I had seen this one, when I was in my late teens. Decided to re-watch when I was bored, and also because I thought, the final act might just give me the closure I never got. Also, it was on Netflix. Where do I even start with this one…
You can say this story started when the Girl leapt across the time well. But, I think this started when Kikyo uttered the words “die Inuyasha” and pinned him to a tree. The priestess Kikyo and the Jewel of the four souls. That, is what this game is about. And the demon Naraku that coveted the jewel and the priestess that guarded it.
But then of course, Kikyo died. And was reborn as Kagome. Along with the Jewel, for that was the jewel’s wish. Kagome then leapt across centuries to land in the Feudal Japan and resurrected ( sort of ) Inuyasha from the tree. And their story continued. I mean, this is one hell of a love triangle. Yet it makes no sense. If Kikyo gets to be with Inuyasha, she would be at peace, and if Kagome gets to be with him then Kikyo need not worry – she will fulfill her heart’s desire in another life. Why quarrel over one man. Especially when Kikyo could set her eyes upon an even better – Inuyasha’s old brother – DaiYokai Sesshomaru. Or who knows, maybe even Naraku – naraku loved her enough to start this damn tall tale to begin with.
Love triangles aside, th estoryline of inuyasha and Sesshomaru and the swords of their honorable father, are also very interesting. While Tetsaiga’s transoformations are very shounen anime trope, the twist in the end, the role Tenseiga plays, and in turn its wielder and his love hate relationship with it, is very intricate. Even when I rewatched it, it was clear, that Sesshomaru was the other central figure of the story. And unlike Kikyo, who perishes once more, to make room for Kagome, Sesshomaru continues to live on, as both the strongest as well as the most enigmatically charming character of the story.
Sesshomaru and the many women that love him are another story arc altogether. And as if Rin and him wern;t shocking enough, Kagura’s feelings for me, and him coming to her last moments were just … outsanding for me. Kikyo and Sesshomaru are definitely the main protagonists of the show. Naraku being the antagonist, Kagome and Inuyasha and Sango and Miroku are just …characters. In fact everyone else is a side character. Even if it doesn’t feel that way.
Between Kagura, Kikyo, Kagome and Sango and her Cat Carrier – this show had its fair share of amazing female characters. That’s when you know it was written by a woman. The men arn’t that bad, And Sesshomaru is definitely the best of the lot. Leaving you with my favorite pictures.
This anime has a special place in my heart. This anime gave me Princess Rue. The persona I adopted for all my online accounts for a while. At the same time, I watched this anime at the saddest, most disappointing time in my life. So I don’t think I can watch it without being a little sad. The story itself is very Hans Anderson – and definitely NOT a fairy tale ending. Thankfully its not a complete tragedy – but the premise is quite sad still.
The story has a very inception like flavor – a story within a story – you don’t quite understand where the story ends and real life starts. Is everything a story, and they all characters? Is the story still being written? What is real? Is she a duck? Or a girl with a curse? Is Fakir the knight? Did Mytho kill him in his story? How does he live outside the story … Is Rue really related to the Raven? The world building is very strange indeed. I mean, this is a magical girl story so trippy you wish it were simpler. Every episode features a famous classical musical piece, with the world renowned Swan Lake being the background music for the Season 1 finale – for you classical music fans.
The animation is completely contradictory to the dark undertones as well. It is Amazingly Cute, extremely Kawaii and squishy – almost like a children’s tale. Mytho has a kind heart – he is sensitive and honorable. He would be the type of guy who is in touch with his feelings … if he had them. Get it!? and he is the polar opposite of Fakir – The resident Tsundere. Then there is the female Tsundere – Rue and the cluelessly pure and innocent protagonist. Girl who is a ballerina and also a duck who can become a magical princess – out to restore the Prince’s heart but cursed to never confess her feelings or else she will vanish into a speck – little mermaid like and won’t be able to save her Prince charming. Yet is she meant for him? Such Hans Anderson vibes, I hate it.
I have not been able to bring myself to watch season 2 yet – for the second time. I will update when I do.
