This is how I feel watching every KyoAni series for the past few seasons.
Has Kyoto animation gone south?
by AC
Kyoto Animation has built quite a reputation for itself. A small production studio that began with anime series such as Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, Air and Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid ― the third example being one of their finest works ever in my view ― they slowly and gradually found their niche in producing shows that emphasize high-quality visuals and lean towards the moe genre. Kyoto Animation’s niche productions are a sign of how it has found its own comfort zone and, although not all viewers would appreciate moe every time, it makes sense for the studio to stick with what it’s good at: slice-of-life high school shows.
But lately I’ve noticed a trend from KyoAni judging by the last few seasons. Back in Spring of 2012, they gave usHyouka, a series that started with a few weak episodes but gradually became an amazing story that not only maintains top-notch visuals (which in this series were a little overzealous sometimes), but focuses on illustrating intricate storylines and building its characters. However, all the series that follow for the next few seasons up to now have been far from impressive, from the loony cast of Chuunibyou to the fujoshi-pandering Free! and now the underwhelming Kyoukai no Kanata. I’ll go into detail why each of these series have been disappointing:
DISCLAIMER: The following content may contain some spoilers. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Number 1: Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
Touka is my favorite character here… and she doesn’t even need to be weird to be interesting.
Chuunibyou is a weird series. Really, how can anyone not think that this isn’t a weird series when the characters are made up of kids who don’t even act their age? The zaniness isn’t the problem here: it’s the storyline. While KyoAni vividly visualizes Rikka’s larger-than-life battles, it doesn’t focus on simply telling a compelling slice-of-life story. What I thought would be a tale about not being afraid to be oneself eventually turns out to be one of Rikka simply refusing to accept reality, and with that, undermining her already childish behavior. From then on, it degrades into a melodramatic ending where they all remain who they are without growing up.
See, having a show about characters behaving like children in a fantasy because they are children deep inside is one thing, but not seeing them develop into something else is another. I don’t feel emotionally invested in such characters. For all of KyoAni’s fluid animation on Rikka’s fights, things would’ve been so much better if there was more time spent on developing characters rather than just showing how odd they are.
Number 2: Free!
A fugly male with a masculine name would be great, but we all knew that’s not going to happen.
Oh, this series. You know, a lot of male viewers ― including myself ― dreaded Free! even before it aired because they all knew what they were in for: hawt sexy male characters in Spandex. And indeed, that’s what everyone got. But that’s not all: the male leads have girly names and they also behave like girls (think K-On! if they had spent time swimming instead of making music over afternoon tea… after undergoing sex changes). Deep inside, I was hoping that I would see at least a half-attempt at KyoAni making a genuine competitive sports anime. Oh, how more foolish and wrong could I have been?
Anime has been criticized as a chauvinistic medium but we all know it also has a generous amount of material out there to gratuitously please the female viewers. So hey, it shouldn’t harm anyone if KyoAni produced one aimed at pandering to the female folks, right? Well, at least that’s how we justify this series.
#3: Kyoukai no Kanata
Yes Akihito, I find your show “unpleasant”.
“KyoAni producing a show about spirit hunters? Now that’s going to be a treat for everyone,” I first thought. Oh, how disappointed I felt just after watching Kyoukai no Kanata! Not only is the show a Bakemonogatari-wannabe, there’s nothing compelling about the show at all so far. Led by a pair of protagonists made up of Kuriyama Mirai, who’s your textbook meganekko, and Kanbara Akihito, who’s basically Araragi to a vast extent (even the immortality part) sans a different name, the show hasn’t really lived up to my expectations. It has been a two-trick pony relying on either the fight scenes or Kuriyama and Kanbara’s one-two bokke tsukkomi routine, both of which just don’t gel very well in a supposedly dark series.
Being something similar to one of Shinbo’s most popular works isn’t a problem per se, but when you have something made up of unoriginal and uninteresting elements, it doesn’t have substance to be intriguing. It’s still early to really say if KnK would impress eventually, but so far it hasn’t given me the positive signs to think or hope so.
