Shin Sekai Yori

Hey Everyone!

Its Otaku-Chan Here again!

Sorry its been so long since I've reviewed anime but there have been some really epic animations that just wrapped up!

Today, First on the hit list will be Shinsekai Yori! or for those of you who are awesomely bi-lingual! 'From the New World'

The story follows 5 students - Saki, Shun, Maria, Mamoru and Satoru - students who attend a Sage Academy, when they learn to control their 'Cantus' (psychokinetics) They live in a peaceful area, Kamissu 66th district, until they discover the 'true' nature of their society on a Camping Trip after encountering a 'False Minoshiro'. Its here where the series does take off the gloves and definitely throws some heavy hitting punches! With the death of Shun and the disappearance of Maria and Mamoru, the arrival of the 'fiend' and the destruction of Kamissu 66th district and then the epic journey to an ancient civilization - Japan! 

The characters are delightful loveable and dreadfully naive. The time skips throughout the series shows the characters progression in an very interesting fashion. They'll make  you laugh and they'll make you cry and being comprised of 25 episodes, its hard to feel a little attachment to them. Sadly however, 2/5 characters from group 1 actually survive the whole ordeal and at some points I was actually preparing myself for a sad ending! However, all's well that end's well!

The story is absolutely amazing. There is a lot of smoke and mirrors and throughout the series I was almost paranoid of every 'Queerat' in site along with every member of the 'Board of Ehics'. And with the red herring of 'Fiends' and 'Karma Demons', the series really does pick up the pace with seriously major plot twists throughout the series especially at the end. 

The musical score is awesome! A real treat for the ears along with the opening theme and the ending themes! Soooo good!

I know that this particular animation series isn't really action orientated. There are some action sequences, they're short but definitely cool! There's nothing more satisfying that using your cantus to make a whirlwind of fire! Really cool graphics!

All in all, the animation is a bit different from what I'm used to, but by no means is this a bad thing! It really does go hand in hand with the story and the characters! I would definitely recommend this be one of 2013 best animations you have to watch! However, I wouldn't advise that this series be watched by young kiddies as it does explore some mature and relatively dark themes.

Audio - 9/10

Video - 9/10

Star Rating - 5/5 stars!

Thanks for reading this review of Shinsekai Yori! Its been a long time coming!

Otaku-chan out!

Shin Sekai Yori - Episode 22

Oh hai!

I have been waiting for this episode so badly! Last weeks episode was a major cliff hanger for me! but no more! We find out that our Heroes, Saki and Satoru, along with Kiroumaru (the leader of the hornet colony) and Inui are making the treacherous journey to Tokyo in search for the weapon to defeat the fiend. The weapon itself is fittingly called the 'Psychobuster'. What a epic name to call a weapon against Cantus users!

The episode starts of with our heroes acquiring what is a 'false minishiro' that has the ability to reveal the location of the Psychobuster! Then they go on the most outlandish submarine i've seen.

(Its not a ninja star...its their submarine! I want one so bad!)

(Guys....I had a bad taco)

After destroying the queerats they are now being stalked by Yakomaru and the Fiend leading the group to what seems to be a now desolate Tokyo. Its revealed that it has been destroyed towards the latter part of the ancient war that took places ages ago. It seems to be very arid and according to Kiroumaru, there are 'monsters' in Tokyo!

Apart from from traversing the surface of a devastated Tokyo, the group are then spotted by Yakomaru and his fiendish entourage! At which point, they decide to go the the 'depths of hell', a series of catacombs filled with all sorts of nasties! At which point the episodes ends! 

I cannot wait for next weeks episode!

Otaku-chan Out

Shin Sekai Yori - 21

Oh hai!

Its Otaku-chan here! Lately I've been down with cold but now I'm back and ready to write more awesome reviews! Again I'll be doing an episodic review of the series 'Shin Sekai Yori' or From the New world! This series hasn't finished yet either but I seriously cannot stop watching it. It's so intriguing that it pulls you into 'its' own little world.

For those who are considering watching this series, now would be a great time to start!

(so much fun!)

This weeks episode picks up where Saki and Satoru have been chased by a 'Fiend' - humans who have essentially gone insane, have ridiculous cantus abilities and of course don't suffer from 'death feedback'. The most powerful sage, Shisei Kaburagi, literally got bent in half...what a painful way to go!

 At which point Saki and Satoru make a mad dash to the 'Security Council Center  where they meet Inui-san who reveals the most shocking twist of all.

The queerats have trained a 'fiend' and have released it on the Kamisu 66th district, destroying human life with the ferocity of a murder hungry animal. The fiend, who is a child is now revealed to be Maria's and Mamoru's child, who had been taken away since birth and raised along with queerats. Having waited 10 years for the child's cantus to awaken, Squeeler's full plan comes to view.