What drew me to this anime was the art style. I mean 11/10 UNIQUE! Aesthetically pleasing, colors schemes amazing, lineart so FRESH and everything is just so CUTE! So yes you can tell right off, this was shoujo. Perfect! But I was pleasantly surprised with the added bonus of having it be a Romance Anime too! And not just any kind, but a tough/bad guy trope who is very confident and forward – with a shy yet not so weak girl – perfect again. This is exactly the type of shoujo manga I would read. I am glad such stories are given the anime treatment. 🙂
But let us not forget the premise is SUPERNATURAL! I mean what an amazing premise to have plot points revolving around. Pure romance can run into the danger of repeating existing stories. But with ghosts… ha! While this is not the first love story between human and non human – Inuyasha and Kamisama already exist – but this is different. Hanako likes Nene right at the start – and his covertly sly yet somehow overt confession is very appealing. I guess he is my type. That would be me as a guy. I love him.
Nene and Hanako are not the only charmers in this show. The host of other characters like Kou Teru Aoi Sakura are all amazing. They do their part and they are every bit unique and are wonderful as supporting cast. I usually don’t like the second guy, but my, Kou and better yet his big bother…oh my. Even Sakura’s guy – whatshisname…is it bad I actually WANT this to become a reverse harem? Never seen so many delectable male characters.
Hanako would rule supreme, but somehow his being a guy from the 70’s is a bit off putting. I find everything about the pre 1990s a bit off putting. Nothing about the people, their personalities or style appeals to me. I only wish Hanako would be a modern day murderous yet charming dead bad boy. But hey, that old school uniform though – Enough of me thirsting. I think this anime has GREAT potential both as Romance AND as supernatural. And I cannot wait for Season 2. I think it will be amazing when complete. Cant wait for the triangle. Cant wait for the rival.
This was an interesting anime to watch. On one hand, the animation is amazing. Made by the same guys that made Fate Babylonia. Cutting edge, high def, and super detailed. shadows on point, shiny lineart, movements are slick and smooth. This is a sci-fi mecha anime. More shounen than shoujo but props to have equally important female characters with very minimal fan service if any. It is a tricky show to analyze.
My first thoughts I remember, was that this show was very pervy. I mean, the cockpits. The requirement of a stamen and a pistil, and the way the girls have to be positioned and become the FRANXX and how the boys have to be paired with them and then control them to control the FRANXX ..I mean insinuations galore. however, not one pervy scene. Not one shot from a weird angle. Even Code Geass had some of Kallen and C2. But this show dealt with such a sensitive and quirky subject matter very tastefully.
Towards the beginning of the show, it was a teenage love triangle, with lots of drama, your average emo male protagonist, who is hyper sensitiuve and withdrawn and yet have girls fighting over him ( reminds me of Mytho from Princess Tutu with Tutu and Kraehe fighting over him ). The female protagonist is a fine sample of a woman however. She is not weak. She is in fact the alpha female and almost in danger of being treated like an outcast or being bullied. But her aura, and her confidence and her strength – and her focus on Hiro – prevents the story from going that way. Also because Ichigo is quite honorable and Hiro protects 002 with everything he has.
There is one segment where Ichigo the second heroine decides to become that annoying one that tries to get between the two mains, like I have seen in so many shows. That was painful to watch. But thankfully, the main hero, has more backbone than his predecessors and That misunderstanding is quickly put to rest and we can all move on from pettiness and jealousy which was thankfully never meant to be the highlight of the show.
The whole show has amazing fight and battle scenes. They initially fight beings called Klaxosaurs. and eventually VIRM. They tried to throw in a dark turn in the story by trying to give us a backstory to the Klaxosaurs as being the original inhabitants of the planet who were driven underground by humans ( typical ) and were only fighting in self defense against the humans who were harvesting magma energy ( which was sort of a living entity it was implied ). But it still sort of fell short. Well, maybe not to anime beginners. I have seen so many animes, such plot twists are expected and their absence makes it dull.
The reveal about the true nature of the Nines, Iota aka Zero Two would have been more impactful had they not made the last surviving KlaxoSapien to be some sort of Queen Bee Princess. One that looks like a teenage girl at worst. I wish it was something more believable. Something that looked less human too. I mean if they were going to clone her, they may as well have made her a mutant. And it would have made the show more impressive to older audiences. I have seen similar themes in animes like Blood+ and it blew my mind then where the heroine and the villainess were almost one and the same entity. Red vs Blue, good vs Evil. Why is blue always the evil? I wonder about the color symbolisms in Japan. Anyway, the nice difference in this tory is that the two girls do not fight each other. This is a nice theme I am seeing lately in animes and I am all for it.