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So these are 3 series by KyoAni that have made me think the studio is somewhat losing its edge. Either that, or it has set its sights on producing shows that pander to certain groups of viewers only. I know it’s asking too much to see something like Hyouka or The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya more often, but at least I would say that there’s a downward trend when it comes to the past few seasons.
So what do you think? Are Kyoto Animation shows dropping in quality as of late? Or is it going for a new direction? Maybe my observations are invalid? Voice out and share your opinions with the rest!
(And one more thing: if you are wondering why I left out Tamako Market, it’s because I didn’t watch it. I couldn’t even make it past the first episode; why would I give a damn about a show on a shopping a street and a talking chicken diva, anyway?)
Announcement everyone! If some of you who are crunchyroll users out there and you noticed that little box on the lineup page pop up recently, well that's because Crunchyroll is excited to announce that we will be simulcasting the TV special Sword Art Online EXTRA EDITION!
You're right, the world of SAO isn't finished yet! Crunchyroll users will be able to enjoy this special episode right alongside all the other fans around the world on Tuesday, December 31, 2013 at 7:00am Pacific Time. Sword Art Online EXTRA EDITION will be available for Crunchyroll audiences in the following territories: North America, South America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Here's a little synopsis to look forward into this holiday season:
Kirito and the others decide to go on an underwater quest within the world of ALO to grant Yui her wish to see a whale. As they all prepare for the quest, they face a shocking revelation…Leafa, or Suguha is afraid of water. So, Asuna and the other female members decide to teach Suguha how to swim at a pool in the real world. Meanwhile, Kirito was meeting somebody…
Welcome to the Oreimo 2 OAV review! I'm Taka, your neighborhood wiki editor. For this review, I will doing this more personally because Oreimo rocked my world a bit.
Back in spring of 2012, I asked Daniel, my friend and mod at Anime Vice, whether I should try Oreimo. I find the premise creepy. He delves into details about a little girl named Kirino and how the other girls make putting up with Kirino just fine. Then, his friend Kurt comes in. Pretty much, their conversations got me into trying Oreimo. After finishing Haganai (one of Daniel's recommendations), I had low expectations for Oreimo. I'm not the biggest slice of life fan. Watching the anime for the first time blew my expectations. I thought Oreimo was like those creepy fan service shows like OniAi. No, it was weird and funny. The whole series was about Kyousuke doing everything to help out his little sister to find folks who loved her hobbies. As the series progress, the siblings get closer, and it's revealed how Kirino got to be such a brocon.
The strangest thing about my experiences watching Oreimo is that I do watch anime series with my family. Most of time, it's with my little sister. She got me into anime. When she heard me laughing hard, she got curious. It was awkward watching Oreimo with her since it's about a brother and a sister getting close through playing eroge.
Warning: Spoilers below!
Characters
The main characters and most of the supporting characters are done well. Character growth is excellent except for Saori and Ayase. I can't explain why, but I didn't like Saori's origin story. I never expected her to develop a group from the grudge she develops against her sister. In the end, Saori is not the center of the group but more of a supporting pillar. For Ayase, she is a unique character whose yandere personality comes out once in a while. At the end of the series, her love confession was out of the blue for me. The whole episode felt rushed. It's hard to sympathize with her when Kyousuke shoots her down, not compared to Kuroneko's rejection scene in the OVA. I'll leave Kirino and Kyousuke in the ending evaluation.
Music
Back when Kirino was making plans with the director for her light novel's anime adaptations, she wanted a different theme song every episode. She got shot down because it wasn't a realistic thing to do. I realized Oreimo is doing that as well with its endings. I don't remember the ending songs because you get bombarded with so many. The songs that get stuck in my head are ClariS's Irony and Reunion since it plays every episode. The songs are unforgettable. I'm not a music guy, but I get attached to anime series that have spectacular music and sound tracks. For me, the best anime that does music well isAngel Beats. It draws power from it. Oreimo doesn't rely too much on its music. It's character driven.
