Review: Glasslip EP 3- Faltering Relationship

So after some plot began last week, could that continue this week?

Here’s my review!

I’ll be honest here, I’m not really enjoying Glasslip all that much. P.A. Works has done a fantastic job making this anime one of the best animated this season, as they always do, but something isn’t going that well in their writing department. Maybe this stems back to Red Data Girl, but I just haven’t liked any P.A. Works anime after Tari Tari in the summer of 2012. True I never watched all of Nagi no Asukara as I dropped it after ep 1, but that’s still adding to what I’m saying. Had I liked ep 1 I’d have stayed with it thru the end.

That said, I really had hopes with Glasslip as the PV looked good, I read it was about glass blowing (which I no nothing about but it sounded cool) and the setting reminded me of Tari Tari (which I greatly enjoyed). All in all it was lining up to be something good, a bounce back anime that’d make me remember why I fell in love with P.A. Works.

So here we are though, 3 eps into their latest anime, and I’m disappointed and down right annoyed with things. It didn’t help that ep 1 was verging on a filler (let’s not forget Date A Live II ep 1) and from there it was already having to get up to pace in ep 2 and everything that follows. Had ep 1 focused more on starting the plot, as should most things especially a 13 ep anime, then I think we’d have something better here.

OH WELL SORRY FOR ASKING

Another reason that I’m not really enjoying this anime is that I’m finding it hard to really get emotionally attracted to the characters. With anything I watch or read one thing that I always look for is if the characters are something I should be caring about as they go through said events. Do I get swept up in their lives and forget about everything else for the 24 minutes of the episode or the chapter of a book? Glasslip isn’t doing that and being a P.A. Works anime I was hoping they could give me that experience.

SHE KNOWS

What kills this for me has to be David. This guy is just too edgy for his own good. I didn’t like him the moment he opened his mouth and I still don’t like him even after we find out more about him in ep 2. How he interacts with everyone is annoying to watch too; I mean why is he always so hostile when talking to everyone? Geez, can’t this guy just chill for a bit?

As for the other characters, I’m not really liking how they’re all interacting with each other. Pretty much everyone likes someone else yet all this is just lost in their awkward moments where they try to express themselves but something happens that ends up stopping them from progressing. Yuki took a bold move in ep 2 by confessing to Touko, but her response wasn’t really what Yuki wanted, so their whole situation is awkward. Didn’t help that Yanagi oversaw that whole thing (I was surprised she actually mentioned that) so now it’s triply awkward between the three of them.

Having a psycho yandere killer standing behind you, ugh, that’s a horrific thought. He should be watching her closely.

Yuki is leaving so he won’t be killed.

HIRO DOESN’T REALIZE THAT HIS LIFE IS IN EXTREME DANGER

That brings me to the whole Sachi-Hiro dilemma now. It’s obvious that Hiro likes Sachi, but like I said last week I feel there is something terrible wrong with Sachi, psycho yandere killer maybe? Far fetched, but it’s a theory I’m working on. What I don’t really like with them is that Hiro just can’t get his shit together and say what he wants to. Goddamn man, come on! He almost had it in this ep, but no, he fucked that up too. You know, even if Hiro does confess to Sachi, I’m slightly worried as to how Sachi will react. If she’s as crazy as I fear her to be, her reaction might be a few things, or she could just snap and start killing. Honestly that might save the anime at this point.

Soon

I think lastly what I’m not liking about this anime is that we’re 3 eps in and there still aren’t some kinda basic questions answered. Yes I’ll keep mentioning this, but why do Yuki and Yanagi live together, what exactly is wrong with Sachi as in why does she have to go to the hospital for check ups, and in regards to visions, what did the vision of everyone on the train tracks mean? It seemed rather ominous as I interpret it as someone is going to be hit by a train at some point. What did you think after seeing that vision? So whatever the meaning really is, I’d like some clarification about these few things, the first two should start to be explained by this point, I mean they’re working with 13 eps here so there really isn’t time to sit back and leisurely explain things at a slow pace.

IT’S A FORREST, IT’S EASY TO GET LOST

Oh, hey there girls.

Yuki getting some nice ass there.

And he pays for it too.

So pretty much this ep was them going hiking in the mountains, we see Touko and Yanagi getting wet in their bras and panties, David is still on my nerves and we’re left with questions as to what exactly will happen with Sachi in the near future. As brought out in the above paragraph there is something wrong with Sachi, that much is for sure, but they’re beating around the bush too much and haven’t said what exactly it is at this point. We know that at some point she’s going to end up in the hospital as that’s what Touko’s vision has told us, but as to why, when, or if there is anyways to stop it, we’re still left in the dark. Personally while seeing the future might be a cool thing, there are just some things we were never made to do, and I think Touko will find out really quickly why it’s not as fun as she thinks. Just because you can see the future, it’s not some instant guarantee that you can change it.

Sometimes you just lose.

Here are some screen shots from the ep.

FRIENDZONED!!!!

Oh…boy

So that brings an end to ep 3 of Glasslip. If you’ve made it this far, what are your thoughts on P.A. Works latest anime? Love it? Hate it? Got any good theories, because I’d love to hear ’em!

Sorry for the delay with this review, I was just being lazy this week; I’ll try to get ep 4 out sooner. Up next I’ll have the Rail Wars ep 3 review and I think Justin will have some reviews up soon too. Not many bonus pics for Glasslip, so enjoy this one that I found after searching Pixiv for a bit.

I’ll cya in the next post!

Bonus Pic!

Click for full size

Pixiv Link!

Note:This post belongs to my great friend and fellow anime blogger Nick Corps. He’s just letting me use it because I was so behind. So do me a favor and thank him by following on Twitter and asking him questions on Ask.fm

Review: Glasslip EP 2- Premonition

P.A. Works latest anime returns for another ep. This time we’re treated with some plot to go along with the beautiful art.

