The story revolves around Kakazu Kio, an ordinary high school freshman living in Okinawa. A girl with cat ears appears before him during a memorial service for one of his family ancestors. The girl calls herself Eris and claims she is an alien. Before long, fanatical alien worshipers and a mysterious government agency are in hot pursuit of Eris, but Kio’s childhood friend Manami — who wants to follow in her father’s footsteps in the CIA — captures Eris. Kio finds himself having to protect Eris from everyone. [ANN]

CAG Impressions: 

   Another big-tit Neko Girl!   But she’s cute!

 Alien worshippers, secret agencies, a dang alien neko girl (wait… BIG CHESTED nEkO gIrL), and a four-eyed just your ordinary high school boy in the middle of it all… ha!  Can this be the makings of a good series?  I guess I’ll have to wait and see. 

Asobi ni Iku yo! really took me by surprise.  I thought it was going to be all ecchi-like with the girl next door who’s been in love with the boy like forever and a day and would be full blown jealous of kitty girl.  Nah… she’s [Manami-chan] is involved in one of the agencies that wants to capture kitty girl.   Didn’t see that coming; but then again, didn’t read the manga, so…

And from there, the story takes off where Eris stays with Kio.  Throughout the episode we are introduced to three key players who are out to capture Eris.

  Minami-chan, his next door neighbor who has all this spy gadgets.

  Hitokasu Sensei, who is part of another organization.

   Futaba-chan, who under first impression is a quiet shy school girl that likes Kio, but in reality, the girl is deadly!

Even though the first episode took me by surprise because it was not what I expected, I’m willing to check out more of this series.  Would I recommend it, yea… I would.  Got all this intrigue and espionage and a cute neko girl that made me laugh!

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Rating:  8.5/10.

I know, I know, such a short review and it’s probably on the vague side.  Gomen; but for the time being, this is the best ya gonna get out of me.  Will try to write a more detailed post after seeing a couple of more episodes.

That’s it in a nutshell.

Laters!

A mysterious, lethal disease is on the loose worldwide, resulting in a catastrophic death rate of humanity, and the increasing rise of attacks, caused by the living dead.

In Japan, several high school students and a school nurse have banded together to escape Fujimi High School shortly after it was attacked by zombies. The group now attempts to figure who or what was responsible for this plague, and in the meantime, attempt to survive the present apocalypse.

The story is initially narrated through the eyes of Takashi Komuro, one of the students who had survived in the initial outbreak.

CAG Impressions:

Following closely to the Manga, this first episode gave you a bit of gore, skin munching, action and oh yeah… bouncing boobs and panty shots!

With the Summer 2010 Releases well on its way to premiering series we waited months to make their debut, High School of the Dead was not a let down. 

I sat back and enjoyed this first episode Spring of the Dead.  It started off with a narration from Takashi-kun who’s at  ground zero of the outbreak along with his fellow classmates, Hisashi-kun and Rei-chan.  This first episode is kinda like their story…

Rei-chan made a promise to Takash-kun when they were kids that she would marry him when they grew up.  The fairy tale died out and as teenagers, she is dating Hisashi-kun.  Feeling down about it, Takeshi is outside standing on the open stairwell, where he witnessed the “first” killing of a teacher that was bitten by an undead.

Things go downhill pretty fast from that one bite.  Once bitten, that person too will turn into an undead.  The chain of reaction spread like wildfire and soon the trio are faced with undead fellow classmates and teachers.  The strategy, is to stay alive by any means necessary… and that includes bashing the undead upside the head in order to kill them.

Falls in line like a good old fashion zombie move – in order to kill it, bash it in tha head, and have brain matter spew everywhere.  Then ya know it’s dead for sure!   

Unfortunately, while trying to reach the roof of the building, they are confronted by a teacher.  Rei fends him off, but due to the sheer strength of it, Hisashi comes to her aid and is bitten by it on the arm.  After being scolded by a angry-frightened Rei to come and help, Takeshi overcomes his shock and manages to bash the head in of the undead Teacher. 

The three reaches the rooftop and barricade the stairwell.  Hisashi is turning into an undead.  He wanted Takeshi to help him by throwing him over the railing; he wanted to die as himself.  The Hisashi that they know.  Rei is screaming no and due to the hesitation of the two, Hisashi dies.  Rei in shock, believes that Hisashi will not turn into one of the undead because he was… special.  Takeshi knew better than that.  He was going to turn just like everyone else. 

Takeshi kills the undead Hisashi and Rei tells him he did because he was jealous.  Not wanting to hear those hurtful words, Takeshi decided that it was best to beat the crap out of the undead at the barricade then to stay by Rei.  Fearing that he would be killed, a frantic Rei runs after Takeshi and apologizes and begs him not to leave her side.  The two hugs and that’s the end of the episode.

