Bakuman #1 [TV Series]

Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of life, 0 comments

Preview: "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso As a lover of manga and anime I believe that Bakuman is a must-read manga because it gives you an insight into how the world of manga actually works. In terms of the...

Score: 6 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Mon, 17 Jun 2013]

Waiting in the Summer [TV Series]

Romance, 0 comments

Preview: Highschooler Kaito Kirishima (Nobunaga Shimazaki) is out with his 8 mm camera one night when he spots a dazzlingly bright light descending rapidly through the darkness toward him. The next thing, he's waking up in his room next morning, with no recollection of what happened...

Score: 7 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Mon, 10 Jun 2013]

Naruto: Shippuuden #12 [TV Series]

Action, Adventure, Shonen, 0 comments

Preview: To be fair, it would be hard to top the episodes that were contained in the last box set and sadly, this twelfth box set doesn't continue the great quality of episodes and stumbles a lot of times, which makes it pretty disappointing (but might prove a decent watch for a...

Score: 6 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Thu, 30 May 2013]

K-On! Season 2 #1 [TV Series]

Comedy, Music, Slice of life, 0 comments

Preview: "Music is powerless to express anything." – Igor Stravinsky. Liverpool gave us the Fab Four called "The Beatles", Rutland gave us the Pre-Fab Four called "The Rutles", and Japan has given us the Animated Five caled "Ho-kago Tea...

Score: 9 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Mon, 20 May 2013]

Mayo Chiki! [TV Series]

Comedy, Harem, Romance, 0 comments

Preview: "I love those decadent wenches who do so trouble my dreams." – Rembrandt. There are plenty of fan-service filled anime out there, most of which vary in quality. If you are making an anime that is full of the stuff, you have to make sure it pays off in an...

Score: 8 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Tue, 14 May 2013]

Bodacious Space Pirates #2 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Marika Kato, the sixteen-year-old schoolgirl captain of the pirate spaceship Bentenmaru, has a duty to keep her ship's precious Letter of Marque valid by regularly performing a certain number of pirating tasks. So when her crew are placed in isolation after catching a rare (though not...

Penguindrum #1 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

"Listen, you lowlifes, who will never amount to anything..."   Penguindrum is directed and co-written by Kunihiko Ikuhara, who is best known for his work on Sailor Moon and creating the critically acclaimed Revolutionary Girl Utena. Penguimdrum is...

Fractale (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Clain (Yu Kobayashi/Brina Palencia), a young teenaged boy, lives in a cottage on the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea, with his dog, his mother and father. Correction: with the virtual doppels of his dog, mother and father - for the flesh-and-blood originals are far away, pursuing their...

Tiger & Bunny #2 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Tiger & Bunny Episodes 8 - 13 'Do we really need heroes???' (Newsfeed Stern Bild City) As the sinister and grotesque Lunatic continues to pose a real threat to the Heroes, we are left in very little doubt as to his true identity - although what drives him to conduct his own violent...

Inferno Cop (2) | Read | 8 out of 10

What is Inferno Cop, you may ask as you read this review? Is it a new unknown DVD that has sneakily appeared out of nowhere? Well no, it's actually an anime that started streaming on YouTube back on Boxing Day last year, so why have I decided to review this show now? Well, it's quite possibly...

Ga-Rei Zero (0) | Read | 5 out of 10

"I do not believe in ghosts, astrology, palmistry, John Cage, love or God." – Gore Vidal. The supernatural anime series Ga-Rei Zero has a few problems facing it. For starters there are plenty of supernatural anime out there, so it has to try to find an angle that will...

King of Thorn (0) | Read | 5 out of 10

"Botany is a sequel of murder and a chronicle of the dead." – Julian Hawthorne. One keen aspect for British anime fans concerning this film is that it is mostly set in a castle in Scotland. Having said that, the setting is only a minor element to a movie which is more...

Vampire Princess Miyu (0) | Read | 5 out of 10

Princess Miyu is a vampire chosen to act as Guardian of the Eastern World with the task of tracking down shinma (demon gods) hiding in contemporary Japan to prey on mortals. Aided by Larva, her eternal (and masked) Western shinma companion (the name comes from the Latin word meaning ghost or...

Loups=Garous (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Japan, mid-21st century. Following a deadly virus, most of humanity avoids physical contact, carries iPod-like "monitors" that control their lives and eats synthetic food provided by the company SVC. Four teenage girls, shy Hazuki, unsociable Ayumi, hacker Mio and artistic Yuko, decide to break...

Okami-San and Her Seven Companions (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Fairytales such as Red Riding Hood and Snow White have existed for centuries, and have been retold over and over again via bedtime stories to our children and modern storytelling mediums such as films and TV. Because the stories are so timeless and memorable, the number of retellings and remakes...