Here’s my review.

After last week’s ep, I was left with disappointment about how this might proceed. While on a whole I like Glasslip, it was lacking the plot to really get me engaged in ep 1, thus making it not super enjoyable, but more of a filler-ish introductory ep. That being said, as ep 2 rolls around I was hoping the actual anime would start now, given that we pretty much know the characters now.

We start off right where we ended ep 1, back in the cafe as David makes the statement that he saw what Touko saw that one day. Still wondering what that means, but don’t worry, we get the answer in this ep. David also makes arrangements to meet up with Touko tomorrow so the two of them can talk.

Note: This is Deven chiming in. Look at the comments. You’ll see why it isn’t going to be on my Review List much longer.

We cut to the lovely OP before coming back 1:30 later. Now that David has left, everyone starts to pepper Touko with questions about what exactly is going on and why he’s asked her to meet up with him later. Also, notice how annoyed Yuki looks with this conversation. It’s clear that he’s got feelings for Touko, so her going to meet up with this David guy has him on edge. Sensing she might be worried and anxious about going to meet him, Sachi says she’ll go with her as support. Points for coming to her aid.

The next day we see David at home, lounging a chair when he suddenly hears Touko’s voice and wakes up quickly. Okay, weird. He mentions that he was “too careless” about something. We also find out that if David wasn’t weird enough, he’s living in a tent while his room is getting worked on or something. While it’s not actually said what exactly is wrong with his room, I’m guessing it’s being renovated or something. Maybe painted.

Dude you’re asking for a face full of lead if you don’t fuck off.

Anyways that’s not the matter at hand here. David arrives at the location chosen for their meet up, where Sachi gets very protective for Touko. David is still an edgy prick here as he’s yet again shooting his mouth off, asking Sachi what he has to do to earn her trust. Geez, can’t this guy take a hint that no one likes him?

But then he says something that’s slightly interesting, asking Touko if she can see visions at certain times. Hmm? What’s this now? What’s also interesting about this is that Sachi doesn’t really react all that much to that; any normal person would at least wonder what he’s talking about, but she didn’t seem worried about it. That leads me to believe that Sachi must know something here.

Touko asks Sachi to give David and her moment so they can talk, Sachi is a bit nervous about leaving them alone. Assuring her that it’ll be fine, Sachi leaves, but not before saying that there is a no dating policy in their group. Hmm, interesting she’d bring that up at a time like this. David of course has some shitty come back to that, which Sachi gives him a very angry look for. Geez David, you’re on thin ice already, don’t start intentionally breaking it you dumb ass.

Now begins the slight info dump moment. David and Touko chat about this ability of hers, seeing visions of the future, and what it’s all about. Now outside in the sun, David goes on to say that he wasn’t concentrating and heard her voice earlier. Touko is of course confused as to what exactly he’s talking about, so David explains that he was accidentally eavesdropping on something she’d say in the future. Okay… sounds legit. Touko mentions that at the festival the other day, she also heard something too, “fragments of the future” as David calls them. Trust him to coin some cheesy name for them. So what this is boiling down to is that Touko can somehow see the future when she looks at something sparkly, or just glass in general. Being that she’s does glass blowing, making beautiful glass objects, she’s gonna be trippin’ if she starts looking at them too much.

Anyways, David proves this to her as he gets her to look at the necklace she’s wearing, as it’s got glass on it, and concentrate really hard on it. Touko then starts to see the future, something that she’s never seen so clearly before, but this happened because David was with her this time. Hmm, I see where the trouble will arise now, David will have to join their group. Later we see Sachi and Touko talking over ice cream, Sachi asking if everything went alright with David. Touko insists that everything went fine, prompting Sachi to say that she’s not sure what she’d do if anything bad happened to Touko.

She’ll snap one day

Okay that’s weird coming from her. First of all there still is a lot we don’t know about Sachi. She’s got something wrong with her, as it’s mentioned she was at the hospital for regular check ups, but other than that she’s hiding something. She must know about the visions Touko is seeing because she was too calm when that was mentioned; she must also know who David is as she had the most reaction when he walked up to them in the cafe. Couple that with the fact she made mention that she’s not even sure how she’d react should something bad happen to Touko, I’m thinking we should be very worried about Sachi now. Pretty much everything lines up for her to be some absolutely ape shit insane killing machine should something set her off. What do you think about her?

The second half of the ep is a lot of romantic drama. We kick things off with Yuki and David running into each other while out for a jog. Yuki obviously wants nothing to do with David, so that conversation is very short. Once back at his house Yanagi is surprised to see him back so soon, as I guess his runs are longer than that. Also I noticed he was wearing a knee brace, indicating that he must have injured his knee at some point and it now going through the recovery stage.

What furthers this point is that not only does Yanagi make a direct mention that he’s still recovering, but she’s helping him stretch it out. In ep 1 Hiro made mention that running was the only thing on his mind all the time (or something along those lines) so I’m going to say he was injured possibly during a race in the past and he’s still bitter about it somehow. I’m sure we’ll get more info as it goes along. Also I find it interesting Yuki says he won’t lose to him; this is obviously relating to his feelings about Touko, this really gets Yanagi flustered.

