Review of Is This a Zombie? (2011)

Review of Is This a Zombie? (2011)

Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review.

I know it's been a while since my last review. I was on a missions trip to Nicaragua (which I will write a full blog on soon), and then I was busy with work, illnesses, and other aspects of my life upon my return. I just finished the first season/series of Is This a Zombie?, so I wanted to write the review while it's still fresh in my head.

As of this day, it has a pretty high popularity rating-in the top 100- according to MyAnimeList (1). I went in with high expectations. In short, I found this anime to be nothing special. I didn't dislike it, but I don't see anything new or exciting with it either, earning it only an average rating.

While the story has some originality, I found the plot at times to be ridiculous. I only found three of the characters likable. I didn't find the humor funny. However, the anime had me at least wanting to finish it, so the plot was at least enticing enough not to drive me away. However, that alone couldn't earn this one a high score.

Story:

The basic story follows the protagonist Ayumu, who has recently died and been brought back to  life by the necromancer: Eucliwood Hellscythe (or Eu, as Ayumu calls her). In addition, he runs into a magical girl named Haruna, and accidentally steals her magic. Due to this mishap, Ayumu is forced to fight the evil creatures in her place.

Along the way, we are introduced to other characters such as the vampire ninjas: Seraphim, Sarasvati, and Yuki. The latter becomes accidentally engaged to Ayumu. This group helps with the supernatural battles. During their down time, the team hangs out like an ordinary group of friends.

The plot sounds interesting enough, were the execution not so goofy. Certain elements such as Yuki fighting with ramen noodles, and the enemies being floating whales, as well as how Ayumu has to transform into a magical girl costume to reach full potential robs the show of what awesomeness it might had possessed.

Also, this anime feels like it shoved together so many genres into one. This may sound like a recipe for disaster, but it actually works well here. At its core, I think it's best to consider this a harem with the main male character being surrounded by females (more than one fighting for his affection). Then this anime would also count as an action, a comedy, and a magic series. Personally, I think it fails at comedy, but works fine as all the others listed.

There are several boring moments, such as the bowling scene, or the part where the girls are playing what seems to be extreme Jenga, that serves no purpose to the plot, other than to take up time. Fortunately, these moments don't last long, and it quickly returns to the plot. Even if that particular plot point is over the top or silly.

Characters:

The main character Ayumu is pretty likable. He cares deeply for his friends, and constantly puts himself in danger for them. It helps that he knows he is immortal, and has no real fear of death, however, pain works the same way on him as it does on normal humans. He is a bit of a pervert, which is shown in some of his fantasies surrounding the women, but that detail actually adds to his overall character. However, it's his loyalty to his loved ones that makes him likable.

Eu, the main female, and the necromancer, has to be my favorite of the cast. Her quirk is that she has to remain silent or else cause pain and destruction to those around her. All of her thoughts and communications are written on a notepad. I like how her every interaction is based solely on action and body language, making her a more complex character. The absence of speech makes the love for her friends more amplified. Not to mention, she is the only one who is not violent with Ayumu, making me support them as a pairing.

The only other character in this series that I like is the vampire ninja, Yuki. Due to an accident, Yuki finds herself betrothed to Ayumu. She then tries her best to love him, act as a perfect wife, and make him love her, so as not to betray her laws. I like the amount of devotion she has to her people by keeping her vow, and to Ayumu for trying to make the best of the situation. I also like her for being the only one who treats Ayumu respectfully. Honestly, I think she does eventually develop actual feelings for Ayumu.

The main villain in this season is pretty interesting. I won't say much on him to avoid spoilers, just that I can feel for him and his plight. Perhaps his methods for reaching his goal are messed up, but his motivation is sound. I would have liked to get to know him a little better, as there are many mysteries surrounding him that I feel weren't resolved.

Now onto the rest of the cast. I'll begin with Haruna. When she was introduced I wanted to include her on a list of most annoying anime characters. By the end of the season she had undergone some character development, but is still a candidate for that list. The fact that she beat up Ayumu over a dream involving him as well as his choice of not wanting to kiss her made me detest her. Her arrogance also detracts from her character. She just strikes me as a selfish spoiled brat with an inflated ego.

Despite what I said about Haruna, she is not my least favorite in the series, that spot goes to Seraphim. Sera (as she is referred to) is the first vampire ninja we're introduced to. From what I gathered, their purpose is to protect the world from evil sent to destroy it. She is rude and hateful to Ayumu for no good reason. She is so cold that I find it hard to sympathize with her.  At least Haruna has a personality, but I find Sera to be lacking one. However, she does have some development on the issue of free thinking.

As for the minor characters. Orito is pretty much the typical harem anime best friend. Replace him with any other male best friend from any other harem series and there's not much difference. He serves no purpose and has nothing that stands out about him. Also there is Taeko. She is a friend of Yuki's. I get the vibe that she has feelings for Ayumu, but due to her friendship with Yuki, she chooses not to interfere. She strikes me as being kind and supportive, making her more likable than half of the main characters.

Art:

The art is decent. I really like the costumes used here. All of the magical girl garments are adorable. I think my favorite has to be Kyoko's. Also, the part where Ayumu's costume becomes cuter when more power is applied is a nice touch. I also love Eu's costume, it's cute and practical, matching her personality.

On the subject of character designs, they are rather typical. Eu is the only one who truly stands out. Her whole appearance, especially the costume is original. I can't think of another anime character who resembles her. As for the others, there is nothing that really stands out about them. Haruna, Ayumu, Sera, and Yuki all come across as generic in terms of anime design within the last decade.

I like the animation during fight scenes. They're colorful and swift, exactly the way battle scenes should be. On the other hand, I like how the more lighthearted scenes have slower animation, perfectly fitting the moment. This is a minor detail, but I do like the fluid animation used when Ayumu's wounds heal.

In all, my opinion on art and animation is positive. There's nothing spectacular, but it's still good.

Music:

The theme song is a perfect selection for this anime. It fits the overall mood of the show. It also works well with the images used during the opening sequence.

I love the violin music provided by Sera. That entire symphony played by the vampire ninjas in episode eleven is gorgeous. I actually wish that music was not interrupted by the scenes edited between. I think the fight scene could have still worked with that song playing in the background.

Each of the songs played in episode twelve is catchy. Eu's song is beautiful. Even Haruna's song is enjoyable, even if that is solely because of the energy. I wonder if full-length versions of those songs will ever be released.

In all, the music used in this anime is great.

Flaws:

I know I touched on this earlier, but it's hard to take this anime seriously. I know this is a comedy, but I didn't find the silly plot decisions funny, just ridiculous. They are fighting flying whales wearing jackets. How threatening is that? Not to mention Yuki can fight off monsters with certain recipes of ramen noodles. There is a line where the series crosses into the absurd, and that happens within the first episode. I understand that Ayumu accidentally steals Haruna's power, but to the extent that it gives him her costume? That's a little on the extreme side. I don't get how a man wearing a dress that gives him magical powers is funny. Then towards the end (excluding episode twelve) the series tries to take a serious turn, but it doesn't work when ridiculous stunts such as instrument playing to ward off evil spirits, or killer plush toys are being used.

Secondly, and, I know I've mentioned this so many times in previous reviews that I must be sounding like a broken record. Maybe someone can explain this to me, because I don't get the humor in it. Is This a Zombie? is yet another anime in which the women beat up on the male protagonist for no good reason. Okay, when he crosses a line, or does something legitimately perverted, I understand. However, there is a moment in which Haruna has a dream involving him, and she gets angry and clobbers him for it. What more, Sera defends her. Another example is when Ayumu does something that nearly kills him to save Yuki, and immediately after she attacks him for merely calling her by her last name, instead of the more intimate first name. I may be wrong, but that's not the way to show someone gratitude. This type of humor has been overdone in anime, especially in this one, and I just don't find it amusing.

That brings me to the next thing I want to talk about, and that is on the subject of relationships. How am I supposed to believe that one character has developed feelings for another when she treats him so horribly? I see this a lot in anime as well, in which the female shows her "affection" by behaving so awful towards the lead male. There is a scene where Haruna is truly upset that Ayumu refuses to kiss her (not to mention he doesn't love her, at least not at this point), and because of his choice to not partake in an intimate gesture with someone he doesn't have romantic feelings for, Haruna pummels him. How am I supposed to root for her, and hope a relationship forms between the two of them, when I see how abusive she is? (It's not just Haruna, I'm just used her as an example.)

Lastly, I wasn't impressed with the ending. There could have been so much more, and I feel it was lacking. I'm talking about the actual climactic ending of episode eleven, not the filler episode twelve, which was pretty funny (one of the few times I actually laughed during this series). I just felt it was a lot of build up for a low payoff.

Conclusion:

Is This a Zombie? has an original premise, even if it is beyond ridiculous at times; the silly plot points do take away any seriousness from this show. The two leads are likable, but many of the other characters not so much. The art is good, and there are some great moments of animation. The music is enjoyable. The humor however is lacking. I don't find character abuse funny, and that's the majority of the "comedy." The ending was also less than satisfying.

In all, I would say this anime is decent, but it's nothing special. It doesn't deserve to be on the bad end of the spectrum, but I also wouldn't rank it among the best. It's somewhere in the middle. I was entertained, but it's not likely that I would watch it again. There are other seasons, but I'm not rushing to watch them anytime soon.

