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Warning: All who watch anime, play video games, like J-music and K-music, and the like... ARE OTAKU!
Manga Review: GTO Shonan 14 Days In this volume of the sequel to the Great Teacher Onizuka series, Onizuka takes a new job as a Group Home Counselor (O.O)
This manga starts off where the end of the GTO anime series leaves off. Onizuka has reconciled with his homeroom class and getting ready to start summer vacation.
Now Onizuka is going on summer vacation and he's trying to find a gig for the summer!
But not before playing some pranks on the Headmaster!
Onizuka tries out a few different things (you'll have to read to find out) before finding his calling for summer vacation.
... Then he happens to meet Fuyutsuki's good friend, Ayame Shiratori, on the train. Do you think he has second thoughts about Fuyutsuki when he starts to hit on her girlfriend??? Eventually she offers him a job at a teen group home that she runs with another woman. Onizuka politely... accepts. But not before fantasizing about his future!
Onizuka has no idea that the kids that live at the group home are just as bad, if not worse, than his kids back at the school. He promises to change them for the better and in turn one of them promises to teach Onizuka a permanent lesson in choosing promises. One of the young women at the group home vows to chase Onizuka out before he can help anyone.
This manga was really good. It's a good one to read if you're bored or you're stuck inside on a rainy day. It did seem like it had less jokes and more violence than usual GTO. There are some fanservice shots also. This volume is plot driven and a good addition for any fan of the Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO) series.
When you watch an anime there are certain things that we all look for. They are as follows: Character Development, Artistic Appeal, Opening and Ending Originality and Interestingness, and Plot Complexity. These are our FOUR anime judging qualities and by reviewing this way we can avoid spoilers, I think. So let's begin!
Summary
Madara as Nyanko-sensei
Natsume Yuujinchou means Natsume and the Book of Friends. The book of friends was left to Natsume after his grandmother passed, inside it are names of Youkai or Lost Spirits that she has made to be her servant. Like her, Natsume can also see youkai while most normal people cannot. Natsume has been haunted by this and by the youkai that want to take the book of friends by force. However, Natsume made friends with a powerful cat spirit named Madara and nicknamed Nyanko-sensei. Nyanko protects him as he goes on numerous quests to find out more about the world of youkai, his grandmother, the meaning of the book of friends.
Nyanko-sensi as Madara
Character Development
Natsume yuujinchou is a slice of life anime. Some aspects are shonen especially when Nyanko-sensei fights off the other youkai. The true purpose of the anime is to be a slice of life anime, so the main focus is relationships. Natsume meets many different youkai some of whom are friendly, some need time to warm up, and others are not friendly. Natsume forms connections with ALOT of different youkai over the 39 episodes or so that are out so far. Natsume also makes human friends which is challenging for him because he is always interrupted by youkai...
A Youkai Party
Artistic Appeal
First of all, Nyanko-sensei is voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue. The voice of Hatake Kakashi in naruto and many other tough guy characters. This anime is a piece of his seiyuu prowess because he plays a witty high pitched cat. And wow Natsume's voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya was Mephisto in Ao no exorcist which is a stretch of the imagination too. The visual art in this anime is also amazing, the style is unique and tries to be realistic in terms of hair colors and faces. The youkai are drawn with a flair of imagination.
Opening and Ending Originality
My favorite opening and ending
The openings and endings of this show are very calming and relaxing. Even the one I posted is calm, for being the most up beat opening of the whole series. Whenever you need to relax just watch these openings and endings...
Plot Complexity
This anime is more of an episodic anime. There's no overarching quest that the characters are facing that continues. In fact this anime takes a break after every 13 episodes, I'm currently hoping for the next season to come out. With each season more characters are introduced and in the last season some bad guys were introduced which is interesting. Each episode is a new story and has a really good plot and substance. Character development always continues in this show. It's a great show to watch when you want to relax or when you want to be intrigued. Some of the supernatural occurances in the show made me think about life. That's why its Slice of Life!
When you watch an anime there are certain things that we all look for. They are as follows: Character Development, Artistic Appeal, Opening and Ending Originality and Interestingness, and Plot Complexity. These are our FOUR anime judging qualities and by reviewing this way we can avoid spoilers, I think. So let's begin!
