One Piece vs. One Punch Man --- Review!

While One Piece is considered to be a part of “The Big Three” anime, One Punch Man also does not lag behind and could be considered a part of the “Big Three” shonen anime that recently came out. Both One Piece and One Punch Man are considered the best shonen anime of all time. Filled with breathtaking action, phenomenal storyline and a large number of characters, both these anime are loved by anime fans all around the world. Let’s talk in detail about both of them now!

One Piece --- The Story

Gol D. Roger was considered the strongest pirate who had sailed the Grand Line. However, he was captured and executed by the World Government. Before getting executed, he told the world about his hidden treasure, One Piece. All the pirates started looking for One Piece and wanted it all for themselves.

Monkey D. Luffy was one such pirate who was looking for One Piece. However, he had no comrades, not even a ship. He was able to befriend a number of strange people, adding them to his “Nakama”. Now, Luffy and his Nakama must travel towards the Grand Line in order to get their hands on the legendary treasure, One Piece.

One Punch Man --- The Story

The story of One Punch Man revolves around Saitama who is a boring man. All Saitama wanted since his childhood was to become a superhero. To realize his dream, Saitama trained hard day and night. His training paid off and he became extremely powerful. He was able to defeat huge and powerful monsters with only a punch. 

As time passes by, Saitma gets bored of having weak monsters as his opponents and wanted some thrill in his life. Genos, a 19-year-old Cyborg who had been observing Saitama told him that he would like to be his disciple. He also registers Saitama and himself as a hero so that they could be recognized. Will Saitama ever be able to fight any opponent that is stronger than him?

One Piece and One Punch Man

How are they like each other?

Both One Piece and One Punch Man are action-packed with a huge number of very unique characters with different powers. The action scenes for both the anime are just jaw dropping. Both Luffy and Saitama are extremely powerful and can take any enemy down. The background music and Osts for both of them are also quite enthralling. They make us feel things and create a certain hype as well. 

Is this the end of our anime duel?

While One Punch Man’s animation is better than One Piece’s animation, the cast of One Piece definitely beats One Punch Man’s. Initially, One Piece’s animation was not that good. That’s because it came out in the 90s. It’s animation is extremely good now. On the other hand, One Punch Man’s animation has always been good. It’s really hard to compare the two because both of them are on par with each other. However, One Piece’s fan base is definitely greater. They might disagree with this!

Happy Halloween pt. 2!

https://otakureviewers.tumblr.com/post/166996555775/happy-halloween-from-the-otakureviewers-were-one

H a p p y   H a l l o w e e n 

f e l l o w   O t a k u !!!

Think about our collection of alpaca...

They inspire within us otaku many sentiments beyond normal anime fandom that we cannot simply express here, now. However, the important thing is that they add style to any room. Also, they can be used as excellent pillows for rest and a nap. Lastly, in the otaku world we sometimes understand that you or we all get peeved by other people out there when they annoy us for any reason. 

Therefore:

Alpaca in sensual muzzles!

They are just for the anime fan who 

is a bit stressed out in the real world...

https://otakureviewers.tumblr.com/post/166998617437/alpacas-are-more-than-a-statement-they-stand-for

Thought Experiment: Tensai Shoujo Hero

That's right, it's "Tensai Shoujo Hero"!

In romanization that is, "Terrible-Strength Girl Hero"

There's no such thing in anime though. As Chansu says in his One Punch Man review, we kind of root against a hero who has everything easy and shows no effort to win. Though "One Punch Man" is more of a Millenial generation Shounen Hero because he's sarcastic about all of the enemies he beats by using no emotional attachment to them. The whole anime game is changing so...

There are already some old anime like Blood+, Birdy, Haruhi, FLCL, Evangelion, Gundam, and maybe Gintama where there are strong and terrifying female characters that kick ass and pose formidable threats to the main characters, if they are not already. That's how formidable they are in the anime world that there are so few of them starring in their own anime and in the ones that they only co-star they always manage to hurt the main character. If they didn't cartoonize those blows, the main character guy would usually sure die, such as Gintama or FLCL where Ginoki takes ninja knives to the head and FLCL where the boy takes guitars to the face so that he can finally transform again.