Is This a Zombie?: 5/10

Beverage: Pink Lemonade

Music: Sleeping Romance


1. "Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?" MyAnimeList (2015). July 21, 2015.
           http://myanimelist.net/anime/8841/Kore_wa_Zombie_Desu_ka

2015 Mission Trip

Tomorrow I will be heading out for my first ever mission trip. Fifteen people (including myself) from my church will fly into Managua, Nicaragua for nine days of service to God and our fellow men.

This is something I have prayed about, and something I've wanted to do for years, I just never had the courage to sign up. Early this year I went to one interest meeting and I had this strange feeling that this is something I needed to do. I kept getting a feeling of encouragement whenever I considered possibly joining the team.

I had every reason not to, but no matter what excuse my mind tried to rationalize, it worked itself out. For instance, I figured my boss would not let me take off that much time for the trip, but she assured me it would be fine. Also, I worried about the financial cost, but the money was never a problem, and I still had enough to pay my bills. Lastly, I even wondered if I would miss my sister's baby shower, but she moved the date to the following weekend. Everything falling into place is a clear answer that if God wants something to happen, it's going to happen.

I have everything packed. All that's left is for me to board the plane. I've done what I can to make myself mentally prepared (mostly prayer, daily time in God's Word, and listening to calming music). I'm not even nervous right now. It's weird that I can feel my friends' prayers, perhaps what's easing any possible forming worries. I've done everything I can, and now it's time to just rely on the Lord, and let Him have the reigns.

Everyone from my church who has been on this annual mission  trip has said it's a life changing experience, and was worth every sacrifice. I have yet to meet one person who regretted the decision to go. Therefore I am excited to see what God will do through us and for us on this trip.

I will be back in about a week and a half. I appreciate any prayers and well wishes anyone wants to offer. When I return I will relay my experiences within the next blog.

Beverage: Water
Music: Supercell

Review of Mars of Destruction (2005)

Review of Mars of Destruction (2005)

Hello, everyone, it's time for a new review. This week I will review the infamous twenty minute anime OVA: Mars of Destruction.

Before watching I had already been warned by several reviews on Youtube and on MyAnimeList that Mars of Destruction is terrible. Despite all those words of caution, I decided to go ahead and watch it anyway. Why? I wanted to see if it was truly as bad as everyone made it out to be.

In short, I don't think Mars of Destruction is the worst anime of all time (Pupa and Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan still hold the top two spots in that category), but I still give it a pretty low score. The story jumps around and very little information is given throughout, the surprise ending comes out of nowhere, the characters have no development, and the animation is terrible. However, there are a few redeeming qualities that I will explain later in this review--those alone keep this OVA from receiving the score it gets.

Story:

The story begins when two astronauts are returning from Mars. They have a cheerful dialogue just before the ship explodes. Without any explanation, or decent transition, an unknown number of months pass and aliens called Ancients have invaded earth. Three girls who are a part of a special force arrive to take down the aliens. None of them succeed, and one is killed in a gruesome manner.

The main character Takeru appears in battle armor armed with a sword that he can create at will. Takeru fights the aliens, and wins at the cost of major injuries. To be honest, this is something that I do like. Too often in anime, when in battle the protagonist wins with little consequences, so I like that this one almost cost Takeru his life, it makes the situation more grave that their top warrior is far from invincible.

From there the support team--a blonde woman, and green-haired woman, both nameless--develop a rifle to help in the next battle, while Takeru recovers. Meanwhile, what remained of the ship is to be sent to America for testing. This all leads up to the final battle between Takeru and the leader of the Ancients which includes a bizarre twist ending that feels like was made up on the spot.

I know that this feels like hardly a summary, but that is pretty much all I can give without any spoilers. In the short span of time that is this OVA, there aren't that many major plot points.

I believe that this anime had the potential to be good. However, one of the main factors against it is that this OVA is only twenty minutes long. With a plot this complex, I think it needed to be a full series, or at least a full length movie. As it is, too much is crammed in the span of twenty minutes (that includes the credits), so unfortunately a lot is left out. With more time there could be at the very least some character development, better transitions, a smoother, more coherent plot, and even some clues leading up to the plot twist.

Characters:

I don't have much to say in this segment. I feel that the characters can make or break a series for me, and in this case it's the latter. Other than Takeru, no information is given on the characters. Even with Takeru the backstory is limited.

All that the audience knows about Takeru is that he disagrees with his father's choice to use him to fight. Also, that he is just an ordinary high school student. He has no personality. Nothing is known about his life, likes, dislikes, interests, plans for the future, personal beliefs--nothing. He is a bland protagonist, that it's hard to feel any sympathy for him. On the other hand, the fact that he's a fighter who is not a macho man makes him unique in that sense.

As for the supporting characters (only three of which were given a name, and only mentioned once, or in Yamabuki's case twice), there are no distinct personalities. The audience knows nothing about them other than they are a part of a special unit designed to defeat the aliens. In fact, they could all be switched out and no one would be the wiser.

There is nothing interesting about the aliens. Even with that little information given in the ending, their motivation is not clear. They are as bland as the rest of the cast.

All of the characters are underdeveloped and boring.

Art:

Now, here is where I will give this anime some praise. I do find the character designs to be decent. Takeru has an interesting look (despite his lack of character). Even though the girls have indistinguishable personalities, have distinct designs. I do like how each of them looks different. Even with the unknown names, they can be referred to by hair colors. I especially like Yamabuki (pink pigtails) and how her cheerful design contrasts with this dark story.

However, character designs is the only place that I will praise the artwork. The backgrounds are boring. The aliens look generic. Again, other than the bold hair colors, the colors used in this anime look dull.

The animation is terrible. Everything looks like it's been filmed in slow motion. I did like the action sequences, and they could have been great, but they move so slow it ruins the sense of urgency. I don't  have a problem with slow animation if it fits, but in general fights are supposed to be quick. There is very little moment during scenes of dialogue. With such boring animation, it's a good thing this anime is so short.

Music:

Mars of Destruction uses popular pieces of classical music. To be fair, I like each of the selections used in this anime. The opera in the opening is beautiful. I also caught a bit of "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner as well as Beethoven's, "Moonlight Sonata."

So yes, I do enjoy the music used in this anime, but not at the time presented within this OVA. The use of the opera at the beginning is great. However, every other time one of these music selections were played was unfitting to the particular scene. It would be like having a cheerful, upbeat musical number played at the climactic scene in Titanic, it just doesn't fit.

Conclusion:

The story had potential, but due to time, lazy writing, or a limited budget, it wasn't given what was needed to properly develop. The characters have even less development. The plot jumped around too much, while the animation moved too slow. The music is great, but didn't fit the scene it was placed in.

If Mars of Destruction was remade, revisiting all the problem areas mentioned in this review, it could attain a higher score. However, as it is now, it's another anime with wasted potential. No, it's not the worst, but it is far from being good.

Mars of Destruction: 4/10

Frozen Doodles

One night at work (at a daycare), while drawing with a few children, I was requested to draw Elsa, then Olaf, and then a birthday cupcake. This is the result. My Elsa looks awful, and my Olaf looks funny, but I still like the picture. I did the best I could and the kids were pleased with the outcome. Anyway, this is my first Frozen fanart.

Review of The Rolling Girls (2015)

Review of The Rolling Girls (2015)

Hello, everyone. It's time for a new review!

Just a few days ago I finished the first season of the serious anime Black Lagoon. While I felt the show was decent, it has a heavy story, making me not as excited for the following two seasons right away. I was looking for something lighter, with a good amount of comedy, so I selected a new anime series titled The Rolling Girls.

The Rolling Girls is the second anime of 2015 I've watched thus far. The first was Isuca (also archived in the May 2015 blogs), which I felt had potential, but also a fair amount of flaws, earning it an average score. The Rolling Girls, however, I found much more enjoyable.

In general, I like the art, the characters, and the upbeat tone of the series. My major complaint is that there is a lot of information crammed into any given episode, and that the series takes a serious switch in tone towards the end. In all, I think The Rolling Girls is fun, but it's far from perfect.

Story:

Okay, this is probably the first time I have ever written/and probably will write, that it took over half of the series for me to understand what's going on with the plot. It is also important to know that this anime is not meant to be taken seriously. I would also advise to give this show a fair chance before quitting less than halfway. I understand it's confusing at first (and even in the end some things are not explained), but I am overall satisfied by the end.

The first episode begins with little exposition explaining that a war took place that divided Japan into separate countries. Each of  these new countries is protected by and/or governed by a Best--someone who has super powers, believed to have derived from magic heart-shaped stones that rain from the sky, created from a human's deep desire or passion. These powers can range from super strength to elemental manipulation, to the ability to make fantastic works of art. The Best is supported by a team that is referred to as the Rest.

The action begins rather rapidly in which one Best, Shigyou, starts a fight with Masami (Maccha Green as her superhero name) for control of her land. Through the use of a trick, Masami's team wins. In the second episode both fighters are critically injured after a battle and their stones stolen away.

In order to make herself useful Nozomi, the protagonist and close friend of Masami, offers to take her place as a peace broker. Nozomi teams up with three other girls: Chiaya, Ai, and Yukina, to travel via motorcycle to the various Japanese countries in attempts to act as peacemakers among their civil battles.

As payment for their help, they are promised the magic stones. Meanwhile, both Chiaya's mother, and another organization are trying to collect the stones for mysterious purposes.

The plot itself doesn't actually begin until the third episode. The first two episodes focus more on the two Bests Masami and Shigyou. While those episodes are interesting, I do like it better when the plot actually moves.

I would classify this anime as an adventure story in addition to a comedy. The premise is basically four girls on a journey to pretty much help out with whatever they can. It does have a  lot of slice-of-life elements as far as the friendships are concerned. However, the fact that there are a lot of random magic moments keeps the audience reminded that this is still partially a fantasy story.