Summary
C. is a show about what the world would be like if the world's economy was run by a hidden esoteric alter-economy that uses the future as trust. Basically if you are one of the chosen few you are given an living entity called an asset which you use to battle other people and their assets. In other words, The Economy: Shounen Battle Anime style. The main character, Kimimaro Yoga, is a high school student who is suddenly visited by a supernatural man in an expensive suit who tells him that he can live the easy life IF he accepts to use his future as collateral for it. He pressures Kimimaro into it with information that his missing father was a part of this world. If you want to know more, WATCH THIS SHOW!
The Mysterious Overlord of the Future Collateral Stock Market
Character Development
The show is only 11 episodes long but I think that they were able to compress a lot of character development into it. There are limitations, for example they can't go deep into character's family history or many of their hobbies but those are not needed. Character relationships are few but intense. The main character's missing father provides a lot of mystery and his relationship with his asset, Mashyu, is very intense. There are many rivals. This show has everything you need! In a short amount of time!
Kimimaro and his asset, his future, Mashyu
Artistic Appeal
I was told by Deretsun to include voice actor appeal and this is where it goes! I will only go into the main character voice actors. Mashyu's voice actor is Haruka Tomatsu and she is great at sounding cute! Kimimaro's voice actor is Koki Uchiyama who is also Midnight in Fairy Tail and the Japanese voice of Roxas in Kingdom Hearts, he is good at sounding like a good guy and can be intense. The visual artistic appeal is very cool, they use CG and they use it well.
Opening and Ending Originality
The openings and endings are the best I've ever seen. They chose great songs! The songs fit the show well, I think. Anyway, the songs they chose are epic, you'll look forward to watching these every episode. You might even want to watch them now!
RPG by School Food Punishment (ending)
Matryoshka by Nico Touches the Walls (opening)
Plot Complexity
The plot is very complex. You will be delighted because this is the type of shounen show that you'll want to keep watching but then since it's only 11 episodes you might be disappointed. Most of the plot revolves around an esoteric stock market that uses both Future and Money as collateral so you'll learn a lot about the stock market, in fact you have to know some basic stock market terms to follow the show. Just know that money loses value if there is nothing backing up and you'll be fine.
When you watch an anime there are certain things that we all look for. They are as follows: Character Development, Artistic Appeal, Opening and Ending Originality and Interestingness, and Plot Complexity. These are our FOUR anime judging qualities and by reviewing this way we can avoid spoilers, I think. So let's begin!
Summary
Astroboy is a story that has changed many times over the years. The original story by Tezuka Osamu was aired in the 1960's and had one hundred and ninety something episodes. The 2003 version is the newest anime version out. In this version, Dr. Elefun/Dr. OShea (in the english dub) awakens a humanoid robot that it's creator Dr. Tenma discarded. Dr. Elefun dubs the boy robot Astro and takes on the role of being his mentor and foster father. Dr. Tenma though is jealous and to keep a hold in Astro's life he organizes challenges and enemies for Astro to face because Tenma wants him to become the strongest robot. The world that they live in is racist against robots because humans believe that robots should not be intelligent or have emotions. It's up to Astro to bring the humans and robots together, with the help of his foster father Dr. Elefun or Dr. OShea.
Character Development
I actually haven't seen the other astroboy series so I don't know how much better or worse the character development is compared to them. I can comment on the character relationships in this show. In this version Dr. Oshea or Dr. Elefun (in the japanese) is like astroboy's father. Unlike the other series' Dr. Oshea doesn't create Astro robotic parents. He IS Astro's father in this one. Dr. Tenma is Dr. Oshea's rival. The theme is based on their rivalry as Astro's true father figure. Dr. Oshea does create Astro a sister, who is called Zoran in the english series. The main bad guy robots or rivals are Pluto, Atlas, and the Blue Knight.
Artistic Appeal
This series is done with the same style as Tezuka's orignal Astroboy series. The only difference is that the colors are newer.Tezuka's artistic style is unique and very cool to watch!
Opening and Ending Originality
If you watch this show dubbed in English you're killing yourself in this category. There is no opening and ending for the American version, only instrumentals. But if you watch the show in Japanese, there are cool openings and endings. See the second opening at the beginning of this post which is by M-flo and Chemistry.
Plot complexity
I don't know about the other Astroboy plots. However the first astroboy being 190 something episodes must have more plot complexity and it was created directly by Tezuka Osamu. This version had episodic plotlines but there was a overarching story behind Astro's origins and the rivalry between Dr. Oshea and Dr. Tenma. Astro's fights with other robots are very short and if you're looking for shounenesque training and fights you're not going to find it as much. But the tensions between the rivals in this show are very good and worth watching.
