Spring 2012 Anime Series - First Impressions

Finally, finally, I managed to check out majority of the series that will be debuting on the upcoming season.

The list is based on here and here.

But Ozuma's not included, because its first episode is already out. Kiddie shows aren't included either.

I've divided my list into three groups: the sequels, the titles I've read in manga form, and the others I have no idea about.

I don't really care about the art, or the staff behind a series. What matters most to me is the story; so if it's adapted from a manga, I'll only know a better idea of what it'll be about if I read the original. If it's not available, then the synopsis is my only basis.... but not all synopsis get to describe what the show is really about (it's just a teaser).
Of course, what's good and interesting to me can be otherwise to others.

[ Anime Blurbs ] Nisemonogatari and Some Fall/Autumn Anime First Impressions Batch 1

I love Bakemonogatari, so knowing about this sequel airing next year is good news. But if Koyomi isn't the main character... I don't know. I really prefer more of him. I love the series overall but he's my main source of entertainment in this series xD He's so cute and hilarious, teehee~

Alright, I finally managed to watch the first episode of the new series this season. I have a feeling that my initial list would have major changes, haha.

Fate/Zero My jaw dropped. O_O It was so AMAZING!!!! I didn't have this feeling when I watched Fate/Stay Night. The MC of that one was a headache (I only watched the first episode though... and that was a long time ago). But it looks like the cast this time are waaaay cooler and more decent *_* But damn, since this is a prequel, then that means I'll get some clues on what happened to them if I watch Fate/Stay Night. Ugh, damnit. MARATHON!!!!

Kimi to Boku Okay. I admit. IT WAS BORING. I hope they didn't make it slow pace. The characters hadn't been as wacky as they seemed to be in the manga. The bg music's fine, but the rest sucks. It kinda made me sad that there'll even be a second season for it. What a strange feeling for someone who absolutely adored the manga ^^; Oh well, I'll stick to the manga version.

Persona 4 Now THIS is more I like it. The manga bored me to hell but the anime adaptation didn't make me sleepy or irritated. It had been cool and fun~ Not sure of what to think of the story and characters though (seriously, they easily believed when the MC said that he almost went through the TV? o_O) but the animation's and music are fantastic~ It has so many interesting reference (tarot cards *_* the self *_* supernatural battle *_* Oh yes~

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle So it really was typical shounen... well, almost. The puzzle thing made all the difference (typical shounen MC fights w/ his strength, superpower, ideals, familiars/servants, or gets away with everything using luck. This dude uses HIS BRAIN). Well, fine, there was also a puzzle thing in Yu-Gi-Oh! but that one is card game type while this one's more adventurey. That's also focused on Egyptian mythology while this one is... various *_* Yay to supernatural references and geeky heroes. I love it xD

Sekaichi Hatsukoi 2 OH. MY. GOD. IT SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS! But I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT, bwahahahahahah~ I missed Onodera's inner monologues with him going insane. I never got tired of them. There was progress... sort of. But everything just returned to the way it was no thanks to memory loss. What a way of the mangaka/creator to tease the audience in the hopes of having the story MOVE ON. And oh, the OP and ED were really lame. Hurt my eyes and ears. Oh it was freakin' predictable. But I'm watching, damn it. It looks like there's more Onodera next episode.

IMPRESSIONS SUMMARY ON THE FIVE LISTED

(5)Kimi to Boku was a disappointment. I love my twins, but dropping it and just focus on the manga.

(4) Sekaichi Hatsukoi 2 is my guilty pleasure, I'll only follow episodes with Onodera.

(3) Persona 4 was really cool and impressive. I'm not that drawn it though, but I'm finally appreciating it (I'll forget about the manga)

(2) Phi Brain I suck in puzzles but people who can solve them never cease to amaze me

(1) Fate/Zero THE BEST

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #012 (New Manga and Novels This September 2011)

Below's the list of books I've bought (majority were bought on sale ;P) this September 2011~ Can't wait to read 'em!

[ MANGA ]

Manga Messiah + Manga Metamorphosis + Manga Mutiny of Next Manga
I've read Manga Messiah a long time ago (I borrowed it from a classmate) and I really liked it. Only recently have I found out that there are MORE manga bible series out there xD So when I spotted the other volumes in the bookstore, I grabbed them at once =3
Messiah's about Jesus, Metamorphosis focuses on the prophets, while Mutiny covers the main stories in the Pentateuch (five books of Moses)
Demon Flowers Volume 1 by Mizuki Hakase
I didn't like the mangaka's other work but when I've read the first chapter of this one, I find it adorable~
Moyashimon Volume 2 by Masayuki Ishikawa
I like Moyashimon and this baby was on sale so gotta get it xD

[ LIGHT NOVEL ]

Psycho Busters: The Novel Volume 2 by Yuya Aoki
I'm a fan of the manga so collecting the novel versions is a must, haha. They were on sale anyway. I managed to get volume 3 already... hopefully I can spot volume 1 someday.
Genshiken: The Return of the Otaku by Iida Kazutoshi (Creator: Kio Shimoku)
To be honest, I haven't seen/read Genshiken. But I think I'm gonna like it anywayz, so since seeing a light novel on sale is a rare occassion, I thought of getting it at once xD
But if ever I didn't like Genshiken in the end, I know to whom I can give/sell it to xD

[ NOVELS ]

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
THE IDEA'S JUST SO AWESOME xD Hahahaha! And I should read it before the movie gets released.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I've heard soooooooooooooooo many good reviews on this. The plot's interesting anyway. Gotta get it (and it was on sale! w00t!)
The Cry of Sloth by Sam Savage
The title's sooo COOL! Haha! And the plot was pretty interesting anywayz.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
It was about two friends... (see my fandom bias)

[ YA SERIES ]

