Anime Review- Peach Girl

Peach Girl is a 25 episode anime about the love life of Momo Adachi, a girl with tanned skin and bleached hair who is often misunderstood and thought of as 'easy'. The reason for her tan is because she was on the swim team and practiced long hours in the sun. Her best friend Sae Kashiwagi is just the opposite. She is pale skinned, beautiful and thin and popular among guys. Sae is also jealous of Momo and will do anything to sabotage her relationships. Momo is in love with Touji- a baseball player since middle school and wants to confess her feelings to him. Joining the love triangle is Okayasu Kairi, a playboy who was saved by Momo from drowning at a beach and has feelings for her.

The first few episodes focus on Momo and Touji's relationship. Kairi is just a friend at this point. Sae's scheme to destroy Momo and Touji's relationships are really annoying and Touji is a really naive. Touji's character is really quite stupid and naive in the beginning and at this point, I had a clear preference for Kairi, who is able to see through Sae's lies and helps Momo.

Around episode 11, things turn around and due to one of Sae's schemes, Touji breaks up with Momo. From here on, it is Momo and Kairi's relationship.

Then around episode 20, things turn around again. Ugh. Unless you are really patient, you should just skip some episodes.

First of all, characters- Momo is a nice girl and quite strong opposed to many weak shojo heroines. Touji really seems like a cardboard cutout with no personality in the beginning but is able to redeem himself to the point that I actually thought it would be okay for Momo to choose him in the end. He has a caring side but is usually straightfoward and taciturn. Sae described dating him as 'watching paint dry' or 'counting the hairs on one's head'. I really found that hilarious. Speaking of Sae, she is quite an interesting character, who like most characters in this anime, goes through changes and ultimately emerges more likeable. After the first 15 episodes or so, her own love story is funny and she really turns around.

Kairi started out as my favorite, mainly because he was always there to help Momo when she needed it. He is more talkative and flirty than Touji but he also has a caring side.

The relationship development for both the pairs (Momo-Kairi and Momo-Touji) was quite good. In the end, if I was Momo, I would never have been able to choose among both of them. Both of them are quite similar- good-looking, care for Momo, and generally kind-hearted.

Peach girl will put you through a lot as you go from joy to heartbreak to anger in seconds. A few plots were also somewhat repetitive (like Ryo, who is just like a male version of Sae. I mean we've already had enough of that) and standard in the shojo genre. But overall, it will have you emotionally invested once you get past the sixth episode or so.

A great anime to watch with beautiful visuals, an unconventional lead and a complicated love triangle. The manga won the Kodansha award for Shojo.

Ratings

Plot-4.7
Characters-4.9
Visuals-4.7

Pros
Characters are engaging
Unconventional female lead
Both romances are realistically developed
It is quite short (this is a pro because I don't have the time and patience to watch all episodes of long anime like Detective conan or One piece)

Cons
Sae's character is totally unrealistic (though somewhat funny)
Both the male leads were too similar

NOTE- Images do not belong to me and were taken from Google image search.

Anime review- Lovely Complex

It's been some time since I have watched anime. But here is one that was really enjoyable.

 Love★Com is a love story between a boy and a girl in Sakai, Osaka. The girl, Risa Koizumi, is 172 centimetres (5 ft 8 in) tall—much taller than the average Japanese girl. The boy, Atsushi Ōtani, is 156 cm (5 ft 1 in)—way below the height of the average Japanese boy. Because of this, the pair are called the "All Hanshin Kyojin" after a popular comedy duo that has a similar height difference.


During summer school, a very tall student named Ryouji Suzuki (from another class) shows up and Risa immediately falls for him because he is tall. There is a girl that Atsushi likes as well, so Risa and Atsushi decide to put aside their differences and help each other get their love interests. But as they get to know each other better, Risa's feelings for Atsushi begin to blossom, and her love life gets complicated from there on. (from wikipedia)

This anime falls in the romantic comedy category. The sentimental moments are interspersed with laughs. Otani is not a typical shojo hero- tall, perfect and good at everything. In fact, he's just the opposite. He is short, ill-tempered (at least with Risa) and not good at academics. Risa herself is not soft spoken and meek but strong and assertive. She is the first one to reveal her feelings.

There are standard shojo plots here, like ex-girlfriend, class trip, summer festival with fireworks, school festival etc. But what makes it stand out is the obscenely long time it takes for Otani to realize Risa's feelings. It drags the story a little, but never seems unbelievable (at least until the end). She makes up her mind in the fifth episode and it almost the fifteenth episode when he comes to realise it. Her attemps at telling him her feelings (and how they backfire) and hilarious. This is an original and unique romantic comedy that I would recommend.

Ratings

Plot-4.5
Characters-4.5
Animation-4.5
Music-3
Overall-4.5

Pros
Unique character personalities
Lots of laughs
Good appearence

Cons
Music is not really good. They should have used some insert song that can captur the characters' feelings.

NOTE- images taken from various sites on google image search.

Ouran High school host club anime review

Ouran High school host club is a 26 episode series about a host club in Ouran High, a school for the ultra-rich and elite. The members of the club are Tamaki Suou (the prince type), Honey senpai (the cute type), Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin (the naughty type twins), Kyouya Ootori (the cool type) Takashi Morinozuka (the strong, silent type).

The host club members are all very popular in the school. Haruhi Fujioka is a relatively poor and tomboyish student with excellent grades who joins Ouran in her first year of high school. There she mistakenly stumbles across the host club room and breaks an expensive vase. She is given a choice either to repay the money or work as a host. Since she doesn't have money, she agrees to be a host. The problem? She's a girl. The solution? They disguise her as a boy. This plot sounds like a cross-breed of Hana Yori Dango and Hana Kimi, and drew me to watch the anime instantly.

Hence the series starts. The first two three episodes are extremely good. There is plenty of hilarity. The following episodes start to become monotonous and cliched, with the characters being very stereotypical and having a cardboard-cutout personality.