It's not a new thing out there. Maybe it causes guys and guy otaku some anxiety to want more anime like it but it shouldn't because they're anime and the real world is much different. It would cause thousands of tons of anxiety for a real life human man to undergo such anxiety! (LOL) So it's best that these kinds of themes are seen more in anime than in real life, right?

That's no cause for otaku to fear. We're already pretty nerdy people who deal with daily hassles already. For those of us who like shounen anime, we maybe already love the "Tensai Shoujo Hero"!

Top 3 Anticipated (AND CONFIRMED) Sequels of All Time!

Welcome back, fellow Otaku! Have you ever finished a series, with a non-canon ending that diverges from the manga, or ending on the 20th chapter of what will seem to be 100s of volumes, and felt the sheer sadness of losing your weekly source of enjoyment? We feel your pain, so we grabbed the top 3 most anticipated sequels of all time to satiate your hunger pangs for anime goodness! Let's look toward the future, together!

Without further ado, here they are!





1. Blue Exorcist (SEASON TWO!)
Release Date: Estimated Summer 2017

The new Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist)sequel (Kyoto Impure King Arc) will focus on the two brothers Rin and Yukio Okamura as they battles the spawn of Gehenna and Satan himself to keep the human world (Assiah) safe. Their goal this time? To keep the Impure King from being revived!

I am not the only one who is glad that Blue Exorcist is getting back to the manga plot. With the success of the story line, driven by shounen action and family bonds similar to Full Metal Alchemist, it is a no-brainer to bring the exorcist crew back to our TVs. Expect to see this demon-slaying series back sometime in 2017~!




2. My Hero Academia (SEASON TWO!)
Release Date: TBD

Who has not fallen in love with My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) earlier this year? If not, then you've missed the story of Izuku Midoriya and his foray into the world of Heores! He lives in a world where a large percent of the population is born with a "Quirk" which is basically a super power that evolves as kids age. Poor Izuku, who wished to be a hero more than anyone else, was not born with a "Quirk" and was devastated, until he was given a chance to reach Heroic levels and impress the greatest hero of all time, "All Might"

Season two was confirmed shortly after the series ended, and was met with overwhelming joy by fans of the series! While there is no news of the actual release date or season, we should keep our fingers crossed that it will be back sometime in 2017! PLUS ULTRA!





3. Attack on Titan (SEASON TWO!)
Release Date: Spring 2017

Sie sind das Essen und wir sind die Jäger!

Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) has taken the world by storm as a household name among anime fans, and even those who would normally watch anime have gotten a glimpse of the show. Everyone knows the premise - a world where freakish-looking giants who feed on human flesh have driven humanity  to hide behind giant walls for safety (*Trump approved!*). Eren Jaeger, a teen and resident of this world, has sworn to kill every last titan on earth to avenge his losses. But things soon get complicated as Eren himself is wrapped up in a plot much large than most titans...

Without spoiling much for those who have somehow survived this long without watching the show, Season 2 will kick off where they last left off, jumping into the voluminous manga chapters that have been coming nonstop since the anime finished back in 2013. Will humans finally gain salvation over their situation, or will the largest threat of the Colossal Titan bring us to our demise?! We can only find out in Spring 2017! (or reading the manga)

-chansu

Cool Soundcloud Otaku Songs!

Anime Recommendations of Summer 2016!

Welcome to my Top 5 Recommended anime for Summer 2016! Hot days, long summers, and soul searching aside, I've based these 5 shows on the following criteria:

• Character development and depth - Does this show give me the heebie jeebies at the sight of the protagonist's situations? Do characters outside of the protagonist develop and grow to contribute to a fantastic story?
• Summer feeling - Not just warm weather, palm trees, and beach episodes, but also energetic characters, hype factor, and of course slice-of-life style relevance to the viewer's life come into play!
• General enjoyability - Is "enjoyability" even a word? Regardless, we all watch anime to get different things out of it. Some watch for shounen excitement, others for moe anime girls. What makes a show enjoyable? Keep reading and find out!