Secret Series #4: This Isn't What It Looks Like + Secret Series #5: You Have to Stop This by Pseudonymous Bosch
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THIS SERIES! It'S FINALLY DONE AND I CAN'T WAIT TO KNOW THE ENDING *_*
A Series of Unfortunate Events #3: The Wide Window + A Series of Unfortunate Events #7: The Vile Village + A Series of Unfortunate Events #8: The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
I think I've only read until Book#4... and I can't remember anymore. Haha. I bought Book#1 on its original price, Book #2 on sale, then the rest I'm thinking of buying on sale too, haha!
Vampirates #3: Blood Captain by Justin Somper
I liked the first book so I'm thinking of collecting the other books too.... but it's not a priority read for now.
Erec Rex#1: The Dragon's Eye by Kaza Kingsley
I wanted to buy this before, but I didn't like the price. It was finally on sale, so I bought it at once xD
Pillage #1: Pillage by Obert Skye
I was thinking of trying the Lemony Thumps series first, but that one has too many books to catch up, so I'm thinking of trying the author's shorter series first. This one seems more interesting anywayz.

[ NOVEL BORROWED ]

A Song of Fire and Ice #3: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
I have finally finished A CLASH OF KINGS (when there was no electricity because of the typhoon)!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!
But the ending was a very annoying cliffhanger, so I just gotta read the next installment at once!!! xD Hahahaha!
I really like the cover.... it was so blue. I wasted so many minutes when my officemate handed this over to me... I was staring at the cover. Haha!

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #011 (The End of Tiger & Bunny, and Looking Forward to Anonymous)

Oh yeah, believe it or not, I actually have a MAL account, haha! (Please add me if you also have an account there xD) It hasn't been updated for so long though (like the profile and favorites lists) but the anime and manga lists have been updated a bit. I am sure that I have not added a lot of titles in it yet.

I didn't update it because I was lazy. But now I see its significance... because I lose track of the anime/manga I've checked out and finished x_x (I had an offline list, but I can't find it anymore! Ahaha!) Especially on the manga! My god... Hopefully I remember to update my MAL as I update this blog.... 

[ ANIME ]

(LOLz! pic from all4humor)

(Tiger and Bunny - Episode 25)

It was very very touching... made me laugh while crying. Kotetsu is just awesome in everything, while Barnaby made me daaaaaaaaaaaaaaw (he's sooooooooo attached to Kotetsu). Their aliases fit them so much, 'coz Kotetsu is as badass as a tiger, while Barnaby's as adorable as a bunny xD Teehee~

I've finished the anime, and done with the critique/review. I had a hard time in deciding whether I want to give it a B, B+, or A-. I picked "A-" in the end, because unique shows deserve more credit, hehe.

[ MOVIE ]

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Anonymous speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds ranging from Mark Twain and Charles Dickens to Henry James and Sigmund Freud, namely: who was the author of the plays credited to William Shakespeare? Experts have debated, books have been written, and scholars have devoted their lives to protecting or debunking theories surrounding the authorship of the most renowned works in English literature. Anonymous poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when cloak-and-dagger political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles hungry for the power of the throne were exposed in the most unlikely of places: the London stage.

SH#T! I'm a sucker for controversial films; whether religious, political, or literary. DO WANT!!!! *_*

Oh-No! Manga: Alpha Issue

At an anime convention yesterday, I spotted a manga magazine. I was about to ask how much it was (then decide whether to buy it or not depending on the price) but when I noticed the magic word, "FREE", I didn't think twice and grabbed a copy at once, hehe.

Oh-No! Manga is a manga anthology magazine published by Melchman's Stuff Entertainment and Pygmalion Studios. Its first official issue will be released on February 2012, but a preview issue (aka Alpha Issue) has already been released this month, and IT'S FREE! You can request for a copy from the official site (you only have to pay for the shipping fee) or you can just download it. It's in English.

Right now it's encouraging aspiring mangakas to contribute and earn. Chosen ones get to have their works showcased in at least 12 issues. Those interested in becoming part of the launch of its first volume can check out this page for more details. It looks like they're looking for those who can draw manga or fanart, and also those who would want to share their cosplay photos.

This brings back memories. I used to subscribe to a local manga magazine before (that one was more localized since it's in our native language, unlike ONM, which is in English). I'm not sure what happened to that old manga magazine though, but hopefully it won't happen to this one.

This issue contained the editor's message, the promos, the merchandise advertisements, a featured fanart, and a prologue of one of its series entitled Silent Destiny Onusa.

The story takes place in a region called Serapi, where two kingsdoms are at war with each other. The only one who can bring back peace in Serapi is The Silencer, a young man named Popi who just arrived in a strange land... and has no idea where he is!

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #006 (Tiger & Bunny Marathon and Tekken Blood Vengeance)

[ ANIME ]

(Tiger and Bunny - Episodes 11 to 22)

Ahaha... I finally managed to marathon it. I missed this series so much~ During the marathon I've realized HOW MUCH I've missed. I'll try my best to be as updated as possible next time xD (though I kinda doubt on seeing the last two episodes that soon because I'm going somewhere around that time ^^;)

• Tiger - He's the dude who makes me laugh the most. Most adorable guy as well. I know he's not as stupid as he seems, but there was a time that I got disappointed the he didn't get that he was tricked even though it was pretty obvious... and it was just a few episodes after he had done something super impressive =_=
• Bunny - Such an emotional fella. It was so cute when he's finally admitting that he's having high respect towards Kotetsu~
• Blue Rose - Of all the dudes she could have a crush on, he choose "him"! Pretty girls falls for a guy not for his looks. I really love her for that, even if she's being tsundere about it xD
• Fire Emblem - Oh he always amuses me xD He's one of the girls! w00t!
• Sky High - He's soooo lame, and I find him very very very adorable for that. He almost had a love story... but as usual, I fell for a tragic pairing again *bangs head on the wall*
• Rock Bison - he needs more love~
• Dragon Kid - I really laughed when she apologized for being boyish when Blue Rose said that one of them (referring to Nathan) isn't really female, haha!
• Origami Cyclone - I'm proud of him~
• Lunatic - Ooooo.... tragic past... explains his odd personality. Oh poor darling *huggles the psycho*
• Jake - he is such an... ASS!!! And that was AWESOME!!!! I find it cool when villains are being jerks.... his kind of jerk-ness.... it's so amusing xD

