Mermaid Forest (Marmaid Saga)/Fire Tripper Review

In this post I will be reviewing Mermaid Forest (Mermaid Saga) and Fire Tripper both manga's written by Rumiko Takahashi and adapted into anime. Mermaid Saga was adapted into a two different OVA's known as Mermaid's Forest and Mermaid's Scar and a 13-episode series known as Mermaid's Forest. Mermaid Forest explores themes of drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, and romance. Fire Tripper was adapted into a much shorter 50 minute OVA which is why I'll just put that review into this one for Mermaid's Forest. You might know Rumiko Takahashi from her other works like Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, and Maison Ikkoku.

Mermaid's Forest Summary
According to ancient legend, mermaid's flesh can give immortality if eaten. Yuta unknowingly ate a piece of mermaid's flesh 500 years ago. Yuta travel's across Japan to find a mermaid, thinking she can make him normal again. When he finally finds one, he discovers she and her companions have been raising her to be their food so they can eat her and take on her youthful looks. Yuta kills the mermaids and rescues her, but she already has eaten mermaid's flesh. However, this doesn't disappoint Yuta as his lonely experience is over and he has finally found a companion, Mana. Together, Yuta and Mana seek out more mermaid's in order to be normal humans again.

My Thoughts on Mermaid's Forest
Mermaid Forest is a rather dark, fantasy, romance anime. I didn't think there were really much things that could be changed since it would effect the plot of the story. It was by far not the worst anime I've seen but wasn't the greatest either. Mermaid Forest is clearly intended for a older audience because of its dark content but does become quite interesting as well.

Mermaid's Forest Conclusion
I would give Mermaid's Forest 3.5/5 stars or a 7/10 score. It's by far not bad but isn't the best either. However it does get very interesting and hard to not watch. I would definitely recommend this to anyone into dark, mystery, horror romance type series. Rumiko Takahashi is a great manga writer so this wasn't her best, however I will give her credit for this as it become a very interesting series.

Fire Tripper
Fire Tripper is a manga written by Rumiko Takahasi adapted into a 50 minute OVA by Studio Pierrot and released in 1985. The story shares many similarities with another one of Rumiko Takahashi's works Inuyasha. I didn't include this in my previous review of Short OVA's so I'll review this now. I will be talking about the ending so a slight...

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Seventeen year old Suzuko and her neighbor's son get caught in a giant as explosion next she wakes up 500 years in the past during the Civil War era of Japan. After being saved by a handsome young man, 16 year old Shukumaru, Suzuko learns to adopt to the strange relam. Suzuko begins to find out more about her past. As she finds more clues, the village is attacked and Suzuko finds herself traveling through time AGAIN, this time to the present.

For a 50 minute series which felt like a short movie, Fire Tripper was pretty great. I'd give it 4.5/5 stars or a 9/10 score which is really high for a 50 minute OVA. The only thing is that they didn't reveal if Suzuko and Shukumaru were blood-related brother and sister but on the other hand it was fantastic. I like it if this was turned into a full anime series but there's also Inuyasha which is very similar. I overall really liked it and plus it also had a great ending. If you are a fan of action, fantasy, and romance and would like a short movie type of anime. I would definitely suggest Fire Tripper. Oh yeah and feel free to ship Suzuko and Shukumaru.

This Ugly yet Beautiful World (Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai) Review

This Ugly yet Beautiful World or Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai is a 12-episode series released by Gainax and Shaft in 2004. This Ugly yet Beautiful World is a science fiction, romantic-comedy anime. However just like the previous anime I reviewed Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu the ending to this one gives you a shot in the heart.
Overall, this is a good anime but not great and the ending along with a few other minor things did spoil it for me. This anime was discussed in My Endings Rant as an anime who's ending could've been better. Oh yeah and since I will be discussing the ending...

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Summary
High school student Takeru Takemoto works part time as a motorcycle courier. One day he sees a mysterious light pass and fall into a forest. A beautiful girl comes out from a glowing cocoon and calls herself "Hikari." Suddenly a strange monster shows up and attacks them. Takeru and Hikari demonstrate powers of their other selves before Takeru knows what's going on.

How it Could've been Better
On ways This Ugly yet Beautiful World could've been better, my main complaint is on the ending. While there is proof that the main characters are still alive I would've liked to see Takeru and Hikari together as well as Ryou and Akari together too. Additionally, Mari's jealousy and those who feed it, Jennifer Portman and her friends definitely made me rage a little bit. Jennifer Portman is probably one character I did not like as she was the one the series would've been better without.

