I remember watching True Tears until episode 10 then all of a sudden, for reasons I could no longer remember, I dropped it. I really don’t know what came over me, I just stopped watching there and then. Well enough with this babble, I’ve finally finished the last episodes and I’m glad I did.

The series started out a bit formulaic – the boy likes the girl, the girl likes the boy but they keep their feelings to themselves. Then enter other girls who also like the boy confusing him even more. It, however, redeemed itself in the last few episodes with very evocative dramatic scenes. I particularly like the scene where Shin was crying, singing, and shouting until he finally dropped to his knees. The voice acting was very good.

I like the animation. Scenes were fluid and vibrant. The characters were also neither too pretty nor too dull, making them more realistic. I thought I sensed some Koi Kaze thing between Noe and her brother which seemed to be a minor thing. It could have been more interesting to see that kind of interaction between Shin and Hiromi. I actually feel sad for Noe since I was rooting for her from the very start. In the end childhood sweethearts got together. Nothing really wrong with that but come on, she’s cuter than Hiromi. Well there goes my bias towards short-haired girls hehe.

Wavering hearts, flowing tears … True Tears was really enjoyable; there was an appealing seriousness in it and at the same time straightforwardness that made it light to watch.

I’m still alive! Just came back from a 2-week seminar on capital markets and derivatives. Interesting stuff actually but it got exhausting later on. At least I now know how to hedge hehe.

Anyway I’ve been playing this old GBA game on the side. It’s entitled Love Hina Advance and I’m sure otakus have already played this a long time ago. The game is basically a visual novel following the same story as the anime (which was one of the best love comedies during its time). It was fun reliving the story through a game. This time I get to play Keitaro and go for the girl I like. Yes my hidden desires finally found their way hehe.

The game starts with Love HIna’s original OP with a rundown of all the characters with whom you can interact. It even includes Keitaro’s aunt Haruka and Sarah Macdogal. I knew right away what my noble task is… make all the girls fall in love with me!! Game proper contains mainly still images from the anime. There are events where Keitaro has to choose a response and then wait to see if the female character liked it or not. If someone’s heart points reach the top, lucky, she’s yours!^^

So I guess I got too kind to Shinobu and won her heart.^^

Speaking of games, I’ve been playing NDS a lot lately. The World Ends with You and Dragon Quest Monster: Joker are so darn addictive!

While waiting for the second season, let me share some of my thoughts on Season 1 which is probably one of the best anime 2006 had to offer.

It’s not what I can call a unique series. The plot reminds me of the usual war themes in anime but the creators did quite well in presenting the story with all its socio-political elements, all revolving around very consistent characters. I particularly like how the sub-plots and characters are interlaced. The story is fast-paced but progression is smooth. It was exhilarating from its explosive start till the very end.

The ideological clash between Lelouch and Suzaku is a good concept and adds depth to the story. They both have their points and it’s hard to tell which is good or bad. Or perhaps it is not a question of good or bad in the first place. I’ll leave that to the philosophers.

The characters are beautiful; true to the CLAMP artwork (cute faces and seemingly wobbly limbs). I’m more interested in CC, the pretty and mysterious girl who likes pizza. I know a lot of things will be revealed about her. On another note, Geass actually reminds me of Gennouske’s ability in Basilisk – cool and devilish. The ending is a cliffhanger which is a fitting ending for the series in my opinion.

It’s an awesome series and I definitely want to see more.

I was looking for a relatively new anime which is short enough to squeeze in my schedule. I found ef – a tale of memories.

The first thing I noticed in this series was the cinematography. I don’t know much about the kind of animation used in it but as far as the execution of scenes and blending of characters and background images are concerned, it was really good. I also like how it shifts from one story to another. Kei’s story feels too trite for my taste though. I’m more drawn to Renji and Chihiro’s story. It’s more fresh and engaging. I’m actually intrigued with the novel Chihiro is trying to write. In my opinion, it can easily pass as a very good short fiction. The female characters look pretty but, aside from the hairstyle and that eye-patch, they look pretty much the same.

Overall, it was good; not something that I would include in my top list but it was really entertaining.