The following scene is of Yanagi calling Touko to ask her for some advice on something. This brings into question what exactly the relationship between Yanagi and Yuki is. They act like siblings, they live in the same house, they seem to hang out together a lot, yet they don’t have the same family names. I’m not sailing the wincest ship yet because I don’t think it is, mostly because if they were related and Yanagi is calling Touko to get advice about how to ask someone she likes out (Touko understandings this must be Yuki), I highly doubt that Touko would be so open and encouraging for a brother and sister to start dating. I mean think about it, it really doesn’t make any sense for them to be related because of that reason, but it still doesn’t answer the question of why they live together. Plus, if they are related, when Touko mentions Yuki to her, being the person she wants to ask out, Yanagi showed no sign of Yuki being her brother. But the final thing that happens before this scene makes me wonder if I’ve got it all wrong. Yuki has finished taking a shower and walks into Yanagi’s room (fully clothed of course) to tell her that he’s finished. Only a brother and sister would be that calm about entering each others rooms. To close out that scene, Touko overhears Yuki telling Yanagi that the bath is ready for her, and Touko seems to question if they’d be taking a bath together. Once again it shatters that theory that they’re related, as Touko wouldn’t be so calm about a brother and sister bathing together. So all this is going through my head as I rewatch this scene, and once it’s over I’m still back at square one, and I’ve got no solid answer of what their relationship is. If you’ve got your own theory about this matter, I’d love to discuss this with you, so leave a comment and we can talk!

She’s like “Oh shit….”

RUN YANAGI, RUN!!!

The ep close out with a few key scenes. At the cafe, Hiro talks about their upcoming hiking trip that they’re all going on. Touko also lifts the dating ban, something that gets a reaction form everyone. Once again, going back to the previous paragraph, if Yuki and Yanagi are siblings, Touko wouldn’t be encouraging their forbidden love so eagerly. Later on once they’ve all left, except Hiro who’s still working, Yanagi shows up looking for everyone. Hiro tells her that they’ve all left and also mentions that Touko has lifted the dating ban. Bolting from the cafe, Yanagi fears the worst is about to happen.

Her reaction was kinda cute

Yuki and Touko are about to part ways on their walk home, but Yuki has something he wants to tell Touko. Okay, so I keep having to back to that paragraph, but once again Touko wouldn’t be pulling the strings trying to get a brother and sister to date, so the siblings theory is tested once more. Anyways, Yuki and Touko talk for a bit about things, all the while cutting back to a running Yanagi trying to get there in time, and it finally rolls around for Yuki to confess to Touko. At this point Yanagi has arrived and has overheard all this happen. Touko is very flustered and flees the scene quickly, leaving Yuki a bit depressed about the whole ordeal. Acting natural about everything, Yanagi causally walks up, saying she’s just on her way home. Having enough excitement for one day, Yuki and Yanagi walk home, both unknowing the others feelings now.

Be careful what you wish for Touko, it might just get you.

We end the ep with Touko calling up David and asking to see the future, something that she foresaw earlier! What happens next, well we’ll have to wait till next week to find out the answer to that question.

So as far as episode 2’s go this was pretty good. The plot is actually starting and the romantic drama is already starting off at a high level. Yuki confessing was kinda a big deal to have so soon off the start, but that ending with Touko wanting to see the future, damn girl, sometimes it’s better not to know. The truth can hurt and Touko might just find something out she won’t want to know.

Let’s take a look at some screen shots now.

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So there you go, Glasslip ep 2! I hope you enjoyed this review and subsequent episode as well. Up next I’ll have… hmm, something. I’m not sure what but something will be posted. I’ll see how my new writer is doing as well, I personally want to see some Aldnoah.Zero, Akame ga Kill and Zankyou no Terror reviews posted too, but I can respect the fact things happen.

Here’s what’s gonna happen next week!

I’ll cya in the next post!

Bonus Pic!

Click for full size

Pixiv Link! 

Note:This post belongs to my great friend and fellow anime blogger Nick Corps. He’s just letting me use it because I was so behind. So do me a favor and thank him by following on Twitter and asking him questions on Ask.fm

First Impressions: Glasslip EP 1- By The Sea

The first anime review of the summer anime season will be for the latest P.A. Works creation, Glasslip. Like any of their anime, it’s always a treat to watch and the animation is always so beautiful But can Glasslip have some substance with all it’s beautiful style?

Here’s my review!

Lovely

We start off the anime with some lovely scenery shots of the quaint little town this anime is set in; we see people out walking in the streets, some women dressed up for a festival. We see a train doing down the tracks too, something we continually cut back to every few moments (suddenly Rail Wars breaks out!) before zooming in on a guy sitting in the train. His name is Kakeru Okikura. From there we cut to later that evening and fireworks are exploding in the air; we meet another character, a girl named Touko Fukami. We also meet two other guys, Yukinari Imi and Hiro Shirosaki. Jumping over to another character, we meet one more girl, Yanagi Takayama. Finally we stop in the window sill of one more character’s house, this girl being Sachi Nagamiya. Back with the train, it’s still coming down the tracks and has now finally arrived at the station where Okikura exits.

The Douche

The Cute Main Girl

These Two Guys

The Tsundere Girl Voiced by Saori Hayami

The Quiet and Secretive Girl

Back at the festival, Touko and Yanagi are playing a game of ring toss, a game that Yanagi wins with ease. Her prize appears to be what looks like old school 3D glasses, except both lens are blue. Hmm… okay. While they probably aren’t that at all, but rather just some look-a-like glasses with blue lens, Touko takes them and puts them on. Suddenly things slow down as she looks up at the fireworks, mesmerized by the vibrant colors. As this happens, we hear the voice of someone, later it’s found out o be Okikura’s, as he says he’s finally found her. Before that really gets going anywhere, Touko directs our attention to something else she’s spotted to get as a gift for a ‘Sacchan’ who we later find out refers to Sachi Nagamiya; as she’s picking out the gift, a little bell, we have a freeze frame and we see Okikura walking past.

