Anime Character Spotlight #6: Ichigo Kurosaki

Name: Ichigo Kurosaki

Age: 15-17

Birthday: July 15th 

Horoscope: Cancer 

Gender: Male

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Orange

Anime: Bleach Series

Personality:

• Protective 
• Caring 
• Stubborn 
• Short-tempered
• Strong-willed 
• Impulsive 
• Cool Image 
• Compassionate 
• Hard Worker etc...

Review of Tokyo Ghoul

I was kind of scared to start this series as I knew it had gore and it was horror... And those two put together isn't normally my cup of tea, but I heard loads of good things about this Anime, so I thought I would venture into the unknown.

The storyline took a while to get into because of those two things that I said, but I got used to it, it's strange to say but this Anime has most certainly helped me expand my horizons on Anime and what I can and cannot stand.

The Animation was really good although there was times when I was a little confused... on why they were animating it this way. 

The Sound was amazing, and the opening OP although I didn't like at first, grew on me... damn you Tokyo Ghoul.
The characters were nearly perfect, even the evil ones. I really loved how they were placed and used in this Anime, although one character should have had more screen time. I have to admit that I felt really sorry for Kaneki and the situation that was dumped onto him.

Overall I really loved this season and can’t wait for the second season that is to come out, really soon.(Jan 2015) 

Final Rating:

Story- 9/10
Animation- 9.5/10
Sound- 10/10
Characters- 9.5/10
Overall- 9/10

Anime OST Spotlight #9: Shakugan no Shana

Anime: Shakugan no Shana (Ending 1)

Song: Yoake Umare Kuru Shoujo

Artist: Takahashi Yoko

Anime Spotlight #13: Cardcaptor Sakura

Description:
Sakura Kinomoto never imagined that by opening a book in her father's library, she'd be responsible for releasing wild magic into the world, yet that's exactly what she did. Too powerful to be let loose on the world, the magical Clow cards were sealed away long ago by their creator, Clow Reed. But all is not lost, for the guardian beast, Keroberos, was sealed along with the cards! Can Sakura, with the help of Keroberos, retrieve the cards before they wreak havoc on the town?

Anime: Cardcaptor Sakura
No. Eps: 70 Eps
Studio: MADHOUSE
Aired: 1998-2000
Tags: SHOUJO, MAGICAL GIRL, FAMILY FRIENDLY, MONSTER-OF-THE-WEEK

Reason for Spotlight:
The reason for this spotlight is because this is one of my all time favourite of the old classic Anime that children used to watch and didn't realise that it was Anime. When I got into Anime, it took me a while to find this and when I did, I recognised it straight away. The theme song, the unique characters and also the rubbish yet awesome voice acting just makes it amazingly brilliant. I rated this 5 stars because back in the day, this would have been seen as an amazing Anime. If you are a fan of Sailor Moon or anything to do with magic and fighting to protect the ones you love then this is perfect for you.


My Rating:  5 Stars
AVG. Rating on "Anime Planet" ATM:  3.91 Stars

Top 10 Anime Openings/Endings (of Fall 2014)

Anime Recommendation #11: If you like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood you might like...

If you liked Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood:

The foundation of alchemy is based on the law of equivalent exchange; you cannot produce something from nothing. As such, alchemy is bound by one taboo - human transmutation. Four years ago two young brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, broke this taboo when they tried to resurrect their dead mother. During the process Al's body disintegrated and Ed lost his leg. In a desperate attempt to prevent his brother from disappearing completely, Ed sacrificed one of his arms so he could affix Al's soul to a suit of armor. When his missing limbs are replaced by auto mail parts, Ed bears the name of the Fullmetal Alchemist - the youngest ever State Alchemist and dog of the military. Now, alongside his brother, Ed uses his status within the military to attempt to find any way that he can return their bodies back to their original state.

You might like Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist):

Rin Okumura is a seemingly ordinary boy living at the Southern Cross Boys' Monastery. One day, however, Rin encounters a boy who has been possessed by a demon. Amidst the struggle, he not only awakens latent powers sealed within him, but also learns that he is the son of Satan! No longer able to stay under the protection of the church and with his very existence straddling the line between human and demon, Rin decides to fight against his parentage and joins the True Cross Order as an exorcist. Now, the teen must attend the True Cross Academy and begin special exorcist training alongside his new comrades all while keeping his identity a secret; but can the son of Satan really become a true exorcist?

