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Synopsis:
Saku Oyagi finally returns to his hometown after seven years of traveling around Japan because his father was constantly changing jobs. But when the first person he runs into is the very one person he hoped to avoid, the loud and childish acting Mihoshi Akeno. Even though they've known each since they were small and she has always dragged Saku along everywhere she went, often against his will, he finds that he really doesn't seem to mind it at all. But the one thing that Mihoshi enjoyed most was stargazing and generally being fascinated with the universe in general and she has always taken Saku out at night with her just to stare at the stars hanging in the night sky. Even though Saku prefers to read and write, and is constantly annoyed by Mihoshi, when he finds out the school was threatening to close the astronomy club due to lack of interest he didn't want to let the school take away Mihoshi's favorite past time and regrettably joins. After time however, the more time Saku spends with Mihoshi and the club he starts to find himself becoming more captivated with the world above rather than having his face buried in a book.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12
Review:
When you take a look at the genres that this anime falls under you see two typical tags, romantic comedy and slice of life. But, I think they forgot to add one... educational. While watching Sora no Manimani I couldn't help but shake the feeling that each episode wanted to teach me something rather than present much of a story. Sure, yeah, the plot mainly revolves around different activities that the astronomy club does to try and gain new members and even throw in a little (and I do mean a little) bit of romantic elements but with this the show always veers off and goes into indepth explanations regarding the stars and constellations. Doing things this way doesn't leave much room for any kind of plot to work it's way in but yet I was still being taught things like how to recognize different constellations or flight patterns of comets. I guess that's also the main reason I kept watching was because I was educated instead of being entertained which made for an... odd, viewing experience.
While I was going through this anime I did find myself hoping that there might some sort of romance happening between Saku and Mihoshi or something... anything... to beef up the plot even just a little bit, but... it simply never happens. After about half way into the series I realized that it's not going anywhere but instead wants to pursue this route of being a very light-hearted slice of life series that wanted to teach me something worthwhile in the process. Even though this isn't a bad direction to go it also isn't going to appeal to a whole lot of people and you're either going to like Sora no Manimani or just disregard it after an episode or so. I'll commend Sora no Manimani for it's creativity and relaxed atmosphere but with it's uneventful plot and dry humor, there is nothing here that will make it a memorable viewing experience making it difficult to even recommend this anime to begin with.
Sora no Manimani (opening)
Recommendation: |Average|
Synopsis:
The Gift, a once in a lifetime opportunity to grant a miracle for someone. However, for the Gift to work the recipient must accept it and share mutal feelings or the Gift will become distorted and may even wreak havoc on those around it. Haruhiko Amami is a firm believer in the Gift ability since if it were not for the Gift he would not be alive today. However, the Gift is an ability that is only given the the residents of the town of Narasakicho as the unknown phenomenon known as the eternal rainbow hangs in the sky above which he suspects is tied into the town's strange magical abilities. Although Amami is not fully aware of his past when his sister Riko, who mysteriously left 7 years, shows up in front of his house with a loaded suitcase claiming she's back home... forgotten emotions and a clouded history are about to be revealed that Amami had all but disregarded.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12 + 1 OVA
Review:
You ever have those times you're between anime series and you're not really sure what to watch next? Sure you have. But, how about when you see one series just sitting there that you never heard of and you read a little bit about it and it sounds interesting enough to give it a try and it turns out to be a damn good show? That, my friends, is Gift ~eternal rainbow~. The first thing I noticed about this anime is that the animation style uses a very classic style that doesn't try to be different and by doing so presents some very well drawn characters and the girls are extremely... cute, if I do dare say so myself. Now, putting that aside, let's take a look at the story itself. You have one guy and a few good looking girls, this might read like your typical harem anime it really isn't as only 2 of the girls in this story, Riko and Kirino, are the only ones who show any interest in Amami and Amami himself only has an interest in one girl and his feelings never wain, not even for a moment, in which this makes him a respectable and likable guy. I liked this approach as I didn't have to deal with watching a bunch of girls fawn stupidly over one guy but instead Gift uses this to present some decent character depth to all the wonderful ladies you encounter while watching this anime and that makes for a quite different and pleasant viewing experience.