This event was the same day as Japan day. It was located 40th avenue and Park avenue.
The Japan Block Fair had a great turnout of people. Many different types of people were there, all showing support to Japan and the businesses at the fair. Since the fair only used one block of space, all of those people were crammed onto one block of street. Moving around was not easy.
There were many food stands selling cuisines like ramen, udon, edamame balls, rice balls, etc. The food was really good but the prices were higher than we would expect for the small servings of food. But I bought and showed support and loved the food. ^^
There were many opportunities to donate to earthquake relief in Japan by buying buttons, souvenoirs, etc. They did not have much anime related goods which was a letdown. We got there after the performances too but we wouldn't want to be in a much larger crowd during the performance.
Overall, this is a great event. This year had an extra large turnout. Hopefully next year there will be more space or more blocks dedicated to Japan Block Fair NYC. We hope to see you there!
Hey there! RPGHero here with an anime in review post!
This is all about:
Bleach
The news is that it's getting kinda crazy and whatnot with the final events taking place in this VERY successful anime.
For all you who don't know Bleach is about a freshman or sophomore in high school (depending on if you're talking Japan or America, younger in Japan). He can see ghosts! He uses his talent to help ghosts find comfort. Until he finds out that there are very strong negative ghosts called Hollows! A soul reaper, Rukia, gives him her powers in a last ditch effort to save his life. And he finds that his new powers are really something that he's had all along! Especially since he's super strong as a soul reaper!
Why is Gin embracing Rangiku in Opening 5? (57 seconds into the video)
Ichigo is training to beat Aizen (that powerful wierdo) and we are finally getting to see why in like many openings Rangiku is bloody and damaged... And why Gin is always embracing her like they had a relationship! I won't spoil this one for those that haven't caught up!
"Please smile" he says O.o
"What you mean me? I'm not a powerful wierdo."
But if Aizen did what I think he did to Rangiku. Someone's gotta kick his small rear end. And Ichigo is just the man, I mean boy!
Don't you just want to be Ichigo's best friend?? After watching this ending?
Hiya it's RPGHero bringing you my newest post series, "Darn Good Video Games"
In this series, I'll be posting about really really good video games. And like my name implies, they'll be mostly RPGs. There might be a general multi-player game mixed in sometimes though.
Today's Darn Good Video Game is:
Persona 4
Persona is a video game series that started out as a straightforward ghost/monster/demon killing RPG. And over the installments, they have added more and more story and interactive capabilities. The latest installment being Persona 4.
The plot is intense!!
Well you're a kid that just moved to a rural town in Japan. All of a sudden a horrifying murder occurred.
As you're getting used to your new life you meet friends. They peer pressure you into trying an urban legend where you watch tv on a rainy night at midnight. Before you know it (because you and friends think there's a clue to the murders) you're going on adventures and beating monsters in a parallel universe behind the TV.
There's also alot to do in real life though. You can hang out with people and build relationships...
This game is loosely based on a two things. Mythology and Jungian psychology. How is a game based on psychology??? Well throughout the game you are collecting and using "Persona" to fight monsters. The persona, being a facade used to overcome life's difficulties... both in the game and in Jung's theory. And even in the game they will make many references to Jung. However the personas are actually mythological creatures, which is a creative (AND POSSIBLY FAKE) addition to Jung's theory.
The music is pretty good, the battle music and opening music is unique, it has vocals!!!
The graphics are alright... There are no Hi-def cutscenes but for a PS2 game the constant gameplay graphics are pretty good.
If you like RPG's, being the most popular guy in school, fighting ghosts, solving murders, oracles, and urban legends... Then head down to the local video game store and pick this game up!!!
So, there's this thing called "Vocaloid" and this character called "Hatsune Miku" right? For some reason this confuses new people, because Miku isn't always as easy to recognize as you think. Sure, everyone knows the green hair and leek, but then someone slaps a red hoodie, black dress, or BFG on her and we get confused. Long story short, Black★Rock Shooter is indeed a Vocaloid song by Hatsune Miku.
But then what's this? This sleek and stylish anime that we've heard about? That is, indeed, the OVA for the song Black★Rock Shooter. Yes, an OVA for a song.
Black★Rock Shooter is surprisingly only half about Miku. Maybe even half of that half because she herself is called "Black★Rock Shooter." The story mainly revolves around Kuroi Mato, as she begins her first year as a Junior high student. With her excitable and spunky personality, she is able to befriend Takanashi Yomi, a rich and delicate girl. The main conflict focuses on the relationship between the two friends. So, where does Black★Rock Shooter come in?