Without further ado, here we go!

WARNING - Spoilers abound! I attempt to give you enough synopsis to understand the rating, but sometimes that means giving a little plot away. I would recommend reading if you have seen a PV and know the general synopsis of the show already!

1. RE:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

MAL Score 8.76
Genres



RE:Zero follows protagonist Natsuki Subaru on a "journey" in a fantasy world... sounds familiar, right? Is that not 50% of every new anime to come out in the past few years?! Well, it is different this time as our protagonist has literal plot armor. He cannot die, more accurately he has a curse he calls "Return By Death" which allows him to restart after death, at arbitrary save points in time along his journey.

You would think this would lead to hilarious restarts and comical interludes. But that is further from the truth than you'd expect. RE:Zero has viewers on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens to Subaru next, how he will attempt to right the wrongs of each iteration of himself, and see the growth of all characters involved in the process. While this show is an ongoing series and only technically counts for Summer 2016, it is a must-watch for anime fans, will likely become as popular as household names like Suzumiya Haruhi, and has as much character development, heart-stopping moments, and endearing characters as any of the top anime out there.

Character Development: 5/5

Summer Feeling: 3/5

General Enjoyability: 5/5

2. Amanchu!

MAL Score 7.28
Genres

Diving, diving, diving! And you thought Free! was the best swimming anime out there. Amanchu! is really an experience. If you don't get a "It's Summer!" feeling out of this show, I don't know what is wrong with you. 

Pikari, the show's resident optimist and driving force (or rather, "diving force") brings her classmate Futaba into the world of diving and with it comes a slice-of-life show lauded as one of the many showcased "golden age of slice-of-life" shows of the past few years! If you plan on watching it, please don't expect psychological depth, but its definitely worth a watch in the summer!

Character Development: 3/5

Summer Feeling: 6/5 !!

General Enjoyability: 4/5

3. Shokugeki no Soma (Ni no Sara)

MAL Score 8.56
Genres

You can get whatever you want from whomever you'd like to get it from. Right now. At least that's how things work at Totsuki Academy, the most elite cooking school in Japan, and possibly the world. And the means of getting what you want is through "Shokugeki" or a "Food War" as the dubs call it. Whoever wins an Iron Chef style competition can claim whatever they'd like from the loser. 

This is the world that our skilled Shounen protagonist Yukihira Soma lives in. Season 2 ramps things up in the Autumn Elections, and the episodes are fast-paced and rewarding. There isn't much of a summer feeling or even any character development here (what do you expect from a cooking shounen series) but the payoff per episode is definitely top tier!

Character Development: 2/5

Summer Feeling: 3/5

General Enjoyability: 5/5

4. New Game!

MAL Score 7.46
Genres

Ever wanted to be a game designer?! Work at the game company of your dreams to help bring the sequel to your childhood game to life?! Well, that is the premise of New Game! - you get a peek into the life of Suzukaze Aoba in her 18th year of life, as a character designer for her favorite Game company, "Eagle Jump". This slice-of-life show has hints of "Working!!" and "K-On!" everywhere. This is a sure-to-please show for those who like to make, play, and watch cute girls make games!!

Character Development: 3/5

Summer Feeling: 3/5

General Enjoyability: 5/5

5. Orange

MAL Score 8.05
Genres

Have you ever written a letter to your past self? How about a diary? If you have, I bet 80% of those who have wrote about their love life. But how would you react if the letter told you that you will fall in love and lose that love in 10 years time? That would be the conflicting situation that Naho is in.

This romance / drama / shoujo anime speaks to our nostalgia for high school romance and has hints of supernatural in the form of Naho's future diary entries. While each episode is well directed, the going can get pretty slow so the enjoyability factor is low. Otherwise, I highly recommend this for fans of the genre!

Character Development:5/5

Summer Feeling: 4/5

General Enjoyability: 3/5

JPOP video of the week!