Ending
My biggest complaint is the ending and like I said previously, the ending will make it or break it for your viewers. While I get the concept I would've liked to see some hint that Hikari and Akari were able to reunite with their loved ones just like in other anime which ending similar but gave a hint like Ano Natsu de Matteru and Mahoromatic. This was another show that had much potential to be great but the ending really ruined it.

Flaws
This series did have a couple other minor flaws. Mari's jealousy and those who feed into it did piss me off a bit. While Mari needed to understand Takeru and Hikari's love and that life isn't fair, it's also the fault of her friends and Jennifer Portman for feeding it. A little message "Jealousy is like a parasite, the more you feed it the worse it gets", so, "don't feed jealousy!" And that life isn't fair, I myself have had a number of girls I'd want to ask out or liked but they already had boyfriends or went out with another guy on a higher level than me.
The other flaw is Jennifer Portman. There's always that one character who you hate who ruins everything and without them the story would be better. For This Ugly yet Beautiful World, that's Jennifer Portman. I mean as a American, F*** her seriously, she's so obnoxious and gives fellow sane Americans a bad name.

My Conclusion
I would give This Ugly yet Beautiful World a 4/5 stars or an 8/10. If it weren't for the ending it would've been a 4.5+ stars or 9+/10 rating and subtract the other two flaws and the show would've been perfect. Don't get me wrong it's a good anime but most good anime have their flaws. Another similar but much better anime is Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love (Brighter than the Dawning Blue). This one also has a similar star-crossed lover theme but with a much better happier ending. In fact this was on my list for the best endings. In fact want to watch this anime again and will be reviewing this in the future.

Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu (Iriya's Sky, Summer of the UFOs) Review

Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu or Iriya's Sky, Summer of the UFOs is a light novel adapted into a 6-episode OVA series. It is a science-fiction romance series released by Toei Animation. It is a rather emotional series and I was reluctant to watch this at first as I did have an idea of the ending as you all know from My Endings Rant. However, I did find it quite enjoyable though and depending on the type of person you are this anime will probably give you a shot to the heart. However, there are similar anime that are better and have better endings. I will be discussing the ending a little bit so...

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Summary
High school press club member, Asaba Naoyuki spent his summer camping outside a local military base in hopes of seeing UFOs that are secretly kept there according to legend. Upon returning to school he meets a strange girl, Iriya Kana and realizes she's more than strange, a dark secret lies beneath what he knows.

How it Could've been Better
I would like to say that the ending to this anime definitely gives you a shot to the heart. Asaba and Iriya do realize their feelings for one another however, they can't be together and this tragic love story is revealed to be doomed. If Iriya were still alive you'd think she'd return to Asaba. On the other hand, there's not proof that Iriya died either and could still be alive. I honestly would've liked it better if it had a happier ending but I guess the lesson is that not everyone can have a happy ending.

Similar Anime
These are similar anime to Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. I will be discussing the endings and I'll try not to give any spoilers but just in case...

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Urusei Yatsura

This is a 1980s series with a manga written by Rumiko Takasahi who also wrote Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku, and Inuyasha. It is very similar to Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu in which there is a relationship between a human and alien. The main protagonists don't really know how to handle their situations at first with a strange new girl in their life. I'm not really sure if I should watch this series since it is 195 episodes long with 6 movies and I want to watch a truckload of other things too. But I might just give this a try.

Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushi Sekai (This Ugly Yet Beautiful World)

This is a 2004, 12 episode series and shares many similarities with Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. Most notably the relationship between the protagonist and a strange new girl. The ending is similar too and doesn't really satisfy me much as well. This too could've been better if it weren't for the ending.

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noburo Sora (Looking up at the Half-Moon)



This is another 6 episode series that mainly revolves around a tragic love story. Both these involve emotional scenes and two characters in love who may not be able to see each other again. Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noburo Sora has a happier ending though.

Mahoromatic

This is a romantic sci fi series just like Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. In both series the protagonist gets a new unusual girl in his life and they fall in love only to realize their time together is limited. Additionally they both have bittersweet endings as well.

Narue no Sekai (The World of Narue)

This is a 12 episode 2003 romantic comedy series. Both involve the protagonist falling in love with a girl from another world. However, Narue no Sekai is more light hearted and comedic while Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu gets more emotional.

