Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-Chan is a title I head scratched about for the longest, mainly due to what happens in this one. I watched this prior to the start of my blogging, so this is coming out of me rather late, but hey, it's better than never, right?
Okay, on to the... plot. This title is centered around a boy named Sakura Kusakabe (yes people, this is a boy named Sakura...), who in 20 years supposedly force all women to cease aging. His reason... (I cannot believe this....) was to create a Pedophile's World (...<FACEPALM!!> And yes, before grilling me over these facts, check it out yourself. I swear I am not pulling anyone's leg here!!) In response to this, the killer angel Dokuro Mitsukai was dispatched to eliminate him, since the God was offended, due to the possible outcome of him discovering immortality. However, seeing hope in him being redeemed, she shifts to making sure the thought never corsses his mind by keeping him occuped as opposed to killing him outright. However... because of what she is, this ends up happening regardless in a bloody mess, though this is usually rectified my immediate resurrection. Despite her stance, the Rurutie order will stop at nothing to see Sakura dead. Will they succeed in their assassination, or will Dokuro keep him alive and surpress the forbidden thought... without killing him herself?
This title saw 2 anime sessions, each lasting very short, with 2 episodes paired into one. The first series is 2 episodes made into 4 sets, with the follow up, Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan 2, having 2 episode into 2 sets. I just found put that it is dubbed, regardless, it's licensing was done by AnimeWorks as a whole. Not sure if they still do, but this title was released for consumer purchase in the form of DVDs. The first title ran its course in 2005, while the second ran briefly in 2007. Because of the many instances of Sakura getting killed (and immediately resurrected), it has been censored, though viewers could still seek it out with all its blood-splattering glory. Johnny Yong Bosch, who did roles like Adam of Mighty Morphing Power Rangers and voiced characters like Bleach's Ichigo Kurosaki, voiced Sakura. Dokuro is voiced by Wendee Lee, who is known for a wide range of anime roles, such as Haruhi Suzumiya from the anime of the title The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, as well as Sonia Strumm from the Megaman Star Force anime, in the few episodes that were dubbed here.
For a dark humor title, the blood is a bit much, but I don't mind it. I give it just shy of 7 of 10, like a 6.9, due to not only the title's shortness, but also in part to the frequent, albeit hilarious, moments of Sakura getting killed. I'll leave it at this until I see the dubbed episodes.
2013/02/08
CCXVII: "To Love-Ru Darkness"
A long while back, one of my first 10 entries was a joint review between To Love-Ru and Black Cat. To Love-Ru Darkness is the sequel to another title of the series, so this review is kind of out of place, but I'll deal with Motto To Love-Ru at some point, I'm sure. Alongside an OVA, this title is adapted from an ongoing manga of the same title, which succeeds the original manga. As with the others, it deals with zany ecchi moments, alien beings, and mayhem aplenty, with more characters added to the regular cast.
It has been a while since Rito Yuuki came in contact with Princess Lala Satalin Deviluke. After a marriage that eventually threatened the world, Lala, alongside her sisters Momo and Nana, adjusted to life on earth, living with Rito and his mature, younger sister Mikan. Just as well, other beings like the living weapon Yami/Golden Darkness, also reside on the planet. Of course, peaceful times are threatened once more with the appearance of Mea, a being similar to Yami. On top of having his life at harm's risk, it complicates things with Momo and her plan to make Rito a harem king. As the one centered in another mess, Rito has to put up with life while being targeted in a 3-way struggle: involving Mea, Yami and Momo.
To Love-Ru Darkness, in addition to a pair of OVAs, have the count of 12 episodes, so like it's preceding titles, short. Not dubbed in English, it was made in Studio Xebec, with Sentai Filmworks behind licensing. It was made, and had it's run end last year, though as with halfr the titles I review, the manga has much more content. As there's no english voices, I can't provide any data in that department.
While there isn't THAT much of a difference from before, To Love-Ru Darkness has a bit more of my interest, gaining 8 of 10 from me. That's not to say that this is one of the better titles I have seen, but it is good, albeit a tad redundant.