Animation
I'm not an expert since I missed animation flaws in Attack on Titan discussion thread. I guess I'm not a person who stresses the importance of animation. I'm just happy with good story and characters. I can't stand really cutesy, Moe doe eyed characters. Oreimo doesn't have that. I like the art style. It's better than the manga. I'm surprised that the light novel's original character designs were alike to the anime. Most of times I see anime adaptations for light novels, the anime series has a better character design that's more appealing than its light novel counterparts. I seen this in Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?. The characters are too young looking. For the girls, they are gorgeous. While for the guys, they are good. Kyousuke wasn't a bishie, but I'm glad he's not. I would rage at him for having all those girls and breaking their hearts.
Ending
Kyousuke and Kirino
I'm comparing the Oreimo 2 OVA to Oreimo 2's ending. I enjoy Oreimo 2 because it had ambiguity. When Kyousuke shot down Ayase, he says he loves someone else. To me, that makes most fans happy. It lets them speculate. I do favor some pairings like Kuroneko or Manami. I didn't like Kirino a lot. With the OVA series, I never expected Kyousuke to go down the incest route. Heh, I must have missed some warning signs. Kyousuke had broke many girls' heart for his sister. I thought he was doing for Kirino's sake and not his. It turns out he really does love his sister more than normal. I know this is fiction, and I have no problem with incest in fiction. It has to be good couple I can root for against society. For Kyousuke and Kirino, I can't support them. I had this notion that Kyousuke and Kirino weren't blood related in the Oreimo discussion because I recalled that most folks remark that Kyousuke and Kirino do not look related. I thought this justify that pairing should it come true. None of that appears in this ending. Besides the incest route, the OVA had some flaws. Kanako's confession was out of the blue like Ayase. It's more like teenage infatuation. Why put it here after Kyosuke had confessed for Kirino? For the wedding, I didn't see parents or any more opposition towards Kirino and Kyousuke. I expected Kyousuke's dad to give Kyousuke a beating. What I enjoyed about the OVA is Manami's fight and Kuroneko's heartache and getting-back-at Kyousuke's scene.
Kyousuke was a laidback guy who was happy with himself. Kirino used to idolize her big brother and strives to beat him. That dream never came true when Manami came in the picture. It was strange to see Manami arriving on scene to clash with Kirino and Kyousuke. Manami never had much spotlight in the series. I never see her as the bad girl. She was the voice of reason. I like Kyousuke, he was sacrificing so much for his sister's sake. To see him become a siscon was creepy. I'm fine with him becoming a pervert. We all have instincts to procreate or to find love. Kyousuke didn't have to do this for Kirino. It's strange that Kirino didn't have a lot of love interests. She was faithful while her brother was not. For Kirino, she grew by warming up to her brother and to others. She did not venture out to seek new love. She was wishy washy with Kyousuke, but she brags it just to spite Manami. I can't describe it this well, but I think Kirino and Kyousuke went backwards in their development.
Overall, the ending to the OVA series felt rushed. Again, it's hard to explain why other than heckling at the couple. This could be another interpretation why Tsukasa Fushimi did this. He wanted to demonstrate that love can between siblings can happen despite taboos and possible genetic defects (if they take it a step further).
I will recommend this series for any fan. I'm not a slice of life fan, but I seen some good ones (Tari Tari and Pet Girl of Sakura), and Oreimo is a part of them. It's a great and funny series that pushes the boundaries. I should have stopped at Oreimo season 2. I was quite satisfied.
Thanks for reading this review. I know it's a train wreck since I didn't practice enough. Feel free to criticize. I would love to improve my reviews.
Card Captor Sakura has an indestructible feel-good factor. Being robustly wholesome, it feeds us all the nutritious stuff like great characterisation and plot twists but also adds some surprising treats such as mature themes and exciting battles. It looks like a typical kids show, but just like you might find with any Ghibli production or Western feature like Finding Nemo, it has a lot to offer adults as well.
