather than making her focus on finding her mom we get to see her being a lovesick maiden. The part where she reunites with her mom is supposed to be emotional, but Malay actors still can't seem to act like they're truly crying so it didn't really work for me.

Another horrendous thing for me is how they wanted to insert Islamic values into the movie, which I think sounded more like reciting a religious studies textbook. And Mr Tourist Guide looks more like he wants to look more knowledgeable in Japenis Girl's eyes than actually knowing his shit. And he's pretty hipocritical at that. First he talks about how prayers bring you closer to God suddenly he gets turned on seeing Japenis Girl in Kebaya. It's like he wants to impress this random cute girl he just met and yet he violated the rule that as a Muslim he shouldn't be alone with a girl. Or maybe he's the kind of meleis who doesn't give a fuck about how a true believer should behave like. Oh that's pretty common.

And when she found her mom OH LOOK ANOTHER PADDY FIELD SCENE MY GOODNESS DIRECTORS DO YOU THINK ONLY PADDY FIELDS REPRESENT KAMPUNGS?!?!?! STOP THINKING INSIDE THE BOX AND GO OUT THERE LOOK FOR OTHER TYPES OF KAMPUNG ENVIRONMENT!!!

I believe the story would be more enjoyable if it wasn't for the horrendous Japanese language, horrendous way of acting like a Japanese person. It could've been better if the writers don't put too much attention on the 'romance' part (which turned out shitty) and focus on the Japanis Girl's main objective. And they could've killed off the side characters in a car accident or something. They made the film even worse. And I'd like to mention that the movie has the poorest character development I've ever seen. I really don't know how to explain this though but there's absolutely no moral values I can extract from the characters. I can't feel anything to relate with them, or learn something from their development just as I did with anime (or J-dramas).

So before you tell me that I'm just insulting and "macam mana melayu nak maju" etc then I just have to say YOU BROUGHT IT UPON YOURSELF. How would melayu maju if they cannot accept criticism and learn from mistakes? It's 2013 man, how long are you gonna keep that KUNO mindset? I believe what I said about the movie is true and I'm not the one insulting the movie, but the makers of this movie has insulted their own product and your beloved race... by baiting more insults from people with more sensible mindset? LOL

Here watch this: [EDIT: video replaced]

and tell me if Yana (and Fiffy) 'berlakon sebijik macam orang Jepun'.

I watched this online so no money's lost. Time is, but it's worth reviewing cos it's the best shitty movie ever.

EDIT: here's some reaction video

Review: Persona 4 - The Animation

Studio: AIC Asta & Aniplex

When the anime version of Persona 4 is announced, I had mixed feelings. It is one of my favourite games, something I love more than Persona 3, so I was highly anticipating it. But video game (and visual novels) adaptations are known to turn out rather disappointing.

It doesn’t matter if I knew the story or not, but I thought I could preview the first few episodes to see how they make an animation out of it. Bad news; the art quality was meh. Good news; the presentation of the story is GREAT!

And that is one hell of a surprise as in the game it feels more slow paced, and more like a high school drama. The anime makes the story slightly faster, and they changed some of the scenes yet still staying true to the storyline, just to not make it like an exact copy of the video game.

I won't talk much about the plot as I've reviewed it in the video game here (warning may contain spoilers) like 3 years ago.

For those who has played the game, then you’ll know what I’m gonna talk about here; the individual “Shadow” scenes have something extra. A little more flashback and a little more details, especially for Yosuke and Chie. I also wondered if they did do something about the social links, because there’ll be only 20+ episodes, how are they able to fit in all the characters? But they did it anyway. Probably the only thing I’m disturbed with because the supporting characters social link went too fast, and some compiled in a few episodes making it seem like filler episodes to those who aren’t familiar with the system of the game. Even so, I think it’s an excellent way to adapt the social links in the anime. Even Nanako has a special episode just for herself – which I think it’s important for us to understand her loneliness and her love towards her big brother ^^

one of my fave scenes which I'm glad that they didn't make it typically video game-like, so it looks more flexible and realistic in spite of being in another world.

While the art is not so impressive, I’m glad to hear the familiar tracks in the background. Plus, the OP and ED are unexpectedly GOOD. I’m glad they didn’t pick a random moe-voiced idols, any rock music or just about any hip-hop. Meguro Masashi made sure the songs truly reminds you of the Persona 4 feel and what it is all about.

