Tokyo Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power) Review

I recently finished watching Tokyo Mew Mew also known as Mew Mew Power in the English dub so I am going to review it as you guessed. Okay it's kind of weird that a 22 year old man like myself is reviewing this but whatever. (I'm anonymous to most of you reading this). Anyway Tokyo Mew Mew started as a 7-volume manga written by Reiko Yoshida and then made into a 52-episode 2002 anime series by Studio Pierrot. Additionally, there are two games and a second 2003 2-volume manga by Mia Ikumi. Tokyo Mew Mew also has a dubbed version which kind of sucks because they change the story around a little, so I watched this anime in subs. Tokyo Mew Mew is a magical girl romance anime and is considered a must see for anyone who watches the magical girl genre. Tokyo Mew Mew bears similarities to other magical girl anime such as Sailor Moon, Mermaid Melody, and Wedding Peach. I personally liked Tokyo Mew Mew for it's cute and interesting style as well as having a few subplots with the main story.

Summary
Ichigo Momomiya (Zoey in English dub) was a normal girl, worried mostly about her crush, Masaya Aoyama (Mark in English dub). However, just as she was able to date him, she was struck by a mysterious beam and everything changed. She is now part of the Mew Project, genetically fused with an endangered species of cat. With her new powers and companions, she must protect the earth from invading aliens.

My Thoughts
I really liked Tokyo Mew Mew, which will be one of many guilty pleasure anime that I will be reviewing (Again I am a 22 year old man). While it may seem like a Sailor Moon copy at first it does begin to carve out its own identity which makes it unique. The different characters are unique in their own way adding to the enjoyment of the show. Ichigo, the leader, Mint, Lettuce, Purin, Zakuro along with the boss Ryou and love interest Masaya make the show pretty enjoyable and interesting. The mysterious heroic Blue Knight along with the villains like Quiche (Kisshu) add some pretty good excitement to this show. It is kind of similar to My Story in a the way that the characters are part animal, have animal abilities, and can transform back and forth. However my story is more serious and nowhere near as cute or girly. Overall, it was a enjoyable good show and while it shares similarities to other magical girl anime it's pretty unique in its own way.

Couples/Shippings
Okay now as long as we have anime there will probably be lots of couples (aka ships) that people will create from these shows. Ichigo is usually paired with Masaya, Quiche (Kisshu), or sometimes Ryou. Honestly I don't understand why she's paired with Quiche or why people don't like her with Masaya. I kind of understand why some people would put her with Ryou but in my opinion she belongs with Masaya. I mean Quiche's relationship with her is more like being a stalker than an actual lover whereas Ryou usually just messes with her but isn't really interested in her romantically. I think Ichigo belongs with Masaya because they have mutual feelings and both make great sacrifices for one another. Like most all couples, Ichigo and Masaya face obstacles in their relationship which makes them a stronger couple. It's an adorable relationship between a clumsy sweet Ichigo and the popular Masaya. I really wish that there were more couple/relationship stories between a shy boy and popular girl though. (I'm kind of a shy boy myself). So if you feel the same, feel free to ship them if your opinion is different, that's fine.

My Conclusion

I would give Tokyo Mew Mew 4.5/5 stars. It's a cute, enjoyable, and exciting anime that is a must watch for everyone who likes the magical girl genre. This is also a great child friendly anime too so any young kids can watch this as well. I plan on watching and reviewing some similar magical girl anime such as Mermaid Melody, Cardcaptor Sakura, Wedding Peach, Nanatsuiro Drops and more... So stay tuned!

Just Because! Review

Just Because! is a recent romance anime that came in 2017 and became somewhat popular. I just finished watching it so I am going to review it! Just Because started as a 2017 serial novel written by Hajime Kamoshida. Just one month later it's 12-anime started, released by Pine Jam. Just Because! is a drama romance slice of life anime. I enjoyed Just Because! and it was fairly well received too.

Summary
As the school year begins drawing to a close, the third-year high school students move toward the next milestone of their lives: graduation. Mio Natsume, a girl burdened with lingering feelings, Hazuki Morikawa, a member of the concert band but distant from others, and Haruto Souma, an athlete obsessed with baseball are among them. Meanwhile, second-year student Ena Komiya seeks to revive the photography club to its former glory, refusing to let the organization be disbanded. Though this group lacks a strong connection with one another. their lives suddenly cross paths with the arrival of a third-year transfer student.
While a transfer so close to graduation is unusual for most, it is business as usual for Eita Izumi. Due to his father's work, he has never been able to stay in one place for very long. But as luck would have it, their most recent relocation has returned Eita to his hometown for his final semester of high school. For better or worse, it also sparks the rekindling of old relationships left behind in the past.
With graduation already causing its own share of anxieties, Eita's sudden arrival brings these students' carefree days to an abrupt end. Long-forgotten memories, deeply buried emotions, and inspiring new passions-everything is brought to light in their bittersweet final semester.

