[Review]Tegami Bachi Reverse

Hello there, a 25 episodes animes! Or rather said a 50 episodes one considering it's been 2 seasons. (Talking about that, they just announced Working!! is getting another season, you have no idea how happy that makes me) I kinda want to say : normal it's Jump stuff (ok Jump SQ but close enough) and then complain it's not fair and that things like Denyuden would deserve it too but I'll refrain, because Letter Bee is good.

As usual, summary comes first.
An artificial sun shines over Amberground, the further you go from the capital, the less light you get and the poorer you are. Obviously, there are people who don't think it's fair for the people to be used and abused by the governement and fight against it in an organization called Reverse, since this organization steals the precious letters the Letter Bees are not happy and fight against it.

I don't really know what to say about the characters. Which isn't a bad thing, more like a good one. Lag especially impressed me, Noir too, but Lag much more. He's supposed to be a crybaby after all. He matured a lot through the story and it's well done.

Now let's move on to the ear section. OPs and EDs are forgettable to me, not bad but forgettable, despite my love for Stereopony.
The music was fitting in an awesome way, church like, yet not too much.
Seiyuu were awesome, well the fact Fukuyama Jun is awesome is nothing new, but I'm not used to hear Sawashiro Miyuki as a boy and thus was pretty impressed.
No cast mistake here either. Even Steak was wonderful.

As for the anime in itself it's mind blowing.
It starts off as a monument of cuteness and while I'm not into that kind of stuff normally it's really touching and never too much.
Then more or less at the middle of the second season it gets darker and darker by the second, which is something I love.
I will even admit I cried at the last episode. Fucking cried and, contrary to Lag, I'm everything but a crybaby.
And it's beautiful, the drawings and the atmosphere are beautiful and Hiroyuki Asada is my hero.

Now on to read the manga!

Fall season 2010, final thoughts

This anime blogger should definitely do what she said she would, anyway, I'm too lazy to make a huge long ass post about each one of the Fall season 2010 anime I watched so let's just re-use what I did before and hope my next post won't be in 3 months.
I will do a first impression post for the Winter season though, once I'll have watched the NoitaminA things.

- Togainu no Chi : Eeh, no not really. I mean it was cool to see them move and talk and all but there's nothing else to it (if you're not into staring at Shiki, and even if you are I'm sorry but it's poor).
The animation has been weird all along, thank you for showing the rainy sky during the Shiki vs. Akira fight, thank you for the pinkish fluo blood, some people said the only good thing was the music, I don't think it's bad but I won't say it's enough to save the show.
In the end, thank you for transforming the wonderful seinen I was waiting for into a half assed tragic friendship/love story anime where fights become secondary and focusing on some of the most annoying male main characters ever made.
Next time you want to animate a yaoi game, either focus on the plot and if you really want to put some BL in it, please, go all out instead of imitating a shoujo.

- Tegami Back Reverse : Still on going, I sense some fillers though.

- Shinrei Tantei Yakumo : The last episodes made me forgive everything, leaves room for a second season though and it probably won't happen. Well at least things are resolved from the time being.
The girl in ove is at least not annoying in this, Yakumo is funny to watch but the coolest character has to be detective Gotou.
Guess you can't do anything against the power of experience (read I have a fetish for old men but it's a secret)

- Hyakka Ryoran Samurai Girls : Nice art still, it evolved into something with a plot, a bit complicated and actually less interesting with it. And I don't like the main guy, the fact that all the girls are all over him despite him not doing anything is beyond me.

- Hakuouki II : I think I've been trolled, such an ending was totally unexpected but I think I liked it.
Other than that well, the cheesiness almost made me puke, not to mention slightly OOC Hijikata.

- Bakuman : Still on going, slow as hell, I suggest you watch the anime before reading the manga because the adaptation might be too good.

- Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge : AWESOME. Even crazier than the first season. I suggest you watch this if only for the last episode, aka the fight between Sister and Maria, and also to have the chance to hear Takai's OP

- Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai : Don't know. Liked bits of it but disliked others, I can't even say what I liked and what I disliked. Will watch the second season anyway

- Kuragehime : I'm in love with this, it's really, really cute and the characters are all adorable, they're adorable because they're weird. I want more of this and I'm definitely going to read the manga.

- Otome Yokai Zakuro : One of the best anime of the season and probably the biggest surprise, a wonderful collection of EDs, a wonderful collection of seiyuu, traditionnal like music, some romance perfectly integrated in the plot. A favourite of mine.