The final episode was a big troll. During my gameplay I did not come across that final boss. After the ending credits there’s a preview showing that the true end will come in DVD!

When the “True End” episode is out, again, Persona 4: The Animation proved to be a worthy adaptation. It is obviously related to the true ending of P4, but with something you won’t be able to see in the game. Have you ever thought that it is unfair that only the main character’s friends get all the “pursuing my true self” scenes everytime you go down their dungeon?

Well guess what. The MC gets it too! The true ending is worth watching, very satisfying.

Best of 2012 Anime

The year is ending, thanks to Reppu_kiri for the suggestion of listing the best (and worst) of 2012 anime. Probably too early to post this but I plan to post something else on the last day or on new year. I've listed my version down here, and note that you may not agree with me so prepare for butthurt. Also keep in mind that I'm not the type who watches every single anime there is each season, I'm least likely to watch those moe shows and trust me there are bishounen-filled animes which failed to catch my interest as well.

So here goes nothing.

Best Show:
1. Uchuu Kyoudai
2.Shin Sekai Yori
3. Fate/Zero Season 2

Initially I put Hyouka in the top 3 list, but Shin Sekai Yori just went from “watafak” to “omfg that’s totally awesome!” putting Hyouka in fourth place. While I disike season 1 of F/Z I find the 2nd season much more exciting to endure. Uchuu Kyoudai hits the number 1 spot as it’s no longer your average shounen high school drama. Like Tiger & Bunny, it’s about carreer people and mid-life crisis, except that the show is more realistic compared to the superhero themed anime. And it tells you it's not too late to achieve your dreams even if you're over 30 years old (and continue on dreaming), it gives me hope. What makes me love the show a lot is the fact that it hits home – and due to that I haven’t watched anything further than episode 8 yet.

Worst Show
1. Ebiten
2. Kamisama Hajimemashita
3. Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle Season 2

Among the three, Phi Brain S2 is the only one I watched until the end. Why do I watch it anyway? It’s because there’s an epic FukuJun. Why is it horrible? You can check out the review. I cannot bring myself to finish the other two, so I won’t bother reviewing them. Therefore I’d leave my rant here. Personally I think Kamisama Hajimemashita’s plot and characters are horriby written; the story is about a girl who experienced misfortune thanks to her dad and is suddenly given a blessing by a god who randomly found her (it’s called FATE pfft-). However there’s no hint of her trying to survive in the state of poverty as the story shallowly focuses on how’d she deals with the supernatural bishounens more than anything. You don’t actually feel the hardship of being abandoned by your family, but you only get to see Miss Mary Sue complaining about how she wants her normal life back. Ebiten is on the other hand is supposed to be about otaku girls but I find the show’s depiction of them quite insulting. It went too far in terms of ecchi, I don’t see how otaku girls would act like that and I really can’t relate to it. For more accurate representation of ‘otaku’ girls, you can find it in Kuragehime.

Best Male Character

   

1. Rider/Iskander (Fate/Zero)
2. Kagami Taiga (Kuroko no Basket)
3. Oreki Hotarou (Hyouka)

Worst guy: Yamanaka Kenji (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun), Itou Mamoru (Shin Sekai Yori), Libertà (Arcana Famiglia)

The only reason why I watched F/Z is for Broskander, and thanks to him I have no regrets watching F/Z until the end. But I gotta say I’m most impressed by Kagami Taiga’s character – he who I thought would be another typical arrogant shounen boy but turns out he’s not. He may look like that but he KNOWS how to tone down his ego. Oreki on the other hand is not your hot-blooded protagonist but his skills as a detective, even when deducing pointless stuff which makes him kinda unique.

YamaKen is the guy I hate most in TonaKaibu, thanks to something I learn from Sukitte Ii Na Yo - I don’t think he’s really in love with the main girl but he’s just going all CHALLENGE ACCEPTED with the whole situation. To me, he doesn’t know what he’s doing or how he really feels and I’m hoping the plot allows him to grow into someone better (been there done that I guess lol). I acknowledge that the existence of Mamoru in Shinsekai Yori is pretty much an important plot device, but I can’t help disliking him for being so weak and unable to accept the ‘truth’. Liberta didn’t give me a good impression as he looked as though he was trying too hard to be the ‘perfect’ guy (this may just be my own opinion).

