Anime Review: Tsukigakirei

Watch the video version!

I also did a first impression for this anime, so I would like to respond briefly to some of the comments I made for that impression.

I didn’t notice the music as much as I was hoping I would. That does not mean that the music was bad, it just blended in with the animation and storytelling to the point that unless, I concentrated on it, it was an indistinguishable part from the whole.

Thankfully, there was not as much angst in this anime as I thought there might be (ex. Kimi ni Todoke season 2). Playing into that, I really enjoyed the way that they used LINE. The characters did have to struggle a little to get used to interacting in the real world, but the app did not become a crutch for their relationship.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let's get down to business!

Anime: Tsukigakirei

Genre: Shoujo, romance, drama

General Set-up: Kotaro and Akane are entering their third year of junior high. They become acquainted through an awkward meeting at a family restaurant and being on the same committee for the sports festival. They exchange LINE information and Kotaro soon asks Akane to go out with him. She agrees.

Characters: Both Kotaro and Akane were balanced characters. Often, one character is stronger than the other, but I felt like Kotaro and Akane balanced each other’s strengths and weaknesses out nicely. Both of them grow throughout the course of the show. Akane comes to be more confident and Kotaro learns to be more independent. I liked how Kotaro would play boxing matches with the hanging string for his bedroom light fixture. It felt like something I would do.

Supporting characters play their roles well. They influence the main characters and the main plot and complete and fleshed out. The only side character that I felt could have used some work was Hira.

Plot: This anime is different from others in its genre, in that the two main love interests acknowledge their mutual attraction and become a couple within the first few episodes. This causes the pacing of the anime to change a little. Instead of leading up to the point where they become a couple, Kotaro and Akane have learn HOW to act like a couple.

Ending: The ending for this anime was interesting. It had a few twists that I was not expecting, but it was very good - especially the end credits. They gave a level of resolution that you can only wish and hope for! I was so overcome by the feels that I cried. It was very sweet.

Things to Watch For: For the most part, this anime is pretty clean. There were one or two minor incurrences, but in the interest of not being a nitpicker I won’t talk about them now. Instead, I would like to take this time to talk about the age range of the characters. Unlike most romance anime, this one is set in junior high, not high school. Middle school is around the age where boys are starting to notice girls and girls are starting to notice boys. I had my share of crushes in middle school and some of my friends even had ‘boyfriends.’ I would like to think of myself as wise for my age because even in my early teen years I realized that dating in middle school is not always the best idea. You are still growing, physically and mentally. Also, it doesn’t always work out that you go to the same high school, or even college afterwards, so keeping in touch beyond three short years is difficult, especially at such a young age. However, while I would not necessarily recommend dating in middle school, I don’t think it is a glaring issue that needs to be redressed.

Sights and Sounds: Tsukigakirei is interesting because it contains a mixture of both 2D and 3D animation. 3D animation is used for transition sequences and smaller actions. Most of the animation is done in 2D. Even in 2D the characters often have a white outline that mimics 3D animation. I think this was done in an attempt to blend the two styles together. The mixture of 3D animation may bother some people, but I got used to it farily quickly, so I’m not going to call any attention to it.

For the most part I didn’t notice the sound track much. This is partly my own fault, but I don’t think it reflects badly upon the anime. Often soundtracks can painfully stick out for all the wrong reasons. The music and sound effects for Tsukigakirei blended together into a cohesive whole, helping to tell the story. The music ebbed and flowed to where some scenes had no music at all. This allowed the music to have a greater impact when it came in, instead of being a constant drone in the background.

Other Media: Tsukigakirei is an original anime series.

Fillers: After the first 6 episodes, there is one recap episode.

Length: Tsukigakirei contains 12 episodes.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Interesting Language tidbit: The meaning of the title!

Literally translated into English Tsukigakirei means “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”. However, it is also a way to say ‘I love you’ in Japanese.

Update: Legend of Zelda Boxed Set Manga Review video

    In case you missed it, here it is!

Book Commercial: Jesus Without Borders by Chad Gibbs

Mini Manga Review! - Twilight Princess

     As mentioned, in the Summer 2017 Book Haul video I am now the proud owner of the first two volumes of the Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess manga. As this take on Legend of Zelda is a bit different from the ones found in the boxed set (feel free to read our review of that manga here) I decided to do a short video about it. Enjoy!

Update: Fall Fun!

     We probably won't be posting as much due to the fall semester going on. So, as a change of pace, here is a fun little video about some of the books I bought over the summer. Enjoy!

My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) Season 1 Review

Title: My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia)  Season 1

Genres: Shounen, Superhero, Action, Adventure

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Set-up: Izuku Midoriya is a student hoping to get into the prestigious U.A. High School (a school for heroes in training), but there is one small problem. Izuku doesn’t have any powers, or “quirks” as they are called in the show. His whole life, Midoriya idolized the powerful All-Might, who was said to be the greatest hero ever. However, despite being “quirkless,” he is determined to become a hero one way or another. And his luck is about to change.