The sci fi setting was also not that impactful. It was a terrible future of immortal but sterile humans living within “plantations” being controlled by aliens. I started watching the show because people were talking about how the show made the word “Darling” famous. But though it may stand out in Japanese I didn’t find it that impressive in english because …meh. its a stupid word. I wish it was a foreign word. Something exotic, like something Japanese. lol I mean, her name is ZeroTwo, but I wish that was a Japanese word like “Ichigo”. I guess this was the bit that was “lost in translation”.
Zero Two was a fantastic female character. Strong and beautiful. Don’t give a fuck – confident woman, Not intimidated but intimidating others. Hiro on the other hand – was …well, such a drag. A whiny, emo crybaby at best. Exactly the kind I cannot stand. if annoying girls are the worst the male counterpart would probably be guys like Hiro. Due to the stupid emo ending, what started as a brilliant sci fi with lots of secrets and mysteries to reveal and mess with our minds, ended as a meh slice of life to me. Sadly.
Here to pay homage to the best Ending song in any anime ever. 🙂 Close second would be GetBackers. 🙂 Which I am also watching again. So stay tuned for an updated review after 10 years! So getting started with KH.
I started watching it, because I wanted a shoujo anime to fill the gap Yona had left in my heart. So from an unrequited love from the guy ( Hak ) to Yona, I went from an unrequited love story from the girl (Nanami) to Tomoe. A Youkai turned familiar to a human deity – nanami.
Its lighthearted, and animation style is reminiscent of Kaichou wa maid sama. Tomoe being the white haired demon Tsundere. Has all the elements of a great shoujo. Especially the fact that it is Nanami, that realizes she likes him first and decides to confess – was a refreshing change for me. Its normally the other way around for most shoujos and I find it more relatable.
I must say the characters are charming and the storyline is unique enough with new elements of god-familiar elements to make me keep watching. But I could NOT help but notice the awful resemblance to a certain other youkai – human relationship, where the guy is ALSO white haired. Inuyasha. The OG white haired demon boy – a very good boy! lol (Sit boy!- anyone?)
To complete the resemblance. Both demons have a past lover who seem to be unattainable and someone who is far better than the protagonist. Kikyo in the former case is the same as Yukiji. They server the same purpose. Similarly, Kagome is a descendent of Kikyo and so is nanami. Eventually of course, both protagonists become the last lover of the handsome youkais.
Now I wosh I had not watched teh OVAs because tyey literally skipped to the end and I felt like I was missing out and jumping to the end and felt rushed and felt like there not enough buildup to Tomoe’s feelings or realization of his love for her since 500 years or even his memories and the revelation and all that …but oh well. It is what it is. I should have read the manga, I hope they do not treat Yona the same way.
Yona of the dawn. I delayed writing the review for this one. I was afraid I won’t do it justice. Right off the start I must say, this is one of my most favorite animes. It definitely is one of the far better Shoujo animes out there. So much so, that me, who never reads manga anymore, took the effort to install an app on my ipad and read the manga every night.
It’s still ongoing. The anime covers 1/4th of the whole story. And that is frustrating that they may never give us another season. It is also sad, and unfair because animes like Demon Slayer get so much budget, why not a story about a woman warrior who was once a princess, was dethroned and forced to be a refuge. And then go through life’s struggles and hardships, come to terms with reality, grow and learn about herself and the people around her and become strong, just like the shounen heroes. Unfair.
what makes this story interesting, is of course the four dragons of the legend. And yes, I do get a Fushigi Yuugi ( Curious Play ) vibe here. I mean, a girl on a mission to gather a band of legendary magical warriors. I guess that anime was pretty iconic in itself. But thats where the similarity ends.
To start with, Yona is nothing like Miaka, we have a far more pure and innocent but by no mean naive, female protagonist. Smart without being bratty, regal without acting entitled. Compassion without weakness. Yona is a warrior. She is strong, yet fragile and dependent. And there is definitely no girl versus girl plot line here, thankfully. Because girls bring each other up right? In this day and age we do not need the narrative that Curious play got wrong. I am yet to read the chapters with the Princess of the water kingdom, but I doubt she will be Yona’s rival.
