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Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:13 pm; edited 2 times in total

Originally posted February 4, 2017

During late 2016 there were a couple of anime's who debuted and has quickly gain a lot of popularity within the anime community. An those few were Flip Flappers, Keijo, Drifters, and the one that was the talk of town Yuri On Ice. When I first heard of Yuri On Ice I was kind of curious on how good this show was. I decided later after I was done reviewing Keijo I would go and check this show out soon, but I had important things to take care of so I had to delay the review. But that all change when I saw the results of the Crunchyroll Awards and to my surprise this show was winning some of the categories that the company had laid out (Best Boy, Best Animation, Most Heartwarming Scene, Best Couple, and Best Opening and Ending.)

But what really pushed me to do this review as soon as possible was the fact it won Anime Of The Year. Now I wasn't shocked that it gain that award, I was dumbfounded. Was this show really better than Mob Psycho 100, My Hero Academia, Re:Zero, Joker Game, or any of the other anime's that were in the list of Anime Of The Year? Well let's find out.

"After a crushing defeat in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and other competition losses, Yuri Katsuki develops mixed feelings about ice skating and puts his career on hold; he attends college in Detroit before returning to his hometown of Hasetsu in Kyushu. Yuri visits his childhood friend, Yuko, at an ice rink (Ice Castle Hasetsu) and perfectly mimics an advanced skating routine performed by his idol: Russian figure skater Victor Nikiforov. When secretly-recorded footage of Yuri's performance is uploaded to the Internet, it catches Victor's attention; he travels to Kyushu with an offers to coach Yuri and revive his figure-skating career. With Victor, Yuri aims to win the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series against his rival: Yuri Plisetsky, a rising 15-year-old skater from Russia." (Info by wiki)

Before I talk about the positive and negative aspects about this show I wanna discuss the relationship between Yuri K. and Victor. In my honest opinion I thought the relationship was ok, simple, but still ok. But at the same time it was odd, weird, somewhat rushed and forced and a bit annoying. I feel like the relationship between the two could've been done better than what was originally shown. Take Jamal's relationship with his lover in season 1 of Empire for example. It wasn't rushed, forced, odd, weird, or a bit annoying. Instead it looked like a normal, good, and mutual gay relationship.

Now if Yuri K. and Victor's relationship shared some things from those 2's relationship, I would've said that their relationship was more than nice, maybe almost real, but sadly it didn't. Another thing I wanted to talk about was the infamous "kiss scene". Ok let's get something straight here, they didn't kiss. If anything (By looking closely at the trajectory of the infamous "kiss scene") it looked like Victor kissed Yuri K. on the cheek and then as soon as they land on the ground, they hugged. Plus another example of why it wasn't a kiss scene is that nobody not even Yuri K. said anything about Victor kissing him. But if some of you watched this episode and still think that they kissed, go ahead and believe whatever you want.

Positive aspects:

The anime and it's storyline was both ok and pretty good at the same time. Some of the characters were alright, but I think the one that interested me the most believe or not has to be Yuri....... Plisetsky. Yes he can be hothead and stubborn, but there are times when he can have his good moments. Like that one time when he was helping Yuri K. channel his inner Eros or that other time when he gave him some of his favorite food combine with Yuri K's favorite just because it was Yuri K's birthday. Plus he's just a kid who wants to be great at Ice skating and impress his kind grandfather too.

Another thing that was good about this show was the ice skating. Some of them were kind of interesting to watch, while one person who was Chris Giacometti was ok, but at the same time was not all that appealing to watch. I also like how all of them will have their flaws, it shows that while yes they are good at what they do, but they will still have some downs sides that they'll need to fix in the future. Props to the creator of this show for being realistic on the ice skating part.

Before I move on to the negative aspects I want to discuss the animation, opening, and ending credits. Yuri On Ice's animation looks like some of your everyday Mid-2010's animation (in other words it looks average.) I'm not saying this as a bad thing, but compared to Mob Psycho 100, Re:Zero or heck Flip Flappers' animation it just looks normal and I feel like either one of those 3 should've took the award for Best Animation.

Lastly the opening and ending credits. While the opening music of the anime sounded pretty good, it's animation looked ok. As for the ending credits both the animation and music were both pretty impressive, so I can definitely see why this won Best Ending.

Negative Aspects:

1. Sort of product plugging. The reason why I say that is because in episode 2 while Yuri K. was helping Victor moving his stuff in the guest room you can see that his boxes says "CedEx" (parody name for FedEx, the package shipping company.) This kind of sad and lazy at the same time considering the fact the only thing they did to make it look different from FedEx is by replacing the F with a C. Nice work animators of this show, they'll never tell the difference.

2. It's pretty ridiculous that Victor only sees one video of Yuri K. copying one of his moves and is instantly super interested in training him to become the best ice skater. Really, it only took one video? Not 2 or 3 or more videos of him doing different ice skating moves, just 1?

3. In the end of episode 5 we see Yuri K. at a press conference. An during that press conference he only mentions Victor as the only who motivated to be the best at figure skating. Which is pretty ridiculous considering the fact that he wasn't the only one motivating him to be the best. His friends and family helped him out too, but sadly he didn't acknowledge them in his speech. How rude.

4. Yuri K. is kind of a pathetic character. There are times when he can be cool (mostly when he's ice skating), but mostly sad. He's sometimes whiney, especially when Victor is not there to help him out with whatever he needs, he can't even feel confident in himself or his skills as an ice skater without thinking about Victor or having Victor watching him. In summary without Victor, he is hopeless and nothing without him. An before you say "what about that one time in episode 9 where he did so & so competition while Victor was away to check on his dog." I would've count that as a sort of good moment of him finally a backbone..... if I didn't see the beginning of episode 10 where he was whining in his and Victor's bedroom hoping that Victor would come and comfort him.

So with that being said is this show worth the watch? Yeah, I think some people aside from me would probably like this. Would I say it's one of the most interesting anime's that debuted in 2016? Kind of. Would I say that this is the number 1 greatest anime of 2016?

No. If anything it's the number 1 most overhyped and overrated anime of 2016. I bet some of you are probably going to ask "Why do you say that?" Oh I don't maybe for a fact that it was trend on social media whenever a specific episode of YOI comes up or the fact that it won tons of awards including again Anime Of The Freakin Year from the Crunchyroll Awards. Now while some where satisfied with the results that were shown, not all of them were happy with who won. Heck some people thought the votes were rigged. Crunchyroll decided to respond to this by saying "We had very strong anti-cheating methods that gave us results in line with true audience sentiment" and "we had some surprisingly complex ways to fight multiple voting that worked based on multiple tests."

I don't know if I can believe that or not, but that is the only answer to which I can find why the results were like this. Oh well, I'm just going to have to accept the results whether I like it or not.

In conclusion and don't get me wrong even though I didn't like this show that much as the fans did. That doesn't mean I hate this anime, it's an ok and pretty good show with some and one alright character, kind of interesting ice skating scenes, and the relationship between Yuri K. and Victor is still ok. With that said I'm giving this anime a 7.5/10. Let me know what you guys think in the comments and I'll see you next time for another anime review.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:09 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted April 7, 2017

During the success of the anime of One Punch Man. Studio Bones decided they wanted to create an anime that was based off of one of ONE's manga's. But which creation did Bones pick? The answer: Mob Psycho 100. An no surprise it was a successful hit. But is it really worth the watch? Is it really worth the hype? Well let's find out?