Anywayz, even though some stuff in the recent episodes are pretty predictable (and sometimes Kotetsu's so smart then he suddenly goes unbelievably stupid =_=), it had still been very enjoyable and fantastic! Things are doing good so far, but I just wish Lunatic will have more role in the series because he's such an interesting character. Well, it looks like even in the recent episodes, there isn't much info on the super main villains yet... perhaps there'll be a second season? xD

[ MOVIE ]

(Tekken: Blood Vengeance)

I heard nothing but negative opinions about the recent live action film. This one, however, seems really promising.

Too bad my Hwoarang doesn't seem to be in it... but the trailer looks really great~

Hopefully it gets released in my place (though I find that unlikely *sigh*). I really look forward to seeing it *_*

Off-topic 1: I'm still trying to get used to the new blogger
Off-topic 2: It's already September?.......... NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #005 (Hunger Games Trailer & My August 2011 New Novels)

Some Hunger Games teaser first:

THAT'S IT???! UUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Anywayz, now about the main topic of this post:

I used to buy a lot of novels (on sale) almost weekly, but I don't get to read majority of them that soon x_x So because of that (and also because of budget issues), I've been trying my best to limit the books I buy xD The number of books that I used to buy in just two weeks now took me a month! I'm improving... little by little... haha!

So here are the interesting novels I found (most interesting at the bottom) and hopefully they have been worth buying, even if they're discounted:

1. I, Juan de Pareja (Elizabeth Borton de Trevino)
   I like stories about artists. And I find the idea of a slave wanting to become one pretty intriguing. Social discrimination issues~
2. Wish Riders (Patrick Jennings)
   The plot had bored me, to be honest. But the Cinderella reference and its mention that it deals with folklore drew me in somehow. Not to mention it got positive reviews... it might be good.
3. The Witch's Trinity (Erika Mailman)
   Ahaha... I suppose stories about women being accused for witches capture my interest... and it has something to do with Season of the Witch *just watched it*
4. Fingers (William Sleator)
   The horror in this seems to be YA-level (or maybe it is a YA novel, just didn't seem like it).... so it might not be that scary... but I like horror stories related to music~
5. Living Dead Girl (Elizabeth Scott)
   Sounds like a zombie novel but not about a zombie kid in school, or about some virus outbreak. Unusual enough for me.
6. Glasshouse (Charles Stross)
   I blame the cover. It's so... blue... Well, the blue and white/gray color mix made me see my favorite color combination (blue and silver). It got me attracted... and I don't get to read much SF novels, so I picked it up at once, haha!
7. Luna (Julie Anne Peters)
   At first I thought it had something to do with the moon, or the goddess Luna. But it turned out to be about a boy who claims to have been a girl... interesting~
8. The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster, Hercules Barefoot: His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred (Carl-Johan Vallgren)
   A "monster" being treated cruelly by "servants of god" and he gets a love story with a beautiful girl? Interesting enough for me~
   It got so many negative reviews though... had me a little worried
9. The Shack (WM. Paul Young)
   It seemed to have had a lot of positive reviews.... and the plot intrigued me. Hopefully it's as good as it seems.
10. The Pull of the Ocean (Jean-Claude Mourlevat)
    Three sets of twin boys... and a story about brotherhood... can't... resist.
11. The Egyptologist (Arthur Phillips)
    Fiction related to Egypt and its history and mytholgoy... can't resist~ It's an international bestseller too, so it might be as good as it seemed~
12. Sepulchre (Kate Mosse)
    Religious references and discovering secrets of people from history.... oh these kinds of plots always make me thrilled.
13. Al Capone Does My Shirts (Gennifer Choldenko)
    Seems hilarious! And it's got an awward! It's gotta be good~
14. The Great Stink (Clare Clark)
    The titles sounds... EPIC! Haha! (And someone from war now working on the sewers? o_o Pretty unusual... I like that)
15. The Little Book (Selden Edwards)
    It's about a timetraveller who gets to meet famous people like those from the field of literature and psychology!!! MY TYPE!!!!

Autumn/Fall 2011 Anime Series First Impressions

Here I am once again... looking at the new shows next season to find more things to get addicted to, haha. The next season looks really promising *_*

(This image is from an upcoming movie: Hotarubi no Mori E. The manga was enchanting, and Midorikawa Yuki is fantastic. The anime film will certainly be good xD)

There are quite a number of shows in the upcoming season that seem interesting... four of them are those I'm already SURE that I'll be watching (because of manga background, or if I liked the previous adaptation). October's gonna be a very exciting month =3

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #004 (Focus: Arakawa Drama Ep5)

[ LIVE ACTION DRAMA ]

(Arakawa Under the Bridge Episode 5)

Happy to see a Sister and Maria moment! Well, it's kinda similar to the anime, except that in the anime, Maria hadn't been chasing Ric around Sister like kids and there was no scene of Sister being "protective" on the eggs that Maria gave to them o_O And instead of the nosebleeds in the anime, Sister just turned blue in the drama. Ah well, their encounter is still fun. The actress totally got Maria's laughs, haha.

