k1y0 ~suki yo~

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai. – 11

That was the most heart-wrenching game of hide-and-seek ever.

I still stick by my statement that  Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai. is the best growing up slice-of-life since Honey & Clover, but I also conclude now that this is also the tearjerker series since Clannad ~After Story~.

The plot is so simple, as like Menma’s wish, yet so well-written. These 11 episodes easily put most other 2-cour anime to shame in its excellently paced drama. There is no wasted moment, and the characters truly makes the series shine in how real and alive they are. Just as we’ll never forget about Takemoto, Hagu and Morita, the Super Peace Busters will remain in our hearts forever.

<spoiler pic below>

Continue Reading Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai. – 11…

Kimi ni Todoke S2

Hell YES!!!

And so ends my favourite shoujo romance series of all time (aka till now). I’ve never cared much for romance, as there are tons of needless angst, silly misunderstandings and (in some cases) annoying whining cryings. Thankfully, Kimi ni Todoke keeps that to a bare minimal, and provides a rather mature yet squeeworthy romance in this aspect.

Kimi ni Todoke heavily utilizes the use of narrations to bring out the characters’ thoughts and emotions, which I highly approve. We can really feel how gentle and innocent Sawako’s personality is through her tone (credits to her seiyuu Noto Mamiko!), and how in love Kazehaya is with every word and action of his. It also highlights how much the characters have matured as their tone gradually become more and more confident, as opposed to initially when they muttered everything. I swear, I have never seen any other shows in which almost every other line is a quote-worthy phrase as well.

The characters are definitely the main charm of this series. They are so well-developed, three-dimensional and awesome, yet ordinary enough that they can be anyone around you. Apart from Sawako and Kazehaya, the supporting cast of Yano, Yoshida, Kurumi, Ryuu and Pin are all deeply memorable and lovable characters, and even seeing Joe would make me laugh so badly.

There has never been such an awesome shoujo romance series for me, but I sure hope there would be more like Kimi ni Todoke in the future. This is going straight up among the tops of my recommendations.

See below for some screenshots on ep 11 and 12.

PS: If you have finished the series, you would know my first screenshot is a troll. XD

Continue Reading Kimi ni Todoke S2…

LaMB – an Animax production

It’s been a while, but I finally got around to watching LaMB, a show produced by Animax. Pardon me if I don’t have much praises for it, but this show is just like a cheap, low-budget Western imitation of Japanese anime. It’s not so much the English dub, but the way the show and characters are animated, with “dramatic” car-chasing scenes and “cheesey” romance typical of Western shows. Heck, the only thing Japanese-like is just the names of the characters.

Animation aside, how about the story? Well, my initial impression of this show when I first heard of it 2 years ago was that it has an interesting premise. On the planet of Cerra, there are no prisons. Instead,  it has a system called lamination, where the criminals are forced into suits that enhance their abilities (intelligence, beauty, strength, reflexes, etc), but rip them of their free will. If they were to attempt to remove the suit, or if they were to touch any humans, there would be a powerful jolt of electricity through their bodies. In other words, they become the perfect slaves that never speak, never rebel and never grow old.

Instead of elaborating on the system and lives of people on the planet, the show concentrates on a certain doctor who obtains a LaMB, subsequently falls in love with her and gets involved with the politics of the country somehow. *Yawn* The story-telling is rather shallow, and the voice-acting is awkward and laughable, which makes any romance even worse. Fighting scenes are odd and unbelievable, especially when a LaMB can destroy planes hundreds of meters away from her with a flick of her hair. In Japanese series, we would see her jumping from plane to plane, leaving destruction in her path, which is much cooler and realistic for enhanced humans.

To make things short, this has been a total waste of time. I can’t even think of any reason why anyone should give this show a try, so go spend your time on better things.