"Kageyama Shigeo, a.k.a. "Mob," is a boy who has trouble expressing himself, but who happens to be a powerful esper. Mob is determined to live a normal life and keeps his ESP suppressed, but when his emotions surge to a level of 100%, something terrible happens to him! As he's surrounded by false espers, evil spirits, and mysterious organizations, what will Mob think? What choices will he make?" (Info by Crunchyroll)

This show is both weird and odd, but (and no shocker) I still love it. The 1st time I watched this show I was pretty intrigued with everything it had. Its storyline is pretty much a weird, but interesting ride, some of the characters in this show are alright (especially Arataka (Mob's Mentor and con artist), the artwork is very odd looking, but it fits along with how the show is, and as for theme song and opening; it's both good and something (that's the only best way I can describe them.)

Now for anyone who has seen One Punch Man and not Mob yet let's get something straight. Yes both Saitama and Shigeo aka Mob are both really powerful human beings who can take out an enemy with no sweat and will protect the innocent or anyone they care about, but their is a big difference between them. For Saitama he only likes using he's powers if he's fighting really strong opponents and he's always excited for a fight. As for Mob, he really doesn't like using his powers that much and there are 4 reasons why ( 1. He only wants to live a normal life and doesn't want to use his powers to help him become popular 2. He feels like his powers might be a danger to those who he cares about. 3. Like Raven from Teen Titans, Mob has to suppress his emotions in order to control his powers and 4. There are times when he can't control his powers which can be a problem to anyone that's close to him.

Their are actually 2 characters that really interest me and that I really want to discuss with you the reader. Which is 1 again Arataka and 2 Mob's little brother Ritsu. (Spoilers on Ritsu's part)

Ritsu has everything that Mob doesn't. Which is excellent grades, being athletic, being good looking, popular with girls, and is a part of the Student Council. But secretly deep down inside he always wanted to have psychic powers. Now I know what your probably going to say "That's pretty selfish of him. He already has everything that Mob always wanted. Why would or should he even get psychic powers?" It's mostly because he's afraid of his brother. He pretends to be the nice and dependable little brother, but down inside he has an inferiority complex toward him, but he eventually gets over it and starts caring for Mob again when he goes to save Ristu from an evil organization. (Watch the show if you want to know how all this happened)

Arataka might be a con artist and has used Mob's powers in order to gain money, but he does still care about him, he also teaches him what's right or wrong, and sometimes he helps out Mob if he's ever in a jam. You could basically say that Arataka is kind of a good role model to Mob.

The only problem I had with this show was the sort of product plugging. There was this one episode where Arataka was seen eating McDonalds, but instead of saying McDonalds it says MobDonalds (Clever). Here's the thing, if your going to make a parody of an original product at least don't make the name sound so very close to the original product's name. Prime example if you want to make a parody of Wendy's try Flimsy's and if you can't do that, then just make up a fictional product name. Cause I defiantly don't want to see any product plug in anything I watch or play or read. Even if the parody is very close to the original product's name, it still counts in my book (shows that person who has created a show, movie, video game or book were not even trying to make a good parody name.)

In conclusion this show might be weird, odd and a little dark, but I still love this show anyway. It's a really fun show that I think people 18 and up can enjoy watching. With that said I'm giving this show and 8.7/10. Let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted April 11, 2017

Pop quiz, what type of fanservice is popular in the anime industry? The answer: Hybrid girls and their are a lot of them. Vampire girl, Cat girl, Demon girl, Dog girl (yup), Zombie girl, Snake girl, and there's even a horse girl (not even joking). But there's one hybrid that has never been done before and it's most certainly the talk of the town. An that hybrid is non other than the Dragon girl.

But what anime has made this creature so popular? What is "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid", Alex?

"Miss Kobayashi is your average office worker who lives a boring life, alone in her small apartment–until she saves the life of a female dragon in distress. The dragon, named Tohru, has the ability to magically transform into an adorable human girl (albeit with horns and a long tail!), who will do anything to pay off her debt of gratitude, whether Miss Kobayashi likes it or not. With a very persistent and amorous dragon as a roommate, nothing comes easy, and Miss Kobayashi’s normal life is about to go off the deep end!" (Info by wiki)

This is most defiantly one of the most enjoyable Supernatural/Slice Of Life/ Comedy anime I have ever seen in awhile. The last good one I saw was back in 2015, it was called Good Luck Girl.

Even though it has some fanservice in it, it's mostly just a great show with a pretty good storyline, intriguing and diverse characters, and the comedy in there was mostly pretty good. I know there is some anime's that actually did make me laugh, but this one made me laugh a lot more than the others. Don't get me wrong, there still good and I love them very much. It's just that I find this show's humor a lot more enjoyable. You could probably even say that this show has a (feel good) vibe in it.

My favorite character on this show (no surprise) is Tohru. She might strange, weird, and try to get Miss Kobayashi to eat her tail sometimes (Not even joking), but she still a sweet, nice, and helpful dragon girl. Plus she's really cool maid, if she was real I would totally hire her.

In conclusion this was a really fun and enjoyable show to watch. I'm really glad I got a chance to see this show. Through out the 3 days I watched this anime I was really having a good time. I have no regrets or hate towards it, just love. An yes I know that the show is over and I really wish it could continue. But hey the manga is still going. So if you want to see more of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid go check out it's manga series. With that being said I'm giving this show a 9/10 (It's been awhile since I gave an anime that kind of grade) Let me know what you guys think in the comments.

By the way if you need more persuasion to watch the series the studio that made this show also made Lucky Star, Clannad series, K-On series, and of course Haruhi Suzumiya.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted May 16, 2017

Today's review is going to be a pretty interesting one. An the reason why I say that, is because I'm going to be reviewing another 2016 anime that I wanted to check out and review, but never got the chance. This time I'll be reviewing a show that to my honest opinion is pretty weird, but at the same time pretty good. And what show would that be exactly? Well it's non-other than Flip Flappers itself.

"Cocona is a model honor student, cautious and slow to embrace new opportunities. This makes life complicated when a mysterious girl named Papika suddenly appears, fearlessly searching for a wish-granting crystal called the "Shard of Mimi." When fates collide and they're given the ability to transform into powerful fairy-like beings, where will the dangerous journey into "Pure Illusion" take them?" (Info by Crunchyroll)

The show in my honest opinion was pretty enjoyable to watch. One of the few things I liked about this anime would have to be the world of Pure Illusion. The reason why I like or should I say I find this pretty intriguing is that not only is it a weird and random uncharted world, but it also connects to you to mentally. Also if a person changes something in Pure Illusion, it will effect another person's life on Earth.

Another thing that I liked from this show would have to be the storyline (It was pretty interesting), the characters (only some of them were ok in my book), and lastly the animation (I really loved the animation. It's both odd, cute, and pretty fascinating to look at. The people who were in charge of the animation did an excellent job at creating something beautiful and inspiring for this show. An If I had to be even more honest, this should've won best animation not Yuri On Ice.)

But even some great shows has its down sides. Don't worry there only 4.

1. (This happens in Episode 3) How did both Cocona and Papika know that they can transform? The show never explains.