There is a blend of anime genres here. You have some adventure, some slice of life, tons of comedy, a good dose of magical girl, some shonen battle, a bit of fantasy, some random sci fi moments, and even a pinch of mecha in the last arc. After finishing the series I wonder if this was done intentionally to pay homage to the different styles of anime.

I do like the comedy used here. For one, the humor is clean. The comedy is based around the four main characters' distinct personalities. For one, there is a running gag about a character who is horrible with directions, and is constantly getting lost, yet denies it whenever questioned. Also the fact that the people who asked for help are expecting the heroic Masami, but are receiving four people who have no real skills or talents welcomes good humor.

If you try to take this show seriously, you're not going to like it. However, if you accept it as the light-hearted comedy that it's intended to be, you'll probably enjoy it.

Characters:

For the most part I found the characters to be likable. There's nothing you haven't seen before in anime, but that's not to say it's not a decent cast.

First up is the protagonist, Nozomi. She heavily admires, and is devoted to her city's Best, Masami. When she takes over as Masami's substitute on the road, she tries her hardest to do a job worthy of Masami's name. The problem is that often times Nozomi fails. Add that to the fact that she's working her hardest brings the comedy. Sadly, since she is the main character, compared to everyone else I do find her bland. She has no real personality for the majority of the series. There is some development as the show progresses, but I find everyone else more interesting than her.

Next up is Chiaya, the daughter of the group's president. Of the four mains, I find Chiaya to be the most likable. She is sweet, albeit naive due to  her past of solitude. Her mother is overprotective and keeps Chiaya locked away from people except on special occasions when she is allowed to leave the house. All she wishes for is to have one great adventure with friends. When she is finally given that opportunity, she plans to enjoy it to the very last drop. Chiaya also has several quirks such as constantly taking pictures, and that animals tend to be naturally comfortable around her.

Next is the comic relief character of the show: Yukina. Yukina's main quirk is that she has no sense of direction. When she is first introduced it's mentioned that it took her three days to find a location that should have only taken her minutes to reach. Also, she desires to be an artist, but due to her unique way of drawing faces, her finished products often receive negative (however polite) reactions. She is also portrayed as being clueless, but she is always among the first to volunteer to help, and proves herself to be a good friend time and time again.

The last of the four main girls is Ai. She is portrayed as being selfish and unintentionally rude. Her main goal is to gain possession of one of the heart stones so that she can become a Best. She believes that she is a tough fighter despite having no talent or training, and repeatedly ends up embarrassing herself by instantly losing when starting a fight against a Best. Ai's main quirk is her endless appetite, which sometimes annoys her companions.

All four girls have their own personalities, and each of them add to the story and the comedy in their own way. While each of them fail to equal Masami, it is interesting to watch how they will solve the current problem at hand.

The next character is not a main, but still I find to be important, that is Momiyama. Momiyama works for Chiaya's mother, and he is assigned to collect the stones in addition to bringing Chiaya back home. One of the major subplots is the mystery behind Chiaya's mother not wanting her daughter to socialize. Momiyama acts as a foil for her mother, as being someone who does understand Chiaya, provides her with a motorcycle, and acts as a guardian for her by allowing her to enjoy this road trip instead of intervening the way his boss wants him to. I do like that he offers support for Chiaya. What more, Momiyama has quite a few awesome moments himself during his action scenes in which he resembles a secret agent.

Throughout the series the girls come in contact with a variety of characters in the various countries they visit. Probably the most notable would be Kaguya who is pretty much the only person who asked Nozomi to butt out. In my opinion she is the most developed of the minor characters, and even more so than the protagonist herself. I did enjoy Kaguya's inclusion in the final battle.

Other than Kaguya, I did enjoy the two episode arc that takes place in Kyoto. I do like the characters of Misa (the rocker) and Mamechiyo (geisha in training). Even the antagonist of that arc is likable and funny. I will admit that episodes seven and eight are my favorites, thanks in large parts to the side characters presented.

Art:

If there is one word I can use to describe the art style of The Rolling Girls it would be: colorful. There is such a good use of color in this anime. The characters' costumes, the settings, the attacks. Even the stones they are collecting are bright pink. The fight scenes use burst of colorful energy. One of my favorite moments of animation is in episode eight, where a fire punch takes out a rocket and creates a rainbow cloud. Some of the settings such as Tokyo and Kyoto have bright and distinct color. In the Tokyo arc, the colorful settings are a nice contrast to the black cloaks the characters wear.

The character designs are cute without being overly so that it distracts from the story. I do like that each character has their own style. Even the designs of the side characters reflect that specific culture. Of all the character designs I like Kukino's the most (the antagonist in episode eleven): the fact that she is dressed so cutesy and in pink despite her age and the demon name she is given.

The animation is great. This show has a lot of high energy which is matched with the animation. I love watching the fight scenes. Everything is so fluid with the movements, periodically followed by colorful energy waves. I like the animation of the motorcycle race in episode six. I like that there are some cute and funny facial expressions as is common in anime, but they're not exaggerated.

Music:

The opening theme song is cute and catchy. I think it is cute that the girls are singing the opening song as if they are a band giving a concert; it's just a nice and creative touch that matches the tone of the anime. The same can be said about the song itself: it's cheerful and upbeat.

I also like the song that is played during the concert in episode eight. In my opinion, it is one of the best moments in the series.

Other than that, I don't remember much else about the music in this show.

Flaws:

The last third of the anime changes its tone. Something I enjoyed about this show is the fact that it is so cheerful and comedic, but then it tries to be more serious in the last three episodes, which I won't say ruins it, but it's such a sharp turn. I've seen this done several times in anime (both seasons of Black Butler for instance) where the show is mostly comedy, then for a dramatic ending will change its tone so late in the series that it can be difficult to adjust to. For the most part the story had included drama, but presented it in a humorous manner, but the last third was a huge tone shift. However, before it dove in too deep, the mood returned to its earlier state again, so I won't deduct too much for this one.

Secondly, there is a major plot twist concerning one of the characters that seemed abrupt. There is only one brief allusion to this plot point earlier in the series, so quick that it is easy to miss. I even misinterpreted it the first time I saw it. I think that twist still works in favor of the story, so I'm not going to consider that a flaw in itself, just the way that it is suddenly presented without much foreshadowing.

Thirdly, I found the main antagonist of the story to be a major letdown. Even now as I'm reviewing, I'm not sure what her motive, or even her goals were. She is introduced about halfway through the series as another who has an interest in collecting the heart stones. I'm not sure of her reason for collecting those stones. It's never explained what she wants with so many, and her overall plan doesn't even include them. I just feel she fell victim to the "twelve episode--not enough time for development of character or plot" syndrome.

Lastly, on that same note, I do feel that the plot itself could have been expanded were it not for the limit of twelve episodes. Even an extention to sixteen or twenty could have made room for more development. I do like the ending, I feel it's one of my favorite endings in anime, but there could have been a little more in each arc instead of trying to cram the arc into two episodes. Trust me, there is a lot happening in each episode.

Conclusion:

In all, I found this anime to be enjoyable. I like the characters, the art and animation is wonderful, I found the comedy to be genuinely funny. The story, albeit odd at times, is original. I looked forward to watching the next episode when finishing the previous. I also like getting a good glimpse at many different aspects of Japanese culture throughout this series.

However, there is a lot happening in each episode that could have been resolved by allowing it to flow into additional episodes instead of containing it within an even twelve. Also, the tone shift, and major plot twist were too sudden for my liking.

Overall, I did enjoy The Rolling Girls. If I have some free time, I wouldn't mind watching the entirety of the series a second time. It's humor and story is not for everyone, but I still would recommend it.

The Rolling Girls: 7/10

Beverage: Green Tea

Review of Zombie-Loan (2007)

Review of Zombie-Loan (2007)

Hey, everyone. It's time for a new review.

It seems that recently the zombie genre has gained a lot of popularity in the media, with shows such as The Walking Dead on TV, and movies like World War Z and Warm Bodies. In addition there are zombie parties, and artists depicting popular celebrities or characters as zombies.

I for one have never been a fan of the zombie subgenre of horror. I do like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland due to the fact that they are both comedies that include animated corpses. Even with the latter portraying zombies in a more intelligent fashion, the zombies of today resemble the classic types such as Night of the Living Dead. Well, there does seem to be a show that breaks zombie stereotypes, that being the anime series Zombie-Loan.

I first watched Zombie-Loan about five years ago in my college's anime club. I was surprised to see the zombie genre tackled in a different manner. For one, there are different types of zombies: some that have their own will, some that are more intelligent, and some that just haven't died properly and survive on basic animal instinct. Another difference is the fact that two of the main characters who happen to be zombies are well, attractive. Neither of them show any signs of decay, they still have basic human needs (eating and sleeping), and they have their own thoughts and feelings just like any normal human being. In fact, had it not been for them constantly discussing what they are, and their superhuman abilities, it's possible to forget they are the living dead.

Story:

The story of Zombie-Loan is quite creative, at least in terms of the horror genre, specifically zombies. For one, this is a zombie show that's not that scary. There are a few images of "classic zombies" that might frighten anyone who is opposed to that kind of stuff, but for the most part, the story is not focused on scaring the viewer.

The plot follows a shy and easily scared high school girl named Michiru. She is an orphan, who will inherit a large sum of money when she reaches legal age. Due to this her relatives keep her with the promise that they will receive half of the inheritance on that day. Despite this, they still despise having her in their house, and treat her unkindly. In addition her "friends" at school are verbally abusive and seem to enjoy tormenting her, treating her as their servant rather than an equal.