Like I said, it was a good first episode.  It has something for everyone!  Can’t get any well-rounded than that.   

Best Comedic Scene:  The Two BFFs

Two BFFs frolicking merrily, instead of haul-assing their way to safety!  LOL  How quickly BFFs can turn on one another.  Because when one of them gets snagged, the other was like let go Bitch!  Ha!  What a riot.  But in the end, she got-gotten too.  The end of the BFFs.  What hoot.

Best Dramatic Scene:  Hisashi trying to hold on to his humanity before dying and turning into an undead.

And lastly,

The Faces of Sorrow:

Yep… this is one series that I will definitely be watching, and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 9.5/10

That’s it in a nutshell.  Because I have limited time this season, I’ll probably just be doing “First Lookies” on series I plan on watching… then again, who knows? May get more outta meh! 

Laters!

With the helps of his friends, Jou escapes to go find his sister Meg at the orphanage after getting a visit from the Director of the Orphanage telling him his sister was going to get an adoptive father.

It’s been a month since the boys were put in the reformatory school.   They all are getting along and are calling each other by nicknames.  Jou [Joe] shares with the group that he had a little sister back at the orphanage where he came from.  Inspector Ichihara came in and told Jou that he had a visitor.  Jou thought it was his sister and was happy.  After Jou is escorted out by Ichihara, Sakuragi [Bro] informs the other boys that the visitor was not his sister; the school did not allow minors to visit.

Jou’s visitor turned out to be the Director of the Orphanage.  Upon seeing her face, he is seize with fear.  At lunch, Mansaku [Cabbage] asked Jou who visited him.  He told him that it was the Director and that she came by to let him know that his sister was going to have an adoptive father.  Ryuji [Uncovered] chimed in and asked which ‘rich man’ was going to be her new father.  Noboru [Turtle] told him to shut up.  Since the news, Jou’s mood has been solemn.  He almost got injured in the woodshop when he wasn’t paying attention to the wood he and Noboru was cutting.  Norboru pushes him back and told him to pay attention.

While standing on line waiting for the showers, a merchant came in with a supply of food.  Seeing the gates wide open, Jou stares at these opened gates and his thoughts are filled with his sister. Noboru whispers to him that he could let him see his sister.  He bites down on his own arm drawing blood, and screamed that he was bitten by a snake.    While Noboru squirmed and screamed on the ground to distract the guards, Sakuragi pushes Jou forward telling him to go and don’t come back.  Mansaku asked if Joe was going to commit “haring” [the act of escaping] and Sakuragi yells that he saw the snake too.  Each boy began to yell their sighting of the psuedo snake as Jou runs past the opened gates to freedom. 

Later, Ichihara is being chewed out by the Director of the School.  They had a window of 48 hours to retrieve Jou before the Police got involved.   The director demanded that Ichihara find Jou before then.  Ichihara is hopping mad.  Sneaking around, Jou steal some clothes on a clothes line and continue on his way to the orphanage to see his sister.  With Ichihara and two other guards looking for him, Jou hides in an alley and waited for them to pass by.  He has a flashback of him and Meg at the orphanage and the Director walks in an damn nightgown telling Jou don’t keep her waiting.  After the guards cleared the area, Jou continued on his way towards the orphanage.

That bytch!

Back at the school, the boys were given a beating and thrown into solitary refinement.  Ryuji is pissed that he took a beating for someone else.  Sakuragi asked him why did he helped Jou.  He wanted to know why they all helped Jou.  Noboru told them about his family; his mother, father and sister Tae.  His father was a drunk and when he act out, he would take his little sister and leave the house.  One day, after his father had beat him, he left the house alone… on this day, a day in August, an atomic bomb was drop on the village he lived in, and everyone, including his family was killed.  That was why he helped Jou.

Back at the orphanage, the Director was handling the adoption transaction when Jou burst in screaming his sister’s name.  The director goes out to greet him.  Jou told her he was not taking Meg away from him.  With an evil grin on her face, she replied that she was waiting for him.  All of a sudden, two of the guards sprung out nad wrestles Jou to the ground and handcuffed him.  She had already reported him.  Jou asked her how much more do he had to pleasure her before she let him see Meg.

The director acted like she didn’t know what he was talking about.  Jou started spewing out words that she was a pervert who used people for her own pleasure and then got rid of them for money.  Infuriated, she took a flower vase and smashed it on his head.  Meg comes out yelled for them to stop.  She apologized to the director for Jou’s disruption.  At the school, Ichihara informed the boys that Jou was caught.  He went to see his sister and he would returned Jou to their cell room once he finished beating the crap out of him. 

Jou cried out that they needed to stay together until their mother came and picked them up.  She shot back that she had enough of his lies; their mother was not coming back for them.  Their only choice was to be used by others and she had long been prepared for it.  She told him to forget about her before disappearing into her room.  The guards carted Jou out of the orphanage.  He was so distraught.  I wanted to cry too!  T.T   Meg broke down as well.  Such a teary scene.