2. In the end of episode 4 we see both Papika and Cocona are getting suck into a portal to Pure Illusion. Once they get sucked in, the credits start to roll. And before you say "Well maybe the show will pick up where they left off in episode 5". Well guess what buddy, they don't.

3. In episode 5 the 2 find out that they can instantly transform by saying Flip Flapping. But here's the thing, they never said that word before back in episode 3 and yet they still were able to transform into their superhero attires. If the show's writers want them to say Flip Flapping as their transformation word then why didn't they have them say that word back in episode 3. In my opinion I really feel like they should've change some stuff in episode 3. Which would be A. explain how they figured out that they can transform to their hero attires and B. what they need to say when they need to transform.

4. Cocona ask Salt how many fragments do they need in order to achieve their goal and instead of telling her he doesn't know. He responds by saying "a lot". Oh yeah, that answers her and my question perfectly.

In conclusion this may have some downsides, but that doesn't make this a bad or terrible show. It's still a pretty good anime with a pretty interesting storyline, ok characters, and very beautiful animation. With that said I'm giving Flip Flappers a 7.8/10. Let me know what you guys think in the comments.

And before you say "but that's the same grade you gave Yuri On Ice". Yes, it was formally a 7.8, but then I decided to change it's grade before I made this review.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Sat Sep 09, 2017 7:19 pm; edited 3 times in total

Originally posted April 4, 2017

Gotta question for you guys. What type of anime has Hellsing Ultimate's art design, has Fullmetal Alchemist's weird comedy (But cranked up to 8), and has real life historical figures battling it out to determine who wins the battle. The light or the darkness? The answer...... is Drifters.

"From the creator and team behind Hellsing comes a thrilling story where history and fantasy collide. Shimazu Toyohisa, a famous samurai who fought in the historical Battle of Sekigahara, is transported to another world when only moments from death. From that moment on, he becomes part of a group known as “Drifters” and is forced to battle against other legendary warriors in an ultimate death game." (Info by wiki)

Drifters is no doubt one of the most interesting anime's I have reviewed in awhile. The last interesting anime I reviewed has to be Keijo. No offense to Yuri On Ice, it was okay, but it's still (In my honest opinion) not hype worthy.

Some things that I really liked from the show was the storyline (was both intriguing and interesting to watch at the same). The characters (Some were very unique and strategical and others were the same, but very weird (I still enjoy watching them though). The action was very fascinating and fun to watch as well. The artwork made me feel like I was watching something related to Hellsing Ultimate; even though it wasn't, I still loved it anyway. An finally the theme song (It was actually pretty good, very worth listening to.)

Now there were 3 characters that actually caught my eye that I really want to give my full honest opinion. An those 3 characters are Oda Nobunaga, Jeanne d'Arc, and the mysterious Black King.

Even though Nobunaga is weird, perverted, and can sometimes be an idiot. I will say this, he defiantly knows how to play it smart and can come up with good strategies. An instead of being the leader of a group that was formed by him, Toyo, and Yoichi. He decides to let Toyo be leader (While still giving him some advice.)

Jeanne d'Arc might be a crazy woman with flame powers, but I still feel sorry for her. You see the show explains that in the past she was burn alive by the people of France (her home country) because she looked and dressed in full armor like a guy. Even though she was saved and sent to assist the Black King, that doesn't mean she was able to get over that traumatizing moment. Thus she went (sort of) insane.

The Black King is probably one of the most interesting villains in anime history. He formally use to help humans, but after being treated with so much disrespect he decided to not only help non-humans, but also destroy the human race so that way the non-humans can live in a utopia. Now the reason why I say he's interesting is because he's an excellent strategist, an intellectual person, is very good at getting things that he needs to destroy his enemies, and is very kind to his followers (It's pretty rare to see an anime villain act like this.)

In conclusion this show was very fascinating to watch. I have enjoyed everything it had to offer. It's an anime that I think a lot people should defiantly check out. An don't worry, to those who hope that it gets a 2nd season I have a surprise for you (it will, soon). With that said I'm giving Drifters 1st season a 9/10. Let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:32 pm; edited 2 times in total

Originally posted April 28, 2017

Well ladies and gentlemen not only is this my 4th review of an anime that is an adaption from a video game series. But this is also my 8th Gonzo anime review.

Ah Gonzo, this company has given me anime's that I like and anime's I dislike. I wonder what was the last Gonzo anime I reviewed........ Oh yeah, it was Rosario + Vampire. Well anyway let's not waste anytime on reflecting and get on to reviewing and hopefully this one is more tolerable than Rosario. So without further ado here is Gonzo Anime Review number 8: Akiba's Trip The Animation.

"An urban legend describes monsters known as "bagurimono" lurk in dark corners of Akihabara, the paradise of anime. When Tamotsu Denkigai encounters one, he is almost killed but saved at the last moment by a girl named Matome Mayonaka, who repells the attack and later revives him. " (Info by Anime News Network)

You know for a show that's trying to be an anime adaption of Undead and Undressed, it does a very terrible job. On the positive side their parody of WWE and Yu-Gi-Oh were pretty spot on and clever and they did get some things from the game correct. Which is showing otaku stuff that goes on in Akihabara and the main characters trying to stop an evil organization while stripping them from their clothing. But (and this is negative side) their are some changes that Gonzo has made for this adaption. Changes that I really didn't like nor appreciate.

Instead of bring the original characters from Undead and Undressed, Gonzo has decided to give the viewers a bunch of different characters that are not from the game. The characters in my honest opinion are pretty annoying and not likable at all. Instead of the organization being called Magaimono, their called (and I'm not joking) Metarotica (insert sexual joke here). An instead of the supernatural creatures being called Synthisters, their called....... the Bugged Ones. The Bugged Ones? Who wrote this adaption and is he or she five years old?

But it doesn't stop here. There are other negative problems that I have with this adaption. 2 that has something to do with the connection of the 2nd game and this anime, while the others are personal problems. So here we go.

1. During episode 1 we see Tamostu and his sister getting surrounded by the Bugged Ones, when all of a sudden Matome (out of nowhere) comes to save them. This is confusing because the last time we saw Matome she was chasing after Arisa. And speaking of Arisa

2. After their brawl was over, Matome realize that she mistaked her for someone else and decided to run away. Wanting to know who she was talking about, Arisa decided to follow her. But the big question is when did Arisa have time to change her clothes and follow where Matome was going?

3. Even though he only met her for only a few minutes. Tamostu entrust his little sister to Arisa so he can go and help Matome.

4. The show is not being fully accurate with what happens if an enemy has their clothes taken away. Sometimes the enemies dissolve into nothing and sometimes they don't.

5. The way Matome revived Tamostu was so stupid. She could've given him a drop of her blood (like what happen in Undead and Undressed) or something. But nope she has to make out with him in order to revive him and share some of her powers. Wow, that's fascinating.

6. During the beginning of the anime, the show felt pretty fast paced.

7. Product Plugging (except for Sega. Their actually a very popular and notable figurehead in the real Akihabara)

8. In the final episode it is revealed why Metarotica wants to get rid of the Otaku's. Its because their Ki is effecting their power. That. Is. So. Retarded. On so many levels.

In conclusion this is a terrible anime adaption of Undead and Undressed. I understand Gonzo was trying to do something different, but their version was terrible. Yeah they had some positives, but that's not going to help them get a good grade or impress all of the Undead and Undressed fans.