I'm kinda disappointed on the Ric x Nino scene... Nino got mad at Ric for a pretty shallow reason =_= That's not the Nino I know!!! But ah well, at least they had been right on how Nino acts when annoyed. (Too bad it was just a tree, her AniManga version climbs an electric post, hehe)

I'm not happy on how weak Billy in the drama seems to be.. compare to the AniManga version, who was cool ALL the time. But ah well, at least he's not perfect... and more character development/screentime for him. Looks like something happens to him in the next episode... Ric's super worried.

Next episode seems to be rich in Ric x Nino moments. They used the anime pics for Ric's storyboard on his "planned perfect date" xD Hahahaha! OMG, can't wait (the "distancing" scene!!! Bwahahaha). They'll definitely have more romantic scenes compare to the anime (Ric carried her [his animanga version was epic fail in his attempt to carry her like a princess, haha!])

[ MANGA ]

Magic Kaitou Special - I knew it that Kaito's mom is no ordinary woman! She's almost as hott as Shinichi's mom (Yukiko's still my favorite though, ahaha). Aaw man, why was Aoko unconscious the whole time... Kaito already had the idea of kissing her but... aaaagghhh.... I hate it with Aoyama-sensei teases me with my fave pairings in his series. Such torture.
Number Chapter 38 - Tekirai caring about Toneriko is soooooo obvious now. Oh the shippers are gonna be happy. Ah well, I'm more concerned about my Mizuto. He didn't appear much unfortunately =_=

[ MOVIES ]

Woman in Black News - Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe's gonna be in some suspense/horror thriller. Well, I'm not really a fan of that actor, but I can't get these types of story plots off my radar xD

Fright Night Spoils - Seeing the comparison between the vampire dude in this movie to Twilight's Edward made me more convinced that this vampire movie might be worth watching, haha.

[ NOVELS ]

Fabelheaven Chapter 1 - I tried the first chapter because the other books of the series were on sale. I wanted to check if it's the type I would want to collect. But so far it got me bored x_X

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #003 (Focus: Misoragumi Manga and Arakawa Drama)

MANGA

Houou Gakuen Misoragumi (volume 1 to 3) by AKI Arata

My name is Kei, and I really love girls.
I attend an all-boys school, which doesn't have any girls.
Of course that's bad, especially since I'm actually a girl.

I had been interested to read this manga for a long time because of its popularity, but the "girl in an all-boys school" gender bender cliche is so overused that it didn't make me that motivated.

But last night I just thought of reading it because I was looking for a manga to try, in random.

So now I got hooked.... aaaaahhh!!!!

The heroine was very convincing as male... and that alone makes this series already so different from a lot of gender bender manga. The hero's sadistic to her though, but this is shoujo, so I won't be surprised if he actually likes her since back then... and they're so gonna be canon.

So yeah, though it's quite refreshing, it still follows some cliches... but I don't mind, this is freakin' entertaining anywayz. The masochist got me disturbed the most... but it also made me laugh so hard, haha!

This has been very enjoyable to read (Usassy is sexy!! BWAHAHAHHA!). I find Kousuke very adorable, but I guess my favorite is none other than that thespian/cosplaying dude... he's so... PRETTY... and wacky! Hahaha!

LIVE ACTION DRAMA

Arakawa Under the Bridge (Episode 4)

For the first time I didn't get annoyed on a Kappa recap.... his "swimming" was so hilarious xD Hahahaha!

Ric finally showed more of his arrogant side in this episode (he thinks that "Nino's treasure" has something to do with him).

Nino's fight against the fish was very amusing xD It was cool that the live action drama didn't exclude Nino's snot when she sleeps, haha!

This episode is more focused on Billy and Jacqueline though. They had waaaay more character development in the drama than their original adaptations *_* I'm pleased (do that for my favorite characters as well, please).
Oh, the drama decided to make Billy originally without the bird face... the animanga implied that he's already wearing it in his yakuza days x_xNow that's more believable.... I almost believed that the drama will be trying to make this realistic somehow until I saw Billy and Jacqueline transforming then flying as birds ^^; LOLz

NEXT EPISODE HAS SISTER x MARIA (possibly more Ric x Nino too) SQUEEEEE!!!! Next week is taking forever =_=

OTHERS

[ANIME - Mawaru Penguindrum]
There was no episode last week, so I was very sad ;_;

[NOVEL - A Clash of Kings {page 311 to 370 of 708}]
I'm gonna miss Renly... only because his Rainbow Knights idea was really amusing xD

[MOVIE - Adventures of Tintin: Secret fo the Unicorn] T
he "unicorn" thing was enough to make me highly interested in this, even though I'm not that familiar with the original adaptation, ahaha!

Summer 2011 Anime First Impressions

Like a lot of other bloggers, I have my own initial picks on the shows in the upcoming season as well. But I'll only highlight those I look forward to the most. If you want a less-biased type of season previews, I recommend either Psgel's or Sekijutsu's post. They've got more time to do these kinds of posts than I am. Why do a detailed lineup if other bloggers can do better? Hehe.

(I wanna watch this movie so badly!!! I miss this so much!! SENGOKU BASARA FTW!)