For much of the time the series really appealed to my inner child; Sakura's perfect life of baking and cheerleading, her quirky friends and action-packed nightlife, were all set up to mirror a young girl's fantasy. It maintained an upbeat tone throughout but stopped short of being mindless fluff by exploring the controversial side of life once in a while (hence it being edited to the point of absurdity for Western television). In truth, the way I see it, nothing was presented here that any 21st century ten-year old could not appreciate, but the show added that extra level of peril and character development to engage also with the mature mind. There was certainly no blood, nor were there any flying limbs, but there was enough threat from drowning, being crushed, being thrown off cliffs, and being stabbed (yes, stabbed) to last anyone a lifetime.
When the conflicts of the series didn't link directly to Sakura's development as a person, they at least provided fun magical battles and an opportunity for mental dexterity on the audience's part. Trying to figure out which cards were most appropriate became half the fun - a bit like Pokemon but with a redeeming dose of, well, competence. Most impressive was the fact that there was no filler - for sure, a handful of episodes were less meaningful than the rest, but none of them were actually pointless or inane. In fact, the length allowed for some well-considered developments. In short, Card Captor Sakura, unlike a lot of other long-running series, is seventy episodes for a good reason.
The plot was presented mainly in two interlinking arcs, whereby the second one felt like a definite step up in intensity. Some of the emotional turmoil, romance, and plot twists that went on in those twenty odd episodes were executed well. Moreover, the series delivered an original ending which drew equally upon the strong characterisation and magical plot elements.
My only complaint here is that, being so many episodes, there is nothing attractive about revisiting the series in its entirety. Card Captor Sakura is that show I watch whenever I want to be left feeling warm and glowing inside, and for that reason I have rewatched several individual episodes, especially those in the last arc, but watching the whole series back to front is unlikely to happen for many, many years.
It’s getting bit cool recently in Japan and by checking out the calendar, it’s almost Fall, another new season that we Anime fans are all waiting for. We have probably over 50 TV series in this season and I basically list about 37 titles below which I think you may want to check out. At an early glance of the long list, I know I am going to have a busy Fall. There are lots of good series this Fall and without proper selection, you are probably going to spend a lot of time watching a bunch of them. The basic strategy to go is, simply choose the one that you are interested in and check out one or two episodes to find out whether you really like it. If not, just let go and move on to the next on the list. Just remember that there are always something out there and you cannot watch them all. In this way, you should be able to spend your spare time more rationally. of course, we will come up with a list of recommended series in a week or two after the initial airing of all the series.
After taking all the previous expectations and rumors into consideration, the following are series may worth a try at this early stage. Series like Kyoukai no Kanata (境界の彼方) from Kyoto Animation, Nagi no Asukara (凪のあすから) by P.A. Works, Strike the Blood (ストライク・ザ・ブラッド) from Silver Link, Little Busters! Refrain from Key, White Album 2 from Leaf and so forth. Also if you haven’t check out our previous listing in Summer, it is probably a good time to do so. Don’t forget to vote for your most expected series at the end of the post.
The “life-and-death sibling” story follows Utsutsu and Yume Hasegawa, a boy and his little sister who find themselves all alone. One day, Yume sees a mysterious red butterfly and her body undergoes a strange metamorphosis—into a creature that eats humans. Utsutsu struggles to find a way to restore his sister.
Many years after a great tragedy killed 90% of the people in Japan, three girls arrive in the ruins of Tokyo. In the devastated capital, their unusually clean clothes set them apart. But that’s not the only strange thing about them – they also each wield supernatural powers. They call themselves “Coppelion,” and are on a mission to save the people of Tokyo.
Miss Monochrome The Animation / ミス・モノクローム -The Animation-
In order to be more in the eyes of the public, Miss Monochrome begins working to become a top-selling idol. Spacey Miss Monochrome once again runs around the idol show biz world, being tossed around by others.