If your a fan of Undead and Undressed, I don't think you will enjoy this, but if you do or still want to give it a try. Then be my guest and I hope you like it. With that said I'm giving this anime a 4/10. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:35 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted March 30, 2017

Ah Nanbaka. This was one of the few 2016 anime's I wanted to check out and review. When I first heard about this show I thought it looked like a pretty interesting anime to watch, but after watching all 25 episodes I was surprisingly and sadly wrong. "Well what's wrong with this anime" you may probably ask. Well, let's find out.

"Four men are assigned to Nanba, the world’s most formidable prison. Jyugo, a man who attempted to break out of prison and ended up extending his jail time; Uno, a man who likes to gamble with women; Rock, a man who likes to get into fights; and Nico, a man who likes anime. A super exciting action comedy about the daily lives of the prison’s inmates and guards." (Info by Crunchyroll)

Now the following list of problems I'm going to show will contain spoilers. So if you don't want to be spoiled, you might want to stop reading this review now. Also before we begin there something else I want to discuss as well. The list that I have made are lot, but just like my other reviews I will only show the main problems that I had with this show (which is 6.) So without any further delay, here are a few problems that I had with Nanbaka.

1. The gags in this show are not that interesting. Every gag that this show keeps pulling off hasn't even once make me smile or laugh or at least make me say "Hey, that was kind of funny or entertaining." The gags most of the time are either annoying, not funny, or a cliche.

2. Majority of the characters in this show always have sparkles where ever they go. It's really really annoying. (We get it, there all good looking characters.) Even though it is shown less later on in season 2, that still doesn't mean it's going to be taken off of the list of problems that this show has. Also it took the animators a long time to finally realize that they've been over doing it with the sparkles.

3. (This happen in Season 1) Instead of getting back to where episode 6 left off, Episode 7 decides to show Tsukumo's ( a "Shinboi" prisoner) past life. Oh yeah that makes since, it's not like anything important was still happening..... Oh wait there is.

4. (This starts in episode 5 Season 2) Instead of just taking the talisman off of one of the security guards of building 5 while he was knocked out, Liang and Upa decided to continue fighting him instead. It took them 3 episodes to finally destroy the talisman.

5. In this one scene in episode 8 Season 2, Nico (while in beserk mode (it's what happens if he doesn't receive his medicine) ) bites down on Qi's (a prisoner in Buliding 5 who can make medicine or poison) right shoulder. Some of his blood is seen spilled on the ground, but a few minutes later the scar that Nico gave Qi is healing. An before you say "Oh he probably stitch himself up or use some type of special drug to heal himself". Well guess what he didn't, there was no scene showing how his right shoulder was instantly healed.

And lastly 6. The main problem with this show. Which is Season 2. In episode 9 Season 1 you find out that both Jyugo and another prisoner name Masashi were both tortured and experimented in the past by a guy with 3 scars behind his neck. Both have tried their best to find him and get payback, but failed miserably. An just when you think that this interesting storyline was going to continue in Season 2, you find out that you were wrong.

You see in Season 2 the show decides to give us a different storyline that has nothing to do with the main antagonist back season 1. The action & comedy is all jumbled up ( it doesn't know if it wants to show something serious and violent or just show comedy). Masashi is no longer mention nor seen in this season. An then there's the last episode which was pretty much the biggest joke in this season. In the end of the last episode we see both Hajime (The main security guard for Block 13 and the main 4 protagonist's warden ) and Jyugo going after the new main antagonist of this season and then it ends right there. What. A. Terrible way to end the 2nd season.

The only positive things I can say about this show would have to be the storyline with the man with 3 scars and Masashi. After seeing Masashi's past I kind of feel bad for him and hoped that he would get his revenge, but sadly I won't get to see that and neither will you if you watch this show.

In conclusion this show had a good run at first, but Season 2 had to ruin at all with it's huge flaws. An even if this show gets a another season, the damage has already been done. With that said I'm giving this anime a 3.5/10. Let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:45 pm; edited 2 times in total

Originally posted October 18, 2016

Before you ask, "Blake, why did you start there?" The reason why I started here is because this arc takes place before Trigger Happy Havoc happened. So I thought to myself, wouldn't it make sense if I just review this one first, then future, then the hope arc? Well to me it did. Now with no further delay, lets get on with the despair review.

"Despair Arc takes place prior to the events of the Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Chisa Yukizome begins her job as homeroom teacher for the Hope Peak Academy's 77th Class of Ultimate students. Meanwhile, Hajime Hinata, a student of the school's Reserve Course for students without talent, prepares to undergo an experiment to make him the Ultimate Hope. What follows is a series of tragic events which lead to the birth of the Remnants of Despair and the realisation of "The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History." " (Info by wiki)

I have to say the makers of this show did an excellent job of filling in the missing gaps that the game had. I'm not joking when I say if you want to find out how the characters of the 2nd game became the remnants of despair, or how Hajime became Izuru Kamakura, or how Junko turn the whole world upside down. You most defiantly need to see this arc.

Some of the positive things I can say about this arc would have to be it's storyline, some of the characters (1. Yes, Junko is one of them, I seriously I have to applaud for her work. 2. the reason why I said some is because not all of them impressed me that much), the artwork, and the opening (The song was okay, but I was mostly admiring the artwork that was going on during the opening.)

Sadly and sort of not surprising, but this show had some downsides. It's not much, but their still very disappointing to see.

1. The pacing of episode 1 was too fast. It doesn't even take its time with what it's showing. This is the same problem they had with the 1st season.

2. Product Plugging, especially in episode 7. You see in episode 7 Junko brings Ryota a big pile of Red Bull and after she sets them down. She starts asking him if he's got wings. The writers of the Despair Arc got Junko Enoshima (one of my favorite characters/main antagonist of this series) to product plug.....Red Bull. That. Is. Just. Sad. Look I know this show can be weird and stupid sometimes, but this is just pathetic. I'm here to watch the Despair Arc, not see one of my favorite characters product plugging and almost reciting a slogan from a real life energy drink company.

3. The fact this show keeps censoring some of the violent/gory parts. The only reason why I say some is because it finally shows them in Episode 10. Let me get this straight and just a reminder to you (the reader), the makers of this show wanted us (the audience) to wait until the tenth episode to finally see some uncensored violence and gore. Well, that is the most stupidest strategy I have ever heard. Even though I am glad they finally showed it, that still doesn't excuse them for making me or anybody who is going to watch this wait so long. The arc is almost over and now they decided to finally show it? Pathetic.

In conclusion even though this show had a few down sides that really pissed me off, doesn't mean that this arc was terrible. Again the storyline was great, some of the characters were alright, the artwork was very good, and as for the opening, it was sort of enjoyable to watch. Also for the 1st time ever this show made me laugh. There has never been a Danganronpa game or episode so far that has made me laugh except for episode 1 of the Despair Arc. Props to this show for triggering my funny bone.

Again you have to check out this Arc, otherwise you'll be very confused on what's going on with this series. With that being said I'm giving the Despair Arc an 8/10. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted October 20, 2016

We know move on to the next arc of Danganronpa 3, which is the Future Arc. An have to say my experience with this arc was defiantly...... something.

