Free! Ultimate Fangirl Heaven Recommendation?

Hi mina san! LalakoKyubey reporting again! Wow! A lot of animes have completed all at once, so there is going to be a lot recommendations and reviews coming in. After thinking about what to recommend and review next, I have finally come up with the idea of recommending the anime...Free! Iwatobi Swim Club! This recommendation will include the WHOLE anime, so both seasons, and again, I ask of you not flame! This is just my opinion, and if you have something against it, you can always write an recommendation of your own~ With that note, let's start our recommendation! 

Free! revolves around a group of boys, Haruka Nanase, Rin Matsuoka, Makoto Tachibana, and Nagisa Hazuki, who all went to the same elementary swim club, Iwatobi swim club. After some conflicts and rifts in their friendship, Rin Matsuoka leaves for Australia, wanting to swim more professionally, and the group slowly starts to fall apart. After the rest entering the same highschool, Haruka, Makoto, and Nagisa decide to go visit their old Iwatobi Swim Club, and there, they meet a much meaner and darker Rin who challenges Haruka to a race! What will happen? What is Haruka's real purpose of swimming? And will they be able to continue to swim in the future?

Before even thinking to watch this anime, for those of you who think it has anything to do with the details of swimming, and focuses on the sport much like Haikyuu, this is the wrong anime. Also, those of you looking for pretty girls and big chests, also the wrong. Free! produced by Kyoto Animation is aimed towards both genders, and although it may have slight sublines of shounen ai, it's enough to deal with where you aren't screaming, "GAY", every two seconds. Also, this is a slice of life and sports anime, and focuses on both genres, so those of you looking for a sports only anime, this isn't the anime to watch with that mindset. 

No Ecchi Hentai!

Free! was a very interesting anime for me, and at first I did not expect a lot from it. The moment I saw the 40 second PV, I was like: 

GIVE ME THE FAN SERVICE 

No, but in all actuality, I did not expect much from KyoAni's Free! series, but I was clearly proved wrong when watching this anime, so I will knock out the complaints that I hear for Free! 

"But, LalakoKyubey... You're clearly a girl, so that makes you biased for the stripping!" is probably most of you may be thinking. Free! is a swimming anime, and as for the fan service, there isn't actually much when looking closely. Yes, they do take off their shirts, but that's something that's needed for swimming, and for those complaining about to much skin, they do manage to cover a lot of their body portions, and the only part that shows is the upper half of their body. If Kyoto Animation really wanted to make this an ecchi,hentai for girls, they would have put everyone in tight Speedos and have suggestive scenes in the changing rooms. But they don't, and they manage to make one of the most colorful HD animes that I've ever watched. 

HD! 

Free! is unique in that it manages to merge sports and slice of life together. You have to remember that when Free! started running, or should I say swimming, there wasn't much slice of life/sports animes out there. We have decent characters, which at points can be somewhat cheesy, a good realistic plot line, and somewhat of the feelings of the sport itself. KyoAni did a good job merging and making Free! a cohesive plot line and pretty decent characters, and I do applaud them for this pull off.

Aside from the characters and plot lines, Free! has AMAZING HD art and design. The color palette is vivid and each shadow contrasting light has full depth and tone to it, making it an eyegasm each time you look at the characters and the water. I enjoyed every moment of the art, but the only complaint I would have is the sometimes too bright of colors, or at times all the characters looking kind of the same. Other than that, Free! did a really good job with the art, and enough to the point where you can just watch for the bright, sparkling colors.

Was it the best thing in the world? Not really. Should you watch it? If you liked the description. Those two are the most non biased answers that I can think of, and from watching that, there are some times where my eyes would slightly get watery and times where I was cracking up on the floor. It was a good anime, and I did enjoy it a lot. So, on to the scores!

Plot: 7.5/10 

Free did have a unique plot in the beginning! It was interesting to see the more "human" or slice of life feel to it, while having the sports and the competition to be the motivational conflicts. 

Voice Cast: 8.5/10 

Great voice cast! And good singing at that too! Sometimes Rei's voice can get slightly annoying, but he was an awesome character! But, I have seen better choices and better voice casts, so the highest rating for this would be an 8.5.

Art: 9.5/10 

Again, KyoAni did a great job with depicting the 3d and deep landscapes with a bright color pallet. I would watch this anime just for the art.

Music: 7.5/10 

I wish that there was more music to this series, but the opening and the ending songs were amazing for both seasons! If you wanted more music with the voice actors, you can always search up their character songs.

Overall, Free! wasn't as disappointing as some people made it, and I think it is an anime that should be on your to watch list, and something that you should watch this year. 

I hoped you liked my recommendation, and look forward to my Aldnoah Zero Ep 12 analysis and character analysis! So, until then!

-LalakoKyubey 

PS. If you liked this recommendation, please +1 this page and post, and please share the news! :3 

Hamatora, Detectives or Super Power Group?