Haruhi's character is the best because she is so realistic and three-dimensional. Honey was cute, too. The series should probably be awarded the anime with the best eye candy in history. Everything, from the guys to the roses (loved how there was a different color for each one), to the school and costumes was done with excellent aesthetics. It's a treat for the eyes.

Around the sixteenth episode is when things start to pick up and you start realizing that something good is going to be coming your way. Each character gets an episode which makes their personlaity more three-dimensional. The characters also start to bond really well during this time, especially with Haruhi. These episodes were great and finally broke the characters away from their stereotypes.

The last few episodes build the mystery by revealing Tamaki's secret past, difficult roadblocks and a mountain of problems for the host club. The last episode was tear-jerking but the series has a happy ending. I felt totally great watching this series.

Although there are quite a lot of filler episodes in the beginning, I kinda expected it because the manga is still running and the anime makers didn't have a whole lot of material to put into the series.

When I started watching Ouran, I expected a silly, shallow, rather underwhelming series, the way the episodes were moving. But this is surely a series worth watching, even though it is a bit of a late starter.

Ratings-

Characters-4.5
Plot-3
Animation-4.6
Visuals-5

Pros- Extremely beautiful visuals
The characters actually develop
The last few episodes are very suspenseful and addictive
Great ending

Cons- Too many filler episodes in the beginning

I realize that the manga is still going. The anime has inspired me to read the manga so that I can know how the story develops further.

Anime movie review- Spirited away

Spirited away is a two hour long animation movie by oscar winning director Hayao Miyazaki. It beat Titanic in the box office to become the highest grossing japanese movie of all time. It won the Oscar for the best animation movie and is the only anime to achieve this feat. It also won the Golden bear award at the Berlin international film festival. Hayao Miyazaki is a famous anime director in Japan and almost all japanese recommend his films to others.

The movie doesn't have much story. It chronicles the adventures of Chihiro, an elementary school student who is shifting out of her house. Her father and mother drive her through the forest where they get lost. They encounter a strange gate and decide to go in. The gate leads to a ghost town full of food shops and a large bathhouse and river. Her parents are hungry. They spot a food shop filled with delicious food. There is no one in the shop so, they decide to start eating on their own. Chihiro doesn't eat because she is scared of the ghost town. As night falls, all the shops light up and spirits and monsters begin to appear in those houses. Chihiro discovers that her parents have turned into pigs and have been taken to the piggery. She meets a boy, Haku, who helps her. She gets a job for herself at a bath house. Yubaba, the stingy owner of the bath house is the main antagonist of the story. Chihiro has some adventures at the bath house. She later meets a spirit and takes a train to Yubaba's sister. In the end, she gets to go back to the human world and her parents are set free.

What was really striking about Spirited away was the beautiful backdrops. The lavish use of red, yellow and chinese and japanese traditional settings is a feast for the eyes. But the monsters and even some human characters like Yubaba looked grotesque. They were an eye sore. That balanced the visuals, I guess. There is heavy use of japanese traditional concepts like bath house, dragons, ramen and old style houses.

The movie didn't have much story but carried on in an interesting way. It shows the imagination of a child and of Hayao Miyazaki. It strikes the viewer as something very imaginative and constantly changing. It is fit for younger audience.
There is some amount of conflict in the story because Chihiro is dumped into an unknown world and has to work her way up. The movie maintained a lull and mysterious atmosphere throughout. The scenes (places) looked real. I almost felt like I was at the bath house. The movie was long but well plotted so, it was not boring. Fantasy elements are dominant in the story. Some amount of character development is seen in the story.

There were obvious cons too. Miyazaki's character deisgns are not very good. They are not as detailed and realistic or beautiful as his backgrounds. This is a problem I find with all his anime. The movie lacked storyline and was not well plotted. It can be summarised in one line as 'adventures of a girl in a spirit world'. There weren't many twists and turns but I guess it is all right considering the movie's target audience. Another big con was the grotesque characters. While monsters should look bad, Yubaba and the other monsters looked repulsive. Its atmosphere was dark considering the fact that it was a children's anime. I like Joe Hisaishi's music but I couldn't hear any in the anime. There was an orchestra version of 'Incohi no namae' in the beginning but after that, no prominent piece was played. I didn't hear 'Inochi no namae' in the movie.

Overall, the film was good through surreal and dark. It is imaginative. I can't decide whether it deserved the Oscar or not. It is one of the good movies for children. Kids should definitely watch this as it encourages creativity. Adults can enjoy this movie too mainly due to the dark atmosphere.

Art- 4.3/5
Characters-4.1/5
Music- 4.1/5
Story-4/5
Overall-4.2/5

Pros

Scenes
Imagination
Atmosphere
Interesting
Ending

Cons

Character design
Character personalities
Lack of story line

Anime movie review- Toki wo kakeru shoujo

Toki wo kakeru shoujo is a perennial hit much like Hana Yori Dango. It was originally a popular science fiction novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, a popular japanese science fiction novelist. Following the novel's success, a live action movie was made in 1983. The movie was successful in Japan. A live action series (drama) aired in 1994. In 2006, madhouse released an animated movie of Toki wo kakeru shoujo. A manga was also released. It has since been remade into another live action movie. In all media, Toki wo kakeru shoujo was a hit. The movie, anime, books etc. have won numerous awards. The anime boasts of a long list of awards. The anime grossed $30,000,000.

The story follows Makoto Konno, a tomboyish high schooler who accidentally stumbles into a mysterious shadow in the chemistry lab. She falls down and hits a nut like ball. A flashback (something like that) occurs and she gains the ability to jump through time. She reads the quote 'Time waits for no one' on her school blackboard. While going back home, Makoto's bicycle brakes fail and she almost dies after hitting a train. At that moment, she automatically leaps through time and lands in a safer place.
She meets her aunt later, who works at restoring old paintings. Her aunt tells her that sometimes teenage girls get this ability. At home, she tries out time jump and succeeds. She spends time with her best friends Chiaki and Kosuke, practicing baseball every evening and going to karaokes.