"Future Arc takes place after the events of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Hope who defeated the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima, is under suspicion of treason against the Future Foundation for harboring the Remnants of Despair who carried on her will. As top members of the Future Foundation, including Makoto's former classmates Kyoko Kirigiri, Aoi Asahina, and Yasuhiro Hagakure, are brought together to decide on Makoto's punishment, they are all imprisoned by Monokuma, the bear avatar of Junko who was thought to have been dead. Monokuma forces everyone to participate in a final killing game, in which they must try and determine a traitor amongst their ranks who will kill them in their sleep, while also trying to avoid being poisoned to death by personalised forbidden actions. Thrust into a game where no one can trust each other, Makoto's ideals of hope are pushed to their very limits." (info by wiki)

Oh Future arc, not only was my experience with this show something, but it was also a roller coaster. An not just any other roller coaster. A roller coaster that seems nice at first, but later on it becomes dreadful.

The nice part of this arc would have to be some parts of the storyline through out episode 1-10 (Episode 11-12 really made me feel sour after that, I'll explain later in the negative parts). Some of the characters were alright, especially Seiko (despite her going a crazy during the middle part of the storyline, I still find her to be an interesting character. I also find her talent as a pharmacist pretty intriguing and helpful too.) An then you have the twist of this series, which was alright at first until you find out more in what the twist contained.

Now what I'm about to tell you will not only explain why I like some parts of episode 1-10, why I found episode 11-12 sour, and why I didn't like the twist that this show contained, but it will also be apart of the downsides that this show had. An let me tell you, it is more than what the Despair Arc had. You see the Despair Arc had 3 downsides. This one has 12 downsides! 12! But I don't want to make this review too long then it already is because I don't think no one will read every problem I had with this show (But if you want to find out the rest of the problems I had with this show, let me know and I'll send you guys the full list.) I'll will only show 6 main problems I had with this series and then I'll wrap up this review. By the way their are going to be some spoilers on this list, so if you want to avoid being spoiled, then please skip the negatives an just head towards the conclusion or stop reading now. An if you want to find the main problem I had with this Arc, then go to problem number 6.

Negatives:

1. After falling of a bridge we see at first that Kazuo has been impaled by a piece of the debris, but when the camera points at Kyosuke. It shows that he survived. No, no, no, no, no, there is no way he survived that fall. Not even his special talent could save him from that fall. He is a human freakin being, if he fallen from such a big height, he would've automatically be dead in an instant.

2. The show continues being illogical as Kyosuke gets up and attack Kazuo. But during the time he's striking him, Kazuo takes the debris that was on him off and stabs Kyosuke in the eye. After the fight and despite falling of a bridge and getting stabbed in the eye, Kyosuke still lives, while Kazuo dies.

3. For some reason on Episode 7 all of the Warriors of Hope make an appearance in this arc. An the reason why I said some reason is because 2 of them are still alive. If you didn't know, in the spin-off game Ultra Despair Girls, 2 of the Warriors of Hope failed to complete their mission in stopping Toka and Komaru (Makoto's little sister.) For failing their mission the Monokuma kids captured and punish them. So how in the world did they escape from the Monokuma kid's punishment? Well good luck trying to find the answers to that because this Arc never explains that.

4. For some particular reason the color of everyones blood is now red. Now regular in Danganronpa the color of the character's blood is always pink for some particular reason. But no, in the Future Arc the color of their blood is now red. Oh by the way (Just in case you didn't watch it yet) in the Despair Arc the color of the character's blood is still pink. How did they go from showing the natural color of blood to showing Danganronpa's version of the color of blood in the Despair Arc? My best guess is that they wanted to show their audience that the Future Arc had to be taken very seriously. An if that's the real explanation to why it's red and not pink then 1. That still makes no sense and 2. Their really trying too hard.

5. In episode 11 Makoto (while being hypnotize) was almost about to kill himself, but for some particular reason Juzo finds and stops him from doing it. So what's the problem here? Ooooooh nothing much, just the fact that he's been already stabbed in the shoulder by a spear trap, stabbed in the stomach by Kyosuke, and he cut of half of his left arm, so that way he won't be affected by the bangles sleeping drug and hopeful catch the killer in the act. HOW. IS. HE. STILL. GOING. AFTER. GETTING. SO. MANY. FATAL. WOUNDS?

6. It turns out the Kazuo was the one behind the killing game. An the only reason why he did it........... was to persuade Ryota (The Ultimate Animator) to make a hypnosis video that's filled with only hope.

....................... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

Are you kidding me?! That's why he did it?! He had some of his co-workers kill themselves, all just to persuade Ryota to make a hypnosis video filled with hope? When really Kazuo could've just tell Ryota that he could change all of this mess into something good by making a video filled with only hope. I mean he already knows the travesty of what goes on the outside world. He already feels bad that he was tricked into helping Junko with her evil plan. If he just only persuaded him then he would've made the video, send the video worldwide, and then stop the whole world from craving despair. Plus on a bonus note his co-workers would've been alive to see it come to fruition.

But no the old man was too senile and stupid to realize that would've been a great option.

In conclusion the Future arc in a nutshell is mainly (and pardon my French) a clusterfuck with little likeness in it. I'm giving this arc a 2/10, check back tomorrow where I give my full and honest opinion about this season, including the Hope Arc. Also let me know what you think about this review and this arc in the comments. An finally if you still haven't seen this arc and you still want to watch it, then go right ahead. Don't let me stop you from watching it.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:51 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted December 30, 2016

Well folks 2016 is almost over and I haven't reviewed anything since The Zamusu Arc. Well to make up for my lack of reviewing anything lately I have to decided to review a fanservice anime. Now this anime I'm reviewing is no ordinary fanservice show, no no no. It's the most popular fanservice anime in 2016. Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about. My review is non other than the hit sensation itself.......... Keijo. (Note: I watched the English sub version of this show.)

"The series is set in an alternate reality where a new, women-only, gambling sport known as "keijo", quickly becomes a fad in Japan since its introduction in the dawn of the 21st century. Keijo matches are held atop floating platforms, referred to as a "Land", in large water-filled stadiums where swimsuit-clad players fight to incapacitate their opponents or push them out to the water, but they can only hit each other using their breasts or buttocks.

Nozomi Kaminashi is a gifted gymnast who decides to give up her dream of competing in the Olympics and become a keijo player instead, aiming for the high earnings offered there, in order to get herself and her younger siblings out of poverty. As she enters the world of Keijo, Nozomi soon makes new friends and rivals, while learning that the way to fame and fortune in this new, uncommon sport will have more challenges than she ever imagined." (Info by Wiki)

Keijo has to be the 5th oddest and weirdest, yet entertaining anime I have ever seen so far. The other 4 that fall into this category are FLCL, Kill La Kill, Shimoneta, and Prison School. One of things I like about this show is the fanservice. Not only is it entertaining and interesting, but it also fits along with how this show flows. Also props to the creators of the manga and the anime. Instead of just letting the boobs be the main attention (Like any other regular fanservice anime or manga would do); it also focuses on and gives the same amount (and probably even more) attention to their butt. I guess Dandy from Space Dandy was right "it was all about the booty."

A few other good aspect I love about this show would probably be the storyline (which was kind of weird, but at the same time alright), The characters (Some of them were really interesting to watch, but their was one character that manage to catch my attention the most, I'll explain who and why later on in the review), and the artwork (which was very well done and kind of fascinating to look at through out the episodes).