- Panty and Stockings with Garterbelt : I feared the jokes would go down, they didn't. Wonderful ending, the troll like of ending, can't wait for the second season.
Liked the animation, made me laugh, liked the characters, Brief surprised me, Panty and Stockings did too, really loved the music video and the transformation scene is beautiful.
/brb, hunting cosplays

- Star Driver Kagayaki no Takuto : Still on going as well. Plot appears, the rest start to get old after 13 episodes

- Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru : Worth watching if only for the School Festival episode (or you can just check the song) Sometimes gave off some Bakemonogatari vibes but very briefly, forgettable, probably impossible to marathon though

- Oreimo : Surprise there, never intended to watch, was drawn by the plot, was kept by Kuroneko (I have a crush on Kuroneko) and I have to admit that I was curious to see what would Kirino torture her brother with next.

Other things which ended :
- Denyuden : How could this even be considered an ending?
But otherwise really nice, lots of good characters, fun, not a single annoying character, seemingly twisted ones who care, seemingly nice ones twisted and evil, good seiyuus, good plot, nice battles, no really one of my favourite thing

- Shiki : You liked Higurashi? You will like Shiki, except Shiki is much better and waaay easier to understand.
It has some very, very disturbing scenes though and no censorship, at all.
The characters are all interesting, the plot is as well, the only thing I'm wondering now is how they will continue after this.
Guess I'll know when the French releases of the manga will have caught up.

- Nurarihyon no Mago : Typical Jump stuff, meaning neverending battles, but it has Yôkai, good seiyuu and interesting plot. For the next season, just please, faster.

Fall season 2010 : general recap

Ok so as promised I take the list I made before the start of the season, in the end I'll keep watching everything because I HATE stopping things in the middle and since it's only one episode a week it's still bearable.

Will definitely watch :
- Togainu no Chi : DISAPPOINTED. And the animation is weird BUT there's blood and Shiki.

- Tegami Back Reverse : Still love this as much as the first season, it's cute but in the good sense of the word, not cheesy nor anything just plain cute.

- Shinrei Tantei Yakumo : Disappointed too, the mysteries are too easy but I still love ghost stories.

- Hyakka Ryoran Samurai Girls : Still love the art and the girls are as crazy as ever and fanservice has been lowered.

- Hakuouki II : One thing to say : SEXY. Other than that no sorry there is no other interest but they're even sexier than in the first season ...

- Bakuman : Cheesy, but it's a good adaptation so far.

- Arakawa Uner the Bridge x Bridge : AWESOME. Even crazier than the first season.


Will maybe watch :
- Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai : Disappointed too and I wasn't expecting much, but somehow I'm still hoping for an amelioration

- Kuragehime : Loved this, the story and the characters are totally crazy.

- Otome Yokai Zakuro : Better than what I expected, honestly. No real plot but I don't really care.

- Panty and Stockings with Garterbelt : Funny and perverted and even cute in a way, and interesting to watch.

- Star Driver Kagayaki no Takuto : AWESOME! BIG surprise of the season, I was expecting a plain mecha and I have something glorious like that.

- Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru : It is indeed funny but after the first episode it looses its craziness. But I love the ED

- Toaru Majutsu no Index : Never was able to finish the first season so it's a no.

[1st episode]Kuragehime

LAST ONE! Tomorrow --> recap

Kuragehime is a slice of life focusing on girls living in an appartment complex, these girls are all a little special, the heroin for example is a jellyfish otaku.
One day said heroin encounter a wonderful and pretty girl who helps her saving Kulala the jellyfish, the girl sleeps over and in the morning she discovers that this girl is not totally what she thought she was.

It's Noitamina, so even if it's not good it's at least interesting and this, is good. I think.

Kana Hanazawa is there again, much to my pleasure and it has Saiga Mitsuki too (the excellent seiyuu of Nabari No Ou's Yoite, a girl)
That alone would be enough to make me watch, because Kana Hanazawa talks a LOT and she usually voices more quiet characters (except in BRS)

Anyway, I LOVE the plot, honestly do LOVE.
The girls all seem crazy, I love crazy characters, well ok there's no psycho but I'll deal with it. I just love how much fun they seem to have together and the boy is priceless.
"I just like to dress in girls' clothes but I'm normal"

One of the anime I'd definitely keep watching if you ask me to cut down in my list

[1st episode]Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai

(Fuck yeah I finally can remember the Japanese title!)

Summary first, a guy is a master at otome game, The God of Conquest, he can win the heart of any girl in any game, one day he signs a contract with a demon girl and he reluctantly starts to give chase to evil spirits hidden in girls's hearts.
However, reality is not the same as games and our hero is not good with reality.

Mmmmh I don't have much to say, the plot seemed interesting to me, but at the same time for now I'm a little disappointed.
I think I expected much better, since people were keeping on saying how amazing it was an all. Too bad I'm not in love.

