2018 Valentines Day Post

Since it'll probably be Valentines Day by the time I post this I will do my annual Valentines Day post. My last year's V-Day post received more views than all my other posts so I will be doing an annual Valentines Day couples post. I've been kind of busy with school and the anime convention going on at my school so this may be a little late but whatever. If you ready my post from last year you probably know what I will be going over but I'll summarize it for you again. I'm kind of a sucker for romance and couples are a pretty big thing in anime and other media in general and I'm a guy too. Well the main reason is because I'm single and I need something to fill the void of loneliness. I will probably leave out some stuff because I already posted most of this last year and just discuss what makes a good love story and what doesn't. I will include new couples as well as go over a few ones from last post and with so much anime out there, I could've picked 100 couples it still would've been too short so I will have to narrow it down. Then there's my story, again if you like to ship these couples, feel free but again I want the couples from my stories to be better than anything and have the best love story possible (The very opposite of Twilight & 50 Shades of Grey). Please leave a comment, message etc. Feedback is wanted and so is CONSTRUCTIVE Criticism.This will be somewhat based off my opinion and if yours differs that's fine. Also, I haven't watch some of these anime yet so I may take away/add some couples or even move them to a different category and I recently watched stuff from my last list and I'll be bringing in new couples. Anyway it's Valentines Day I'm single and I'm 22 so there's only one thing to do after writing this blog! Oh yeah I may reveal some endings and complain about them too since that's a pretty big thing with love stories so.

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What makes a good couple

So pretty much the same things I've went over last year pretty much their chemistry and how well they fit together. Basically, sacrifice, selflessness, trust, keeping promises, and helping one another. Basically how much two people are willing to sacrifice and give which shows how much they truly care about the other and need the other person. As far as age differences go I prefer couples the same age (for me girls the same age). Although, it's cool when a younger guy gets an older girl. (I'd be the talk of the town if that happened). So that's a basic rap of what I'm looking for.

Worst Couples (Get the worst out of the way first)

I've pretty much talked about this last year so I will just bring up 3 couples who are the worst pairings, well the fourth is a series of love stories involving 1 guy so.

Edward + Bella (Twilight series)- Do I really have to explain again? This movie basically ruined Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's careers and it's just bad. There' plenty of memes with better love stories than twilight. Again the only good thing about this movie is Christina Perri's song A Thousand Years other then that the rest of it is s***.

Ana + Christian (50 Shades of Grey)- Twilight might have met it's match here and do I need to go into more detail on this again? This movie makes everyone who watches it puke and is just as bad as twilight.

School Days Pairings- Basically love, dating, and blood and guts. This is the most f***ed up romance anime I've seen but if you like gore and blood then this is the anime for you.
Kirino Kosaka + Kyosuke Kosaka (Oreimo)- I'm going to rip on this series well because these two are BROTHER and SISTER and they are BLOOD RELATED too. I mean how much more incest can this series get? Don't they realize there's other boys and girls other than their brother and sister. I mean I understand the bond and friendship between siblings but this is really too far. But if you like incest then you'll love this anime.

School Days

Kirino + Kysouke

Average/Mixed Reviews
These couples have mixed reviews, some like them, some hate them, some love them, and some think they are okay. Personally I have different opinions on each and most of them I think are average/okay or above average but not great. Also this is partly based off my opinion and what I've seen and heard. If your's differs that's fine.