One day when retrieving the snacks during lunch period, she trips over an object that turns out to be Chika's right hand. Therefore she meets Chika and Shito, two teenage boys who are famous for having survived an accident several months back in which everyone else involved died. One of her acquaintances are curious as to why those boys are speaking to Michiru and she snatches Michiru's glasses from her face. In this moment it is revealed that Michiru has a special ability to see rings around a person's neck indicating how close they are to death. Since Chika and Shito both have black rings she believes they are maybe hours from death.

After nightfall Michiru follows the boys into the school cemetery to warn them about their condition. She sees them remove and exchange hands then summon weapons. Michiru then witnesses them kill a zombie dog.

The next day Michiru learns that Chika and Shito are in fact zombies who are borrowing life and will need to repay their loan within a year in order to regain their real lives. They earn the necessary money by hunting down and killing dangerous and/or illegal zombies, afterwards, they guide their souls into the afterlife. The boys believe Michiru's special ability will help them in their quest and decide to include her as a part of the team.

That is all just in the first episode. Right about now this story sounds pretty awesome. To be honest, I thought it was. Episodes one through six intrigued me, especially the plot twists in episodes five and six. Episode seven is pretty much a filler episode, but it was still enjoyable.

However, in episodes eight through eleven the plot took a sharp turn and the story went in a strange direction. I won't say that I found the latter half of Zombie-Loan to be boring, so much as confusing and straying too far from the original premise. What more, the new direction felt rushed, and wasn't fully explored, leaving quite a few unanswered questions. Not to mention there was a major reveal about a certain character that seemed to have come out of nowhere. I also felt that the ending was too abrupt. Perhaps this is better explained in the manga, or would be build upon in a non-existent second season, but as it stands I feel unsatisfied with the second half of the series.

Characters:

The characters in this story are decent, but I feel that only a few of them really stand out.

To begin with there is the main character, Michiru. She is shy and a pushover.  She's okay, but there's nothing that makes her an incredible protagonist, she's actually kind of bland. In one of the last episodes it's revealed that she adores cute things, but other than that not much is given on her likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, immediate goals, hopes for the future, etc--she's just kind of there. What more she never shows much emotion on her subject of her deceased parents. Other than her special ability to see how close a person is to death, she is shown to have no other talents or ambitions. At the very least she does have some character development halfway through the show. In the first few episodes she is portrayed as easily scared and screams a lot. Of course that is a realistic human reaction to coming across a band of zombies. A little later on she does gather some courage and confidence, mostly when someone she cares about is threatened. Unfortunately, in the last third of the anime she seems to take a back seat to Chika and Shito, who get more screen time and overall attention. While she is not annoying (at least after she stops constantly screaming), she doesn't strike me as being interesting enough to make her a good protagonist.

Next, I'll move onto the two main zombies: Chika and Shito. I'm going to review them together due to the fact they are perfect foils of one another. For one, their appearances significantly contrast. I do think it is clever for the color associated with each character is the negative of the other: Chika's hair and clothing is mostly white while Shito's is primarily black. I won't necessarily say hate, but these two strongly dislike one another, however, due to a mistake they are forced to work together until their debts are paid, or they permanently die. If they spend any substantial amount of time apart, their right hands will rot, making their ability to hunt zombies near impossible. Beyond that while Shito may on the surface appear to be more polite, he is actually cold and distant due to his difficulty trusting others. On the reverse, Chika may come across as rude and complains a lot, but he is actually warmer and friendlier than his partner. I found Chika much easier to like than Shito.

Now onto the supporting characters. My favorite of the cast would have to be Koyomi. She is generally sweet and upbeat. What more, she has a second personality who goes by the name Yomi. Yomi has the ability to recall final moments of a late victim. Also she is proven to be a decent fighter as seen in episode five. She has a crush on Michiru which leads to the team using Michiru to awaken Yomi who prefers to stay dormant. As cool as Koyomi/Yomi may be, unfortunately she gets very little screen time after episode seven.

Among the others there is Bekko, or the Ferryman, who gives life loans to zombies. He wasn't given much time to develop in the anime. However, I'm very interested in learning more about him based on his last scene in episode eleven. There is also Yuuta, another zombie who has the ability to heal wounds. She has a morbid sense of humor, and while she doesn't get much screen time, she is amusing when she is on screen.

The antagonists are underdeveloped in my opinion. I don't know if it is due to the fact that there are so few episodes, and perhaps there is more depth in the manga (this is one manga that I will check out because I want answers to the many lingering questions). Each antagonist may have only two, maybe three if they're lucky, episodes to themselves. I feel that the fights with each antagonist ends too quickly, especially the one revealed in episode six--I felt that one was too anticlimactic. Overall, I feel that they're motives are never clear enough, or they don't make sense. What more I feel unsatisfied with the lack of use of the main villains of the series. They are introduced, have a little dialogue, and then do nothing else.

In short I find some of these characters okay, but other than Koyomi, and Chika for most of the time, I felt they were lacking.

Art:

The art style is decent. I especially like the design of the faces. The pink-haired golem in the last third has one of the most interesting face designs; I also like how much her innocence is displayed through her facial expressions. I also like the design of Michiru. As I mentioned before, the choice of having contrasting color schemes the two male leads is a good one.

For the most part the characters have physical variety. No two characters (well, except for the zombie extras) look alike. The one nitpick I have about character design, is that sometimes with certain angles, Chika's and Shito's bodies look weird. At times their limbs look exaggerated in length, almost out of proportion.

I like the dark, gothic feel of the setting. For instance the dormitory for special cases (such as Michiru, Koyomi, and the zombies) has a haunted house appearance. What more there is a school cemetery right outside that dorm. The same can be said about the abandoned and supposedly haunted inn that they visit for vacation in episode seven. While those designs may seem cliche were it used in a modern horror story, here I feel it adds to the atmosphere.

As for the animation, I have no complaints, but I wasn't blown away by it either. I do like the animation when a soul is released and guided into the afterlife. Also, some of the details of the battle scenes are fun to watch. It flows nicely and nothing looks out of place. However, there is nothing that stuck out as a defining moment of animation.

Music:

I hate the opening and ending songs used in Zombie-Loan. I'm actually a fan of metal and hard rock, and there have been times when that kind of music is an excellent choice ("Guren no Yumiya" in Attack on Titan and "What's Up People?" in Death Note to name two), but the two songs in Zombie-Loan were painful to listen to. I also feel that the songs don't match the tone, or the overall story. While there are plenty of serious  moments, there is also a good bit of comedy. In my opinion the theme songs just don't fit.

Several times during a dramatic moment, or right before a cliffhanger ending to an episode, there would be an ominous choir piece. I like that song and I feel that it's eerie enough to fit the tone of the show. It's also vastly different from any of the other musical pieces in this series, making it stand out above the rest.

As for the remaining score, there's nothing much that stands out. It's not bad, as there's nothing apart from the opening and ending that I felt distracted from the show, it's just average.

Flaws:

I've already discussed a few flaws I found in this series, so I'll just recap my top three.

The first of the main problems I had was that the story starts out promising, but then the plot derails and goes off into a direction that makes it feel that this turn was out of the blue, or made up as it went.

I found less than a handful of the characters interesting enough, that they alone can't carry the weight of anyone else. Then there are some that makes me wonder why were the even included since they aren't properly expanded, or serve no purpose to the overall plot (ex: Chika's family). Had the show had more episodes, and allowed the characters to have further development I might not have this opinion. And again, perhaps the manga has the depth I'm looking for.

Lastly, and most importantly, I am unsatisfied with the ending. It's too abrupt that I don't even have time to feel anything before the curtain falls. There are too many questions I feel that are left unanswered. Perhaps a possible second season or the manga holds these answers, but as it stands, I am left wanting much more at the end of episode eleven.

Conclusion:

Zombie-Loan is an original show that had a lot of potential. It has some good characters, some that were less than average, and then some that were a waste of screen time. The art is pretty good: for the most part the character designs are interesting and the settings have their own unique charm.

I expected a lot more from the protagonist who pretty much became a secondary character by the end of the series. The focus is taken away from its main objective and replaced by a strange choice of plot points in the last few episodes. Also the ending is less than satisfying. I do hope there eventually will be a second season to clear some of that up.

I would recommend this anime as it is an entertaining watch. What more it's only eleven episodes, so it won't take long to view the entire series. However, this is a time in which I would recommend the manga over the anime to fill in a lot of holes in the show.

In all I would consider this show to be average.

Zombie-Loan: 6/10

Beverage: Monster Absolutely Zero

Review of Emma: A Victorian Romance (2005-2007)

Review of Emma: A Victorian Romance (2005-2007)

Hey, everyone. It's time for a new review.

Two days ago I finished the second season of Emma: A Victorian Romance. Even though they are classified as two separate entries, I will compose a single review for both.

If I had to pick one word to describe this anime, that word would be beautiful. The story is beautiful along with the art, the music, and the characters (I found only two unlikable characters in the whole series). Overall I found it enjoyable.

Story:

The story follows Emma, a polite maid in Victorian era, London, England. Kelly Stownar, the elderly woman Emma works for is a retired governess. One day they are visited by William Jones, a former student of Stownar's. William and Emma meet and eventually fall in love.

Everything seems wonderful, right? No. Both William's family and most of society are against them because William is of the gentry class, and Emma is a commoner. That and William's father has already arranged for William to court Eleanor Campbell, the daughter of a viscount.

