Anime Blog 89: Ichigo Mashimaro

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_Marshmallow

Ichigo Mashimaro is a 12 episode Seinen with 5 OVAs.

The show follows Nobue, a 20 year old still living at home, her sister Chika and Chika's friends Miu, Matsuri, and Ana (Ana is an English girl who has lived in Japan so long she can no longer speak English).

The show is very slice-of-life, it just follows the 5 girls throughout normal daily life doing everyday things (going to school, not doing summer homework, building a snowman around Christmas...etc.)
It's so friggin KAWAII! The show honestly doesn't have much substance but it's just cute, light, and fluffy. Episode 12 almost made me cry because Matsuri still believes in Santa and although the rest of the girls don't, they try to make sure Matsuri keeps believing. XD

The OVAs were a sequel to the show itself and they're really cute. The only problem is that I could only find links on YouTube and all of them are Spanish Subbed. I can get the gist of it...but I totally wish they were English Subbed... :(

All-in-all, super cute show. And it's short so it's good to watch, especially after watching lots of serious stuff :D

ART!

Miu, Matsuri, Ana, Chika, and Nobue

So, pros and cons:

Pros:

• Cute, fluffy
• SOL
• Cute art
• Adorable characters
• Short and easy to watch

Cons:

• I can't think of any cons for this show :D
• Except maybe Miu...I would so NOT be her friend :D
• OVAS NEED ENGLISH SUBS!

Thanks for reading! Until next time,

~Kei

Anime Blog 88: Loveless

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loveless_(manga)

Loveless is a 12 episode Shonen-ai that has 6 little mini-OVAs titled "Good Morning Loveless-kun!"

The show follows Ritsuka, a 12 year old boy in this very strange world of cat ears and tails. In this world, people have cat ears and tails until they lose their virginity (they are then considered adults). There's also this confusing fighting with words aspect of the show that I didn't really understand too well while I was watching it. But it's important because the fighting is done in a team using a sacrifice (in this case Ritsuka) and a fighter (in this case a 20 year old named Soubi).

Ritsuka meets Soubi and Soubi claims to have known Ritsuka's brother (who died before the show starts), they form this fighting team and stumble their way through, because although Soubi is experienced at this, Ritsuka is brand new. These people have "true names" that are used in this fighting, Ritsuka's is Loveless (TITLE DROP!) and Soubi's is believed to be Beloved because it is carved into his neck (if you read the wiki page you'll discover that this is however, incorrect and it will tell you the real answer, not that it mattered in the anime).

The OVAs are little shorts about 2 minutes long. From what I recall they were kind of recaps and just little funny moments. They're sort of in a chibi-esque style. I can't remember where I watched them but I did find them on YouTube (Spanish subbed) and they're all there.

I watched this because a friend of mine suggested it...I didn't care for the ending (I suppose it left space for a sequel...) and that always ruins my impression of an anime. Overall I just thought this was weird.

ART:

Ritsuka and Soubi

So, pros and cons.

Pros:

• Decent art
• Unique
• KITTY FEATURES!

Cons:

• Hard for me to understand the plot
• Bad ending
• Does this show count as Shota??? (12 year old and a 20 year old...)

Yeah. So. It's not on my "I highly recommend this" list...

Thanks for reading! Until next time,

~Kei

Anime Blog 87: Love Stage!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Stage!!

So, here's the yaoi warning!

Love Stage!! is a 10 episode yaoi with 1 (ADORABLE) OVA.

The story goes that Izumi is the son of 2 famous showbiz parents...but he wants to be a mangaka (despite failing at art)...when he was a child his parents starred in a wedding commercial, but the girl who was supposed to be the flower girl didn't make it so the cast dressed Izumi as a girl for the commercial. He played alongside a little boy by the name of Ryoma. Ryoma is now a super-model! and has always been in love with the little girl from the commercial...the network decides to do an anniversary commercial using the same actors as before just all grown up...this relationship begins.

Also involved is Izumi's older brother, Shogo, who is a rock star. And the family's butler/assistant? Rei. Apparently there's a secret relationship there....oooooh.

I REALLY love this show! The art is friggin awesome, the story is cute, and all-in-all...I just want more of it. I like this show so much that the manga is on my Amazon Wishlist...I want to own it.

Also for those who watch the show, don't forget to watch the OVA, it's so cute and just really makes me happy!

As for the important bits...ART!

Shogo, Ryoma, Izumi, & Rei

Now time for pros and cons:

Pros:

• Great art
• Cute story
• Izumi in a wedding dress
• Ryoma
• RyomaXIzumi
• This whole show

Cons:

• MORE PLEASE!

There are no other cons to this show. So for all fans out there...WATCH IT!