Nice

Stopping suddenly though he looks over at Touko for some reason, who also looks back his way, but he’s gone before she notices him staring. That’s weird dude. Later on both girls meet up with Yukinari and Hiro, who have bring some food and drinks, and the four of them admire the fireworks for a while.  We also find out during this part that Yukinari is into running, as if the opening didn’t show us that. As the four of them talk away, we’re shown Okikura walking determinedly up a set of stairs, this time Touko looks over and sees him. Yanagi brings her back to the conversation by stating that these are their last few months together, indicating that they must be nearing graduation soon. We end this scene with Touko making a prayer that they’re able to stay friends long after graduation.

Nice glasses

The next day we’re back with the gang, this time with Sachi, as they’re at a cafe run by Hiro’s grandfather. Yukinari is shown to be working there and does a very good job handling the customers. Back at the table, Sachi, who has yet to say anything, picks up one of the two gifts the girls got for her the other night, that being the 3D glasses. Taking off her regular specs the puts the 3D ones on (guess they can’t fit over the others) and looks around. Hiro, who is clearly interested in Sachi, takes out his phone and turns on some kinda flashlight thing for Sachi to look at, as the glasses make some sparkly things for the wearer to see.

Dem Skill!

That scene, which was really just to show us that Yuki has a job, ends and we’re back with Touko who arrives back home and we meet her mother as well as Touko’s sister, Hina. Hina though is just on her way out to some school related thing as she’s dressed in her uniform. Touko is shown in the workshop doing some glass making (or whatever it’s called) with her father. We jump around to Sachi as she recalls the conversation about the bell that Touko got for her, before stopping back with Touko at school doing some sketching of the local chickens that hang around in the school yard.

Touko is cute when she’s embarrassed

Not creepy at all

Okay so before jumping in with what happens here, I’m kinda annoyed with the fact P.A. Works didn’t make the awesome reference to True Tears by having some of the chickens names be the same as the ones in that anime. Think about it! In Tari Tari they had that epic shout out as they sung the OP from True Tears, this would’ve been perfect for them to use the names of those chickens here. Back to the scene here; so as Touko is struggling to draw the chickens as they keep moving around, Okikura walks out of the school and begins talking to her. Being that the sun is shining overhead, when Touko turns to see who’s talking to her, Okikura’s stance reminds her of David, as in that David.

You actually expect a different answer from foe?

From here we learn that Okikura has transferred into the same school as her, but overall their first official conversation is quite strange. Okikura is giving off a very… hmm, strange vibe to him; he’s way too edgy, angsty and just gives a very bad first impression. I have no idea what he was rambling on about, the pros and cons of keeping chickens in cages or not because of the wild animals in the area, but geez this guy is failing terribly at the mysterious transfer student thing.

Touko is also getting the same impression that I’m sure lots of us were as she’s slightly confused and also annoyed with this guy. He’s just shown up at her school and he’s already quickly descended into the realm of a character type that I don’t like at all. Hopefully this douche can pull his act together but if he’s gonna be an edgy prick, then I hope he likes the world hating him.

Touko makes the hasty choice that to protect the chickens, the safest way to divide them up between her friends and they each keep one at home. They drop one off at Sachi’s place, who still hasn’t said much, before ending up at Yuki’s house. Now I’m not sure the relationship between Yuki and Yanagi, are they supposed to be siblings or something, because they both don’t have the same last name, so why is she living in the same house as him? I can’t seem to really find any info to answer my question, but was there something I missed? Anyways, Yanagi asks Yuki if this was Touko’s idea, to which he says yes and it’s clear that Yanagi isn’t thrilled by that answer. No I’m not trying to start some wincest ship here, I’m just wondering why they both live under the same roof, that’s all.

Over a chicken hot pot dinner, Touko breaks down her spur of the moment choice to bring the chicken home, wondering if it really was a good idea in the long run. The next day all the chickens are back at school, guess things didn’t work out. Back in the cafe the gang are talking about all going out and doing something, something that Sachi will be okay doing. This makes me wonder if Sachi has some kinda medical problem or something like that. But the fun times end when in walks none other than Okikura. Goddamn prick.

What’s interesting about this part though is that Sachi seems to know this guy or something, as she stands up when he drops his name. Yuki isn’t really one for games though as he just wants to know who Okikura is and what he’s doing. Before we get that answer though, Okikura says to Touko that he saw the same thing she did that day. Wow, mysterious as ever bud. And the eps ends there.

So walking into this one with high expectations, I can say that I’m pretty happy after the first ep. Sure this was mainly just a introduction to all the characters, but the ending starts to get things going and now I want to know what Okikura is babbling about seeing things. Like every P.A. Works anime, the visuals are amazing and I’ll give them massive points for delivering this again. Overall I’m interested in seeing more of this one as it feels like it’s got a lot to offer and hopefully the plot will be crafted and executed well too. I also wanted to quickly mention that I really enjoyed the music in Glasslip as well. The OP is sung by ChouCho and the group nano.RIPE sings the ED. The OST is simply marvelous, as every P.A. Works anime OST is, and it adds so much more to the viewing experience when the stunning visuals are accompanied by such lovely music.

If you watched the premier of Glasslip, what are your thoughts on it?

Let’s take a look at some screen shots now.

 

So after ep 1 I’m enjoying this anime a lot and I’m looking forward to next week’s ep. Looking at how things are now, for a schedule I’m thinking I’ll watch it first from the CR rip then for my review I’ll use the Kaylith Subs edition. Being that their release is a bit after CR, my reviews might be posted sometime late Thursday night/early Friday morning, or maybe just Friday afternoon. I’m still waiting for Rails Wars to start as that might be my Friday anime to review, but I’ll have to wait before I can really make a solid schedule. If you didn’t notice yet, at the bottom of the page I have a text widget where I’ll have the schedule posted once I have it planned, so be sure to check that out as it slowly fills up over the week.

