[1st episode] Chouyaku Hyakuninishu Uta Koi

I'm on a roll!

So, this one, abridged as Uta Koi because we're all lazy, is, well, maybe not a story, this episode adapted 2 poems of the Collection. It's basically a series about love stories, or so I understood.

Exactly as they said in the series most of us are going to be familiar with the Hundred Poems through karuta because we've watched Chihayafuru. For those who are not the series offers a quick explanations, that is something I loved about it.

The two stories it adapted were pretty sweet and seemed to be really close to the poems they were supposed to adapt and we got to hear it actually included in the story, that was great too.
And damn were the stories cute, I got really invested at some points, it was that adorable.

And it had good seiyuu.

Another one I'll definitely follow. You should too if you liked Genji Monogatari or even if you want to know more about the Heian period, it seems like a nice introduction to it and the anime actually explains things

[1st episode] Thermae Romae

Here comes the first other Noitamina show of the season (BRS comes later), and, I can't say I can complain. (I could complain on Guilty Crown and laugh madly saying "MWAHAHA I knew it" but I won't bother)

Thermae Romae, is, like its name tells you, if, obviously you know latin better than the people who titled Madoka, an anime about baths in Ancient Rome. Except main character travels through time and often end up in modern japanese baths. Magical!

As you can see, the animation and character design could be caracterized as experimental or at least unusual. Unless you're familiar with European comics because that's totally the style we're used to (Again, remember I'm French)
Well, while it's not exactly what I'd call pretty it's at least interesting to see.

The characters are pretty normal, nothing to really note.
The plot is pretty much non existent, poor main character just get transported in modern Japan and comes back with new ideas to built new baths, which is used for comical relief.

And that works. That totally works and it's hilarious. And rather accurate aside from the obvious. Which lets me say that if you ever have the occasion go visit a roman bath, these guys were geniuses and it's incredibly big, and awesome.

The Battle of Hitotoribashi

For those who have watched this week's episode of Sengoku Basara you may have found the flashback between Masamune and Kojuurou to be extremely cute and heartbreaking, you also may have been a little curious about that Hitotoribashi Battle they were talking about.

I was curious so I did my researches, and here is the result (because obviously, the Wiki article sucks ^^)

Let's sum up quickly to start.
Location : In the North of Japan, around the city of Nihonmatsu
Date : 1585
Opponents : Date (with 7 000 men) against Hatekeyama (30 000 men)

Everything started when Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu captured Date Terumune, Masamune's father.
Obviously Masamune wasn't happy at all at the idea, took some men and ran to his help, without much luck, even if they were victorious Terumune died during the fight.

The real battle of Hitotoribashi took place a little later, after the death of his father Masamune wasn't happy at all, so he and a few samurai decided to siege the castle of Nihonmatsu.
Despite the large discrepancy in the number of men in each side neither won.

One year later, Date's forces siege the castle once again, this time resulting in a victory for Date's side and the setting on fire of said castle by Hatakayama Yoshitsugu's son.