Tsuyokiss

Synopsis:

Sunao Konoe, a transfer student from class 2-A, has just started going to a new school that seems to have a strong presence from the higher-ups. On her first day she is determined to join the school's drama club to become an actress just like her mother. However, she's informed that no such club has ever been established. Sunao then decides to start the club herself but must first get permission from the student council president, Erika Kiriya, who turns her request down immediately but gives Sunao one chance to entertain her with a solo play and if Erika is not bored with the performance, she will approve the club. But, things don't go as planned and the poorly constructed stage upon which she is performing... collapses. But Sunao is saved from injury at the last minute from a childhood friend she lost track of over ten years ago, Leo Tsushima, and with this accident Erika turns down the drama club proposal again. Sunao is not about to let this rest and she decides to challenge Erika whenever she can to get the approval for the club.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12


Review:

With this type of slice-of-life story telling Tsuyokiss could have gone in any number of directions but instead, it dares to be average. This show just seems to borrow all of it's comedic and romantic elements that you've seen time and time again and use them here without making any changes to make it seem different. Which is kind of a let-down because this series actually had some potential to be something out of the ordinary but instead plays it safe using humorous situations that are familiar but still manage to get the occasional chuckle out of the viewer and a romance storyline that progresses in an unsurprising manner. One thing this anime does differently is that about 90% of the female characters are tsunderes, which you would think is a good thing but instead, just seems like overkill more than anything.

Don't get me wrong, Tsuyokiss is still worth watching, but being highly predictable it takes the right mindset to sit through the series without losing interest. I'll commend Tsuyokiss for using that classic animation style that I like in an anime and it uses just the right amount of character depth, which helps offset the other cardboard cutout characters and borrowed storyline. But, if you can't make it through the first episode then you just might want to quit because, honestly, it doesn't get much better as it's all lightweight fluff. Otherwise, give it a try as it really isn't that bad of a show, it's just that it's very... typical.

Tsuyokiss (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

The World of Narue

Synopsis:

Kazuto Iizuka has a crush on the most bizarre girl in school, Narue Nanase. Narue seems perfectly normal except for one thing... she doesn't hide the fact that she is an alien. On his way home from school, Kazuto happens upon an abandoned puppy but when he picks up the cute little animal Narue is right behind him and warns him to stay away. Just then, the once adorable little puppy becomes a nasty quadra-jawed... thing and attempts to attack Kazuto. However Narue is quick to protect him and hits the strange creature with a baseball bat. As it limps away Narue chases after it leaving her bat behind that has her name engraved upon it. Curious and infatuated with this strange girl, Kazuto discovers she is in the same grade as him and decides to return her bat and irregardless of what anyone says about her and with a little encouragement from his friend, Masaki, he confesses and asks Narue to go out with him. Overjoyed with Kazuto's honesty, she gladly accepts. Kazuto doesn't seem to realize what he just got himself into but as long as he's with Narue... he doesn't really care either.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12


Review:

The World of Narue can basically be summed up in one word... cute. This anime doesn't waste any time bringing any of the plot devices out, the alien aspect is realized and set by the first episode. The remainder of the episodes are played out in a light-hearted manor that never tries to heavy-handidly force you into any real drama or action. This is actually kind of nice in the fact that you'll always know that nothing really bad will happen and any issues brought forth are resolved by the end of the episode. While I found the animation to be a little sub-par the characterization is done well in that what you're given for each person is somewhat small but does suffice for an anime of this type and put with the 'alien girl' motif the plot itself just seems to have a calming aura to it. The World of Narue is the kind of anime that should be watched after an epically depressing series or when you don't feel like riding the Great Emotional Rollercoaster and just want to kick back and relax with a mellow series. Would I recommend The World of Narue? Yes, but take that with a grain of salt because it's most endearing quality could also be it's Achilles heel... it's cute.