My Thoughts
Just Because is a rather pleasant, relaxing, and enjoyable anime. While you don't get a roller coaster of emotions like in Clannad, Kanon, Anohana, or Air you do get the same type of warm feelings. Just Because! has some pretty good art but that is expected from a recent 2017 anime. Just Because! takes you through the process of actually falling in love and trying to figure out your feelings for others. Just Because! also focuses on the difficulties when high school (In my case College) is coming to a close and you are trying to decide what to do with your life.

My Conclusion
I would give Just Because! 4.5/5 stars or a 9/10. While it's not a mountain of emotions it is charming and touchy feely in its own way and is a very enjoyable series. I suggest anyone who's into romance anime to watch Just Because! I'm looking forward to watching and reviewing a similar romance anime Tsuki Ga Kirei which is another romance anime that also came out in 2017.

Naure no Sekai (The World of Narue) Review

I'm going to do another review, as you probably have guessed. I just finished watching Narue no Sekai known in English as The World of Narue. Like many anime Narue no Sekai started as a 13-volume manga written by Tomohiro Marukawa. Then it became a 12-episode 2003 anime series from Studio Live. Narue no Sekai is a science fiction romantic comedy anime. Narue no Sekai has mixed reviews but I actually liked it. It's not as emotionally, romantic, or touchy feely as Clannad, Kanon, Anohana, Tsuki Ga Kirei, or Ano Natsu de Matteru but it's kind of a cute anime in its own way.

Summary
Narue Nanase is an alien girl living with her father on earth to keep an eye on humanity and prevent them from having contact with aliens (a la Men in Black). However, the situation changes when Narue meets Kazuto Iizuka, a boy at her school, after saving him from an evil alien. They become a couple and many adventures await them.

My Thoughts
I kind of liked Narue no Sekai, while it's not as emotional, romantic, or touchy feely as Clannad or Tsuki ga Kirei, it has the elements that you expect most romantic comedy anime to have. Narue no Sekai uses the common theme of two people from different worlds falling in love. It was pretty enjoyable series with its characters and cute moments. Overall, I think Narue no Sekai is an underrated anime. In my 2017 Valentines Day post I mentioned Kazuto and Narue as an underrated couple who deserve more attention so feel free to ship them!

My Conclusion
I would give Narue no Sekai 4.5/5 stars or a 9/10 score. Narue no Sekai is a good underrated anime with the common theme of two people from different worlds falling in love. As you know I have reviewed or mentioned that I will be reviewing anime with this similar theme. In the future I will be reviewing Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love with a similar story but is more serious.

Hime-chan no Ribbon (Hime-chan's Ribbon) Review

As you probably guessed, I'm going to do another review. I just finished watching Hime-chan no Ribbon also called Hime-chan's Ribbon in english. As you may remember I previously did reviews on Ask Dr. Rin and Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha and mentioned I would review Hime-chan no Ribbon, well I'm reviewing it. First, Hime-chan no Ribbon started as a 10 volume 1990s manga written by Megumi Mizusawa. Then it became a 61-episode 1992 anime series from Studio Gallop and NAS. More recently there was a manga remake written by Shiho Komiyuno in 2009. Hime-chan no Ribbon is a fantasy magical girl romance anime. I liked Hime-chan no Ribbon and I think it deserves more attention and every magical girl lover should watch this classic anime. I will explain more in my thoughts on this series.

Summary
Erika, the princess of the Magic Kingdom has come to Earth in order to find a human girl who looks just like her. The girl turns out to be Himeko Nonohara, a tomboy's tomboy. Erika must give Himeko a magical item she has created in order to prove her worth as successor to the crown. Himeko must test this item, a hair ribbon that allows her to transform into any other person she sees, to see if it is worthy. The series follows Himeko's adventures and her budding romance with Daichi, a boy who discovers her secret.

My Thoughts
Hime-chan no Ribbon is a classic magical girl series that I think everyone magic anime lover should watch. It has themes of coming-of-age and romance similar to that of Cardcaptor Sakura. Like Cardcaptor Sakura, Himeko has a crush on a older guy, Hasekura (aka. senpai) but shifts her feelings towards someone else closer to her age, Daichi. Because it is a coming-of-age anime there is some pretty good character development. Each episode keeps you interested in the anime. I will point out that some episodes towards the end are flashbacks or overviews to previous episodes. Overall, Hime-chan no Ribbon is a very enjoyable classic magical girl anime. Oh yeah feel free to ship Himeko and Daichi, I mentioned them in my 2017 Valentines Day post.