It has been a while since Rito Yuuki came in contact with Princess Lala Satalin Deviluke. After a marriage that eventually threatened the world, Lala, alongside her sisters Momo and Nana, adjusted to life on earth, living with Rito and his mature, younger sister Mikan. Just as well, other beings like the living weapon Yami/Golden Darkness, also reside on the planet. Of course, peaceful times are threatened once more with the appearance of Mea, a being similar to Yami. On top of having his life at harm's risk, it complicates things with Momo and her plan to make Rito a harem king. As the one centered in another mess, Rito has to put up with life while being targeted in a 3-way struggle: involving Mea, Yami and Momo.
To Love-Ru Darkness, in addition to a pair of OVAs, have the count of 12 episodes, so like it's preceding titles, short. Not dubbed in English, it was made in Studio Xebec, with Sentai Filmworks behind licensing. It was made, and had it's run end last year, though as with halfr the titles I review, the manga has much more content. As there's no english voices, I can't provide any data in that department.
While there isn't THAT much of a difference from before, To Love-Ru Darkness has a bit more of my interest, gaining 8 of 10 from me. That's not to say that this is one of the better titles I have seen, but it is good, albeit a tad redundant.
2012/12/30
ST4: Colorado Aftermath
Hey, Seiko here. I know this isn't at all related to this blog, however, there are somethings in the real world that I can't ignore. Now, you're all familiar with the mass shooting in Newton, Connecticut, right? You know, the one where one man singlehandedly slayed 20 young students, 6 faculty members, and did in his own mother? Yeah, THAT one, which ran a huge run on the news. There were similar instances with the incident in the city of Columbine, same state, and the one in Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA. I'm sure there are others, but my time alive can only account for those 3. While the act in itself upsets me, my bone to pick isn't about the events of that day. No... it's the aftermath of that day that wreaks.
Namely one in particular. Before you read on, I advise you take a look here in reference to what I'm putting on blast here:
http://news.yahoo.com/claim-seeks-100-million-child-survivor-connecticut-school-003646074.html
Okay, are we all abreast of the situation? Good... to begin, this incident brought out contempt in many of us, and because the man silenced himself, justice was not properly extracted, rather, in some form, divine punishment is carried out. However, this dead assailant, Mr. Adam Lanza, is not my concern here. In the article, this "Jill Doe" has a claim filed against the Department of Education, the Board of Education, and the Education Commissioner stating that they, and I quote: "...failed to take appropriate steps to protect children from 'foreseeable harm'", and went on to say, and I also quote, "They failed to provide a 'safe school setting' or design 'an effective student safety response plan and protocol'". This Jill Doe is a 6-year old survivor of the tragedy, her claim filed with the assistance of Attorney Irv Pinsky of New Haven. The only thing holding water, if this checks out to be true, are voices with contents of gunfire, yelling and profanity which were supposedly heard.
Now then, on to the "thoughts" section of the post.
1> How will something like this pass?
This I cannot answer with a straight face. From face value, this is ridiculous, asking to be shot down. However, there has been times were the laws don't see things in the obvious matter. Remember Casey Anthony? Yes, I'm bringing her up, as the perfect example on how they can make the opposing call to an obvious situation. Such has a chance of happening with this Jill Doe's claim. We'll just have to wait and see how long this stack of papers can leave a trail.
2> The reason for the claim
Supposedly, according to her, the incident was foreseen, and because no action was taken, she supposedly suffers physical and mental damage, extent currently unknown. Sure, things like this are bound to take place in such scenarios, and obviously, when something like this does go down, people want answers. Granted she's young, I won't rule out the possibility of such damages, but I'd expect this from someone who witness that happen right in front of their own eyes. It can hold water, but worth the price? I think not...
3> 100 Million!?
With lawsuit claims comes money, and this claim has a whopping 1 Mil attached, but for what? Surely surviving is a blessing, but they want cash too? A bit greedy, wouldn't you say? Now, I know for a fact that the 6-year old survivor isn't seeking that, because even if she won this claim, I guarantee this will be used for things other than soothing the wounds for those whose loved ones actually died that day. And frankly, I heard no such thing mentioned as far as intent with this money, so I suspect something shady regarding the amount. Besides, most traumatic stress issues in cases do not ask for much, and no child's life is worth any amount of cash. Borrowing a little sample from MasterCard: "A human's life: Priceless."
4> "Foreseeable"?