Through many events, other characters, and hardships both Emma and William work for a way to their happy ending.

It should be warned that this anime is slow paced. While it may seem dragging at times, I feel that the slower pace works better for this kind of story. For one, it gives the audience time to get to know the characters, and two, it makes the romance more believable when it takes time, Since this anime is supposed to be a historical slice of life, I like that it does take time for the story to get there, rather than having it happen too quick.

Also, I think it's fair to say that I find this anime to be more character focused than plot driven.

Characters:

This is my favorite part of the anime. I just love most of the characters in the series. There are only two I shook my head at, but everyone else is amazing. For the sake of time, I'm only going to touch on a few of the major ones.

To begin with: Emma. She is probably one of my favorite anime protagonists (and that's not something I can say often). Emma is kind, humble, polite, hard-working, and never once complains. Several times we see the other servants mumble a complaint, but Emma mostly keeps a cheery outlook. She stands firmly by what she believes. She is also considerate of others' feelings, as seen in the first episode of the second season by the incident with Nanette--it took a lot of kindness to do what she did when anybody else would have done the exact opposite.

Next up is the lead male: William Jones. He is the kind of guy who thinks with his heart rather than his brain. While that may be excellent several times, especially when it comes to Emma, resulting in romantic delights, other times it was shown to have caused him trouble (mostly with Eleanor). I have to admit, despite how kind William is, for the most part I found him to be immature and selfish; it wasn't until the last fourth of the second season, when he undergoes serious character development that I was able to truly respect him.

On that note, I had the same opinion about Richard Jones (William's father). At first he comes across as traditional and austere, but he too had some growth in the last few episodes of the second season. What he says to Viscount Campbell in that last episode has to be one of my favorite comebacks ever.

Now onto Eleanor Campbell. While she may be the antagonist, as both she and Emma are interested in the same man, she is not a villain. I want to thank the anime for not portraying her as such. In fact there are no villains in this story, just people. Eleanor is shown as being a nice girl who never has anything mean to say about anyone. She is seen as being kind to her maid, is well-mannered, and is trying her hardest to make her relationship with William work. I found her to be a likable character.

Of course the person to thank for the story all together is Kelly Stownar. Were it not for her, William and Emma would have never been introduced. She is a kind woman who practically took Emma in. She views Emma as family rather than a subordinate. Episode eleven shows in detail why Emma loves her so much. Even though the primary focus of the story is on the romance, I also liked watching Emma and Kelly's interactions throughout.

Now onto minor characters that I will give a brief mention. First is Hakim, an Indian prince and friend to William. He acts as William's confidant, and beyond the party boy he may seem to be, he proves himself to be a good friend and offers sound advice to William throughout the series. Next is Hans, a servant who is introduced in the second season, and the competition for Emma's affection. He may seem grumpy at first, but it's interesting to watch how he shows his love for Emma, and how much it differs from William's. And lastly is Grace Jones, the eldest Jones sister. She acts as a mother figure to her younger siblings. She is given a fair amount of screen time, and is my favorite of the Jones children.

While most of the characters are likable, there are two I just couldn't. The lesser of the two is William's kid sister Vivian. She is a spoiled brat who expects the world to bow to her. She is also extremely rude, especially for a girl of that time period. She is particularly rude to Emma when the latter comes to visit. Vivian also runs off at the mouth way too much. They worry too much about William embarrassing the family, when they should be focused on Vivian's mouth as the source of family humiliation. The second is the Viscount Campbell. He despises anyone beneath him. He has such a condescending personality, such as throwing away the glove that he used to shake hands with Richard, or blaming Eleanor for something awful that may ruin their family's reputation, that wasn't her fault. His older daughter, Monica, is obviously aware of her father's character, and loathes him for it. I just found him difficult to like.

I spent a lot of time on the characters and there are so many more who deserve a mention, but for the sake of the review I need to move on. In short, I love the characters in this anime.

Art:

The art is beautiful. The character designs are pretty, the backgrounds are gorgeous, the colors and lighting look nice.

First of all, the character designs here are different from your typical anime. For one the people are designed to look like real people while still keeping an anime charm. There are no bold hair colors, exaggerated facial expressions, chibis, random changes in animation, moeness, or anything else often seen in many anime series. The facial expressions match what you would see in real life. The faces themselves may look a little odd at first, mainly because it's different from what I'm used to.

This is later Victorian, so the fashion is not exactly my favorite from the era, but it's still pretty. There is a flashback scene to an earlier decade, so I did get to see a more preferred style of clothing for a brief moment. To be honest, I'm glad that the creators were careful to make it as accurate as possible. I will get to that topic a little later.

The locations are beautiful. I like the details of London streets: the market, the carriages, etc, especially when compared to the countryside later in the series. The houses are ornate and fun to look at. Even the shop that William frequents has its own unique atmosphere, All the details makes it feel like you're there in that time period with the characters.

The animation, however, is not the best. At times it feels like there could be more. Of course this could go back to the pace of the show. As for the faces, I would have liked to see more display of emotions from the characters. The voice acting is superb, but sometimes the animation itself feels like its lacking, due to want of movement.

Historical Accuracy:

The historical accuracy is another plus this anime had. This is the second anime I have watched that takes place in the Victorian Era. The first was Black Butler, so there are some obvious comparisons between the two. It's no stretch to say Emma: A Victorian Romance is much closer to the time period compared to something like Black Butler, which is more of a fantasy, While Black Butler had several anachronisms, Emma: A Victorian Romance is a good representation of the time presented.

I like that the characters are limited by whatever technology they had at the time. For instance, all correspondence was done via letter. Also, other than Hakim, they don't have the luxury of cars and have to get by with a carriage (if the character can afford it [one of the coolest scenes was watching Emma chase after and jump on a horse-drawn bus]), a train, or on foot. It's also interesting to get a glimpse at how firetrucks worked during that time.

There are also the social formalities of the time presented here, such as when Richard scolds William for blowing off a meeting with a client. There is also an episode that shows how having to attend all these functions to uphold society took its toll on a more introverted character. In addition, all the characters are referred to by title, and while that is something that is common in subbed anime, it's especially important for this setting.

I also like how important the Crystal Palace, an actual building that was constructed during the Victorian era, is to the story. It was a place where everybody gathered, so I like how it is crucial to four major plot points in this anime.

I already mentioned how accurate the clothing is during the art portion of this review, but I want to touch a little more on that one. The clothes worn in this anime look like replicas of actual Victorian clothing, not just stylized ones that might be seen in Black Butler. I also like the depictions of costume for the different classes. Even when the servants dress up for outings, or parties their clothes are still less elaborate than the ones worn by the wealthier families.

Since the Victorian era was a time of prized propriety, as portrayed when Eleanor complains of how exposed she feels in a modest bathing suit, this anime includes very little fan service, something I'm happy about. In fact, the first season had none (unless you count the corset tightening scene). However, there are two very short scenes in the second season with a bit of nudity, but it's not excessive, or detracting from the plot, so I'm not annoyed with it. While there may be a few underwear shots in the second season, it's only their undress, so you'll only see the character in a corset and petticoat.

Another thing I wish to mention is that there is no break from the time period. There are no pop culture references, or anything done that takes this story out of its setting for an attempt at humor, or to wink at the audience. Everything feels like it is in place. Even though William wants to do something that is unheard of in their social standing, he still has to work around the obstacles of his time, along with adhering to the potential consequences dangling above him (such as his family possibly being tossed out of society).

In all, it looks like the creators put in extra effort to make this story as accurate to the time period as possible. Even in the credits, there is someone whose entire job is historical accuracy. For me, it makes it more enjoyable to watch a period piece without having to worry about ridiculous attempts at modernizing something.

Music:

The opening and ending songs to this anime are beautiful. Something special about the songs used here is that there are no lyrics. Each opening and ending is strictly instrumental. The opening song is the same in both seasons, but a different version of the song is played in the second one. I do like the first ending better with the playful, upbeat song that sounds like something you would hear on a Victorian street, carnival, or marketplace.

In addition, lovely instrumental pieces are played throughout the show. It makes sense as there were no catchy pop songs at the time, once again adding to the overall experience of this series. Even Tasha's song, the only piece of vocal music in this anime is a traditional rhyme set to a melody.

Conclusion:

This is one of my favorite anime series thus far. I would definitely recommend it to everyone. The series is clean: I think there is only one swear word in the whole twenty four episodes, and the art is beautiful to look at. However, due to its slow pace and some complicated social structure, it may not be best suited for kids, but I think teenagers or older might enjoy it.

If you want an animated look at the Victorian era, this is a good choice. If you want a sweet, realistic romance, this is a good one to check out. If you just want something that's different from most anime, this is a good recommendation.

Emma: A Victorian Romance: 8/10
Emma: A Victorian Romance Second Act: 9/10

Music: Whitney Houston
Beverage: Fruit Water Black Raspberry

Review of Isuca (2015)

Review of Isuca (2015)

Hello, everyone, it's time for a new review.

I just started this new anime yesterday by the name of Isuca. From what I read on MyAnimeList, the show sounded interesting. For the most part I found it entertaining to watch, although I wouldn't rank it in my top anime. What more, the series is only ten episodes long, so it took little time to complete this one.