Hidden within Tokyo is the “mirror capital” where youkai and humans live together and no one ever dies. It is protected by three people – Kurama, Yase, and Myoue – as they await the return of their parents, Myoue Jonin and Koto. One day a young girl named Koto (same name, different spelling) wanders into the city from a different dimension looking for her mother. A mecha-geek with red eyes, it’s not immediately clear whether she’s human or youkai. Her arrival upsets the long peace that had ruled the capital.
Koto and her brothers, A and Un, are stuck in a strange city causing massive mayhem through the land called Kyoto but not the Kyoto they are from. They are searching for an atypical rabbit in order to return home. Koto, who is the eldest of the three, seems to have some sort of connection to this weird place ruled by a monk, a demon, and a priest.
The dark fantasy follows a high school sophomore named Akihito Kanbara. Although the boy appears human, he is half youmu and invulnerable to wounds because he can heal quickly. One day, Akihito meets freshman Mirai Kuriyama when it seems she is about to jump from the school rooftop. Mirai is isolated because of her ability to manipulate blood, which is unique even among members of the spirit world. Disturbing events begin to unfold after Akihito saves Mirai.
Long ago, humanity lived in the sea. But the humans who longed for the land left the sea behind. They cast aside the special raiment they’d been given by the sea god that let them live in the ocean. The thinking of the sea humans and the land humans became as separate as the places they lived, and as countless time passed, they forgot they were once one people. This will change as the land-dwelling human Tsumugu Kihara befriends four girls who live in a village at the bottom of the sea.
Japan engineered an armed powered exoskeleton “Infinite Stratos” (IS) and it became the mainstream of weapons. Since only women can operate IS, women dominate the society over men. Orimura Ichika is a 15 year old boy and accidentally touches an IS placed in the IS pilot training school. He is found to be the only man who can operate IS and forced to enter the training school. Ichika’s busy school life surrounded by girls has begun.
Ryuuko Matoi carries a large weapon shapes like half of a pair of scissors. She’s looking for the woman with the other half, who killed her father. Satsuki Kiryuuin, student council president of Honnouji Academy, is said to know the woman’s identity, so Ryuuko transfers there. Those who arrive at the school receive a special “reverse uniform,” and Satsuki has used that power to rule the school in fear.
Having a light novel author father and an eroge illustrator mother, Kanou Shinichi is a thoroughbred otaku. However he does not have any special power except for his broad knowledge, sharp insight, and impeccable instinct about “MOE” and its products, from manga to anime to games to light novel to figures. One day he found himself transported to a fantasy world where elves live and dragons fly. And he is given a task—not to fight monster or embark on a quest, but to enhance cultural exchange by becoming a “moe missionary” in this fantasy world! He meets a palace guard who has a bit of fujoshi taste, a half-elf maid, and the empress who is a little girl. He comes up with the idea of building a school. At first it runs as a comedy but later there are serious matters that Shinichi needs to face: ethnic discrimination, social problems, conflict with neighboring countries, sabotage by opposition elements including Japanese government, etc. Can he overcome the obstacles, successfully bring “moe” culture to the fantasy world, and help the people there as well?
Banri finds himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. At that moment, he runs into another lost freshman from the same school, Mitsuo Yanagisawa, and they hit it off at once. Somehow arriving at their intended goal just on time, there appears in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses, who hits Mitsuo across the face with them and hands the flowers over to him. This stylish, well dressed, and perfect woman is his childhood friend Kōko Kaga. As children, they had promised to marry each other one day, fulfilling their dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the examination for this well-known private college, but she also took the law school entrance examination, catching up with him there.
Banri Tada is a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo. Due to the after-effects of an accidental fall from a bridge shortly after high school graduation, he lost all his memories from before then. At the time of the accident, Banri’s soul had escaped from his body, and the “Spirit of Banri Tada” came into being, carrying his memories from before graduation.