She uses her new ability to its fullest to get good grades, prevent Chiaki from proposing, get Kosuke a girlfriend, sing karaoke, eat pudding that her sister stole and avoid accidents. She begins to avoid her best friend, Chikai fearing that he might propose. She visits her aunt in the museum where her aunt shows her the restored painting. It is calming and Makoto as well as her aunt like it a lot. However, while bathing, one day, she discovers a 09 tatoo on her arm. She concludes that it counts the number of times she can jump through time. She however, forgets to keep track of it. She helps Kosuke get a girlfriend. While walking home, they pass from aside her when she realises that they are about to bump into the train because her bicycle brakes don't work. She panics but all her time leaps are over. Her tatoo reads 00. Suddenly, then, time stops. She sees Chiaki walking to her with her bicycle and telling her that he has come from the future. She is shocked at this revelation. Chiaki also tells her that the shell that gave her power is used to recharge time jumps. In his era, they have invented a machine that allows people to leap through time. He came to this era to see the painting that Makoto's aunt restored. She realises that she turned back time and now the painting is not up for display. Chiaki tells her that he has to go back to his era. He wants to stay because he has made good friends here. Chiaki disappears and time starts moving.

She goes home and to her shock discovers that her tatoo has changed to 01. She runs with full force and goes back to the time when she first went into the chemistry lab. She doesn't use the gadget's power and returns it to Chiaki instead. He tells her that it is time for him to go back. She tries to hint that he proposed to her but he cannot remember because in this timeline, it never happened. She promises to look after the painting for him and make sure it survives in his era. As his last line, he tells her to be less reckless and take care. She expects him to propose and is disappointed by this. He disappears. She starts crying. A few seconds later, he appears and tells her that they'll meet is in the future.
She goes back to her normal life, practicing baseball with Kosuke and looks forward to the future.

Toki wo kakeru shoujo has a strong storyline. In the anime, a lot of scenes are wasted on depicting daily life in the relaxed rural town she lives in. The anime overall, has a relaxed atmosphere. It is laid back. The school life goes much like a slice of life anime. Tension is something the anime completely lacks even in the most emotional scenes. Animation is clear and easy to understand.

The music was good. It propelled ballad singer Hanako Oku to fame. The instrumental pieces fit the anime well. The movie surprisingly managed to create emotion and sympathy for the characters in such a short time. The storyline is one of the strong aspects of the anime and the novel. The idea was quite unique at least when the novel was written (1967). The last scenes are especially emotional but not enough to make the viewer cry. It is laid back and nostalgic. The ending is best categorised as ambiguous.

The anime was a lot like slice of life, school life and sci fi anime Kumo no ue yakusoku to aru basho only better and easier to relate to.

The anime is meant for relaxation and light entertainment. It is a good anime to watch when you're depressed, bored or just need to relax.

Art- 4/5
Storyline- 4.6/5
Characters- 4/5
Music- 4.3/5
Overall- 4.2/5

Pros

Story
Atmosphere
Tone
Music

Cons

Lacks tension
Ending

Anime movie review- Ojamajo doremi- Pop and the magical cursed rose

Ojamajo doremi defines the mahou shoujo/henshin genre. It is aimed at young audience. The anime comprises of several seasons with a main character added in every season (like Winx club). It is typical of its genre with an overpowering female majority, comedy, eye candy animation and semi serious love. The story initiated in the first episode is continued throughout.
Doremi Harukaze is a ditz (what a strange name) who has the worst love luck. She is peppy, cheerful and optimistic despite her terrible love luck. One day, while walking back home, Doremi enters a mysterious magic shop which sells good luck charms. A witch rocks on the chair in the dark room. Doremi senses it and is afraid. She accidentally guesses the name of the witch who turns into a frog. Majorika, the witch, tells her that if anyone guesses the name of a witch, that witch turns into a frog. She puts pressure on Doremi to help her out by becoming a witch herself. Doremi consents to it triggering a series full of funny events, magic and friendship.

The movie focuses on Pop (Doremi's nosy sister) and her magical adventure. Pop goes to Magic kingdom for her test. While coming back, she spots a beautiful flower in thr queen's garden and decides to take it back. She doesn't know that the flower can grand wishes but if it grants a bad wish, it turns black and withers. Doremi scolds Pop for bringing the flower home. Pop wishes that Doremi loses all her magical powers and truns into a rat. Pop's wish comes true leading Doremi's gang and Majorika on a rat chase. Meanwhile, Doremi gets into lots of funny situations.

The movie is targeted at younger audience and is a great movie considering its target audience. Just like every child's anime, it preaches love, friendship, right and wrong and teaches that people always make mistakes but they should make sure to admit and correct them.

Comedy is the good part of this movie. Comical situations keep the first half of the movie running. The second half is emotional with the flower dying and Pop apologising for killing the flower. As expected from a children's anime, the flower is cured and everyone has a happy ending.

Doremi is overall an amusing anime/movie with good music and art. It can be enjoyed by slightly older audience too. Fantasy elements are dominant along with comedy. The character building is good with an easy-to-relate-to heroine like Doremi.
Older audience can derive some entertainment from watching the movie.

Overall, one of the better movies out there. It is especially wonderful for kids.

Art- 4.5/5
Characters- 4.6/5
Music- 4.3/5
Story-4.5/5
Overall- 4.1/5

Anime movie review- Kochikame movie

Kochikame is one of the best selling mangas in Japan. It follows the life of a good for nothing middle aged cop named Ryotsu who works in Kameari police station. Ryotsu's wealth is spent in buying mangas, toys, gambling, pachinko and drinking. Ryotsu's creativity is tapped to its fullest for devising money making schemes which are often financed by Nakagawa, his subordinate. His boss, Ohara is a father figure and critisizes him for his faults. There are other side characters who appear in the series like Honda (an ex- motorcycle gang leader), Sakonji (a dating simulation fan), Maria (a former boxer), Ryotsu's creditors and Reiko, one of Ryotsu's colleagues.