The story follows a high school boy named Shinichirou who is rescued one evening from a monster by a mysterious archer. The next day he runs into that very hero, one of his schoolmates, Sakuya. Shinichirou was on the scene during one of Sakuya's battles, and he attempts to aid her, and through that assistance, it is discovered that he has a special ability of passing on spiritual energy to anyone he kisses. What more, it is revealed that Shinichirou also has the ability to discover a spirit, or mage's true name.  Needing money, Shinichirou takes on a job as the maid and cook for Sakuya, in addition to helping her with her responsibilities of sealing away specters who want to kill humans for their life force.

The first thing I have to say about the plot, is that it is pretty interesting. While it may have a few magical girl cliches, I still think it's original enough to stand on its own. The plot is easy to follow. The antagonist is powerful, without being over the top. There is also the subplot of the two teenage relatives--Sakuya and Suseri--competing for the title of the family's leader. The story alone makes the show worth a viewing.

The story gets high points for me, however, when it comes to the characters, I find several of them to be lacking.

I find the character of Shinichirou to be your basic, average high school male that anime fans have seen hundreds of times. He's nice and polite, but he's awkward around the women who desire him, and due to misunderstandings is often called a pervert by Sakuya. I find him to be too much of a pushover when it comes to Sakuya, and I'm surprised he didn't end up leaving Sakuya halfway through due to how awful she treats him. On the other hand, he proves himself to have lots of courage when it comes to battle, with how quick he is to put himself in danger, and sacrifice his life force to rescue his teammates. While he may be cliche, I still think he's likable enough to carry his weight in this series.

Now onto the number one problem I had with this show, and that is the lead female: Sakuya. I find it difficult to like or support Sakuya. She's currently the head of the Shimazu family, who hunts down specters, and she's trying to prove to them that she's the right candidate for the job. While I can understand she's under a lot of stress, her personality is so awful, I just can't root for her. She treats Shinichirou horribly, so much as to never even pay him for his services, as well as resort to physical violence for things that aren't even his fault. She is stubborn, selfish, and rarely shows any gratitude for anything anyone does for her--even small things, such as complaining about the stew and demanding that Shinichirou remake it for her. She's so quick to lash out at people that I just view her as an immature brat who isn't cut out to be the leader.

Tamako, the cat demon, has to be my favorite character in the series. I love how close she is with Shinichirou based on how he saved her life, and the fact that he unintentionally became her master. She is brave, which makes her useful in a few fights (at times even more useful than Sakuya), and willing to help out her friends at the cost of her own life. She also provides a few moments of comic relief.

And finally, there is Suseri. I find her to be more likable than Sakuya, but even she doesn't strike me as leader potential due to her recklessness. While she may come across as cold at first, she's not harsh like Sakuya. Her desire for wanting Shinichirou is initially based on his magical abilities, I do like their progressing relationship. Over time I believe that her love for him is sincere. I also believe that the two of them have better chemistry than Shinichirou and Sakuya. What more, she seems to be the only character in the series who undergoes some sort of character development.

Now onto the main antagonist of the anime, and that is the title character: Isuca. As mentioned before, she is a powerful mage, and I like how difficult it is for the good guys to fight her. However, her motive is not really clear. She explains that she hates Sakuya and her family, but never gives much of a reason for it. Also, her character has no redeeming qualities; she strikes me as being pure evil, at times just for the fun of it. Not to mention she has that cliche villain laugh. While she may be a decent adversary, the depth of her character lacks heavily. Perhaps this is something that is better explained in the manga, or will be explored if ever there is a second season, but as of now I find her to be a flat character.

There are also several minor characters that add nothing to the story and are given screen time for reasons I cannot comprehend. The most annoying of these would be Shinichirou's classmate and friend who is only there to stare at and talk about females. The teacher and I suppose family member, Nadeshiko, is also without purpose for the most part. It feels that she is mainly there for exposition. I know giving a decent amount of screen time to useless minor characters is a staple in many anime, but I still feel they're a waste of time.

The highlight of the show in my opinion are the fight scenes. For the most part I find them entertaining to watch. However, the moves can be repetitive, especially from Suseri who uses the same attack over and over again. I think the best one is in episode four when the katana possesses Sakuya and she is forced to attack Shinichirou. I just like the suspense of that fight. I also would have liked to have seen more sword fighting from Shinichirou as the series progressed.

I also like that the battles are not easy for the characters. In the major battle of the first episode, it took three characters to fight the specter. It's rare for Sakuya's attacks to work the first time (I think it may have happened once in the whole series). If the fights are too easy it makes it uninteresting for the audience. I think this anime did good with keeping the fights long enough to be interesting, while short enough to keep attention from fading.

In addition to this being a magical and action anime, it is also heavy with the ecchi. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, I don't like ecchi for the sake of ecchi, which unfortunately this show is. There are numerous unnecessary moments when clothing is torn off of characters during fights, or that infamous scene in the locker room with the rat demon in episode two. In regards to the first one, I find it ridiculous because after the fight in the first episode Sakuya sports no severe bruises/scrapes/scratches, and her hair is still neat, yet it's her clothes that are tattered; or the instance in a later episode in which the snake specter's poison burns off Tamako's clothes, but there is no actual damage to her person. Not only do I find that to be unnecessary fan service, but also unrealistic given the conditions. Then of course there are the many times that Shinichirou falls on a character, or accidentally ends up in a compromising position which leads to unfair abuse (slapping, being labeled as a pervert, etc) from Sakuya due to her embarrassment. This is not the first time I've seen this done in anime: I didn't find it funny before, and I still don't find it funny now. My opinion remains that if your story is good enough, you don't need useless ecchi to sell it.

The art is standard: it's not bad, but there's nothing about it that stands out either. The characters themselves look like typical anime characters. The only exception is the lead male, who just looks plain. There is nothing bold, or special about the color schemes used. Even the specters look like monsters shown in countless anime before.

There is nothing special about the music. There are no songs that stand out, nor are there any that I find annoying, in fact I hardly even paid attention to the background score. So as far as the soundtrack goes, I find it slightly below average.

In conclusion, I find the story to be interesting, however the ending is unsatisfying. If there is a sequel I will definitely check it out to fulfill my curiosity. The characters have little development, and this is another anime in which I find the protagonist too annoying to like. Fortunately for her, but not for the anime, the antagonist is also lacking in character development. There are some interesting fight scenes and plot twists. The art is neither good nor bad, just basic. In all, that's actually how I would classify the series: average. I think it's worth a watch if you have nothing better to do, but it's nothing spectacular.

Isuca: 6/10

Music: Anime openings
Beverage: Acai Berry Storm Mio

Review of After School in the Teacher's Lounge (1994)

Review of After School in the Teacher's Lounge (1994)

Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review.

I came across an anime OVA from the mid nineties called After School in the Teacher's Lounge. I looked up a synopsis to find out it's about two school teachers who fall in love. My first thoughts were: Aww, that sounds like a cute story, I want to watch it. After viewing the first half of the first episode (there are only two total) those hopes for a good love story vanished.

In short, this is one of the worst anime I have ever seen. Everything about this OVA (characters, story, music, animation, design, etc) is bad. However, it's one saving grace, and the reason I didn't give it a score of a one, is the fact that it's so awful it made me laugh.

The story follows a teacher Kawase, who is seen watching a fellow teacher Kazama in the pool one afternoon. Kazama is intrigued and develops a liking for Kawase. Kazama asks Kawase out for his birthday where he proposes that they start a relationship. Kawase agrees, but then out of fear lies to get out of a date and retreats to a family-owned inn for the break. Kazama tracks him down and shows up at the inn, where  he attempts to fix and further their relationship.

Right now you're probably thinking: This doesn't sound so bad. To be honest, this anime had the potential for a good story. However, all of that listed above happens in the first half of the first episode. One of the major problems I have with this anime is the pacing. There are five major plot points in the first episode that could have been slowed down, expanded, and turned into separate episodes: the meeting/birthday dinner; Kazama inviting Kawase away for the weekend, and Kawase lying to get out of it; Kazama at the inn and Kazuma showing up; Kazuma flirting with other guests and Kawase's brother having suspicions about Kazuma; and Kazuma finally confronting Kawase, and everything that happens in the end. Slowing this down would allow for better characterization for one, and making the relationship more believable.

There is a time skip between the two episodes. I don't recall it being specified how much, but I think that works in its favor, allowing the audience to decide how long they've been together. The second episode is less rushed in terms of its plot, mostly focusing on Kazama being set up with a friend of a friend's daughter. Of all the characters, I do think that Miho is the most likable.

On that note, I'll now discuss the two main characters. I'm not sure which character is the protagonist since both get a fair amount of screen time.

First, there is Kazama, who is ambitious and refuses to give up until he has what he wants. He can come across as kind of intimidating. For one he was able to track Kawase down that weekend he went out of town. Mind you, this was made in the days before Google. In order to find him he would have had to check perhaps a phone book, records, or maybe even ask around. Also, when Kawase suggests them breaking up, Kazama threatens to kill him. Perhaps it was meant as a joke, but he did put his hands around Kawase's neck. Even if it was meant for humor's sake, I'm wondering if Kawase would always have the feel of the hands belonging to the man who supposedly loves him around his neck in the back of his mind. I don't know if maybe I missed something along the way, but Kazama does come across as creepy.

Secondly there is Kawase. I don't even know what to think about him. In the first episode it seems like he can't make up his mind about Kazama. I do tend to think that he just doesn't like conflict, so avoids it in any way possible. Around the middle of episode one, Kazama confronts him about lying--and I will give him that--Kawase should have at least told him. He could have said something along the lines of: I'm scared that we're moving too fast, I don't want a relationship right now, until I get to know you better. I think anything would have been better than lying.