The World of Narue (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~

Synopsis:

Hazumu Osaragi is having a really bad day. He finally gets up the courage to confess his love to Yasuna Kamiizumi, a girl that he's admired for some time now, thanks to his friend Asuta Soro. However, she is quick to reject him. Heartbroken and depressed, Hazumu decides to take a hike on the mountain that he likes to go searching for rare flowers on but as he reaches the top of the mountain his day suddenly goes from bad to worse as an out of control spaceship crashlands... on top of him, killing him instantly. The extraterrestrial visitors are not heartless though as they immediately resurrect Hazumu but with one exception... he is now a she right down to the DNA structure. Hazumu is about to start life anew with a whole different perspective.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13


Review:

As you can probably tell from the title, Kashimashi is a yuri (lesbian) type anime and I figured it might be a nice series to pass the time with. What didn't expect is that it's perhaps one of the most compelling romance anime titles I've seen to date. The setup for the series is done quite nicely all within the first episode to set the stage for the entire series as the few friends that Hazumu has help him make the transition to living life as the opposite sex. What I also liked is that the characters are down to earth and everything is presented with just the right comedic element to make it humorous without using tasteless sexual references. Except in the case of Hazumu's dad whose always trying to get a peek in on him, uh, her taking a bath or getting her to wear scantily clad outfits and this comes across as just plain funny. The characterization is truly amazing and it's easy connect with everyone in this show as their feelings are portrayed to the viewer in a manner that's very is to understand on a mentality level. The characterization is done so well in the fact that Tomari, one of the three main girls and also the tsundere (Read the damn "What the hell does all that mean?" thread people!) of the bunch, as she's going through the breakdown process you practically feel what she's feeling at that point in time making for a much more emotional experience than what you'd normally expect.

The animation is of the typical fair but the strong romantic comedy presented here has enough drama to stir up inner feelings and also gives you the right amount of humor to make you laugh when you're probably not in the mood to and it's all put with a soundtrack that's reminisce of something from the 70's. From Hazumu dealing with his new gender and watching Tomari cope with unchanged feelings even though her best friend is now a girl, to Asuto conflicting with himself that he might just be attracted to his friend now... is all presented in one tasteful 13 episode package that should not be passed up even if yuri anime isn't your thing, even the crazy sci-fi element worked to the shows advantage. And all of this finishes up with one hell of a great ending that made me want to go back to episode one and start it up all over again.

Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ (opening)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Ceres: Celestial Legend

Synopsis:

Aya Mikage and her twin brother Aki are coming of age as they are about to turn 16. As a celebration, they are both called to their grandfathers house for the grand event. However, what awaits both of them is not birthday cake or any presents but instead a ritual... a ritual to determine if Aya is in fact the reincarnation of an angel named Ceres whose sole purpose of returning to the mortal world is to destroy the Mikage family. Destroy them for cursing her to the mortal world so long ago by a previous Mikage desendant that stole an hid away Ceres's robe, the one thing that allowed her to return to the heavens. Not only is Aya the reincarnation of Ceres but her brother Aki also holds the memories of Shiso Mikage, the man that damned Ceres to Earth and used her power to make him become the most powerful man in Japan. But Aya is rescued at the last minute by a mysterious man named Toya who she instantly falls in love with as Aki is taken prisoner so the Mikage family can awaken Shiso's power in him and destroy Ceres once and for all.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24


Review:

Y'know, I usually try to look at every aspect of an anime series. I look for the good and try to view it at every angle possible and how someone, somewhere may like a show. But this, this... oh... my... GOD!!! Ceres, Celestial Legend is a big... no, the BIGGEST fuming pile a crap I have ever had the displeasure to watch! First of all, the story, we have a somewhat interesting premise with celestial beings but that quickly jumps into the realm of stupidity as almost EVERY female in the country turns out to be a descendant of Ceres (huh?). C'mon, that's just blowing things out of proportion and making it all seem ridiculous as one or two women is believable but hundreds... please. Accompanying this lame story is the romance between Toya and Aya which shows the audience that it doesn't matter what someone is like on the inside, it's what you see before your eyes that matters. As you watch Aya instantly fall for Toya based on looks alone and he basically thinks nothing more of her other than a side of beef throughout the entire show, accompanied with his annoying as hell "pity me" emo angst and brooding silent hero attitude that make you want to laugh at the guy then push him in front of a speeding truck.

