JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – ISEKAI OJISAN – MY OWN IMPRESSIONS

Isekai Ojisan (Uncle from Another World)

Studio: Atelier Pontdarc

Genre: Fantasy, isekai

Hello my friends, Welcome to another entry of my blog.

First and foremost, I just want to apologise for being absent over a month, it has been a very crazy month of August, especially because I decided to take a short break from all my activities to calm myself a little bit, and then come back with more strength and ever. And I want to let you know that I have been preparing a lot of reviews, they will come soon.

But fro now, I want to let you know about some series that I was checking last week, and I found extremely hilarious. In case I was thinking that perhaps the isekai is getting boring (which I haven’t by the way), I just met with this series.

Now, let me introduce you.

Isekai Ojisan (Uncle from Another World)

But before I continue with my review, I want to ask you the typical question:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy.

And… now let’;s go with my Uncle from Another World (Not mine)

PREMISE

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Hotondoshindeiru, Isekai Ojisan, or Uncle from Another World (異世界おじさん), tells us the story of Yosuke Shibazaki, voiced by Takehiro Koyasu, simply referred as Uncle for most of the episodes, who, in 2000, was hit by a truck and put in a coma.

Oh yeah!!! The old reliable Truck-Kun!!!

Now, he awakes from his coma, seventeen years later, and it is precisely his own nephew, Takafumi Takaoka, voiced by Jun Fukuyama, who pays him a visit on the hospital; during his visit, Uncle (Yeah, I will call him like that) reveals to Takafumi that he was trapped in another world, where we learnt all types of magic. At first, Takafumi does not believe him, but when Uncle creates Wind and Fire from some spells, Takafumi convinces him to use his tricks to become an Internet celebrity. Shortly afterwards, Takafumi takes Yoshioka (On second thought, I will call him by his name), to his apartment, where both live together and Yoshioka shares with his nephew his memories from another world, with extremely hilarious results, because many girls were in love with Yoshioka, including a tsundere elf, a novice priestess, and a reclusive ice magician.

Oh, and Yoshioka is a fan of…

Haven’t seen so much presence of SEGA® since Ben-To.

As a manga, Isekai Ojisan has been published by Kadokawa Shoten, since June, 2018, for a total of eight volumes. Furthermore, the anime started broadcasting on July 6, 2022, for a total of seven episodes as of September 12. However, the anime recently suffered a setback – it suspended the broadcast due to an apparent COVID outbreak at Atelier Pontdarc, the studio in charge.

Here is the link for the article:

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/09/02/uncle-from-another-world-anime-episode-8-release-sadly-delayed-indefinitely/

But the good news is that it recently confirmed that will continue the episodes on Novbember, so that comes as a relief.

Uncle From Another World Episode 8 To Air on November 25; Broadcast To Restart This October

Uncle from Another World is available in Netflix.

I must confess that I thought that Isekai Ojisan was a series of light novels, before realising that it was a manga. I do not know why I thought that, perhaps it is because I am used to think that all the isekai come in the format of light novels. But when I realised of my mistake, I thought…

«No wonder».

Sorry for the lackluster respond, but that is how it literally happened to me. And regarding the studio in charge, Atelier Pontdarc, this is the first time I heard of it in my life.

Anyway, Isekai Ojisan has a lot of voice talents, including Haruka Tomatsu, Mikako Tomatsu, Aoi Yuki and Aki Toyosaki.

STORY

Ok. I think I will start with the very element that called my attention about Isekai Ojisan, and that is its art. For the time I was watching the episodes, I couldn’t help but start to myself. What kind of art is this? It does look a bit rough and opaque, but I weirdly looks very appropriate, for a story about a guy who stayed in coma for seventeen years, and despite having his magic intact, he has to live with his nephew. In a sense, it is a really weird combination of art for an anime that mixes comedy and fantasy.

In that sense, that was good.

Furthermore, the animation is very fluid and solid for the most part, especially in the parts that Yoshioka summons the memories of his time in that other world. However, I feel really bad for him, because he only wanted to live a life, or accomplish his dream – living in a game… Possibly the closest he could get to a SEGA® game, however the people always confused him with an orc, and began to chase him. Nonetheless, I have to be honest when I say that the comedy really frustrated me, for two simple reasons – The first one is that it felt really repetitive, especially when Yoshioka talked about his love interests. It went to something like this.

1. Yoshioka meets a girl.
2. Takafumi gets excited, for thinking that his uncle… scored.
3. Yoshioka walks away
4. Takafumi gets disappointed.