Don't get me wrong though, Gift does have some romantic conflict and don't be surprised if you find it tearing you up inside because both Riko and Kirino make for two fantastic female leads. But Amami has his heart and soul only set on one (no spoilers) and he remains true to that fact and you can't help but have your own heart go out to both girls as you will be cheering on the recipient of Amami's feelings but also be overcome with sadness at the victim of unrequited love. Gift really is an amazing little unknown anime that has a wonderful presentation that manages to give you a great story, deep rooted romantic tension, fantastic character depth, a great cast, and a love story with the right amount of comedy thrown in that is simply a joy to watch. Put all this with it's tried and true animation style, Gift ~eternal rainbow~ is an anime that should be watched by any fan who is a romance schmuck such as myself. Don't miss out on this little known gem.
Gift ~eternal rainbow~ (opening)
Recommendation: |High|
Synopsis:
Koyuki Tanaka leads a boring life and he only has two friends. One, Tanabe, is your basic pervert that's been held back in the same grade for far too long and the other is a girl named Izumi Ishiguro that sees Koyuki as nothing more than a friend. On his way home from school Koyuki comes across a bizarre looking dog being teased by a bunch of kids. Even though Koyuki scares the kids away the dog turns and attacks him and with quick reflexes, he jumps up and grabs ahold of a telephone pole to keep from being bitten. Just then a young man with long hair calls the dog off in English, although Koyuki mistakes him for a foreigner he is actually Japanese and introduces himself as Ray Minami and gives his thanks. A few days later he meets Ray again and as a token of his gratitude, Ray gives Koyuki an old guitar as he explains that he is a guitarist himself as Ray's musical background starts to influence Koyuki to start playing the guitar and that there is much more out there than the typical Japanese pop singer.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26
Review:
Beck is sort of a coming of age story that not only revolves around one kids life changing realization but also shows everything that's involved with trying to make that dream into a reality. But the thing that makes Beck stand out is that it doesn't sugarcoat anything and that life doesn't hand you everything on a silver platter. With this Beck is not the stereo-typical anime storytelling that some are familiar with but instead a reality that some may be able to identify with, especially if you're trying to start your own band. It really does an excellent job of presenting the metal underground scene and what goes on when there's no giant stage, no multi-million dollar record company support, no popularity, but your own hard work that's going to get you where you want to go. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do even if it means dealing with all the wrong people.
The only downside with Beck is that it wastes a little too much time on things that don't affect the overall plot giving you side stories that you probably won't care about and sometimes simply dropped leaving you wonder why it was brought up to begin with. Slow and steady, Beck gets back on course with the plot but with all the side tracking the series does seems to drag on longer than it should and could have been finished up in about half the episodes.
Even though the animation is extremely bleak it actually works for the show instead of against it and the plot is a bit slow but still interesting none the less I say give this anime a try. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Oddly, when watching Beck, every time I saw them perform I couldn't help but think that they remind me of Rage Against the Machine... just saying is all..
Beck (Tribute AMV - Typhoon 24)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
Online viewing: Available at FAILimation's website, sort of...
Beck (subbed and dubbed)
*Note - Well, the pea-brained fucktards at FAILimation only put up like 3 episodes to watch at their website. Sure, *that'll* make you want to run out and buy this. Do yourself a favor and just rent it and if you like it that much after you've watched it then, well... the choice is yours.
Media type: DVD
From: FAILimation Undertainment
Spoken languages: English; Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
Tsubomi Tachibana is a fifth grader who is starting to encounter some sensitive issues in life through her slow transcendence into adulthood. She is about to become an older sister but she doesn't understand why, she finds blood in her panties but has no idea why and finds it embarrassing, and she can't understand recent feelings she's been having when being around a boy in her class named Nemoto. Nobody ever said growing up is easy and Naisho no Tsubomi helps to shed some light on what exactly is going through a young girls mind at an early yet critical point in their lives.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3
Review:
Now, I know what you're probably thinking... "What do kids possibly have to worry about? They got it easy!" Well, what this anime shows you is that there are a lot of things going on in their head but they don't know how to comprehend the situation and are afraid to ask. Well, Tsubomi explains the flip-side that you're not understanding as an adult and how a young girl views the situation before her. Although she thinks confiding in friends for advice will put her mind at ease, watching the bad advice she receives might put a smile on your face because since they know nothing more than Tsubomi does it's like the blind leading the blind. But, Tsubomi does eventually confide in adults for answers to her questions and it's interesting how the anime portrays the Gates of Knowledge slowly opening on a pre-pubescent mind and how it's comprehend.