Nazo no Konojo X (Mysterious Girlfriend X)

Nazo no Konojo x is a 13 episode supernatural anime. Both are similar in that the protagonist falls in love with a mysterious girl. Despite many weird factors, Naxo no Konojo does give you the same soft, warm, romantic, fuzzy feelings that Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu and other romance anime does. Nazo no Konojo X has a much happier ending though and the main lovers are still very much together.

Ano Natsu de Matteru (Waiting in the Summer)

Ano Natsu de Matteru is a 12 episode romance series. Both anime involve the protagonist falling in love with a girl from another planet only realizing they can't be together. Ano Natsu de Matteru also gives you that sad emotional feel too. However, Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu leaves off with the protagonist thinking about his adventure with no clues if Iriya is still alive or not, Ano Natsu de Matteru does give some clues if the two lovers were able to see each other again.

Kannagi (Crazy Shrine Maidens)

Kannagi is a 13 episode 2008 series. Both involve the protagonist land himself a mysterious girl, though in this case she is a god and give elements of romance and comedy. I haven't watched this yet so I can't really give much details.

Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love (Brighter than the Dawning Blue)

This is a 12 episode romantic sci-fi based on the visual novel by August. Of all the similar anime, this one is the best one on this list (my opinion). Both series involve the star-crossed lovers concept with the protagonist and a girl from another world falling in love. Yoake Me yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love has a much happier ending though, in fact one of the best endings in my opinion.

My Conclusion
I would give this anime 4/5 stars or a 8/10 score. Like I stated, the ending is kind of what ruined it for me but it was a rather emotional anime and good for something that was only 6 episodes long. I would definitely recommend watching the other similar anime as well as each have at least some form of romance (if not main theme is romance) and five out of the six get pretty emotional too.

Yume de Aetara (If I See You in My Dreams) Review

I haven't had many reviews so far because most of the recent anime I've watched I didn't really like or didn't think they deserved a review or just because I didn't have an opinion on them. Anyway I recently finished Yume de Aetara/If I See You in My Dreams. This is actually one of the few anime in which the OVAs are better than the main series. Yume de Aetara was a 17 volume manga written by Noriyuki Yamahana and adapted into a 16 episode series (The episodes were only 7 minutes long though) and 3 episode OVAs (30 minutes long) that came out in 1998. Yume de Aetara is an romantic comedy about the struggles of 24 year old bachelor, Masuo Fuguno and the his sudden love life with both Nagisa Shiozaki and Miho Hamaoka.

Summary
Masuo Fuguno is 24 years old and never had a girlfriend his entire life, even worse a fortune teller predicted that he never will. However, he falls in love with Nagisa Shiozaki which will change his life forever. Only another co-worker, Miho Hamaoka comes in and makes things complicated.

How it Could've Been Better
Overall this series had quite a few awkward unintentional erotic moments like plenty of other romance anime I know which kind of ruins shows for me. Like many cliches and tropes the guy is clumsy and gets himself into situations and gets blamed for many things that were accidental. You gotta feel bad for him after a while just because he tries so hard. The ending of the main series is what kind of ruined it. Even though it's not terrible, it's not great either. This is one of the few anime's (another being Love Hina) in which the 3 OVAs are actually better than the main series and end better too. On the other hand the manga runs longer so I'll probably read the manga to see what happens next.

My Conclusion
I would give this anime 3.5/5 stars or a 7/10 score. It's not the best but it's not the worst. If it weren't for the cliches and tropes as well as the ending it would be a lot better. I do enjoy romance anime with klutzy, awkward, shy guys, yet are good hearted with only good intentions, because I kind of feel like one (Well only I'm more athletic, muscular, and not as clumsy). Ah My Goddess! is a better series that has this same type of stuff.

Nisekoi (Nisekoi: False Love) Review

I recently watched an romantic comedy known as Nisekoi (Nisekoi: False Love). Nisekoi (Nisekoi: False Love) was a manga written by Naoshi Komi adapted into an anime. The anime had 2 seasons with 20 episodes in the first and 12 in the second. Overall, I thought Nisekoi was an okay romantic comedy anime. However, it wasn't the best as there are other romantic comedies that I've seen that were much better. Oh yeah and I will be discussing the ending so.