For the most part, it felt like this. At the beginning it was funny, but then it went flat, for me at least. Nevertheless, there is a mixture of awkwardness and sweetness every time Yoshioka references SEGA, because despite being made for comedic purposes, we notice that he truly loved the brand, and his expressions are true evidence of that.

Sorry… SEGA was never my cup of tea.

Also… I truly ended hating most of the inhabitants of the other world, because I thought…

«How could you confuse a person like that with an orc? You have to be incredibly stupid for that.»

I apologise. I do not tend to be this harsh, but the story forced me to be. If it wasn’t because the appearance of the tsundere elf, I would be full of cringe. And if that was the intention of the author, good for him. As a matter of fact, I would not be surprised of the author intended for us to hate the villagers of the other world.

I have to watch more episodes anyway, so I am still looking forward to how the story unfolds.

But, on the other hand, Isekai Ojisan takes its time to develop the relationship between Yoshioka and Takafumi, which I enjoyed a lot. These two have a bond that feels awkward, but heartwarming at times, and that is one of the best moments of Isekai Ojisan.

But, on episode three, there is a moment that really disappointed me, to the point that I considered it a wasted opportunity. Literally this was my face when I saw that.

Moreover, while some elements of the comedy were repetitive, others were extremely funny, like the references to Neon Genesis Evangelion and Asuka. Isekai Ojisan reminds you that the term tsundere became truly popular in the early 2000s, having this lovely lady as one of the best examples…

And it was hilarious because I felt exactly the same way that Yoshioka… Literally I thought…

«How was I supposed to know that Asuka was in love with Shinji?» Uh-Oh! I hope I didn’t reveal any spoilers.

In other words, despite enjoying the first three episodes of Isekai Ojisan, I felt that some elements are wasted, and I hope that the next episodes will bring some improvement regarding the comedy and the chemistry with the characters.

CHARACTERS

On the other hand, I ended enjoying the characters. If I feel that the comedy was kind of weak and wasted opportunities, I feel that the characters were likeable. I recognised that Yoshioka is an awkward, yet hilarious character, especially when he smiles.

And his chemistry between Yoshioka and Takafumi is hilarious. Also, the latter is pretty nice character, because it is the only one who takes his uncle when no one did. My only problem is that I believe he might need more development. I am sure we will see more in the next episodes.

Also… I want to see more of Sumika, and her relationship between Takafumi. These two, in my opinion, has the best potential to advance their friendship more, thanks to Yoshioka. I think that might happen.

However, at this point, I am more interested in what will happen with the human characters, including Yoshioka, rather than the isekai characters. I do not know guys, but I believe that I have an idea of what is going to happened between Yoshioka and his «isekai harem», so I have more expectations on Takafumi, Yoshioka and Sumika. I am not saying that the elf, Mabel, and the priestess are bad characters, but… I feel that the beginning of the story spoiled me a bit of the ending. I hope I am wrong, so I will watch more episodes later.

CONCLUSION

I admit that I got mixed feelings toward Isekai Ojisan, because it has good concepts and a hilarious premise, but I can’t stop wondering if the studio, or the author, were aware of the many possibilities for the insane plot of this story. Only time will tell. And again, these are simple my first impression, but it does not mean that the story will be bad. It is an impression for you, my beloved readers, and for me to continue watching the series and give it a chance.

Time will tell.

And me… I will tell where was I… Exploring this beautiful land, called Australia.

More specifically…. Mordialloc Beach. You can check my pictures.

I will put more picture soon. But now… Time for another adventure. Right Truck-kun?

See you soon.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Citrus – My first Impressions

Citrus

Genre: Yuri, Romance, Slice-of-life

Studio: Passione

Hello my friends.

Welcome to another of my yuri reviews.

Yeah. After waiting for so many months, I got time to start watching one of the staple yuri series of the momento. And I have to admit I am starting to enjoying it a lot. Again, the title says it all, but I want to express what I have to say, from the bottom of my heart.

Now, I introduce you…

And now, before I continue, I want to ask again the typical questions:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy? 

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy, especially in these times of isolation and COVID-19. They are starting to affect me, I really miss going out with friends and family, but I am finding some good time speaking with my family, and of course, watching anime and writing these reviews.

So, with that said, let’s proceed with Citrus.

