'March Comes in Like a Lion' Marches Into My Heart (Review)

3-gatsu no Lion (March Comes in Like a Lion)

Studio: Shaft
Producer: Aniplex, Dentsu, NHK,Hakusensha, Asmik Ace Entertainment,Toy's Factory
Genre: Slice of Life, Drama, Seinen, Game
Episodes: 22
Episode Length: 25 minutes

Having reached professional status in middle school, Rei Kiriyama is one of the few elite in the world of shogi. Due to this, he faces an enormous amount of pressure, both from the shogi community and his adoptive family. Seeking independence from his tense home life, he moves into an apartment in Tokyo. As a 17-year-old living on his own, Rei tends to take poor care of himself, and his reclusive personality ostracizes him from his peers in school and at the shogi hall.

However, not long after his arrival in Tokyo, Rei meets Akari, Hinata, and Momo Kawamoto, a trio of sisters living with their grandfather who owns a traditional wagashi shop. Akari, the oldest of the three girls, is determined to combat Rei's loneliness and poorly sustained lifestyle with motherly hospitality. The Kawamoto sisters, coping with past tragedies, also share with Rei a unique familial bond that he has lacked for most of his life. As he struggles to maintain himself physically and mentally through his shogi career, Rei must learn how to interact with others and understand his own complex emotions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE: To be taken to the original picture, click on the picture. Credit goes to the original creator(s).

March Comes in Like a Lion was an anime that took me by surprise. I watched the first episode when I had time but couldn't watch another. So, months later, I finally got to finish this anime. The animation and the darkness of the first episode made me love this anime, but, as I watched the show progress, the darkness faded away to light, and the animation just got better and better. Even though the original reasons why I loved this anime might not have remained, this anime is still quite amazing.

The one thing I can say about this anime is that it is character focused. And animes should be. Without good characters, even the best plot can't save that anime. 

But I adored each and every character I met. With the exception of Masamune Gotou, but that's because he's an abusive little -insert expletive here-. I even loved Kyouko Kouda, and she was a little bossy and annoying. 

The main character Rei Kiriyama was broken and sad. He had lost his parents and sister a long time ago, but their deaths still haunted him. He played shogi for his father, not necessarily for himself until recently. Furthermore, he experienced terrible suffering because of his skills in shogi and what that did to his adopted brother Ayumu Kouda and sister Kyouko. I related to his loneliness and isolation. The last episode showcases his isolation in a flashback to his childhood. Rei reminisced about having an empty seat next to him (Implying a lack of friendship and even the presence of hatred) when he was on a school trip. He had to find a place to eat lunch alone. While I don't eat lunch alone, I don't necessarily have the same close friendships as one may think. 

I understand his loneliness. After all, two lonely souls only have each other.

While he didn't change dramatically, (He even says that he didn't change in the last episode) I could tell that something had changed. The first half of the series is spent in his head. I swear most of the dialogue I heard was monolog. It was depressing but put things in perspective. Rei was alone. He had no one to talk to but himself. And that fact forced him into this fortress of solitude (Haha.) This made the scenes with the Kawamoto family brighter. 

But the second half highlighted a change. He had people to talk to. He had friends and rivals. He no longer spent time monologuing in his head. He talked to people.

AH. I loved the Kawamoto family. They were so adorable. Momo Kawamoto was an adorable fluffball. I just wanted to hug her. Hina Kawamoto was bright and loveable as well. But Akari Kawamoto might be my favorite. She was a family person, someone who loved helping her sisters out. She could have left them; she was an adult after all, but she stayed and helped. I'm a sucker for family stories because they're sometimes better than cliche romance stories. And Akari understood things. She was wise. 

I just wish we saw more of them. They were definitely a major part of why I loved this anime, but they faded away in the second half. I can't explain why except because of the emphasis on the Lion King Tournament. 

Plus, the cats could talk. Their food-obsessed commentary kept my spirits up.

My favorite character, next to the entire Kawamoto family, was Kai Shimada. Most of the second half of the anime was spent with him and Kiriyama's burgeoning friendship. I loved seeing this high-ranked player in his natural element, talking to his family and friends. Something I noticed about Kai was that he loved shogi and his family. He was a strong character. Even in the face of defeat, even when struggling through pain, he smiled. I respected that. 

The art was gorgeous. I adored this one scene in the first episode. It was meaningful and symbolic. I loved it. This anime is full of scenes like that. There is also the recurring theme of water. Just amazing. And the background art was gorgeous as well. 

