Anime Blog 51: DRAMAtical Murder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatical_Murder

So, it's been forever since I posted a blog...oops. I've been really busy with my new job, but I've been watching lots of stuff to talk to y'all about! This is one of the Summer shows, it's shonen-ai (warning).

DRAMAtical Murder is a 12 episode series that is based on a BL video game with one OVA.

The story follows Aoba through a very confusing storyline where there are obviously many "couple paths" that he can take. The anime version tries to devote an episode to each character's story arc from the game...or at least I'm assuming that's what they were doing since there were a number of episodes focused solely on Aoba and one of the other characters. My 2 faves were Noiz and Clear (just BTW). Overall I really enjoyed the show and decided that I mostly understood what was happening :D

Also, for the most part the art was really good. I just prefer Aoba without the jacket and headphones...I think they look kinda dumb...(just personally ya'know?)

**Just watched the OVA (1-18-15). Apparently it was a compilation of the bad endings of the game. Basically it's a lot of rape. I did not enjoy it at all. It went through all the pairings (minus Sei  & Mizuki but it did include Tripp & Virus)...It was weird and full of blood and S&M-esque scenes. The series was much better.***

ART!

(L-R: Noiz (w/ bunnies), Mizaki (in red), Tripp & Virus (I can never remember which is which), Kojaku, Clear, Mink (beneath clear), Ren (human form, he is also the little black dog), Aoba, and Sei)

 

 

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Shonen-ai (as always)
• Eye-candy
• Noiz
• Clear's singing
• Love the Art!
• Intriguing story
• Good length

Cons:

• Sometimes a bit confusing...
• Mink...I really disliked him....

So, BL fans, I advise DRAMAtical Murder. There's only 1 kiss but it's a really cool show IMO.

Thanks for Reading! Until next time,
~Kei

**Shipping addition: I ship NoizXAoba, ClearXAoba, and RenXAoba...and I sometimes think about KojakuXAoba...but only sometimes**

Anime Blog 50: Emma: A Victorian Romance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_(manga)

Emma is a 24 episode Seinen that I watched Subbed.

I LOVE THIS SHOW! I honestly think it's my new favorite anime.

So the basic story is as follows: In Victorian England a maid (named Emma) and the first born son of a nouveau-riche family (named William) fall in love. The show follows their trials and tribulations as they try to be together against all the conventions of society. The story includes an Indian Prince (named Hakim) and William's arranged fiancé Eleanor.

This show was just awesome. There's really no other way to describe it. There were historical trivia facts at the end of each episode and the story itself seems to be an accurate portrayal of the time period (although fictional).  Being a History nut (and having a Bachelor's Degree in the subject), I just can't get over this show. It made me laugh, it made me cry; I was yelling at my computer screen half the time!

I also really like the art style!

(L-R: Eleanor, William, Emma, Hakim)

Also, Emma's second season has one of my favorite anime endings:

I think it's just so adorable!

So, pros and cons!

Pros:

• Awesome story
• Great characters
• Beautiful ending
• Historical (almost always a pro!)
• Pretty art
• ALL AROUND BEST SHOW EVER!

Lets not even kid ourselves. There are no cons to this show.

So there you have it! Thanks for reading, see you next time!

~Kei

Anime Blog 49: Gokujo no Koibito

MyAnimeList Page

Gokujo no Koibito is a 1 episode Yaoi AniManga (moving manga panels with voice over) that I watched subbed.

So the episode actually follows 2 couples MasahiroXAkito and MasahiroXYoshimi and it's kind of about Yoshimi stealing Masahiro from Akito (from what I can remember).

I honestly don't remember much about this anime other than that the ending was completely unresolved. So I can't really say too much about this show this time but the art wasn't too terrible I guess:

Art:

(Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Akito, Masahiro, Yoshimi (twice) and Masahiro)

I think that's right...

pros and cons:

Pros:

• Short
• Yaoi (as always!)

Cons:

• AniManga
• Confusing
• Not Impressionable at all

So there y'all go. I don't really remember too much so sorry about the lousy post but I honestly wouldn't recommend it...

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

~Kei

Anime Blog 48: Gakuen Heaven

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gakuen_Heaven

Gakuen Heaven is a 13 episode Shonen-ai series (that I watched subbed) based on a PC game.

Ok, so story in short: This kid named Keita gets in to this super elite all boys school. There he meets a large group of guys...almost all of whom are after him! Now the manga version of this (and the game I think) have multiple endings (in the game it all depends on what you do). The anime version chose ONE ending. So in the anime version there are really multiple pairings alluded to even though it seems everyone holds an interest in Keita.

I really enjoyed this anime. I remember when I first found the wiki page for it. I was in high school and I was Google-ing anime series based on video games. And what luck! Not only what I wanted but Shonen-ai! I liked the ending of the show and I loved noticing all the other couples that were alluded to in the series! I also ADORE the little chibi hamster omakes!