PREMISE

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Saburouta, Citrus tells the story of Yuzu Aihara, who is the perfect example of a «gyaru» to say the least; fashionable, blunt, spontaneous, cheerful and independent, who is immediately transferred to a new school due to the remarriage of her mother. She gets excited about her «best years» just getting started. However, when she arrives to the Aihara Girls Academy, she is disappointed that school environment is the complete opposite of what she expected.

But the one that bashes her the most is Mei Aihara, the student council president, refined, calm, cool and very law-abiding. Yet Yuzu refuses to change her behaviour. Finally, things get harder when Yuzu finds out that her new step-sister is Mei herself. From this moment, we got twelve episodes of school life full of comedy, fun, and of course… sisterly love. If you know what I mean.

Also, the manga of Citrus was published by Ichijinsha,  through the Comic Yuri Hime imprint, from 2012 to 2018, completing a total of ten volumes. Recently Saburouta published a sequel, called Citrus Plus, but I need to get there, for I was starting reading the original manga as well.

Anyway, since this anime was released, I got very curious about what kind of history will it be, and I will be honest, due to the expectations of the people and the comments I read on the Internet, I thought it will be controversial; in fact, I mentioned that on my review of Sweet Blue Flowers. And that is why I wanted to see everything by myself. And now that I had, I gotta say that Citrus is definitely more enjoyable that I thought.

But first, let me talk about the…

STORY

You know. This is going to surprise many of you. But for many years, I was asking myself how to write a story of two girls falling in love, without being pornographic, I mean… with the necessary sensibility and tact (Valga la redundancia). Because I did not want to repeat something like Blue is the Warmest Colour (despite being a fantastic movie), but then, I discover that, after confessing their feelings, protagonist A and protagonist B could start a journey of how they wanted to continue their relationship without thinking in marriage or children. Why? Because that will force them to skip some of the steps.

But thenm with the help of great stories like Bloom Into You, Sweet Blue Flowers, and NTR: Netsuzou Trap, I started to understand more about the importance of what the characters feel, before and after become an official couple.

Forgive me, I don’t even know why am I saying this. I think that is the strength of Citrus in terms of story.  For the very first episode, it becomes a story of how Mei and Yuzu deal with what they feel; what it is exactly the name of that feeling, what is the face of love for you, how to deal with the pressure of someone this close to you being your crush, even if it is a step-sibling.

And I think that is why many people got so hyped about. It is love between «sisters».

The rest is basically a love story of two girls. Nothing more than a normal yuri tale. I must confess that I thought Citrus will be a bit explicit, but is not. The development that we see from both Yuzu and Mei is really beautiful. It can be a bit distracting due to the pacing, and perhaps, yes, the fact that Yuzu and Mei are step-sisters can cause you stay away from this anime. But, please don’t. You can enjoy Yuzu and Mei grow in terms of relationship and individuals.

Furthermore, I give their respective design is pretty neat. From the first moment, it established their respective personalities.

They definitely complement each other

Also, when it is about some of the most «controversial» moments, it can help you ask:

«How a person that has feelings toward you will express herself? Or himself?»

Basically that is what motivates many of our cast to do the things they do. Like I said, Yuzu and Mei do not know how to properly express what they feel, and that is why they «make out» from nowhere, especially Mei, and she is not the only one. Now, I am not justifying them, but I am saying that some «controversial» moments, especially between episodes 1 and 4 are not forced.

If it was a hentai, it might be perceived in a different way… Ok. I will stop there.

With that said, I think the animation is beautiful. it perfectly catches the beauty and effort put by Saburouta on the art. From my viewpoint, Studio Passione has proven the talent that they got with the Island of Giant Insects, and now with Citrus, they are definitely going a step forward in terms of animation, as well as cinematography.

But again, just take your time, be open-minded and enjoy a pretty enjoyable story of girls love.

CHARACTERS

Despite not having the most complex and original characters, Citrus manages to have pretty good ones. Aside from Yuzu and Mei, we have Harumi Taniguchi, or Harumin, Yuzu’s best friend, Himeko Momokino, vice-president of the Student Council, Matsuri Mizusawa, a mysterious girl who turns to be an acquaintance of Yuzu, the Tachibana twins, and many others. Like I said, they are not the most compelling characters of yuri genre, or of anime, but they bring us really wonderful moments. For instance, every time I see Yuzu and Harumi together, I know I am gonna enjoy them together.

Perhaps the only downside is that some of these characters do not appear very often, but when they do, you can always like them.

But definitely the ones that are always moving the story forward are Mei and Yuzu, because that is what Citrus is about… girls falling in love and trying to understand what they truly feel, while dealing of the uncertainty.