My only complaint is a major one: there was a dire lack of plot. Sure, the anime started out with Rei's tournaments, but the anime didn't really come off as a competition anime. It was more of a development anime, and, even so, it wasn't that much of a development anime either. You could take it episode by episode, but then Rei's little character development is lost. You could say it was all for the Lion King Tournament, but that is only half of the anime. I'm still confused as to how I should explain this anime. Is it episodic in nature? Or does it have an overarching arc?

But I have high hopes. The last episode is full of hints about a season two. There is the shogi-science club and Rei joining his friends at a shogi table. There is Shimada's determination to win a Master title in episode 21. There is Rei and Souya's possibly similar personalities. There are many hints to a plot in a season two, and I would watch that because I would be able to see Rei grow more as a person.

Have you seen this anime? What are your thoughts? Comment below!

I Have No Crush on 'Nijiro Days' (Review)

Nijiro Days (Rainbow Days)

Studio: Production Reed
Producer: YTV, Tokuma Japan,Daiichikosho, Shueisha
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life, Romance, Shoujo
Episodes: 24
Episode Length: 13 minutes

Nijiiro Days follows the colorful lives and romantic relationships of four high school boys—Natsuki Hashiba, a dreamer with delusions of love; Tomoya Matsunaga, a narcissistic playboy who has multiple girlfriends; Keiichi Katakura, a kinky sadist who always carries a whip; and Tsuyoshi Naoe, an otaku who has a cosplaying girlfriend.

When his girlfriend unceremoniously dumps him on Christmas Eve, Natsuki breaks down in tears in the middle of the street and is offered tissues by a girl in a Santa Claus suit. He instantly falls in love with this girl, Anna Kobayakawa, who fortunately attends the same school as him. Natsuki's pursuit of Anna should have been simple and uneventful; however, much to his dismay, his nosy friends constantly meddle in his relationship, as they strive to succeed in their own endeavors of love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nijiro Days is as fulfilling as watching someone else eat delicious cake. It's taunting you with something amazing, something that you could have. But ultimately you're let down.

This anime had so many problems. I can't help but get angry because of it. On the surface, it's a quick, fluffy romance anime with male leads instead of female ones. This is a unique twist on the shoujo romance genre, but this twist is wasted on Nijiro Days. This is no better than a boring shoujo with female leads.

My major problem with the series is the characters. They are a lackluster, meaningless cast, and I felt no attachment to any of them, even though I've gone through the hardships of crushes and unrequited love before.

Let's go down the list of couples, analyzing each.

The Main Couple is Bland Anna Kobayakawa and Typical Shoujo Girl Natsuki Hashiba. 

Anna is a typical Mary Sue. She doesn't figure out her feelings for Natsuki until the last moment. She has little to no emotions; one of the four main characters even mentions her emotionless face. I rarely got to see her smile. I can deal with detached characters, but she really was empty. Her character had no depth. She was nice but in the way that everyone is nice. She works at a karaoke place. Other than that, I can't tell you a single one of her likes or traits. She was a boring character; that's it.

And Natsuki...sigh. He had real potential, you know? He could have been a heart-on-your-sleeve, comedic relief, lovable guy. What we got was less than average. He was more like the typical shoujo manga girl. As if the creators wanted to make him relatable to the females in the audience. I've met guys who have unrequited crushes on girls. They don't act like that. They're defensive at times and make jokes. Natsuki ended up being more of a squealing typical shoujo character. I liked that the main characters were guys crushing on girls; I thought that had real promise, but Natsuki ended up way too stereotypical for me to care about him.

And the romance between the two is innocent and kinda cute, but Anna takes way too many hints and throws them out of the window. It took way too long for the main romance to even become a thing in her eyes. Way too long.

Then we have the couple with the next most screen time: Tsun-Girl and Creep-Boy. 

Tsun-Girl, or Mari Tsutsui is way too much tsun and not enough -dere. I've seen many tsundere characters done right (Toradora's Taiga and Maid Sama's Misaki come to mind first), and Mari is a perfect example of how to do a tsundere wrong. The most glaring thing about her is that she is annoying and bratty. Most of her lines are screaming "Annnaaaaa" loudly into my ear, and the ear of her surrounding classmates, and while having a loud, mildly dependent character is fine for a tsundere, Mari never gets any development. She is, forever and always, the Tsun-Girl. Most tsunderes have a redeeming moment. Something that makes you realize "Ah, they aren't so bad after all." Mari almost had that, but that scene didn't follow through, and she didn't change because of that scene. She was a static character, even though she had the chance to change. Plus, there is no explanation for why she hates men. Oh, sure, her brother moved away. How did that affect her? She's an angry teenager for absolutely no reason. There is no backstory to her; there is no reason why. 