Set in a slightly futuristic world where Earth has been invaded and is at war with aliens from another dimension called the Nova, the story follows the adventures of a Japanese boy named Kazuya Aoi who enrolls for training at a special school for genetically modified girls called Pandoras who battle the aliens, and their male partners, called Limiters, who use a special power called “freezing” to limit their opponent’s mobility. The protagonist makes the acquaintance of an unusual older girl named Satellizer el Bridget who appears to be the most powerful Pandora in her class, but has not yet chosen a male partner to be her Limiter, and in spite of the warnings of all his friends, he decides to be her Limiter.
The Fourth Primogenitor—That’s the world’s strongest vampire that should only exist in legends. Accompanied by twelve Kenjuu and spreading calamity, this phantom vampire appeared in Japan. For the observation and obliteration of this Fourth Primogenitor, the government and Lion King decided to dispatch an attack mage known as a Sword Shaman. However, for some reason, the one chosen for the observation was a apprentice Sword Shaman girl, Himegari Yukina. Wielding the strongest anti-primogenitor spirit spear, Yukina arrived at Demon District, Itogami City. What is the true identity of the Fourth Primogenitor, Akatsuki Kojou, she encountered over there!?
Yuusha ni Narenakatta Ore wa Shibushibu Shuushoku wo Ketsui Shimashita. / 勇者になれなかった俺はしぶしぶ就職を決意しました。 (EP12)
Raul had always wanted to be a hero, but failed the exams necessary to become one. He reluctantly took a job working at a small electronics store called Magic Shop Leon. His life is dull but busy until a new girl comes applying for a part time job. She’s the daughter of the demon king who defeated him in his exam.
Kuroko’s Basketball The Teiko Middle School Basketball Team. The class that produced three perfect seasons in a row, with five once-in-a generation players, called “The miracle generation”. There was another player who all of them respected… A legendary 6th player. An up-and-coming power player, Taiga Kagami, is just back from America. When he comes to Seirin High School, he meets the super-ordinary boy, Tetsuya Kuroko. Kagami is shocked to find that Kuroko isn’t good at basketball, in fact, he’s bad! And he’s so plain that he’s impossible to see. But Kuroko’s plainness lets him pass the ball around without the other team noticing him, and he’s none other than the sixth member of the Miracle Generation. Kuroko makes a pact with Kagami to defeat the other members of the Miracle Generation, who have all played basketball at other schools. A battle of light (Kagami) and shadow (Kuroko) begins!
Elder Tales is an online fantasy RPG that has become popular worldwide. But when its twelfth expansion package, “Cultivate the Noosphere,” is installed, thirty thousand players in Japan are trapped inside. Among them is grad student Shiroe, who isn’t very good at interacting with others. But to survive in a world full of monsters, he forms a guild called “Log Horizon” with an eclectic group of other players.
When tragedy struck Riki Naoe as a child, he was rescued from grief over his parent’s deaths when four other kids “recruited” him for their group—the “Little Busters.” Now in high school, Riki and the other Busters are still fast friends, and though their vision of being heroes for justice may have faded, they’d still do anything for each other. Which is why Riki is now on TWO special missions. The not so secret one: recruiting new members so the Busters can form a baseball team. Preferably FEMALE recruits, as the current dude/babe ratio is an inconvenient 4 to 1. The OTHER mission, though… That’s the strange one. Because Riki and Rin, the group’s singular girl, are receiving odd messages, delivered by cats, concerning the existence of a “secret world” and assigning them tasks they have to complete. Were their youthful dreams of being crusaders not so fanciful after all? Or is there something even more vital at stake? Between steeling his courage to talk to girls, dealing with his own narcolepsy and facing his feelings concerning Rin, Riki may just need the strength of a superhero to solve the ultimate mystery of the Little Busters!
Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai! / 世界でいちばん強くなりたい！
Hagiwara Sakura and Miyazawa Erena are the leading members of a popular idol group Sweet. One day, Erena is injured by the attack of a female pro-wrestler Kazama Rio during the recording of a TV program. Sakura gets mad at Rio and gives her a dropkick. To avenge Erena, Sakura enters the female pro-wrestling matches.