Hi mina san, LalakoKyubey finally reporting to scene! Wow, I did not expect that hiatus, and this time, I will truly go back to posting at humane speed. For today's anime recommendation...it will be the Hamatora series! (Both seasons, so also including Re: Hamatora.) Again, this has minor spoilers, but not that are hugely impacting to the plot, and only for the sake of introducing characters and plot. Please don't flame, it's my opinion, if you hate it, I'm sorry for being the worst person in your life. So, let us start  the review of Hamatora!

Hamatora takes place in modern Yokohama, and a small population of the city has a power called "Minimum", which basically is like a super power. This "Minimum" can vary from mind control to enhancing looks on camera. Nice, our main character, lives is Yokohama as a Minimum holder, and operates a Minimum detective agency in a cafe named Cafe Nowhere. There, we are introduced to Birthday, Ratio, Hajime, Murasaki, Honey, and Three, along with a close friend of Nice named Art who is an investigator. All have graduated from a school named, Facultas Academy, made specifically for Minimum Holders, but has it changed their future? And what are the secrets of Facultas and Yokohama?

Nice!

This anime has huge potential, to the point where it's overwhelmingly saddening to see this series end in an unsatisfying fashion, but this is a good anime, that should on your "to watch list" if not already watched. But most people ask, "Who do you recommend it to LalakoKyubey?" 

Hamatora is interesting in that, Yuuki Kodama has a comic gag scenes but 12 minutes later, you're bawling your eyes out because of this huge tragic moment. Kodama sensei is known for his crazy shifts in moods and tones, going peak happy to valley depressing, but also for his great talents in hiding underlying meanings. For a more common anime of his, refer to Blood Lad. This anime is aimed towards people who wants a balance between a human and antagonist. There is no romance, and this is not shoujo at all, and actually leaning more towards seinen, not for perverted scenes <there is none, so if looking for that, it's not in Hamatora>, but for the deep meanings that are better understood as a 17 year old and older. But, if you think you can understand it, I suggest to fully go out for it! 

With this we will move on to character development, the highlight of Hamatora. Hamatora has real life, down to earth human characters. These characters resemble human psychology, and don't have personalities like no one is bound to have on earth. Like, the hero, Nice, is at times, pretty antagonistic, like a normal human should be. All characters feel things, jealously,despair, happiness, and you can really connect to the characters because they are heartfelt and real. Each character has full development, not missing out on any back story, but there are no fillers, and moves the plot along at the same speed as the character development. As for characters, Hamatora did a good job defining personality and observing human feelings and putting it in to their characters. 

The downside of this anime may be the gag scenes. Some of you may know from watching Blood Lad, but Yuuki Kodama sometimes kills the mood and the whole depth to the conversation by adding a gag scene! The most frustrating part was at the end of the story, so be prepared. (Comments below, try not to spoil!) Now on to the scores...

Plot: 8/10 

Great story idea, but please, no gag scenes in the middle of no where! I wish that the ending could be a little more thought out, and sometimes, Nice was really overpowered. For example, (does not come out in the anime), if someone shot him, he would randomly manage to recover, and throw full on punches. Other then the terrible gag scene placements and Nice's overpower, the plot was detailed and thought out.

Voice Cast: 7/10

It was OK, but sometimes, the voice actor's voices would not match the character's emotions. Especially for Birthday kun, who would remain happy no matter what situation.

Art: 9/10 

The art was very interesting, and a new take anime art. It's hard to describe, but it is very natural, pretty, and clean.

Music: 8/10 

Again, not the best, but both opening songs were amazing. 

So, do I recommend this? Yes. Will you like it? I'm not sure. Hamatora is an anime that you either hate or love. Overall, it was a good anime, and it is something you should watch when you have time, or don't have anything else to watch. 

I hope you liked my review, and I will now go off from the stagnant periods I had on posting! So, until then! 

-LalakoKyubey 

PS. Please press the +1 button on the bottom, and like our blog~! Hope you like Hamatora too :3

Character Analysis of ALDNOAH ZERO. Slaine or Inaho?

Hi mina san! Again, thank you so much for joining us on Otaku Anime Review, and today LalakoKyubey will be covering the character analysis of Slaine Troyard and Inaho Kaizuka. The character analysis will be composed of quick character background, why a character behaves a certain way, the reasons perhaps why one is favored over another, and some of my opinions and theories about what is about to come next. This review, being a review, is mostly aimed towards to those who are in the middle of watching Aldnoah Zero or completely up to date with it. (Episode 9). Again, this will not be spoiler free, and please no flaming! I'm glad to hear your opinions, but please, do not flame... With that, let us start our character review!

Slaine Troyard, a 16 year old Terran, living with the Vers Empire, due to being rescued by the royal family, specifically Asseylum Vers Allusia, the honored princess of the Vers Empire. As his father and him slowly continue to work under the royal family, Slaine develops a close relationship with Princess Allusia, teaching her about his home, Earth, and prepares her for the peace treaty that she will lead with Earth. Although being very quiet and obedient, Slaine continues to be looked down upon often beat due to being a Terran, but Slaine continues to stay loyal to the Vers Empire.