The slow pace of Blood+ turned me off initially. Thank god I mustered enough strength to pull it out again from its dusty shelf. The series redeems itself after episode 20 and the story just got really exciting.

The biggest appeal factor for me was Saya. For one, I really adore girls with short hair. Another and perhaps more important observation, Saya was not portrayed as the all too powerful sword-wielding heroine who makes minced beef out of her opponents. Instead she was almost always confused and weak yet full of determination. Her character was consistent till the very end. It was an interesting contradiction to my expectations on action anime like this. Thus, slick or gory action scenes can’t be expected in this series even if it was all about samurai girl and monsters (chiropteras). Blood+ still managed to make the story interesting though. It was a refreshing change for me.

There seems to be a love angle among Saya, Haji, and Kai. The plot is quite subtle on this perhaps because it was not the focus of the series to begin with. Looking back, Solomon’s character was more interesting for me. He really fell in love with Saya. Even if it meant a tragic end, he remained true to his feelings.

I feel sad for Diva who was just forced to live a life of evil because she was deprived of the familial love and affection Saya had been showered with from the very beginning. Things had been unfair for her. There was an ED scene with the child version of Saya and Diva holding hands while crossing the street. That was really touching.

The ending was a mixture of joy and sadness for me; beautiful just the same.

I noticed that I haven’t updated this category for a while now. So here’s another set from my old collections. Yes, I still have most of them in VHS, lol:

El Hazard: The Magnificent World: When Makoto Mizuhara discovers an old monument in his school and awakens a beautiful woman, he, his teacher, his worst enemy and one of his female friends were transported to the magnificent world of El Hazard. There they discovered that they have received some special powers. Makoto and his teacher Fujisawa land in a jungle and save a princess from some large bugs. Makoto’s friend Nanami lands in a desert. And Makotos rival, Jinnai lands in the middle of the bug’s kingdom and becomes their general, plotting to destroy Makoto and his new friends. After having his attacks repelled by Makoto several times, Jinnai learns about an ultimate weapon, the demon Ifurita. And so everyone sets of to find Ifurita, and when she’s found Makoto learns that she is the same woman that sent them to El Hazard. But the one gaining control of her is Jinnai.

This is one of those early other-world-adventures I enjoyed watching. Artwork, storyline and music are really good. Visible harem element to spice things up but the series has a strong plot to begin with. Two to three sequels followed which are equally good. If you’re looking for a light, entertaining, adventure anime with a dose of Fujisawa kick, you may want to try this one.

Tenchi in Tokyo: Tenchi decides to move to Tokyo in order to lead a normal life in the big city. While in Tokyo Tenchi meets a girl named Sakuyo. They soon fall in love but as it turns out a dark sinister force has created Sakuyo to get at Tenchi and rule the earth. Now Tenchi must balance love, friends, and life while defending the earth one last time.

This is my favorite among the Tenchi series; perhaps because it set aside, for a change, the harem elements (for which Tenchi is popular) by focusing on the relationship of Tenchi and the new character Sakuya. It was really fun to watch how their relationship develop and see the mature side of Tenchi. The characters were also drawn much prettier than the old series so you’ll really get to feel the story.

Video Girl Ai (OAV): Because Youta worried for another instead of dwelling on his own broken heart, he happened upon a very special video store that only the pure of heart can see. There, he buys what he thinks is a normal erotic video – until a girl climbs out of his television set. Her name is Ai, and thanks to a broken VCR, her personality is a little glitchy. Still, it’s her job to help Youta feel better, and perhaps even help him get the girl of his dreams, even if Ai herself might be falling for him as well.

This is an OAV I can never forget and still one of my faves. The anime reminds us that those with good hearts will always be blessed. The story is very touching and quite immersive as it effectively fuses the elements of friendship, sacrifice and true love in such a short series. Characters are consistent until the end, which I believe makes it more compelling. OP, ED and BGM are melancholic and suit the mood of every scene. Most recommendable in this list.

(summaries from ANN)

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS!!^^ Today in Class 5-2 is a 4-episode comedy OAV based on the manga from the same author of Minami-ke. It’s about the everyday life of a fifth grade class focusing on Ryota Satou, his childhood sweetheart Chika Koizumi, and their friends.