Makoto is the fifteenth generation heiress of a small shrine to the god Inari. Her father is still the shrine’s priest, but Inari’s divine messenger, Gintarou, has appeared to Makoto, marking her as true successor. Gintarou has the ability to see a short distance into the future and to find lost objects, but is unmotivated and foulmouthed. In spite of this, he becomes friends with Makoto, and together they help those who come to the shrine.
Yozakura Quartet ~Hana no Uta~ / 夜桜四重奏 ～ハナノウタ～ (EP13)
In a town where humans and demons co-exist, it takes more than a normal police force to maintain the peace. Enter the Hiizumi Life Counseling Office, a fantastic foursome of unique teenagers, each gifted with an amazing super power!
The story follows Eijun Sawamura, a pitcher who joins an elite school with a brilliant catcher named Kazuya Miyuki. Together with the rest of the team, they strive for Japan’s storied Koushien championships through hard work and determination.
The story centers around Takahiro Mizuno, a student training to be a begleiter (knight’s assistant) at an academy where aspiring knights joust. He himself had come to this academy to train as a knight, after becoming the unrivaled junior champion in his own home country. However, an injury in a tournament’s finals forced him to withdraw. Instead, he decides to be a begleiter to one of the academy’s maiden knights and help her win.
This story is about the flow of fate and the battle to keep the world on the right path. Aladdin is a boy who has set out to explore the world after being trapped in a room for most of his life. His best friend is a flute with a djinn in it named Ugo. Soon enough, Aladdin discovers he is a Magi, a magician who chooses kings, and he was born to choose kings who will follow the righteous path, battling against those who want to destroy fate. Follow his adventures as he meets others from 1001 Arabian Nights, like Ali Baba and Sinbad, and fights to keep the balance of world in check!
Kaito Daimon would be a completely average high school student except for one thing: he’s a ‘demon’ at solving puzzles. Kaito is so brilliant, in fact, that when he’s asked to take some ‘special’ tests of his unique ability, he immediately suspects that the test itself is a test. Kaito suddenly finds himself caught up in a lethal Philosopher’s Puzzle made by the sinister group POG, a murderous maze of trap upon trap, where failing to solve the secret correctly will result in death! Fortunately, Kaito’s skills prove up to the first test, both for himself and his childhood friend Nanoha, who is also caught up in the deadly scheme. But now that he has been designated as a Solver, he is pulled into a new life where he must travel the world with other Solvers, attempting to solve the latest deadly riddles left by POG. There’s a new conundrum around every corner and each deception could lead to death, but once a riddle has been posed, you can count on Kaito to unfold, unravel and unlock it!
The four girls of the Kameido High School tennis club play and don’t play tennis in their side-splittingly funny daily lives. The new club member, Yuri Oshimoto, is forced to be the straightman to her idiotic upperclassmen. Then there’s Kanae Shinjou, the stupidity-machine who can’t play tennis even though she’s in the tennis club; Marimo Bandou, the unpredictable super-pervert from Kansai; and Nasuno Takamiya, the air-headed, mysterious rich girl who tries to solve everything with money. Today, tomorrow, and the day after, regardless if they’re all there or not, it’s a tennis manga you can’t help but roar in laughter at!? And in the fall of 2012, you might get caught up in the “Teekyuu” whirlwind even further!?
Sakamichi Onada is a wimpy high school freshman who loves anime. He initially wants to enter the anime club, but winds up joining the cycling club after meeting two classmates who are already famous cyclists. He undertakes the grueling training to compete in races, and discovers his own hidden talent in cycling.
It is the early 20th century, and Raishin Akabane is a student puppeteer from Japan, who has come to the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machine Arts in England to study the emerging field of Machinart: a combination of magic and technology with military applications. He is accompanied by a girl named Yaya, who is actually his Automaton: a living machine doll powered by magical circuits specialized in hand-to-hand combat. In the Academy, there is a combat tournament exclusive to the Top 100 students and their automata, to decide who shall be bestowed with the title of “Wiseman”, the greatest puppeteer.