Ceres: Celestial Legend has some truly horrible animation as even though it was done in 2000, I've seen anime from the 80's that rival the artwork here. The plot is just plain stupid and the characters that accompany it do nothing more than detach themselves from the audience instilling annoyance and extreme hatred for their existence. Not only that, but the shows last ditch efforts at drama or even character depth and it's broken romance story will only have you sighing and rolling your eyes saying "Give me a break." Simply, DO NOT WATCH!!!

Ceres: Celestial Legend (AMV)

Recommendation: |None|

Kamichu!

Synopsis:

14 year old Yurie Hitotsubashi wakes up one morning and realizes that overnight, she has become a god... literally. Not one to question a new deity, her friend Matsuri Saegusa decides to test Yurie's power but instead they end up accidentally causing a typhoon. A storm violent enough that threatens to not only damage her home town but also destroy the outdoor clubroom of her secret heart-throb Kenji Ninomiya who is the president and also the only member of the school's calligraphy club. Although Yurie is able to calm the storm she also confesses her love to Kenji but amongst the chaos it falls on deaf ears. With the help of the local gods, Yurie learns to control and use her new found power to restore the town's faith in religion and at the same time balance her school life and her feelings towards the young boy known as Kenji and hopefully get the courage, and confess again.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 16


Review:

At first, Kamichu's presentation just didn't make any sense to me. When Yurie said she was a god, no one said anything, no one called her crazy or insane, no one made fun of her, everyone just accepted this fact and the show moved on. At first I was finding myself asking "Wait... what?" but instead of wondering why this anime didn't bring up all these complicated factors I decided to just shift gears and roll with it. And you know what? When I quit trying to over-analyze the show it became quite enjoyable and interesting at the same time with it's tale of local gods and what happens beyond what the eye can see. Not only that, but the character depth is about right for this series as it helps explain everyone's involvement in Yurie's life and even shed some light on their past and present emotional status but at the same time, keeps Yurie out of the overall scope of things making her somewhat of a mystery the entire time. Put this with the overall cuteness of the plot and you're left with a very relaxing atmospheric yet entertaining anime. Although the animation didn't impress me, the new angle of storytelling put with mild humor and an underlying romance that's nicely strung along through the entire series and builds itself up to a satisfying and... adorable... conclusion that makes it stand out. I'd recommend this show to anyone looking for an easy-going series that offers a little something extra with it's tale of divine power in the hands of a shy, soft spoken, yet friendly young girl and the friends that help her every step of the way with her new found divinity.

Kamichu! (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Otoboku - Maidens Are Falling For Me

Synopsis:

Mizuho Miyanokouji has agreed to grant his grandfather's request bestowed upon him in his will. To attend Seio Academy... for girls. Before he fully realizes what he just got himself into, childhood friend Mariya Mikado is at the ready with her bag of cosmetics and is more than helpful in bringing out Mizuho's... feminine side. With full compliance from the head of the school, Mizuho attends Seio Academy incognito which is met with unexpected popularity.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13


Review:

Okay, so by the title you're probably thinking that this is some run-of-the-mill ecchi/harem comedy with some doof that doesn't know what the hell is going on. Not so, Otoboku is the exact opposite as Mizuho is an extremely and maturely feminine trap throughout as the show sets out to be relaxing and just a whole lot of fun to watch from beginning to end. Through the show Mizuho helps each girl deal with issues in real life or to excel in school or even just to wear a favorite hair ribbon without being condemned by the student council president. All of this is presented with an enjoyable atmosphere that has a 99.9% predominantly female cast and never takes the story and swings the drama one way or another to any extreme but rather holds a middle ground that is very easy to watch.