Perhaps that is why it is called Citrus.

And personally, I felt myself identified with Yuzu, all the time, because I went through many of the struggles she had after beginning to reflex the true meaning of love, and I still am dealing with those feelings.

CONCLUSION

For all intents and purposes, Citrus is a story about love, but a love found in the most unexpected circumstances. Because let’s face, one of the biggest risks of falling in love is that it might come when you are less prepared. And this inner fight to discover what your heart is trying to tell you is what makes Citrus an interesting yuri story.

Sure, animes like Bloom into You and Sweet Blue Flowers deal with feelings, but Citrus would never copy them. Personally I am happy, because with such a variety of stories and characters, we will always love yuri genre.

Mei… Yuzu… I hope you fin happiness.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Bloom Into You – First Impressions (A great Yuri Story)

Bloom Into You

Studio: Troyca

Genre: Yuri, Romance, Slice of Life

Hey Guys. It’s been a long time.

Welcome to another anime review.

And today, I am going to start making something different. I am going to start doing my first Yuri anime Review, and it is, in my opinion, one of the most engaging and beautiful yuri series I have ever seen.

I am taking about…

But before I continue, I must go back to ask you, my friends, the most important question:

Are you guys ok? Staying home and safe? Maintaining social distancing?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy, because, whatever happens…

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CORONAVIRUS!

Wash your hands, use sanitiser or hand wash soap, maintaining social distancing, and listen to the doctors and GPs, those are the ones that are saving our lives and fighting for getting things back to normal.

And yes, I haven’t forgotten my STUDIO TRIGGER reviews. I am working on them, they will be ready when the time comes,

Now. With that said, I bring a Bloom Into You to you people. (Sorry for the bad pun)

PREMISE

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Nio Nakatani, Bloom Into You (Yagate Kimi ni Naru, or やがて君になる in Japanese), tells the story of Yui Koito, a first-year high schooler who receives a confession from a fellow male student, which she immediately turns down. As the days pass, she eventually receives another love confession from her senpai, Touko Nanami, after the latter turns down one of her own. At first, Yui does not know how to respond; eventually both become members of the student council, and bond over many things, resulting in a beautiful slice of life story that will eventually help them as individuals, and of course… friends.

As you see, it is a typical high school story, with no fantasy, no big monsters, no magical girl. But, I will get there, because there is still a lot to see.

I will start by clarifying, for those who do not know, that Yuri is translated as Lily in Japanese, but in the context of manga, it means Girls’ Love. And yes, it is about romance between gi… Lesbian Romance. The most beautiful part is that Yuri genre, it is been there since the 1970s. and one of its most famous franchises is:

The Rose of Versailles (Riyoko Ikeda)

And we also got a fantastic wholesale of examples including;

1. Maria-sama ga Miteru (Marimite)
2. Strawberry Panic
3. Citrus
4. YuruYuri
5. Sweet Blue Fowers
6. Asteroid in Love
7. Yurikuma Arashi
8. NTR: Netsuzou Trap (Almost)
9. Riddle Story of Devil

And there are more. I wish I could put more examples, but I will go off our main topic. But, before I continue with Bloom Into You, I need to clarify as well that the Boys’ Love (BL) counterpart is called.

YAOI!!!

And I enjoy it as much as Yuri.

QUE BELLO ES EL AMOR!! (LOVE IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!)

Anyway…

STORY

I got to admit. Bloom Into You has a very beautiful story, at least in my own opinion. Part of the charm of the romance genre is that, in my viewpoint, every story is unique, and not just because of the character design, case in point, Kimi no Todoke, or Given. And in both yaoi and yuri romance, there are so many experiences from their characters, so many backgrounds, and so many ways to approach love, reason of why Sweet Blue Flowers, Asteroid in Love, and yes… Both Citrus and NTR: Netsuzou Trap, which are as controversial as they sound, have their own strength. But again, in the case of Bloom Into You, it always takes its time to explore what the characters feel, what they want, and their dialogues are so simple, yet so convincing, it really hooks up the reader and the viewer. In terms of character development, it has that sensibility that helps making the characters so unique. Of course, this can be disadvantage for those who might want to see some… let’s say.

But for me, it makes the story better. Because, as I mentioned before, Bloom Into You is a slice-of-life, and it has an amazing attention to detail in this regard, that you identify with what our protagonists are going through. I will not  spoil anything, because I think it is better if you see the story yourself, but Koito-san admits that she has a very unrealistic vision of love, and that happens (In fact, I also have that problem too.); furthermore, there is a «deep» conflict on the conscience of Touko-senpai, and this plot, along with the romance story, makes her story more interesting.