Jou was taken back the school where he was put in isolation and beaten very badly.

End of episode.

This was a good episode.  Pissed me off and made me wanna cry!  Can’t wait to see the next episode! 

Laters!

The protagonist, Yukimura Chizuru, is the daughter of a doctor who works in Edo. The father leaves Edo to work as a volunteer doctor and moves to Kyoto without his daughter. As time passes by, Chizuru starts worrying about losing contact with her father, so she decides to go to Kyoto in search of him. On the way, Chizuru is attacked by few criminals and witnesses a fight between an oni and the Shinsengumi. Taking her into custody and saving her, the Shinsengumi debate on what to do with Chizuru when they discover that she is the daughter of the doctor they are also looking for. So they decide to become Chizuru’s protectors and help her look for her father(the doctor). Lots of events happen while she stays with the Shinsengumi, as they discover mysterious secrets and also fight against the Bakumatsu group. The story is overall romantic with a historical and political background.  [From Hakuouki Official Website]

CAG Impressions:

Another Bishie Boy Harem surrounded by a plain ordinary girl.  Of course with some romance… blah, blah, blah, blah.

Gomen… after watching the first episode [The Snowflake Capital], I wasn’t interested.  Love myself a good Bishie looking male… but – I found myself skipping parts and frankly, I just couldn’t get into it.  There was nothing special or attention grabbing about it.  Perhaps after I look at some more episodes, I’ll have a change of mind and then revise this ‘First Lookie.’

So no review from me. 

A thousand apologies. 

Rating:  7.5 

That’s it in a nutshell.

Laters!

The protagonist of this series is a third-year college student, and the story follows him as he looks back at the earlier years of his college life, and his adventures with the members of his club.

Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, the creator of Kaiba and Kemonozume.

CAG Impressions:

  WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!

I felt like I needed to be high in order to comprehend the first episode!  Wow… what… a… ride… GET ME OFF THIS THING!

Now, I for one like the weird, the obtuse,  and/or the insane abstract side of Anime, which is either a short series or an ova and I may get lucky and find an actual full length movie.  But this first episode of Yojo-han Shinwa Taikei made me crave a super stuff joint so that I could sit back and enjoy the ride with the ever-so fast talking dialogue!  AND I DON’T EVEN INDULGED!!!  O.O

I really don’t know what to make of this series.  LOL!!!  I’m at a lost.  I’m not really surprise at the abstract going 50 miles per minute narrator… after all, it’s from the mind of the creator who gave us Kaiba and Kemono zume — which I enjoyed and felt that both series did not get the recognition they deserved.

… how can I begin, rather – where should I begin?  Computer Geek God, wish me luck on this one!

Okay!  So there’s this nameless guy eating ramen noodles at a ramen stand (Cate Ramen) on a windy night.  He meets a so-called God (a god of Matchmaking) of Shimogamo Shrine who knows everything about Nameless.* 

*Note:  It’s so much easier to just called the character nameless… less complications this way.

Anyhoo, the God’s name is Kamotaketsunuminokami.  <— don’t make me type that again.  "=_=  The god basically breaks down Nameless life – the smallest detail to the most embarrassing.  The God wanted to know why Nameless spent the last two years in a timid state.  Nameless blamed it on his Ozu.  The God stated that it would be Kannazuki soon and that he would be traveling to Izumo.

Nameless doesn’t have a clue as to what the God was talking about.  The God stated that when they gather in Izumo, they decide the relationships of man and woman.  The God takes out a book and points to the name Akashi-san; a name that Nameless should know.  He then points to Nameless’ name and Ozu name and asked if he understood.  Nameless still doesn’t have a clue and the God insults him by calling him stupid. As a god of matchmaking, he is prepared to make Akashi with someone: Nameless or Ozu. 

Nameless began to take a surreal journey back into his past.  He talks about his lonely high school days and when he entered college, he had high hopes to make friends and be sociable.  It didn’t happen that way.  In steps Ozu.  The two become friends as well as mischievous partners in crime of breaking couples up.  They called themselves "Black Cupids." 

Nameless eventually become to like Akashi.  He invited her on a date to eat ramen at the Cat Ramen Stand. and visited the God to tell him not to give Askashi to Ozu, but to him instead.  The God told him to meet him  before 8pm on the east side of Kamo-oohashi [bridge].  The two meets up and there’s a large crowd.  The God realized that it was Gozan.  He told Nameless that he had to cross the Kamo-oohasi [bridge].  He goes on to tell him that once he crossed, Akashi will come walking from the other side.  Nameless is to strike up a conversation with her and ask her out on a date.  Nameless flat out refused.  Shy…  The God told him to stop whining and pushes him towards his journey.  Nameless does meet up with Akashi, and he froze up like a robot(?).  She asked if he was there for Gozan and he replied yes and then said good-bye to a ‘question mark-over-her-head Akashi. 