And Creep-Boy, or Tomoya (That's his first name?? It's never mentioned) Matsunaga is a playboy. But he's really not a playboy. Nijiro Days might try to trick you into thinking that he is with a few scenes of girls fawning over him, but he really isn't. When he meets Mari, he's smitten, even if he acts like he isn't. But there's not meaning for him liking her. She hates him with a fiery passion, and not in the tsundere way. He says she's cute, but what does that mean? He even talks to her and gets to know her a bit, but he can't rustle up a reason for why he likes her? Then maybe it's not meant to be.

Sigh. The best couple had barely any screentime. 

I'm talking about Otaku One and Otaku Two: Yukiko Asai and Tsuyoshi Naoe. Wow. These guys seem very incompatible: Yukiko (Or Yukirin as she is known by the entire cast) is cute, bubbly, and loud, and Tsuyoshi is quiet and brooding. They are both otakus, which seems to be why they bonded. 

While most of the couples are off trying to realize their feelings for one another, Yukiko and Tsuyoshi are sitting in someone's room playing video games or out at a concert or cosplaying. 

They're the perfect example of opposites attract, personality-wise. I like how Tsuyoshi is very subtle in his romancing efforts. He doesn't seem like he's trying too hard, but we know he cares.

These two are barely seen, though, and they get little to no development. Their relationship, while more interesting than the other ones, doesn't change with the seasons, as most relationships do.

Last but not least, Sadist Keiichi Katakura and Fangirl Nozomi Matsunaga.

Keiichi showed a lot of promise, much like Natsuki. But he wasn't developed at all. I wanted to know more about him. Why was he sadist? Where did he learn these things? I wanted to see his dark side, and Nozomi was perfectly able to be introduced to Keiichi's dark side. He even showed it to her once. But, alas, he is boring too much he has no screentime, except maybe as a cheerleader to the Main Couple's adventures.

Nozomi was a fangirl. Obsessed because of, what I'm assuming is, his princely looks. Thanks, we're putting great ideas into the future generations. But that really is all I know about her. She likes Keiichi, is his fangirl, and is Tomoya's little sister. I wish she had more development, more character. But, again, she's just one half of a barely-seen couple.

These two were the last couple to be introduced, so that makes sense. But I start questioning why there were four main characters to begin with. The last two couples to be introduced would have little screen time because they're deemed 'not important enough'. We could have seen an interesting S&M dynamic, but, no, we were shown innocent first love, as if we haven't seen that time and time again.

I'll quickly touch upon the character designs because I am angry about that as well. But what I say will have as much effort as the characters had interesting character designs.

They were not interesting.

Long story: they were bland. Boring, stereotypical anime characters. We had cotton-candy pink (Red?) hair and blue and cream school uniforms. Nothing new. On YouTube, someone commented that the main characters (Especially Natsuki, Tomoya, and Tsuyoshi) looked like Free! Iwatobi Swim Club members. At least with Free!, we get mildly BL elements. Nijiro Days doesn't even give us that.

The plot itself is unfulfilling as well. There aren't many 'events' even though lots of time of passing. (The whole anime covers slightly over a year of these characters' lives.) We have a school festival, Christmas, and, of course, the requisite Beach Episode. (Admittedly, there are some amazing Beach Episodes, but this one doesn't work out because of the character interactions and lack of comedy that typical Beach Episodes contain.) Nothing new.

If I had one positive thing to say about this anime, it would be the complex, possibly yuri relationship between Anna and Mari. Yes, Mari the man hater is in love with Anna. I thought this was interesting. I wondered about what type of love she meant for the longest time, but she basically confirmed it during the one of the hot spring episodes. But, again, it's never developed, so I'm left struggling to find anything good about this anime.

Overall, there are better romantic comedy animes to watch. I already mentioned a few with tsunderes. If you want to see a playboy character like Tomoya done well, Maid Sama works too. If you want to see innocent love like what was supposed to be between Anna and Natsuki, Snow White with the Red Hair is good, or if you're in it for the long haul, Aoharu x Machinegun is a great anime where two characters like each other and never figure it out (Read the manga, though. Masamune takes forever to figure it out.) If you want a romantic comedy, Clannad is amazing, albeit a tad sad. Want male main characters? Daily Lives of High School Boys has a great male cast and is hilarious. There are so many amazing animes that better than this one. Just ask for a recommendation. I have plenty. 