My last, major thought here is the claim this event was "foreseeable". By whom? For what? What reason? How come? From who's words? I raise much question to this claim. Hearing things from a speaker, a foreseeable incident it makes not. Of course, I might be wrong, I've seen weirder things happen. Still, I question how this was foreseeable, if it was heard through an intercom. No school can be ready day-in, day-out for a mass slaughter. Nobody can rightfully perceive if and when things like this happens. Conflicts occur everyday, sure, but they're like lightning: no human can predict where it strikes, and how bad the damage will be. So, as a realist, I'm calling them out for saying this unexpected accident was "foreseeable".
5> Punishment
The shooter is dead, along with 26 people from the school, and a mother he slain carelessly. Amazing how it took the actions of one man to cause one to point the finger at the Education Commissioner, as well as the Department and the Board. They may not have established safety measures for this, but I state again: something like this is unpredictable, so who in the Hell and the River Styx could prepare for this!? I dunno, maybe I'm being slightly harsh, but if you're the type that feels that the school board should have a direct hotline to those like FBI and the military if one even thinks a shooting is imminent, jump off a bridge now. Just to place a couple of officers in costs an arm and a leg, and last I checked, that meant not a damn thing in Columbine. People still died. And while I saw fingers pointed, where was the Education Board, or any of the three directly involved? I think this is also a dumb call.
That's all from me, but what are your thoughts on this? Feel free to chime in, but be respectful and courteous not only to me, but to anyone else voicing their views. The last thing we need are the flame wars, common on Facebook and YouTube. But tell me what ya think. This is Seiko, logging out for now!
Namely one in particular. Before you read on, I advise you take a look here in reference to what I'm putting on blast here:
http://news.yahoo.com/claim-seeks-100-million-child-survivor-connecticut-school-003646074.html
Okay, are we all abreast of the situation? Good... to begin, this incident brought out contempt in many of us, and because the man silenced himself, justice was not properly extracted, rather, in some form, divine punishment is carried out. However, this dead assailant, Mr. Adam Lanza, is not my concern here. In the article, this "Jill Doe" has a claim filed against the Department of Education, the Board of Education, and the Education Commissioner stating that they, and I quote: "...failed to take appropriate steps to protect children from 'foreseeable harm'", and went on to say, and I also quote, "They failed to provide a 'safe school setting' or design 'an effective student safety response plan and protocol'". This Jill Doe is a 6-year old survivor of the tragedy, her claim filed with the assistance of Attorney Irv Pinsky of New Haven. The only thing holding water, if this checks out to be true, are voices with contents of gunfire, yelling and profanity which were supposedly heard.
Now then, on to the "thoughts" section of the post.
1> How will something like this pass?
This I cannot answer with a straight face. From face value, this is ridiculous, asking to be shot down. However, there has been times were the laws don't see things in the obvious matter. Remember Casey Anthony? Yes, I'm bringing her up, as the perfect example on how they can make the opposing call to an obvious situation. Such has a chance of happening with this Jill Doe's claim. We'll just have to wait and see how long this stack of papers can leave a trail.
2> The reason for the claim
Supposedly, according to her, the incident was foreseen, and because no action was taken, she supposedly suffers physical and mental damage, extent currently unknown. Sure, things like this are bound to take place in such scenarios, and obviously, when something like this does go down, people want answers. Granted she's young, I won't rule out the possibility of such damages, but I'd expect this from someone who witness that happen right in front of their own eyes. It can hold water, but worth the price? I think not...
3> 100 Million!?
With lawsuit claims comes money, and this claim has a whopping 1 Mil attached, but for what? Surely surviving is a blessing, but they want cash too? A bit greedy, wouldn't you say? Now, I know for a fact that the 6-year old survivor isn't seeking that, because even if she won this claim, I guarantee this will be used for things other than soothing the wounds for those whose loved ones actually died that day. And frankly, I heard no such thing mentioned as far as intent with this money, so I suspect something shady regarding the amount. Besides, most traumatic stress issues in cases do not ask for much, and no child's life is worth any amount of cash. Borrowing a little sample from MasterCard: "A human's life: Priceless."
4> "Foreseeable"?