Kochikame is a laugh out loud comedy which efficiently uses Ryotsu's character to churn out amusing situations and lots of jokes. His colleagues are also used to create comedic situations. Kochikame remains the longest running manga in Japan which has been running for over thirty years with over 170 volumes in print. Unfortunatley, neither the anime nor the manga have been licensed. The movie is available with english subtitles. Some of the anime episodes I have earlier seen also have subtitles. The mangas is currently not scantalated by anyone in english.

The movie is a mixture of seriousness and light hearted comedy. It starts with the most serious case Ryotsu has ever seen in his life- the bombing of Shinatora's (a multi-millionare who builds ugly buildings) buildings. A pro bomber called Benten is the source of these bombings and swears to wipe out Shinatora's empire. The police force is alerted. All the cops (including Ryotsu) are forced to investigate the bombings. Ryotsu is paired with Lisa, an expert in bomb disposal. She has a robot which helps her.
The movie is hillarious in the beginning but later drifts to a serious tone. Ryotsu's lack of technological knowledge, narrow mindedness, money making schemes and traditional behaviour are prominent. Lisa and Ryotsu become good friends during the movie. Later, Ryotsu discovers that Lisa is Benten. He compares bombing to crackers and tells her that the only difference between them is that fireworks bring happiness wheras bombs brings sadness. Lisa is touched by Ryotsu's rare display of sesitivity and decides to quit her job as a bomber. Since no one is harmed or killed, she doesn't get any serious punishment. Ryotsu goes back to being a full time slacker.

The movie was more balanced than the series because it had emotional as well as funny scenes. The anime focuses on comedy and Ryotsu's money making schemes while the movie focused on his human side. The story-line was strong. The characters were the same ones in the manga and anime with Lisa being an addition to the cast. Lisa is not shown in the anime. Ryotsu's character is strong and unique and that's what keeps this show going.

The animation is good and the illustrations are bearable. Kochikame is one of the most hillarious anime/manga out there and should not be missed. Viz should translate it soon. The series maintains its light tone.

I would definitely recommend Kochikame to everyone because this series truly makes me laugh. It is hillarious. I have tried other hillarious mangas (Ranma 1/2, Shinchan) but they failed to make me smile. Kochikame definitely should not be missed.
I saw the anime before the movie but I guess it is all right to see the movie before the anime.

Art- 4.2/5
Music- (I couldn't hear any)
Characters- 4.6/5
Storyline- 4.5/5
Overall- 4.4/5

Anime movie review- Detective Conan- Movie 13- The Raven Chaser

I have seen a lot of episodes of detective conan anime and I really liked it so, I decided to try movies. Apparently, Detective Conan movies (known as Case Closed overseas) gross a lot and are pretty popular in Japan. As of 2010, 14 movies have been released the last being The lost ship in the sky. I saw the 13th movie called The Raven Chaser for which Mai Kuraki sung the theme song.
This movie has lots of links with Vermouth and the Black organisation. The Black organisation is not mentioned much in the anime. All the movies have an additional character Ai Haibara who is the child form of porfessor Sherry, the inventor of the pill that shrunk Conan. After the Black organisation killed her sister, she quit it and decided to help Conan. The background of the organisation is introduced in every movie.

The movie starts off like an anime episode but deepens with links from everywhere. It begins with the murder of a man who leaves the dying message 'Tanabata kyo..'. A mahjong piece is found near him upon death. On investigating furthur, the police comes to know that seven people were murdered in a similar way with a mahjong piece left at the scene of crime. The police summons Maori (who shocks them with his stupid conclusions) to help them out with the case. Conan uses Maori as a source to gain information.

However, Conan discovers that a member of the police is involved with the Black organisation and is sending them messages. Conan later meets Vermouth who tells him about a new member 'Irish' who is to help the Black organisation retrieve a memory chip.
Conan tries to solve the case with Heiji Hattori. It races to Kyoto where the motive for the murder is found by Heiji. Conan investigates furthur and discovers that one of the victims had the chip Black organisation needs. The murderer is revealed later and the police as usual, arrive quite late when everything is over. The final showdown takes place in Tokyo Tower with Ran coming to rescue Conan from Irish.

After retrieving the chip from Irish, the Black organisation gets rid of him. Conan is facing him in Tokyo tower when they arrive on a helicopter. The final showdown is really absorbing and keeps you at the edge of your seat. The Black organisation gets away in the end.

I liked the last part of the movie very much. It was full of suspense, action and thrill. I didn't know Ran could do karate so well. She almost knocked down Irish (wow!). Quite a strong female character. When Gin's helicopter chases Conan and he performs unbelievable stunts, the climax heightens. The cat and mouse chase in the end was particularly thrilling.
The Black organisation is the lead of the movie along with the murder. Since, they are not shown in the anime, it is nice to see them in the movie. Ai also appears a lot in the beginning and almost misses being spotted by Vermouth. Vermouth's role is not much except providing some clues. Irish also finds out about Conan's true identity but since he dies, it is not revealed to anyone. The detective kids (they're so cute) help in finding the real inspector Matsumoto. They seem to better than the police at solving mysteries. Ai gets stuck with the kids most of the time.

The mystery was nice like a usual Conan mystery but nothing spectacular. The motive was weak. The Black organisation saved the movie. Maori, as usual jokes around and does nothing worthwhile. His conclusion about the dragon was amusing.

The movie grossed 3.5 billion yen making it the highest grossing movie in the Detective Conan series. It was truly wonderful. I haven't seen other movies so, I can't compare but it was thrilling. The movies are much more intense (and longer of course) than the episodes.

Detective Conan movies have very appealing titles much like Sidney Sheldon books. They are packaged for promotion. The posters are pretty nice too. I am amazed how Gosho Aoyama manages to churn out so many wonderful ideas from his mind. The manga has crossed sixty nine volumes with more coming. Almost all his mysteries are unpredictable and logical. I wonder what will happen at the end of the series. I guess, I'll have to wait for a few more years for that. The manga has sold over one hundred million copies making it one of the highest selling in Japanese manga history. It truly deserves its place there.