Thanks for reading, Until next time,

~Kei

Anime Blog 86: Level C

My Anime List.com Page

HERE'S THAT YAOI WARNING!

Level C is a 1 episode Yaoi OVA.

The story is simple: Salary-man Kazuomi shacks up with High School-age model Mizuki. There you go. Whole story in one simple sentence. The sad thing is there really isn't much more to say about this show...that really is all there was to it. On the fun side however, this show is unique in the fact that the penis' are invisible...yes. Invisible...hahahahahaha! This was my greatest source of enjoyment for this show...made me laugh so friggin hard!

So to quote myself once again from my anime list: YOU JUST MET THE GUY! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM!? NOTHING! THAT'S WHAT! Otherwise…invisible penis…lol.

That's how I felt about the show right after watching it. So there really isn't more to say on that subject.

But, art!

Mizuki and Kazuomi

Time for pros and cons:

Pros:

• Yaoi, as always
• Does invisible penis go here???

Cons:

• SERIOUS lack of plot
• Sadly not memorable for anything other than the invisi-penis...

...that's about it for Level C. If you're a die-hard Yaoi fan, watch it. If not...just watch the clip with the invisi-penis; it's the only good part.

Thanks for reading! Until next time,

~Kei

Anime Blog 85: Lesson XX

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesson_XX

Lesson XX is a 1 episode yaoi OVA (HERE'S THE WARNING!)

Lesson XX wasn't the most interesting of yaois to watch but it was ok from what I remember. Kind of like a typical 2 best friends falling in love story. The two characters, Shizuka and Sakura, are sorting out their feelings for one another...and that's basically the whole storyline.

I've mentioned my anime list before and just to throw out there, my comment on Lesson XX was " But for real...who has a communal sized shower in their house? Nobody, that's who..."
After reading the wiki page I discovered they were at a boarding school...which somehow I didn't pick up when I was watching the show...

So it's from 1995 so the art is...eh...

Shizuka and Sakura

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Yaoi
• Kind of cute

Cons:

• Pretty much no story

That's about it, well thanks for reading! Until next time,

~Kei

Anime Blog 84: Legend of the Blue Wolves

Anime News Network

Alright, Legend of the Blue Wolves (AKA: Hot Space Cowboys) is a 1 episode Yaoi OVA (HERE'S YOUR YAOI WARNING!)

So...humans living in space, fighting aliens bit. Jonathan, a soldier, is passed around the base as a sextoy (from what I recall) and ends up sleeping with this really fat guy...ugh that was disturbing...
I can't remember exactly how he falls in love Leonard but he does and the two have a relationship which ends in them being sent to separate places due to the alien war. I'll just say now that the show doesn't end happily and makes me feel even worse for Jonathan than I already did...

Now this show is on the level of Sensitive Pornograph in that it is graphic and is not censored. Just wish that hadn't wasted that on the nasty dude...just saying.

This is another one of those shows that I watched just because I was on a kick in 2012 to watch every Yaoi anime out there (I've almost succeeded BTW). This isn't something I think I'll ever watch again...IMO.

So. Art:

Leonard and Jonathan

Now for pros and cons:

Pros:

•  Yaoi, as always
• ...Space Yaoi???

Cons:

• That nasty dude
• Crappy ending
• ...no seriously...I really dislike the ending

So, That's it for this one. Next up is a long string of Yaoi anime (because for some reason they all fall alphabetically...???) Thanks for reading! Until next time,

~Kei

Anime Blog 83: Kono Danshi, Sekika ne Nayandemasu

AnimeNewsNetwork Page

Alright, Kono Danshi, Sekika ne Nayandemasu is a 1 episode yaoi OVA that I watched subbed.

Another show in the "Kono Danshi" series, this one follows high schooler Tamari who had to repeat the school year due to a weird illness he has that makes parts of him turn into crystal when he gets really emotional. This makes it hard for him to interact with his classmates. However, his homeroom teacher, Onihara, has a fascination with geology & loves crystals so Tamari talks with him about his illness.

It's a really cute story and I like the way it progresses. It's my second-fave in the "Kono Danshi" series (the first of course being the Boy who fell in love with the Merman) :)

Also, the VA who plays Onihara (Daisuke Hiragawa) is the VA who plays Rei in Free!, Rei in Love Stage!!, & Irie Naoki in Itazura na Kiss!

So, as usual, art! Which is still swirly & kinda pointy :)

Tamari & Onihara

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Cute Story
• Interesting idea
• Yaoi (as always)

Cons:

• I just wish there was more! :)
• And by Yaoi we all know I mean Shonen-ai...if 1 kiss counts :)

Thanks for reading, Until Next Time,

~Kei