Ryuusei by TiA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K76QCVqKbbA

Otaku Review Pin Board

May 17th 2016
Otaku Reviewers Pin Board - Week of May 17th

2nd Prime Time: Hero --> ULtd.

2 n d   P r i m e   T i m e

H e r o   U n - l i m i t e d!

What's your idea of a hero? Most people think of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Living Flash, Spiderman, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm and the list goes on and on. In American culture, these are the best of the best. They fight the bad guys, and win. They "kick ass and take names", as they say in North America. They're the unlimited heroes of comics.

Through communication with aliens, the mangaka in Japan have created a newer kind of hero, a better one. Referring to the early process of creating animation where Looney Toons was the standard cartoon. After that, around the time of Toonami, anime took over in pop culture and the fires of anime are still churning for bad guys to go right into. Though this is just the humble opinion of a random RPG loving otaku. That new hero, that burns baddies slowly is actually, maybe a weaker hero compared to the superheroes of the west, right?

They are the limited heroes. That, or Comic-con doesn't need NYAF to keep their attendance records (or do they?). The limited heroes are the shounen heroes of manga. They come from humble beginnings and are made fun of daily, before they actually become heroes. Even after that, they're always self-conscious about who they're fighting and why...

Short answer:  Because they were made fun of.

Long answer:  Because they are the limited hero which actually means that they're NOT heroes.

That's summed up best by Monkey D. Luffy: "Heroes have to share the meat..."

And began with Goku, Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Yusuke Yurameshi. They all don't want to share the meat... Especially Inuyasha (gomenasai) (^^;)

Being that they're not heroes, makes them limited heroes. That's why they don't always have the "great power" that vanquishes all enemies no matter how strong or terrorfying. That's because they're gonna have to fight over dinner, over a hotpot or yakiniku preferably (It's Japan...). They need friends, unlike Superman in his Arctic Fortress of Might where he longs for friends (though that would make anyone very good... or evil).

When they're on their way to the top, they fall down. The stronger ones, get back up only to fall again and again. See they're only as strong as their mangaka (hehe). In explanation, they're always either getting into it with villains or actively seeking villains to make congruent to goodness (kick their butt). We should all know that, especially since most of us are always getting into it. The limited hero is cooler than because they would save you or me, given the choice. And the limited hero would probably get older while doing it, as opposed to being immortal like Superman or Batman.

The question is:  

Are you a limited or a unlimited hero? 

Are you an Otaku for life?

Bleach Vol. 65 Review

"Bleach" is the hit manga by Tite Kubo that has taken the comic book and animation world for a thrilling, action-packed, supernatural battle adventure. Fans come from all countries, ages, and even genders. However, the series is mostly popular with girls and young women. "Bleach" follows the fictional events and story of Ichigo Kurosaki who started out as a fifteen year old high-school freshman that could interact with apparitions of "Karakura Town", the suburban town where he lives. Ichigo met Rukia Kuchiki who transferred all of her "Soul Reaper" power to him both at great cost to her reputation and so that he could save her life in that moment. Eventually the story in the manga post-hocs that of the anime and this manga is still running in North America.

In the manga vol. 65 of "Bleach", the reader sees Zaraki passed out without his eyes closed, defeated by the "quincy" opponents he was battling with.

The main opponents in vol. 65 are:
They're happy-go-lucky seeming girlish women (kind of), that actually disposed of Zaraki's "strongest sword" that he finally mastered, for battle. (Get your mind out of you know where lol). Jokes aside, Zaraki's fighting techniques are, or were, slower than Ichigo's from the beginning, so it makes sense that he lost four-on-one with those chicks.

Early on, Ichigo shows up and wants to fight, saying to Zaraki that he, "Came to help...". In review, I think that Ichigo's character hasn't been radically developed by vol. 65 or he would have learned how to talk to Zaraki's character on a more equal level, maybe Ichigo would even address Zaraki's more senior level "Soul Reaper" status than by a friendly kind of patronizing... Either way, Kubo probably decided that it is in the best interest of the manga not to radically change Ichigo's personality.