The movie is great and I think you won't want to miss this one.

Art- 4.1/5
Story-4/5
Characters- 4.3/5
Music-4.2/5
Overall-4.1/5

Nostalgic anime songs

Many of us have watched anime growing up and some of the songs featured in these anime become etched in our memory. Whenever we hear these songs again, a wave of nostalgia washes our senses and refrshes us. Here are some of the themes I find nostalgic. If you have any addition to make, add it to comments.

Catch you catch me- This is the theme of the famous Cardcaptor Sakura that I watched while I was in elementary school. I loved the anime as well as all the themes. You'll see some more themes from this anime in this post. The song is a classic anime song. It is upbeat with a kawaii voice.
4.2/5

Purachina- Another theme from Cardcaptor Sakura. It is the opening from the third season. I remember I used to wait the whole day to watch the thrid season. I used to think about it even at school. The song is refreshing sung by one of my favourite anime singers, Maaya Sakamoto. It has an airy atmosphere.
4.4/5

Identified- This is from Beyblade. Beyblade was a roaring success when it aired on TV. Kids were cray about it. This is the theme song from the third season. The song is a pop song with a summer mood. I like the cheery atmosphere.
4.5/5

Legend of mermaid- When I think of this song, I can't stop crying. It is the first japanese song I seriously heard (Catch you catch me was another) that got me into the world of jpop. It is from the Mermaid Melody anime series. The anime was pretty good too with nice and colourful illustrations. The version of this song in the last episode, when everyone sings together is the best.
4.4/5

Kagami no naka- It is the opening of Ultra Maniac. I used to watch Ultra Maniac in middle school and I hated to miss even one episode. Princess Tutu and Daa! Daa! Daa! used to air with this. I used to watch all of them together in the afternoon. Kagami no naka is a nice, uptempo theme with a strong chorus.
4.4/5

Love Chronicle- This is the last ending from Full moon wo Sagashite, an anime by Arina Tanemura. The song is nostalgic even for those who have not seen the anime. Most of the songs featured in the anime were masterpieces. Too bad the singles didn't sell and the band had to break up. It has a wonderful intrumental prelude and touching lyrics.
4.6/5

Yuzurenai negai- I have never seen Magic Knight Rayearth anime. I just accidentally heard this song somewhere on the internet. It has sold over a million copies. The song sounds oldish. The chorus stands out.
4.4/5

Kibou no Kaneoto~love goes one~- Another song from Mermaid Melody anime. This was the last song from the anime. Legend of mermaid was the first. Somehow, for me, the first andlast songs and episodes of an anime seem to have an emotional effect. Those are the only two episodes you remember with fondness from an anime.
4.5/5

Kutsuzure- This is the last ending from Black Cat anime. The song itself sounds nostalgic with a wintry atmosphere. The singer is a male although he sounds like a female. Daia no hana from this anime is also good.
4.5/5

Ashita ga yatte kuru- I HATED the Ninku anime. Ashita ha yatte kuru was the ending to the anime. While swithcing between channels, I heard this song and I loved it. It is by Yume Suzuki.
4.5/5

Scarlet- I have never seen or read Ayashi no Ceres. I came across this song on the internet. I have heard other songs from Iwao Junko featured in CCS. This is one of her best songs. Sounds somewhat like a Yuki Kajiura composition.
4.5/5

Kanata e- I don't know which anime it was featured in but it was featured in some sci-fi anime. It is sung by Anza who sung the second CCS opening song. It is mid tempo.
4.4/5


Well, I lost count of the songs I reviewed. I still have many songs in my mind but I'll make a second part for them. These songs bring back so many wonderful memories.

Anime movie review- Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2- The Sealed Card

In my earlier review of Cardcaptor Sakura, I mentioned watching both the movies in the series and I promised to review it later. Since I like the second movie more than the first, I will review this one first.

The movie is titled 'The Sealed Card'. Unlike the previous movie which focuses on Sakura's abilities as a cardcaptor, this one focuses on Li and Sakura's romantic relationship. The timeline of this movie is set after the complete anime series. Sakura has managed to convert all cards into Sakura cards and Eriol lives peacefully somewhere with Kahoko.

The main conflict in this movie is a card called 'void' which was made by Clow Reed to balance negetive and positive forces. It can nullify the other cards. The card's spirit somehow breaks free. She is lonely and wants to get back her friends, the other clow cards from Sakura.
Oblivious to this, Sakura consents to participate in a school play. I think their school is crazy about dramatics because they have a play every season.
On finding out about the card she asks Eriol about it. He says that it is a negetive card that has power equal to all the 52 cards combined.

Li and Meiling come to the school for a surprise visit. They decide to spend their vacations in the town. Sakura meet Li at the beginning but is unable to confess her feelings. She even takes him home but just ends up cooking and chatting about general things. In the end of the anime, Syaroan proposed to Sakura. That's why Sakura needs to give him an answer.

Rika's boyfriend who plays the main role has an accident and so Li plays the main role. The play is a romantic one and whenever Sakura looks at someone during practice, Li looks at her. The same is true for Sakura.
After school, Sakura tells Li that to capture the card, she must lose her most important feeling. Both are aware of what that feeling is (love). Li says if there is no other choice then she must lose it. Sakura is hurt by this and she runs away.

On the day of the play, the card wreaks havoc again and almost everyone disappears. Tomoyo makes special costumes for Li and Sakura. They go after the card to a tower. The card has captured all of Sakura's cards by now.
Li tells Sakura that even if she has to lose her love for him, it is okay because he'll fall in love with her once again. After this, the card takes in Li. Sakura is sad but she uses all her power to capture the card. Finally, it becomes a hope card.