My last, major thought here is the claim this event was "foreseeable". By whom? For what? What reason? How come? From who's words? I raise much question to this claim. Hearing things from a speaker, a foreseeable incident it makes not. Of course, I might be wrong, I've seen weirder things happen. Still, I question how this was foreseeable, if it was heard through an intercom. No school can be ready day-in, day-out for a mass slaughter. Nobody can rightfully perceive if and when things like this happens. Conflicts occur everyday, sure, but they're like lightning: no human can predict where it strikes, and how bad the damage will be. So, as a realist, I'm calling them out for saying this unexpected accident was "foreseeable".
5> Punishment
The shooter is dead, along with 26 people from the school, and a mother he slain carelessly. Amazing how it took the actions of one man to cause one to point the finger at the Education Commissioner, as well as the Department and the Board. They may not have established safety measures for this, but I state again: something like this is unpredictable, so who in the Hell and the River Styx could prepare for this!? I dunno, maybe I'm being slightly harsh, but if you're the type that feels that the school board should have a direct hotline to those like FBI and the military if one even thinks a shooting is imminent, jump off a bridge now. Just to place a couple of officers in costs an arm and a leg, and last I checked, that meant not a damn thing in Columbine. People still died. And while I saw fingers pointed, where was the Education Board, or any of the three directly involved? I think this is also a dumb call.
That's all from me, but what are your thoughts on this? Feel free to chime in, but be respectful and courteous not only to me, but to anyone else voicing their views. The last thing we need are the flame wars, common on Facebook and YouTube. But tell me what ya think. This is Seiko, logging out for now!
2012/12/23
CCXVI: "Is This A Zombie?"
Normally, dealing with the undead would leave to some pretty creepy anime, but despite this stereotype, there's been a few exceptions, one of which in the form of Gegege no Kitaro. Korewa Zombie Desu Ka?, or Is This A Zombie?, is another, and is somewhat similar to Gegege no Kitaro, save for it being newer and... different.
Ayumu Aikawa is a normal high school student... well, scratch the normal part. Like our potty-mouthed hero Yusuke Urameshi of YuYu Hakusho, he's one of the dead early, rather hin Ayumu's case it's from the first episode onward, perhaps preceeding even this. Why this is so mainly stems from a serial killer lurking from his surroundings, and trying to save a screaming woman, he meets not only the killer in the dark, but also his end... as a human. Thanks to the silent Necromancer Eluciwood Hellscythe, he is brought back as a zombie, but not the kind that are brainless and blood-craving, as are the ones from Highschool of the Dead. Rather, because of his status, he can use as much power as he pleases, as well as recieve multiple wounds and still rise... and transform into a Mahou Shoujo... wait, WHAT?! I kid not, through some circumstance, he has the powers of a Mahou Shoujo, normally wielded by Haruna, with whom he had a grizzly meeting with, so to speak. With a Necromancer, a Mahou Shoujo, and later a pair of special ninja, Ayumu has to figure out and stop the one behind the killings, especially since the culprit is responsible for his death.
This series has 12 episodes and an OVA made to be the 13th, while there is a second season titled Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?of the Dead, which ended June of this year. It has the same episode count, yet 2 OVAs. Both are licensed by Funimation for English release, and the first season is dubbed and released in full. Is This A Zombie? of the Dead is currently going through the dubbing process, set to be a 2013 title. Both titles were made in Studio Deen. The first season made its short run in Japan last year, and I assume this was the year it made it's run on English TV. Eluciwood undergoes many voices in this title (this I'm not sure why...), but Ayumu Aikawa is voiced by Austin Tindle, who voiced in other works like Deadman Wonderland and Sgt. Frog. Moreover, it's speculated that Tindle will reprise his role in the next season.
I enjoyed it, even amist all the wierdness and semi-perverted moments it has. I'll easily call this an 8 of 10. To me it's funny, and grew to be a new favorite of mine. I hope season 2 follows this.