Characters: The most interesting part of the show isn’t the setting, it’s the characters! Izuku is the ultimate underdog, powerless in a world of superheroes. However his perseverance is enduring, and you find yourself rooting for him. Likewise, All-Might is very different from the typical hero. In his own way he is enduring. Like Midoriya, he struggles in his own way within the society.

Another character of note is Katsuki Bakugo (or Ka-chan). He is Izuku’s childhood friend and is comparable to Sasuke from Naruto. He is used to being the best at everything he does, and becomes upset when someone threatens to upset that balance, especially when that person is weaker than him.

Plot: Much to my surprise (and delight) the plot is coherent. Many Shonen or Superhero shows are extremely episodic and repetitive--and that makes them boring. Not so with My Hero Academia! While there are several arcs in this first season, the overall plot holds together. Generally, the plot does not drag on needlessly or go too fast. That alone speaks volumes.  

Ending: The arc concludes, but the plot continues in the second season of My Hero Academia (now being released).

Things to watch out for: Other than a little gore and language, this anime is clean.

Animation: My Hero Academia was animated by Studio Bones, so naturally, the animation was flawless. Many of the costumes are based off of Marvel and D.C. characters, with the colors to match. For example, All-Might is “American,” making his costume red, white, and blue. Each character has their own costume design that is unique, but drawn artfully. The action, for the most part, is fluid.

A little more about the costumes because the show focus on them so much. All-Might is clearly based off of American superheros such as Superman, but other characters are much more unique. Some of the costumes have that well-know tights and cape look, while others are more unique. While, as an American, I wouldn’t say that they look American, they do look less Japanese than shows such as Naruto.

Sound: The soundtrack is what saved this show for me. I was very skeptical at first. Although the show seemed interesting, I knew that historically, Japan doesn’t do very will with the more “Western” animes. I started the first episode not really thinking that I would watch the second. But I have to say the composer Yuki Hayashi (composer for Death Parade) really did a good job. The music is loud and bombastic, shounding right at place in the newest Marvel movie. This is one of the times that music adds to the show. Without the music, the show is still good. But the music used within the show takes it to the next level. Honestly, I would have never progressed past the first episode without the music. I think it is important the mention that the "English" used in the dub is not great. But what did we expect? Since when have Japanese animation studios proofread the English? The voices (at least in the sub seemed to fit, but nothing other than the poor English stood out.

Other Media: My Hero Academia is also a manga of the same title.  

Fillers: N/A

Final Thoughts: If you are a fan of comics like Marvel or D.C.'s comics, or like the series Naruto, you will like My Hero Academia. Even if you are not into superheros, the story of an underdog is always an enduring one.

It is interesting to see that My Hero Academia may become the next long running shounen. Although, thankfully, it seems that Studio Bones is going to let the manga get ahead, then adapt the source material.  

Anime Review: Alderamin on the Sky

Anime: Alderamin on the Sky

Genre: Shounen, fantasy, strategy,

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

General Setup: After being shipwrecked on enemy territory and making it back across the border in one piece, with the crown princess in tow, a band of teenagers is enlisted into the army, much to their leader’s regret.

Characters: Ikta Solork, your main character, is best described as a combination between two characters from the Naruto franchise: Shikamaru and Jiraya. While extremely skilled at strategy and war tactics, Ikta is generally lazy and apathetic about life (especially anything to do with the military). Yatorishino Igsem is Ikta’s closest friend and a member of a key family of nobility. While we are comparing characters from other shows, she reminded me a bit of Erza from Fairy Tail, but with just two swords. Along with Ikta’s band of friends from the ‘shipwreck incident’ there are several minor characters. All of the characters grow throughout the show as they experience conflicts and controversy.

Plot: It takes a little bit for the action in Alderamin to truly get started, but when it does you won’t be able to stop watching! Like Shikamaru, Itka’s military prowess allows him and his friends to obtain victory, most of the time. I enjoyed the tactical aspect of this anime and thought it helped to move the pace along.

Throughout the course of the show Alderamin takes on several topics, such as the ethics of war and the dynamics between religion and science.

Ending: The show ended in a good place, given the amount of story shown previously. While far from over, the viewer is given a glimpse of what the future may hold.

Things to Watch For: Some of the character’s casual clothes are a bit revealing. Also, Ikta is a bit of a pervert, which taints some of the better aspects of this show.

Sights and Sounds: The animation for Alderamin is consistent and easy to watch. There is a balance of light and dark colors, although some of the darker scenes (color-wise) are a bit muted. The only thing that bothered me in terms of color was that all of the main characters had really bright colored hair, thus reinforcing the anime main character stereotype. I really liked the opening theme. It was catchy, but also showcased the show itself well. The soundtrack, as a whole, is balanced and instrumental.  

Other Media: Alderamin is based off of a light novel series. There is also a manga adaptation.

Fillers: There are no fillers.

Length: There are 13 episodes.

Where to Watch: You can watch this show on Crunchyroll.