Syaroan appears again and all others are released. The theme Ashita e no merodii starts playing. Li tells her that he did not lose his feelings for her after all. She is very happy and yells 'I love you' jumping ito his arms.
I thought the theme song was discordant but after hearing it at the right scene with the right meaning, I thought it fitted the movie quite well.

The movie was very nice and emotional. Throughout the movie, the romantic theme is maintained. There are a lot of nice scenes here and it is the anticipated conclusion to the Li's proposal.

The art was good like most of Clamp's works. This one is my personal favourite.

All the romantic scenes were good but I felt the fantasy elements were only there to create conflict. Still, the fantasy parts were good too.
The supporting characters in this series are interesting and create a wonderful atmosphere. They all have unique personalities.

A very balanced movie overall. It ties the whole anime series together with a wonderful conclusion. The theme song lyrics were fitting. This is the conclusion to the wonderful Cardcaptor Sakura series so don't miss it. It makes the series memorable.

Art- 4.5/5
Story-4.7/5
Characters- 4.6/5
Music- 4.2/5
Overall- 4.7/5

Pros

Art
Story
Characters
Theme

Cons

The last scene could've dragged more.

Anime Review- Cardcaptor Sakura

Cardcaptor Sakura is a popular anime based on CLAMP's manga of the same name. It sold around twelve million and ended with the twelfth volume. It is aimed at younger audience although teens can enjoy it a lot. In the anime version, it ran three seasons.


Ten-year-old fourth grader Sakura Kinomoto opens a mysterious book in her father's study and accidentally releases the magical Clow Cards. Created by the half-English half-Chinese sorcerer Clow Reed, the Clow Cards were sealed within the Clow Book upon his death and represent a combination of magic from Clow's mixed heritage. Each card has its own personality and characteristics and can assume alternate forms when activated.

Cerberus, the guardian Beast of the Seal, awakens and emerges from the book's cover. Upon learning the cards are gone, he tells Sakura that she must have special powers, and that it is now her responsibility to retrieve the missing cards. As she finds each card, she must battle its magical personification and defeat it in order to seal it away. Cerberus acts as her guide and mentor throughout the quest, while her classmate and best friend Tomoyo Daidouji films her exploits and provides her with costumes, insisting that she must "wear special clothes for special occasions" whilst promising to keep Sakura's abilities a secret. Her older brother Toya Kinomoto watches over his sister while pretending that he is unaware of what is going on.

As the series progresses, a rival in the form of Syaoran Li appears. A descendant of the late Clow Reed, creator of the Clow Cards' and their guardians, Syaoran travels to Japan from Hong Kong to recapture the cards, but finds his goal complicated as he comes to respect Sakura and begins aiding her instead.
- wikipedia

The story was pretty good and so was the art. The concept of clow cards was unique. The characters were good and the supporting characters were better than the main characters. The appearance of Ruby, Elliot and his guardian beast in the second season furthur adds spice and story to the series.
The episodes progressed well and certain amout of character debvelopment was evident. I liked the last season with Maaya Sakamoto's Purachina as the theme better than the first two. The development of Sakura and Li's romantic relationship also begins in the third season.

The music was good and the art and colouring was rich and well detailed. The events, especially the school plays and cultural events were nice. The addition of fantasy element helped this series. The story had great plot.

Two movies followed the series. The first one focuses on Sakura's abilities as a cardcaptor while the second one predominantly focuses on Li and Sakura's romantic relationship.

Li's cousin, Rika, the teachers, Eriol, Ruby and Tomoyo were good supporting characters.

Overall, I consider this Clamp's best work to date. It had all the essentials of good story, art, characters and plot. The movies were very good too. I'll review it some other time. The story had fantasy, high school as well as romantic elements.

Characters- 4.5/5
Art-4.5/5
Story- 4.6/5
Overall- 4.5/5

Pros

Art
Characters
Story
complex plot

Cons

Childish

Barbie Movie review- Princess and the Pauper

This is a rather strange choice by me. Barbie dolls are very popular among young girls. To promote imagination and inspire young girls to dream, mattel made several movies of barbie based on pre-existing popular fairy tales. While many of these movies were good, the quality has been deciling lately. This one is a retelling of a classic novel Prince and the pauper by Mark Twain.

The story is much like the original book- Anneliese, a princess burdened by royal duties if forced to marry the prince of a nearby kingdom because all the gold in the kingdom has been exhausted. She is in love with Julian, her tutor. While masquerading as a peasant and looking around town, she meets a peasant, Erika who works for a gown maker. She sings very well and looks exactly like the princess. She promises to call her to the palace to sing. However, Preminger, the royal advisor abducts her to become the king and marry her mother. Julian asks Erika to act as the princess while he can find her.
Erika, while acting as a princess falls in love with the prince of the enarby kingdom whom Anneliese is supposed to marry. Anneliese and Erika's cats fall in love with each other (quite the classic barbie story). In the end, as expected from Barbie, everything is solved and true love conquers all. In the end, everyone gets married to their true love including the cats and the horse (Now, isn't this what you call happy ending?).

I liked this movie very much and it ranks as one of my favourite Barbie movies along with Swan Lake, Island Princess and Nutcracker. Lately, Barbie movies have lost the romantic element.
The story unfolds well and is has a complex story structure compared to most fairy tales. The graphics were good. The songs enhanced the effect of the story. 'Written in your heart' was one of the very good songs in this movie.

The love progressed well and the pairs were perfect. The only possible shortcoming of this story is that it is unrealistic (do cats and horses even get married?) but it is okay considering its target audience.
This is a classic movie from Matel and one of the best movies in the Barbie series. The interplay of pink and blue was a great idea considering the fact that these colours are considered related. The supporting did justice to the story and helped made it unforgettable. This story becomes a part of nostalgic memories especially when seen at a young age.

It is a good movie for children. The lyrics of the songs especially the last one are very inspiring. The movie contains some great scenes (like the last ones) and teaches friendship, love and the need to follow your heart (classic).

I recommend this movie for younger audience.