Kirito + Asuna (Sword Art Online)- SAO seems to be an anime people either love or hate. Some find it great while others think of it as another Twilight. I personally think it's just above average but not special. As a couple I will also say Kirito and Asuna are above average and other people think differently about them.
Saito + Louise (The Familiar of Zero/Zero no Tsukaima)- There's mixed number of reviews for this couple. Louise is a tsundere and is kind of mean, rude, and abusive towards Saito at first but does have feelings for him later. Saito's not too thrilled about the situation at first but does become loyal to her and cares for her as well. The two end up married in the end and I personally think of them as an average couple.
Sonic Franchise- Unlike most people I preferred Sonic over Mario and was a pretty big fan of their games. I'm not into it as much nowadays as I am a college student. However, this is probably the worst fan base I've been a part of and couples are one thing Sonic fans seem to argue over quite a bit are couples. While there's plenty of couples I could talk about I'll just pick out a few and state my reasons. I'm probably going to get much hate and criticism for this and more so if you all knew my real identity. So I'm going to try not to get into much detail.
Sonic + Amy- this couple is pretty one sided. Amy's constantly chasing Sonic and has dreams about marrying him. Sonic thinks of her as a friend and does not truly hate her and there have been times where Sonic rescues her and goes pretty far for Amy. In the new Sonic Boom Amy and Sonic still show feelings towards one another but Amy is more secretive and cautious about it. Personally, I'm fine with them.
Silver + Blaze- Okay so if anyone knows about Sonic 06 (Worst F***ing Game Ever and I'm glad I didn't play that s**t, I don't play video games anymore anyway) you know Silver was teamed with Blaze. I think couples should be on the same team, unless the two different teams are allies. I think Blaze is best with Silver and not anyone else basically because it seems Silver has no one else to be with (who it makes sense at least, plenty of people hook him up with Amy and other girls).
Tails + Cream- So people like to put Tails and Cream together as they are both young and innocent while others see them as friends. I'm not entirely against it and I'm just going to leave it at that.
Tails + Cosmo- So if you watch Sonic X you might know Tails had feelings for Cosmo a seedrian. Unfortunately this is a tragic romance as Cosmo dies in the end. I'm not against this couple and kind of wish Cosmo lived.
Tails + Zooey- Apparantly an 8 year old boy can get affection from quite a lot of girls yet me at 22 gets friendzoned all the time. Go Figure! Well in the new Sonic Boom series Tails has a crush on Zooey and in that episode he learns to be himself and manages to win her over. I support these two the most out of all the Tails Couples mainly because Tails finally gets a girlfriend who lives. Now I'm going to sound like Donald Trump and while I hate that guy I'm just going to say it. Cosmo is dead, Zooey is alive, I like girlfriends who don't die which is why I support these two the most.

Also, when I was 12 I created a team of my own who were all reptiles because reptiles are cool and why not? And Hedgehogs are not threatening in anyway, they're cute but not threatening. Cobras, Mambas, and Crocodiles on the other hand are, with the two females being a frilled dragon and terrapin. Lets just say the leader is a King Cobra which would kick all the other leaders buts in the actually animal kingdom, Just Saying! His name is Tatsu which means flying beast in Japanese so one of his super forms will be some type of dragon. Something I wanted to announce on my blog. OK moving on!

Saito & Louise

Kirito & Asuna

Should've been couples
Now I'm not going to get into much detail on these since I ranted on this last year. But I will list a few from last year. I don't like when an anime ends with an unresolved love story and this is what a majority of these have. I understand some anime leave the romance unresolved but the manga runs longer and usually resolves the romantic situations so I may or may not include them depending on how I feel. Princess Tutu and Wind: A Breath of Heart are two I mentioned in my endings rant.

Ahiru + Fakir (Princess Tutu)- While I understand the concept of this anime this still rubs me the wrong way and I believe Fakir and Ahiru truly deserve to be together as a couple. I know that they are still close as friends but I would like to see them as a couple way more so than Mytho and Rue.
Makoto + Minamo (Wind: A Breath of Heart)- This was a visual novel turned anime by Minori the same company that developed Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. I will say this series had sooo much potential but really f***ed it up with the ending. The thing just leaves off with a f***ing cliffhanger which pisses me off. The series had great art and graphics as well as giving you the feelings but the ending basically just ruined everything. It would've been better if the relationship between Makoto and Minamo was resolved and they became an official couple.
Sheeta + Pazu (Castle in the Sky)- I love Studio Ghibli and this was a great movie. It was obvious Sheeta and Pazu were in love. Pazu does anything to help Sheeta and keep her safe and Sheeta deeply cares for Pazu. I feel at the very least they should've shown some signs of being a couple like kiss or something but that's my only complaint about this film.
Unresolved Harems- One of my pet peeves is when a harem series finishes off unresolved. Many harems finish off unresolved with no sign whatsoever of who the main character will end up with. I feel so many of these harems would be waayy better if the main character ended up for someone and the one who was the best for them and if it was obvious who they ended up with in the end.

Princess Tutu

To Love-Ru

Best Couples
I've gone over most from last year yet I can list about 100 couples from anime series and that list would still be too short so I'm going to mention a few from last year and new ones this year.