Naisho no Tsubomi doesn't really have a plot to speak of. Instead, what this extremely short series does is show you how life is a challenge for everyone and that just trying to understand the world around you is a big part of a young person's life. Although the animation is a little dated looking, with this series spanning only 3 episodes I would say look into it if you might be interested in how the younger generation perceives the world with new emotional and physical changes that arise in everyday situations and the questions kids have but are most of the time afraid to ask. This anime is cute yet somewhat informative in it's own nonchalant way, recommended... but only if you're curious.
Recommendation: |Average|
Synopsis:
Nayu Hayama is obsessed with underwear, so much to the fact that she is an "underwear monitor" She tests out new underwear products designed by her very own brother and then reports her insight on the comfort and style of what she's wearing back to him. But, during the entrance ceremony for school as Nayu heads to the stage to give a speech as the class representative she trips and reveals her adult-styled panties to the entire student body. But after this accident, Nayu is approached by several girls interested in her style of undergarments even though she's only 12 years old. Combine this with Nayu's obsession for frilly things, she decides to start the Underwear Appreciation Society to assist girls with different types of underwear that would best suit their body. But getting the the to actually acknowledge this as a legitimate club could prove problematic.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12
Review:
Middle school girls trying on different types of panties and bras and then walking around and talking about how it feels... what self-appointed perv wouldn't be curious about this? Okay, honestly, when I read about the plot summary for this anime I couldn't help but think that the industry was really grasping for some kind of story by introducing a show about girls' underwear. But, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give Chu-Bra a try and sure enough... it was just as stupid as it sounded. Within less than 5 minutes you get a close-up of Nayu's ass which pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the series... young girls interested in adult underwear. But are you one to complain? No? Didn't think so.
From here one Chu-Bra! takes things a step forward and starts to instruct the viewer on how different underwear feels or how different styles of bras affect a girls comfort during their transcendence into adulthood. Don't worry now, this is not completely an educational anime about panties and bras, there's somewhat of a story in there on how more and more girls start overcoming their embarrassment and approach Nayu for suggestions on what bras and p-p-panties that would best contort to the curvature of their young... middle school... maturing... bodies... FFFFFFFF-HNNNNNGGGGG!! Wait, what was I talking about again?
Joking aside though, there is really no plot here other than showing you what girls think about when it comes to underwear and how Nayu's shamefulness on the matter helps other young ladies come out in the open for answers to their questions regarding secretive comfort and it also presents some very risque humor. Strangely enough I found myself actually enjoying this series but was it for the out of the ordinary story and informative insight on bras and panties or was it because I'm just a dirty old man wanting to watch half-naked girls in every episode. Hmmm, let's just say it's a little from column A and a little from column B, but in the end I can definitely say... I am now a panty professional.
Chu-Bra (opening)
Recommendation: |Average|
Online viewing available at Crunchyroll:
Chu-Bra
Media type: Internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:As the movie opens we see young Chihiro on her way to a new town, a new school, during a move and Chihiro complains the entire way. However, her father decides to take a shortcut and ends up at a dead end with nothing more than a large wall and a tunnel that is big enough to walk through. Curious, her mother and father both decide to walk through the tunnel and see whats at the other end and not wanting to be left alone, Chihiro joins them. At the end of the tunnel they discover a stone path that leads to an abandoned theme park and decide to investigate the forgotten wonder. Oddly enough what they find amongst the wreckage is a strip of food stores that have a hot meal waiting for them but no one around to serve it. As Chihiros parents decide to partake in the feast, she decides to look around some more and comes across a young man that tells her to leave immediately before night falls. Scared, Chihiro runs while noticing the shadows beginning to move with a life that is not humanly possible and as she goes back to where her parents were all she finds is two large pigs stuffing their faces. She continues to run towards the way that they came in only to come across a large lake that has now surrounded the entire area. Curling up into a fetal position Chihiro hopes that this is all a dream but as the shadows close in she realizes that this is a new reality.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1
Review:
Simply put, Spirited Away is an amazing film and I don't give a damn if it is tagged as a kids movie. Not only are you given a boisterous living parallel universe full of demons and other denizens brought to life with the use of vivid colors, but a wonderful lesson about maturing presented through the actions of one 10 year old. I gotta be honest that I was captivated by Chihiros' character and how she affected every person... er, demon... she came in contact with by her actions or just by listening and reading between the lines, that there is so much more than whats on the surface of any one being. Her innocence to all the matters at hand only fuel the the already present fantastic story being told and combining this all with superb animation makes this a film that should not be passed up at any rate. Rent this, watch it with the family, and enjoy the originality of a wonderful parallel universe to ours being turned upside down with the actions of one young girl by a most bizarre twist of fate.