Finally Saki and Satoru realize that it has been Squeelers plan all along, not to kill humans, rather, to capture human babies in order to raise his army of fiends. With this, the queerats can literally dominate the world!

I don't really know when this particular series will end, but I hope it never does! I'll definitely have to do a full series review but for now, Episodic Reviews it is!

Otaku-chan out

Maouyuu Mao Yuusha

Oh Hai!

Its Otaku-chan here and I just couldn't wait until this particular series was over so I decided to do episodic reviews as fast as I can watch them! Maoyuu Maou Yuusha! Epsiode 7!

There isn't too much fighting action compared to episode 6 but it definitely is trying to improve is fan-service.

The Knight and Hero enjoy are sparring lesson which seems to denote they're getting awfully close, even though the romantic feelings are one sided! and for some very very awkward moments like this!

The Devil and Knight also keep upping the antics in order to secure the Hero's love....also leading to another epic awkward moment....

Apart from the laugh and giggles that I got when i watched this episode, Nothing compared to this solution that both the Devil and the Knight come up with! 

What a lucky man!!!

The war itself has seem to have subsided for now, and yet they all seem to know that their current peace isn't going to last. A few more plot points are developing being that the Devil must renew her King of Demon License to which she must return to the underworld, and that there seems to be some Humans planning to disrupt the peace. So look forward to the next episode!

I know I am!

Otaku-chan Out!

Witchblade

Oh Hai!

Its Otaku-chan here! This time doing a review for a well known animation series, 'Witchblade'. It was originally a comic book series that progressed into a TV show and then adapted into an animation and manga series which is definitely worth checking out!

Sought by the greed of men since the dawn of human kind, but only bestowed upon the women whose fate it forever scars...the Witchblade. Is it the righteous sword of God? Or hand of the Devil himself? Now a new bearer has been chosen. And she must discover the answers for herself. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin. - Prologue for each episode
There are a plethora of reasons to why I love the animation series 'Witchblade'. The universe is so expansive and thorough, there isn't a moment where the story hasn't been already 'fleshed' out! Apart from the anime babes making me think the wrong things, the series plot points, different approaches and ofcourse the characters really do make it on my list of 'Animation Series to watch before you expire'.

Before we begin, I thought I might just explain what the 'witchblade' actually is. And its not much. Its simply a magical sentient artifact that imbues its wearer or host with unimaginable power at the expense of ones own life. It has been describe as having participated in many wars, often by those who have sough to gain its powers!

Witchblade's plot is incredible easy to understand despite it being a very expansive universe. From the very beginning  we already understand that the 'end' will be tragic. The series itself follows Masane Amaha who seems to be unaware that she is the wielder of the 'witchblade'. She is an extremely kind woman but is incredibly clumsy and has no recollection of her memory during the 'Great Quake'. In flashbacks, she is suspiciously found unhurt while carrying a baby in her arms which she now adopts as her child. As soon as they arrive they are caught in a power struggle between a mega-corporation and a government agency and that's where the story really begins.

The characters really do make this series incredible to watch. Despite her clumsy appearance, Masane is really a caring mother who literally gives up her life in order to protect her daughter even though they are not related directly by blood. She, however can transform in a ridiculously seductive blood-thirsty machine of mega-death! I guess you could say that her daughter, Rihoko, is her humanity. Something that grounds the main protagonist. Rihoko is absolutely adorable and displays wisdom and maturity, something her mother lacks! This dynamic mother-daughter duo makes this particular series 'Great!'. Something that really stands out above other animations!

The real sweetener in the deal is the action. Specifically the action sequences  They are somewhat transcendent! They seem to be carefully choreographed and yet they are still able to retain that raw element of power, literally destroying everything that gets in the way! The explosions are amazing! Whenever there are fight scenes, its like fireworks of complete and utter destruction...on a screen! Of-course, having armored clad women fighting is also a plus in my Otaku guide journal!

In the end, the series itself has a high standard to live up to and it seriously does! The women, the action, the utter level of destruction is mind-blasting! Honestly, I felt a bit sad that the series was only 26 episodes but it was definitely well planned out, the characters all fleshed out. It truly is amazing! Its definitely has my recommendation!

Audio - 10/10
Video - 9/10
Star Rating - 4.5/5 stars!

Its has been my pleasure writing this review of such a legendary animation series of this calibre.
From your friendly friend,

Otaku-Chan

Elfen Lied

Oh hai~!

Its Otaku-chan here! Sorry for not being able to post on daily basis but I will try my best! First up for this new week, is one animation series that is horrifyingly delectable! Its a real blast from the past and yet, I've watched it over 50 times! Elfen Lied! Its a series that has burnt itself into my heart through my eye sockets! Here's why!