Sakura + Syaoran (Cardcaptor Sakura) (Clear Card)- I mentioned these two last year, however I want to just have a quick recap as they are a popular couple and I've never met a single person who hates them as a couple. Pretty much the basis is they started off rivals but became friends. Syaoran started to have feelings for Sakura. Eventually Syaoran confesses to her she returns his confession saying she loves him too. Many can agree these two are the most adorable couple in the history of anime. Sakura's cute, Syaoran's cute together they're even cuter. The movie and manga ended great. The first few episodes of the Clear Card Arc have come out and me along with most people are excited about it. There better be many moments between these two and we all hope they end up married. Additionally the English dub voice actors are the same ones who voice Sakura and Syaoran in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles so this should be real interesting.
Sakura + Syaoran (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles)- I can't include CCS without also having these two. Sakura and Syaoran have known each other for a long time until Sakura loses her memories. Syaoran goes to retrieve her memories and over the journey Sakura falls in love with Syaoran again and the two truly show how much they care for each other. Now when I reviewed this anime I really ripped on them for their ending, like not even a single kiss. I know from watching CLAMP's other animes like Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, and Kobato that CLAMP can make much better endings than that. It's so f***ing obvious they are in love and they better get married. In any future anime/manga they better get married or I will go ballistic.
Inuyasha + Kagome (Inuyasha)- Inuyasha and Kagome have mixed reviews and but a majority of people like them as a couple. Like many cliches they don't get along at first but of course things change. Inuyasha shows more sympathy and Kagome starts to care for Inuyasha. The two eventually start to through the hardships in their lives and every obstacle only makes them stronger.
Kaito Kirishima + Ichika Takatsuki (Ano Natsu de Matteru/Waiting in the Summer)- I watched this anime and like it but I'm not sure if my heart can really take the ending another time, but it does have a positive twist to it. I love this couple as these two are kind of star-crossed lovers with Ichika being from another planet and Kaito being shorter and two years younger than her. I mean a confession followed by a kiss is a pretty big thing. These two show how much they truly love and care for one another in just 12 episodes of this anime. The ending will leave bullet holes in your heart but does have a happy hint to it. The footage of Ichika with Nanami's gift showing she was able to return to earth.
Kotaru Azumi + Akane Mizuno (Tsuki ga Kirei)- I haven't watched this anime yet so I'm not going to say much. This anime came out pretty recently and many agree this is one of the best romance anime that came out in 2017. From the looks of it these two show how much they love and care for each other even keeping a long distance relationship.
Rokuro + Benio (Twin Star Exorcists/Sousei no Onmyouji)- I haven't watched this series yet but I can't really say much. This is a fairly new anime series that came out in 2016-17. Rokuro and Benio are not thrilled about getting married at first but do work together and start having feelings for one another. They eventually fall in love.
Taki Tachibana + Mitsuha Miyamizu (Kimi no Na wa/Your Name)- This movie just passed Spirited Away for highest grossing Japanese film. I enjoyed this movie and it was had great animation and graphics. Taki and Mitsuha learn about each other and grow close to one another in the movie. They show how far each will go for one another.
Kyoko Otonashi + Yusaku Godai (Maison Ikkoku)- I haven't watched this anime yet so I will just say what I know. This series was originally a manga written by Rumiko Takahashi that developed into an 1986 anime. The series goes through the relationship between Yusaku Godai, a 20 year old college student and Kyoko Otonashi, a 22 year old widow and landlady. Godai is infatuated with Otonashi and the two fall in love.

Maison Ikkoku

Kimi no Na wa

Sousei no Onmyouji

Tsuki ga Kirei

Underrated Couples (?)
Now I posted most of these from last year so I don't have much new ones to really post and I don't feel like repeating. So I will post the love stories who are kind of underrated but still have followers.