Summer Successes and Slip-Ups: Summer 2016 Anime Recap

As the summer season ends, I have to state my thoughts. This was, after all, the first season I've ever watched all the way through.

I'll be ranking the top three animes as well as giving out other awards and recognitions to the animes I liked the most. This means that, of course, there will be repeats. If you want a quick review of all the animes I've watched this summer, don't forget to check out my mid-seaosn recap. I went over the animes I was watching and the ones I wasn't. I might even write a few short reviews on the animes that impacted me the most this season on a different post. But until then, let's review the season.

Top 3

Mob Psycho 100

Honestly. I am so surprised. This anime was crazy amazing. The animation style stuck out. I haven't seen anything like it before. The main character Mob was so unlike any other main character. He was cute in a quirky way. And he definitely didn't have the charisma of a typical super-superpowered guy. He was humble about it. It was...refreshing. One (The original webcomic's writer) continues to defy the current standards of anime with amazing characters who are kind and caring. He breaks the conventional norms in a way that makes me realize how wrong anime is sometimes. We have bishounen boys, and, while I do love a nice Free-esque, six pack, we take people such as Mob and Saitama for granted. Definitely a 5/5. 

Re:Zero

Okay. I admit, I didn't watch this until the summer. It is technically a spring anime that is 20+ episodes long. But I wasn't interested. It seemed like another fish out of water anime. But it isn't. Subaru isn't the most likable character. He goes through an amazing character arc. And it's not just him. Rem is fantastic too. (Ehem...Best Girl in the house.) She's so kind and loving. She cares for Subaru and Ram. Her love is open and vast. I know she'd never let Subaru get hurt. This anime had vivid colors and unforgettable OPs. The story was a little boring in the middle, but the beginning and ending were awe-inspiring. It's a new take on the reincarnation story. (Unlike ERASED and its take with Revival.) I want to see another season of this. After there is more light novel/manga material.

Amanchu

This is another anime that surprised me. It was so moving. I wanted it to be a yuri anime, but, instead, I got a new take on friendship. And I'm not upset by the lack of yuri. Teko and Pikari's story of acceptance and love is just fantastic. The colorful world underwater takes my breath away. And Teko changes too. She starts out demure and shy, but she turns into a mildly confident person. She begins the process of coming out of her shell. I want to see more of her. I want to see her dive with Pikari. But, currently, I know that Teko's starting an amazing, life-changing journey.

Best Story

Orange

I can't be the only one who doesn't particularly like episodic animes. Orange is one of the only animes of this season with a non-episodic arc. All the events in this anime are leading up to Kakeru's death, or near-death experience. We know it's going to happen. But the journey between Point A and Point B is what the story is about. We follow a typical high school journey, but there are unexpected bumps. And, truly, as someone who hasn't read the manga, that twist in the middle was not expected.

Best Male Character

Natsuki Subaru: Re:Zero

Subaru, as stated before, has an amazing change. He's snarky at first. Even a little cocky. But he sheds this self-absorbed exterior and lets his inner strength shine. He does care for people. Deeply. And Re:Zero is the story of him realizing how far he'll go for the people he loves.

Kageyama Shigeo: Mob Psycho 100

Kageyama Shigeo or Mob is amazing. He's unassuming. You'd never realized the amazing power within. Honestly, I was surprised how much I liked him. He's so quiet; if I went to his school, I'd never notice him. (I can't say the same for his brother, though.) He is truly kind. I'm happy we have an anime about a different sort of main character, one who isn't in the spotlight often. Because, often, the best heroes are the ones we don't even know about.

Best Female Character

Rem: Re:Zero

Rem is Best Girl. Honestly. She's so sweet and so kind. She seems aloof at first, but then you realize she's just an adorable puff ball of puff and sweetness. With a mace. (Not Mace. But A mace. The medieval weapon.) I would love to meet Rem in real life. She loves so deeply. She fights in Subaru's honor even after being ---------ed. (Fill in your blank. Though, this is a correct answer.)

Naho: Orange

Honestly, I put Naho on this list because she's hesitant. I know that sounds strange, but it's true. She doesn't immediately act when she gets her letter. She doubts it. And that's what would happen in real life. No one would immediately trust a letter from your supposed 'future self'. No one. Her hesitance to react and hesitance to love Kakeru is what truly makes her stand out. She's not a typically, froofy shoujo girl. She's human.