Each episode is divided into 5 unrelated mini-episodes called “period.” It doesn’t follow any single plot and merely presents the small things the students do in school – from doing homework, playing outside, to simply lounging inside their classroom. What makes this anime really funny are the situations the characters get into, which seem ecchi in the beginning but turn out to be innocent and silly in the end. Adult humor on young characters may be weird for some but the anime made me laugh and I enjoyed it a lot. Perhaps it just kinda reminds me of my fun gradeschool days. ^^

1. Ponyo on a Cliff: Another film from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki this year. The movie is about a goldfish princess named Ponyo who desperately wants to be a human. In pursuing her goal, she befriends a five-year-old human boy, Sosuke (wikipedia). Knowing it’s from Ghibli and Miyazaki, I’d expect that this will be good. The story might go in the line of Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro – simple but with much deeper plot, consistent characters, and good story development. I always feel that Ghibli’s usual watercolor-like animation adds nostalgia and a general feeling of happiness to the whole film. I don’t know why but I always feel happy after watching a Ghibli film regardless of the story/plot.

 2. Persona -Trinity Soul- : This anime takes place 10 years after the events in the PS2 game Persona 3. High school student Shin Kanzato with his little brother Jun, meet with their elder brother Ryō, who is the chief of the Ayanagi City Police, again after ten years. At that time, a series of strange incidents happen in Ayanagi City such as the crew of a submarine that suddenly disappears while in their submarine, or a spiritless symptom which disturbs the world after ten years, or the case of the inside out corpse where a student took on a cruel appearance. Ryō tracks down the organization behind the string of incidents, and having become involved in the incidents, Shin awakens the “Persona”. (wikipedia)

I’m currently playing the PS2 game and like it a lot. The act of shooting one’s head to summon a persona is kinda silly but the characters look cool while doing it. Looking at the promo images and trailer, it seems that the characters in the PS2 game are better looking than in this anime. I just hope they can keep the plot interesting.

 3. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 2: The sequel to the misadventures of Mr. Despair. Two more episodes and I’m done with season 1. I love this anime, it’s weird and uniquely entertaining. The series is more than your usual anime highschool flick as it focuses more on the eccentric beliefs of the characters rather than presenting a straightforward plot. I definitely look forward to the next season.

 4. Honey and Clover Live Action (TV Drama): Finally a TV series which might be better than the Movie which was very disappointing. I guess it was really hard to digest all the Honey and Clover story in 2-3 hours. I hope that TV Drama will capture the great and important parts of the anime. I don’t know much about the celebrities who will play the roles but I hope they’ll retain the one who plays Hagu coz she really looks like Hagu and she’s cute^^

Well that’s my list for now, I hope I’ll encounter some more good shows along the way.^^

5. Ranma ½: Saotome Ranma, a teenage martial artist, and his father Genma travel to the ‘cursed training ground’ of Jusenkyo in China. There, despite the warnings of the Chinese guard, they fall into the cursed springs. From now on, whenever Ranma is doused in cold water, he turns in to a girl, and a cute, well-built red-head at that. Hot water changes him back into a man again, but only until the next time. To make matters worse, his father engages him to Tendo Akane, a girl who hates boys.

Thoughts: Welcome to the world of anything-goes-martial-arts. This is one of the funniest and entertaining anime I’ve watched. Storyline and characters are unique and really amusing. It’s something I’d watch anytime after a hard day at work.

4. Macross Zero: Taking place one year before the Zentraedi arrive on Earth, Macross Zero chronicles the final days of the war between the U.N. Spacy and anti-U.N. factions. After being shot down by the anti-U.N.’s newest fighter plane, ace pilot Shin Kudo finds himself on the remote island of Mayan, where technology is almost non-existent. While Shin stays on the island to heal his wounds, the tranqulity of the island is shattered by a battle that involves the UN’s newest fighter – the VF-0.

Thoughts: Features the best dogfights I’ve seen in anime. That’s it.

