KonoSuba - Anime

I’ve come to realize I really like adventure anime, especially those with a little gaming background/theme. No idea why, but I guess it speaks to my dormant gamer-self who rarely has a chance to run free. Either way, it never gets old to watch anime that take this route though it helps that many of them strive to be at least slightly different from the rest.

The recent anime that caught my attention is Kono Subarashi Sekai ni Shukufuku wo [Konosuba], and despite the relatively poor attempt to actually do any adventuring, it still manages to be an interesting anime with regards to its extreme characters who leave you laughing at the many eccentricities they possess. Don’t get me wrong, the story they follow is actually interesting, it’s just that the antics of the characters outshine the supposed ‘adventure’ they are apparently on.

The story follows a shut-in NEET, Kazuma Sato, who dies in quite a hilarious way and finds himself in a sort of limbo where he meets the goddess Aqua. In this place, our slightly arrogant and self-obsessed goddess gives our protagonist a choice of either going to heaven or being reborn in another world where he would be tasked with defeating the Demon King. Of course if he chose the latter, he would also be allowed to take anything he would think that would help him defeat the Demon King.

Confronted with this dreamlike situation that has him excited to get to this new world, we see Kazuma make an outrageous request in what he could bring to this new world to defeat the Demon King. Despite all those before him we see as Kazuma demands that the goddess Aqua be his ‘thing’ to take to the new world, something that shocks and flusters poor Aqua who is very content with where she is. However, rules are apparently rules as the deities above Aqua grant this wish and off the two go, as they are, to the new world.

Devastated that she has been thrown into this world, despite her goddess ranking, Aqua struggles to adapt to the way of this fairly medieval world while an optimistic Kazuma dives in with many expectations of his new life. But things don’t go as our unlucky protagonist hopes for as he learns living outside his room is much harder, more so when you are in your dream world. Not hailed as the hero he was hoping to become right off the bat, we see poor Kazuma struggling to make ends meet in his new town while he lives with a needy and troublesome goddess.

Things become interesting as he searches for party members and is met with some very ‘special' individuals. While he finds a magician who has some powerful explosion magic, he discovers that our little witch only knows one spell, where she passes out after each use due to its extreme power drain. Making matters worse she shows no interest in learning any other spells as she finds her current magic the best there is, regardless of its limited use.

The next weirdo he comes across is a knight who doesn’t exactly have the best aim. But if that wasn’t troublesome enough she has an added quirk where she seems to enjoy and anticipate any form of defeat or torture. But nothing matches her dedication to protect her countrymen as she continues to put herself on the frontlines, both for honor and pleasure.

So there you have the party and poor Kazuma struggling to cope with this weird harem of girls and their troublesome quirks. Still despite the lack of actual adventuring they do, it remains an interesting story as they struggle to pay off their debts and live peacefully in the town, with a slight possibility of defeating the Demon King somewhere in the future.

In my opinion, it’s a pretty good anime to watch if you don’t have anything else to watch and you love gamer-like anime, though I won’t lie and say this is one anime that is on par with the likes of Sword Art Online and Log Horizon. Still it is a cute harem anime that can appeal to some fans.

Musaigen no Phantom World - Anime

The imagination is an amazing place. So much so that sometimes I wonder if it should just exist outside of where it already is….those are the kinds of thoughts I thought I was the only one to have until this anime came along and delighted my world with its existence and told me, someone else thinks the same way I do. You know how relieving that is? Of course you do, you’re the internet.

Musaigen no Phantom World is an interesting anime. It follows the activities of a group of students with special abilities who eradicate troublesome phantoms. Theses phantoms exist along with many others dues to an outbreak that infected humanity allowing them to see into, arguably, another dimension.

But that’s not all it did as it allowed some of the younger generation born into the infected population to gain special abilities. It’s these individuals that help ‘contain’ the phantoms that threaten of go out of control as people seemingly go on with their lives living alongside the phantom infested world.