Yes. The pacing is very slow, and that is an obstacle for the overall story… if you let it be.

Another cool element is that the Tohmi Higashi High school (their school, of course), is not just an all-girl school, but one where males and females attend, and that gives more variety to the story; it’s just a minor thing, but I believe it reminds many fans that, for the yuri element, it is more than two girls doing… SNU-SNU.

Case in point.

KUZU NO HONKAI (SCUM’S WISH)

Finally, it is important to mention that Nio Nakatani, the mangaka, is very well-experienced regarding Girl’s Love stories, so it makes sense that she applies the same sensibility and patience for Bloom Into You.

And the choices are there. In other words, if you want to get some feel-good experience, different from the pseudo-explicit content that you usually see in anime like Citrus or NTR: Netsuzou Trap. Or if you simply are a fan of Sweet Blue Flowers or Marimite, then Bloom Into You is the bloom for you. (Again… terrible pun).

CHARACTERS

And of course we got our beloved characters. This time, I only included three, for they are the most visible faces of Bloom Into You. Each one with their own identity and issues. We got Yuu, the introverted first year who is trying to understand love, we got Touko Nanami, our beloved senpai looking for her place in this world, and finally, we have Sayaka Saeki, Touko’s best friend, who is trying to overcome the humiliation from a previous relationship.

All of them are distinguishable, especially Sayaka. Personally, she is my favourite, not just because she is beautiful, also because she is one of the nicest best friends you can see in an anime, perhaps that is the reason of why Sayaka Saeki is so popular, to the point of having her own light novel spin-off series, called…

Bloon Into you: Regarding Sayaka Saeki

BTW, if you love Sayaka Saeki as much as I do, you will find this image heartwarming.

Overall, many characters are in roster, and you can always choose your favourite, another plus for both yaoi and yuri anime.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, Bloom Into you is definitely one Girls’ Love anime you do not want to miss, perhaps I does not inspire you like Yuri on Ice!!, but you will never stop enjoying it as much as Citrus, Sweet Blue Flowers or NTR: Netsuzou Trap, and I won’t be surprised if fans already consider it a yuri classic.

Personally, I am happy that all of these series exist, because they show the legacy and complexity of the yuri genre.

So, release your Inner Yuri Fan, go to HiDIVE, and enjoy how a certain bloom awakes inside you.

But remember…

JAINITUOS ANIME-ISH REVIEWS – CASTLEVANIA – SEASON 3 – FIRST IMPRESSIONS

CASTLEVANIA

Genre: Drama, Dark Fantasy, Horror

Hey guys, and welcome to another entry of my blog.

I would like to say that this is another anime review, but that’s not precisely the case. Yet, it is a very fantastic series that I have been enjoying since it was released on Netflix in 2017.

From the genius mind of Adi Shankar, comes…

Well, many will consider it an anime, but I have my own reserves, for it is more an American-Japanese production, and according to Wikipedia, it’s merely influenced by the style of the Japanese anime. But if anyone considers Castlevania anime, I respect that, and I also promise I will cherish your opinion from the bottom of my heart.

Furthermore, I must ask you the typical question, my friends.

Are you ok? Feeling healthy and fit?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy.

And again… Thank you so much Irina for your support. I am also checking your blog, and I LOVE IT!!! Sorry I couldn’t get back to you. I have Bell’s Palsy on the right side of my face, so I need to look after myself too.

BUT I AM A FIGHTER, JUST LIKE THE HEROES WHO FIGHT AGAINST DRACULA.

Now, let’s go to the review. However, I must warn that there will be some SPOILERS AHEAD.

PREMISE

Developed by Adi Shankar, and written by Warren Ellis, in association with Netflix, naturally, Castlevania, The Animated Series, adapts great part of the 1989 NES video Game, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (The best NES Castlevania game, in my personal opinion), which tells the story of Trevor Belmont, the last of the Vampire Hunter Clan, known as Belmont, and an ancestor of Simon Belmont, and his quest to destroy Count Dracula. Along with him, Trevor has the company of Sypha Belnades, a member of the nomad wizards, known as the Speakers, and Dracula’s son, Alucard, a dhampir.

Before I continue, I must tell that in the videogame, Trevor has one more companion, Grant, the pirate that can crawl walls and roofs, but he is completely absent, I don’t know why.