(scan by chan-chanz)

I could only blog one series per season, the lesser the episodes and if the airing time is close to the weekends, the better. I would also rather blog something I don't have, or don't have much, manga background. (It had been kinda boring to blog about something I had already seen before. )

I found a series that falls perfectly under those categories in Spring 2011: [C]

For this season, it's this series which I originally wanted to blog, but it airs AFTER the weekends =_= So I had to decide between these two candidates instead:

Lincoln Lawyer, Red Riding Hood, and Rio (ft. Super 8)

I've been watching films from the past and also recent ones. I found it difficult to make a post for each, so I decided to do them in batches~ Each movie batch would have 3 quick movie reviews then 1 featured upcoming movie. Here goes:

Super 8

The trailer's cool~
Though many people would be pretty frustrated for keeping the "monster" a secret xD I don't mind since it's more intriguing and exciting that way (don't spoil all the good stuff in trailers~) but I'm honestly bothered on the "EIGHT" in the title.... It sounded like a superhero movie...was it referring to the kids? *didn't count though* What made them "super"? Aaaahhh!!!
Either way, I still highly look forward to the movie~

Upcoming Spring 2011 Anime Spotlight: C (The Money of Soul and Possibility Control)

I don't think I have enough time to do season previews, so instead, I'll just feature upcoming anime which I know (meaning, I'm already a fan of its original/previous adaptation) or highly believe (meaning, it's just my gut feeling) are awesome. Enjoy~


C (The Money of Soul and Possibility Control)
Debuting on April 14, 2011

The Japanese government was rescued from the brink of financial collapse by the Sovereign Wealth Fund. For its citizens, however, life has not improved, and unemployment, crime, suicide, and despair are rampant. Kimimaro, raised by his maternal grandmother after the disappearance of his father and the death of his mother, is a scholarship student whose only dream is to avoid all this and live a stable life. One day, however, he meets a man who offers him a large sum of money if he'll agree to pay it back. From then on his fate is radically altered as he's drawn into a mysterious realm known as "The Financial District."

(Official Website)

Upcoming Spring 2011 Anime Spotlight: The Blue Exorcist

I don't think I have enough time to do season previews, so instead, I'll just feature upcoming anime which I know (meaning, I'm already a fan of its original/previous adaptation) or highly believe (meaning, it's just my gut feeling) are awesome. Enjoy~

AO NO EXORCIST
青の祓魔師（エクソシスト）
Debuting on April 16, 2011

Humans live in the world of Assiah, demons in Gehenna. The two dimensions are not meant to interfere with each other, but demons still possess creatures in Assiah in spite of this. The humans who can fight these demons are known as exorcists. Rin Okumura is a boy who bears the curse of being Satan's illegitimate son. His foster father sacrificed himself to save him from demons. To avenge his foster father's death as well as to prove himself, Rin decides to follow the path of an exorcist.
(Official Website)

Upcoming Spring 2011 Anime Spotlight: Deadman Wonderland

I don't think I have enough time to do season previews, so instead, I'll just feature upcoming anime which I know (meaning, I'm already a fan of its original/previous adaptation) or highly believe (meaning, it's just my gut feeling) are awesome. Enjoy~


DEADMAN WONDERLAND
デッドマン・ワンダーランド
Debuting on April 16, 2011

Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.
(Official Website)

127 Hours, Coraline, & I Am Number Four (feat. Red Riding Hood)

I've been watching films from the past and also recent ones. I found it difficult to make a post for each, so I decided to do them in batches~ Each movie batch would have 3 quick movie reviews then 1 featured upcoming movie. Starting with this:

Red Riding Hood

I was so excited when I saw its trailer for the first time because I absolutely LOVE fairy tale adaptations~ This story having dark elements made me much happier~
I changed my mind when I learned that it has a love triangle (AGAIN!!! UGH) and there were freakin' loads of kissing scenes.... gawd.
But I changed my mind AGAIN when I realized that fairy tales originally have sexual elements/references in the first place. Besides, aside from the lustful scenes, it also seems to have a lot of horror and dangerous stuff Alright, bloodshed! w00t! which is just appropriate to a dark fantasy~ I really like it if Red Riding Hood isn't as innocent as she is popularly portrayed~

Knight & Day, Tangled, & The Tourist (feat. Sucker Punch)

I've been watching films from the past and also recent ones. I found it difficult to make a post for each, so I decided to do them in batches~ Each movie batch would have 3 quick movie reviews then 1 featured upcoming movie. Starting with this:

Sucker Punch

For anime watchers, the sailor outfit thing would definitely remind them of Japanese school uniforms and also Magical Girl shows like Sailormoon. I'm already tired of those and would have ignored this film if it's just the same thing; but fortunately, it isn't. The main cast of this film are amazons in a crazy action fantasy setting. What instantly grabbed my attention to this is that the leading character was confined in a mental hospital! Psycho warriors? I'm so in~ Hahaha!

	Knight and Day An ordinary woman gets involved with the dangerous adventures of a crazy secret agent.... or is he? RATING: C+ (A fun parody of a knight and princess relationship in modern times!) FAVORITISM: 3 Hearts ---> They were fun... most fun when they switched places I hope it was intentional, because I really like the idea of exagerrating the qualities of a perfect knight who will always be there on time to rescue the girl and of a princess who is a damsel-in-distress that's often useless and gets into trouble a lot. But the film hadn't really been as funny nor as exciting as what it appeared in the trailer. Many of the scenes were quite boring... I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected.
	Tangled An animated adaptation of Rapunzel's story wherein she's a princess and her prince charming is a thief. RATING: A- (One of the best Disney Princess movies~) FAVORITISM: 5 Hearts ---> Maximus rocks and Flynn is mine~ It was a fun and exciting version of Rapunzel's story! It's not only romance, but there's also magic and adventure! The ending might be a little cliche and some twists are so expected, but at least victory isn't just from miracles and luck all the time. The main characters aren't the only ones who get to do the cool stuff~ I love it that this film's Rapunzel is the type of princess that could really be admired: she has beauty, wisdom, and GUTS. Hooray for the power of frying pan! And Maximus is the best animated horse ever! Haha!
	The Tourist An American tourists travels to Europe and falls in love with a woman... who is a lover of a wanted mobster. Unfortunately for the main character, the bad guys think that her criminal lover is him. RATING: B- (PRETTY GOOD!!) FAVORITISM: 3.5 Hearts ---> LOVE The setting in this film is the best. True to its title, watching it felt like having a quick tour in Europe. Makes you appreciate the beauty of the countries featured in the film~ And oh boy I love the tourist stereotypes in it. The film's so amusing~ (Poor Americans, haha!) The romance seems to be too fast but even if it was quite expected, I really like the twist in the end. I find their love story more romantic when the secrets were revealed.