Story- 4.5/5
Art-4.1/5
Characters- 4.3/5
Music-4.5/5
Overall-4.5/5

Pros-

Story
Music
Art
Values it teaches

Cons

Too much music, too less dialogue

Anime review- Toradora

Toradora (literally meaning Tiger and Dragon) is an anime based on a series of light novels which were later adapted into manga. It is supposed to be a romantic comedy.

The protagonist is Ryuji who is not very rich and has scary looking eyes. Naturally, he is mistaken for a delinquent at school and has few real friends. On the first day of his last year at high school, he bangs into a girl called Aisaka Taiga. Aisaka looks reallly cute and doll like but has a violent and impulsive personality.

By mistake, Aisaka puts a letter meant for Ryuji's friend into Ryuji's bag and Ryuji discovers it. She comes to his house at night to try and kill him, but eventually realizes that Ryuji likes her friend Minorin. Since they are both in the same situation, they decide to help each other out.



This leads to a set of wacky events filled with comedy, drama and romance. Episodes 1-3 are sheer boring but if you live through them, you will be able to watch this really interesting anime. Episodes 4-10 are filled with comedy. After episode 10, the anime gets serious and the characters start to change. After this point, the anime seems to fit into the drama/romance genre rather than comedy/romance.

The anime was interesting and a nice watch overall but I hated how slowly Taiga and Ryuji developed feelings for each other and their first kiss is in episode 24? Too slow.

The personality of Minorin was very confusing changing from happy to mature and then to happy again. Kitamura changed for a few episodes, but became normal again. Kawashima Ami's personality interested me and I really wanted her to find a love interest in the end.

I have heard people calling it the best anime but I don't agree. It is not bad or even mediocre but it is not the best either. It should have been longer. When Taiga and Ryuji finally start developing feelings for each other.......they end the anime?

This anime really needs a second season.

Pros- Good story overall
Cons- Inconsistent characters and the main characters fall in love too slowly.

Manga and anime gifting ideas

Maybe you have a friend who is a manga fan and would like a manga series as a gift or you are a manga fan and want to get your friends into manga by gifting them mangas.
Manga, though are a little sugary and light hearted with big eyes, are appreciated by everyone. There are all categories and genres in manga and can be skillfully gifted to people with similar interests. Mangas make a wonderful gift for many occassions.
Generally, I have seen that foreigners appreciate anime more than manga and hence, I will recommend manga and anime by genre for gifting. I will not recommend anything with heavy subject matter or containing taboo elements because these do not make very good gifts. Manga classics are a very good option but some might find it outdated and so, I will recommend old and new manga.

Shoujo- If the person to whom you're gifting is a girl who falls in the age category 10-18, shoujo mangas are good. Girls are usually romantic with some inclination towards comedy (not all girls are like I described. You need to know the person to whom you're gifting.)I will also recommend mangas with darker themes.

MANGA

Young girls (10-13)

Shugo chara!- This one is very popular with classic kawaii illustrations. The story is interesting with fantasy elements. It is short and doesn't need a lot of devotion and time to read.

Ultra maniac/ Mint na Bokura/Marmalade boy- Wataru Yoshizumi writes romantic comedies for young girls with more focus on friendship and school life than romance. The romance is not serious and shallow suitable for girls of this age. Anime of Ultra maniac is also recommended for young girls. I remember watching it when I was young.

Kodomo no omocha or kodocha- It is also aimed at younger audience although romance takes focus in this manga. More for romantically inclined people.

Sailor moon- This is a shoujo classic for kids. The classic good versus evil fight is prevelant in this manga. It also focuses on fighting and not on romance.

Chibi Maruko chan- Though I have seen older girls reading it, it is suitable for young kids. It is a slice of life story of a quirky young girl named Maruko set in post war Japan.

ANIME

Tokyo mew mew- Is inclined towards love but includes a lot of science fiction and fantasy elements. A good anime to watch at a young age. Many people remember this anime even after they are old.

Sailor moon, Shugo chara, Ultra maniac- All these are great options as manga for kids who like watching television more than reading.

Cardcaptor Sakura- Another popular shoujo by CLAMP which tells the story of Sakura Kinimoto, an average girl who finds magical cards in her closet. I tend to prefer the anime over the manga even though the manga is great. The theme songs are nice.

Daa! Daa! Daa!- This can be shifted into the next category (age). It focuses on romance. It is a high school romantic comedy with science fiction elements. A very interesting anime.

Alice academy- A high school manga with fantasy elements. There is little romance. A light hearted anime.

Teenagers (13-16)

MANGA

Hana Yori Dango- You definitely don't want to miss this. The story has a strong female lead and is realistic and interesting. It is the highest selling shoujo manga in japanese history. This requires a little dedication (and a lot of money) since it is thirty six volumes long.

Hana Kimi- Another great gender bending shoujo manga. Again, a romantic comedy. A good manga for anyone looking for light entertainment. (23 volumes)

Itazura na kiss- Another manga classic. Might be good for your idealistic friends. The romance between a complete klutz and a perfect boy heavily pushed by fate. It follows their life after marriage too. It is incomplete. Digital Manga publishing has launched a omnibus of this manga which might be a good buy for gifting. (23 volumes)

Red river- This is by Chie Shinohara who also wrote Yami no Purple eye. It has heavier historical and fantasy content than any of the mangas listed above. It is also considerably long (28 volumes). Might be good for fans of romance as well as science fiction and history.

Glass mask- Has been running for over thirty years. Might be good for ambitious people who want to follow their dreams. It is a little outdated though. It is the journey of a girl wanting to become a great stage actress. (42 volumes. Still running.)

Kare kano- Another romantic comedy with a strong female lead. Two perfect characters. (23 volumes)

Fruits basket- Is very popular among american fans. Inclines towards mystery and fantasy more than romance. Omnibus editions are available for this manga. (23 volumes)

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge/ Kaicho wa maid sama/ Skip beat/ Vampire Knight/ Ouran High school Host club/ Kimi ni Todoke- Personally, I don't like all of these but they are very popular these days among girls. Any person who likes to keep up with current trends might like this.