But the point is that, despite the notorious absents from Castlevania III on this animated series, I really enjoyed it; however I think Netflix could at least pay for the rights of the soundtrack (No More bulls*&t regarding a certain Evangelion), especially the first season; gory, scary, gloomy and awesome, and with a great chemistry between our heroes, despite Alucard not having too much screentime, and although the second season was not as violent, it was so character-driven, and that makes a winner in my book.

Now. With that said… Who is this Season Three doing so far?

STORY

One month after the death of Dracula, the exile of Isaac, the capture of Hector, and the long march of Carmilla toward Styria (Wow!! So many cool events), Alucard remains in both the castle of his father, and what remains of the Belmont Manor, while Trevor and Sypha spent the rest of their days travelling around Wallachia, hunting what is left from the Night Creatures, and apparently their relationship grew beyond friendship… if you know what I am talking about.

Anyway, both arrive to the town of Lindenfeld (Or Buchin, Romania), where they are greeted by a very mysterious character, called Saint-Germain. (I must mention he is from PS2 Game, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, and I never played beyond Castlevania 64, so please, don’t ask me). Meanwhile, Alucard, in his absolute solitude, meets two Japanese vampire hunters, Taka and Sumi, who were prisoners from one of the generals from Dracula, Cho, and now they seek advice from Alucard of how to face vampires.

In the meantime, Isaac, the forgemaster, has already created his own Army of Undead, and travels back to Wallachia to avenge Dracula’s death, and Carmilla gets her plan to conquer humans… Ok.

I think it’s enough.

These are my thoughts. I was very satisfied with the ending of the second season, and when I heard that a season three will be released, I could only see a timeskip, toward Simon Belmont. After all. Dracula is dead!!! Trevor and Sypha are heroes, and Alucard will be back in Symphony of the Night. Nothing else could come from their story arc.

I was wrong.

I wasn’t paying attention to what Carmilla is up to. And then… I learnt that I should never… EVER… underestimate Dracula’s generals, especially the one based on the 1872 book from Sheridan la Fanu.

Well. For now, the first four episodes, of shall I say… the first half of the season three is mostly dialogue and exposition. Nevertheless, just like season 2, that is also accompanied with action; fights that are never gratuitous; they were gory, yeah, but it had a purpose, either showing the brutality of the vampires at the service of Dracula, or simply to adapt the fun of the action from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse on the best way possible. In any case, I have faith that the second part of the season three will bring something epic, memorable and insane.

It’s curious. I just remember a line from Lenore…

THIS CHARACTER

«I have no interest in faith. Faith makes for terrible diplomacy. This is simply commerce.»

Anyway, I am feeling pretty satisfied about what I am about to see something amazing.

Until then… have good faith Castlevania, the animated series, because it has memorable moments.

CHARACTERS

I got to say that the «sisters» of Carmilla, including Morgana, Lenore, and Striga, left me interested. But… why I am surprised to see a lesbian vampire couple? After all, I read Carmilla, I should be prepared by now. Nonetheless, I really liked them. Even though they are antagonists, seeing them as couple is really cute.

Also, I think Saint-Germain is a very interesting character, and… Kinda makes me regret that I stopped played Castlevania games a long time ago. Now. all I wanna do is continue with this fantastic new episodes.

And not missing what kind of evolution will have Hector and Lenore on their… relationship.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, the third season of Castlevania really hooked me from the start. And I definitely recommend it. Perhaps is not the best TV series based on a video game, but it is definitely worth to watch.

Just one question… Mr. Adi Shankar….

Are you really working on an animated series of Devil May Cry?

 

 

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Magical Girl Site (Madoka’s twin sister) – First Impressions

Hey guys.

Welcome to another anime review.

And this time, I must do something extremely special, for I am going to talk about an anime… a magical girl anime that I still can’t believe exists.

And that is…

MAGICAL GIRL SITE (Mahou Shoujo Saito)

Just when I thought the Magical-Girl genre could be turned out again with Madoka. But before I continue with my review, I must ask you guys… The Question.

Are you guys ok? Are you having a good time?

If you guys are ok, then forgive because this anime will ruin a bit of your childhood. Don’t hate me. Please.

Until then.. enjoy the review.