The group we follow is those gifted with abilities. However, they remain quite low in their success rate of phantom containment, with regards to damages done to private property. But their luck changes as they acquire new members with relatively powerful abilities and grow closer with other classmates who join their little group.

The characters are fun to watch, from the book-ish artist who seals their enemies through his drawings to the fiery fighter whose sexy jutsu make it almost cringe-worthy to watch her bring forth the elements from within herself, make the show entertaining and enjoyable to watch. I also don’t mind the little crush the cute phantom-eater has on the fiery warrior leaving room for many yuri* innuendos. It’s plain down adorable-ness.

Another thing I like about the show is the psychological problems they address in the storylines. Dealing with such things in such a fun and understanding way is something I can deeply respect and love. Sure it’s light-hearted and not overly serious but still, it’s addressed in a way. So, props to the creator and sponsors who brought this awesome to our eyeballs.

Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm - Anime

There’s just something about watching a sporty anime that gets you all hyped up, don’t you think? This seems to hold true regardless of whether the sport in question even exists in reality as it whizzes through our imagination and comes to life off the screen and into our lives. Funny enough I find this phenomenon doesn’t necessarily ring too true for me with average sport like that stuff that regular people watch…. strange I know, but then I am an otaku so I’ll except my oddities.

In any case, the recent anime I have been watching seem to have a sporty theme to them but the one I’ll review today is the cute harem-esque anime that has a group of at least four girls and two noticeable guys flying around in the sky and no, this is not quidditch I’m referring to.

Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm takes place on an island where it seems the norm for people to easily get around using these things called ‘Grav shoes’ which allow the people to whiz through the air with nothing but the clothes on their back and these cool tech shoes that seem to grow butterfly wings out their ankles as they take off into the sky.

The story follows a seemingly ditzy pink haired girl by the name of Kurushina Asuka, who has just moved to the island and is fairly new to the idea of flying around and is introduced to it with quite a bang as she gets into her first ‘flying circus’ match within her first few days of getting her own shoes.

Basically what flying circus(FC) is is a prestigious game that uses the grav shoes on a whole other level than what a beginner would be able to do. Luckily for our ditzy, fly-fish-lover newbie it would seem that Asuka has a natural talent for being in the sky and pulls off pro-level techniques that surprise not only those around her, but even herself.

Needless to say she joins the school’s dying FC club, along with a few other members who have just as intriguing stories as Asuka and off we see them go joining competitions and doing battles like a real school club.

The show is pretty decent in terms of storyline and the whole idea behind the technology is interesting for me personally, so that’s pretty cool. Admittedly the whole newbie with ready-to-go talent isn’t new, but the way they integrate it into the story is pretty entertaining, so that’s a winner. Ultimately I have to say I’d recommend this to a newbie with a slightly pervy side, because obviously there is the group of girls flying around in their tightly worn, yet cutely styled outfits. So yeah, a good show.

Chivalry of a Failed Knight - Anime

Sometimes I have to ask myself why I still get surprised at today’s level of ‘plot’ that gets dished out in anime. I mean you watch enough anime and you’re bound to figure out the formula that’s behind it, so why be surprised, right? Yet every time it gets to me without fail as I watch a new series with fresh innocent eyes, unsuspecting of what’s to come and then BAM! Ecchi here, ecchi there, ecchi seemingly everywhere as you continue to watch what you assumed was an action and fantasy show that just had really gifted girls and that one lucky guy in the middle of it all.

Chivalry of a Failed Knight is without a doubt your average harem anime where you have your main protagonist, who is a guy that is striving to reach his goal which in this case is to fight in the Seven Star Sword Art Festival. This annual event is held by the seven Mage Knight Academies in Japan to determine the strongest apprentice Knight between the schools.

Our lead guy, Kurogane Ikki, dubbed a failed knight strives to fight in this festival despite being ill-equipped when it comes to having overall supernatural abilities like the rest of his peers, whom are referred to as Blazers and can each materialize a device though their soul to fight with.

