Kekkaishi

Description on AnimeDB.net

At first I thought Kekkaishi was a little too simple. Protagonist, with lame power, and the vow to protect a childhood friend. Sprinkle in a little "I don't want to do this job. I have to." whining, as well as a little "in my brother's shadow" complex.

But I kept watching, cringing every time the guy made a cake castle.

I found myself watching more and more. It's light, the ghost wolf makes it funny, and the different applications of his power make it not so lame. As long as I fast forward through that terribly screechy OP song, I'll be good to go.

The best episode so far for me was the one that had the old friend of the ghost wolf. I'm up to Episode 16.

Recommendations:

• Naruto...young protagonist grows from painful beginnings to an inspiration, ninjas galore
• HunterxHunter...young effervescent protagonist that powers up with a smile
• Inu Yasha...longer series that has plenty of pesky youkai, some romance

Les Miserables - Shoujo Cosette

Description on AnimeDB.net

Les Miserables - Shoujo Cosette is just the animated story of Les Miserables. I think it's a beautiful and delicately miserable story. I like how the story follows the stories of three seperate characters: Cosette, Cosette's mother, and Alan (which sort of ends up as Jean Val Jean's story). They switch without confusing me and getting me mixed up, but I'm still focused on Cosette's day to day life's challenges.

The ending theme is a simply sincere melody that is pleasant, too.

I like it. I need something light to watch now and then when I drink my afternoon tea and relax.

Recommendations:

• Gankutsuou...old classics put into jazzy artsy anime form, an old story of betrayal and revenge as we follow a foolish young man and how a stranger isn't who he claims to be
  
• Nijuu Mensou no Musume...young girl protagonist has more than enough challenges and hardships to span several lives, has mystery and action (See Anime Spotlight)
  

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Naruto Shippuuden (Naruto, the Hurricane Chronicles)

Description on AnimeDB.net


See that picture? That's all you need to know. Now go watch it.

Naruto Shippuuden - He's back with a new jacket, some new tricks up his sleeve and a catchy new OP song. (Sorry, but the OP song that closed the last Naruto season was terrible, I chalk it up to the animation was--just Ugh!)

Love seeing the new Kazekage Gaara, and the brand-new Sakura. Yes, she became badass, but it doesn't easily erase her earlier lame performances. Glad there's no Sasuke to make her go all girly so far. Sick of that.

And what's this about Ino automatically running off to become a medical ninja. Is that the only option for you? Blaze your own path! It is possible for her to be cooler than Sakura.

Note: Is Sakura the only one with artificially colored hair? all the other characters seem to have hair that is naturally possible (yes, even the bone-guy's white hair). But PINK?

I'll say it: I don't like Naruto's new clothes. That is all. He let Sasuke out dress him again. Sasuke looking cho-kakko ii!

Recommendations:

• Naruto...the original series
• Kekkaishi...boy protagonist with special powers, surprising uses (See Anime Spotlight)
  
• HunterxHunter...young effervescent protagonist that powers up with a smile
• Basilisk: Kouga Ninpou Chou...ninjas with a solid plot and great art
• Nabari no Ou...powerful youth in a ninja world not far from the normal world

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Jigoku Shoujo: Futakomori (Hell Girl Second Cage)

Description on AnimeDB.net

I am five episodes into Jigoku Shoujo: Futakomori, the second installment of the Jigoku Shoujo series. Following the final episodes of the first season of Jigoku Shoujo, we've already found out about where Enma Ai comes from and why she's doing what she does.

As far as a second installment, this anime does a good job of continuing the nature of the episodes seen in the middle of the first season. After all the episodes that devote a good portion of the episode to animations of Enma Ai suiting up and delivering souls to hell, and before the episodes that introduce that little girl that could see what Enma Ai sees. Those in-between episodes, are what these Futakomori episodes reflect. Thank goodness, as I was getting tired of that little girl and her wierdo "dad". So we've escaped the usual formula of person gets their revenge and lives with it. Now we're exploring more of the revenge-seekers and what happens after they've "pulled the red string".

Along comes this creepy-creepy-creepy-faced little girl (did someone take a vacuum to her eye sockets?) who does nothing but, well, annoy me with every instance she appears. She's a total mystery and I can't wait for her story to be told--Because that's the only payoff I can imagine, and that helps me tolerate her existence in the anime for now. It had better be a good story. She even irritates the other supporting characters.