Best female character

   

1. Koko Hekmatyar (Jormungand)
2. Morgiana (Magi)
3. Murasaki (UtaKoi)

Worst Girl: 1. Todayama Kyouko (Ebiten)
2. Momozono Nanami (Kamisama Hajimemashita)
3. Saber/Arturia (Fate/Zero)

Koko is like the female version of Lelouch, a much much better female strategist-type character than Gundam 00’s Sumeragi and even Fairy Tail’s Mavis. Well, at least she HAS a character, though I still find it baffling to have a very young lady to lead a mercenary unite. Morgiana has half or maybe two third of Erza Scarlet’s epicness as a female warrior, and as a character (not a tsundere nor the need-to-be-protected type). I believe she can grow more. In third place I would like to put Watanabe Saki (Shin Sekai Yori) instead of Murasaki… but Saki is still in her low self-confidence phase and is still uncertain about the truth around her, I can’t like her that much yet. So it’s this depiction of Murasaki (based on a true story) is what I like more cos I feel like I can relate to her.

About Kyouko and Nanami, I’ve explain briefly about their respective animes so you could get a clue from there. Saber is bland, ‘nuff said (allow me to explain more once I get to F/Z season 2 review)

Best OP [EDIT]

1. To the Beginning - Kalafina (Fate/Zero S2)
2. See You - Yuya Matsushita (Natsuyuki Rendezvous)
3. KINGS - Angela (K)

Best ED:
1. Circle of Friends - Totsuka Tatara/Kaji Yuki (K)
2. Yubi Bouenkyou - Nogizaka 46 (Magi)
3. Catal Rythm - OLDCODEX (Kuroko no Basket)


There were many great OPs this year but not many awesome EDs, as far as I’m concerned. The OPs I listed up there are my top 3 since they relate to the story the most, though I'd like to mention that I love ClariS's "Wake Up" from Moyashimon Returns, Yuki's "Sakamichi no Melody" from Sakamichi no Apollon, Nano's "Now of Never from Phi Brain, and GranRodeo's "Can Do" from Kuroko no Basket.

Can't seem to find the really really great ED this year but I love "Circle of Friends" most cos it's sad ;__;. As for Magi's ED, it sounds like children singing and it really suits the main trio cos they look like kids having fun (althought the current storyline in the manga has become a bit darker). Catal Rythm is the third cos I can't think of anything else that's good, and it's one of the few memorable EDs I have in my head.

Best OST:
1. K - Endo Mikio
2. Sakamichi no Apollon - Kanno Yoko
3. Kuroko no Basket - R・O・N

Sorry couldn't find playlists for them except for Sakamichi no Apollon, and I can't find other OST's for KuroBasu. I've been addicted to K's OST since the moment I watched the trailers, then I fell in love with the rest of the background music while watching the show. My weakness is damn good OSTs even if the show turns dull and not even bishounens can save me from dropping. And surprisingly it's the type of "hip-hop" genre my ears are able to accept. Next, I gotta be honest that I haven't watched Cowboy Bepop so I don't know how Kanno Yoko sounds like, but thanks to Sakamichi no Apollon for making me like jazz a little bit more (the only jazz songs I like is anything from video game OSTs). Another surprise for me is that, i didn't expect Kuroko no Basket to be anywhere near unique but then it has a list of EPIC tracks. So it's another show I enjoy watching because the music suits the mood of each scene :3

Best Art: Ai no Kusabi (2012), K, Utakoi.

not gonna say much about the first two but Utakoi is a special case. It's like Okami + Katanagatari type of art, although not as pretty but I really love looking at something different.

[EDIT]
Best battle scene
1. Yatogami Kuroh vs Munakata Reisi (K episode 7)
2. Archer vs Berserker (Fate/Zero S2 episode 2 or 15)
3. Aomine Daiki vs Kise Ryouta (Kuroko no Basket episode 24)

lol this one is just extra, something I thought up last night while marathon-ing K before the final episode. Kuroh vs Reisi has the most beautiful animation to date, as I loved how KuroBasu animated Aomine's movements in the anime. But even better when he faces Kise because Kise executed his "Perfect Copy". Archer vs Berserker is jet fighting goodness. Yeah ranked this according animation awesomness X3
---

Once again lemme remind you that I don't watch all anime, so forgive me if my thoughts are rather biased. And there are animes I plan to watch like Psycho Pass but don't really have the time cos I prioritise my favourite ones. So you can recommend me anything that I've missed, especially OPs, EDs and OSTs. Or you can like... counter me if you see your fave show/character in my worst list, tell me why they're not meant to be there - see if you can convince me otherwise. I'm open for healthy debates yeah.