Fandom Diaries: I Am Number Four (in watch list; not in read list) and other reading stuff

I really liked the trailer of the I Am Number Four film, so it was automatically in my Movies-I-Wanna-See-Soon list. I like alien stories, and seeing a blonde Number Four reminded me of Numbuh 4, who is a favorite character of mine from the cartoon series, Kids Next Door.

When I found out that it was actually based on a novel series, I looked for the book. But only the movie tie-in version was available:

When it comes to novels, I prefer the original editions... not the movie one =_= So no matter how curious I was, I decided not to buy it.

Later, as I thought about it, I felt that it was a right decision not to buy that novel. Why?

1. The employee of that certan bookstore said that the book was good. The two previous books I've bought from that bookstore... which are also recommended by an employee of it... turned out to be CRAP. It was deja vu.... I don't want to waste money on crap again.
2. Majority of the reviews say that the book wasn't really that impressive.... most of its fans are because of the movie... particularly on the ACTOR. The fangurls just want to see Alex Pettyfer shirtless ^^; Ah well, I'm not his fangurl... and even if I was, I'm more of a story person... I'm more into good stories than sexy actors when watching something ^^;

So what I ended up buying yesterday instead was 07-Ghost volume 4 (I really love this manga xD) and Percy Jackson & The Last Olympian (finally the paperback version is out!).

I really really miss the Percy Jackson series... and with the last book finally on my hands, I could start ready the sequel series soon xD The first few pages of it really excited me~

For now, I shall focus on marathoning the Septimus Heap series (which I also love~ Sep is such a darling~) then I shall finish Percy's series xD But before that... catch-up on my anime watches (also those reviews, wah), wheee~

Season Preview: Winter 2011

Lack of hyper posts recently.... we've been really busy in various stuff this past few months. Hopefully this early season preview will make up for it ;D
Sapphire Pyro here, and I'll be dominating this post for now because I can xtine06 has some stuff to attend to. But she'll be adding her inputs here eventually ;D
This is going to be shorter than the usual season previews because aside from the fact that there aren't much upcoming titles in this season anywayz, uploading images just take me too long x_x I'll make up for it with... long comments, haha!
As usual, we;re going to be focusing on series only. As for OVA's and movies, I'm excited for Goulart Knights; Koisento seems interesting; but the one I look forward to the most is Supernatural; followed by Mirai Nikki:

SHE SCARES ME!!!! For some reasn I find her freakier than those Higurashi girls O_O.... COOL xD
IMHO, the upcoming season's shows don't seem to be as interesting as the previous season's. I familiarized myself as much as I can on the original materials of these upcoming shows.... but none had really hit me so far =/ Still, a number of them are still very promising so here goes:

Beelzebub
Sapphire Pyro: *RECOMMENDS* As long as the anime staff won't mess up, this will certainly do well because the source material is so much fun xD
Yeah, yeah, it's the standard shounen wherein the main character is just so unbelievably indestructible that no one can beat him. But the funny twist in this is that.... he has to take care of a baby (though it's no ordinary baby ;P)! Plots with "babysitting" isn't limited to shoujo/josei alone! Hahaha!
This series can be appreciated by NOT taking it seriously. It's so ridiculous and amusing that could make you laugh your a$$ off because it's just so... crazy! Haha! But surprisingly, for a "stupid" story, it manages to show some intereseting twists and... it has a story!!!
Another thing that's so cool about this series are the fight scenes.... they're just so badass xD Ah well, we're talking about delinquents after all.... but at least the fighting characters here are actually likeable. The biggest relief for me are the females..... it's one of the few shounen series without a damsel-in-distress... w00t!
I used to blog this before but.... waaahh.... I can't do it anymore x_x

Cardfight!! Vanguard
Sapphire Pyro: *FACEPALM* Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy???!!! Will these Yuugi Oh! wannabes ever gonna give up? Stop being a wannabe! I firmly believe that no series could replace Yuugi Oh in its throne.
*sigh* Or perhaps there are still tons of kids that suck up to these kinds of shows/games? But damnit... I'd rather they think of something new; create a new phenomenon! But noooooooooooooooo! Market over Innovation, huh? This is too sad...

Dragon Crisis
Sapphire Pyro: *HEADACHE* I've had enough of plots involving non-human girls being so fixated on a "normal" leading guy. The plot even mentions that she goes as far as wanting to bathe and sleep with him?
I don't think I need to guess abot it having ecchi and loli fanservice.... which I never appreciated. And this girl needs to be protected that much? Oh gawd, I'm so tired of stories like this. It might've been more interesting for me if the dragon girl is the violent type, not the fragile type. Ugh, just thinking how lame the plot seemed to me already makes me sick...

Fractale
Sapphire Pyro: *INTERESTED* It had an interesting concept of what the future is going to be like: everything's so high tech and people can go around without using their real bodies. It's sci-fi but it seems to have some supernatural twist, because of the dark stuff going around in the convent. Smiles are being regarded as something significant in this... which is cute.
The story in the manga is pretty interesting so far (even with the usual "normal boy's life suddenly becomes not normal when he meets the girl" plot). The art's really really gorgeous too *_* I'm hoping for the anime's art to be better or more wonderful than the manga's. Those scenes seem nicer in color *_*

Freezing
Sapphire Pyro: *NAH* I thought of checking out the first chapter because the plot mentioned about sibling love (younger brother loves older sister so much). Being an older sister with a younger brother myself.... I just couldn't resist it ;D
Sadly, this doesn't seem to be that different from other supernatural action harem shows (with fighting women)... it looked like only the women do the fighting... and of course they are sexy and will give the reader as much fanservice as possible.... yeah, even naked ones.
I'm not interested in boobs nor with women exposing their sexy legs. I see nonsensical fights and cfrequent blushes.... but a story I do not. Or perhaps I'm just being biased because this is not my type of fanservice... sorry =_=
I did get my brother to sister love though.... but the other stuff in it are just too unbearable for me ^^;