The recent episodes however, we are shown a new side of Slaine. We see the steadfast courage and the extreme loyalty to the princess. As he was one of the first people who was told about Vers Allusia's "death", without any doubt, he decides to go straight in to war to avenge her. Later on, as he figures out that Allusia is indeed still alive, and also finds out that Saazbaum and a group of people are trying to assassinate her, Slaine bravely tries to go after her alone. He knows that the knights are only trying to infringe Allusia's "death" as an excuse to start a war, and even when caught and tortured for hours, Slaine remains steadfast and quiet about Allusia, and continues to try to protect her, unable to trust anyone anymore due to the betrayal of the Vers Empire knights and Inhao. 

Inaho Kaizuka is the 15 year old main protagonist of the Aldnoah Zero series, and swears allegiance to the United Earth. His parents prior to the current war, and lives with his sister Yuki Kaizuka, who is one of the enlisted soldiers in training, and like many others, constantly in preparation for the war. Not much back story is known about Kaizuka san yet, and later since SEASON 2 HAS BEEN CONFIRMED, we will be able to know more about his back stories! 

His personality has so far stayed the same throughout the series. Very calculating, always thinking about how to defeat the Vers Empire, and not focusing on unnecessary ideals and concepts of friendship and heated passion. As seen in his behavior towards Slaine and Inko, he is very calm minded, and ready to sacrifice if not trusted and if need on combat. Also being very intuitive, he is not afraid to try out different battle tactics, and always remains very calm in combat, even when cornered. The only slight times he shows happiness or any slight feeling is when he is with Vers Allusia, whom he decides to protect and also decides to trust.

The number one thing that we have to confirm and understand is that Aldnoah Zero will have a season 2! This is huge news in that, if you had read my previous Aldnoah review, there will be no uncertain endings and if the things keep on going the way it's heading, the character development will be more sufficient. But the main question is that most of you may be asking is, "SLAINE OR INAHO?!" My answer to that is...*drums* Slaine! Like most of you, I do agree with you and your Slaine decisions, but those of you that agree with Inaho, please hear me out.

One of the top reasons why Inaho may be disliked is because the non sufficient character development and his weird unexplained tendencies to be somewhat apathetic and uncaring. This makes it difficult to connect to Inaho, because it is almost like he has no feelings. Without a reason to his extremly serious personality, it makes it very difficult to understand him. This is seen in episode seven, which many people were enraged at Inaho's desicion to randomly shoot Slaine off in to the ocean, and on top of that randomly declaring that Slaine was his "enemy." The number one issue with this situation is that Slaine clearly showed his kindness by helping Inaho, but is rejected clearly before being able to make connections with Slaine. 

This shows the hugely skeptical complex that Inaho has. He is constantly questioning the morals and thoughts of others to the point where it seems everything he does is done with reason, and somehow benefits Earth and himself. Inaho's thought process is hard to follow not because he is a bad character, but rather, he is so cold and unemotional and is almost like a robot himself. 

Uhm, don't know?

When comparing behaviors with Inaho and Slaine, Slaine does come out as a more compassionate character and I think that this character is the most relatable, and always suffering character. Unlike Inaho, Slaine is passionate, and although not as battle tactic enforced as Inaho, Slaine is willing to fight, and willing to take any punishment that comes to him. Always trying to save the princess, even when he is put in a torture chamber in episode eight, he stays loyal while being flogged, whipped, and electrocuted. The amount of willpower that Slaine has shown us throughout the first nine episodes shows the sheer power of human nature and feelings, and Slaine conveys the average person very well. 

Suffering...Internal tears...;(

Not only this, Slaine is the one character that is constantly suffering, and this "suffering" shows us that he is human. Constantly being tortured and loosing the purpose of his life, Slaine shows the in depth personality and the in depth feelings of a human. There are times that Slaine shows his dark side, in episode 6 as an example (shooting the crew down to get to the princess alone), and this is perfectly balanced out by the sweet moments of naive Slaine. A human is determined a human, not only by genetic arrangements, but also having both a light and dark side. Slaine is human, and we can grow to understand these feelings, unlike with Inaho, who is somewhat distant with his ideologies and theories. 

Aside from that, I think that both are capable characters, and I think in season two, Inaho will be explained more in depth.  By having this back story behind Inaho, fellow otakus from the world will be able to understand the true inner workings of Inaho, and the reasons why he may be so apathetic. 

After watching episode 9, I do admit to slightly shedding tears for the pain that Slaine will go through, loosing two most important people in his life.
So, what do you think? Today's recommendation was powered by my desire to share my thoughts on Inaho's slightly flawed characteristics. So with that, I end this review! Thanks for reading! 