Naoyuki Asaba + Kana Iriya (Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu/Iriya's Sky, Summer of the UFOs)- Now I reviewed this anime a few months back and gave it 4/5 stars. While I liked it I complained about the ending and how it kind of ruined the anime and I complained about the ending too if you may not know but I will put that link in my next couple. Asaba and Iriya are a nice couple as Iriya is a mysterious girl from yet has a cute innocent appearance and Asaba is takes interest and cares deeply about her and is willing to do anything to protect Iriya. The Ending definitely leaves a shot in your heart and we can only hope.
Takeru Takemoto + Hikari (This Ugly Yet Beautiful World/Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai)- Now I reviewed this anime in August of 2017 and while I gave it 4/5 stars. While I liked most of it I really hated the ending and criticized it in my endings rant. Hikari is a mysterious girl and Takeru immediately takes her in. Takeru and Hikari develop strong love for one another but this causes tension and jealousy with Takeru's cousin, Mari. Many times in the series they show their strong love for one another. I believe these two deserve more attention. Unfortunately the ending pretty much ruined the anime and we can only hope for them.
Ryou Ninomiya + Akari (This Ugly Yet Beautiful World/Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai)- Since this couple is from the same series I'm not really going to explain again. Ryou is Takeru's best friend and Akari is like a sister to Hikari. Ryou finds her and makes her part of his family and cares deeply for her. Like I said earlier, the ending ruined their relationship and the anime.
Kyosuke Kasuga + Madoka Ayukawa (Kimagure Orange Road)- If you watched Maison Ikkoku you probably know this series which came out a year later from it and shares many similarities. Many people like Maison Ikkoku better but still admit this is a good series but I'm actually more excited to watch this more than Maison Ikkoku even though I'm looking forward to watching Maison Ikkoku. Kimagure Orange Road has a strong love triangle between Kyosuke, Madoka, and Madoka's best friend, Hikaru. I have a feeling I will like this couple.
Sumomo Akihime + Masaharu Tsuwabuki (Nanatsuiro Drops)- I'm excited about watching this series and this is kind of my guilty pleasure anime as it looks like a series for girls but I really want to watch it. It is a magical girl similar to Happiness!, Kobato, and Princess Tutu and of course because I will spoil things for myself as I've seen many bad endings I used this anime as example of one the best endings in my endings rant. Masaharu drinks a potion that accidentally turns him into a stuffed Lamb at night and must find a way to turn back to normal. Fortunately Sumomo is there to help but she cannot know the true identity that Yuki the stuffed lamb is really Masaharu or he will become a stuffed lamb forever. These two are an adorable couple and they show how far they will go for one another with Masaharu fulfilling his promise to love Sumomo again.
Meimi + Asuka (Saint Tail)- This is a classical magical girl anime and these two have pretty similar relationship to Sakura and Syaoran. Meimi likes Asuka and Asuka doesn't seem to notice as he's trying to catch Saint Tail, who is secretly Meimi. These are also a pretty cute couple.
Momoko + Yosuke (Wedding Peach)- This is an anime that is pretty similar to Sailor Moon and I kind of had to include. I'm not going to say much as I haven't watched it yet and am looking forward to watching it. I will say I think I will like them as a couple as they show how strong their love is for one another.
Yuuto Ayase + Haruka Nogizaka (Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu/Haruka Nogizaka's Secret)- I am looking forward to watching this anime as it is about a wealthy popular rich girl and a less popular boy who share a interest in the otaku lifestyle. The two develop a relationship over the course of the series and fall in love with obstacles along the way.
Firiel Dee + Roux Liskin (The Good Witch of the West/Nishi no Yoki Majo: Astraea Testament)- I am excited about watching this anime and this couple is between Firiel, an older girl of royalty and her childhood friend, Roux, a younger commoner boy. This is the type of love story I like. At first, Firiel sees Roux as just a friend or little brother but the two develop romantic feelings and fall in love.
Mahoro + Suguru (Mahoromatic)- I did a review on this anime and gave it 4/5 stars. Suguru lives by himself after losing both his parents and gets a maid, Mahoro. Mahoro is actually an android who's life is limited so she chooses to spend the last of it as a maid for Suguru. One thing after another and the two fall in love. I liked this anime and the ending is a bit emotional but will leave you with questions.
Mikoto Urabe + Akira Tsubaki (Nazo no Kanojo X/Mysterious Girlfriend X)- I reviewed this anime and while it is a bit unusual I gave it 4.5/5 stars and I also used this as an example of a good ending in my endings rant. It is a rather weird anime as this couple exchanges drool rather than a kiss but it is actually pretty good. The two have strong feelings for one another and I got the same warm fuzzy feelings from any other romance anime so I actually really like these two as a couple.
Kenji + Yurie (Kamichu)- I am looking forward to watching this anime and it looks pretty cute too. Yurie is a shy schoolgirl who has a crush on Kenji, the president and only member of the calligraphy club. These two look like an adorable couple and don't think this anime really gets as much attention as it deserves.