As to the four dragons, well, I simply love how the legend just got gender bent and the Crimson Dragon is Yona. The dragons are very unique in their own right and definitely make the story more interesting. I wish Shinha spoke more, but its okay. I like how the author dealt with the dual possibility of the dragon descendants being both cherished and outcast by their respective tribes. I feel sorry for the blue dragon line. All of them.
Somehow it touches something very personal in me and even the second time I wish I had skipped it. Moving on to the “Dark Dragon” the bishounen – aka one of the main reasons I love this show is the dynamics between Yona and Hak! again, really different than Miaka and Tamahome. Where Tamahome was a more Street Rat – turned boyfriend character – and Hak is just – the bodyguard trope ( personal weakness ) with a killer sense of humor. He is hopelessly both in love with Yona and in denial of his feelings for her ( what with her being princess and all ) and same goes for her.
The banter between the two, the missed signals and miscommunications and innuenos are hilarious. He is far more forthright than Tamahome, though because he is olderI believbe amnd oit makes it more entertaining. On the opposite spectrum is Prince / King suwon. I have never seen someone like that before. Actually, Yue is probably being played by Suwon. The childhood friend turned enemy? Glad he is a guy. And, millenium twist – he probably has the hots for Hak. So I take it back – we Do haver parallels.
But Suwon is not like Yue completely again. He actually has a lot of redeeming character traits whereas Yue was just a revenge obsessed depressed personality – caused by her hurt and perceived betraal from Miaka. Suwon is the perpetrator of the betrayal. Shatetring yona’s love it is Yona who was betrayed, and therefore is more likeable than Miaka I guess. The writers were kinder to her than Miaka. Yona is a character of impeccable moral standing. A People’s princess. Suwon is a freat king in his own right as is later revealed. But he is in no means the Sword.
I think – the sword is HAK, and shield? Simple – Yoon. he even says so at times. He can be her shield and does so at several occasions. Hates violence and heals. He is the shield. I am not sure if I will get to witness their awakening though. In fact, I truly hope I get to see the awakening of King Hiryuu and the shocvk on everyone’s face as they realize who the real Crimson dragin is. And the four dragons are not just a legend but they do really exist. Its the moment of revelation I am eagerly waiting for.
One last word – I love Yona. Not because she is cool or something. But Yona is the perfect shoujo princess character. We should have more of her. She was born a princess butfored to give all taht up. She wortinessed her father being killed by her crush/childhood friend. She is chased around and forced to learn how to survive in the woods. She has to prove herself time and again to gain allies. And through this all, she perseveres. She has a strong will, courage, kindness and compassion. And more importantly, she is flawed. And she can accept it. And she likes to learn from it.
She is constantly learning, be it weapons,. archery, or about the kindgom. The people that her father allegedly ignored. She is learning how to be the perfect princess of the land – and that is what makes her and her indomitable spirit, the perfect shoujo character. She never once annoyed me by being weak. neither is she some over sexualized powerful scantily clad warrior woman. She is a very modest feminine girl, who is trying her best, with a lot of inner strength, determination, and an innate power to command the four dragons which by no means does she ever abuse.
This is what makes me like her so much. She is always protected, but she wants to protect herself and those around her. She insists on saving those around her despite having nothing herself. The story may have some holes every now and then but Yona will always be perfect. I can get behind her as the role model for young girls. If I were to meet her in real life, I would be her friend. She is that likable. Unlike other overly feminine characters that make me annoyed by always getting in trouble, she never once needs to be rescued. In fact she rescued her protector once without even knowing how to use a weapon by sheer will power alone.
The girl who stands at the blush of dawn truly is the Crimson Dragon we all want to be. She deserves everything because she does not demand it.
quite the mouthful of a name. And honestly. I don’t really want to say much. I mean it was really bad. Plot was weaker than 1% milk. Anyway I still watched it, because of the animation. I mean, mind blowing animation.
To be honest, I started for Gilgamesh, stayed for Ishtar but was pleasantly surprised with Gorgon/Medusa. This show is nothing of the dark gravity of the Game of Thrones feel of the original series. This Is based on the game. Visuals are breathtaking, and no character development whatsoever. even the voice acting is monotone. Anyway, watching Medusa in her full glory was at least worth it.