Gosick
Sapphire Pyro: *ROARS* Yes, I'm a huge sucker for mystery stories set in historical Europe.... but this one is really SICK... in a negative way!
I've seen a lot of genius characters but the genius loli here is just too unbelievably genius that makes her seem to me that the mangaka is trying TOO HARD to make this girl as incredible as possible. I mean, being able to read so many books yet talking normally to someone AT THE SAME TIME? Unless she's not human, I call her Mary Sue.
I've also read/watched a lot of mystery manga/anime, but the cases here couldn't be compared to those because the detective work in this sucks so much. The girl's deductions being correct are too coincidental... and she didn't even bother to investigate EVEN A LITTLE. She just knows everything! While sitting there! Oh gawd, another Mary Sue charactersitic. And did I mention that she's really very pretty? And it has been mentioned that she's like a human doll. I'll forgive this series if she is indeed one, or something like it.
The other characters? Leading guy's too lame to be a son of military officer. The inspector with a weird hairdo is too stupid to exist. The short haired girl has two sides and she's just there for the leading guy to have another person to talk to and be suspicious about for the sake of adding more "mystery" in this series.
And oh, it looks like the author is very proud of his/her knowledge in French because I was getting tired of only seeing the simple sentences like "How are you?/Are you alright?" and "I'm fine. Thank you." being written in French (I think they're supposed to be conversing in French, but only those lines are in actual French).... and ah, also the counting numbers in French in a certain chapter. Jeez, stick to Japanese. Or just use French words when it comes to terms and stuff.
I think I was too disappointed in this that I've been ridiculing even the little things. I can't help it!!! =_= BONES! Please do something else instead of this x_x

Haiyoru! Nyaruani: Remember My Mr. Lovecraft
Sapphire Pyro: *FACEPALM* I am soooooooooooooooooooo sick of plots with non-human girls rescuing normal high school boys. IS THIS THE TYPE OF PLOT THAT SELLS????
Oh gawd... that thought alone is giving me nightmares.

Hourou Musuko
Sapphire Pyro: *OKAY* It shows a unique and more realistic presentation of what people with... complicated gender statuses feel and act like.
However, though the story's really nice and interesting, I find it boring. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the fact that it's by the creator of Aoi Hana or it's because I don't find this serious and dramatic slice of life shows that appealing.
Anyway, I think this series is good, but just not my kind of thing. It's hard for me to tell what makes it remarkable, so I suggest that you look into Aorii-chan's post for more appreciation to this title ^^

Houkago no Pleidas
Sapphire Pyro: *HMM* Car manufacturer involved in some highschool anime? That's.... something new. And it's by Gainax, huh? Perhaps it'll be something worth checking out because it's something.... quite unusual, hehe.

IS: Infinite Stratos
Sapphire Pyro: *FACEPALM* WHY are there increasing mecha shows wherein the machines could only be piloted by girls except for a certain machine that could be piloted only by the leading guy? Are they copying Evangelion and trying to be as popular as it? Oh crap.... so many imitators try too hard but can't see the obvious that legendary series can't ever leave its throne....
Back to IS... ah well, seeing that there are going to be plenty of girls here with the leading guy being the special opposite sex.... I sense ecchi and harem once again. No... I'm tired of this.

Kimi ni Todoke 2
Sapphire Pyro: *YAY* I am still not updated with the manga nor have I finished the first season, but I still consider this as one of the most heartwarming shoujo series I ever met. And when you think it's using shoujo cliches, later you find out that it actually doesn't. The characters are charming in their own way. The story's simple yet really lovely. You can't get enough of it ;D

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka
Sapphire Pyro: *NAH* Serial killers? Zombies? BUT THEY LOOK LIKE MAGICAL GIRLS THAT HAPPENED TO SEEM A LITTLE VIOLENT???? And the leading guy has to go along with these girls? Errrr..... I don't find the premise that fascinating anymore so.... pass.

Level E
Sapphire Pyro: *INTERESTED* I've read some chapters of the manga and oh my god it's soooo hilarious xD It seems so random at first but things start to connect little by little. It's so entertaining and at the same time so interesting xD Now THIS type of alien shows that writers should look more into.... not the sexy alien girl that always lets herself to be groped by the leading guy that many ecchi shows are not yet tired of using =_=
And ooo.... two studios working on it? Staff seems promising? I can't imagine this anime going wrong... especially that the original material is awesome enough ;D

Mistudomoe 2
Sapphire Pyro: *CRIES* I could never appreciate shows with children being as perverted as grown men; much more if in the show, they are hell more perverted than the actual adults in it. So NOOOOO!!!! STOP DOING THIS KINDS OF SHOWS!!!! IT SCARES ME!!!!

Onii-chan no Koto nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne!!
Sapphire Pyro: *CRIES* WHAT'S WITH THE INCEST CRAZE???!!!! Honestly, I could actually tolerate stories with incest BUT NOT OF THIS TYPE! Aaaaaaahhhh!!!!! I'M SCARED!!!!

Rio - Rainbow Gate
Sapphire Pyro: *HMM* I have absolute zero knowledge on the original material but it has Pandora Heart's staff so.... hhhmmm.... perhaps it could turn out nice.

