Top 4...Top 7... Top 50..AH I CAN'T CHOOSE!!!

As promised mina san, LalakoKyubey reporting back to the recommendation stage~! There were so many animes that I loved 2014, and a lot of my favorite directors that were inactive before came back with a huge boom this year, but I do have to choose the top four animes that are the winners of my heart of the 2014 anime year!  Before I continue, especially for this post, please do not flame or hate on my opinions or those who comment below. Not everyone has the same four opinions as you! Other then that, let's get started!

In 4th place...

Ping Pong The Animation

    Wow. That is one word I have for this anime. Before I start, I would like to give some applause to the three sports animes that I was thinking of putting in 4th place which were Haikyuu and Baby Steps. I will explain why I did not choose Haikyuu in one of my many upcoming posts. Other then that short break, back on to track.

   Ping Pong The Animation is a sports anime about ping pong, hence the name, and focuses on two main characters nicknamed Peco and Smile. They are known as the two most talented ping pong players of the Katase team, always seen together no matter what the situation. Peco is highly gifted and is very cocky, while Smile is very talented but does not have the drive to win games. Under the guiding hand of Koizumi sensei and real life experiences, all characters grow as a player and a person, finding the meaning of why ping pong important in their lives and how winning after hard work could ever feel so good.

  Sadly this is a spoiler free recommendation, or else I would have done in depth character analysis... That’s how good each character is developed. The art is absolutely unique, the music is top tier, but the reason why Ping Pong placed fourth is not because it was not lacking in anything but simply outshined by the other three animes that come before it.

In 3rd place...

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun

  Sweet, light, funny, I really couldn't ask for anything more. Although, I usually tend to dislike animes that don't really have a conclusion and just ramble for comedy, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun really made me laugh in each episode. This anime was very clean and percise, never coming off the plot line, and unlike a lot of the animes that were made this year, that tended to stretch the plot line to fit in philosophical meanings, deep messages, and tragedies. Overall, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun acted as somewhat of a breather for me. It's an anime were I could just laugh without trying to think about deep character and plot analogies.

  

  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 for some reason, 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.

 This anime has done well with clean cut comedy, and I think the only thing that I could complain about is that it wasn't up to par with the voice acting and music with the two animes that stood before it.

 For more information on this anime, please take a look at my post before:

http://theanimereviewers.blogspot.com/2014/08/gekkan-shoujo-nozaki-kun-midterm.html

In 2nd place...

Barakamon

  At first I was really afraid of this anime, that it would be a sterotypical shoujo situation were the main character suddenly falls in love with a little girl, and wants to take care of her forever. When they grow up, they marry. I was cleared of my suspicions as fast as they came, and this heartwarming slice of life does deserve it's place as a second place winner.

 After punching an monumental and historical calligrapher, young and award winning calligrapher Handa Seishu finds himself put on a small country side island in Japan to cool his head. A modern and urban man, Handa slowly learns to live in the country side and deal with the unknown family atmosphere of his neighbors! From barging in the door without permission and the village girl, Naru, who continuously pesters him everyday, will Handa truly find the meaning of "peace of the mind and soul"?

 Finally! A kid voice acting a kid! If I had to describe this anime in one word, it would be natural. All the voice actors fit perfectly in to their role because it's a character they have done before. Handa is violent, so they choice a voice actor that usually does violent voice acting, Ono Daisuke. (He voiced Shizuo from Durarara). Naru is a kid, so they chose a 9 year old kid to voice act. There is a calm flow, and a healing substance to each episode, telling us that life is more than just winning and putting on facades. Congrats to the 2nd place winner, and I really wish that I will see another slice of life that is up to par.

Now, for the first place winner...

Zankyou no Terror

  VON. VON. VON. Do I really need to say more? This was an absolutely stunning project that I have seen in 2014 and ranks in my top ten animes of my life. From characters, to plot, to music and acting, this anime has hit all of the criteria with a dashing 10. Although there was a slightly weak ending, I knew that it had to end that way, for there was no other ending optional after episode 9 and 10. (Those of you who watched the anime get this statement than those who didn't.)

 Taking place in modern day Tokyo, Japan is hit with a terrorist attack. As police are baffled by the mysterious works, they are left with a video from a group called "Sphinx", which is uploaded on to a mass streaming site. Always leaving riddles and clues, the police remain shocked and is racing to stop the terrorists. As the police and Japan commence on their searches, we are introduced to two mysterious masterminds named Nine and Twelve, who come together to make the group Sphinx. What is their real motive? And what should Mishima Lisa do when she is pulled in to this terrorist world?

 With a strong clear motive and political message, this anime reflects on modern day Japan and Korea, but not only is it political, it's fun to watch. The action scenes are unforgettable, while the riddles are an "ah" moment when the solution comes out. You feel the frustrations of the police, and the victories of Nine and Twelve. Emotions are clearly shown, and characters are developed to the fullest. Congratulations Zankyou no Terror. This anime fully deserves its place.

Did you like the review? Please follow and press the 1+ button to promote this writing. Other then that, see you later! LalakoKyubey was reporting today~

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 

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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

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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 

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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! 

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-LalakoKyubey