Needless to say, her real legend is quite tragic. And I feel quite sad. But it is probably not true. I mean, half serpents do not exist. I also enjoyed scantily clad Ishtar. She was super sexy. In fact this series is far more sexualized than the original version. The stuff of young boys’ dreams.
The other goddess of the alliance with green nails and gems was quite interesting too. Everyone except the protagonists, Enkidu, and Merlin were. Even Gilgamesh was lack lustre. Oh well. Fushiwakamaru’s dress and her turning ‘dark’ like Saber, was stupid. Tiamat was stupid. Everything was stupid. But the stupidest of all was Enkidu/Kingu and his own arc. Writers could have done better. Without a proper set up of the original relationship between Gil and Enki – I felt nothing. He was just, annoying (in his non binary non gender conforming) self. He was basically just a brat.
I was watching Haruhi Suzumiya nd Baka and test and Yuri on ice .. and I was like, have I exhausted all the good animes out there? But I picked up the Fate series, because I found out, that the version I had seen on TV as a kid, was not the only one, and ufotable and aniplex have made more… and let’s just say, I am so glad I found this. Truly one of the best out there. Story is based on actual novels and animation like Ufotable – fantastic combination.
I started with Zero, since that was recommended for the Chronological ordering for starter viewers. And I finished it in two days. I couldn’t stop. It was breathtaking. The story, the scenes, the emotions. A rollercoaster. I don’t usually binge like this, I like to draw them out over days and interweave them with other series that I watch simultaneously to not have monotony. It’s quarantine after all. So much time at home. I was not ready for the heaviness and the emotions of the story. It was like Game of thrones, and I loved it. The Holy Grail war, very fitting. I am glad I found the show.
I am now watch Fate Stay Night, a lot lighter I think, and easier on my emotions. Given the protagonist is in high school. At first, I was skeptical the story will be nearly as good, but, after the first show, I think it is a welcome respite. It won’t be so dark or gory. I can’t say I like Saber, a lot. But I am glad Gilgamesh is still there. I love that guy. And solely for him, I will watch Grand Order Babylon or whatever. Just for him. If only he was voiced by Johnny Young – oh man. I don’t think I could have handled it. Best Tsundere male there was. I ship Art and Gil. Lovey lovey!! :*
I don’t really want to touch upon the characters or story too much. Its all too much for me to take in and process. Its heavy and its dark. There is blood and gore, and murders, and unexpected deaths. Such a difference from the shows I was wacthing but a welcome change. The concelt of Irisville was the most novel to me. The fact that Saber and her master were such complete opposite personalities and yet you respect them both in their way. They want the same end, but through different means. You want Kirei to die a horible death. You want Gil to ask Art out, and you want Xander to be the father figure you wish you had.
I dismissed Irisville at first, but wow, who knew. And Caster? Based on the real blue beard – disgusting. Saber is basically a mix of Arthur and Joan d’Arc. I guess she was meant to be Joan except she needed Excalibur… I like that mix up. Makes sense. Because Excalibur is a beauty to behold. I wished to see more of Lancer but his master deserved what happened to him. Our protagonist was so shady, and yet you wanted him to win in the end. I think the highlight of the show was the Rider-Art-Gil triangle of Kings. And while I loved Lancer’s pure love and respect for Art, I think Gil’s proposal in the end episode was the highlight of the show for me.
Now, I want to capture something that came to me as I was watching the show. I was trying to match the 7 Warriors with the 7 Planets of the Zodiac System. It was hard – as they were not purely one or the other, but I think I cans till chalk them out to be a combination of 2 at best 3 planets very predominantly. Let’s start shall we?! 🙂
Rider Alexander- Well, Sun of course. Because well, Pride. But then again they all got That to some degree. Or most of them at least, the Kings. So I would say Rider a combination of Sun and Mars. He is all about military. His noble phantasm even is an army. That just screams an army general – Mars. He is wise and generous too. But maybe thats the sun’s wisdom. The Sun, is the King of the zodiac after all.
Saber Arthur/Joan- I thought she has some sun, but now, I think, she is Jupiter and Saturn. Her ideals, and her pledge to work for and be a martyr to her people – that is very Saturn. She wants to do the right thing – Saturn. And yet, she does not embody the cruel judgement or punishment mentality of Saturn completely – that kind generous side is Jupiter – steering her towards righteousness along with Saturn making her take action to protect the people.