My Conclusion
I would give Hime-chan no Ribbon 4.5/5 stars or a 9/10 score. This is a great classic magical girl romance anime with themes of coming-of-age and love stories similar to Cardcaptor Sakura. Every magical girl lover should watch Hime-chan no Ribbon. I will watch and probably review some similar magical girl anime in the future. One is Cardcaptor Sakura, popular series from 1998 with a recent sequel. The other is Miracle Girls, another underrated classic magical girl anime that's not that well known and should get more attention.

Ask Dr. Rin! (Dr. Rin ni Kiitemite!) Review

I just finished watching an anime, Dr. Rin Kiitemite known in english as Ask Dr. Rin. Ask Dr. Rin started as a 8-volume manga written by Kiyoko Arai. It then became a 2001 anime series with 51 episodes in 2001 by Studio Comet. Okay there are really 52 but the last one is a special that's not really worth watching. Ask Dr. Rin is a magical girl romantic comedy anime. I liked Ask Dr. Rin and believe it deserves more attention.

Summary
Meirin Kanzaji is a junior high school student who possesses feng shui powers which can drive away evil spirits when they appear. She is actually the fortune teller Dr. Rin. She is in love with her friend, soccer club member, Yuuki Asuka. However, Asuka does not like fortune-telling and superstitious things.

My Thoughts
Magical girl anime is a rather popular genre although some seem to get more attention than others. I liked Ask Dr. Rin and believe it deserves more attention. Like many magical girl anime, Ask Dr. Rin also had a cute child-friendly style and love interests. While the show is kind of slow at first, I found it to be rather enjoyable. Also feel free to ship Meirin and Asuka because I believe this couple deserves more attention.

My Conclusion
I would give Ask Dr. Rin 4.5/5 stars or a 9/10 score. It was a rather enjoyable magical girl anime and I would recommend it if you are a fan of the magical girl genre. Another magical girl anime similar to Ask Dr. Rin is Hime-chan no Ribbon (Hime-chan's Ribbon) which I will watch and probably  review next.

Sora no Manimani (At the Mercy of the Sky) Review

I just finished watching an anime called Sora no Manimani known in english as At the Mercy of the Sky so as you may have guessed, I am going to review it. Like many anime, Sora no Manimani started as a 10-volume manga written by Mami Kashiwabara. It was made into a 12-episode anime series by Studio Comet in 2009. Sora no Manimani is a slice of life, romantic comedy in a school setting. While this may not sound very original, I liked Sora no Manimani as it was a pretty enjoyable series to watch.

Summary
Saku Ooyagi returns to his hometown after seven years and is soon reacquainted with his childhood friend, Mihoshi Akeno, who is a year older than him. The reunion is far from merry since the last memory they have of each other is her falling off a tree and him saving her. Mihoshi is determined to improve their relationship and forces Saku to join the astronomy club she founded.

My Thoughts
While Sora no Manimani may not sound original as it is a slice of life, romantic comedy in a school I found this anime very enjoyable. The characters in Sora no Manimani were all lovable in some way and made the anime pretty entertaining and enjoyable. The design and animation were pretty good too and while this series came out in 2009, it looked like an anime ahead of its time.

My Conclusion
I would give Sora no Manimani 4/5 stars or an 8/10 score. It's a pretty enjoyable series with lovable characters. I would recommend Sora no Manimani for anyone interested in astronomy or is into slice of life or romantic comedy anime.

Kero Kero Chime Review

I finished watching a not very well known anime series called Kero Kero Chime from 1997 so I am going to review it. Kero Kero Chime started as a 5 volume manga written by Maguro Fujita. Then it was made into a 30-episode 1997 anime series by Studio Comet. Kero Kero Chime tells the story of Aoi a boy who gets cursed which makes him turn into a frog whenever he gets wet a similar story to Ranma 1/2. I chose to review this because two of my friends like frogs and take care of them so this is for you. I did like this series and while it may not be the best, it has its fair share of cute and funny moments.

Summary
Aoi, is a normal boy who is cursed with a spell that turns him into a frog whenever he gets wet. He is sent to another world with a frog kingdom to find the princess to help him undo the spell. When he finds out she doesn't know how to lift the curse, they set out to find the spell that will. Along the way they meet many interesting creatures, come across many dangers, and make many new friends.

My Thoughts
I liked Kero Kero Chime, while it's not the greatest anime or greatest classic it does have its share of comedy and cute moments. Kero Kero Chime is one of those anime that seems to be kind of cheesy and funny but it is rather enjoyable and has 30 episodes which is a decent amount.

My Conclusion
I would give Kero Kero Chime 4/5 stars or an 8/10 score. It's not the best anime but it's a cute and funny comedy, adventure, fantasy series. I would recommend this if you're looking for a not very well known classic anime or if you are a lover of frogs.