The art reminds me of Descendants of Darkness :D

(Top to Bottom: Left to Right: Koji, Nakajima, Naruse, Iwai, Kazuki, Keita, Niwa, Taki, Saionji, Omi, and Umino)

And those aren't all the characters!

So time for pros and cons!

Pros:

• Shonen-ai (as always)
• Pretty art
• Based on a video game
• Good ending
• Umino's cat...
• Lots of couples

Cons:

• Not much in the way of storyline really...I mean there is one but...eh.

But that's the only con I can think of and it didn't bother me at all!

Thanks for reading! Until Next time!

~Kei

**Shipping addition: Now for this one, I'm gonna tell you who I ship but I won't say which ones (if either) become actual couples in the show: I ship KazukiXKeita and NiwaXNakajima**

Anime Blog 47: Code Lyoko, Garage Kids, and CL: Evolution

Code Lyoko
Garage Kids
Code Lyoko: Evolution

Code Lyoko is a 97 episode French anime that I watched Dubbed. Garage Kids is a 1 episode prequel (it was the original idea for the show but was scrapped), and CL: Evolution is a 26 episode part live action sequel (the latter 2 I watched Subbed).

So I'm going to start with Code Lyoko.

I absolutely LOVE this show! I used to watch it all the time when the episodes were first airing on TV. The basic story is that a genius at a boarding school, Jeremie, finds a supercomputer and turns it on. Once the computer is on he discovers an AI female (AKA: Aelita) and learns of an evil AI (XANA) who is trying to take control of, basically, the world from the virtual world of Lyoko. Through interesting circumstances he gains a group of friends (Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi) who, through the use of large scanners, go to Lyoko to fight XANA.

I totally ship UlrichxYumi and JeremiexAelita (FYI)

The only season I wasn't a fan of was the 4th. This season gave the characters new outfits and Yumi's really bugged me. But whatever. I also wasn't a big fan of William in the original series. He made me so angry!

So I'll admit that the art isn't something I'd normally go for (if you've been reading these blogs you understand what I mean) but even with their ridiculously high foreheads, I LOVE THIS SHOW!

(LtoR: Ulrich, Jeremie, Odd, Yumi, Aelita)

Also Code Lyoko has one of my favorite openings!

So Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Great story
• Great opening
• Awesome Characters
• AWESOME SHOW!

Cons:

• Foreheads...
• William
• 4th season clothes...(idk just Yumi's eyebrows really...)

So there you have it! Now on to Garage Kids (which'll be short)

Garage Kids was the original concept for Code Lyoko. It became a 1 episode pilot but was then scrapped for what we know as Code Lyoko.

I'm glad it was. The story was darker and all the character personalities were weird. I've only seen it once so I don't remember too much about it but I recall not liking it very much.
Also...the art was almost the same but the Lyoko outfits were...lets just say weird.

 

(LtoR: Odd, Yumi, Ulrich)

SOOOO glad that got fixed!

so pros and cons:
 Pros:

• It led to Code Lyoko

Cons:

• Story was weird
• Weird Lyoko outfits
• Personalities were creepy

All in all...I wouldn't recommend it...

Code Lyoko: Evolution is the newest installment in the series and serves as a sequel to the original 97 episodes. In this version the Lyoko scenes are still animated but the school scenes are live action. XANA 2.0 has attacked and the Lyoko Warriors must once again fight to stop him. With some new problems along the way (like Laura...if you've seen this then you understand my high dislike of her).
I watched it in French with English subtitles (except episode 5 which is in English...not a fan of the dubbing...they didn't get the original voices back...) and also the last 6 episodes or so for some reason have Hungarian audio with the English subs so I had to watch the video muted while playing the French audio video at the same time (b/c it didn't have subs...argh.)
I honestly expected to hate this season. and at first I wasn't a fan. But by the end I realized that I actually enjoyed the show. I liked William a lot better at least!

So the art has been updated plus the live action cast:

 

(LtoR (inc. the avatars): William, Odd, Aelita, Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremie)

so time for pros and cons:

Pros

•  Continues a great story
• I like William more
• LA isn't all that bad

Cons:

• Laura
• Laura
• Laura
• Laura
• Laura
• (you get it...)

So yeah. If you're a fan of the original I would suggest watching it. I've heard rumors of a second season...we'll see. It definitely left off where one could begin!

Thanks for reading! Until Next Time!