Not to reveal all of the contents of the volume, Ichigo takes on the four quincy chicks at once also, in a battle which shows the usual "Bleach" style onomatopoeia or sound effect speech graphics. Bleach onomatopoeia are easy to follow probably easier than "Naruto" but not as interesting as "One Piece".

Anyway, Ichigo fights and is caught in an awkward moment where he could have been defeated (not pictured). You'll have to read the volume for yourself. I believe, that's good enough reason to pick up a copy.

Throughout the volume on a few sporadic pages, the story follows the antics of the current antagonist, "His Majesty", who seems to be a quincy male with "untold power". That's while Ichigo is spending his "battle energy" on the four girlish women (kind of) who work for "His Majesty". The antagonist follows Kubo's typical "Bleach" event progression formula where "they" are off-scene from the main sequence and also from the "protagonist. Then that antagonist is advancing in a separate plot that hasn't yet encountered any relevant opposing influence (to the antagonist plot). In other words, Kubo uses a popular anime / animation trope for the antagonist characters. I think, that for Kubo and "Bleach" it works and he hasn't really changed his author approach in terms of that formula. Go Kubo?

The characters and their idiosyncrasies are where Bleach changes or progresses in its story. That's where "Bleach" has made its great success. Then in addition, for vol. 65, there's some funny jokes made by Urahara Kisuke (not pictured).

In review, there's good enough reason to pick up a copy of Bleach vol. 65 wherever and whenever, you want.

Ready for Valentine's Day???

img cred:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/393713192402742377/

Bleach 65 cover

FYI: Go out and buy Bleach manga by VIZ!

V. 65  Marching Out the Zombies

Anime Review: Ao No Exorcist (Blue Exorcist)

Warning: This Anime is NOT Recommended

Because it diverges from the manga...

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!

Character Development

This anime diverges from the manga, very disappointing. Up to episode 15 or 16, the story is the same as the manga and all of the main character's stories are put out there. This pertains to Rin and Yukio and their adopted father, Fujimoto Shiro. Shiro is a priest and also an exorcist who is like a father to Rin and Yukiko at great cost to himself. Since, their real father was the devil. After this point (episode 15), it's all up in the air as to what's really from the manga.

Artistic Appeal

Rin's voice actor is Nobuhiko Okamoto who also voiced Origami Cyclone in Tiger and Bunny and Niizuma Eiji in Bakuman, if you know those. Yukio's voice actor is Jun Fukuyama who also voiced Guache Suede in Letter Bee, Watanuki in xxxHolic, etc. They make good brothers haha. The artistic appeal of the show is good. The conceptualization of the different demons from good ones to evil ones was clever, and added a Japanese twist to what you would think is a evil spirit.

Opening and Ending Originality

The openings and endings are alright. The first opening was UVERworld and was very cool. But soon after the opening was changed, and was made to fit an anime with no real plot...

Plot Complexity

Again, this show diverges from the manga which is a disappointment. Anyone can wonder why. Was the manga too sacriligious to be exposed via television in it's fullness? Is the creator and co. trying to get a following for the manga or a newer anime? Who knows? The plot isn't complex, after episode 16 you don't really know anything else about Rin and Yukio's adopted father Shiro. This is why I started to watch the show because his involvement with them is suspenseful and shounen. He's like Jiraiya in Naruto. But then the show goes on to some filler plot...

The Gritty: Don't Watch

Unless you just like sacriligious anime with cool shounen overtones.

Fanlib: "That's right girls worship the spawn of evil"

One Punch Man = Kitty Partiality

img cred:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/128563764340753599/

Anime Introspective: OnePunch Man is the ANTI-Shounen Anime

Watch out, spoilers for the end of Attack on Titan are right below!! 

But seriously, why is this guy so OP?