For some reason, I like watching this creepy and sometimes disturbing anime right before I go to bed. I have no idea why. This and Black Lagoon, I like to watch right before bed.

Recommendations:

• Jigoku Shoujo...the first season, introduces Jigoku shoujo and her helpers, some simpler cases
• Jigoku Shoujo: Mitsuganae...this season focuses on a high school, and shows us that adults aren't the only ones that desire vengeance
• Shigofumi...communicating with death, the last piece of snail mail, the post-girl has her own dark secrets
• GankutsuOu...talk about revenge served cold, this colorful and dark story enjoys every episode to set up for the finale
• Mononoke...No-longer-human spirits want vengeance too, creative and complex vengeance that's got mystery to it
• Umineko no Naku Koro ni...a golden witch throws down a challenge to solve her epitaph before all the members of a rich family are picked off in gruesome killings (See Anime Spotlight)

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Shuffle: Memories

Description on AnimeDB.net

Can someone tell me what Shuffle: Memories is supposed to be about?

I watched all of Shuffle!, and thought it was ok. I decided to check out what Shuffle Memories is all about. A prequel, the same characters but thrown into different roles in a different world, an actual sequel that followed the first--"which would it be?" I thought.

After watching not 1, not 2, but 3 episodes, I'm...disappointed. Episode 1 is completely devoted to introducing us to each of the main and many supporting characters and includes a peek of what happened to them during Shuffle!. Episode 2 had a completely new opening and ending animation devoted to Kaede (orange-haired) and the episode was all about Kaede, too. If you've watched Shuffle, imagine the episodes that focused on Kaede and cut them out of their respective episodes and package them together as a special Kaede-only episode--that was Episode 2. Episode 3 goes the same formula. Beginning and ending and whole episode is all about the green-haired Asa-sempai.

So there you have it. 3 episodes, and I saw virtually nothing new. Is this all that Shuffle Memories supposed to be? Is the animation production company trying to get all they can from the previous Shuffle! footage? Too under-motivated to do research. nothing on animenfo.com about the story. blah. I won't be downloading this anymore if the next episode is more of the same.

Recommendations:

• Shuffle!...the first season, it had a plot going and characters that added some variety, basic opportunistic game-based harem
• Love Hina...lots of girls and a clueless guy, throw in a hot spring bath, add some laughs, turtles play an interesting role

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Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

Description on AnimeDB.net

I'm now on the fourth episode of Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, a new anime this season. It's got some sword-fighting but not enough action to be called an action anime. I'd group this with more of a drama series. Like seeing how a story unfolds as new mysteries and clues are revealed about the characters' pasts. It's not bad, at all.

But the fact that Shinsen is subbing it makes me worried. If they get behind on translations, or the anime gets licensed suddenly in America, I'm stuck with a stalled anime storyline. I hope it picks up soon, because after the first episode, I thought it would keep the same fast pace and tone. But it's slowed down a bit. Fingers crossed for it to turn into a solid anime.

Episode 8 has an awesome battle between the main character and the two-gun shooter with the eye patch. Best episode yet! Had to rewind and rewatch several parts. Kakkoo Ii!

Recommendations:

• Sword of the Stranger...movie, stranger, sword and battles to keep an innocent youth alive
• Rurouni Kenshin: Seisouhen...extremely good, swordplay, old japan, drama
• Mononoke Hime...movie, youth away from his village, battles unworldly and wordly enemies and encounters a princess of the mononoke variety

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Soukou no Strain (Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry)

Description on AnimeDB.net

Soukou no Strain subbed by We are IN Denial and Shinsen-Subs is a pretty good anime. The story is a set with space inhabitance and travel being commonplace. The main character is on and off during the story. She seems full of life in the beginning, but becomes traumatized while she is pursuing her dream of chasing her brother that joined the military.

I'm keeping a watch on this anime. I was enjoying the steady character bonding until episode 9, and then the hearts started bleeding. Drama and tension just seethed into the main characters. Episode 10 provided a new and startling mystery as well. Oh, yes.

Recommendations:

• Heroic Age...space battle is no match for young Age, whose innocent existence connects the stars (See Anime Spotlight)
• Nijuu-Mensou no Musume...lone heroine with dark past gains friendship along with suffering (See Anime Spotlight)
• Photon...older anime, space laughs and battles follow young Photon
• Last Exile...two youths and their flying vanship take up a dangerous delivery mission that lands them on a notorious airship during wartime (See Anime Spotlight)
  

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Do you plan to watch Soukou no Strain (Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry)?