Suddenly Ozu appears dressed as a woman.  He yells out to Nameless not to defy the words of a god, and hurry up down the path to love.  Nameless yelled back that he did not need his help.  Ozu replied that if he didn’t make a serious move, he was going to jump! Nameless yells back what did his love life and Ozu jumping  have to do with with each other.  Ozu didn’t have a clue.  Akashi yells to Ozu  that the river was swollen and if he jumped, he would died.

By the time, the crowd has become irate.  They rushed Ozu and some even try to push him so that he would fall.  Ozu loses his balance and falls in.  Nameless rushes over to the rail and people started questioning were they friends.  Nameless flat out denied it. Well, he got push over too.  End of episode.

Phew!!!!!  Cant believe I got through this First Lookie.  Rough I tell ya… rough!  The one good thing I liked, it had a slamming ED song. 

Would I recommend this?  Yea I would and here’s the reason why: 

There are some who are on a higher plane than I, who would watch this series and understand the complexity of it.  I just can’t do it. 

Rating:  7.5/10  that’s the best I can give it.

Gonna go submerge myself in a cup of coffee-chan now.    

Laters!

A romantic comedy that centers on the student council head named Misaki Ayuzawa who despises the mostly male, slovenly population at her school, which was once an all-boys school. However, Misaki’s most handsome schoolmate just discovered her secret — that she works afterschool at a maid café.  [ANN]

CAG Impressions:

My first thoughts when I saw the series on Chartfag’s Spring Releases,  I wasn’t at all interested in reviewing it.  Thoughts of Ladies versus Butlers filled my head and I was like… Oh gaud, puh-lezze!  However, Not at all what I expected.  Totally Shoujo…

This first episode [Misa-chan is a Maid] opens up to Misa-chan exercising her authority as Seika High Student Council President.  Her persona is that of being a hard-assed, self-righteous, and unyielding to compromise.  She had already hit a nerve with me!  Being in a school that was once all male, she had to worked hard to prove that she could change the school populace around to make it a more friendlier and safer environment for the minority female students by becoming the President.  The male students are literally scare of her!  She can come off as being the ultimate Devil’s Spawn!

While patrolling the halls, she came across three male students trying to coax a female student into doing their cleaning duties for them.  Misa immediately steps up and take control of the situation.  Once again, she exerted her authority by telling the male students that they were dress inappropriately.  This annoyed them and they began to walk away.  One of the boys had earrings on, which was against the school’s dress code and she rips them out of his ears and sent the boys running away. 

This chick is more a bully than anything else!  LOL!!!!

Continuing on her patrol, her “monitor” ears hear a girl crying and she runs off to investigate.

She come across Usui Takumi and the crying girl because he rejected her confession.  Totally pissed off, she yells at him to be more mindful in choosing his words.  Takumi-kun has this indifferent persona that’s  kinda cute! 

Going home for the day, Misaki reflects on how much she hates boys that made girls cry.  We see that her home life is different.  Her father ran off and left them [Mother, sister and herself] in debt.  Walking inside the house, her foot falls through a hole in the floor.  Her sister had covered it with newspaper because she was the first to fall through the rotting floorboard.  LOL  While having a conversation with her mother, her sister informed her that the chief from where she works, called and told her she need her to come in and  take the place of a worker who was out.  Misa works to help pay the bills, and her job is:

being a maid at a cosplay cafe!  Taking out the garbage, she fretted about being seen by one of the students from school and lo, behold, she’s caught by Takumi-kun.  The poor girl almost died.  In the changing room, she turns white as a sheet and falls to the floor  caring the other workers!  Leaving work, she bumps into Takumi again.  He was waiting there to confirm that it was actually her working there.  He asked why she was working there.  One of the workers was leaving and she didn’t want her to see them, so she drags Takumi off.  They ended up in a park, and she told him about the situation at home.  He gave her his sympathies.

Bonus!

The “Melodramtic falling to the floor into a white heap Misaka-chan” video clip. 

Back at school three days later, she was waiting for Takumi to open up his mouth and tell everyone that the President of the school had a job as a maid at a cafe.  Quite undignified… no?     She heard two male students talking and when they mention a word that sounded like “maid”, she was ready to pounce.   Realizing it was a misunderstanding, she continue on her patrol.  She wondered if Takumi was planning on blackmailing her. 

Takumi shows up at the cafe almost giving Misaka a heart attack!  He kept coming back to watch her in her maid costume.  Ha!  Takumi got a kick out of seeing her in that outfit.