PREMISE

You are my new dream angel

Based on the dark fantasy manga written and illustrated by Kentaro Sato, Mahou Shoujo Saito tells the story of Aya Asagiri, a middle school girl whose life is, literally, a living hell; she is bullied at school on a daily basis, and to add insult to injury, her older brother, Kaname, verbally and physically abuses her due to the pressure from his father due to having perfect scores at school, forcing her to vomit due to his punches on her stomach. Unsurprisingly, Aya is contemplating suicide until she finds a website with that creepy looking doll (Well, duh), who grants Aya with magical powers, in the shape of a cute-looking gun (Or Wand).

On the next day, she meets her bullies, with a friend of theirs who attempts to rape her, until she uses the gun to make them disappear; however, much to her horror, they are transported to a near railway, where they are killed by one of the trains.

Of course, Aya is horrified and traumatised by the ordeal, but he meets another fellow magical girl, Tsuyuno Yatsumura, and together they learn more about this website, the magical girls, and the end of the World, known as The Tempest.

In other words, imagine that we take a blender, put Happy Sugar Life, Puella Magical Madoka, Jigoku Shoujo, a bit of  Saya no Uta.

And…

This…

No questions asked.

STORY

Well, that is exactly what you will see after watching the first episode of Magical Girl Site. Just when you thought that Puella Madoka could twist that beautiful genre that perhaps impacted all of us during our childhood.

And the second episode gets edgier, because as soon as Aya and Tsuyuno meet… SPOILERS ALERT…

One of the bullies of Aya, Sarina Shizukume, confronts Aya on the girls’ bathroom, armed with a box cutter, but then she is saved by Tsuyuno, who can stop time, and she immediately slices Sarina’s neck open, leaving her to die… Except that she survives… Somehow. 

AND THEN AYA AND TSUYUNO CHASE A SERIAL KILLER OF MAGICAL GIRLS.

Anyway… I must be honest. The only reason of why I decided to check this series was because of a video at YouTube about anime that simple are too edgy. And this is definitely one of them.

But wanna know something that I discover by watching Magical Girl Site and revisiting Puella Magica Madoka? That, surprisingly, this is what makes these series so engaging. Aside from the deconstruction of the magical girl genre, it is a very well-constructed psychological thriller that explores the slow consumption of the protagonists due to a power that we already know is extremely… nightmarish, as well as the fight of these broken protagonists for keep believing in hope despite all the sh*t they have to endure, and these antagonists, to demonstrate their enemies that they are above law and humanity, guided from their own twisted delusion. Furthermore, unlike Puella Madoka, Magical Girl Site is more realistic; regardless the culture, country or continent you come from, we know that problems like bullying, domestic abuse, drug addiction, sexual abuse, harassment, and suicide are real, and the destructive outcomes for their victims, and I think that is what will cause an impact on the animegoer, as profound and longlasting, as Madoka did, at least, from my own perspective.

Because despite so similar in both tone and story, Madoka and Magical Girl Site are very different. With every single episode you see, you will soon find out that each series has its own mythos, its own background, and own feeling, allowing the viewer to enjoy it even more. On the other hand, sometimes the violence here can be a bit extreme, not as extreme and tasteless as…

Pupa (Bloody!!!)

But, ultimately it depends on what the fan is looking for. I am not saying that Pupa is very popular (let alone pleasant to watch), but whatever the case is, the options are there…

For the fans to see something darker and edgier, different, or simply to prove that there is always anything that wants to shock, and to break the status quo of a genre.

CHARACTERS

As I said before, Magical Girl Site has protagonists and antagonists of different types, those who we will immediately sympathise with, and those who will hate with a passion. (Trust me, I now hate all of the villains). But each of them represent a real-life problem, and the real side effects of them, giving them more motivations, more variety, and, ultimately, more nuances.

Personally, I think it is better to face them than to introduce them, but we have an idol, a trans girl, an heiress, the daughter of a yakuza, etc.

That might help you to keep your interest. But again, let me warn you that the episodes will become more and more twisted, as expected from a premise like this.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, Magical Girl Site is that kind of anime for those fans of Madoka who want to see more, but different. Or for those who want to adventure on unknown territory. Either way, I think it is an interesting premise. I will watch it, for the sake of the history and the characters rather than for anything else.

And I invite you to do the same, as the anime fan I am, but remember, this… is not for those of weak stomach.

Magical Girl Site is produced by Production doA (Let me know if you find something else from them), and it consists of twelve episodes. i☆Ris sings the opening, «Changing point», while Haruka Yamazaki sings the ending «Zenzen Tomodachi».

 

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Happy Sugar life (The Darkest Side of Love)

Hello guys, and welcome to another entry.