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Summary
Raku Ichijou is the sole heir to the yakuza family. Ten years earlier Raku made a promise to a childhood friend. Raku wants to live a normal teenage life as well as pursue his crush on Kosaki Onodera. However the American Bee Hive Gang invade his family's turf and things change. Raku must now pretend that he's in love with Chitoge Kirisaki the daughter of the Bee Hive's chief. Raku and Chitoge hate each other and Raku is still trying to find the girl he made a promise to.

How it Could be Better
Obviously there are plenty of areas this anime can definitely improve on. The story jumps around a lot and can be hard to understand what's going on. I also don't understand why Raku doesn't like Chitoge. Yes she may be cranky and mean but she's the tsundere type. In a way I think she's pretty cute. The ending definitly needs improvements as it just leaves it off with a cliffhanger. Chitoge does have feelings for Raku which is known however like many stories, the manga runs longer and is probably better than the anime.

My Conclusion
I would give Nisekoi 3.5/5 stars or a 7/10 score. It has it's ups and downs but there are overall many other romantic comedies which are much better. I like Chitoge as the tsundere but there are plenty of other tsundere anime which are better and end much better. I think the biggest thing was having little character development and the ending which ruined the anime. Some better tsundere anime are Shakugan no Shana and The Familiar of Zero. Two examples of better romantic comedies are Golden Time and Love Chunibyo & Other Delusions.

Happiness! Review

I've watched this anime about year ago and I will now be doing a review on it. Happiness is a magical girl, romance, and fantasy anime that was released in 2006 by Artland. It was based on a visual novel and manga. Happiness! is a very underrated series in my opinion and I think that it didn't get nearly enough attention as it should've. I liked it very much and I would like this anime to get way more attention than it does. Also, I would like more people to ship Yuma and Haruhi, the two main characters.

Summary
At a young age Kamizaka Haruhi was rescued by a young mage and longed to become a mage herself. She enrolls in a special school with regular and magic classes along with a few of her friends. They study magic together while searching for the boy that saved her years ago.

How it Could be Better
There's really no much that I can say that would make this anime better. It did have a good story with many great moments and I really enjoyed the ending as well. There is a cross dresser in the anime which either made it or broke it for some people. He/she was probably put in there more for comic relief, however the main story focuses on Yuma and Haruhi.

Yuma + Haruhi
In my Valentines Day post I did list Yuma and Haruhi as an underrated couple. I think these two deserve so much more attention than they got. These two are pretty cute and romantic together and truly care for each other a lot and it shows more with the series. They are both supportive and often help each other out in many ways and I believe these two deserve more ships. Please feel free to ship them!

My Conclusion
I would give this anime 4.5/5 stars or a 9/10 score. I really did like this anime as a magical girl and romance put together. The ending finished it off great. This anime is pretty similar to Nanatsuiro Drops, another magical girl romance with similar artwork and theming. I will also be looking forward to watching Nanatsuiro Drops too and I predict I might rate it a full 5 stars, but of course I won't know till I watch it.

Engaged to the Unidentified (Mikakunin de Shinkoukei) Review

So I wasn't really planning on watching this but I did anyway and I decided that it deserved a review. Engaged to the Unidentified (Mikanunin de Shinkoukei) is a 7 volume manga written by Cherry-Arai adapted into a 12-episode long anime series. It was kind of good but still not the best. So here we have it and this will probably be the first spoiler free review I've posted in a while too. Enjoy!

Summary
Kobeni Yonomori recieves a gift on her 16th birthday, a fiance and sister-in-law she never knew she had, an arrangement made by her late grandfather. Kobeni's fiance, Hakuya Mitsumine and his younger sister Mashiro move to the Yonomori household as well to deepen their relationship.The story will follow the changes they must make and reveal secrets from their past.

How it Could be Better
This show has its ups and downs as most shows have. While it is very cute and funny it tends to jump around and gets confusing at times. The one thing is that this show could use some more romantic moments.

Opening and Ending
The opening and ending to this are so catchy. I'm now addicted to it like many other anime openings and endings. There both pretty kawaii!

My Conclusion
I would give this show 3.5/5 stars or a 7/10 score. It is still better than Suzuka (The other 3.5 star show I reviewed) in my opinion but not the best. It is mostly a cute kawaii comedy but there's better ones out there. Doesn't really get into much romance though. If you like cute funny anime then this is for you. Love, Chunibyo, and other Delusions is a better show though and has the romantic moments in it as well.