-LalakoKyubey 

PS. If you liked this review, please press the +1 button, and make sure to follow us! 

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun Midterm Recomendation! :3

Hello mina san! I'm so sorry for the huge gaps in between my posts, and the sudden hiatus. I was quite busy for some reason, and I wasn't able to blog... (Internal sobbing). Aside from that, today, we will start off with a review! Today's review is...Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun! Again, sorry if you are expecting this to be a totally spoiler free review, but this is aimed mostly towards people that are up to the latest episode of this anime. Don't worry! Since this is a midterm recommendation, it is also to those of you who are slightly wanting to start Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun! Also, please no flames! It really isn't a good feeling when putting up a post, and seeing someone ranting about what you wrote. With that note, let's start the review! 

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, also known as Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, revolves around the various situations of the high school students. Student, Chiyo Sakura, confesses to her all time crush Umetaro Nozaki, but somehow, Nozaki kun signs an autograph board and hands it to Chiyo! Chiyo obviously being confused about this reaction tells Nozaki kun that she wants to be with him. With this Nozaki kun invites Chiyo to his house, and has her help inking his manga art. Going home, Chiyo takes a look at the autograph board, and finds out that Nozaki kun is actually a renown shoujo manga artist, with his pen name Sakikio Yumeno, and the whole time Nozaki kun had mistaken her as a fan. Later agreeing to be his assistant to get closer to him, she meets other students that help assist Nozaki kun, and also whom Nozaki kun takes and uses as inspirations. 

When starting this anime, one should always keep in mind that this is a comedy anime made to MAKE FUN OF SHOUJO animes. So, although there is some sweet moments, especially the senpai to kohai moments of Yu and Masayuki, you must make sure not to expect much from the ending, especially the moments of Nozaki and Chiyo. So when starting to watch this, make sure to not expect the deep plot twists, huge character developments, and love troubles that deeply involves the characters crying in despair. GSNK is a shoujo-comedy anime, and I doubt that it would be nothing more.

Crying over the endless love~

Cute scenes of the true kohai to senpai relationship...

So, do I recommend it? Yes. To those looking for things other than  comedy? No. This recommendation was not really to recommend, but rather to those who were confused about the real point about GSNK. This recommendation is probably dedicated towards the people who keep on flaming GSNK for the wrong reason, and having the wrong mindset.

Too kawaii... Nosebleed drip.

Eh! That was a really short recommendation! No worries! People looking for the full recommendation, it will come out when GSNK finishes its series! And today, I will somewhat make up for the hiatus that I had... Well until later!

-LalakoKyubey

PS. If you liked this review, please press the +1, and follow us! :3 

Nisekoi! Want to be Raku?

It is slightly raining where I live, and as I looked outside, I was reminded about the anime...Nisekoi! Today's recommendation will be about the lovey - dovey, harem, Nisekoi! Please, before I continue, again I ask you to remember the no flame rule, and understand this is my opinion only! Since this is a recommendation, there will be no spoilers, and if so, only mild touches of them. So with that, let's start our anime recommendation! 

Nisekoi features Raku Ichijou, the high school son of the yakuza group, Shuei Gumi, who only wishes for a normal life, a planned out education career, and to fulfill finding the girl who he made the promise with ten years ago, over a locket, which he wears around his neck, and a key, which the girl has. After promising the unknown and forgotten girl, Raku Ichijou searches for the girl that might hold the key to his lock, finding new found hope in his high school. The story continues, and when walking to school, Raku is kneed in the face by a blond girl named Chitoge, who attempts to jump over a wall, and after she runs away, Raku is faced with the horror of loosing his lock. 

After he finding out that Chitoge is a transfer student in his class, Raku forces her to search for the lock with him, and during the search, both find out that they do not like each other. Returning home, Raku is told that due to the new alliance and peace treaty with the yakuza gang, Beehive Gangs, Raku, the son of Shuei Gumi, will have to date Chitoge, the daughter of the Beehive Gangs! Conflicts arise, as Raku loves Onodera, a classmate, dearly, and the complications of duplicate keys! Is it true love? Or is it Nisekoi?

I was never in to harems, because of the constant fan service that they portray to the female characters. Big chested, overly shy, or constantly tsundere to the point where it was annoying. Nisekoi didn't fan service as much, as it was produced by Shaft, but I did not watch for the romantic aspect of it, but rather the comedy. Nisekoi is indeed a decent harem, but I found that it wasn't the romantic and drama aspect of it that shined, but the comedy was lighthearted , innocent, and best of all, it shows the true meaning of being a teenager. 

Nisekoi did a great job of flowing the plots together, and developing a decent plot for a harem. The relationships weren't too confusing, and since I am a character development freak ( :D ), it wasn't enough to fit my taste, but I clearly saw Onodera's development from a shy girl to a little more outgoing, and Chitoge from a violent person, to more opening and honest. I wish that Raku also developed in to the deeper character, but since this is a harem, focusing on the aspects of the girls, I know and knew that I couldn't expect from much the main boy character. 