Just to let you know, I am working in a review of The Rising of the Shield Hero, which will be ready in a few days. Until then, enjoy what I learned from someone else’s… «Love»

Where do I start?

You know… In the recent days, I think I discovered one type of horror that is really gives me goosebumps every time, in the most powerful way possible. A horror that, obviously, in is any genre, movies, tv shows. Even Anime itself. And I don’t know the correct name, but I think is the «horror drama», because it combines ordinary people, or ordinary real-life problems, and psychological thriller at its finest, convincing the audience that, in the least expected moment, what happens to the main lead can happen to them.

This is why I really love movies like Get Out, Se7en, A Quiet Place, and even The Conjuring franchise. And in anime there are solid examples, such as Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi)

The other one… Is Happy Sugar Life (ハッピーシュガーライフ in Japanese). And do not let the cutesy title fool you (I almost did that». This anime is… PRETTY F<C>K UP.

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Tomiyaki Kasigora, published by Square Enix, with eight volumes so far. Happy Sugar Life tells the story of high-schooler Sato Matsuzaka, who «lives» in an apartment with her «love», a young girl called Shio Kobe, who she wants to protect… by any means necessary, including kidnapping… and murder.

From the first episode, we see that Sato Matsuzaka is not precisely an example of good mental health. She is a literal Yandere (Yuno Gasai, Kotonoha Katsura and Mana Ouma for further references), but all what she wants is to live her «happy sugar life» with the person that she loves the most, while she understands what love really is, or tries to.

The problem is that everyone wishes lusts for her, because of her looks or . And I am not using the term «lust» so loosely. I mean… We want her to satisfy their deepest carnal desires, inspired by their own… «unique and precious» definition of «love» (which apparently includes sexual misconduct). And this is what makes the horror of Happy Sugar Life so effective, in two ways. The first one is that every character is twisted in his or her own way, making you feel pretty unease when you discover their true colours, and what «love» really is for them, to the point that you just want to run anyway from them. Interestingly enough, this «twisted» way of love is what make the supporting cast so interesting, Aside from Sato and Shio, the cast includes Taiyo Mitsuboshi, a handsome young man with some «preferences», Shoko Hida, Sato’s best friend, Asahi, Shio’s older brother, sensei Daichi Kitaumekawa, Sumire Miyazaki, a girl interested in Sato, and finally, Sato’s aunt.

The second way is that Happy Sugar Life deals with real-life problems (Domestic violence, kidnapping, bullying, rape, sexual misconduct, stalking, etc.). Needless to say that we have been seeing in the news cases of people like this, especially in Japan. Combine the characters and the constant plot trying to meet their «love», and the fact that you can meet people like any of these characters in real life, and you will immediately feel the same constant uneasiness that you feel when you see movies like Get Out, It follows or A Quiet Place.

Forgive me if I am not going into much detail of some of this «love» that inspires the cast, but I really do not want to spoil this experience from you, especially if you are familiar with Yuno Gasai, Kaede Fuyou, and Kotonoha Katsura. All I can say is that imagine what will happen if a Yandere lives in a terrible world, trying to beat people who is as awfuly as the Yandere herself.

Regarding the animation, I cannot say it is the best animation, but it’s pretty decent. the studio behind Happy Sugar Life is called Ezo’la. One curious detail is that, so far, Happy Sugar Life is the only production done by this studio, which would explained why none of this animation style is familiar for you. Nonetheless, I praise Ezo’la in animation in showing a balance between the happy moments and the disturbing ones. I almost forgot to mention, there is some comedy in Happy Sugar Life, with some funny faces of the characters, despite this, the tone and the pacing of the episodes is never affected, retaining its consistency until the end.

Happy Sugar Life consists in 12 episodes, which aired from July 14 to September 29, 2018. The opening «One Room Sugar Life» is performed by Akari Nanawo, known for voicing Mash Kyrielight from the mobile game Fate/Grand Order; I just want to mention this opening, because, when you watch it, you will immediately think about Puella Magi Madoka Magica, possibly evoking the darker tone of Happy Sugar Life; in addition, the ending, called «Sweet Hurt, is performed by Reona, knowing for being the singing voice of Elsa Kanzaki, in Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online.

Definitely I will recommend it for those who love horror anime, or just want to see something new from a romantic comedy, especially a yuri-themed one.

But I want to share the following morale from Happy Sugar Life with you.

«Falling in Love Makes People Crazy»

STORY – 7.5/10

CHARACTERS – 6.5/10

ANIMATION – 7/10

MUSIC – 6.5/10