Between worrying about whether Takumi would say anything, she throws herself waist deep into school activities.  The stress from working, school, and the duties of being the President wore her down and she found herself getting sick.   Taking out the garbage at work, the three guys from earlier in the episode, catches her and they taunted and teased her – especially the one whom got his earrings ripped out by Misaki.  Takumi steps in and they backs down and run away.  Misaki apologized to him before passing out.  She wakes up to find herself in her bed.  Her mother told her to rest and gave her a blue scarf that was Takumi.

The next day, she thanked him and wanted to repay the debt and asked if there was something he wanted.  Takumi told her he wanted her to be his personal maid for a day!

End of episode. 

It was cutesy.  Don’t know if I’m going to be blogging on it.  I’ll have to see.  But I totally recommend it!  Afterall, it’s Shoujo. 

Rating:  9.0/10

Alright… another done and more to do.

Laters! 

Masa learns more about the House of Five Leaves dealings.

Ichi is at Houju Powered Medicine picking up more drugs.  The proprietor made a comment that his business was thriving and Ichi told him not to be too nosy.

Later that night, Masa is back at the Tea Room having a meal and Ichi is keeping him company.  Ume is rude to Masa and he doesn’t understand why Ichi is softhearted when it comes to him – since he had no plans to join their little organization.

Masa character, is to love.  Seriously…   Just wanna keep him on my lap. 

Leaving for the night, Masa follows behind Ichi and asked him where he lived.  Ichi replied that if he needed to talk to him, he can meet him at Ume.  Masa mumbled he was just trying to make conversation.  Ichi stated he lived at Katsura-ya, an establishment in the unauthorized brothel district in Fukagawa.  Masa thinks Ichi is teasing him.  He bids Masa farewell and he follows behind Ichi.  Once in the district, Masa spies on him from a distant.  His is confronted by a woman who recognized him as someone new to the district.  He asked about Ichi and she tell him how he’s a bodyguard for the Katsura-ya and he was also a freeloader and he’s somebody she wants to make love to her.         

On his way back, Masa is thinking on Ichi and fails to see where he’s walking and bumps directly into a wooden pole.  LOL!  The next morning, he goes back to the Job Broker whom reminded him again that he had plenty of laborer jobs.  Masa gives in.  He’s at a worksite digging a hole, when another worker comes by and pushes him out of the way stating that he could do it faster.  Poor Masa… he’s not even a good laborer!  Ichi stopped by and told him if he gets hungry, go by the Tea Room to eat.

Masa is always hungry, so of course he winds up at the Tea Room where he’s sharing a table with Otake.  She even commented that he wasn’t good at labor work.  Ume serves him food and knocks over the bowl of soup. Matsu, another member joins them at the table at the request of Otake.   Ume is really annoyed at Ichi’s kindness towards Masa as he set down another bowl of soup for Masa. He’s feeding Masa and they’re not getting nothing out of it since Masa refused to join them.   Okinu scolds her father for talking bad about Ichi. She stated that women would hate him if he bad mouthed him.  Ume then slams his hand down on the table scaring Masa.  He told him because he’s letting him eat for free, he’s [Masa] going to help him with shopping the next day.

The two are walking through a scenic route and Masa asked how much further they had to go.  So pretty this scene.     Ume has a straw basket on his back and ignored Masa’s question.  They came to a house and the owner asked who was it this time.  Ume set the basket down and replied that it as a son of one of the Shogun’s direct retainers.  Masa looks on over Ume shoulders and was shocked to see a body fall out of the basket.  Ume told him not to freak out over every little thing.  LOL  Ume told Masa that they gave him a drug and stuffed his ears for transportation.  Masa replied before he even notice, he helped him. 

Ume reminded him that he told him that he was going to help with shopping as the men sat down to eat.  The owner asked if Masa was a new member. 

Ume stated his joining was anticipated by Ichi and he fully intends to drag Masa in.    After the meal was over, Ume takes a nap.  The owner tell Masa that Ume was an old acquaintance of his and he had started helping him by keeping the hostages.  He commented that Masa looked like a softie and the business probably wasn’t right for him.

He also stated that if he didn’t want to get dragged in with them, he should get away while he still could.  But of course Masa isn’t because the little group intrigues him.   On their way back with the basket now full of vegetables, Ume tells Masa that if he does plan on joining the group and ever hits on Otake, he was going to kill him.  Now does this sound like Ume likes Otake?    Masa replied wasn’t that something he should tell Ichi, since he doesn’t seem to like him.  Ume stated that he doesn’t hate him; he just don’t trust him, but he did have confidence in him.   

Back at the Tea Room, Masa shares Sake with Otake and Ichi.  Seemed like Otake was getting a bit drunk there! 