Starry☆Sky
Sapphire Pyro: *FACEPALM* If you're only after the bishies, seiyuus, or prettiness, then perhaps this is something worth looking forward to. BUT I'm not one of those so I'M AVOIDING THIS CRAP!
I had NEVER seen a good anime/manga series that is based on a reverse harem game. The plots are more-or-less the same, and the bishies will all be too protective or have some special relationship with the overly special leading girl.... who will either be the naive type or the always-blushing type. AND IT IS ALWAYS HER ROLE TO BE USELESS AND TO CRY A LOT!!!! UUUGGGHHH!!!! JUST DIEEEEEE! DIEEE!!!!! DIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Please don't liken this to Hetalia just because if Hetalia is to nations, this one is to zodiacs. Aside from bishies and personifications, that's their only similarities. Hetalia being NOT reverse harem and having women that don't need to be protected/rescued all the time made all the difference.
I love the seiyuus of Starry Sky. The artist of the manga is even a favorite of mine. But the plot's too hopeless.... it's impossible for this to be.... anywhere near impressive.

Usagigoya
Sapphire Pyro: *NAH* Too kiddie... 'nuff said.

Wolverine
Sapphire Pyro: *SIGH* GIMME GAMBIT INSTEAD!!!!!!!!!! *ehem* Ironman was such a disappointment and I don't think how this Wolverine anime would turn out will be any different from it even if the trailer looked really awesome. I also think it won't ever be as cool as the Wolverine movie. (Hugh Jackman! Love ya!)
I'm sorry Madhouse... I love you, but I really think it's better when Western studios do Western comics. =/

Yumekui Merry
Sapphire Pyro: *SCREAMS* ANOTHER GODDAMN KITTY SHOW!!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!! *despises the kitty that freeloads at her home that she's being unconsciously bias to cats* I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE NEKO CRAZE!!!! IT ALSO DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT IT'S NEKO GIRLS WHO ARE IN THIS DREAM THING!!!! AAAAGGGHH!!!
There are so many species in the feline family. WHY CATS? There are tigers, leopards, lions, jaguars, and so on. THERE ARE SO MANY SPECIES IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM!!!! STOP USING CATS ALL THE TIME!!!! AAAUUUGGHH!!!

Alright, that's it. Opinions are opinions. First impressions are just first impressions. There's always the chance of the show being better than what you first thought of it (though from experience that doesn't happen that often).
If you want to see the chart version, Scamp was kind enough to create one

Heroes of Olympus Debuting Soon!

Announced at Publishers Weekly, to be released on October 12 is the first book, entitled "The Lost Hero", which is a part Percy Jackson Spinoff series called "Heroes of Olympus".

:: STORY ::

=== Synopsis
After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Now, in a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they'll need the help of some familiar demigods.

=== Plot Summary (first 2 chapters)
Jason is a boy who suffers from amnesia. Jason wakes up on a bus sitting next to Piper, a girl claiming to be his girlfriend. Sitting in the seat in front of him is a boy, Leo Valdez, who claims to be his best friend. It seems that Jason is a student attending the "Wilderness School" (a school for juvinile delinquents), and they are on a field trip to a musem of history for the Hualapai Native American tribe at the Grand Canyon. Once there, a storm appears, and one member of the class, Dylan, transforms into a violent wind spirit. He then summons two more. The supervising teacher, Coach Hedge, reveals himself to be a satyr. After a fight in which Jason uses a sword that is disguised as a Greek Drachma, the storm spirits are defeated, but Dylan kidnaps Hedge and escapes. At this point Piper is falling towards the bottom of the canyon, but Jason jumps to her rescue and learns that he can fly by riding the winds. When Piper and Jason make it back to the Sky Walk two pegasi land next to them carrying two people: Annabeth from the first series) and a guy with a tattoo of a rainbow named Butch. Annabeth gets angry because she had a vision that she would find someone missing one shoe at the Grand Canyon, and thought it to be someone who could tell her where Percy Jackson, (the main character from the first series) was. As the second chapter draws to a close and Jason and company prepare to leave for Camp Half Blood Butch reveals to Jason, Leo and Piper that Percy has been missing for the past three days. It turns out that Jason is the person missing one shoe, a reference to the original myth of Jason

:: TRAILER ::

:: CHARACTERS ::

=== Festus

A run-of-the-mill bronze mechanical dragon which is a friend and chauffeur to the three young demigods.It could fly, breathe fire, and hiss steam. Its amazing fire power can be deadly to anyone but Leo, who is immune to the dragon's flames.

=== Jason

He wakes up one day on a bus and he doesn't know how he got there. And he has no idea of who he is and where he came from.

=== Piper

Her father has been kidnapped, and she's trying to figure out who and why.

=== Leo

A guy that can make anything with his hands, and yet he has never thought that he fits anywhere. Until when he arrives at Camp Half-Blood.

:: SNEAK PEEK ::

READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS OF THIS AWESOME NEW SERIES!

:: FANGURLING ::

I HAD SO MUCH FUN READING THIS! After reading the first page, I already knew it was terrific! And as I kept going, it just kept getting better and better! The wait for the third chapter onwards is torture! Aaaaahh!!!!
It was as hilarious and action-packed as its predecessor. It's nice that the demigods we're already familiar with will be debuting here. As much as I love Percy and the rest, I think I'm going to love this new main trio more. And their adventure seems more exciting! Hooray!
Looks like Hera's the god who'll be having a big role this time. Why do I have a feeling that she's going to be the villain? o_O In any case, I love Greek mythology references and of course I looked up on the Venti. It appears that the Anemoi Thuellai (meaning "Tempest Winds") is one of the four lesser wind deities. They are wicked and violent daemons (spirits) created by the monster Typhon, and male counterparts to the harpies, who were also called thuellai.
OH MY GODS! I am so excited for this! Crap, I need to catch up on the Percy Jackson series *stuck on book 3* I thought of continuing it when I get the paperback version of the last book (which I was told will only be released on January 2011).... but I don't think I could wait anymore when this baby comes out ;D Haha!

CREDITS:
- Official Site
- Wikipedia
- Rick Riordan