Beautifully animated and a captivating story set in a world that only the stuff of dreams are made of, Spirited Away is one of the finest animated films I have seen to date and simply should not be missed. Highly recommended.
Spirited Away (trailer)
Recommendation |High|
Media type: DVD
From: Walt Disney Pictures
Languages spoken: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
Looking to pursue a life that's anything but normal, Mikado Ryuugamine transfers to a school in the city of Ikebukuro with a little encouragement from his friend Masaomi Kida. But, what he encounters may be a little more than he was looking for. Warring gangs, a secret society that exists to include everyone but then no one, a man dressed as a bartender that posses supernatural strength and a short fused temper to accompany it, a bizarre shop selling Russian sushi, a slasher that roams the streets at night leaving a trail of dead bodies but has never been seen, and an urban legend that Ryuugamine witnesses on his first night in Ikebukuro... a headless motorcycle driver named, The Black Rider. Oh yeah, Ikebukuro is far being... normal.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24
Review:
Y'know, when you watch anime on a constant basis you start to see re-occurring trends when it comes to any genre. So much to the point you almost start to get bored with everything or you already know what the show will be about and how it will end just by reading it's description. And honestly, when I read the summary for Durarara!! and looked and the artwork I was less than impressed, as a matter of fact I totally disregarded it altogether. But when online digital media distributor Crunchyroll announced they picked up this title I could have cared less but since everything Crunchyroll had obtained for that season was utterly pathetic I decided to give Durarara!! a chance as I figured, what have I got to lose... I might as well use this premium subscription I paid for. Well, let me put it this way... it only took one episode and I was totally hooked. Now, don't get me wrong, Crunchyroll still sucks peanut infused turds through a shit encrusted poop chute but that's not the point here. The main picture here is that Durarara!! is one of the most well thought out anime series to show itself in a sea of mediocrity making it one series that must be watched even if you're only a casual anime viewer. How so, you ask? Let me try to break it down for you without going into some long winded boring ass review.
What Durarara!! does so well is taking a truly strange and uncommon character set that hasn't been used before in any anme series that I've seen and puts them together in plot that they share one common element, they all know each other. But as the story moves on, even though everyone shares some sort of common bond you also get to see their dark side that they are hiding from each other. The only person that has nothing to hide is the Black Rider herself, Celty. She is a headless entity that is more than willing to show anyone that nothing exists behind that tinted visor on her motorcycle helmet but this also ties her into each character with her search for her missing head. But what of everyone else? Well, since I don't want to spoil the plot let me put it this way... Ryuugamine is the quiet guy that keeps to himself but what is his real story, Kida is his best friend and outspoken but there is something about this guy that just doesn't set well, then there's Sonohara who is a very apprehensive girl that doesn't have much to say yet she is a living age old curse, three friends that look out for each other but with their secrets that they hide have unknowingly made them each others own worst enemy.
The wonderful thing about Durarara!! is that it manages to hide this dark fact from the audience for a good portion of the show and reveals everything slowly and very effectively. This gives the show the right amount of pacing and takes the plot in just the right direction that really pushes you to want to keep moving from episode to episode non-stop. To make this trip even more enjoyable is the fact that it's Celty, the headless motorcyclist, that manages to help reveal everyone's hidden identity to each other without wanting to kill one another in the process but instead accept each other for who they truly are. Durarara!! drops in short stories regarding everyone's past that prove informative but not overly boring making for simply fantastic characterization and as everything winds down you're left with somewhat of an unfulfilling yet satisfactory conclusion. Average animation with a strong cast and deep rooted plot to back it up, Durarara!! is one show that should not be missed by anyone who enjoys anime and it is completely worthy of every minute you spend watching it.
Oh, and about the title? FFFFFFFFF... hell if I know...
Durarara!! (opening)
Recommendation: |Very High|
Online viewing: (Available at Crunchyroll) -
Durarara!! (English subtitled)
Media type: Internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
*Note - And it looks like Crunchyroll has failed again as Aniplex USA has taken this title away and will be releasing it on DVD along with an English dubbed track. You can still stream it but since streaming online licks balls, the DVD version is on the way. But, if you want to see this awesome series now then just click and watch-it! Why wait?