Teko: Amanchu

Teko's character development is what I love about her, much like why I love Subaru. She starts out shy and standoffis (Seeing a trend?) And becomes this beautiful butterfly. (I'm kidding...maybe?) But she's such a sweet character. I love seeing her develop with Pikari. I love seeing her learn more about diving and life and living and fun. She might be mentally in Tokyo at first, but she moves to the ocean. (This is me trying to be funny.) 

Best Couple

Rem and Subaru: Re:Zero

Okay. These two aren't really together. But I count them as a couple. Rem loves Subaru unconditionally. Even if he doesn't love her. Subaru's love for Emilia doesn't waver. Ever. It's quite amazing. Rem would do anything for Subaru. And Subaru does know that. He loves Rem for that. Not romantically. But as friends. And that's just...amazing. 
Rem x Subaru FOREVER.

Teko and Pikari: Amanchu

Is it weird that I actually thought that Amanchu was a yuri diving anime at first? Because...that's what I wanted. What I got was a complex friendship that definitely surpasses yuri. Their friendship is amazing. I want what Teko and Pikari have. I want it. You never forget a friend like Pikari. Never. 

Ko and Rin: New Game

If anything's yuri, it's these two. They work so well together. There was one episode where they were basically playing out. I swear, the studio WANTS us to think they're a couple. Rin cares so much for Ko. And Ko might not see it. (She's kinda...daft in matters of the heart.) But she's loved. It's such a cute relationship. Relationship goals.

Best OP

Amanchu

This is such a peaceful anime. It makes me want to smile whenever I think about it. The OP does reflect that. It's a song that starts out tentative and cautious before diving right in. The animation that goes along with it is just breathtaking. I feel like I'm plunged into the ocean every time.

Mob Psycho 100

1. 2. 3. 4. 
The counting part of this OP is a bit confusing to most at first until you realize that the resounding 99 is when Mob is about to explode. Thankfully, we get enough scenes of Mob reaching his breaking point. This song pumps you up. Soon enough, you'll be singing along. Mostly to the counting parts. And the animation is confusing. It's as if you're on an acid trip, but the snapshots of the Body Building Club or Teru or Reigen eating takoyaki all up in the anime. So it's an interesting peek into the going-ons.

KonoBi

Okay. This is my guilty pleasure song. It's so cute and pop-y. I love it. Plus, the animation is pretty amazing. (Except for that one creepy part when we're ogling at the teacher's body. Not that she's not cute or anything. I just...feel awkward. She's a teacher. Geez.) I love the beginning when Usami is running with a paintbrush. Amazing. It really sums up what this anime is about: art and cute middle school kids doing cute things.

Best Art Style

Mob Psycho 100

I'll say it once. I'll say it twice. Mob Psycho 100 has a unique animation style ever. It's a different art style. I constantly complained...until I got used to it. It's flashy and constantly moving. It's so unique which makes it memorable. I won't forget Mob's 100% explosions. Or Teru's insane hair. Or...anything about the art. 

Re:Zero

I love the colors. So much. And the realism. Subaru and Rem look fantastic. Not to forget Emilia or Puck. The entire anime is in this up-and-coming style which is focused on details and colors and just...ahhh. It's so amazing. I love this style. It's so good. 

Underappreciated Anime

Morose Mononokean

Okay. Truthfully, I loved watching this anime. It's cute and kinda lackluster, but Ashiya was such an interesting character. I loved how sweet he was, how compassionate. One of the few things I disliked, though, was the lack of character development. Fuzzy was cute and all, but that doesn't overshadow the lack of plot or character development. Cute but not amazing.

What was your favorite anime of the season? Who was your favorite character? 

What Went Down: September 2016

I Do Not Watch Too Much Anime (And Other Lies I Tell Myself)

Tears! The summer anime season is basically over. (I'm only finishing up Mob Psycho 100 and 91 Days to my recollection. It's so sad that it's gone. BUT we have Haikyuu season three coming in. WHOOP WHOOP. It's going to be the BEST anime for fall for me. No doubt about that. 

I only was watching ONE anime that's finished. Seasonal anime doesn't really count since it goes on for a few months. BUT since the season's over, I'm gonna link all the animes I watched this summer as well as the one anime I watched during September.