Archer Gilgamesh – He loves all things fine and dandy. He is also very proud. And cunning. So the kingly side comes from the Sun. That love for treasure and everything fine is Venus. Yes. Venus is not all about love and beauty – Venus is materialism. She wants fine treasures and money and gold. Venus is our desires in this world though a more purer form than Rahu/North Node. Gil definitely vibes venusian energy making him fall for Saber too. But he also has the cunning of Mercury. Evident in the way he manipulated the most devious player of all – Kirei to basically win the war. He played the most mind games out of them all.
Lancer – Not much was shown of Lancer – but he gave off the aura of the moon. Soft and kind – with a bit of playful mercury. He was not too cunning – the moon was definitely the more dominant of the two influences.
Caster – Bluebeard. Dismembering. Soulless. Almost inhuman. No real emotions at all. Killing for the sake of it. I would say – Ketu. South Node. While in astrology Ketu can give spirituality – due to forcing a separation from the material plane – on the dark side, it also signifies amputations – a separation of the limbs frpm body – because Ketu is headless. Because Ketu signifies separation. Caster is Ketu without any benefic influence. Mindless killing – amputation – separation – loss, without any real motive behind it.
Assasin – Okay these guys are just shadows. I would say they are purely Rahu – North Node. Shadow creatures are just Rahu. Not much to it.
Berserker – Lancelot. Finally – the most mysterious of them all. Fittingly so. I was going to ascribe Rahu to it, but Mars also goes very well with his mad rage of fighting. Uncontrollable – Rahu. BloodLust – Mars. He is All about fighting. No wisdom, no judgement. He was a knight after all. A machine to kill and to fight. Thats the Marsian energy. To do what they are told with focus and determination and no trace of fear. That’s the Rahu part.
So! That was fun. 🙂 Now let’s see what Fate Night has in store for me. Well, at least Gil and Saber will be reunited again. I am stoked.
I personally do not like the Harem anime types. Reverse Harems I dislike a little less, but still I do not get the point of those at all. Nisekoi is a classic harem ish and Ouran High is a reverse harem. While Ouran still clearly has a main male lead, but the fact that all the guys in the host club sort of like her in a lukewarm manner, or are there for the viewer’s entertainment to chose from I guess makes it qualify as a reverse Harem. I have seen ouran before, because the comedy is tolerable, and I have seen season 1 of Nisekoi because the art and animation are top notch, but I would not rewatch ouran, and I would not watch the second season of nisekoi ( other than to skip to the part of who the girl from his child hood really is ).
They are both set in high school. They are both horrible. In short. Basically no plot of character development. In fact Nisekoi, has more character development than Ouran. The male lead of Nisekoi is likeable and the girls except orange hair Tachibana are all quite charming and definitely not repulsive. Same cannot be said of Ouran. None of the guys except Tamaki are attractive and Honey sempai and the twins are truly repulsive. I mean the twins are still entertaining in their mischievous dialogue and have some personality, but Honey Sempai? I am sorry, I find him absolutely repulsive. A grown man acting like a kid is the last thing that attracts me. If at least he was taller … but ugh, he looks like a child in kindergarten.
Tamaki’s character is the only thing that gets the show to go forward. He is hilarious and he is kind and very likeable. His voice acting in english is done by a seasoned veteran too. Nisekoi on the other hand – well Chitoge and Kosaki are truly amazing waifu materials. Haruhi on the other hand – omg – I cannot stand her. Maybe it’s the voice acting? Who knows. Tomboy girls that act like nothing matters to them – kind of like a butch really, is not my liking.
Story wise they both suck. You sort of only want to know who the main character ends up with. In Ouran you even know that, and you just want to know how. Not much plot in my opinion. There can only be so much material revised and reused, like summer vacation beach, part time job etc For most of it, Maid Sama had it covered and did it first and did it well. Maid sama may have been the first shojo school anime of its kinds.
And I would have said Nisekoi is the first harem anime I liked, because for a female character in a shounen anime, Chitoge is very well done, she is represented very nicely, so is Onodera. I love Kosaki’s shy femininity without being overly annoying and over feminine. The balance is perfect. I love Chitoge’s Tsundere-ness without being overbearing and still being cute.