                                         Shaft Head Turn!

Aside from the plot, the art was very clear and fresh. The art wasn't necessarily unique, but it wasn't sketchy, and had good fresh summer colors, and good graphics. The facial expressions were portrayed clearly, and I knew exactly what the character was feeling, and was very relatable. I congratulate on Shaft, choosing a steady staff to work on the art aspect, and I was amazed by the clarity of the relations with the audience and the characters. 

So to the main question, "Does LalakoKyubey recommend it?" If you like lighthearted, comedy harems, yes. If you like serious harems with murder and yanderes or forbidden love...then no. Like I stated before, Nisekoi's main point was the art and the comedy. The plot is decent, but not deep, and the theme sometimes turns "Shaft like". 

Scores! 

Plot: 7/10 

The plot was ok~, the only reason why I gave it a seven was the funny scenes. Sometimes the characters infuriated me, and it was sometime frustrating to watch.

Art: 9/10

It was decent and clean, but sometimes, they overused the color pink on the characters bodies, constantly making them look like they have a permanent sun tan. 

Voice Actors: 8/10 

The voice actors were decent, but I found that Raku's voice especially did not have much depth or feeling to it. Serious scenes, especially when he is fighting, his voice sometimes goes monotone.

Music: 6/10 

Good opening by ClariS, but the music was not a theme or a used as much in this anime. I think if the producers used a tiny bit more orchestral music or soft lyrics, it would have worked well as a background developer.

Overall, the anime was good, but wasn't amazing. Would I watch the second season if it came out? No. But the first season is something to enjoy, and if you want teen romance, then this is the place to go. 

So, I hope you enjoyed this recommendation, and I would love to hear your comments and questions down below in the comment box! So, until later!

-LalakoKyubey 

PS: Press the +1 button of the page and follow us, if you enjoyed this review! Help us spread the world of writing and anime!

Pupa! Anime or Manga?

Hi mina san! I was somewhat busy yesterday and was unable to write our daily review! I will make it up by writing two reviews today and a recommendation! So, for today...Our review will be...Pupa, the Anime! Again this is a review, so there will be spoilers, but up to a certain point, this can be read without the spoilers. I will mark that spot clearly, and please remember our NO FLAMING rule, and I hope you enjoy this review! 

Pupa, originally a horror story manga collection by Sayaka Mogi, was adapted in to an anime version by Studio Deen on January 9, 2014. The story revolves around our two main characters, Utsutsu and his younger sibling, Yume. Both were raised in harsh family circumstances, having an extremely sadistic and abusive father, who constantly beat Utsutsu and his mother. After a ripping divorce, the mother leaves Utsutsu and Yume behind, and their father also leave the two kids. After the harsh treatment, Utsutsu takes care of his younger sister and vows to always protect her and forever be by her side. One day, Utsutsu and Yume comes across a strange lady who warns both of them to stay away from the "Red Butterflies". After entering a park, both see the red butterflies and become infected by the virus called Pupa, which turns Yume in to a cannibalistic monster, but leaves Utsutsu with regenerative abilities. As they come across the strange lady again, revealing her name as Maria, informs that Utsutsu will forever have to be food to Yume and constantly suppress her hunger. 

PLEASE DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH PUPA! THIS IS A REVIEW AND MAY HAVE SPOILERS!

All I have to say to this anime was that it was severely disappointing. While watching this anime and comparing it to the manga, half the time I was pulling out my hair and screaming at the computer of how much they ruined the story, art, and plot line. Sorry for those of you enjoyed the anime, but I severely disliked the anime overall. Especially since I was an avid fan of the manga. 

"Justify your reasons LalakoKyubey!" is probably one of the thoughts running through your mind when reading this harsh outbreak and critique of this anime series. From here on, I will explain the reason why I hated the anime so much, and did not even dare to write a recommendation for it. 

Too many plot holes! In the manga, Utsutsu was a bipolar character, having deep background stories to why he had problems, and why he was so protective of his sister to the point where it was considered out of the norm. The story line in the showed deep continuing conflicts with his family, Utsutsu's true terror of hurting people he loves, and the uncontrollable frustration outbursts that he goes through, showing the psychological and horror aspect of this manga. I personally thought Pupa, as a manga, was a true work of psychological thriller and gore, lurking in to the true aspects of human fear, unlike the common shock and run that most horror stories do. Utsutsu continues to dig in to the past and the origins of the Pupa virus, about Maria, trying to actually help his sister, until he looses all mental sanity, is ripped open, and tested on, until the original Pupa butterfly saves him, as seen the latest translated chapters of the manga.