Ayumu Aikawa is a normal high school student... well, scratch the normal part. Like our potty-mouthed hero Yusuke Urameshi of YuYu Hakusho, he's one of the dead early, rather hin Ayumu's case it's from the first episode onward, perhaps preceeding even this. Why this is so mainly stems from a serial killer lurking from his surroundings, and trying to save a screaming woman, he meets not only the killer in the dark, but also his end... as a human. Thanks to the silent Necromancer Eluciwood Hellscythe, he is brought back as a zombie, but not the kind that are brainless and blood-craving, as are the ones from Highschool of the Dead. Rather, because of his status, he can use as much power as he pleases, as well as recieve multiple wounds and still rise... and transform into a Mahou Shoujo... wait, WHAT?! I kid not, through some circumstance, he has the powers of a Mahou Shoujo, normally wielded by Haruna, with whom he had a grizzly meeting with, so to speak. With a Necromancer, a Mahou Shoujo, and later a pair of special ninja, Ayumu has to figure out and stop the one behind the killings, especially since the culprit is responsible for his death.
This series has 12 episodes and an OVA made to be the 13th, while there is a second season titled Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?of the Dead, which ended June of this year. It has the same episode count, yet 2 OVAs. Both are licensed by Funimation for English release, and the first season is dubbed and released in full. Is This A Zombie? of the Dead is currently going through the dubbing process, set to be a 2013 title. Both titles were made in Studio Deen. The first season made its short run in Japan last year, and I assume this was the year it made it's run on English TV. Eluciwood undergoes many voices in this title (this I'm not sure why...), but Ayumu Aikawa is voiced by Austin Tindle, who voiced in other works like Deadman Wonderland and Sgt. Frog. Moreover, it's speculated that Tindle will reprise his role in the next season.
I enjoyed it, even amist all the wierdness and semi-perverted moments it has. I'll easily call this an 8 of 10. To me it's funny, and grew to be a new favorite of mine. I hope season 2 follows this.
CCXV: "Kodomo no Jikan"
(This post will be at face value a mere review, but there is a Seiko's Thoughts moment in regards to the title. Just making it clear! - SW)
Wow... I'm at a loss of words for this one. I'vce covered titles like Kiss X Sis, M!, the hentai Sexual Pursuit, and many others I scratched mynhead at, most of which I ended up enjoying. I''m kinda thrown about this one, called Kodomo no Jikan, mainly because it deals with a scenario that seemingly only happens in H-manga: an elementary student falling in love with her teacher. Something like this is controversial in the real world, obviously, but this title isn't the real world, but it offically didn't reach the states because of this. That aside, let's peel the skin off of this odd fruit...
In Kodomo no Jikan, Daisuke Aoki is the male lead who landed his first teaching job at Futatsubashi Elementary School, and he manage this withoutn any prior teaching experience/training, so he's hopeful, but has to work his ass off to be a proper teacher. Of course, it's not long after that he has a rather peculiar matter. A precocious third grader by the name of Rin Kokonoe develops affections for Daisuke, and tries anything possible, even going as far as sexual innuendo, to claim him, even going as far as to outright declare Rin as his girlfriend. Then there are others like Kuro, who's quick to nail barbed remarks towards him, mainly on his virgin status. With all he has to deal with, keeping track of the class roster and assignments merely scratches the surface of his troubles, as Rin's actions could cost him his job!! How will this newbie teacher fare?
I've seen stuff like this happened here at home on the news, though I can't say that, as far as they've gone, they weren't even remotely mutual, but more so criminal. I guess it's because of this, as well as the "anti-lolicon" law of sorts that this title was shut down, even when it made it as far as Los Angeles. In fact, responses to this following the LA-based Seven Seas Entertainment's refusal to publish this has been unfriendly, but somewhat legit. I mean, flip the roles around and Mahou Sensei Negima! comes to mind, and that's a success here in the states. Toren Smith, who used to be a manga editor, cited this and criticized that the people who supported the reverse gender scenario in Negima! were hypocrites. Harsh, but I see his point, considering that this would be classified as shotacon. I acually have reviewed Negima! whose series has since then concluded, and made no mention of these terms until today, and I feel it's only fitting that I get into this a little. Before I forget, and I'm sure some of you heard of this term before, but Lolicon is what's classified as underage girl fetish, and is derived from the term "Lolita Complex." Kodomo no Jikan is an example of this. On the flip side of things, Shotacon is similar in nature, though with genders reversed, meaning it's the fetish for underage boys. Like it's female counterpart, it's a hybrid from the term Shotaro Complex, in which Negima! is an example of. I don't get how one could be approved yet another can't, but in my book, I call this a classic double-standard, but I digress.