Reasons/Similarities:

• Power/Alchemy 
• Brother relationship
• Protecting people
• Great Secondary Characters
• Defeating bad guys
• Facing loss
• Serious moments
• Comedy moments

Anime Character Spotlight #5: Shana

Name: Shana

Age: At least 12 (Immortal) 

Birthday: N/A

Horoscope: N/A

Gender: Female

Eyes: Brown/Red

Hair: Black/Red

Anime: Shakugan no Shana Series

Personality:

• Duty Driven 
• Physically Fit
• Confused 
• Jealousy 
• Sweet Tooth 
• Intelligent 
• Naive

Review of Black Butler: Book of Circus (Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus)

I was so excited when after watching all of Black Butler that there was going to be more, even after 2ish years break.

The storyline took a while to get into, but once I was, I was hooked and it was a shame that I had to keep waiting a whole week for each episode. It was strange thinking that this was in the middle of season 1 but it was easy to understand.

The Animation and Sound were amazing and of course it is going to be way better than season 1 and 2 as technology as progressed a lot in a couple of years.

The characters were amazing and only certain characters annoyed the hell out of me. Ciel and Sebastian were just perfect and their relationship with each other looked so much more real in this season than any other season. It was amazing to see the servants get more action in this one, as although with the other season you did see a little of what they are made of, this season showed it way better. It was also good to see new characters and what their role in the anime was about. I wished we could have seen more interaction between two certain characters, but beggars can't be choosers.

Overall I really loved this season and can’t wait for the OVA and also hope that there will be more seasons to come.

Final Rating:

Story- 9.5/10
Animation- 10/10
Sound- 10/10
Characters- 9.5/10
Overall- 9.9/10

Anime OST Spotlight #8: Naruto Shippuden

Anime: Naruto Shippuden (Opening 4)

Song: CLOSER

Artist: Joe Inoue

Anime Spotlight #12: Guilty Crown

Description:
In the near future, the outbreak of a terrible disease called the Apocolypse Virus places Japan under the military rule of a global organization called the GHQ - a group tasked with checking the spread of the virus and administering vaccinations. Apathetic high school student Shuu Ouma lives in Tokyo, spending his days editing videos and trying to be left alone. But things change when he meets the beautiful pop idol, Inori, who is on the run from GHQ soldiers. While trying to save her from her captors, he acquires a mysterious power called the Void Gene that allows him to pull items or weapons from anyone under the age of seventeen. Now, Shuu must decide whether to join the efforts of the well-funded radical terrorist group "Funeral Parlor" and fight against the GHQ, or shrug off his newfound power and resume his normal life - assuming that either the GHQ or Funeral Parlor's charismatic leader, Gai, will let him.

Anime: Guilty Crown
No. Eps:  22 Eps
Studio: Production I.G
Aired: Fall 2011-2012
Tags: ACTION, MECHA, SCI-FI, NOITAMINA, ROMANCE

Reason for Spotlight:
This Anime was one of those Anime that made me question reality and life, it also was one of those Anime that got me pretty much hooked right from the start. The character development in this Anime was so amazingly put together and the storyline was even more amazing. If you like an action packed drama with some romance and tears then this Anime is perfect for you.


My Rating: 5 Stars
AVG. Rating on "Anime Planet" ATM: 4.1 Stars

Anime Recommendation #10: If you like Kaichou wa Maid-sama! you might like...

If you liked Kaichou wa Maid-sama!:

President of the Student Council at the almost-all-boys Seika High School, the hard-as-nails Misaki Ayuzawa works every day to make life easier on the small population of co-eds who have enrolled there. Though an unholy terror to all things male during school hours, in order to provide for her impoverished family, she secretly works after school at a maid cafe in Akihabara. However, when campus hottie Usui Takumi wanders into the restaurant during her shift, suddenly she finds her reputation in school at his mercy...

You might like Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster):

Mizutani Shizuku is the type of person who only cares for her own grades. But when she accidentally delivers lesson notes to Yoshida Haru, he becomes convinced they are friends.
Haru turns out to have a very innocent personality, but who would've thought that Haru would actually confess to Shizuku?
A cold-hearted girl and super-troublemaker romance with a fresh new perspective.

Reasons/Similarities:

• School Life
• Boy Confesses love from pretty much beginning
• Romance
• Boy meets girl
• Insta Love
• Comedy
• Girl wanting to focus on working/studying
• Obvious love feelings
• Sweet 
• Great Secondary Characters

Anime Character Spotlight #4: Oz

Name: Oz

Age: 15 (Physically) 

Birthday: 26th December

Horoscope: Capricorn

Gender: Male

Eyes: Emerald 

Hair: Blonde

Anime: Pandora Hearts

Personality:

• A Flirt
• Depressed 
• Generous 
• Trusting too easily 
• Smart
• Self Sacrificial 

Bonus: Oz's Character Song:

Review of Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

The storyline is so awesome and the only problem I had was the slow start. Although it has very similar things to other anime for some reason this anime made it unique and different. The funny parts mixed with the serious stuff and with the romance was a great way of making a unique and amazing anime that after a few eps had me hooked to it. With the romance I have to say it’s one of those that have really made me say “WOW”.