Masa feel he’s in the thicket of their friendship.   The next day, He is traveling on a boat with Otake.  At the tea room, Otake stated that she had fun with him on the boat ride and asked him to have a drink with her.  Ume interrupted and told Masa that he needed help in the kitchen.  Jealousy, jealousy…

As he’s helping in the kitchen, Ichi dropped by and laid a bag of money on a barrel.  Masa asked if it was from the kidnapping the other day.  Ichi replied that he just came back from the meeting.  He wanted Masa to be at the tea room at 11 o’clock that night and left.  Matsu stops in and at the same time, Masa was coming out of the kitchen with a plate of pickles and it gets knocked out of his hand.  Ume blamed it on Matsu.  Otake calls Matsu over to her table while Okinu and Masa cleaned up the pickles.  She whispered to him that her father and Matsu didn’t get along. 

          Later that night, as they waited for Ichi to returned, Masa asked if the Police knew about their dealings.  Otake replied that they knew who to threatened.  Ume chimed in that if their identities are discovered, they will be a step ahead and leave Edo.  The plan was to divide up the money when Ichi came.  Masa takes his leave since he felt that he didn’t do anything to be compensated for.  Ichi arrives and asked for Masa and Ume told him he left.

The next day, Otake takes Masa with her to collect leaves with five points that signified their group.  Otake said that if he joined, the House of Five Leaves would be complete.  She left to go buy dumplings as he continue to look for leaves.  Masa feels that he’s been at the mercy of Otake lately.  Behind him, a stranger walked up and asked  if a woman asked him to pick leaves and then questioned if he really was a samurai. 

Masa replied that he was, with dignity.  The man said he was funny huddled up picking leaves.  He gave Masa a leaf that fell on him and left.  Taking a break, Otake and Masa sat and ate their dumplings.  Otake see Matsu and calls him over.  He gave her an ornament that he made.   He didn’t say anything to Masa nor even acknowledge his presence and Masa wondered was he being ignored.  (Later, Masa told Ume that Matsu gave Otake the hair ornament and it pissed him off.)

Ichi gave Masa 1 ryo and told him to use it on himself.  Ume remarked that he could take that ryo and pay his tab.  LOL!!!   Masa wanted to know if they thought he was one of them.  Ichi replied that who knows and then stated that he was in charge of pickles.  However, he did know of their identities.  Otake told him to accept it as hush money.  Masa seemed troubled at the thought of taking the money and knowing their identities.   Ichi said if he [Masa] stayed away from the tea room, his troubles would go away.  He then go on to asked Masa if he was comfortable being there.  Masa replied that he did; he never had a place in Edo where he could spend time with.   Because of his personality, he didn’t have friends when he was working with the government either. 

Okinu heard what he was saying and said she was sorry to hear that and he was already one of them, and to continue visiting them.

Masa said that he would while blushing.  Awww… kawaii!

Later that night in the shadows, Ichi met up with Matsu.  Matsu had been watching over the house of the latest returned kidnapped victim.  He stated that it looked like they would not go to the police.  He stated he would continue to watch them for a while.  Ichi said that he (meaning Masa) would be joining them soon.  Without him trying, he’s quickly getting himself more involved with them.  Ichi found him interesting and Mastsu stated that this was not like him.  Ichi replied that it wasn’t only because he was skillful and strong, and he wanted him in their group and also he didn’t get tired of watching him.  He wanted to watch him more to see what kind of person Masa was, although this wasn’t something that he normally did.  

End of episode.  I’m liking this series more and more.  Between the background music (which once [hopefully] the CD comes out, purchasing!) and the sceneries, I just get put into a happy place.  Yep, this one is definitely worth watching.  Even if it’s just to see Masa and his timid personality. 

Well, that’s about it.  Until next episode,

Laters!

This “science love fiction” story revolves around a high school boy who discovers that he is part of a select group of humans who did not evolve from monkeys, but various animals such as leopards and black bears. [MAL]

CAG Impressions:

   Eck!  It was just “okay.”  This first ova  fell kinda short… This is one time I have to say that you can’t squeeze alot into 31.5 minutes.   If it was made into more than 2 episodes [OVA], perhaps I would like it more. 

Now before I get left any angry comments from Yaoi/Shounen ai fans, let me just say, gomen; I was looking for a more cohesive storyline. 

Quick Note:  Madararui – select group of humans who did not evolved from monkeys, but from other animals.

The first episode was on the cutesy side I’ll admit.  So the story starts off with Madarame Kunimasa and his love interest Tsuburaya Norio (Noririn) confiding in Kunimas’s brother, Yonekuni.  Noririn has no sense of his Madaraui and is a bit clueless.  [go figure]  Yonekuni charges Noririn 50,000 yen for special training.

Then there’s Fujiwara Shiro who’s been secretly in love with Yonekuni since middle school.  He even applied to the same high school just to be next to him. 

And now for a comical moment:

Yonekuni hates other males and wish they would all drop dead! [Ha!]

Although the ova dealt with four guys, the storyline basically revolve around Yonekuni and Shiro.  In the end, Yonekuni begin to have thoughts about Shiro, but continues to act cold towards him.