Now before we move on to the down sides I want to talk my 1# favorite character from this show a little bit. An that character is.... not Nozomi Kaminashi, but side character Mio Kusaki. Now no offense to Nozomi she's a great character and all, but the anime did a very poor job of showing her real reason of joining Keijo. So I had to replace her with another character that did an excellent job of impressing me, which was Mio.

The reason why Mio is my number 1 favorite is mostly because of her fun and lovable personality, her english is very superb (Major props to Hibuki Yamamura; Mio's Japanese voice actress), she's super nice and helpful, and her skills in Keijo matches or when she's practicing with her teammates are very "intriguing". Even though she is not the main character of this anime, I'm still glad that she's apart of the series.

Sadly as good as this show may seem, it has a some downsides that not only upsets me, but will also effect this show from getting a perfect score. Here are a few of them:

1. Just like K (except in that review I meant to say the brightness not contrast) the brightness in this anime will sometimes dim midway and then it goes back to its original brightness. Look if the anime is showing action scenes it doesn't need to be dim midway. Just a tiny bit will do it. Honestly.... HAVE. JAPANESE. ANIMATORS. NOT. LEARN. ANYTHING. FROM. K'S. PAST. MISTAKE.

2. In episode 6 after Nozomi gets defeated by Kyoko Shirayuki (a pro Keijo player.) Kyoko tells her that she has a weakness and instead of being a good temporary teacher and tell her what it is. She decides to let Nozomi figure it out on her own. Now granted eventually she would find out what that weakness is, but that would take too long. It would save a lot of time and episodes if she just told her what her weakness is and what she needs to do to get over it. Plus this show only has 12 episodes, God knows how long it will take her to figure that out.

3. Even though it's TV-MA, the anime will still censor the parts where the girls are nude. Now look I'm not trying to sound like I'm a pervert (I'm only trying to make a point here. My apologies if it sounds like it ) but what's the point of the TV-MA rating if your not going to go all out? It makes them look like a joke (and not a very good one.) Again my apologies for talking about this, but I have to remind all of you again that this is a TV-MA show. An when you have a rating like that, you can show nudity.

4. In the middle of episode 11 were introduced to a new character name Saya (who is on the main character's team). That's nice and all, but why wasn't she introduced before? The reason why I ask and see this as a downside is because the show is almost coming to end (and no the OVA's do not count, their bonus episodes that have nothing to do with the main storyline) and for some particular reason the show's writers or the director of the anime decides to put in a new random character that we know little about. All we know is that she's capable of handling big opponents.......... That's cool, I guess.

5. For some random reason instead of showing the intense continuation fight between Nozomi and Maya (main antagonist). Episode 12 decides to start the episode off by explain what Keijo is, even though we (the audience) already know what this sport is back in episode 1. So why is the anime repeating the same information again at the last episode? It makes no sense and it's completely unnecessary.

In conclusion even though this anime had some parts that made feel sour, I'm still going to give it a good, but not perfect score. Which is a 7.9/10. An I know what some of you in comments are going to probably ask "why does this anime still get a good grade?" Well that's because it has fulfilled some of my 4 main things plus a great artwork that I'm looking for in a show. An those 4 are either having a great storyline, good characters or character, be entertainable, and have a good chemistry with the audience.

An if there's fanservice in that particular show, I wouldn't mind seeing it as long as it still has one of the main 4 (plus great artwork). If the show that I'm watching is not all that great and just has or doesn't have fanservice. Then I'm sorry I don't care if other people like it, I will give it a bad grade and say it's terrible.

So with that being said is this anime worth the watch? Yes and I would love to watch this again someday. Let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:08 pm; edited 1 time in total

Original on my G+ page Originally posted September 26, 2016

I know I know, "But Blake you've already reviewed this anime." Yes I did, but here's the thing. After looking back and reading the review one last time, I decided that I didn't like what I wrote. I thought that the review I wrote previously for this show was an absolute piece of garbage. No one was going to take this review or the show I watched seriously.

Black Lagoon really is a great show. An what my 18 year old self wrote previously was not a good enough of a review to describe how great it was. But if you don't believe me, take a look at the quotes from my past review and tell me down in the comments if you can take these words seriously.

"This is a show that not only had people drop their mouths (Even today), but also blew their freakin minds." Or this one "I also have a lot of favorite characters from this show including some ones I made as my Waifu. So let me give you a short list of those waifu's if you don't mind." Or how about this one " In conclusion this a bada** I can't stop watching it over and over again (I literally can't, I guess I have Stockholm Syndrome for this show.)"

Now do you see why I want to do a redemption review on this anime? Black Lagoon is not like one of those stupid generic cheesy anime's. An I'm going to try my best to prove it. So without further delay here is the real review of Black Lagoon.

"The story follows a team of pirate mercenaries known as Lagoon Company, that smuggles goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia in the early to mid 1990s.[1] Their base of operations is located in the fictional harbor city of Roanapur in southeast Thailand (somewhere in the Amphoe Mueang Trat district, likely on the mainland north/northeast of the Ko Chang island or on the island itself).[2] The island is home to the Yakuza, the Triad, the Russian mafia, the Colombian and French cartels, and a wide assortment of pickpockets, thugs, mercenaries, thieves, prostitutes, assassins, and Gunmen of all sorts. They transport goods in the 80-foot (24 m) Elco-type PT boat Black Lagoon. Lagoon Company does business with various clients, but has a particularly friendly relationship with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow. The team takes on a variety of missions—which may involve violent firefights, hand-to-hand combat, and nautical battles—in various Southeast Asian locations, even going as far as Phu Quoc island of Vietnam and when not doing much, the members of the Lagoon Company spend much of their down time at The Yellow Flag, a bar in Roanapur which is often destroyed in firefights." (Info by wiki)

Awesome, spectacular, a thriller, and a run for your money. These are only one of the few things that I describe about this show. Black Lagoon is not only one of the best anime's to come out in the mid-2000's, but it's also one of the best TV-MA anime's of all time (Right next to that is Cowboy Bebop, Attack on Titan, Ergo Proxy, and many more who are worth the watch.)

There are so many positive things I can say about this show. To start off would be the storyline (it really does a spectacular job at keeping a person on the edge of their seat), The artwork (I would have to say that it does an awesome job in showing how the show should really look like, sometimes light and mostly dark and grimy), The voice acting (what can I say, the people who played as these characters did an amazing job in bring them to life, I really have to applaud their hard work and effort that they put into this show), and the characters (Most of the characters are one of the best and finest anime characters I have ever seen in my entire life, especially the non-main ones.)

I like how we the audience get to know how some of them work or know a little bit about them, which helps the viewers decided if they like this person or hate them. But there was one particular character that manage to catch my attention and if I had to be honest to you guys, I would have to say that I'm really glad she exist in this series. It's non other than 2 guns herself Rebecca Lee aka Revy or Levy (according to how they say her name in Japan.)

Revy maybe a loud-mouth, swearaholic, violent, and hard-head woman, but I still consider her to be my favorite. The first time you see her you might think that she's just mainly a terrible person and how much of a badass she can be with her 2 Beretta 92FS's. But as you continue to watch the series till you hit the end of Black Lagoon's OVA you start to see there's more to Revy that meets the eye (You can have the same feeling if you read the manga adaption as well.) Believe it or not Revy does have a good side, if a person (Rock for example) plays their cards right with her, she'll start to open up little by little.