Alright then ep 1 is over and the hype for ep 2 has already begun! Once again if you’re watching this one, what are your thoughts on the series opener? Liked it? Hated it? Favorite character? Let me know in the comments below!

Enjoy the first bonus pic of my reviews! I’ll cya in the next post!

Bonus Pic 

Start off with an awesome kazenokaze pic! Click for full size!

[Pixiv Link!] 

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Note:This post belongs to my great friend and fellow anime blogger Nick Corps. He’s just letting me use it because I was so behind on Glasslip. So do me a favor and thank him by following on Twitter and asking him questions on Ask.fm

My Anime Likes and Dislikes

1. Who is your favorite male anime character?
Lately it’s been Shido Itsuka from Date A Live especially during the second season. Before then it was probably Minato Sahashi from Sekirei.
2. Who is your favorite female anime character?
It’s definitely Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, both in English and Japanese. Chihara Minori’s performance as her brought me to OniAi(Not a big regret but not the best harem) and Date A Live(While I was checking out the anime on Wikipedia I saw that Chihara was playing Miku Izayoi and that just set me into watching the anime)
3. What is your favorite anime soundtrack?
The Sekirei soundtrack.
4. What is your favorite anime opening + animation?
Right now it’s got to be Akuma no Riddle I like how they give you hints in the opening about what weapons each assassin uses.
5. What is your favorite anime ending + animation?
It’s Naruto Shippuden Ending 28. It’s a perfect combination of lyrics, sound, and animation to give you how much Obito Uchiha suffered after the death of Rin. It’s one of those endings that really gets you after you see it.
6. What is your favorite anime scene?
I know I’m doing a lot of Sekirei stuff but in Sekirei: Pure Engagement episode 6: Words of Binding when Minato wings Homura. It really gets me. As Homura’s been changing into a girl(it’s complicated), she’s felt really alone and isolated as well as furious that she can even choose what she wants to be. Add to the fact all the Ashikabi in the city are coming at her hard trying to wing her she’s feeling really alone and being treated as a prize. Then Minato comes in and tells her that all their friends’ feelings are no game and they want to save her. Then he wings her. It’s a good scene.
7. If you could meet an anime character who would it be?
It would probably be Ranma from Ranma 1/2. I’m sure he’d have some hilarious stories of his harem hijinks that I’d love to hear. Just so you know I’m still watching the anime as of this writing so no spoilers.
8. What anime character is most similar to you in terms of personality?
Yuki Nagato from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Rika Shiguma. She’s a lot like me in front of people I don’t know, quiet and analytical. As for Rika, I’m a bit girl crazy, not as much as I was when I was a teenager but still a fair bit. It’s why it takes a lot of useless fanservice to get me off an anime. Also her work ethic is a lot like mine; she will work until she drops. I’m the same. I have critiques on Scribophile every week, writing or rewriting a chapter of my book every week, my reviews on here(having more free time to do the other things is the main reason I dropped so many anime last season, trying to figure out a way to come back on my Thief Fantasy blog and do this one too, going to school for my GED, and trying to get a job. I’d probably have more free time if I chose to give up some of my Internet responsibilities but on my blogs I love making people happy reading what I’ve written so I’ll give up an hour or two so my review can come out on time or a critique can be on time. I like it and I’ll work until I drop.
9. What is your favorite thing about anime?
Anime has something that you rarely get in American cartoons, overarcing plot. It’s not episodic like cartoons are over here.
10. What is your least favorite thing about anime?
Filler and manga getting an anime before they’re ready. Both are sad. Filler happens when you move too fast adapting the manga so you have to go into filler arc. It’s the main reason why Bleach was canceled because they caught up to the manga a lot and really fast. It’s also the reason that Fairy Tail went on hiatus; they were inches away from the manga and they didn’t wanna pull a Bleach and do a filler in the middle of an arc. So they went on hiatus and let the manga get ahead and Mashima helped too, making multiple chapter weeks a lot.It’s also the reason why Inuyasha got canceled and brought back for the Final Act. If anime studios would learn to pad their episodes and not go so fast then we would have filler.
11. Who’s your favorite anime couple?
Hmmm…Grey x Juvia even though they aren’t together…yet. They have a lot of funny moment and a lot sweet moments like when Grey saved Juvia from Ultear on Tenrou Island.
12. Who is your favorite anime animal?
Happy the Cat. Why because he’s funny and voiced by Tia Ballard in English.
13. What anime would make a good game?
Once again Sekirei or at least as an MMORG or an RPG. You could go around winging Sekirei and battling against other Ashikabis.
14. What game would make a good anime?
The World Ends With You. It’s a great story and it has good characters.
15. What was the first anime you ever watched?
Mew Mew Power, 4kids dub. Not my proudest moment admitting it either but I liked it. The colors and the art style were something I had never seen before and that made it interesting.
16. Do you think you’ll ever stop watching anime?
Of course not!
17. What is your favorite genre of anime?
Slice of Life. It’s very real and a good change from Shonen.
18. What is your least favorite genre of anime?
Psychological, similar to Death Note. I liked Death Note but the premise especially when talking to people provokes arguments about morality and right to kill even if it’s a bad person. It’s put some of my friendships in risky waters.
19. Are you open about watching anime with people you know?
Yes and no. If asked do I watch anime then I won’t lie but if you don’t bring it up then I won’t mention it. It’s not being ashamed. It’s how I talk
20. Have you ever been to Japan?
Nope but I plan to go someday.
21. What anime was the biggest letdown for you?
Maken Ki 2. There was a grand total of 4 good episodes in that anime. I came off the first season saying this was pretty good, bit fanservicey but hey. Then it’s nothing but boobs and butts from the second you get on the second season. It’s not good watching.
22. What anime was better than expected?
We Without Wings, under the innocent skies. The plot doesn’t make sense from the beginning but as you go on it gets really deep and emotional. I also like it because it was the start for a lot of Funimation’s new ace voice actors and actresses like Felecia Angelle.
23. What is the best anime fight scene?
Hmm…Naruto vs. Sasuke part one.
24. Who is your anime waifu?
Matsu from Sekirei. She’s smart, sexy, she uses PCs not Macs and she’s voiced by Aya Endo and Colleen Clinkenbeard. What’s not to love?
25. What was your favorite video game as a child?
Pokemon, pick a generation. I love them all.