Utsutsu's Severe Bipolar Personality  

The anime presented us with 4 minutes of sibling porn, gore, and no character development. It was totally random, jumping sequences. Somehow Utsutsu's bipolar, somehow Yume turns in to a monster, somehow they are kidnapped, and somehow, everything works out at the end, as Utsutsu continues to get eaten by Yume for eternity. That is too many "SOMEHOW"s in this anime series, and those are just the major plot holes. There is so many in between that I can't even explain, like Utsutsu's friends, whom in the manga know about Utsutsu's harsh past, but clearly in the anime are just naive passersby who don't care about the random cigarette burns running up Utsutsu's back and arms. The anime made no sense, and was just random clips of Yume eating things, and ripping up dogs and people. 

The second thing that got me angry was the lack of thought and time in to each anime. Sayaka Mogi pulls off that sketchy art in her mangas making it somehow innocent and dark at the same time, but for the anime artists at Studio Deen, did a horrible job attempting to copy Sayaka sensei. The blood looked like tomato juice ground up and the details and shadows of the characters were simply just pushed off, thought of as something unneeded to tell the story. I think that I would have forgiven Studio Deen and its terrible job with Pupa, if the art was at least good, but when watching Pupa, the plot holes and the scribblely art just made me frustrated and made me want to just scream at the producers. 

Don't mistake this the wrong way. I love Pupa, and its manga. I just hate how the anime producers took this wonderful series, and created trash out of gold. Pupa was a deep and thrilling story to me, and it shows the true anger inside humans, showing frustration, love, and blind rage at the same time, creating interesting and relatable characters.

So what do you think? Do you agree? I would love to talk about this anime with you, just comment below! Hope you enjoyed my review, and remember there is one more coming today after the recommendation! 

PS: If you liked this, please press +1, and follow us! Let's share the art of writing and otaku-ness to the whole world! 

-LalakoKyubey 

   

Sorry for all the confusion...

Hello mina san! Sorry for all the confusion that has been going on. OtakuReviewer Lalako was just another account that I was writing with, but it is the same person as NekoStare. Just to clear up the confusion once again, NekoStare, is the same person as OtakuReviewer Lalako. Please once again, I am deeply sorry for all the confusion!  

MekakuCity Actors! Join the Mekakushi Dan! :D

How are you all doing! LalakoKyubey reporting for today's recommendation and review post! Today, OAR will cover the anime... MekakuCity Actors, also known as Kagerou Project~! This summer anime, ended in June 28, 2014, and although it's been a while since its last episode release, I think that this anime does deserve a review and a recommendation on this blog. Again, I please ask of you remember the no flame rule, and please forgive the minor spoilers, if there is any! With that, let's start our OAR's recommendation and review post~! 

MekakuCity Actors, a 2014 summer anime produced by our famous company Shaft, started as a story song series named Kagerou Project produced by Jin. This story revolves a teenage clique/group named the Mekakushi Dan ("The Blindfold Gang"), which consists of 9 members, where each of the character have a special eye power. Each episode talks about the background of each character, which relates to all the other 8 members in the group.

For this, it is better to go straight to the point. Do I recommend it? It is better to ask, who do I recommend it to? For those of you who thought that the summary was slightly bland and confusing, I suggest not to try the anime, but stick with the cool and interesting songs that Jin thought up of, consisting each of these characters. Those of you who know Kagerou Project, I suggest this anime. And those of you who really like Shaft in general, please watch the song series first before diving in to the anime. 

Most of you would be asking, "Why? Why is it important to follow these steps, LalakoKyubey? Can't you just watch it like a normal anime?" My answer to that is a eyebrow raise. All I can say to that is, "Maybe? If you don't want to understand it?" One of the weak points of MekakuCity Actors was the plot, and the impossible to understand story line without background knowledge. 

Now all of you MekakuCity fans will probably go, "Oh my gosh. I will murder you!" But my reply is, "Did you fall in love with the song series, or the anime?" The plot was difficult to understand because there was no development, and only back stories. If you watched Kagerou Project series, you would have known the main point and the main conflict that each character had to face. But since each episode was focused on background story and actually no development in the actual world, they had to cram the climax in to the last three episodes. 

Aside from the hard core plot, sometimes the art really shocked me. It was kind of a turn off when there is a beautiful drawing of the main character in a psychological setting, then all of a sudden, their theme song pops out with the music video. I was especially turned off by the way Shaft interpreted Ayano's Theory of Happiness. I mean, come on! Please, don't try the 3D effect randomly. You'll see if you watch the series. But aside from this complaint, I love Shaft's classic head turns, and psychological settings. They did a good job with shadow usage, and did an amazing job especially in this anime with prospective usage.  

                                                Head Turn!

                                           Prospective Usage! 

Did I like it? I guess so. I think I had too high of an expectation after watching Jin's amazing story line and music series, and after watching the anime, it wasn't as good as I expected. I wish that there could have been more, a more final statement from each character, but I do admit to having enjoyed the dark final episodes, and how the characters slowly realize their past and work together to mend the future. This anime is deep and thought provoking, and questions the thought of future and dreams. 