You know, I watched this ova twice… it just seemed too rush to me.  Like I stated before 31 minutes is not enough to try and squeeze a whole helluva lot into it.  It just dealt with the boys’ unfolding feelings.  But, it is a light hearted romance comedy that will make the yaoigyrl/boyd in ya or the shounenai gyrl/boyd  in ya smile.  I recommend it.

My favorite part of the whole ova:

Noririn turning into a cat in the middle of foreplay.  LMAO!

Like the Seiyuus, they fit each character, well drawn and it was cutesy.   Once again, Aarinfantasy did a great job subbing.  Arigato! 

Just didn’t win the Yaoigyrl over in me.  She can be quite picky and finicky like a damn cat! 

Rating:  8.5/10  Can’t give it a low score…  

That’s it in a nutshell.

Laters! 

Yamada, first name withheld, is a 15 year old girl who has just entered Takizawa High School. Easily considered exceptionally beautiful, she has only one problem with her own body, she thinks her vagina looks weird and is very self-conscious about it.

Upon entering high school, her dream was to have casual sex with 100 men but therein lies the problem, she believes an experienced partner will tease her about the way her vagina looks or simply the fact that she’s a virgin. She stumbles upon the solution in the form of Kosuda Takashi, a fellow virgin, whom she believes will help ease the transition to more experienced partners.

There’s only one small problem, Yamada doesn’t know anything about sex.  [MAL]

CAG’s Impressions:

Awwww C’mon!!!!  Wanting of a 100 F*ck Buddies and haven’t even had sex yet?!  I think I’m done now.

A girl who doesn’t like the look of her own vagina but yet shows she has the making of being a sex freak and wanna have 100 fuck buddies when she enters high school…

But I have to confess though…

This first episode [Make me your first!] made me laugh.  No, I was cracking up at certain scenes!  There.  I said it!

I’m so glad I had no expectations – negative or positive after reading the descript to this series.  I just decided let me just clear my mind and view this episode.  And I was quite surprised – again, I’ll admit it.  Seriously cracked me up.

What was really surprising is the comical faces and moments of the characters.  Take those away and I don’t think the episode would be as funny. 

So anyhoo, Yamada really wants to start her conquest of having a 100 “f” buddies.  But in order to do that, she needs to have sex first.  Shopping with her friend Takeshita to buy a dictionary that had sex words in it.  LOL  In the bookstore she see a guy looking at a dictionary.  He appeared to be shy and she dismisses him.  Yamada is on foot stool trying to reach a high shelf for a dictionary when she loses her balance and falls… on top of the guy.

That fall must have had a magical mojo to it because after carefully inspecting him, she decides that he could be the one.  But the silly girl asked if he was a virgin and hit it on the nail and sent the poor thing running and crying out of the store.   But she vaguely remember his face.  The next day at school, she is still wondering who this guy was and this guy [Kosuda-kun] is in her class and sits right next to her!  Ha!

And the shenanigans begin this point forward…

One thing that had me questioning was what the heck was that little floating thing with a mustache dressed in pink?!?!

It’s Yamada’s God of Sex!  [Have mercy!]

Anywaaaayyy…

So determined to make Kosuda her first, she follows him around, pushes him into a closet, showed him her bra and continues on relentlessly with trying to make him hers.  With a plan in action, she steals his umbrella and that was the key to escort him home under her yellow umbrella.  Once at his house, Kosuda’s sister sees Yamada intentions and phone their mother and said she would meet with her to eat.

Upstairs in his room, it was awkward and Kosuda went to bring them some tea.  All the wild thoughts went through her head as to what to do and she calls Takeshita and Takeshita tell her that she was shopping in a drugstore and hung up.  Yamada wondered what could she be shopping in a drugstore for and images of condoms runs through her head. 

Takeshita was actually there getting some cream for a heat rash under her breasts!  LOL!!! 

Then it dawn on Yamada that she forgot to bring one.  Kosuda returns and find her in a state of shock.  Yamada makes her move and leans on him.  He looks down at her chest and then turn her to face him.  Nervous, Yamada was looking down when all of a sudden, she witnessed him having a hard-on and this sends her wailing out into the streets and straight home to her bed, because it scared her… his hard-on literally scared her.  L’ed MAO!

This really was a funny episode.  I can see myself viewing more of it. Just for the antics of Yamada.  Personally, I don’t think that she’s going to get her “f” buddies, but rather settle with Kosuda and have happy memories of school life.  Right?

Really like to see this chick try to get to “first base!”

Okay, I know this was a short one, but I wanted to showcase the screenies.  Really funny!  Yes, I would recommend this one.

Rating:  8.5/10

Okay, that’s it in nutshell

Moving right along.

Laters! 