Personal questions
26. Most embarrassing moment?
When I was in high school I ripped the side of my pants on a banister and had to walk around all day with a rip in my pants.
27. Can you drive?
Yes and no. Yeah I learned no I don’t have a license.
28. Are you mature?
I’d like to think so.
29. What year were you born?
1994
30. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
Cats, they’re smart and like to play when their prey when they get their advantage.
31. Describe yourself physically.
Medium height about 5’8. Glasses, brown eyes and black hair.
32. What would you name your first child?
Danielle or Chiffon. I used them for characters in my book but I think I can use them for my kid. As for a boy, probably Seth. I don’t really think I’ll have a boy. My family has a predisposition to having girls.
33. What is the worst injury you’ve ever had?
Playing tackle football, no pads on a blacktop in middle school. I got owned by a kid that would later be a starting center for my high school team. I still have the equivalent to an old man’s back now.
34. What is your worst habit?
I wring my hands all the time even when I’m not nervous. My hands never stop moving. It gets kinda annoying according to my mother.
35. Do you drink or smoke?
The first one no because I’m too young and the second because I like my lungs pink not black.
36. Do you have a tattoo?
Nope. No plans to either.
37. Are you a morning or a night person?
Night. I write, critique, and do all my posts at night even though they may come up during the day.
38. Have you ever slept past midday?
During particularly late nights yeah otherwise I wake up at 6 on a good day and 8:30 the rest of the time.
39. Do you regret anything?
Not much. No point in regretting something that can’t be changed.
40. Can you count the number of friends that you have on one hand?
No I’ve got a good fifty or so friends.
41. Do you wear glasses?
Yes, brown wire rim.
42. Are you a picky eater?
No I’ll really eat anything.
43. Would you die for someone?
Depends on the person.
44. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Super intellect and perfect memories so I can know a lot and remember it.
45. Do you believe in the supernatural?
Yes.
46. Would you rather be rich or famous?
Rich, I like my privacy.
47. Have you ever committed a crime?
Nope and no intention to either.
48. Time traveler or ghost?
Time traveler. It’d be good to see some famous faces of history.
49. Does anybody have a crush on you?
I’m no where near attractive enough for anyone to be interested in me without liquor or a lot of money on my side.
50. Are you in a relationship?
Nope.

Digimon’s 15th Year Anniversary

Hey it’s Deven and I’m coming at you with a new section for the blog, Anime News!

It’s simple. I find some news on some anime, manga, seiyuu, or anything anime related and bring it here for you!

For the first one I’m bringing up that nostalgia feels for those of you born and raised in the 90s and early 2000s. This year is Digimon’s 15th anniversary!

And to celebrate they’re heading back to the old days by releasing premium Digivices based around the ones from the first season! The models they have are the orange and blue Taichi ‘Tai’ Kamiya model. Note: In the original Japanese, Tai’s and subsequently his younger sister Kari’s last names were Yagami. And the blue and grey Yamato ‘Matt’ Ishida model. The original Digivices were released in 1999 so it’s a good way to see how the franchise has grown. (Or withered up and died from other people’s opinions) Check out the old models. Wow they’ve come far in 15 years. Just like the old days you’ll be able to pick from all the Digimon of the first season like Agumon, Biyomon, Gabumon, Gatomon, Gomamon, Palmon, Patamon, and Tentomon. They can even digivolve all the way to their Mega Forms, something that’s only been seen in side material! Fan favorite, Wizardmon will also be playable, and Diablomon will appear as a boss. Of course you battle with your friends as well so it’s fun for everyone! Bandai Premium is taking Pre-orders from August 1 – September 30 with the toys shipping out in December. Each Digivice will cost 9,990 yen (about $98). Catch up with all the seasons of Digimon by buying the cool DVDs! Digimon: Digital Monsters – The Official First Season Digimon Data Squad Season 5 Digimon Frontier: Season 4 Digimon: Digital Monsters – The Official Second Season Digimon Tamers: Season 3 Thoughts: I love the fact that Digimon made it to their fifteen anniversary! Especially since Pokemon has always had the hearts of children. If I manage to pull out the money, I’ll definitely the Tai model for my collection! So until more news, Later Days

Studio Ghibli Quiting Film Biz?

Studio Ghibli Quiting Film Biz?

There is a new Ghibli film coming out this summer and according to a report, it could be the last one.

Now Studio Ghibli is known for awesome hits like My Neighbor Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies, The Cat Returns, Spirited Away, and my favorite, Kiki’s Delivery Service.

The main reason why Kiki’s Delivery Service is my favorite is because well . . .I had a crush on her when I was little. I used to rent the VHS tape all the time to see it.

Anyway . . .

Last year,the well known creator of some of Ghibli best works and a man so awesome that Toonami used to name an entire month in his honor for his movies, Miyazaki Hayao, retired from making feature animated films. Why? No idea.

An insider told Japanese site, News Cafe that Studio Ghibli’s latest release, When Marnie Was There might be their last work. The article was later posted on one of Japan’s largest web portals, Rakuten. Even though its all over the Internet, it’s like Sinnoh Confirmed. We think it’s going to happen but we have no proof.