The story seemed to revolve around the question, "What is your priority and goal in life?" Shaft and Jin tried hard to work this in to an anime, and I did enjoy this anime a lot. Although I had some sharp comments, I did fall in love with the awesome covers and songs that Jin made, and MekakuCity was a pretty good anime in general. Now on to the scores!


Plot: 7/10 
Plot holes were the main deduction for this anime, and the unexplained rush climax development in the last 3 episodes. Besides from that, character development was very steady, and the back stories were quite interesting.

Art: 8/10 
I liked the art, except for the music videos they screened at the end. I think they should have gone with Jin's music videos and art, instead of choosing other artists.

Voice Cast: 8/10 
I agreed with everyone's voice except for Hibiya's voice, and especially Shuuya Kano's voice. I think that for Hibiya's voice, it should have been a little more childish seeing his age, and also more squeaky. It was way too deep for a twelve year old boy. I also think that for Kano's voice, they should have stuck with Hiroshi Kamiya's voice. I think that he has more talent and experience with manipulative characters, and would have been a better choice for Kano's character. 

Music: 8/10 
It was a good supporting music, but I felt like there wasn't enough. It wasn't as engraved in as other Shaft products that I have seen. 

Although I was picky about this anime, I do recommend it to those who like Shaft, and to those who are willing to spend extra moments to see Kagerou Project first rather then jump straight in to the anime. Overall, good job to the producers, and congratulations to Jin! 

I hope you liked this review, and I would be glad to hear your opinions in the comment box below! I am willing to talk about it, join me on my next review coming up in a few minutes! 

PS. If you liked this review, follow this blog and +1 this page! It would be great if you could spread this page around to every otaku! 

-LalakoKyubey  

Aldnoah Zero.. Trust or Not to Trust? First Impressions of the 7 episodes.

Hi mina san! Second post of the day. This post will be focusing on reviewing rather than recommending the 2014 summer new mecha anime, Aldnoah Zero. For those of you looking forward to a completely spoiler free review...Sorry for the severe disappointment. But there will be a certain point that you can read up to without having it spoiled, so I will mark that spot clearly for you in this review! Remember, please no flames. Or you will BE flamed! So without further delay let's start! 

For a quick summary for those of you who have not watched this anime, Aldnoah Zero takes place in Earth with a different past. In 1972, a new transportation device, also known as a hypergate emerged from the surface of the moon, so people of the Earth took advantage of this and started settling in Mars. After settling, people found other high technology, and used this to form an Empire, called the Vers Empire, who locked out the rest of the people on Earth, and claimed Mars and its high technology for themselves. After declaring war on 1999, on the moon, in 2014 the Vers Empire wished for a peace treaty sending the princess, Asseylum Vers Allusia, on to Earth, and she is attacked by terrorists on Earth, and the Vers Empire resumes war.

(Please stop reading, those of you who don't want spoilers! Aldnoah Zero's recommendation and review will come out after it's last episode September 9, 2014.) 

Most of you would ask, "LalakoKyubey, why are you reviewing an anime before it ends? It's on it's 7th episode out of the 12th, and there are some really plot essential topics that might come out in the last three episodes." I decided to review what I felt like in the last seven episodes, for I thought that Aldnoah Zero could have great potential, but also have severe dislike. 

When first watching these series, I was awed by the amazing art, design, and music. Takako Shimura did an amazing job with the designs, and I applaud her for the great ideas she thought up with Kenji Teraoka. The robot designs are clear, 3D, and each movement is vivid, showing what Inaho must have felt like in the robot. Slaine is also a well developed character, and his voice actor, Kensho Ono, clearly takes to Slaine's personality. Kalafina does an amazing job as usual with her singing. I had great expectations for the anime, but slightly let down by the unrealistic responses of the characters, and somewhat rushed feeling.

I would first like to talk about Inaho's personality. I was expecting more of a deeper background story to him, and the reason why he does not trust anybody, not even his friends. As shown in the latest seventh episode and almost in every episode, he is only portrayed in using people to his benefit in battle. We clearly see this in his reaction towards Slaine. He literally just jumped on Slaine's craft, ordered him to help him, and then shot him down as a simple thank you.  

Me most of the time watching Inaho.

Aside from his unexplained complex, it seems like ten episodes isn't enough to develop his personality and character traits. This anime is very high paced, going right in to the fighting, no explanations, bombs dropping everywhere. It is a good action anime, great art, but for characters, I find it a huge mistake to try to cram their personality in to 12 episodes. It seems like Inhao is just starting to show his true personality underneath, and if it took 7 episodes to just start, I don't think five episodes would suffice for the remaining flakes. It's just not enough time for characters to develop, even the other main cast besides Inaho.Everyone is just high reaction, there is no realistic response from anyone. People should be panicking, and screaming, but everyone is calm, gets on a robot, and starts killing people. 

