Anime Review: Black Bullet

Are you interested in something with a little bit of gore, a little bit of comedy and a little bit emotional set up, then Black Bullet is the anime for you. 

 The anime is set in the year 2021 were mankind has been brought the blink of extinction by a parasitic virus call Gastrea and are force to live within Varanium made monolith walls. The material Varanium has a natural property which subdue the virus and is often use as a weapon against the Gastrea. Children who were born with the Gastrea virus obtain superhuman abilities and are dubbed "Cursed Children". 10 years after the epidemic, Civil Securities are formed to specialize in fighting against Gastrea. These Securities groups operate in pairs with an initiator (Cursed Children) and Promoter (human). The anime follows the story of Satomi Rentarou, a highschool student who also work as a Promoter along with his initiator, Aihara Enju as they battle to protect the Tokyo Area from the Gastrea virus.

Satomi Rentarou as seen in opening

Aihara Enju as seen in the opening

While the anime is only 13 episodes long and views may view it was rushed in some areas, the anime does a pretty good job in covering all the major conflicts which Rentarou and Enju faces. There are also a few "Ahhh" moments as more information are released to the views as the anime progresses. The fight scenes are very well done and are often tension grabbing as many scenes often leads to an unexpected ended to the situation. The anime itself also provides a very balance mix of comedy and tragedy. I do personally found myself crying a lot more then I am laughing to be honest, but that's probably due to me being attached to the character. The anime did a very good job at helping the views feel attach and care for the characters as they move along in the series, and often times you will find yourself asking why did this character have to die. The villain's in the anime is also very notable and it will make you dislike that character as they move onward in the anime. 

Tendo Kisara as seen in the opening

Hiruko Kagetana and his initiator as seen in the opening. 

The anime opening song is sang by the very popular band Fripside and it suits very well with this anime. However, one major let down is that this anime is only 13 episode's long and it could easily be made into a 26 episode anime. Because of the short length, there are many questions which are left unanswered and leaving the viewers saying "I want more". However, if there is a second season, it would be much appreciated.  Overall, the anime has very well done character development and with a plot line which lets you get very personal and attach with the characters, epic fight scenes and many very emotional or funny moments to look forward to. Black Bullet is definitely an anime that all otaku should give a try.

Angie Anime Score: 8/10 - Must Watch

Imagines are found at http://randomc.net/2014/04/09/black-bullet-01/

Anime Review: Seto no Hanayome

Today, I want to introduce an anime name Seto no Hanayome

Have you ever imagine one day being saved by a mermaid and your life is changed forever afterward? Seto no Hanayome is an anime that is just that. The anime is a romantic comedy following the main male protagonist Michishio Nagasumi, who while visiting family in the countryside fell into the ocean and was saved by a mermaid name Seto San.

 Later on, Nagasumi found out not only is he force to marry San to save both his own and San's life, San's family is part of the mermaid Yakuza with her father, Seto Gozaburo being the head of the gang (in addition to be very over protective of San). This make for some very funny scenes with Nagasumi trying to escape San's father's attempt to "kill" him. 

The anime is filled with hilarity, with every episode making you laugh so hard you will fall off your chair (I must admit I still fall of my chair while watching this series, for the third time). There are constant references to different pop culture and gags without ever going overboard and leaving the main story-line of the daily life of Nagasumi and San and their relationship. The anime also does a very decent job at keeping the audiences entertain and it will keep views wonder what will happen the next episode. The anime itself is a decent 25 episode with 2 OVA's without spoiling the ending, the anime did manage to finish the up in a very well and happy way (as it does with many romantic anime). However, some gags might be hard to understand if the viewer is not very familiar with Japanese culture and it might make the experiences not as great but it is still a pretty decent work and I believe it should be given a try. Not to mention, there is a Terminator in the anime but I won't go into that.

Overall, Seto no Hanayome is an anime that is good for a good laugh with friends and with such a high re-watch value, it will keep you entertain for a very long time. 

Angie Anime Score: 8/10 - Must Watch

Imagines are found at http://randomc.net/2007/04/01/seto-no-hanayome-01/

Anime Review: Log Horizon

Today I will be introducing the anime Log Horizon

Log Horizon is an action/fantasy anime that was aired in the fall of 2013. The anime follows a group of players in an Multiplayer online roleplaying game called Elder Tale. Like many anime titles within this genre, the players were unable to leave the game due in this case an unknown reason and are force to live, adopt and make a living with the game world. The anime follows one particular player in the game call Shiroe. 

Shiroe is later joined up by Naotsugu, a Guardian class player, and Akatsuki, an assassin. The three character join up to explore, and attempt to find ways to exit the game, and worst case scenario, manage to survive in the game. The three character later meet different players along the way and find way to at least make their stay in the game more comfortable. The anime often feature comedic sequences between Naotsugu and Akatsuki, and there are many opportunities for laughter just as much as tension and worry for the characters in the anime. This makes the overall experiences of watch Log Horizon very enjoyable. 

Like many anime titles of this genre, the anime does have action sequences and these sequences are done very well and will often leave the viewers hanging as they wonder what will happen to the character during the fight. However, the one key aspect which separates Log Horizon from other anime of the genre is its approach towards the characters, the in game community and the interaction between different characters in the anime.

One of the strength of Log Horizon is that rather then focusing on action, fighting giant monsters and leveling up, the anime focused on the politics and social impact and the psychology of players who are trap inside a game. The anime also focus on strategies and diplomacy rather than action. While this can be a turn off for many fans of the genre, the anime does approach this very well as the anime is able to progress the story in a timely manner which cause viewers to often wonder "what does Shiroe got up his sleeves?" 

Another strenght of the anime is its ability to provide background information as the story progress. The storyline for Log Horizon is relatively complex and often viewers may feel unable to understand what is going on within the anime. Log Horizon address this by explaining a concept as they come up rather then attempting to inform the viewers at the start or leaving it to be explain in a plot twist. 

Overall, Log Horizon is a decent anime with good story and character development and the moderate pace of progression makes it relatively enjoyable for a long time. The anime has already finish with 25 episode and a second season has already been plan for the fall anime release schedule and I personally am very excited to continue figure out more about the world of Elder Tale and the story of Shiroe.

Angie Anime Score: 7/10 - Highly Recommand

Imagines are found at http://randomc.net/2013/10/05/log-horizon-01/

Brief Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Angela and I have been watching anime for over 7 years now. I have also been cosplaying for 5 years. Don't let my looks fool you though, I am a guy. I have a big interest in anime, Trading card games (specifically Vanguard and Weib Schwarz) and cosplaying and I often enjoy talking and discussing my views on different anime, card building strategy with other people. I also enjoy showing cosplay which I have done in the past to a greater audiences hence why I started this blog. The purpose to starting this blog was so that I could recommend different anime to people, showing off some card games and discuss some deck building ideas with other card game players. I would just like to note that most of what is mention is my personal opinion and views of an anime, and everyone is more then welcome to disagree with my opinions. I hope you enjoy this blog.