The Good Witch of the West

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu

Sumomo & Masaharu

Kyosuke & Madoka

My Series Shippings
Now I'm only going to put my first series on here and just the couples who become official and I'm only going to put the main couples on here. If you ship these I guarantee they will set sail and won't sink (except Fahru dies).

Takeshi Hachuu + Angel "Annabelle" Ahrimo- Now I'm probably going to repeat myself but that's kind of the easiest thing to do. Takeshi is a 16 year old reptile/snake yokai and Angel is a 18 year old cat yokai. Angel makes friends with Takeshi as she feels sorry for him seeing him alone. They share secrets and feelings for one another even though reptiles and cats are supposed to be enemies. Takeshi and Angel care for each other more and more as the series goes on and they love each other very much. Both come to terms with how to accept their identities and fate. Takeshi had suffered the death of his father and years of discrimination while Angel always thought she was the only one. They also go to great lengths for one another. Angel is willing to stand up for Takeshi and is very supportive of him. Takeshi is not afraid to protect Angel or anyone else he loves even if it means losing his own life. For Takeshi, he comes to terms and realizes it's the first time since his father's death that he hasn't felt sad, lonely, or depressed and is happy and stronger with Angel by his side. With every challenge Takeshi and Angel only get stronger together. Takeshi is striving to fulfill his father's dying wish for him to be happy and fulfill his life and Angel is very willing to help him.

Taro Hachuu + Nina Moriko- Taro is the younger brother of Takeshi who is also a reptilian/snake yokai. Nina is Taro's childhood friend and a owl yokai of Russian and Japanese decent. Nina's a tsundere and the two argue a lot at first but do realize their feelings for one another. While reptiles and owls are supposed to enemies but they stay by each others side. At first they try to hide their feelings but realize how much they really mean to each other and need each other. Nina has suffered the loss of both her parents and Taro suffered through the death of his father. Both want to fulfill what their parents wishes and realize that they are no longer sad, lonely, or depressed, and are happy and stronger by each other's side. They face many obstacles in their relationship but always come out stronger than before.

Ren Hachuu + Fahru Hachuu- Ren and Fahru are the mother and father of Takeshi and Taro. Fahru is a reptilian/snake yoaki, while Ren is an ordinary human. In a way these two are kind of star-crossed lovers. Their parents each accepted each other but society didn't. The fact that a reptilian and ordinary human are married was more reason they were targeted. Nevertheless they didn't care what others thought. They were deeply in love with each other and went to great lengths for one another and they started a family which made them stronger. Fahru was willing to risk anything for his family and finally lost his life protecting those he loved the most. Ren follows her promise and Fahru's wish and continues to raise her two boys as a single mother well.

Now that's a rap and this pretty much describes my love life.

Now I'm 22 single and there's one thing for me to do other than post this, and that's the one thing everyone single and 21 and over does on Valentines Day. Sooooo

Hakuouki Review

With my usual routine, I like to release at least one review or post in general every month. For this month I will review an anime I watched called Hakuouki. Hakuouki is a reverse-harem, historical fantasy anime with 4 seasons, 6 OVA's and 2 films. I thought this was a pretty good anime even though it can get kind of confusing at times but was overall a good series for those who like action and romance.

Summary
In 1864 Japan, Chizuru Yukimura is searching for her father, Koudou, a doctor. After not hearing from him in months, she disguises herself as a man and heads to Kyoto to search for him. Attracting the attention of Ronin, she witnesses the Ronin being murdered by crazed white-haired men. In a turn of evens, members of the Shinsengumi arrive to dispatch the creatures. The group of men then take her back to their headquarters. She reveals the name of her father, the Shinsengumi decide to keep her safe, as they have also been searching for him. Chizuru finds herself embroiled in a conflict between the Shinsengumi and their enemies, as wells as tensions in Kyoto.

My Thoughts
Like I said I thought Hakuouki was a pretty good anime series. It had a good mix of action, romance, and samurai. The series can get confusing as there is a prequel series and 2 movies that run parallel to the store. It was a exciting series to watch and good for those who like samurai and action.

My Conclusion
I would give Hakuouki 4/5 stars or an 8/10 score. While it can get confusing it was an exciting anime to watch and it was hard not to watch. I recommend this series if you're a fan of action, romance, or samurai.