[Mini twin-tail versus drill hair: Who will emerge victorious?!]
Really, I don't know. Every so often, the story switches to Black★RockShooter and her fight against "Dead Master," another mysterious girl with control over scythes, chains, and huge scary skulls. It's also immediately obvious that BRS is Mato in the other world and Dead Master is Yomi, probably. "Why do you sound so confused after watching the entire thing [twice]?" Well, everyone in the Black★Rock Shooter part refuses to talk. That's right, fights are silent except for the occassional action music, loud explosions, and a "hmph!" or "ugh!" which makes character development very strained. Of course this adds to the mystery of their universe, but it does get annoying at times...
[See the resemblance yet?]
Fans of Black★Rock Shooter will really love this. All the great scenes from the PV are developed nicely and provide nostalgic depth. While it's pretty easy, this OVA does a good job of pleasing the fans of the original video.
[Everyone should know this classic landscape!]
You can tell immediately that this anime is gender-neutral. There are no signs of romance or ecchi at all. Girls-friendship prevails as a main theme, and as we all know friendship is the great equalizer! But I would have to say that girls would be able to relate to this kind of story more than boys...
[ベタベタ～]
The storytelling aside, the style of this anime is nothing less than stylish, colorful, and fluid. Scenes transition very smoothly, making the back-and-forth between the BRS world and Mato's world less of a headache. The animation is flawless. The drawings are so colorful that it could probably entertain even the youngest audience.
We all know what we're here for though, right? THE FIGHT SCENES! And I must say, they do not disappoint in the least. I am at awe by how cool the fights are. Check out this video of one of the best fights, uploaded by OtakuReviewers on youtube!
» Click to show video «
One thing that disappointed me was the lack of explanations. There are two worlds in this show's universe. How the heck do they relate? Even by the end there isn't much of an explanation. That's really not a good thing if you ask me.
But it seems that there may be a sequel in the works! This is the only bit of news that sheds more light on the ending. There' no way I'd complain over more Miku!!
So, if you enjoy Vocaloids and you have a special place in your heart for Black★Rock Shooter and Hatsune Miku, this OVA will not disappoint!
Hey ya'll, I'm here with one of my personal favorites of the MMORPG universe: Dofus. There is no debate revolving this game, because there is seriously no other game like it! Without further ado, let's begin!
Dofus and Dofus 2.0
Storyline: The story is a simple one if you don't go into the details (that actually exist!). You are an adventurer in the World of Twelve. You hear of the legendary dragon eggs that provide one with insane powers, called Dofus(es). One day the eggs are reported missing, and they are up for grabs! All you must do is chose from the 12 classes available, learn the ropes, gain power and a loyal team, then you're ready to head out and find the treasures of legend! Of course there is much more to the story, but it's an MMORPG. Who plays solely for the story? It is also worth noting that the quests are very involving at times, and also somewhat high on the difficulty meter. It's best to train above the quest level requirements first.
Music: The music of Dofus is very unique: flighty and witty, sometimes monotonous but always adheres to the tone of the area you are in. Each of the 12 classes has their own theme song, each area has it's own theme, and many other places and battles have their own specific music. You may not be into the whole folkish and light music, but then you really shouldn't be playing a game like Dofus.
Graphics: This game is done ENTIRELY in Flash. The graphics are, of course, in Flash as well. Every area (since the 2.0 addition) is lush and amazing to look at. The battle effects are amazing even after the 1,000,000th time you've casted the spell. The backgrounds sometimes hold amusing details that I won't spoil, and the 12 classes and monsters have a cartoony look. It appeals to those who don't want another "Dark-and-Dreary Online."
Playability: This is the substance of the game. Imagine a world where you didn't just point and click to attack monsters. Imagine a world where strategy and skill outweigh (most times) level and strength. Imagine Dofus' turn-based strategy battle system. In theory, a low level can use their brain to beat a high level character. All the monsters have unique AI and most times challenge the players to build a team with sufficient skills to trip them up. And did I mention the 12 classes? In my opinion, Dofus has the most playability in the MMO arena because of it's choice of classes. Everything from the Archer class (Cra), the beserker (Iop), the tanks (Feca and Sacrier), the drunken masters (Pandawa) and much more. It will take you a long time to get bored of what Dofus provides.
A look at the battle system of Dofus. This player is taking on a mid-level dungeon in a place called Otomai Island.