“From here on, it appears as though this won’t be a studio that makes new works, but instead, manages its copyrights.” according to one unnamed insider.

If you don’t already got them, you can buy all the major Studio Ghibli works right here.

My Neighbor Totoro

Howl’s Moving Castle

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Spirited Away

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Whisper of the Heart (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Tales From Earthsea

Ponyo (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

The Cat Returns

The Secret World of Arrietty (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Castle in the Sky

Princess Mononoke

Wolf Children (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Note: HTML is freaking hard! You have no idea how difficult it was to learn this crap in a hour! I wish I could put up the pics of all the movies but this was as far as I got.

It seems like Studio Ghibli calling it quits. Pity. They’re one of the best studios out there for making movies. I hope that When Marnie Was There ends the studio on a good note

So until more news,
Later Days

Happy Birthday to Love Live’s Nico Yazawa!

Today’s July 22nd. Today’s a good day! Why? Because it’s the birthday of the seventh member of Muse’s member Nico Yazawa!

Nico isn’t my favorite girl but she is one of the top ones in my opinion. Especially with her Nico Nico Ni!!!

Now originally in Season 1, Nico’s well…bitchy to say the least. She does care about all her friends in Muse but you can’t deny she’s a bit mean.

Now your viewpoint on her would change in season 2 episode 4 which had Nico take center stage. We find about her home life and the fact that she’s the be all and end all to her little siblings.

Season 2 is really good, mostly because it’s built on everything we had gotten in season 1. The character episodes( the ones about Nico, Rin, and Nozomi) really bring out the characters and make them shine as people. While I would have loved to have a Hanayo episode(since her mother is an ex-idol herself that could have brought out something. Who knows?)

Also Sora Takui, Nico’s seiyuu, voices her entire family including her mother who is insanely hot!

So I’ll follow my friend Nick Corps’s example  once again and celebrate the day by posting a lot of Nico pics. Why? Solely because Nico’s cuteness should be shared with the world!

Let’s go!

And that’s it. Happy Birthday Nico-chan! Make sure to check out my full season review of Love Live School Idol Project.

And shout out to all the Nico Yazawa fans out there! I think you’ll be seeing one of these again next month and it’s going to be for those that love some Japanese candy!

Also another shout-out to my man, Nick Corps who got me into Love Live!

You can ask me as many questions as you want on Ask.fm and you can follow me on Twitter to know when my new reviews are coming out. You’ll also be update on what’s happening.

I Have Sold My Soul. . . Metaphorically Speaking

Now that I’ve got your attention I can say what I want to say. I’ve sold out.

Now there’s a lot of bloggers out there that do it for the craft, the sheer love of anime and manga or whatever they blog about. Others do it for the money and that’s cool. Good for them.

Now I used to be in the first category, what I call the starving artist group.

No offense to my friends or anyone else or real starving artists.

I did it for the craft. Anyone who did it for money was a sell out in my opinion and wasn’t doing it for the entertainment of the readers.

However I’m some bad spots. Not financially but gaming wise. I got asked a few questions on Ask.fm snarking about how I’m still stuck two gens of gaming back with the PS2.

http://ask.fm/deven_luca/answer/115303479169
As you can see I don’t have a PS3 or a 3DS at the moment but I want one. So I decided to sell out in order to get myself some new gaming stuff as well as put some money in my and my mother’s pockets.

So I’ve signed up to be an affiliate of Play-Asia.com , J-List.com, and perhaps Crunchyroll.com. So how it works is that in all my posts at the bottom I’ll have a link to one of the sites for you to buy something that links up with that post.

For example on Fairy Tail posts, I’ll have a link to the English dub of the anime, official releases of the manga, and even some CDs, and figurines.

Same for other types of posts on other types of anime like Date A Live.

Now I want to make this clear. I may have sold out and became an affiliate for “the man” but that doesn’t mean that things are going to change here. It will still be business as usual. Just with a blurb at the bottom of the post asking to buy something that corresponds with the anime I’m reviewing or talking about.

That being said I’m not begging you to help me because I’m destitute. Just if you see something you like that I advertised, buy it if you have the cash to spare.

And that’s it. This is effective immediately. I hope that you guys don’t mind this. It’s just that I really want to step out of the old days of gaming and get stuff like Final Fantasy 13, Lightning Returns, Naruto Storm 4, and stuff like that. Also if I feel up to it, I’ll do reviews on the games that I get thanks to you guys.

Until next time,
Later Days

Let’s Look:Rail Wars! Episode 2:And…Boom Goes The Dynamite!

We’ve got a good show here. Shipping, fighting, explosions, what’s not to love!

So we start off the episode with this.

Does everyone in this anime have huge boobs? I’m not complaining just asking…

So after a quick talk about the coicendence that they’re all on the same squad, Nana the Squad Leader makes her introduction.

I have to say that it’s very refreshing to Yui Horie’s voice not coming out of Carla from Fairy Tail. I haven’t seen much of her in anything else so it’s good for me to see her in a new role.

Also Nana makes a pun. See since they’re the Fourth Peacekeeper squad, they are called K-4 but it’s pronounced K-Yon similar to the anime to the K-On!

So after the still awesome opening by Minori Chihara(which character is she going to be?! I need to know.) we see a train called Black Star getting preped to go.

Looks like someone called in a bomb threat at the station in Yokohama and Gonou, being the commander of the Riot Police, is going there to check it out.

Note:They are currently in Tokyo which is in the Tokyo Prefecture of Japan. They’re traveling to Yokohama which is in the Kanagawa prefecture. Kanagawa is pretty much Tokyo’s neighbor and a journey between the two takes thirty minutes either way because they are in the same region of Kanto. Yes the name is the same as Pokemon I know.