~Kei

Anime Blog 46: FullMetal Alchemist and FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The original FullMetal Alchemist:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullmetal_Alchemist_(anime)

Ok so the original FullMetal Alchemist was 51 episodes long and was followed by a movie (titled the Conqueror of Shamballa that also served as the end of the series) and had 5 OVAs. (I, of course, watched it dubbed)

So when I watched FMA for the first time, it was because everyone I know was all like "it's the best thing ever!" So...I watched it. I have to say...I was unimpressed originally. When Ed was fighting at laboratory 5 all I could think was: "why do people like this show? He sucks!" Now, I'll admit that the show did get better...but it still wasn't my favorite. And don't get me started on the crappy ending movie...OMG that SUCKED! The OVAs were cool:

• The chibi party for the end of the movie was friggin adorable! and I loved Hawkeye's speech about "our completely platonic relationship!" (even though I disagree with it XD )
• The Live Action one with Al walking around in Japan was really cool
• The one about the 3 kids in the real world and Ed being their grandpa was cute. Especially because one of the kids in the background looked like a chibi Roy!
• The Alchemists VS. The Humunculi one was pretty cool
• And finally the recap one was a recap...ha!

So I also need to add to this that the show's creators caught up with Arakawa (the mangeka) and then totally went off on their own storyline...which is why I think the show ended up being WAY more confusing than it needed to be.

Also: Vic Mignogna plays Ed, Travis Willingham plays Roy, Colleen Clinkenbeard plays Hawkeye, Caitlin Glass plays Winry, and Kyle Herbert plays Falman :)

Oh...and if you don't know the storyline (the basic one is the same for both series): In a world full of alchemy, 2 boys try to bring their dead mother back to life. But human transmutation is forbidden for a reason: in order to gain something, something of equal value must be lost. Now one brother has a fake leg and arm, while the other's soul is bonded to a suit of armor to keep him alive. The boys are searching for a way to return to their original bodies and believe that the philosopher's stone will do just that. (The story in it's most basic form :D )

So, art!

 

(L to R: Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric, and Alphonse Elric (in back) )

 

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Really good storyline
• Roy Mustang
• Alchemy
• Good Voice Acting
• Roy
• Good mix of action and humor

Cons:

• I personally didn't like Ed's fighting style near the beginning of the series...
• Doesn't follow the manga after meeting Greed...
• Gets really weird
• That movie...

But all in all it was a great show. So much so that they re-did it to follow the manga...

FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullmetal_Alchemist:_Brotherhood

Ok so Brotherhood was 64 episodes long and had a movie and 4 OVAs.  (Still watched it dubbed!)

I liked this series a whole lot more! The show made more sense to me and I really felt that Ed's fighting was much better and more believable. There of course were huge changes from the original series (because of course the original was filler) but they all made sense to me. And the ending was much much better (no spoilers!)--well except that mustache thing...I didn't like that...

The movie was a bit pointless honestly and I was really disappointed with the way they portrayed Roy in it.

The OVAs were cool though:

• There was one describing Izumi's time on Brigg's mountain
• One with a blind alchemist that Ed and Al meet...that one was creepy...and sad.
• Roy's story from the Ishbal war
• And finally the story of why Riza grew out her hair and why Winry pierced her ears (my fave!)

In addition to almost all of the original cast returning, the addition of Todd Haberkorn as Ling. (Gre-Ling!)

Art! It didn't change too much till the end of Brotherhood.

 

(L to R: Mei, Ling, Ed, Winry)

 

(ending art)

So yeah.

Pros:

• Same great cast
• Better story
• Roy (still!)
• Much better fighting
• Still a good mix of action and humor

Cons

• I got nothing!

Also, there's a really great song in the show called "Brothers" It is played in almost every episode but you have to really listen sometimes to hear it because it's played all different ways! (Also, Vic Mignogna did a English version of the song that can be found HERE )

Alright everyone!
Thanks for reading and see you next time!

~Kei

Anime Blog 45: Fruits Basket

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruits_Basket

Fruits Basket is a 26 episode Shojo that I watched Dubbed. Which is funny because I thought I watched it Subbed...huh. The anime list never lies!

Alright the basic story is this girl named Tohru ends up living with the school prince, Yuki Sohma, due to regrettable circumstances. Turns out the Sohma family has a big secret, they're actually members of the Chinese Zodiac and if they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex they transform into said animal. There's actually a cat in the zodiac, Kyo, and he and Yuki fight a lot. The story just goes from there with meeting all the family (excepting the Horse and the Rooster in the anime) and helping Kyo with his "little problem" (no spoilers!).

I really enjoyed this series. It was so cute! Originally I wanted Tohru to end up with Yuki but apparently that's not how things work in the manga so NO. :( But whatever, it's obvious who she's going to end up with...

I really loved almost all the characters in this show, they were just all awesome!

So...art! (which is so adorable btw!)

 

 

(I feel like this pic is perfect. It has most of the zodiac plus Tohru and the names are labeled!)

 

The only one this picture left out was mine! (My zodiac sign= Monkey) This is Ritsu:

 

(He's just so adorable!)

So now, time for pros and cons.

Pros:

• ADORABLE art
• Good story
• Cool Zodiac idea
• Ritsu!
• Awesome characters

Cons:

• Didn't have the horse or rooster in the anime
• Needs another season

Well that's all for that! Thanks for reading! See you next time!

~Kei