This anime is classified as a romance. However, I just don't see it as believable. Kazama claims to love Kawase. However, his love for him seemed to have come out of nowhere. Also, he never mentions what it is that he loves about Kawase. I don't see any chemistry between the two. This is the strangest love story I've ever seen.

The art is horrible. I understand this was made before the animation technology of today, therefore I don't expect it to look as good as more recent anime. However, even compared to other anime at the time (Sailor Moon, Record of Lodoss War, and Yu Yu Hakusho to name a few), it's lacking.

The characters look odd. I won't necessarily say ugly, but their bodies are strangely designed. It just looks like their bodies are out of proportion. The faces look weird, especially during closeups of the eyes and nose. The only character who looks like a normal human would be Miho. In all it just seems like a strange choice for character designs.

The animation is minimal and at times look sloppy. I will admit that there seems to be better animation in the second episode. As with the art, I don't expect an anime made at this time to be on par with more recent titles, but other anime made in the same years, or even a few before, have much better quality than this one.

The soundtrack to this anime has a kind of soft jazz feel. However, the same kind of music is used throughout the series, so it's pretty forgettable after a while. In the first episode it felt like the same song was being played on repeat for the full twenty-five or so minutes.

I will say one thing this anime has going for it is the good voice acting. Even if the dialogue may be strange at times, the voice talent still shines through.

In conclusion, I found this anime to be a waste of time. This is a unique story idea that unfortunately was too rushed. For the most part the characters were unlikable, and the art even worse. Often times I found myself laughing at just how ridiculous it is. However, I feel that if this anime was remade today with better animation and with a slower pace, allowing the characters and their romance to develop, it has potential to be a good show.

After School in the Teacher's Lounge: 2/10

Beverage: XXX Vitamin Water

Review of School Days (2007)

Review of School Days (2007)

Hello, everyone. It's time for a new review.

A few warnings for this review. 1) There are a few spoilers throughout. The more critical ones I will give a warning with SPOILER! and END SPOILER! with a strike through across the spoiled material. 2) The anime in question is intended for mature audiences (18+), some of which will be discussed in this blog.

I recently finished the nefarious, twelve episode anime School Days. I'll admit the only reason I even bothered watching is because I have seen and heard it listed as one of (if not the) worst anime ever made. I knew what was going to happen up to that infamous ending going into the first episode, but I wanted to witness for myself this show that has received so much hate.

Despite the fact that it has its reputation, I found it interesting that on IMDb, the user rating as of this day is a 6.9 (1), and on MyAnimeList it has a score of 6.38 (2).

In short, I don't think it's that bad, in fact I gave it a six on MyAnimeList. It's not the best anime by far, but I wouldn't consider it the worst; actually, I wouldn't even place it in my top thirteen worst anime list. Yes, the ending did come out of nowhere (which I will discuss in full towards the end of this review), but overall I did enjoy this series.

According to Wikipedia, School Days was originally a popular dating video game meant for an adult crowd (3). Later it was adapted into an anime, which is what I will be discussing here.

I'll begin with the opening. I thought it was clever how in the first and last episode there is no opening. There is simply the title card for School Days followed by a visual of glass shattering. It's ominous, yet intriguing. Not to mention I was impressed that there was no opening song/sequence. However, episode two includes the actual opening (which is used for episodes two through eleven). In my opinion, it is the most boring anime opening ever. The song is okay, but that's all there is to enjoy about it. There is nothing special about the visuals. It's pretty much a cliche anime opening, sometimes juxtaposing the two main girls together, other times having them do the same thing with the male lead, then quick edits of the other girls. Basically, it's nothing I haven't seen before. After the first viewing, I just skipped the opening in each episode.

The story follows a high school student named Makoto Itou, someone who is portrayed as being average for most of the series. The main character has an interest in Kotonoha Katsura, a pretty girl who rides the same train as him to school. A classmate named Sekai Saionji, who's assigned seat is next to Makoto's, takes an interest in his relationship blues, and vows to help him court Katsura. In a short amount of time Sekai falls in love with Makoto, but despite her own feelings, loves Makoto enough to aid him in getting what he wants. In short, the first third of School Days feels like a typical romance anime.

Sekai succeeds in setting up Makoto and Katsura, and the two latter start dating. Since Katsura is more reserved with the physical aspects of dating, Makoto eventually grows tired of her. Since Makoto feels more at ease with Sekai, he confesses that he would rather be with her, and has an affair with Sekai behind Katsura's back.

In the last third of the anime, Makoto is shown having intimate relationships with seven girls other than Katsura. Some of them deceive themselves into believing that Makoto actually has feelings for them, while others are merely interested in sex. Through it all, Katsura refuses to believe that Makoto would hurt her. That sets up for a good drama.

That brings me to the major subplot to this story that follows Kastura's relationship with her peers as she is trying to convince them (and herself) that Makoto is her boyfriend. Katsura's female classmates have a strong dislike for her, and are looking for reasons to torment her. The reason for their hatred is that Katsura has the largest chest in the class, and ultimately that she is pretty, which they view as a threat. While that may sound like a stupid reason to dislike someone, it's important to remember that these are high school girls. I'm not too knowledgeable about school and societal issues in other cultures, like Japan, but this is actually a pretty common thing in America. I can speak from the experience of someone who used to be a teenager, that in high school, girls tended to dislike the more beautiful and popular girls out of their own insecurities. In fact there were plenty of stupid reasons for teenage girls to hate their peers (looks, money, grades, who she had as a boyfriend, extracurricular activities, and other forms of jealousy). Like these real life situations, the girls in Katsura's class would rather humiliate and bully her than face their own issues.

The art style is standard. Most of the female characters look beautiful--I say look, because there are a few that have such nasty personalities (Otome's friends) that I find them hideous. Most of the characters have typical anime designs, a variety of hair styles and token personalities, but not much that stands out. The one exception, in my opinion, would be Setsuna. While she is small, her eyes can be intimidating, which I think is a good representation of her character. In my opinion, she has the most unique design, and also who I find to be the most interesting character.

If there is something that is a constant in most of the school genre anime it would be the school uniforms. I absolutely love the uniforms in School Days. The male uniform looks sharp and sophisticated. The female uniform is cute, I love the the ruffled blouse. Of course the color scheme of black, white, and gray, with the red ribbons for an accent color looks nice. I actually want to cosplay as Katsura, Sekai, or Setsuna just to wear the adorable uniform. Also, the maid outfits they wear in episodes eight and nine are super cute. If you have a large cosplay group that is mostly female, and you want to wear something cute, but also something that is not overdone, the uniform costumes of School Days would be a good choice.

As dramatic as this story can be, this show includes some decent humor. Episode five when they are at the pool has some funny moments, thanks to the supporting character Taisuke. Also Hikari, who is obviously in like with Taisuke, who notices everyone but her, fueling her frustration. I would watch a spin-off series that focuses on the two of them. Another good example of humor would be the episode of the school festival in which the three cafes: little sister, zombie, and maid, are battling for customers. I can't explain why it is funny, it's just something that has to be seen.

I have to say, considering the subject matter of this anime, what is shown is actually pretty tame. There is an ecchi moment here or there, but nothing explicit. Given that it has an R rating, and knowing what the story is about, I was nervous to watch, but I read that there was no graphic content of that nature on screen. I think that is a classy decision on the production company's part. In addition, holding back in that area adds more shock value to the ending.

This anime obviously has some flaws. I don't mean the ending, because depending on who you talk to, that person may love or hate it. But hang on, I'm going to save the discussion of the ending for last.

For one, I just don't see what is so special about Makoto. It's even mentioned that he's an average student, he's not a member of any clubs, he's a pervert, and there's nothing spectacular about his looks. Basically he's a less than average Joe, but for some reason every girl in the school is throwing herself at him. I can understand Katsura--who has fallen in love with him, Sekai--who has developed a crush on him due to time spent together, and even Otome--who has known and cared for him since junior high. However, I can't see the reason that all these other girls are interested, especially SPOILER! Hikari, who came as a huge shock for me. I'm assuming her frustration over Taisuke, but enough to sleep with her friend's supposed boyfriend? The same can be said for Setsuna. As much as she professes to love her best friend, and tells herself she's doing it for Sekai's benefit, it doesn't excuse the fact that she, herself was the reason Sekai was cheated on. END SPOILER!  In all I don't see what is so appealing about Makoto to cause all these girls to fall for him.

On that same note, the character of Makoto is difficult to like. I felt empathy for him in the first half of the series. Even when he was battling with himself over which girl to be with, I could understand. He's a confused teenage boy--a time in life when emotions and hormones are all over the place. However, I find it unacceptable that he leads Katsura on for a good point of time. If he was finished with her, he should have ended it like Sekai suggested in the first place. That may have even avoided the ultimate ending. Also the fact that he SPOILER! kisses Setsuna in front of Katsura, and allows her to view that he doesn't love her before he actually breaks up with her is pretty low. END SPOILER!

I also wondered throughout this anime where all the parents and teachers were. The students were having sex on school grounds, and even after it was revealed in a shocking way, there never seemed to be a staff member intervening. All I could think about while the girls were watching that tape of the rest area is how the girl showing the video would possibly be expelled, and potentially arrested, which led me to wonder why there was no teacher present during that gathering. The parents were never around, nor did they care about the activities their children were involved in. Also, there seemed to be no police activity at the end of the twelfth episode. The absence of responsible adults (even though we know they exist since Sekai mentioned to Makoto that her mom was working late in one episode) ruins the realism of the story.