On his journey to fighting in the festival he comes across an A-class Blazer, Stella Vermillion, whom he accidentally stumbles upon in an awkward time leading to various misunderstandings and adorable moments that bring them closer together. The two duel it out and upon Ikki’s defeat of her, declare to fight each other again at the festival leading to them becoming rivals and, quite suddenly, lovers.

The anime goes on to show bits and pieces of the couples battles that showcase the rise in popularity and the story moves fairly quickly as it covers their journey to the festival. However, I can’t help but feel the anime slow down at some points and focus on those ecchi moments a bit too much while it lacks a bit of character development for any of the characters.

I have to be honest and say it drags for me a bit when I have to sit through more ecchi than story and I feel lost as to where the whole thing is going and feel like I could have watched another anime. Of course this is all just my opinion, so yeah.

Hidan no Aria AA - Anime

There are a lot of fandoms in the anime universe. I should know that by now. Yet somehow I still get blown away by the various genres I come across in my daily viewing as I randomly pick through all the lovely choices I am presented with to watch. One of the relatively normal ones that I decided to go with though had me questioning whether I had strayed too far from my normal viewing as it had innocent looking moe girls dressed in bullet proof sailor uniforms fighting crime.

Hidan no Aria AA features a group of girls in high school learning to be a special team of detective who take down bad guys, all while wearing these special made uniforms that could probably have a little more material covering them if you ask me, but whatever. The plot follows a very low ranking girl, Akari Mamiya who is an E-ranked Butei.

Butei are individuals who undergo special training that enables them to counter attack the worsening crime conditions of the world they live in. Because of this they are taught various skills, all of which our dear Akari Mamiya seems to fail miserably at. However, this doesn’t stop the fact that she dreams of being one of the elite Butei’s ‘Amica’.

One day as luck would have it though our low ranking lead gets a rare shot at being her idol, Kanzaki Aria’s partner and after some trouble lands up as having a semi-contract with the elite. Of course things become interesting for Akari as she works hard to fully be accepted as Aria’s Amica.

The story seems on the surface pretty below average, with maybe a little interest as it spikes my curiosity about Mamiya’s past, but overall plot is watery at best. The characters are interesting, but not enough to draw you completely in as you can almost predict them and become quickly bored.

The comedy is exaggerated and the drama a bit forced. Then there’s also the yuri* hints that smack you in the face here and there, though that was pretty different for me compared to my normal interests, but it wasn’t unpleasant. I suppose all in all this isn’t an anime that’s going to win any awards, but it passes the time at least.

*Yuri - the Japanese term for girl's love, or relationships between females in manga and anime, also referred to as shojo-ai

Denpa Kyoushi - Anime

‘YD’ – I can only Do, what I Truly Yearn to do

We all have things we want to do and things we have to do. Most days they tend to be the same, while others… not so much. In the end, however, we’re bound to do one of them simply because we are required to, it’s how we move forward and essentially live our lives. But imagine living a life so listlessly where all you could do was only what you really wanted to and not really what you HAD to do? Wouldn’t that be interesting? or downright agony to get through?

In Denpa Kyoushi I found an interesting character in the protagonist who lives according to a fascinating philosophy that has him unable to muster much motivation for things he is not interested in, but the minute he yearns to do something he turns into a whole other being equipped with smarts and talents that allow him to do whatever he wants.

The story follows Junichiro Kagami, a happy NEET* who lives to update his blog and watch anime along with various other otaku activities, as he gets dragged by his sister into a teaching job where he proves to be surprisingly more useful and likeable than at first expected. Despite his initial reluctance at doing the work Kagami finds interesting ways to pass the time during school as he saves a few students and changes their lives, all while seemingly following his selfish otaku way of life.

From getting rid of bullying, to helping students overcome their low self-esteem and emerge from their closed off selves, you see a variety of scenarios that, if I had to be honest, gives a hint of nostalgia from shows like G.T.O [Great Teacher Onizuka] and Gokusen, except our frail teacher has the stamina of a stick…wait, no the stick might actually win…

Either way, as a fan of both those shows, I must say I liked this anime. Though I don’t see it getting a live action anytime soon, unless they revamp it thoroughly, I think it was a pretty enjoyable watch for the weekend.