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan #1 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Rikuo Nura, a bespectacled, good-natured twelve-year-old, attends school like other boys his age. But when he goes home... he's welcomed by the many yokai (demons) who are the members of the Nura Clan and serve his grandfather, the Supreme Commander of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons....

Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion - DVD Review (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

It's hard to believe that I’ve seen this film three times now. I was very fortunate to watch the first and second films back in 2011 at both Scotland Loves Anime and We Love Anime. So around two years later, I return to watch Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion and my thoughts remain...

Persona 4: The Animation #2 (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Episodes 10-17 Can Yu and friends save teen idol Rise from herself as she is the next one to be pushed into the TV screen and appear on the sinister Midnight Channel? Naoto Shiragane (Romi Park/Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) the ‘boy detective,’ reveals himself at last – and his...

Dream Eater Merry (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Dream Eater Merry has left me in the middle. I don't know if I either liked or disliked it; it felt like one of those shows that has potential but loses it by the last episode. Its flaws range from small to huge, yet I didn't hate it in the end, since there are also positives to...

Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (1) | Read | 8 out of 10

It’s been one year since the Black Rebellion; Zero has been proclaimed dead, the Black Knights are fewer in numbers, and Lelouch seems to be resuming his peaceful school life with his newly acquired brother, Rolo. But it’s not long before C.C. and the last of the Black Knights...

Bleach #21 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Bleach Season 10 Part 2 Episodes 202 - 212 Soul Reaper Captain Kenpachi Zaraki is having the fight of his life against Arrancar Nnoitra - in fact he's fighting for his life. And loving it. But even the seemingly indestructible Kenpachi has met his match; as blood fountains from his many...

Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Ever since the original Toy Story came out, Computer Generated imagery has ruled the big-screen animation output in the west. Fantastic as some of these films may have been, for lovers of the art of traditional animation, it's hard not to feel something has been lost. Luckily for 2D fans, Japan...

Needless #2 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

"...and with the bowels of the last priest let us strangle the last king." - Denis Diderot. When I reviewed the first half of this series, I wrote that it provoked a range of feelings, namely "shock, worry, panic and discomfort, the last one coming from the main character: a man who dresses...

Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion R1 (3) | Read | 8 out of 10

If the Code Geass fan base was a house party, I would be the one stumbling into the living room at the early hours of the morning, just as the crowd are taking their leave, mumbling something about having a good time before the host gives me a dirty look for being so late. I've had the box set...

Baka and Test #2 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

You have to feel sorry for the students of Class 2-F at Fumizuki Academy. The losers in the educational experiment (or ESB) promoted by the principal, they have to put up with the worst educational equipment and furniture available (at least they've got desks this time around, not cardboard...

Bodacious Space Pirates #1 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Feeling down? In need of a tonic? Then why not watch Bodacious Space Pirates and cheer yourself up? There's nothing better than a rattlingly good 'pirates in space' anime yarn (with a difference) to raise the spirits! And this one has a lot to recommend it. Marika Kato's happy-go-lucky life...

Canaan (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

As I got to the third episode of Canaan, I was wondering what this show wanted to be. Was this an action thriller anime with some small light-hearted moments or was it the opposite: a light-hearted anime with cat-eared cosplay women and an idol singing J-pop, sprinkled with some short action...

Tiger & Bunny #1 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Hero TV Live is the must-watch show in Sternbild City. Producer Agnes Joubert and her indomitable team follow the crime-fighting exploits of the city's superheroes as they compete to see who can win the most points while arresting dastardly criminals - live on air. But things aren't going so...

Dragon Ball Z #5 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Dragon Ball Z - Season 5 covers the Imperfect Cell and Perfect Cell sagas. It starts at episode 140 and ends at episode 165. The Season 5 box-set comes with English 5.1 surround audio, U.S. English broadcast stereo audio and Japanese mono with subtitles. Again, the menu option to have...

Journey To Agartha - Children Who Chase Lost Voices (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Asuna is a young girl who has been forced to grow up quickly after losing her father at a young age and not having her mother around much due to her job. One day, whilst on her way up the cliff to her secret hideaway, her world is turned upside down when she encounters a very large creature that...

Needless #1 (0) | Read | 5 out of 10

"The clergy of England have no more influence over the people at large than the cheesemongers of England." – Sydney Smith. This series will make you go through a range of feelings. These include shock, worry, panic, and discomfort, the last one coming from the main...

Bleach #20 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Season 10: The Arrancar 3: Arrancar vs Shinigami arc (2008-2009) Ichigo has met his match in Espada #5, the redoutable Nnoitra (Nobutoshi Canna/Michael Sinterniklaas.) The substitute Soul Reaper is down and out for the count, while the horrified Orihime can do nothing but watch helplessly....

Bleach #19 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Episodes 179-189* Part 2 of this filler arc (yes, rubs eyes to check if not dreaming, but yes it is still filler) continues as it began, delivering a well-plotted story that manages to increase the tension in a genuinely effective way, with well-placed twists. I'd been yawning my way through...

