Finished watching Your Name

Finished watching Your Name (2016, CoMix Wave Films, 1h 46m) on 04/21/2017.

Mitsuha is a country girl who dreams of life in the city. Taki, is a city boy who spends his days juggling between school and his part-time job. Their fates suddenly become intertwined when they begin experiencing a phenomena that puts them in each other's bodies. While at first this confuses them, they get used to the common occurrence and attempt to communicate with each other in hopes of eventually meeting up in person.

9/10 - This is a movie that's loosely based on an older one by the same name. I think only the concept of meeting up with someone without many leads to go by is what they share in common. At first the movie explores the funnier side of swapping bodies. But eventually plot comes in and says "Hey, we got a movie to make here!" and drama unfolds the story into something that I assure you will be too much for your poor little heart to handle. All of a sudden they want to meet each other, and they plan things out and then... Well, spoilers happen, that's what! Now my heart feels played and I don't know how to handle my emotions anymore! Why are you still reading this stupid review! Go watch the movie! Nothing else can save you now! WAAAHAHHH! D:

Finished watching Boku Dake Inai Machi ERASED

Finished watching Boku Dake Inai Machi ERASED (2016, A-1 Pictures, 12 epi.) on 01/16/2015.

Satoru Fujinuma would be your average detached-from-life 29 year-old part-timer if not for a strange little phenomena that sends him back in time several minutes before some sort of tragic event happens in his vicinity. This is something he has lived with his whole life, and knowing its meaning Satoru takes these chances to prevent those tragedies from happening and often saving lives. However, his courage to defy this phenomena is one day put to the test when he is sent back 18 years in the past after being accused of murdering someone close to him. This is his chance to fix everything.

9/10 - Man... this is one of those shows that just messes me up inside. I was at the edge of my seat with my emotions! The story really knows how to attach characters to the audience and make them fear for what’s coming to the characters. At least it did for me. Sometimes I just knew what was coming and when it did it just broke me because I was so not ready to deal with it. And I’m not trying to say that the show is predictable, because if it was it did it in a very good way for me. I have to say the ending was… hmm, I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either. I know the show is based on the manga by the same name and I haven’t read it yet. So maybe it’s one of those things where some of the story was changed a bit to fit the studio’s agenda or budget. I mean, it is only 12 episodes and I’m not sure how long the manga is. Overall it’s a really great show with incredible writing and animation.

Finished watching Kobato

Finished watching Kobato (2009, Madhouse, 24 epi.) on 5/26/2016.

Kobato is an innocent, kind-hearted young girl on a mission to fill up her glass bottle with kompeito hard-candies. But these candies aren't just regular ones, they appear inside her bottle everytime she heals a broken heart, a not-so-easy task. But with her she carries Ioryogi-san, a fire-breathing, quick-tempered, stuff animal doll who guides Kobato through her ordeal.

7/10 - Very nice. This show has a lot of heart and Kobato is sure to tug at your emotions when her personality is challenged by the harsh realities that life presents. But the show doesn't let you stay down for too long as Kobato picks herself right up with her silly ideas which are often literally burned down by Ioryogi's fire breath. Ioryogi is my favorite character, his temper amuses me and for a stuffed doll his facial expressions are epic! The story is based on the CLAMP manga by the same name, but I haven't read it yet so I can't say how it compares. Even so, I enjoyed this show nonetheless. The art quality was good and so was the animation. The production doesn't feel rushed or anything. Nothing that you wouldn't expect from Madhouse.

Finished watching Kaleido Star

Finished watching Kaleido Star S01 (2003, Gonzo, 26 epi.) on 4/18/2016.

Sora, a young acrobat from Japan, travels to America to join a world famous acrobatic circus known as Kaleido Star. With much luck she gets accepted and a small, floating, masked man the size of a beer bottle reveals himself to her as Fool, the Spirit of the Stage, seen only by those who have a burning passion to perform.

7/10 – This show was alright. The story, although with minor plot holes and trivial awkwardnesses was pretty decent and somewhat engaging. And while the art style wasn't that bad, I feel like this show could've benefitted from a bit better quality. The animation itself only got better when the characters performed complicated maneuvers, otherwise it would be pretty mediocre. The soundtrack doesn't have much to say about itself. Nothing really stood out to me, not even the opening and ending themes. I don't have anything too bad against this show, it's pretty decent for what it is and I would recommend it. But it didn't really convince me to watch the second season arc.

Finished reading Gun-Jou

Finished reading Gun-Jou (2011) on 12/12/2015.

Author: Sakamoto Kou | Artist: Kirihara Izumi

Chapters: 30

Yomogihara Michi is a petite girl whose running speed leaves bikes to shame. After living abroad, she returns to Japan and decides to start an Ekiden (long-distance relay racing) club at her new school. However, if she doesn't gather five club members before the time is up, she will have to fulfill her promise to a fellow student and move to another school.

Her path to success is filled with drama and high emotions as she opens old wounds in the people around her as Ekiden was once a painful experience for them.

7/10 - Albeit short, this was a very enjoyable manga, addicting too. I really recommend it for those of you who like to get hit right in the feels. I even found myself cheering for every character throughout the whole story. I would love to see an anime adaptation. I really think it deserves one. It'd be nice to see more chapters come out too, but at the moment that doesn't seem to be happening very soon.

Gotta go fast.

Finished watching Stand by Me Doraemon

Watched Stand by Me Doraemon (2014, Shirogumi, Shin-ei Animation, 1hr 35min) on 1/21/2015.

Nobita’s future looks grim, that is what his great-great-grandson, Sewashi knows and plans to change. So he sends Doraemon, a high-tech, robotic cat from the 22nd century to the past so he can try to change a disaster in Nobita’s future, however Doraemon and Nobita don’t really click at first but eventually become good friends. Is that the friendship that will save Nobita from what’s coming?

7.5/10 – The later half of my childhood was spent watching Doraemon. So naturally, as soon as I saw the trailer to a CG Doraemon movie... I flipped. But, listen, the movie looked great. I was really impressed with the graphics. But the story felt a little rushed and almost like a reboot, and what seemed like a possible ending to the series as well. The plot of the movie worried me a bit in terms of morals however. I also found Nobita to be a bit too whiny compared to the TV series. I enjoyed the movie but I think the story could've been better. Even for an hour and a half movie it felt like it was longer.

Finished reading Mushishi

Finished reading Mushishi (1999) on 9/10/2014.

Story and art by Urushibara Yuki.

50 chapters.

Ginko is a wandering doctor. And the ailments he treats are that of a supernatural nature caused by tiny, shy, spirit-like beings known as mushi, which despite their size can be the cause of large-scale, devastating phenomena.

7.5/10 – This manga has a very interesting concept and is presented in a magically nostalgic and melodramatic way that connects with me in a weird, scary, yet gentle manner. However, even though I'm happy with getting into Ginko's past and how he became a mushishi I still think the story had a lot more potential for a deeper complexity that it never really reached aside from some exposition. Most of the stories were self-contained and at one point they got really repetitive to the point where I almost gave up. The final story was also a sort of self-contained two parter that almost made me think that Ginko was going to become something more. But he didn't, and I wasn't aware that that was the end of the manga until the last page where the author says 'farewell'. Still, this is one of the best manga I've read so far and the idea is very original. I just really wish the story would've gotten more interesting.