So after they leave, Naoto whines about how he was supposed to be a train driver and not a peacekeeper. Quit whining man! You stopped a purse snatcher and used some pretty creative ways to catch up with them.

That’s right time to get into action.

Ooh What is it?

So your job is basically hold down the fort until Gonou stops being a sexy badass? You’ll be at that fort for awhile…

Aoi complains how can they be PSF members if they aren’t even in the action?

After that an old lady asks how to get to the platform and Aoi just points her over to the place while Naoto walks her over.

Look at you man. Being all chirvilous and what not.

After that we get a crying kid and guys try to get him to stop but of course things like this need a woman’s touch. So Koumi comforts him.

Lucky brat. Reminds me of Momonosuke of One Piece. Come on! He’s a boy. He knows what he’s doing!

So we cut to Aoi complaining to Nana that they’re basically like mall cops.

Hahaha! Good one!

Nana gets out of her seat and explains that they are protecting the people. It’s just not in a flash and obvious like Gonou does. They’re needed in a different way basically.

She stands kinda sexy like that.

So to show her takes her gun in the most sexual way possible.

After that we cut to Naoto and Koumi at the lost and found with the cute pup from yesterday. Then we go to our group hanging posters but what’s weird is this.

Magic!!! Someone’s casting magic on them! Or someone wasn’t paying attention during final edits. I’ll go with the first one. Makes the anime director sound less stupid.

So anyway Nana invites the girls out to lunch while the guys keep on the job.

Wow that looks good and apparently they spray it with liquid nitrogen to make it cold and crunchy.

So after that we go back to Naoto and Iwaizumi hanging up posters. Boring right…

So other than some scorch marks and a broken locker, there wasn’t any casualities, nothing’s broken, and apparently Iwaizumi’s a freaking psychic because he was able to pull Naoto out of the way just in time.

After that we basically get a break down of what happened: the terrorist made a fake call so to pull Gonou and her team to Yokohama and get rid of the A-Team, leaving the kids to take care of it. So it worked perfect to catch them off guard.

The stationmaster states that terrorists want a 100 million yen for telling them where the bomb is. Wait a second…that’s about 986,729 dollars. It’s kinda low if you look at this way but then again a lot of yen.

Oh my god, that’s a lot of money! Imagine what I could do with that much cash…

I need to try not to think about it.

If they don’t give them the money then they’ll set off a massive explosion. Naoto immediately says they have to do evaculate the customers. One of the assistants say that since this is the Tokyo Station, and not any small little stop, it would cause a massive panic. And we all know what happens when people panic. Theft, death, trampling , and general havoc. My kind of party but it tends to be bad.

So they say that they’re going to give in to the demands but Aoi argues back.

Naoto says that if they can find the bomb before Gonou comes back or the bomb goes off they might not have to give the money away.

Nana explains how they’ll go about searching but if they can’t find the bomb by 2:50 then they’ll give into the demands.

We go to the group checking the lockers and Koumi comments that there are 3000 lockers in the station.

So after checking 368 lockers, Aoi gets an idea.

Then Koumi gets a phone call saying that the dog they turned into the lost and found last episode just started barking and won’t stop. Iwaizumi gets the idea that the bomb must be in the Lost and Found.

Aoi tells Koumi and Iwaizumi to evacuate the area and tell Nana about the bomb.

So it looks like with fifteen minutes of the clock, it looks like Gonou’s going to come back to a small crater where the lost and found was.

Can you say badass?!

Side Note: This is how you get yourself blown up when dealing with a bomb. Any smart bomb maker knows to keep the real wires that do anything out of sight and out of reach. You can’t trust the clock. The timer can speed up, show the wrong countdown time, and whole lot of other things.

Aoi says that if Naoto wants to get out he can run but he stands firm with her.

While cutting the wires, Aoi and Naoto have to line up some wires so she can cut them at the same time. So this ends up happening…

It’s not his hand but it’s just as good right? Side note: Whoever said more than hand full is a waste is deluded. Bigger is better.

So the clock hits near three and Aoi and Naoto are down to the last two wires, one pink and other red.

If that ain’t ship teasing I don’t know…that gives me an idea for another meta post. God I create more work for myself.

Aoi decides to cut the red wire but then this happens.

And the clock starts diving. Aoi dips out to go to do something and Koumi asks if she can do anything and Naoto says to help Iwaizumi.

Naoto has a vision of him driving a train in a void. Looks like he’s going to the big train yard in the sky…

And Aoi comes in and saves the day with the liquid nitrogen.

Side Note: This is actually how it works if you ever see a bomb. The liquid nitrogen freezes the electrons in the bomb and stops the electric from flowing.

So we cut to the platform with the stationmaster and then this happens…

They swarm him like they were playing Ride of the Valkyries in the background.

Such a sexy serious voice.

So after that Aoi explains how she managed to beat the bomb and then she collapses.

If this isn’t fanservice and shipping, I’m clearly blind.

After that we head back to the K-4 room where Naoto’s made Deputy Squad Leader.

Now I barely get it. Aoi did the actual save by freezing the bomb but what Naoto was more important. He made the command decision to take care of the customers and delagated responsibilies well. That’s better in a leader than Aoi’s more hotheaded style.

Indeed you are man. Indeed you are.

And with that, the episode is over. It’s definitely an okay episode but there’s a few flaws to it especially with the posters.

All in all, I’ll give this episode an 6/10. It had some good parts but it wasn’t enough to get a better score.

 Bonus Pic!

You can click for full size.

So that’s the episode so until the next one,
Later Days

You can ask me as many questions as you want on Ask.fm and you can follow me on Twitter to know when my new reviews are coming out. You’ll also be update on what’s happening.