The animation although good was a little bit annoying when they made the characters go into a weird style and although yes it was meant to help make it funny, it really wasn’t needed. The style was similar to what was in “Fullmetal Alchemist” at times when “Edward” was doing something funny but it was fine in that anime as it was only now and then but with this one it really wasn’t needed to be used as much as it did. I have no problem with the sound as the quality was good and the voice actors were equally as good.

Now onto the characters. They were almost perfect to me but slight things annoyed me and made me think “Really!?”. The main characters “Misaki” and “Takumi” are just the cutest and amazing. I really loved the difference between them both yet when they were on screen together, everything just felt right and amazing.

Overall I really enjoyed this anime and I really would recommend this to people who like Romance, Drama and Comedy.

Final Rating:

Story- 9.5/10
Animation- 9/10
Sound- 10/10
Characters- 9/10
Overall- 9.5/10

Anime OST Spotlight #7: Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club

Anime: Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club (Ending)

Song: Splash Free

Artist: Style Five

Anime Spotlight #11: Vampire Knight

Description:
Cross Academy is a school with a difference: in a unique and experimental setup designed by the headmaster, it has a Day Class consisting of ordinary humans and a Night Class filled with vampires. Yuki Cross and her friend Zero Kiryu are school prefects whose job it is to make sure the secret of the Night Class is always safe; they patrol the school grounds at night and supervise the switchover of classes at dawn and dusk to prevent any 'accidents' from happening. While Zero is suspicious of vampires and hates the idea of sharing the same space as them, Yuki admires the Night Class for their beauty and sophistication; she is especially intrigued by their charming leader, Kaname, because he once saved her life. However, as Yuki quickly learns, not all vampires are amiable like the Night Class, and as terrible events unfold, Yuki must ask herself whether in a world where vampires are the hunters and humans are the prey, peaceful coexistence can really be achieved.

Anime: Vampire Knight
No. Eps:  13 Eps
Studio: Studio Deen
Aired: Spring 2008
Tags: SCHOOL LIFE, ROMANCE, DRAMA, SHOUJO, SUPERNATURAL, VAMPIRES

Reason for Spotlight:
This was one of my first Anime series that I watched and loved and also the first Anime that I have re-watched twice and will most likely re-watch it again in the near future.
I loved this story, it was unique at the time, amazing and the music was stunningly brilliant.
Not only is this season good but so is the second season called "Vampire Knight Guilty", which concludes the whole Anime, but if you want to find out more, you will have to read the manga.
The reason I wanted to spotlight this, was because the rating is lowish, but maybe because it's been watched by so many people.
Watch this if you love vampires and the supernatural with romance.


My Rating: 5 Stars
AVG. Rating on "Anime Planet" ATM: 3.81 Stars

Anime Recommendation #9: If you like Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) you might like...

If you liked Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji):

In Victorian England it is commonplace for the rich and wealthy to have a staff, led by a head butler, to run their households; the Phantomhive Estate is no different. The young and demanding Count Ciel Phantomhive, child owner of a toy company, lives in the grand countryside manor. Sebastian is his head butler, and the epitome of perfection; he effortlessly and gracefully completes his day-to day chores and fixes the countless mistakes of the other employees. However, whilst on the outside all seems prim and proper, a more sinister secret lies just beneath the surface. Sebastian is in fact a demon bound by a contract with the young count; he will loyally serve and fight for him in return for his soul.



You might like Pandora Hearts:

On the eve of nobleman Oz Bezarius's fifteenth birthday, he and his loved ones gather to celebrate in a coming-of-age ceremony. But after Oz steps under a long-stopped clock and the hands finally move once more - thus fulfilling a mysterious prophecy - he is violently thrown into the legendary prison known as the Abyss by three cloaked intruders. Existing in another dimension, the Abyss is home to lifeforms born within its walls known as Chains; these beings can only live in the real world if they make contracts with humans, binding their power to the person's body. However, there's a catch - in time, the human will be overcome by the Chain's power and then thrown into the deepest level of the Abyss. When Oz wakes up in the Abyss he is quickly attacked by hungry Chains, only to be saved by one named Alice - a Chain who appeared just before he was thrown into the prison. Together, the two make a contract and return to the real world, where they are enlisted into the Pandora organization - a group researching both the Abyss and the trio that threw Oz into it. Along with members of Pandora, the duo searches to find Alice's lost memory fragments that are scattered throughout the world, to discover the secrets of the Abyss, and to determine if there's a way their contract can be broken without killing either Oz or Alice.