Yukan Club/ Spiral suiri no Kizuna/ Case closed- For any girl who loves mystery.

Nodame Cantabile is good for music loving girls.

As for anime, I don't think girls of this age would like cartoons over manga. Still, Mermaid Melody Pitchi Pitchi Pitch and any of the anime versions of the mangas mentioned above might be good.

Josei (women)

I doubt very much if women like manga since josei sells poorly even in Japan. Anyway, I am recommending these mangas.

Tramps like us- It is popular among ladies.


Hataraki man- Good for work oriented people with clear goals. Working women might enjoy this.

Nodame Cantabile- For classical music lovers. Technically, this is classified as josei.

NANA- This is a smash hit in Japan. I don't find it suitable for younger audience even though it is classified shoujo. Older women might enjoy this as it describes friendship and complex relationships combined with great illustrations.

Oshinbo- Though this is classified as seinen, I consider it general. Anyone can like food. It is a manga about food.

Maison Ikkoku- This is also categorised as seinen but females might like it more since it is romance. Honey and Clover is another manga that is realistic but not as romantic as Maison Ikkoku.

Gokusen

For women who prefer science fiction, mystery, thriller and crime, look at the seinen section below to find something suitable.

For men-

Shonen/ Kodomo (6-12)

Kids of this age are genrally open to reading comics and comics are associated with kids. Manga are a good gift for kids.

Doraemon- This is a japanese classic. Who doesn't wish they had the wish granting miracle, Doraemon? Young children, male and female enjoy this manga very much. You might also want to check out other titles from Fujiko F Fujio.

Astroboy- Another classic by Osamu Tezuka. It garned fame overseas. Astro boy is a robot like Doraemon but doesn't grant wishes. It is more serious and contains some heavy science fiction elements.

Mirmo de pon!- Another good children's but has a focus on romance.

Shin Chan- Warning- Please don't buy this for children you don't want to corrupt. It is very popular among children but is categorised as seinen. It has mostly has a negetive effect on children which has led to banning in many countries.

Kamen Rider

Shonen (11-16)

I will list the classics first which don't need an introduction. These have captured the action loving man's heart and taken the manga universe by storm. These action packed, adrenaline pumping titles are a dream come true for boys.
I must warn you that some of these mangas are unfinished but the first arc is finished for most of them. It is sold in a box set.

Slam Dunk- A popular basketball, sports manga which has sold around 120 milion. It follows the life of a beginner, Sakuragi as he ahieves his dream and becomes a skilled basketball player.

Bleach- This is reviewed on this site.

Naruto- I would recommend this anime for boys too. The anime contains a lot of filler episodes though. The manga is great and recently surpassed the 100 million mark. Another action packed, ninja title.

Dragon Ball- Hats off to the grounbreaking shonen masterpiece. It achived a lot of fame overseas. Anime is highly recommended.

One Piece- For more serious fans. It is much more than just action.

Death Note- Older teens. A dark shonen manga which involves mind war rather than fist fighting. This is recommended for boys who are inclined towards mystery and thriller genres. Review posted on this site.

Case Closed- A mysetry oriented shonen. Much like Sherlock Holmes and Poirot, but much more interesting. For mystery lovers.

Kochikame- This is not available in english. A hillarious shonen about a work shirking middle aged cop.

Fullmetal Alchemist/ Fairy Tail- I haven't read both but they seem to be popular among shonen fans.

ANIME

Yu Yu Hakusho- Legendary shinigami manga. This is THE thing for shonen fans.

Rurouni Kehsin- A samurai action manga that has earned a great male fan following.

Pokemon- This one needs no introduction. It has been going on forever with new seasons coming oput every year. Has produced a string of record breaking video games and merchandise.

Digimon- A little technical but great shonen anime.

Beyblade- After seeing this, kids will start pestering you for beyblades. It is a runaway crazy among boys. Teaches the essential lessons of teamwork and fair competition.

Inuyasha- A popular historical shonen with lots of action.

Lone Hina- A romantic comedy that might sound interesting to romantic boys.

Mahou sensei Negima

Older males (17+)

I am very doubtful if older males read comics. In Japan, seinen manga sell very well and college going and some working men tend to read these but I doubt if it is the same in other countries. Mostly in foreign countries, it is assumed that cartoons and comics are for kids.
I am recommending serious manga as well as light ones.

xxxHolic- A CLAMP manga about a witch who owns a wish granting shop where the protagonist is forced to work. Most chapters are episodic in nature. Seems to be popular in Japan. Much like Petshop of horrors but better.

Honey and Clover/ Chobits/ Maison Ikkoku- These are considered seinen bu are romance oriented.

Monster- Considered one of Naoki Urasawa's best works. Falls in the genre 'Thriller'. Other works by him are also great.

Black Jack/Hidamari no ki by Osamu Tezuka. Both contain medical elements and it predominates in Black Jack.

Golgo 13 is popular but heavy in terms of content as strictly adult rated. I wouldn't recommend it as a gift.

Akira- I haven't read it but seems to be popular and revolutionary. Detroit metal city is another seinenmanga that is gaining fame.

Dragon Zakura or GTO (Great teacher Onizuka) is for men as well as women with interest in teaching.
Fist of the northern star is a popular action seinen.


For old people (50+), well, I doubt if they read manga. But they say old age is a seond childhood so they might get some interest in manga if they read the right ones. Oishinbo, Sazae san, Sayonara Zetsubou sensei, Chibi maruko chan, shin chan are mangas that my interest them.

That's all for gifting ideas. Mangas and animes are becoming universal and are appreaciated by young people. It might be a good idea to gift people anime an manga just be sure to give them the right ones that match their interests and age. For additional ideas, check out the highest selling manga post filed under manga or news

For great bargains and places to buy, check out the best bargains post.

Happy gifting!