Mob Psycho 100. Wow. This is one of my favorite animes of this season. It's quirky and distinct. There is no action/supernatural anime as amazing as Mob Psycho 100. 5/5

Amanchu. This was such a surprise for me. It's so beautiful. The friendships are amazing, and Teko's character development was spot on. 5/5 

Orange. I was kinda disappointed by this anime. It was cute and emotional AT FIRST. But then is seemed to change and become something I didn't particularly like or dislike. So, overall, not a huge fan. But it's emotional beginning really did set the tone. 4/5 

Morose Mononokean. I wanted to love this so much. But a lot of things were just lackluster. The character development. The story. I much prefer an overarching arc; episodic is great...but not beneficial to telling a story. Plus, Ashiya could have been expanded more, but he never was given the chance. 3/5

91 Days. As much as I like revenge stories, 91 Days seems to fall flat for me. It doesn't go all out. The art is fine, but the story wasn't pushing itself hard enough. 3/5

New Game. This was cute. And that's really all. The story wasn't there. And the characters were following overused stereotypes. I liked the cuteness and Ko and Rin's relationship, but nothing was expanded. 3/5

Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru. At first, KonoBi's strange episodic nature turned me off. But then I realized I was rooting for Usami to get with Uchimaki. I was led on by this show, hoping for this to happen. And, no spoilers, but it wasn't the best ending. JUST GIVE THE FANS WHAT THEY WANT. 3/5

Re:Zero. AHHHHHHH. I love this show. It takes these morally gray characters and makes them likable. The animation is fabulous. Both OPs are to DIE for. And Subaru is so sweet and brave. Just ahhhhhh. And REM. BEST GIRL. 5/5

Neon Genesis Evangelion. I haven't really watched much of this. Because school. I'll try to watch more during October. Hopefully... So no rating yet!

Recommendations
Best Overall Anime: Re:Zero or Mob Psycho 100
Best Saddest Anime: Orange
Best Animation: Mob Psycho 100

Eternal Book Devourer

I've read EIGHT books this month. That is very...normal. I typically read 8 books a month. So not weird at all...

Steelheart. Dude. This was very action-y. I loved that. It was this pulse-pounding action book. With superheroes. Or supervillains? I'm not sure on that. But AMAZING. 4/5

Stalking Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper's always an interesting case. But this book really showed that. I didn't like the characters as much, but the mystery was pretty good. 4/5 Check out my review here!

The Thousandth Floor. Wow. Rich, horny teenagers much? That's all I can say. Because...I was so disappointed. This is a book where you can't judge it by its cover. 2/5

Firefight. After the amazingness of Steelheart, I kinda was disappointed by its sequel. It wasn't as action-y. And the romance thing kept forcing its way into the story. And...no, bro. No way. Not too bad. But not the best. And I'm not reading Calamity. NOPE. 3/5

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love. Wow. I feel attacked. As an otaku (anime fan), I feel mildly attacked. The MC kept talking about otakus as if it's like "WOW. Candy-colored hair. Not as cool as comics." I feel attacked. And I'm not sure if the NYCC setting was right. But...meh? 2/5

Vassa in the Night. Dude. This was one whimsical book. I don't know the original myth. But it was very magical. A good read. BUT check out a more in-depth book on Teen Reads. Later. Sometime. 4/5

The Rift Uprising. AGH NO. This was such a strange book. It didn't seem right. The Blood Lust? NOPE. The 2016 dystopia? NOPE. The everything? NOPE. 1/5

A Study in Charlotte. I really wasn't shocked about this book. It was fine. Nothing special. I'd have preferred if Charlotte was the MC, but Jamie works. I guess? 3/5

I Am A Boss Blogger (And This Is Proof)

My Posts

Haha. School's been disrupting everything. Including posts. WHOOPS.

Almost everything I posted was book related. Not that I mind. But I like anime too! 

I participated in a blog tour for Phantom Limbs. It is a very interesting book. VERY interesting. Check it out here. 

I also reviewed Stalking Jack the Ripper. But that's above.

And I reviewed A Court of Mist and Fury. Which is -fans self- Check it out here. 

For BBCP, my team did another aesthetic. Mine is for Illuminae! Check it out here.

And the only anime post I had this month was a review. For Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Check that out here.  

Blogosphere Posts

Book

Mary @ Mary Had a Little Book Blog discusses diversity and her experiences with diversity

Alicia @ Awesome Book Assessment guest posted on Chasing Faerytales about copy-editing

Jeann @ Happy Indulgence Books discusses diversity and when books really aren't 'diverse'

Molly @ Molly's Book Nook gives us 4 blog hacks

Anime:

Arria Cross @ Fujinsei talks about blogging motivation and how to improve on that

Blade Licking Thieves talks about...piracy

Kausus @ Otaku Gamer Zone discusses the biased factors between anime and manga

Lita @ Lita Kino Anime Corner discusses the horrible word weeaboo and the negative connotation that goes along with it

Lita @ Lita Kino Anime Corner poses the question: do reviewers lose enjoyment?