Seven teenagers in 1955 have to learn to live together in the same hold in the reformatory of Shio. Confined in a hall where suffering and humiliation are daily, they are waiting for a ray of hope in a dark, incarcerating world. The story follows their life together and how they move on afterwards.

CAG Impressions:

  Provocative…

I love Anime… I really do.  I love it even more when a series comes out and it’s damn good!  After viewing the first two episodes of Rainbow, I was happy… very happy. 

  Mingakami Mario (17):  assaulted a teacher who attacked a female student.

  Tohyama Tadayoshi (17):  detained for acts of violence and false imprisonments.

 Maeda Noboru (16):  detained for theft, con, dine & ditch.

  Yokosuka Jou (16): detained for violence and improper intergender relationships.

  Matsu’ura Mansaku (17):  detained for violence and underage drinking.

 Nomoto Ryuji (17):  detained for con, usurpation and theft.

   Set in 1955 – which easily could’ve been modern day and updated clothes and such, six juvenile delinquents are on their way to Reformatory (Shonan Special Disciplinary School) school.   The first episode starts out with a dark rainy day.  The six boys are loaded on a public bus in chains and handcuffs with masks on their faces.  Quite unsettling scene to be paraded in that fashion.    A little girl  on the bus drops her doll and one of the boys picks it up and tried to give it back to her.  Instead of taking it back graciously, she starts crying.   

At their designated stop, they are taken off the bus.  The little girl in a prissy fit, throws the doll out the window as if it was ‘now’ tainted.  That pissed even me off…  The guard of all guards from hell beats the crap out of the boy.   At the reform school, they are subjected to a physical by a doctor who at first, appears to be all nice and caring… that is to say until the physical exam began.  That bastard! 

            After the exam and fully clothed, they are taken to a cell dorm where there’s an older guy sitting by the window reading a book.  He has his back to them and the boys tell him to introduce himself.  The guy replied that he don’t talk to kids or to monkeys and asked which were they.  This infuriates them to the point where they wanted to beat him up. 

He accepts their challenge and at the same time to teaches them a lesson.  The first to charge at him was  Mario  and after throwing some wild punches, he gets a punch to the face and goes down.  The next one, Tadayoshi  also is punched in the face and Noboru charges after the guy and bites him on the arm and he gets swiped as well.  Then next, Jou  followed by Mansaku and lastly Ryuji .  They are all were taken down. 

Mario wanted the guy to kill him.  He felt he had nothing to live for anymore.  Extending an olive branch, Jou gives the guy a cigarette he had hidden in his mouth and asked to be spared.  The Guard from hell appeared.  ‘=_=    He makes a comment that one or two of them should’ve died.  Fighting or talking back usually wind up with a stay in isolation, but being it was their first day he was going to show them what happens to them when they break the rules.  The guy is told to take a seat.  He is stripped of his shirt and beaten badly by the guard on his back with a baton.  The guard tells the boys to take part in the beating.  They refused and he loses his mind.  He was about to strike Mario, when the guy rises slowly from the floor and tells him to stop; they weren’t at fault.

The guard Inspector Ishihara strikes the guy on the head.  The doctor comes in and tell Ishihara to stop.  They don’t abuse the kids.  They leave and the guy passes out.  Later, after the rain cleared up and the sun was beginning to come out, he regained consciousness.  He thanked Mansaku for taking care of his wounds.  The guy stands and looks out of the window.  He’s pleased that the rain had stopped and takes out the cigarette and rolls it in fresh paper.  He asked Ryuji for his glasses so that it can mirrored sunlight to spark a fire.  He then asked Mario to stand guard at the door with a makeshift piece of mirror attached to a stick.

Jou asked the guy his name and he got mad and told Jou he should’ve introduced himself first.   He extends the cigarette to Jou and tells him to take a puff and pass it around.  The guy walks over to Mario and told him to hurry up and take a puff too while he took over standing guard.  Mario was being stubborn and the guy pushes him forward with the cigarette.  He commented “Don’t you think I know what you’ve gone through outside?”  The statement stirred something inside of Mario.  He goes and stand by the window and takes a pull.  He smiles and said it was good while having a tear in his eye.

The guy finally introduces himself, Sakuragi Rokurouta and he was pleased to meet them.  He told them he hoped that two years’ time, they would be out on the streets.

The narrator ends the episode by telling how the boys came to call Sakuragi “Bro.”  He was mature and it was something they weren’t accustomed to, followed by that in that place the rainbows in their heart were nothing but momentary illusions.

Great suspense, drama and it left me wanting to see more and more of this series.  No ecchi, no comedy, just pure serious story telling at it’s best.  Yea, some of the scenes can be a bit explicit, but if you have taken a peek at this series,  you gotta admit, this is one of the best drama series to come out of this Spring releases.  Totally recommend this series.

Rating: 10/10  Oh wow… have I given a series such a perfect rating???

That’s it in a nutshell.

Laters!