The series itself centers around a mutant species of human, called Diclonii. They are distinguishable by the little horn-like features that protrude out of their skulls, reminiscent of a devil of sorts. They also have the ability of 'vectors', invisible arm things that can (and will) make humans into a slushi. The extent of which these vectors can extend and the amount of vectors per Diclonii is dependent on the indivual. Needless to say, every singly female Diclonii spells bad news for all humanity. Anyways, 'Lucy', one of the main protagonists of the series breaks out of an experimental island compound, makes it shore however is injured and develops a child like state of mind. She is found by Kohta and his cousin Yuka which she now resides with while fending off assault teams and other members of her own kind.

The characters themselves are amazing. For example  even though 'Lucy' has split personalities, she is an extremely likable character. Throughout the series she is referred to as a monster by other children and is often subjected to horrendous bullying by 'human' counterparts, thus she develops a hatred to all humans with the particular exception of Kohta. In her child-like state, she is 'kawaii' to the MAX! Kohta himself is a pretty smooth character though he's completely oblivious to the feelings of 'Lucy'. Without too many spoilers being revealed there are a lot of other characters that do contribute to the awesomeness of this series.
The real 'meat' of the series is the themes that are involved throughout 'Elfen Lied'. It explores the effects of social alienation, prejudice, revenge, jealousy and the value of humanity through what I would say extremely 'graphic violence'. To be honest it is quiet a dark series but I really felt for the character 'Lucy' who seems to be always drawing the short end of the stick. This series doesn't sugar coat the themes that it explores, it rather does it 'bluntly'. Shock and Awe.

Despite being a extremely gore production, Elfen lied is an incredibly sad and tragic love story. Often it left me in tears just through the sheer amount of pain, sorrow and anguish the characters were put through but it really did make this series one of the very best to this very day! But for those who love drama as well, never fear, Elfen Lied will definitely satisfy your needs. This animation series has everything that makes a series great!

The music and art style in this series was absolutely enthralling. Every soundtrack that was in Elfen Lied was mind blowing. The music matched every scene and every detail and I couldn't help but find myself forming an incredibly emotional attachment to this series! I truly believe that every scene especially from the opening theme and ending theme was beautiful!

All in all, this series is a really merit to the anime community. I would definitely recommend this series to all you mature folks out there, it will at times, have you in tears of sadness and tears of joy, buy more importantly it will make you really 'think' about humanity and its values...
Video - 9/10
Audio - 10/10
Star Rating - 4.5/5 stars!

Its has be splendid returning to my workbench and doing a review as awesome as this. Elfen Lied is a wonderful animation despite its graphic interpretation of human social values!

From diclonii-friendly friend,
Otaku-chan!

Mysterious Girlfriend X

Oh Hai~!

Its your one and only Otaku-Chan here again, doing what I do best! Today we are going to step into the realms where romance and weird come together, spawning one of the strangest animation series that I have seen to date! Welcome to 'Mysterious Girlfriend X', otherwise known as 'Nazo No Kanoho Ekkusu'. Its is a fairly new animation series, only being adapted and released in 2012.
This series in particular is an absolute delight to watch and yet again, it's set in at school. It follows the Akira Tsubaki and the very mysterious Mikoto Urabe. Things begin quiet quickly where Tsubaki becomes ill to which Urabe, offers him her saliva! That's right! Her saliva to which is reluctant to try. Through a series of events, he becomes addicted to her saliva and from there the story progresses albeit in a fashion that made me really consider what an Otaku really was! Don't misunderstand, this series is hilarious to watch!
The characters are hilarious to watch and I found them very like-able. Akira Tsubaki is just your plain average joe until he becomes addicted to Urabe's drool. There's really nothing that stands out about him in particular. That is seriously where this series shines brightest! It opens a new can of weird and mysterious that is Urabe! She is highly dangerous and skilled at using scissors, which she stores in her panties. Apart from the fact that she carries scissor's in her panties, she's pretty much outstanding in everyway. She shows high athletic abilities able to move short distances in a blink of an eye! Now, the 'drool', which happens to be the main topic of series. It really does have weird powers, from sharing thoughts, feelings and even dreams which left me thinking 'What the ...!'. The characters are lovable in their own unique way and yet still somehow relatable! Though the series and characters don't really progress very much, so don't expect too much from this series besides a good laugh.
Overall, there really isn't too much to say about the series. I would say that this series is probably not everyone first impression of great anime but I think it is in its own right. It's originality is something that we don't see to often anymore so it is quiet refreshing! All I can say that its definitely not a series that you'd want to watch seriously, its really just for a laugh with some romance and fanservice thrown into the mix. So of those who haven't seen 'Mysterious Girlfriend X', I recommended that you drop whatever your doing and start watching it!
Visual - 7/10
Audio - 6.5/10
Star Rating - 3/5 stars
It has been a pleasure again to have reviewed this series for you all! Hope you all enjoyed it!
From your friendly friend
Otaku-Chan