Tachibana however ruined the show for me completely. I mean I didn’t like that cross dressing bodyguard of chitoge, but Tachibana is just everything I hate about anime girls. They act feminine but demand everything. A true feminine girl is Onodera. She expects nothing. She gives. Chitoge doesn’t give, but Chitoge doesn’t expect anything either, but Tachibana…omg so insensitive. So demanding, so entitled.
Animation wise, both shows are top quality. Ouran is older, but the drawings are very slick. And the colors are very well harmonized. For that time, I would say the animation is top notch. Nisekoi earns points for the near abstract backgrounds, random patterns everywhere and the shapes and smooth animation of movements. Overall, art is 10/10 for both. Music sucks for both though. And plot is not that great either.
In Summary – Nisekoi is great eye candy. Chitoge and Onodera are likeable but don’t get too deep or the plot will let you down. And Ouran is tolerable if you ignore everyone but Tamaki, and the “girl” doesn’t get on your nerves.
I was in search of a cooking/food show when I came across this. I was quite skeptical at first … but I just randomly watched it as I ate lunch everyday and before long I was captivated! On some levels, yes it is a show about cooking competition, almost like a reality show – like Masterchef. And I love those shows. But it is infused with quintessential anime heroes and their perseverance – I will win no matter what. Or I am the best, I am a champion so I will challenge you and then beat you against all odds through sheer willpower – Naruto style. Its quite refreshing, really!
The story of Food Wars follows Soma Yukihira, the son of a family restauranteur (who turns out to be much more than his son ever knew) as he enrolls in the prestigious Totsuki Academy, a bastion of snobbery and haute cuisine. None of Soma’s new classmates expect him to succeed, only to be blown away by not only Soma’s skill, but by his attitude – Soma doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from, he’s just there to improve his cooking. Combining a sports series aesthetic with interesting dishes (some of which you can make at home with the included recipes), Food Wars is fun in both anime and manga versions with a hero it’s easy to get behind and an engaging variety of foods and characters.
The best part – is perhaps the recipes. I bet the author has researched a LOT about food. Because the recipes they mention are not only true – they are good! some people have gone ahead and tested them out and they turned out delicious. There is an Enormous amount of information about food in that show. There is a whole season dedicated to Curry, lots of info about Schezuan food, italian food, french cuisine, and of course the traditional Japanese styles. I have also learnt the jaoanese word for food / cooking. While I knew about Ryorin I now know that Shoku means meal/food. and Bishoku is Gourmet meals. And ShokuGeki is Food Wars! Tada!
One other thing I love about the anime, is that it is quite nice to women. Despite the blatant fan service, it is quite equal to both genders. The lead female protagonist is not only the best cook, but is neither too moe nor too tsundere. She is quite knowledgeable and has a charming personality. And ends up beating the main protagonist in cooking! I love the way this anime has treated Erina Nakiri. She is indeed the most respectable female character I have seen so far.
I was curious how the author knows so much about cooking and techniques and went and did a little research – and this is an excerpt from his interview. “I actually wasn’t all that familiar with cooking, so at the beginning, Nakaji-san and I would actually go around every week and do our research via going to restaurants and eating. In general, when we know that there’s a certain dish for an upcoming chapter, then yes, we’ll try to research the recipe and try to actually taste it. Lately, I’ve accumulated enough information to the point where when new dishes come up, I can work that into the story from previous research. At the beginning, when we were doing research on eggs benedict and soufflés, I remember having no idea what these dishes were like, so I ended up eating multiple portions over the span of a few hours. I wasn’t feeling that great (laughter). Oof!”
Overall, this show has made me crave gourmet food a lot. I now want to go hunting for food prepared with obscure cooking technique and esoteric ingredients. And find out how much Umami there is. Whether they flood you with an overflowing sensation that make you lose your senses and perhaps your clothes. Having said that, I doubt I will go for rare meats. But I would certainly be curious to eat different Japanese and french cuisine now more than ever. Especially Dons! Soma specialty rice bowls! 🙂
Honestly. Just came for the food animations, stayed for the plot. There are several youtubers who have tried to recreate some of these dishes – if you are interested.
Monogatari 