Aside from the rant I just had, I think Aldnoah Zero would do much better as a 2 season, 24 episodes each season than a 12 episode anime like they are trying to make. I think then, we will get to cover all these plot holes, and unexplained character traits, and Aldnoah Zero will shine as one of the most changing and beautiful mecha, and revolutionary anime of the year. For now, it remains uncertain that Aldnoah Zero would reach that point.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely am hooked with the plot, art, and music! I do suggest this to those who love action, and slow plot. I'm just worried that Aldnoah would end too soon, and leave us hanging without a satisfying ending. 

So what do you think? Comment below your opinions, and I'll be glad to listen and talk about it! Thank you so much for reading this review, and I hope you enjoyed it! As for the formal recommendation, I'll make sure to post it, the moment the last episode comes out!

-LalakoKyubey

PS: If you liked this review, make sure to press the +1, and it would be great if you could follow us, and tell people about this blog! So, until I post again, which might be today, (highly likely), see you later! 

Tsuritama, A Fishing Anime?

Hi mina san! LalakoKyubey reporting to scene! I am the main admin of this page, and you will see me very often! 

Our first anime review...will be...Tsuritama! 

Before I even start, this has minor spoilers! Also, please no flames! It's really annoying when you have to tell a person multiple times that it's just my opinion alone! So, with that let us start the review! 

Looking at this picture, avid shounen watchers or our action lovers, go "Bleghh! This is a girlish anime and probably all fangirly!" and throw away the slightest chance for this anime. Actually, I had the same reaction, and did not watch it the moment it came out, like I did for animes like Tokyo Ghoul. That is the worst mistake that anyone could make for this anime. After watching this, I was mind blown, and found that the common saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" was perfect in this situation. So those of you, still not convinced to watch, read on~

Tsuritama revolves around our main character, Yuki Sanada, a high school student who lives with his grandmother. Constantly moving around due to his grandmother's frequent job relocation, Yuki is socially awkward, and unable to make friends. Whenever he becomes embarrassed, it shows Yuki drowning and panicking, and always ends up making a demonic face that people perceive as anger. 

The story begins with Yuki moving to Enoshima, and we are introduced to a white haired boy named Haru, who carries a fishbowl on his head, and claims to be an alien, appearing on Yuki's front doorstep. Haru comes to live with Yuki, and the story mainly revolves on Haru's main goal and the mystery of him coming to Earth.  

Later on, we are introduced to the rest of the main cast, Akira and Natsuki. Akira is an Indian who is sent to spy on Haru, and is always with his duck Tapioca, and is part of a secret organization called Duck. Natsuki, who is somewhat unable to open himself to people, is a serious character, who is highly gifted at fishing. Nicknamed, The Fishing Prince, he reluctantly starts teaching Yuki and Haru how to fish, and Akira slowly joins them.

Here is Akira

Here is Natsuki

Now some of you may be asking, "LalakoKyubey, what's so special about it? It's just a random fishing anime, that all the girls watch!" 

Tsuritama is a special anime in that it is well rounded in every aspect, and there is no gaping plot holes left to decipher. Each character is highly relatable, and does not follow the stereotypical anime characters. Tsuritama is a well written anime, and Kenji Nakamura, did a good job with plot and voice cast. Each character has a problem, and within the 12 episodes, all the characters develop in to a person that was better than before. The friendship bond, is tied in deep, with solid well made plot. It is a group of outcasts and socially awkward, bond together with a common hobby and find the growth of friendship. Aside from the plot, the artwork and the animation is clear and refreshing, and the colors are bright, and Enoshima is drawn as calm to the eye. It also has an amazing soundtrack, and also has a solid voice cast, who acts perfectly in each scene. 

Now on to the scores...

Plot: 10/10 

I usually never give out 10's for plot, but this is an exception. Tsuritama really hit my heart with the perfect unique story line, ending and character development.

Art: 10/10 

As for the art, I though it was absolutely perfect, and perfect for the atmosphere that Tsuritama gave off; the bright cheerfulness and the peaceful serenity.

Voice Cast: 9/10

It was almost perfect, except for Haru's voice. I am being seriously picky, but I wish there was more depth to his voice, instead of remaining in the high pitched area. But I loved Haru! He was a perfect character, and was essential to this story!

Music: 9/10 

I am a violinist, pianist, and an electric drummer, and I am crazy picky about my anime soundtracks. The music was amazing with pure orchestral, but sometimes too lighthearted for the scene. 

Overall, I do really recommend this anime with all my heart! These characters and story will latch on to you, and leave you with a crazy smile throughout the whole series! It was addicting, and can be finished easily in a weekend! It's a unique story, and a really happy story on top of that! It is amazing, and I do consider it my top ten. 

So, I hope you liked this review, and I hope you like Tsuritama as well! Until the next time I post, which might be today, DUCK! (You'll get this joke if you watched the anime.)

PS: I would love to talk about your opinions too, so comment below, and if you liked it, please follow! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed OAR's first review! 

-LalakoKyubey