Lita @ Lita Kino Anime Corner talks about anime collecting habits

Eris @ HoneyFeed talks about the emotional building blocks of anime

And I found two really interesting Re:Zero posts. SO. Here ya go.

Crunchyroll shows us the reactions from the 'Re:Zero' staff after the anime ends

Black Dragon Hunt shows us a lot of information about 'Re:Zero'

Daily Lives of High School Peoples (aka Wren)

• Ah, school. You hate me so. I had an APUSH test that I ROCKEDD. Yess. And I did pretty well on both Psych tests. But one was basically statistics, and I'm in AP Stats. So...no brainer there. But APUSH isn't too bad. It just depends on how much you like history and how hard you're going to push yourself. 
• The first issue of my school paper is coming out soon! I haven't written a thing, but I've done photos and page designs. Only the latter is going in print, though. Or is it? I'm not sure. I don't think any of my photos are in this print this issue. But yeah! I did 5 pages this issue. I've only do maybe 3 at most. But it wasn't bad. I did 2 pages in one day, though. 
• I'm taking up photography? Whaaa. It's true. I'm doing photos now for the paper as well. I like it. It's calming to see things through the lens. Plus, photos from a newbie like me turn out FABULOUS with the Nikon. Even though I might be trying for some artsy that doesn't work. Plus, my cutlines aren't too bad. 

• I also went to a carnival with friends. I went on some spinning rides. And then I attended my first football game at my school. I've only gone to one before that. So it was interesting... 

• I met Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings for the first time! I was at a Half Price Books event for the two of them. Plus, I met with some awesome friends from NTTBF 2016! Liv. Lizzie. Whitney. Caitlin And some of Liv's friends.
• There was a Japanese festival! And I got goldfish. You know that goldfish scooping game? Yeah, I got three goldfish from that. I haven't named them yet. But I might call them all Harold in honor of my dead fish from my other goldfish scooping conquest back in April.

What did you do this September? What did you think of the summer anime? Are you going to Homecoming? Tell me in the comments!

This is Literally About Clothes: 'Kill la Kill' Review

Kill la Kill

Studio: Trigger
Producer: Aniplex, Dentsu,Kadokawa Shoten, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Movic, Ultra Super Pictures, Lucent Pictures Entertainment
Genre: Action, Comedy, School, Superpower
Episodes: 24
Episode Length: 24 minutes per episode

After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities. 

Thoroughly beaten in a fight against one of the students in uniform, Ryuuko retreats to her razed home where she stumbles across Senketsu, a rare and sentient "Kamui," or God Clothes. After coming into contact with Ryuuko's blood, Senketsu awakens, latching onto her and providing her with immense power. Now, armed with Senketsu and the Scissor Blade, Ryuuko makes a stand against the Elite Four, hoping to reach Satsuki and uncover the culprit behind her father's murder once and for all. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've wondered why I haven't watched many animes. 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic' and 'Your Lie in April'. After watching this anime, I want to buy all the 'Kill la Kill' merch. Including the Ryuuko Nendoroid (Who is ADORABLE.) And maybe the Mako one. Hm...

Trigger is such a fantastic studio. They did 'Kiznaiver' from the spring 2016 season. Their art style is amazing. I love it. The characters look dynamic. Everything about them is important. (Ehem, remember the ball-in-mouth on Gamagoori's original uniform? Yeah, that. There's a reason for it. You'll find out later.) The animation is fast-paced but amazing. I completely adore it.

The OPs for this anime kill my heart. Get it? Get it? But they're amazing. I truly love them. The second one starts out slow, but it speeds up. I hum it often. The first one is great too! The images in the background truly do suit the anime and what happens within that part of the anime. It works.
Check out the first OP here.

Every second of this anime is dedicated to action. We're thrown into fights and yelling and slashing immediately. There is no time for stopping. I love this. We have no beach scenes or lulls in the story. (It's not the long 8 episode randomness of 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'. THAT was useless after episode 2 or so.) Everything IS action. This is how a story should be. No lulls. No stops. Nothing of that sort. Just story.
Because of this, though, the pacing is insane(ly amazing.) You don't get time to breathe or process what you're seeing. It's mostly positives, but because of this fact, I'm happy I didn't binge watch it all the way through. I'd be breathless if I did.