It is hard to believe but OnePunch Man the newest anime by Madhouse studio has taken the anime community by storm. A gag heavy super hero story about an ordinary man named Saitama who trains to be a hero for fun, only to become the strongest hero and can destroy baddies with a single punch, OnePunch Man (Wanpan for those into anime name shortenings) has become the new gold standard for action scenes and offbeat humor this anime season.


It is so strange to think that we're so captivated by a hero who puts next to no effort in being a hero! Luffy, Goku, Toriko et al are all heroes who put their all into improving themselves, they smash barriers of strength and compassion that are put in front of them ONLY AFTER they've struggled! Why then is Saitama's character so compelling?


There are many reasons. The one that you'll hear from lots of people is that "There are actually other heroes in the story that are struggling and they make things more interesting!" Yes it's true that the charismatic and cool cyborg Genos is always weaker than the titular OnePunch Man, and it is great to see their dynamics in play, but that alone should get tiresome once we see it enough. And making that argument is like saying Dragon Ball Z is interesting because Piccolo never gets any serious battles.


No, Saitama is the ultimate hero to the point of boredom. Why are we so interested in this story?? There has to be a good reason for it. And I think I know what it is:

How it completely contradicts 

The Human Condition 

o the point where we are rooting 

against our hero. 

Now don't get me wrong. We are not hoping that Saitama dies or even loses a battle. NO!

Let's look at the human condition for a moment. It is defined by:

the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality

Yes, that's right. We're not talking about mortality. Simply just the dynamics that make one human. Growth, emotion, conflict. Everything we laud good stories for having.  In a way OnePunch Man is a show that encapsulates the struggle of what makes a show good in the first place. Instead of providing us with a titular character that needs to reach a point in a story arc to progress through an overarching and seemingly impossible goal, this show gives us a guy who has it all already.

Let's get to the point. When we get a new baddie in OnePunch Man, we size them up and HOPE THAT THEY WILL PUT UP A FIGHT FOR SAITAMA. When the (to avoid spoilers. let's  just say) forces that be within the story place lesser heroes in the path of a new baddie, we size up these battles to determine if THIS NEW GUY WILL PUT UP A FIGHT FOR SAITAMA. By using well-timed puns and incredible animation and pacing, this show toys with us to the point where we root for Saitama to be pulled into the inevitable facets of the Human Condition in a way that he hasn't yet show.

Its the embodiment of the Anti Shounen. It's against all belief systems of Anime-ism. 

This is the reverse process of normal shonen anime. This makes OnePunch Man an Anti-Shounen.

But it's okay because we all want to see more match ups like the above, which makes our brains shrivel to mush thinking about who would win!

-chansu

Orihime and Ulquiorra

December, Month of Unlikely Anime Couples!

Orihime and Ulquiorra

Orihime embracing chibi-Ulquiorra 

 

Hunter x Hunter: The Chars

Characters of Hunter x Hunter

Awesome anime series!

img cred:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/405816616396470054/

The Bonds of Leorio and Kurapika

The Bonds of Leorio and Kurapika

Anime:  Hunter x Hunter

 

 

img cred:

http://www.zerochan.net/1122947#full

Youtube channel cred: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4beIM03AcdDlXhyjIUQ0xg

Shounen Hero Diaries pt 5: Speculation

That was so long ago, maybe before summer vacation. Those things really make you think. So I trained as hard as I could and entered a battle royal run by a self-proclaimed, "Circus-Villainy Act" that goes by the name, "Dissent". It seemed like some kind of joke and a fun summer wasted. Most of all of the candidates at the arena were either muscular golems or boyish kids my age, all guys.

They sneered at me and leered at me. The boys sneered and the muscle-heads kept looking at me funny like their necks were loose. I waved at them all.

Before the event opened we all had to go into a virtual sim and get our "specs" read. As soon as I put on the thing, I was in a fight with an alien. So I just used the buster whatever that "The Kiran" taught me and it was over... And then I was kicked out of the tournament, by the manager-dude.

"We can't have people here, like you, that can hurt my feelings" The manager said.

He was this really old guy, I think his name was Mr. Rane. But he gave me a copy of my specs data... and cried profusely.