Well it's not hate at first sight either and I love his mother (but there I'm cheating it's in the second episode) and I think I love his seiyuu too (considering it's also Akihisa's seiyuu in Baka to Test and considering how much I didn't like this, it's something I never thought would happen)
At the same time it's kinda cute and the relationship between the hero and the demon is pretty fun.

So yeah I'll continue, but for now I'm not really enthuisiastic

[1st episode]Otome Yokai Zakuro

Same thing than for Yakumo, I'm so late, hopefully I'm finishing the review tomorrow, I'm leaving out the second seasons and will do a general recap instead. Yes better idea.

So Otome Yokai Zakuro is set up in an alternative reality where Yokai and humans try to co exist, and that's the very reason of the existence of this special department of the State where military men will cooperate with female Yokais.
(ok, let's get over the fact it's obviously fanservice)

Led by my love for Yokais I started this and, strangely enough I'm not disappointed. Well it's not a masterpiece either.

It doesn't seem to have a very elaborated plot, it's basically one episode = a fight against another yokai, and for the rest we follow their attempts at living together.
Knowing that Zakuro, the main girl, really has a thing against humans and that her Tamaki look alike blond Sakurai Takahiro voiced partner is deadly afraid of spirits it's not really easy. But it's fun. And I love yokais.

I like the seiyuus, but at the same time it has Kana Hanazawa so ...
I also love their song, the song the girls sing when they fight, I NEED this song, and I need the EDs. It doesn't happen often so note this.
It'll never ever beat the masterpiece that is Natsume Yuujinchou in terms of Yokai anime, not sure anything would but at the same time it's easily watchable and not boring so it's on my list of interesting things of the season.

[1st episode]Shinrei Tantei Yakumo

Such a shame, I'm so late that the second episode already aired. Nevermind.

So basically this anime/manga/drama is about a boy Yakumo, who has the power to see spirits and thus tries to resolve some mysteries, first one being brought to him by a random girl.

This one was started because I love the occult and I love Ono Daisuke who's voicing the main character.
Thinking back and while I'm perfectly happy with Ono Daisuke (except for the OP, even if it's his voice I just can't) I'm a little disappointed about the mysteries.
They're not even mysteries, it's all obvious things, I don't like when things are obvious, especially when the thing is calling itself a "mystery anime".

About the characters, well the girl is ok, I mean it's a girl so the fact I don't hate her is already something big.
But I LOVE Yakumo, it's exactly the kind of character I love, cold fucking asshole, except he's actually nice on the inside, which makes me like him less. (but my love for psychos is neverending we all know it)

While I don't regret starting, it didn't trigger the "OMG so cool" thing, too bad I was waiting for this. Well I don't hate it either, but honestly, if you're looking for a good surnatural mystery anime, go watch Ghost Hunt instead. If you have already watched then maybe Yakumo could entertain you, maybe.

[1st episode]Bakuman

Fall season really started now, so that means a lot of first episodes to review (when I still haven't finished to review the animes from last season, aaaw woe is me!)

Anyway, summary for those who would have missed it, the setting is simple, two middle schoolers want to become mangaka, thus come love stories, work stories, well it's slice of life and you learn plenty of things about the manga industry.
I already reviewed the manga anyway, go there



Now for the anime specifics, actually I only watched it RAW for now but I couldn't resist blogging about it now, it's the afterglow you know. And let's admit it, the dialogues are nearly the same as in the manga and since I read it in both French and English, Japanese is a piece of cake, and it's everyday talk not like Izaya's speeches.
Anyway, it's pretty, the first OP made me laugh, the normal OP and the ED are not to my tastes though, but I don't like them very often so I guess it's normal.
I liked the music too and I feel that the anime is cuter than the manga.
Well we're only at the beginning so maybe it'll change but for now I have the feeling it is cuter, especially that line "aaw Azuki's eyes are shining, sooo pretty", I don't remember that line in the manga so maybe it's because of this, but it made me melt and god knows how fluff and me don't go well together.

Now let's move on to my favorite subject aka seiyuu! And for once it is relevant to the story of the anime.
So as far as I heard the girls are perfect, I don't usually go crazy over girls (aside for Kana Hanazawa whose voice makes me melt <3 though she's not the only one I like, don't misunderstand me) and as long as they don't have an annoying voice I'm totally ok with them. There, not only are they not annoying but on top of that they fit, for now, I'm still kinda scared to hear Aoki Ko with the same voice as Saber.
As for the boys, I'm scared to hear Eiji and excited about Fukuda, but Hino Satoshi is perfect as Shuujin. On the other hand Abe Atsushi doesn't work well with Moritaka, he would have been better as Eiji I think, but well he has some good moments too, like the scene in front of Azuki's house, there he was good.

Overall impression : FUCK YEAH! Can't wait for Fukuda!