Kodomo no Jikan isn't a long title, which has 12 anime episodes, and 3 OVAs, one of which is composed of 4 episodes. It's not a new one either, as this began in 2007, the 4-episode OVA releasing in 2009, and the last one releasing January of last year. While I can't verify this of the last OVA at the moment, all animeted works were made in Studio Barcelona, never licensed for the US, so there is no English version, and based on the controversy of its content, most likely never will be. The manga itself, also never officially released here, is still ongoing. In both works, there is a censored and uncensored version.
For what I've seen, normally this would be hard to stomach, but as a romantic comedy, it seems innocent enough at face value, though personally, I find this similar to B Gata H Kei: Yamada's First Time, and with that's said, I'll leave this ar a 7 of 10 before I can give a more accurate rating.
Wow... I'm at a loss of words for this one. I'vce covered titles like Kiss X Sis, M!, the hentai Sexual Pursuit, and many others I scratched mynhead at, most of which I ended up enjoying. I''m kinda thrown about this one, called Kodomo no Jikan, mainly because it deals with a scenario that seemingly only happens in H-manga: an elementary student falling in love with her teacher. Something like this is controversial in the real world, obviously, but this title isn't the real world, but it offically didn't reach the states because of this. That aside, let's peel the skin off of this odd fruit...
In Kodomo no Jikan, Daisuke Aoki is the male lead who landed his first teaching job at Futatsubashi Elementary School, and he manage this withoutn any prior teaching experience/training, so he's hopeful, but has to work his ass off to be a proper teacher. Of course, it's not long after that he has a rather peculiar matter. A precocious third grader by the name of Rin Kokonoe develops affections for Daisuke, and tries anything possible, even going as far as sexual innuendo, to claim him, even going as far as to outright declare Rin as his girlfriend. Then there are others like Kuro, who's quick to nail barbed remarks towards him, mainly on his virgin status. With all he has to deal with, keeping track of the class roster and assignments merely scratches the surface of his troubles, as Rin's actions could cost him his job!! How will this newbie teacher fare?
I've seen stuff like this happened here at home on the news, though I can't say that, as far as they've gone, they weren't even remotely mutual, but more so criminal. I guess it's because of this, as well as the "anti-lolicon" law of sorts that this title was shut down, even when it made it as far as Los Angeles. In fact, responses to this following the LA-based Seven Seas Entertainment's refusal to publish this has been unfriendly, but somewhat legit. I mean, flip the roles around and Mahou Sensei Negima! comes to mind, and that's a success here in the states. Toren Smith, who used to be a manga editor, cited this and criticized that the people who supported the reverse gender scenario in Negima! were hypocrites. Harsh, but I see his point, considering that this would be classified as shotacon. I acually have reviewed Negima! whose series has since then concluded, and made no mention of these terms until today, and I feel it's only fitting that I get into this a little. Before I forget, and I'm sure some of you heard of this term before, but Lolicon is what's classified as underage girl fetish, and is derived from the term "Lolita Complex." Kodomo no Jikan is an example of this. On the flip side of things, Shotacon is similar in nature, though with genders reversed, meaning it's the fetish for underage boys. Like it's female counterpart, it's a hybrid from the term Shotaro Complex, in which Negima! is an example of. I don't get how one could be approved yet another can't, but in my book, I call this a classic double-standard, but I digress.
Kodomo no Jikan isn't a long title, which has 12 anime episodes, and 3 OVAs, one of which is composed of 4 episodes. It's not a new one either, as this began in 2007, the 4-episode OVA releasing in 2009, and the last one releasing January of last year. While I can't verify this of the last OVA at the moment, all animeted works were made in Studio Barcelona, never licensed for the US, so there is no English version, and based on the controversy of its content, most likely never will be. The manga itself, also never officially released here, is still ongoing. In both works, there is a censored and uncensored version.
For what I've seen, normally this would be hard to stomach, but as a romantic comedy, it seems innocent enough at face value, though personally, I find this similar to B Gata H Kei: Yamada's First Time, and with that's said, I'll leave this ar a 7 of 10 before I can give a more accurate rating.
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