There are also times when she'll talk about her dark past, even though she's over it, I still feel sympathy for her. I'm not going to tell you what happen, but all I can say is that it's not for some one who is under the age of 17 to hear ("viewer discretion is advice.") How she was able to get over it and still be who she is now is unknown to me. But I do know this, I have a lot of props for her (By the way getting her to open up is going to be very difficult, she's a very tough person to crack.) No doubt when I say this, Revy is one of the best badass female anime characters of all time.

What more can I say about this show. It really is that good and worth the watch. Like I said before it's not like one of those cheesy anime's that some people will get disgust by. It's truly a badass classic that has some James Ellroy, John Woo, Quentin Tarantino and Stephen King influence in there. If your new to anime and you want to give it a try (depending if your 18 and up) I would highly recommend you give this anime and it's manga a try.

With that being said I'm giving Black Lagoon a 10/10. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. An thank you for taking your time to read the better version of this review.

Happy 11 years Black Lagoon.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted August 2, 2016

Last Friday during the release of my review of Sakamoto. Someone made a request of me to review this show. Luckily for me I've already seen this anime before. An before you say "Then why didn't you review it before?" I was busy reviewing other old and new anime at the time, plus I probably forgot. So without further ado here is my review of Heaven's Lost Property.

"Tomoki Sakurai is a perverted teenage boy whose motto is "Peace and quiet are the best," and often has dreams of meeting an angel. He finds it difficult to live in comfort when he has to put up with Sohara Mitsuki, his next-door neighbor with a killer karate chop; Eishiro Sugata, an eccentric pseudo-scientist bent on discovering the "New World"; and Mikako Satsukitane, their school's sadistic student council president. One night, while he was witnessing a strange anomaly in the sky, a UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) crash-landed nearby. Tomoki discovers that what fell from the sky is a winged female humanoid named Ikaros from an unknown world of Synapse, who soon declares herself to be Tomoki's servant. From then on, more creatures known as "Angeloids" arrive; with this, he loses his peace and quiet, but at the same time finds pleasant things the Angeloids bring him, and fight the forces that fall upon Earth." (Info by wiki)

So let me get this straight. The main character (who is a pervert may I remind you) gets an Angeloid for a servent and can do whatever the fudge he wants with her? And she's ok with it? What kind of show am I watching a hentai?

Surprisingly no, this anime shows no sexual action nor does it revolve around it. If anything it may sometimes show some sexual teasing (By the way I absolutely hate that). An as much as I want to make a full rant on why I hate sexual teasing, that will only diverge from my review of this show. So let's move on.

I will admit this anime is pretty interesting. The storyline was pretty good, I found some of the characters and maybe the main one (aside from his perverted moments) to be alright, The English dub voice actors did well in portraying their characters as well. Even though I find Greg Aryes's (voices the main character) voice a bit annoying, there are times when he's voice can be used for the right anime character. An Tomoki is one of them.

My favorite character would have to be Ikaros. Some of you would probably agree on why I picked her, but to those who don't know allow me to explain. Even though yes she can be a bit boring at sometimes, but there are other times when she can be interesting too. Like that one time when she glued her faced to make it looked like she was smiling (I'm not even kidding, that actually happens in the show.) I also like seeing her in action as well. She really proves that she is not force to be reckon with. (By the way to those in the comment section who might say "I bet he likes her boobs too", grow up.)

I also feel sorry for her and the other Angeloids. I'm not going to say why, but all I can say is that if you have a friend who is an extreme feminist. I advice you to not watch the anime along with them (trust me it's for the best.)

In conclusion this anime was pretty good. It has some great action scenes, the fan-service was alright, the storyline was pretty good, some of the characters where alright, and the English voice actors did well in their roles. I highly recommend you watch this show if you ever get bored one day and have nothing to do. I'm giving this anime a 8.5/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:14 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted June 27, 2016

A little background story before the review can begin. One day I was watching a video that had 107 facts about Cowboy Bebop. An while it was going over some of those facts it kept promoting a certain show. A certain show that I would eventually go watch on Toonami and that it was directed by "The Quinton Tarantino of Anime" himself, Shinichiro Wantanabe. An what is that certain show you may ask. Well my anime readers that show is non other than Samurai Champloo itself. By the way, what a coincides that Cartoon Network just announced that it was going to come back to Toonami right after I got finish watching the 107 facts. It's like they wanted me to watch it, LOL.

"Samurai Champloo is set in an alternate version of Edo-era (1603 to 1868) Japan with an anachronistic, predominantly hip-hop, setting.It follows Mugen, an impudent and freedom-loving vagrant swordsman; Jin, a composed and stoic rōnin; and Fuu, a brave girl who asks them to accompany her in her quest across Japan to find the "samurai who smells of sunflowers"." (info by wiki)

Samurai Champloo is no doubt one of the best anime's that has ever came out in 2004. It's also my 2nd favorite Wantanabe anime. The storyline was very impressive, it always did a good job in persuading me to see what happens next to the gang. It also gave me some happy, funny, and sad times as well. The main characters, especially some of the minor ones were pretty intriguing to watch and had very interesting backgrounds and adventures that really catches the audience's attention . The artwork was pretty simple. The English voice acting was very impressive and did a wonderful job with their roles (Steven Blum, Kirk Thornton, and Kari Wahlgren props to you guys.) It's also very interesting on how hip hop music blends so well during the time of the Edo Period. But the only music from Champloo that always had me addicted to listen to was the main theme song "Battlecry."

Which was sung by Tsutchie, Fat Jon, Force of Nature, and the late Nujabes (RIP). Whenever I hear that theme song play ever time I watch a Samurai Champloo. I never skip, I always let the song play and maybe sing along to it. Here's the thing about me and anime theme songs, they have to at least catch my attention. An make me not want to skip it and head straight towards the episode. Show's like Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing, Higuarshi (S1), GITS: Stand Alone Complex, and Black Lagoon did good job of persuading me not to skip it's main theme. An the reason why for that is because those show's themes really know how to attract a person's attention.

Anime themes these days are nothing worth the time to listen to. Mainly because 1. it doesn't peak my interest and 2. some anime themes go for cutesy or something over the top. Psycho Pass 2nd season and Attack on Titan however are the only 2010 anime themes that has ever impressed me.

Samurai Champloo is most defiantly not your every day anime. It basically goes over some of Japan's history in the Edo Period. Shows some western influence, sexuality (including homosexuality), and surprisingly religion (It's very rare to see an anime go over Japan's history with Christianity).The religion part really peaked my interest. Don't get me wrong the others are very interesting as well, but this one hit me right in the heart. You see back then if you were Christian in the Edo days of Japan, you would be executed on the spot. I'm not joking, nor am I kidding (At the time when I was watching those parts I felt intrigued and sadden.) If you want more info on those dark times, I highly recommend you go look it up.

In conclusion Samurai Champloo is most defiantly one of Shinichiro's finest works. It's storyline is fascinating, funny, exciting, and amazing. It's main characters and some minor characters are both memorable and noteable. It's music is very captivating. An it's Chanbara style was both shock and awe and wonderful to look at. The very time you watch it's first episode you would immediately get hooked on watching the rest of what it provides. It's both an icon and a treasure to anime history.