Reasons/Similarities:

• Supernatural 
• Master-Servant Relationship 
• Fan girls ship the "Master-Servant" a little to far :P 
• Comedy 
• Action
• Bad guys 
• Mansions 
• Set in the olden times
• Slight Romance
• A weird Char (Break/Caretaker) - You will only know what I mean if you have watched both, so.... get to it :P 

Anime Character Spotlight #3: Nagisa Furukawa

Name: Nagisa Furukawa

Age: 19

Birthday: 24th December

Horoscope: Capricorn

Gender: Female

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown

Anime: Clannad/Clannad After Story

Personality:

• Sweet 
• Innocent
• Caring
• Very sensitive
• Feels insulted easily
• Poor health 

Review of Kamigami no Asobi

The story was good and in certain ways really unique. Of course there was the things that you could say are the same as other anime for example, the fact it's one girl surrounded by multiple guys and an added thing that the majority of the guys are total jerks to begin with. I love the fact this was relating to Greek Mythology as this keeps stalking me... Even in Anime I shall fall prey Greek Mythology.

The Animation is one thing I really can’t fault no matter how many times I try too; it was perfect for the Anime.

The sound was really good although I felt the intro and ending songs were a little cheesy... but... I guess I could expect that because of what this Anime is.

Most of the Characters were fine and easy to fall in love with, but some of them had such a hard personality to like even when they show they can be kind. My Fave Main character has to be the girl Yui and my Fave Secondary Character is Dionysus.

Overall I really did enjoy this Anime and it was a quick fun Anime.

 

Final Rating:
Story- 8/10
Animation- 10/10
Sound- 9/10
Characters- 8.5/10
Overall- 8.8/10

Anime OST Spotlight #6: Kamigami no Asobi

Anime: Kamigami no Asobi (Opening)

Song: Till The End

Artist: Apollon Agana Belea

Anime Spotlight #10: The Irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei)

Description:
The anime's story takes place in a world in which magic is not a fairy tale, but has existed for nearly one hundred years. In the spring, the Private Magic University Affiliated High School (Magic High School for short) is welcoming its new students, and names the top incoming student with the best grades the Bloom. The student called the Weed is the Bloom's replacement. Siblings Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba are designated as the Weed and Bloom, respectively. Tatsuya is a young man who always has a farsighted expression, and Miyuki is a young woman who feels far more for her brother than sibling love. Since the day the two entered the gates of the elite school, the establishment's peaceful days have become chaotic.

Anime: The Irregular at Magic High School
No. Eps:  26 Eps
Studio: MADHOUSE
Aired: Spring - Summer 2014
Tags: SCHOOL LIFE, COMEDY, ROMANCE, MAGIC

Reason for Spotlight:
Although this has a great rating it hasn't been watching by a lot of people, which leads to me think "Why?". The most basic answer is not many people know about it, or have had time to watch it or rate it on certain sites such as "Anime Planet". This Anime although isn't perfect in any shape of form, its good, really good. If you don't mind close relationships between family members that is. The magic is amazing and the actual storyline is pretty unique. If you like magic related Anime then this is right up your street. GO check it out :)


My Rating: 4.5 Stars
AVG. Rating on "Anime Planet" ATM: 4.2 Stars

Anime Recommendation #8: If you like Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion you might like...

If you liked Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion:

In 2010, the Britannian Empire enslaved Japan using powerful mecha known as Knightmares; in the aftermath Japan was renamed Area 11, and its people began a hard and terrible existence. Lelouch, a Britannian student living in Area 11, has grown up hating the Empire and everything it stands for. One day, in the middle of a terrorist attack, Lelouch meets a mysterious girl who grants him the ability to control minds. Can he use his new power to fight for freedom, or will his hatred twist his good intentions into mindless acts of vengeance?

You might like Guilty Crown:

In the near future, the outbreak of a terrible disease called the Apocolypse Virus places Japan under the military rule of a global organization called the GHQ - a group tasked with checking the spread of the virus and administering vaccinations. Apathetic high school student Shuu Ouma lives in Tokyo, spending his days editing videos and trying to be left alone. But things change when he meets the beautiful pop idol, Inori, who is on the run from GHQ soldiers. While trying to save her from her captors, he acquires a mysterious power called the Void Gene that allows him to pull items or weapons from anyone under the age of seventeen. Now, Shuu must decide whether to join the efforts of the well-funded radical terrorist group "Funeral Parlor" and fight against the GHQ, or shrug off his newfound power and resume his normal life - assuming that either the GHQ or Funeral Parlor's charismatic leader, Gai, will let him.

Reasons/Similarities:

• Mecha
• Sci-fi
• Minor Romance 
• Futuristic 
• Action
• Main guy
• Power given to a person that had none
• Main goal to change the world 
• Twists and turns 
• Music that fits the Anime
• Many More