The characters are fabulous. Ryuuko is the badass I love. Mako is the energetic best friend. And Senketsu is a GARMENT, but he has more personality than some other anime characters (Insert any otome game turned anime character ever. I'm looking at you 'Brothers Conflict'. YOU.)
Ryuuko is desperate. And badass. She loves with her entire heart. Seeing her defend her friends is amazing. She's someone to admire. She's dedicated and fierce. Definitely in competition for best girl (Watch out, Rem.)
Mako is so cute. I love her randomness. And when she gets her spotlight? Adorable. (In case you're wondering, though, her hand motions match up to the Japanese, not the English.) She's lovable and crazy loyal. I love it. Plus, her Two-Star Uniform is BADASS.

You know that I hate ecchi? Well, I hate ecchi. I might never have said it before, but I do. But this anime does it well. (Much like 'Food Wars'. Which does ecchi pretty well.) We're not overloaded with boobs and butts. Instead, the uniforms are skimpy but for a reason. (It takes some time to understand why. They'll explain it, though.) We aren't forced to see ecchi. Rather, the ecchi is part of the story. It's part of the world. And that makes it tolerable, if not amazing, on its own.

There is only one problem about this anime.
It is literally about clothes.
You have to wrap your mind around that. It's a super amazing anime...about clothes. That's something that doesn't make much sense to me, but once you remind me of Senketsu and Ryuuko's relationship, I forgive you. Because those two are OTP. (Well...Gamagoori and Mako are OTP. Senketsu and Ryuuko are second OTP.)

There is Always Hope: 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' Review

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magical Girl Madoka Magica)

Studio: Shaft
Producer: Aniplex, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Movic, Nitroplus,Madoka Partners, Houbunsha
Genre: Drama, Magic, Psychological, Thriller
Episodes: 12
Episode Length: 24 minutes per episode

Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are regular middle school girls with regular lives, but all that changes when they encounter Kyuubey, a cat-like magical familiar, and Homura Akemi, the new transfer student.

Kyuubey offers them a proposition: he will grant one of their wishes and in exchange, they will each become a magical girl, gaining enough power to fulfill their dreams. However Homura, a magical girl herself, urges them not to accept the offer since everything is not what it seems.

A story of hope, despair, and friendship, Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica deals with the difficulties of being a magical girl and the price one has to pay to make a dream come true.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magical girls are typically seen as moe characters who flounce around and say things like 'Bippity boppity boo'. 

That's what I expected when I started this anime, but I was completely wrong.

This anime is decidedly dark. There is no hiding it. I was stunned by  how dark it was. From the figures and the hints I had seen, this was a cute show. Here's the truth: it's not. 

Sayaka hates her human body after becoming a magical girl. Mami is lost and alone. Kyoko is greedy. They suffer from pain and loss. When I first saw hints of that darkness, I was shocked. These girls suffer more than most. Additionally, they take on others' suffering. All because they're magical girls.
Despair and hope are common ideas in this anime. Without despair, there is no hope. And vice versa. It's a sad fact of life. When one gains, another loses. It's different to see this played out in an anime. Even more so since this is a 'cute' anime. This yin-yang conflict is played out well, though. You root for their hope and feel defeated when they despair.

Hope and despair clash in the battles against the witches. The barriers the girls and witches fight in are of a completely different art style. 

Think scrapbooking (Cutouts against backgrounds) and you'll be sorta-near what the barriers look like. The witches themselves look garish. They move jerkily. Everything seems so surreal when inside a barrier. It gives you the feeling of wrongness and juxtaposition. It made my skin crawl when we first entered a barrier. I thought we had accidentally entered a person on acid's mind. It's jarring.
But the jarring effect of the barriers works. It shows the magical girls are beacons of hope (And reasonable art designs) in a world of despair (And sketchy-looking characters.) The art style of the barriers conflicts with the conventional idea of 'anime art' and makes for a truly unique experience.

All these girls have hidden depths. They aren't two-dimensional. Madoka even more so. She's one of the most real characters in anime. She didn't immediately say yes to Kyubey. Much like Naho in Orange (Another character I praise for her realism), Madoka is scared. She's downright frightened. And I can't judge her for that. I probably wouldn't say yes. I'd be too scared to lose my life. And that's what makes her and the other magical girls strong. They do risk their lives to protect others. And her decision in the end...it was powerful. She chose to do something that no one else would, that other people might be afraid of. Madoka is strong. Unbelievably so. And I enjoyed watching her actions the entire show. Even if she was a bit weepy.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica surprised me. In every way possible. It's dark but intriguing. The art style is pretty amazing, but it gets better in the barriers. Madoka and Sayaka and Mami and all the girls are real. I'd love to be Madoka's friend.