The all female cast also does a remarkable job of just being undeniably cute, so much to the fact that you just want to claim each girl for yourself. Even if you see a girl with a sad face your heart will practically sink until she's wearing a smile again which is usually thanks to Mizuho's involvement somehow. The animation also stands out in that it blends both old and new school styles and puts it all together with bright, vibrant colors that accentuate the feminine disposition that the show holds over the viewer.

Although there really is no overall plot other than Mizuho hiding his true identity which really isn't much of an issue as dude looks like a lady and there is very little character depth, that doesn't prevent Otoboku from being a top notch presentation. Otoboku knows how to be hilarious without resorting to ecchiness, it uses quick resolve conflict, and gives you one of the most adorable cast of ladies ever to grace a 13 episode run making for one hell of a great time. This series should not be passed up whether you're a fan of yuri or not and no... I don't get the title either as it doesn't really fit the overall scope of the show at all.

Otoboku (opening)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Kannazuki no Miko

Synopsis:

They say on the moon there is a shrine. Why? Uh... hell I don't know. This wasn't really touched upon in the beginning so let's just skip ahead and meet Himeko Kurusugawa and Chikane Himemiya who are about to share their 16th birthday, on the same day. However instead of being a day to celebrate, an ancient evil that has vowed to destroy the Earth awakens called the Orochi and it's worshipers whom of each posses a mecha of mass destruction. One of these worshipers is Himeko's friend Souma who at first is determined to kill Himeko but by some realization he decides to protect her and becomes defiant to the god he unwittingly follows and in turn attacks the other worshipers. After a destructive battle, Himeko is left homeless and Chikane offers her a place to stay in her mansion. After the Earth shaking turn of events Souma's older brother Kazuki, who is also priest, explains to Himeko and Chikane they are the target of the Orochi because they are the only ones who can summon The God of Swords and stop the Orochi from annihilating humanity. With Souma's help, the girls start the series of events in motion to save humanity and planet Earth.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12


Review:

Seems like alot of story there eh? Well, you're right. That's kind of the problem you're going to encounter with this series, it tries to do far too much in too little time. So much to the fact that it almost feels like you're being jerked around in the story and alot of what you watch starts to become an incoherent blur and doesn't mesh well with the rest of the story elements that are being presented to you. Kannazuki no Miko wants to be a yuri romance and a mecha action battle anime at the same time and unfortunately fails at trying to mix these together making the mech battles seem practically unnecessary. For one, there are just too many of them for this short run making for roughly one battle per episode which contains nothing more than alot of yelling and fast scrolling backgrounds that ends with a one-two punch resolution. Through this chaos you're also watching Himeko and Chikane's relationship blossom but the odd appearance of huge ass mechs out of thin air and causing trouble starts to become more of a nuisance because the romance gets put aside so you can watch some over glorified fight with big robots.

I'll say this, Kannazuki no Miko is one of the few animes that has a bizarre cast of people bent on destroying Earth as they all had very colorful personalities. The sad thing is that nothing, NOTHING, is explained as to why they hate humanity so much other than a still frame showing some agony in thier life and that really could have been dwelled upon and even showed their side of the story and maybe stir up a little inner conflict in the viewer but alas... you get nothing. This is one anime that could have gone into the 20+ episode region and garnished more interest but as it is, it remains a confusing rush of plot devices that are just being way more complicated than they needed to be. Even the romance aspect between Himeko and Chikane gets sidetracked sometimes and if it were not for the over-dramatized final episode this anime probably would have fallen deeper in the realm of "wait... what?"

Recommended? Not really... even though the animation is decent, the mechs, action, yuri (lesbianism), magic girls, just don't work together very well here. Other than the catchy opening and closing music by Kotoko... there's not much here to get you through the series without losing interest.

Kannazuki no Miko (opening)

Recommendation: |Below Average|