Gintama Movie: A New Retelling Benizakura (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Gintama is one of those shounen shows that was never popular enough to join the likes of Naruto, Bleach and One Piece in terms of worldwide success, yet, unlike those three, I have not met a person who hates Gintama. It is a well-loved series and it helps that every single episode is...

Anime Mirai 2012 - Anime Mirai (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Anime Mirai literally means "Future Anime". The idea of this project is simple: to offer the opportunity to train new talent on the job, as they work on one of four short films that are collected and released as "Anime Mirai". The Anime Mirai project has a 38 million yen budget (approximately...

Naruto: Shippuuden #11 (0) | Read | 9 out of 10

Last volume, I talked about how everything was being set up for two really important arcs. Well, that has certainly proved true; there is even one that has even been built up since the first season of Naruto and I’m sure that fans can't wait to see the conclusion. My worry...

Persona 4: The Animation #1 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

"Welcome to the Velvet Room... this realm exists between mind and matter." And thus we are greeted by the sinister Igor and his mysterious companion Margaret, at the beginning of each episode, as we are drawn inside the midnight-blue interior of his luxurious limousine and fed intriguing...

Shiki #2 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

'Who is safe when the urge to kill in order to survive blurs the line between man and monster?' As the mysterious 'epidemic' claims more and more lives in the secluded village of Sotoba, local doctor Toshio Ozaki (Toru Ohkawa/David Wald) realizes that they are not afflicted by an unknown...

Freezing (0) | Read | 3 out of 10

"You know 'that look' women get when they want sex? Me neither." – Steve Martin. Looking at the front cover on the DVD for Freezing , I can tell you that the amount of fan service in it is actually more than you might be expecting. This is because the front cover of the DVD...

Hetalia: Axis Powers #4 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

"The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again." – George Miller. So, another season of Hetalia, another collection of episodes of the historical comedy mocking the world, one stereotypical moe anthropomorphic personification of a...

Sekirei - Pure Engagement: Season 2 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

As a reviewer, I love talking about my expectations in every intro I do, but for Sekirei they were very slim, and basically I thought this was going to be a forgettable fan service anime. However the first season showed some pretty decent character development and good comedy that I was actually...

Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Flynn Scifo (Sam Regal/Mamoru Miyano) and Yuri Lowell (Troy Baker/Kousuke Toriumi) are young Imperial Knights, sent on a mission to protect the citizens of Shizontania. The knights use a magical energy known as Aer converted to 'blastia' to power their weapons - but the Aer in this region has...

Naruto: Shippuuden #10 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

With the Guren arc finished, we return to Orochimaru who is now bedridden and severely weakened. His plan to transfer himself to Sasuke’s body after his three year wait is almost at hand. However a conspiracy disturbs his plan which involves Sasuke himself, and this betrayal...

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Let's be honest, by now some of you may at least have heard the name "Berserk" thrown out there in some way, shape or form, and considering the series is nearing 23 years old (15 year old in terms of anime), that's to be expected. The main question here is: can this film be enjoyed by those both...

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - OVA Collection: Double Play (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Now that the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood TV series has been fully released and the Milos movie, we have one last release in the form of OVAs. Normally in my experiences with these, they can provide some back-story or be very entertaining (however some can be awfully forgettable.) Thankfully...

Castle of Cagliostro - (Blu-ray + DVD) (2) | Read | 9 out of 10

Long before Spirited Away, before Studio Ghibli, one of Hayao Miyazaki's first directorial gigs was the Lupin III TV series. One of the most enduring characters in anime and manga aimed at adults, Lupin III followed the adventures of the grandson of renowned gentleman-thief Arsene Lupin....

Rozen Maiden: Ouverture (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Rozen Maiden Ouverture is a 2-part OVA that seemingly takes place during Rozen Maiden Träumend. When Jun comes home with a new brooch, Shinku seems hostile towards his kind gesture. So Souseiseki takes it upon herself to tell Jun why. Back in nineteenth century London, when a round of...

Towa no Quon (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

"Fear cannot be without hope, nor hope without fear." – Baruch Spinoza. A series of six 45 minute films, Towa no Quon is about a race of beings called "Attracters" (or "Attractors" if you are American), advanced humans with various superpowers...

Blood-C: The Last Dark - SLA Screening Review (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Although I never watched it last year, I heard overwhelmingly bad things about the TV series of Blood-C which left me with some concerns when a film sequel was announced. However, Blood-C: The Last Dark was recently screened at Scotland Loves Anime, with the judges' award nomination. Even...

Dragon Ball Z #4 (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

If you're still reading the reviews of Dragon Ball and got yourself the first three volumes, I'm sad to inform you that you are hooked, especially as it only gets better from this season on. This box set offers the same as the previous ones: English 5.1 surround audio, English broadcast...