Dofus has recently been given an overhaul in the form of "Dofus 2.0", which in reality is a new version of Dofus. It stands alone from the previous version and allows players to begin anew in a redone World of Twelve, with all new EVERYTHING: character design, monster design, area design, interface, and animations. This shows Ankama's (the game company) dedication to it's players. Dofus has led me back to it more than 4 times. I just can't find a replacement. Ankama has made a game that cannot simply be lifted and repainted to look like the standard WoW clone. No one can make a game like Dofus because it has such unique attributes to it. It may not appeal to everyone, but it certainly appeals to me and it is worth a try.
Where are all of my old samurai out there? Do you recognize this game?
That's right, it's a game for the original game boy!
Boy that sure does take us back to the good old days...
What quality!
I'm sure we all remember winning this game hundreds of times over. And even on the hundredth time playing it still manages to get your heart beating fast when you're chased by a goomba off of a chasm to nowhere!
I'm going to give the first video game review on our website and what better game than the one that ignited our handheld gaming world as we know it!
I'm RPGHero and my reviews may be different from those of Chansu. I'll review by five categories, each having a 20 point max score, and give the game a score out of 100. I think that this way is better than out of 10 because it gives more room to recognize awesome, hand out epic fails, and separate the mediocore games from the champs.
My categories are: Storyline, Music, Graphics, Playability, and Innovation.
Super Mario Land for Gameboy
Storyline: The storyline is simple. The princess is kidnapped by a villian named.... Tatanga. You were thinking Bowser right? Well this game takes place in Egyptian lands. You must save the princess. For an old game that's 18pts of goodness.
Music: The soundtrack to this game is not the well known and well loved mario soundtrack. Many of the tracks and riffs are Egyptian themed. None of the tunes get you sock hopping when you put the headphones on though but for an old game that's 17pts.
See why the scores that high
Graphics: The graphics are great for a game that debuted in 1989 on the original game boy system. Alot of people give this game crap for its graphics but they weren't even in high school in 89, let alone out of diapers for most. The computers back then were bigger than your tv... At least in America. The graphics however could have been better as we all know some games for gameboy have outdone themselves. Awarded 15pts.
Playability: This game is a great game to play. It gets your adrenaline flowing when you're being chased by a koopa off of a chasm that seems to lead to your end. When you're bored on a car trip take this baby out and win it at least five times before you get there, old samurai know what I'm talking about! It is challenging but very winable. Some people have won it in under 13 minutes but for most of us it takes a bit more than that. Anyone can play it, young and old. The only drawback is it's shortness. This game deserves 19pts.
This phenom beat the game in under 13 minutes, WARNING SPOILER!
Innovation: This is a harder category to judge because it measures or tries to predict how this game will or has innovated the world of video games. What has it brought that is new and cool to the table. Well Super Mario Land had furthered the domination of side scrolling Super Mario games as the first ones had already came out by 1989. It had also boosted the success of Nintendo's game boy as one of its signature games, up there with Tetris. For that this game gets 20pts.
Total: 89/100 A- Do you think this grade was fair, post your own review under this one and give Super Mario Land a grade! Depending on your responses Super Mario Land can get extra credit or negative credit!
This blog, "The Otaku Reviewers", was started in February of 2010 on this very same platform, Blogger. At first, it was a venture into the informational and informal world of comics, anime, video games, and Japanese culture. In other words, just a random blog.
Over time, the founder of the blog credited with the pseudonym "RPGhero" was joined by two fellow bloggers and friends with the names "Chansu" and "Deretsun". Together the three bloggers looked up interesting Japanese culture facts, recommended new anime, talked about their own "otaku" interests, and traveled across the United States to various anime conventions.
There have been off periods when the blog ceased production of content and there have been times when there would be dozens of blog posts per week. The schedule varies depending on the lives of the people behind the alias'. However the pattern is that we always get back into the game with even newer information about Japanese culture, anime, video games, and other nerdy hobbies.
The motto of our blog is:
"A cure for your apathy and an inspiration for your dreams. ...Applies to Otaku, anime fans, J-pop junkies, and the like"
The purpose is to blog about cool stuff related solely to anime and otaku stuff. There's no other reason we're doing this.
If you like our blog, please support us in however small a way that you would like. We appreciate our readers!
This manga was really good. It's a good one to read if you're bored or you're stuck inside on a rainy day. It did seem like it had less jokes and more violence than usual GTO. There are some fanservice shots also. This volume is plot driven and a good addition for any fan of the Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO) series.