I'm giving this show a 10/10, let me know what you think in the comments.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

Originally posted July 6, 2017

2003 had some good and notable anime's that came out in that year. Fullmetal Alchemist, Tokyo Godfathers, Animatrix, and Wolf's Rain just to name a few. But today I'm reviewing one that not only came out that year, but (in my honest opinion) was the most intriguing out of the bunch. That anime is non-other than Texhnolyze.

"The events take place in the vibrant yet dilapidated underground city of Lux. Denizens of Lux have come to call it "The City" and treat it as a sentient force. Three factions vie for control of the city: the Organo, a strictly professional conglomerate with ties to the criminal underworld in the prostheses business ("Texhnolyze"); the Salvation Union, a fanatical populist group interfering with the Organo's affairs; and the Racan, a marauding group of Texhnolyzed youths. The series has an ensemble cast, but events particularly focus on Ichise, a stoic prize fighter who loses a leg and an arm to satisfy an enraged promoter; Onishi, a young but level-headed executive of the Organo who has many enemies; and Ran, a little girl who has a very important gift that affects the entire city. As they struggle to accept the challenges that they are dealt, the characters bear witness to major events that determine the survival and fate of the city." (Info by wiki)

There's no doubt in my mind when I say Texhnolyze is one of the most interesting and intriguing anime that has came out of the early 2000's. The show does an excellent job of showing a world that's full of violence, greed, and depravity. It also does a great job of showing the positives and negatives of texhnolyzation.

Another thing I liked about this show is that in the 1st episode there was less talking and the only way you can figure out what was going on was by paying attention to each scenes that happens in this episode and by listening to the sound of the music. But you wanna what's funny and interesting about that? A certain anime movie sort of used the same method and it also came out in 2003.

The movie that I'm referring to is Interstella 5555. But unlike Texhnolyze Interstella's characters don't talk at all. So the only way you can figure out what's going on is by watching what happens in each scene and by listening to each music that plays through out the entirety of the movie. I highly recommend you go check out Interstella 5555, it's a really good movie that's defiantly worth the watch.

Another thing I liked about this show was the storyline (which was pretty interesting), the characters (Some of them where alright), the artwork (it was pretty good, even though sometimes it can be a bit trippy, but it's suppose to be like that so that way you can understand how the main character feels when he's angry or disgusted by something or someone), and the music (was well made, through out each scene in every episode it does a great job of telling the audience what's happening or what's about to happened.)

Their are 2 characters that I really liked in this anime. An those 2 are Ichise and Yoshii.

Even though in the beginning of the series he started off as a stupid, eager to punch someone kind of guy, he later on matured and started to become an alright character in my book. Also he's fighting skills is actually pretty good, it gets even better and more advance after he get's some enhancements to his arm and leg. I guess you can say that Ichise is kind of an interesting character. So interesting that every girl what's to have sex with him, even guys........ I am not joking about that one.

(Sort of spoilers on this part)

The reason why I find Yoshii very interesting is that he's very smart, well skilled, and excellent marksman/shooter. Another thing that's kind of interesting is the certain impact that he has committed through out the rest of the series kind of relates to real life. What I mean by that is, how do wars start? How do violence start? The answer, is that starts with one person aka the powder keg. An here's the thing even if you do get rid of the powder keg, the problem will either continue or another problem will arise. An it won't stop until a conclusion pops up. An it will either end with love, peace, friendship, and collaboration or bitterness, hatred, bloodshed, and death.

In conclusion Texhnolyze is very intriguing anime with an interesting storyline, some alright characters, a good artwork, and well made music. It's also one of the few anime's that makes you think about life itself. I wish anime would continue to do stuff like that more often, but lately these days it's pretty rare to find new ones that do. With that said I'm giving this show a 9/10, let me know what you think in the comments.

Little bonus note before I go. Episode 19 and 20 where never aired on television for some unknown reason. I tried to find out why, but no cigar. If any of you know why please share in the comments I would love to know.

Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:06 pm; edited 3 times in total

Originally posted June 26, 2016

Ah superheroes, they really are one of the most fascinating things to read or watch here in America. Whether we are a fan of DC or Marvel, we would still enjoy following their adventures wherever they may go. But what if there was someone in Japan who was inspired by these superhero comic books and decided to write his own superhero series in manga form. Which later on gets turn into a TV series (Which by the way is not a parody.) Well that's where My Hero Academia comes in.

"Izuku Midoriya is a regular middle school student in a world where people with superpowers known as "Quirks" (個性, Kosei) are the norm. However, he dreams of one day becoming a Hero (ヒーロー, Hīrō), despite being bullied by his classmates for not having a Quirk. After being the only one to try and save his childhood bully, Katsuki, from a Villain (敵（ヴィラン）, Viran), All Might, the world's greatest Hero, bestows upon him his own quirk, "One For All". The story follows Izuku's entrance into U.A. High School (雄英高校, Yūei Kōkō), a school that cultivates the next generation of Heroes." (Info by wiki)

Alright I'm not going to lie this show was very impressive. It does a very good job in trying to be like a superhero show, especially showing the origins of the main character. This anime kind of reminds of the movie Sky High (You know that superhero movie that was on Disney and is currently a DVD know? If you don't know what I'm talking about then don't worry about it.) Though I will admit, this anime does it way better than what Sky High ever did, plus I highly doubt this series would become irrelevant years later.

The positive aspects I would give for this show would be this. The storyline was well written. The characters were enjoyable to watch and to see. Each music that this series had fit perfectly. As for the artwork; it was a bit odd, but still looked pretty intriguing.

My favorite character would have to be Izuku Midoriya. Yes I know he can be a bit whiney sometimes and a little weak. But instead of just giving up and feel more like a useless character, he continues to try his best to become the best hero he can just like his favorite superhero All Might. (Even when he's feeling really depressed he always has his friends and All Might to help him back up.) I also like how he keeps notes on all of the superheroes and villains he knows. So that way in case he gets himself into a fight with either one of them he can prepare a strategy on how to beat them.

Now as much as I love this show and everything it has. It is sadly not going to be a 10/10. The reason why is because there is one negative aspect that I found stupid from this series.

You see some of the next gen heroes' names are really stupid. Don't get me wrong their powers are cool, but their names are really sad. Here are the few names that I find really disappointing: Froppie, Creatie, and Pinky. I am not kidding you, those are actually their names. Geez the creator of the manga must've really been lacking with names during the time he was creatie them. (Okay okay sorry, no more puns)

By the way speaking of Pinky (I liked it better when she called herself Alien Queen), when you hear that name what do you guys think of? Pac-Man right? Well let me ask you guys something, do you really want to think about Pac-Man when your watching an anime? "Oh this show is really awesome, I especially like Pinky the ghost. Wait, she's not ghost right?" Yeah after reading that example I bet wouldn't want to think about Pac-Man huh? Again I have nothing against these 3, just their superhero names.

In conclusion this show is defiantly one of the best superhero anime's I have ever seen in my life. If your curious on watching a superhero anime show I highly suggest you watch this or One Punch Man. You and whoever is watching it with you will not be disappointed. I'm giving this show a 9/10, let me know what you think in the comments.

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