Asahioka Branch School, a combined elementary and middle school in an isolated village, has only five students total, four girls and one boy. The girls are best friends, and pass the season with traditional activities like harvesting mountain herbs and fishing.
By 2039, global warming had caused sea levels to rise and large amount of territory to be lost. As though in response, a mysterious group of warships clad in mist, “the Fleet of Mist,” appeared in every corner of the ocean, and began attacking human ships. In spite of humanity mustering all their strength, they were utterly defeated by the Mist’s overwhelming force. All of humanity’s trade routes were blockaded by the Fleet of Mist, their political economy was destroyed, and the human race was steadily beaten down. Seven years later, the Fleet of Mist’s submarine I-401 appears before cadet Gunzo Chihaya. The humanoid life form that pilots the sub, who should be their enemy, is instead offering her services to mankind.
The story is set in the near future when GunPla Battles, competitions that pit Gundam plastic models against each other, have become popular worldwide in the “Second GunPla Boom.” Sei Iori, a first-year middle-school student and the only son of a model shop owner, is talented at building GunPla, but inexperienced in the GunPla Battles. He encounters a mysterious boy named Reiji, who happens to be an accomplished Gundam Fighter. Together, they strive for the GunPla Battle world championships.
The story is set in December of 2199, when the streets are full of anticipation for the end of the year and the start of the new one. Amid the celebrations, word spreads that Ragna the Bloodedge, an SS-class rebel with the highest ever bounty on his head, has appeared in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. The apparent aim of Ragna or the “Grim Reaper” is the destruction of the system controlling the world. To collect the bounty, a motley array of unrivaled fighters converge on Kagutsuchi.
In the “Great Disaster,” Japan has been thrown into chaos by onmyouji (a kind of magician). Harutora Tsuchimikado was born into an onmyouji family, but has no power whatsoever. His estranged sister appears to him one day to take him up the promise he made long ago to become her shikigami (familiar). A battle between onmyouji is about to begin.
Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru (Noucome) / 俺の脳内選択肢が、学園ラブコメを全力で邪魔している (EP10)
The story centers around Kanade Amakusa, a boy cursed with the mental power of “absolute multiple-choice”—a multiple-choice quiz will suddenly appear in his mind, and the choice he makes will become his reality. For example, he would have to choose between going nude from the waist up or the waist down in school. While in school, he is given another choice: 1) A beautiful girl will fall before him or 2) he will fall from the rooftop in female clothes. He chooses option 1, and a blonde girl named Chocolat falls before him.
In 2061, global warming is a thing of the past as a new ice age covers the world. Hozuki, Hazaki, and Kazaki Ferrari, three descendents of Galileo. live in Tuscany. A mysterious organization is searching for the “Galilei Donna,” and put out an international arrest warrant for the three sisters. The sisters must put aside their differences to join forces in fighting the organization and learning their true destiny.
Masayoshi Hazama has decided to become the superhero Samurai Flamenco in spite of having no special abilities or modifications. Hidenori Goto is a police officer who learns his secret identity by chance, which causes him all sorts of trouble.
True Calendar (T.C.) 71—a new age where 70% of the human population lives in space thanks to the development of “Dyson Sphere”, a city in space.
The world is divided into two main powers: The Dorssia Military Pact Federation, a power which grew out of a military alliance, and the Atlantic Rim United States (ARUS), which grew in power as it expanded its trade agreements. The minor nation of JIOR has declared neutrality between these two forces and maintains its peace through economic prosperity.
Within the JIOR’s Sphere, Haruto Tokishima lived an ordinary life as a high school student in the division known as “Module 77″—until the Dorssian military begins their sudden invasion!
But the whole world will be shaken when Haruto meets the mysterious humanoid weapon, Valvrave!