3. Ninja Scroll: Jubei is wandering noble sword for hire but when a chance meeting leads him to save young ninja woman from rape he makes enemies with a group of demonic humans. Jubei and the woman part ways but later a government spy forces Jubei to join up with her again and investigate the mysterious death of an entire village. The investigation reveals a conspiracy involving the demons and a man from Jubei’s past who is supposed to be dead. As they get closer to the truth the demons close in on them and pretty soon Jubei finds himself in a deadly fight with many super strong inhuman opponents. 

Thoughts: This is one of the classic anime that made me realize the beauty of anime. Who can forget Jubei, Kagero and the Eight Devils of Kimon. Superb animation, graphic violence, and straightforward but intriguing plot. Any anime fan would agree this is one of the best.

2. Fruits Basket: Tohru Honda is 16 year old orphaned girl who gets invited to live in the house of her classmate, the handsome boy Sohma Yuki, and his cousins, 16 year old Kyo and 27 year old Shigure. However, these young men and parts of the rest of their family (both close and distant) hold a curse; if they are hugged by the opposite gender, they transform into animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Everyday is an adventure for sweet Tohru, as she gets to know everyone in the large family better (especially Yuki and Kyo), in both common and bizarre situations. But, the Sohma Family curse is certainly no laughing matter… it also holds horrible cruelity and heartbreak.

Thoughts: Rarely will you see a character-driven anime as good as this one. The story has depth in it but I was amazed how it was so lightly presented. Tohru is not that cute but has a really lovable character. The rest of the characters are also adorable (of course, they’re bishies hehehe)

1. X TV: It’s the year of destiny and 15 year old Kamui Shiro, a powerful psychic, has returned to Toyko after a 6 year absence. He returns to protect his childhood friends, Fuuma, and Fuuma’s younger sister Kotori. But destiny and fate are haunting Kamui and pulling in himself and his loved ones. It is his destiny to decide the fate of the world and mankind, no matter if he wants the role or not.

Thoughts: The perfect mixture of great storyline, smooth action scenes, engaging characters and a tragic ending made this anime the best series for me. 24 episodes were just enough to develop the plot (which you will find more complex than the summary above) and each of the characters concluding into a beautiful ending. I fell in love with the X movie the first time I saw it but it was somehow incomplete as can be expected from a 1-2 hour movie. But the TV series filled in all the gaps and with better animation. The story might be too deep for some but I’ll definitely recommend it to anyone looking for high quality anime.

(images and summaries from animenewsnetwork)

Some reviewers dubbed this anime as the ultimate vampire movie; I couldn’t agree more. A dark engaging plot, unique characters, slick action scenes, and apparently high-quality animation will definitely appeal to any anime fan. A few years back my friend and I were browsing though some anime titles in a downtown store and chanced upon this anime and bought it out of curiosity. It turned out to be the best deal. At first I didn’t expect too much from it after watching Blood the Last Vampire which was really disappointing. But my jaw just dropped in amazement after watching for about 20 minutes. Let me emphasized that I’m referring to the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (the 2nd movie) and not the 1st movie which I think is a total waste of time.

The setting is in the distant future where humans, vampires and other creatures live together and of course the relationship is hostile. Humans hired hunters to protect them and to hunt down vampires. D, a dunpeal (half-human, half-vampire) was hired to retrieve Charlotte, a daughter of a rich family who was kidnapped by a vampire named Meier Link. But D has competition; the Marcus Brothers who already had a head start.

All I can say is that the whole film is just stunning. The dark western-gothic scenery set up a perfect atmosphere for the storyline. Fight scenes are violent and graphic. While action sequences were quick in execution, it was done smoothly and artistically. Characters were distinctly drawn with interesting traits and skills. Among the characters, D and Meier exhibited the deepest emotions. D doesn’t talk much but much of his thoughts and feelings were revealed through his interaction with Leila. The Marcus brothers were an interesting bunch, who also added some twist in the story. I found the guy who separates from his body and shoots out some kind of plasma blast the most interesting. English dubbing is of Ninja Scroll quality, that is to say superb.

A story of resentment, love and tragedy; Bloodlust is a must see and definitely a great collection. I’ll now leave you with an emo monologue from Meier Link:

When the last vampire is extinct,
Who will mourn our past?
Will she?
Will anyone?
Can anyone understand this pain… this loneliness?