But I must be honest, the show’s main protagonist barely has any character growth aside from a few hints we are given that maybe he isn’t as shallow as he is made out to be initially and by the look of how they keep changing his interactions with students, it would seem like the creator of the story preferred new situations always being introduced as opposed to developing the ones they already had in play.

Like a kid always wanting new shoes, we see new students popping out the woodwork as the old students, are pushed aside as the focus is blatantly shifted to the newbies and their new scenarios. It’s a bit sad, really.

But in the end I guess it has its own quirks that make you like it or hate it, so what can you do but just enjoy it as it comes?

*NEET - a young person Not in Education, Employment or Training*

Absolute Duo - Anime

I think I stumbled on the harem batch of happy I was given recently… there’s no other way to explain why I’ve been watching anime that seems to be harem-themed over and over, like a rehashed idea mixed with slightly different ingredients to twist the plot as the theme tries to change from one form of fantasy to another.

Absolute Duo starts off just like you’d expect; new guy starts off the school year and the school turns out to be your more than average school. In this case, our lead, Tooru Kokonoe - the centre of our harem – enters an interesting school that specializes in combat, training those known as ‘the Exceed’. 

These individuals are capable of manifesting their souls into actual weaponry which they use in combat, they call this Blaze. But obviously, as is the formula of shounen anime, our main deviates from the norm as his Blaze turns out to be not a weapon but instead, a shield, thus making him an irregular.

But why stop there with the twists? Enter Julie Sigtuna!

See, not only do our battling exceed learn combat while at school, but they do so in ‘duos’ for various reasons and as poor Kokonoe-kun soon learns right after struggling his way into the school and somehow landing up with the very unconventional male-female duo, it’s not just the battling that duos do together, but everything…

Admittedly it’s an interesting story as it has me hooked into trying to figure the main guy out, as well as his partner whom we get almost no information on, aside from the fact that she’s strong and has some dark past and almost no boundaries where Kokonoe-kun is concerned.

I also don’t mind the side characters that make up the harem as they bring more to the story as it all moves forward. 

I have to be honest though, my love of sharp pointy objects has some bias in this show, so that might affect my judgement just a tiny bit… oh well.

Seiken Tsukai no World Break - Anime

This one is a bit tricky to describe… At first Seiken Tsukai no World Break comes across as just another one of your average harems. You have the main guy entering a seeming average school and suddenly being surrounded by all the pretty girls. Then you slowly realise the school isn’t as average as the story goes and our main guy is introduced pretty early as something special, because why not? These days you already know he has to be so most plot lines don’t bother hiding it for long I guess.

Anyway, here we have a school that takes in a bunch of kids that have lived past lives and, because of the abilities this provides them with, they now train to be ‘saviors’ in a world ravaged by what they call ‘metaphysicals’, monsters who attack the common folk and obviously need to be dealt with.

Our hero stands apart as he is revealed to have not lived one but possibly multiple lives previously making him stronger than the average savior as he gains additional abilities learned from those past lives. It’s an interesting take on the whole reincarnation theory.

The story progresses on as our hero ‘awakens’ to the memories of his past lives and we see how his growing harem connects to each of his lives both past and present, unlocking more and more of his abilities as he grows stronger and gains the attention of some important peoples.

I have to admit though I find a bit of his general personality a bit lacking as he just goes with the flow of everything around him. Most of the show gets carried by his harem’s actions and story while he just gets plucked in the picture where convenient, it’s slightly irritating. I’d like to see a bit more character building on his side. Hopefully when more of his memories have been ‘awakened’ this will happen, who knows?

Anyhoo, it’s a good anime to watch to pass the time I guess, especially if you’re into the harem thing. Other than that, I suppose the story could use some work as well as the characters, but that’s just my opinion.