Now onto the moment you've all been waiting for: the ending. Just a reminder, I knew about the ending going into this anime. I actually prefer the ending to episode eleven. It's cleaner for one, and sort of a happy ending, well, except for one character. If you want a somewhat happy ending, you can just end the series with episode eleven and go about your day. If you want something crazier, continue on to episode twelve.

Warning. If you haven't seen this anime, and don't want it ruined for you, continue on to the conclusion.

SPOILER!

Then along comes episode twelve. The best way I can explain this episode is uncomfortable. The image of Makoto and Katsura passionately kissing in front of a horrified Sekai was harder for me to watch than the graphic violence. Again, Makoto is showing just how messed up he is by not accepting responsibility for his possible child growing inside Sekai, and more so willingly taunting her. What makes it even worse is that Katsura is joining in, showing how being with Makoto has tainted this once kind girl. 

That bloody ending seemed to come out of nowhere. Then again, I haven't played the original game, so I'm not sure if that actually happens in the source material, but it felt out of place for me. It didn't seem to fit the personality of either of the girls. They are teenagers, and emotions run high for them, but I can't see that justifying murder. It's shown earlier how Makoto's absence caused Katsura to go a little insane, but not to the extent that we see in the last scene.

Since it is so dark and graphic compared to the rest of the story, it makes me wonder if this ending was done on purpose just so people would talk about it. After all, I only watched it because I heard it had an awful ending. If that is the case, then I would have to say that is a clever strategy on the creators' part.

I can't help but wonder how this could have ended differently had Makoto never sought after Katsura, and just allowed her to be a pretty face on a train. For one, two people would still be alive, but how many others would not have been affected by his insatiable lust? Sekai may have still ended up pregnant, but perhaps without other girls involved, Makoto might not have been such a jerk about it. It's just a thought I had there towards the end.

END SPOILER!

In conclusion, I found School Days to be an interesting watch. I'm glad that I have seen this anime, if just to say I've seen it. No, I don't think it deserves its horrible reputation (though I can't say the same for Makoto), but I won't deny it has its flaws, since it obviously does. I don't sympathize with the protagonist, but for the most part I like the two main females, and even they have their unlikable moments. The art is decent, and there is some good humor along with the heavy drama. I'm glad I watched it, but it's not for everyone. I would advise that no one under the age of sixteen, nor anyone with a weak stomach watch this series.

School Days: 6/10

Music: Anime openings
Beverage: Power-C Vitamin Water




1. "School Days" IMDb.com (April 19, 2015).  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068993/
2. "School Days" MyAnimeList.net (April 19, 2015). http://myanimelist.net/anime/2476/School_Days
3. "School Days (Visual Novel)" Wikipedia.org. (April 19, 2015).  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Days_%28visual_novel%29

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, everyone. I hope everyone has had a fun time on this holiest of days. I got to spend the day with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. It is my nephew's first Easter, so it was a delight to get to be a part of that.

I have to say that hiding Easter eggs have become a new favorite thing to do. For the past two years now I got to hide them for the kids at my workplace. Several years ago I hid them in the apartment for my roommate (with her doing the same right after finding them all). And today I got to hide them for my nephew. He and his mom went on the hunt for the colorful, plastic eggs and found them all in no time.

Again, Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates this day. To those who don't, I hope you had a happy Sunday.

Review of Amnesia (2013)

Review of Amnesia (2013)

Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review! There are a few spoilers which will be warned with SPOILER! and END SPOILER! There will be a strike through across the spoiled content.

I recently finished watching a short anime series called Amnesia. In all I think it is good. I think it is wrongfully labeled as a reverse harem, and while there are lots of guys that are in a relationship with the main character, that's only a small part of the story, and it is only one at a time. There is no doubt that this series would classify as a romance, but there is much more to it than that. I feel it is fair to consider this one more of a mystery, as the audience finds out information at the same time as Heroine. I made some predictions, and sometimes they turned out to be true(as with what Toma was doing to Heroine in episode nine), but for the most part I only knew what was gradually presented, making it a more intriguing mystery than having too much given early on.

From what I researched, this anime is based on a dating video game marketed for a female audience. (1) The main character has no name and is referred to as [The] Heroine. I actually didn't even catch that until episode six when I thought, "I know all the guy's names, and the names of some of the supporting characters, but I can't remember what the main character is named." As it turned out, she doesn't have one, and she is never called by name in the English dub. (I only watched this series in English, so I don't know if she is referred to as Heroine, or something else in the original audio.) Heroine doesn't seem to have much of a personality in the anime, other than what the other characters mention about who they know the past her to be. I think this can be attributed to two things. 1) She has no memories, so I'm assuming that might have an affect on her behavior and mannerisms. 2) Since this is based on a dating game, perhaps Heroine is a chance for female viewers to use her as a self-insert into this world.

The story follows Heroine having lost all of her memories thanks to a spirit named Orion who accidentally caused her amnesia when he entered her world. Together they try to piece together what was lost while Heroine attempts to live her life as normal. Not knowing who to trust, she has to rely on clues given by the other characters. Each time she "dies" in one of the worlds, she is transported to start over on August 1 in a parallel universe, in which her life is similar, but somewhat different. For instance, in each version of the world, Heroine works at a maid cafe, but her co-workers are liable to change, and more importantly, so has her current boyfriend.

Over the coarse of the story, Heroine is shown to have romantic relationships with five different guys depending on the world. Each guy has his own unique personality (which I'm assuming is based on the potential dates in the original game). First up there is Shin, who is the bad boy with a good heart. Secondly, Ikki--the man who all the girls like, who, in addition to being handsome, is shown to be kind, and a good co-worker. Thirdly, there is Kent, a math genius, who looks at things from a logical viewpoint (similar to Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory). The fourth choice is Toma, who seems to be the normal, nice guy, who Heroine has known since childhood. And lastly, there is Ukyo, who is the mysterious one. Heroine's relationship with each of these guys: whether romantic, friendship, colleagues, or total strangers differs in each universe.

I think that the fact that there are five guys interested in the main character is the reason this anime is considered a reverse harem, but I disagree. For one, she is only allotted one boyfriend at a time depending on the world she is in SPOILER!: However, that can be debated in the Toma arc, as it is never specified if he truly was her boyfriend from the beginning in that one. END SPOILER!. Also, I feel that this series fits more along the lines of a mystery or a drama. There are some good twists in here. For instance, the middle of episode nine surprised me (and also made me dislike that character). Episodes eleven and twelve are full of suspense and drama.

In each world Heroine is trying to regain her memories. Since certain memories pertain to a single world, Heroine sometimes is confused by what happened in a previous world, and what has yet to happen in another. I think what makes it a good mystery is the fact that the viewer him/herself isn't even sure what to think. The audience is piecing together the clues as Heroine and Orion figures them out. A few of the characters catch on to the fact that Heroine has lost her memories, as they notice her acting different from usual, or she falsely remembers something that never happened in that world. Since Heroine has no basis on what to go on in each new world, the risk of her remembering something wrong puts her in danger a few times.

Some parts do seem rushed, such as Kent's arc. I feel he didn't get as much time as the other characters. I also wanted to know more about Ukyo's relationship with Heroine, especially given what he said when he introduced himself to her. Perhaps if two extra episodes were given, particularly for Ukyo, his confession in episode twelve would have had more of an impact.

Something I really like about this anime that I feel the need to mention is that it doesn't take place in high school. That's not something that can be said about most romance anime. The characters attend a university, and even then very little time is spent in a school setting. The majority of the plot happens at Heroine's workplace, in one of the characters' homes, or in one of the marvelous outdoor settings.

The art of this anime is beautiful.  Of course the characters are all stunning. The main five guys are obviously intended to be attractive since this is a game for females, but even the minor characters (Waka, Mine, Sawa, etc) are pretty. The use of color in this anime is fantastic. For one, each of the guys have their specific color. I especially love the costumes. Heroine's rose motif is lovely along with the pretty argyle stockings. I like that four of the main guys' costumes are based off playing card suits. The cafe uniforms--both male and female versions--are adorable.

The settings. Wow. Even if some of these worlds are only temporary, the animators take advantage of using such beautiful settings. There are some gorgeous, spacious landscapes, especially of the sky. Screenshots of the landscapes alone are something worth looking at. Even the locations, such as the cafe, is ornate, and, as is its theme, enchanting. The park the characters visit, the location of their retreat, the shrine in the eleventh episode--magnificent details.

As mentioned earlier, I watched the English dub of this series. I think the dub is pretty good. I love the actress selected to play Mine, as her voice is as adorable as her personality. Other good voice acting choices include: Ikki, Kent, Shin, and Waka. Heroine seems like a difficult character to play, as there is so little to go off of with her, so with that in mind, the actress did pretty good.

I think the ending to this anime is brilliant. It works well for the story, and fits with its original source material. Some people may not like the choice that this anime made for its ending, but I find it satisfying, and in a way it's something that everyone can be happy with. SPOILER!: As the audience gets to choose who Heroine ends up with, it fits well with the choices that can be made in the game, Some may not like a vague ending, but I think it's the best decision for an anime that includes many different worlds and outcomes. END SPOILER!

In all I found this anime to be original and enjoyable. I think it is a good mystery in which the romance is a secondary trait. It can be confusing at times, and I would agree that maybe twelve episodes was too little time for the plot to expand as much as it could have. The art is beautiful in all aspects: characters, settings, and animation. It's not for everyone, but I would recommend it.

Amnesia: 9/10

Music: Blackmore's Night
Beverage: Mio Berry Acai

1. "Amnesia (visual novel)" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (April 4, 2015).  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia_%28visual_novel%29