Kara no Kyoukai (The Garden of Sinners) Review

I usually try to review at least one series every month and recently I finished watching the movie series Kara no Kyoukai aka The Garden of Sinners, which I will be reviewing. Kara no Kyoukai initially started as a light novel series adapted into 8 different films as well as a 13 episode series and OVA. Kara no Kyoukai is action, romance, supernatural, and thriller type anime. The films don't exactly go in chronological order if you want to watch it in chronological order the order is 2, 4, 3, 1, 5, 6, 7. There is an additional epilogue that you can watch too. I will overall, be reviewing all these films as one series.

Summary
Kara no Kyoukai is set in the 1990s in Japan in an alternate universe and follows the life of Ryogi Clan-heiress Shiki Ryougi, and her classmate Mikiya Kokutou. The series deals with the paranormal and often goes through some mature and gritty content. Shiki Ryougi is a teenage girl raised as a demon hunter who acquired the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" after surviving a fatal accident. The story follows her with Mikiya Kokutou and their adventures with dealing with the supernatural.

My Thoughts
I thought the series was good but was kind of hard to follow along and understand at some point. Kara no Kyoukai combined some good genres for all. Due to the content this anime is not for young audience. I overall thought it was an above average movie series.

My Conclusion
I'd give this anime a 4/5 star rating or a 8/10 score. Now this is just speaking for the series in general. Some movies were better than others but I'm just summarizing how they did as an average. It was a good series but kind of hard to follow. If you are into supernatural thriller anime with a touch of romance than I recommend Kara no Kyoukai for you.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran Review

I recently finished watching an anime known as Telepathy Shoujo Ran and prior to watching Misty Chronexia's Channel, I've never heard or seen any reference of this anime. Therefore I will do a review on it because I think this interesting, cute, funny anime does deserve more attention. Telepathy Shoujo Ran was originally a novel and 8 volume manga adapted into a 26 episode anime series released by TMS Entertainment in 2008. It was a genuinely good anime, though not the best and overall, I think this anime deserves more attention.

Summary
Ran is a bright and energetic Junior High student who possesses supernatural abilities. With her friend Midori (who also has supernatural powers) and her childhood friend Rui, the trio are constantly embroiled and mysterious circumstances. With the support of her family and peers, Ran learns to deal with her 'other side' and accept who she is. The trio team up as a whole and solve mysterious events.

My Thoughts
Although it wasn't the best, I thought this was a genuinely good anime that deserved more attention. There were different genres of fantasy, sci-fi, school, romance, and comedy covered in Telepathy Shoujo Ran. It was kind of a cute and very interesting anime. Telepathy Shoujo Ran is for all ages since it doesn't cover anything that's no appropriate.

My Conclusion
I would give this anime 4/5 stars or an 8/10 score. Not the best but like I said, kind of cute and interesting. If anyone likes mystery series with a touch of feel-good happiness I'd recommend this anime for them. I'm looking forward to watching Kamichu another similar series with another girl possessing powers.

Hyouka Review

I recently watched this anime known as Hyouka and it's nearing the end of October and I usually do at least one review every month, I'm doing a review on this. Hyouka is Mystery, Slice of Life anime with a touch of romance. Hyouka was originally a 2001 novel written by  Honobu Yonezawa and later a manga. It was adapted into a 22 episode anime (plus 1 2013 OVA) in 2012 by none other than Kyoto Animation. This review will be fairly short as I don't have much to say about Hyouka but I did find it rather interesting with some pretty good characters.

Summary
Houtarou Oreki signs up for the Classic Literature Club at Kamiyama High School, at his older sister's request. Oreki is then dragged into a series of mysteries. Fellow club members Satoshi Fukube, Mayaka Ibara, and last but not least Eru Chitanda accompany him on his cases. Houtarou Oreki is usually energy conserving, unemotional, and uninterested if its none of his business, but a new side of Oreki will show, a very intelligent clever side of him.

My Conclusion
I would give Hyouka 4/5 stars or a 8/10 score. While it's not exactly my taste it is an interesting anime and did teach me about solving mysteries in my own life. One thing I learned is looking at the little details. This anime definitely had some pretty good character development especially with Oreki. In My Anime, The main character Takeshi Hachuu will definitly share many characteristics with Oreki, particularly his intelligence and cleverness, though Takeshi will be more athletic, emotional and caring. Additionally many people think of Oreki and Chitanda together as a couple. While this isn't confirmed in the anime, it is hinted Chitanda does like Oreki in a romantic way.

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.