Massive Anime Frontier

Untuk Tugas

2012-09-18T18:15:00.004+07:00

Saya akan menceritakan sebuah kisah yang sayapun tidak tahu darimana asalnya. Hal ini saya lakukan untuk memenuhi tugas TIK. Jadi, bila ada salah kata saya mohon maaf yang sebesar-besarnya. Mari kita mulai:

Saya Lupa

Dahulu kala ada sebuah desa kecil yang bereada di lereng gunung. Di sana hidup seorang pemuda yang bernama Jono. Jono hidup sendiri di sebuah gubuk kecil yang terbuat dari bambu.

Pada suatu hari, Jono pergi ke hutan untuk mencari kayu bakar. Ia berangkat ke hutan pagi-pagi sekali. Sesampainya dihutan ia bertemu dengan seorang kakek yang terlihat kebingungan. Ia lalu mendekati kakek itu dan menanyakan apa yang terjadi pada kakek itu. Ternyata kakek itu tersesat. Kakek itu ingin pergi ke sungai yang ada di dalam hutan untuk mencari ikan. Karena Jono tahu letak sungai yang dicari kakek itu. Ia bersedia untuk mengantarkan kakek itu sampai ke tujuan.

Mereka lalu berjalan menyusuri hutan untuk menuju sungai itu. Sesampainya disungai kakek itu mengajak Jono untuk memancing bersama. Tanpa ia sadari Jono menerima ajakan kakek itu. Mereka lalu memancing ikan bersama sambil becakap-cakap.

Tidak terasa hari sudah sore namun mereka hanya mendapatkan ikan dua ekor. Mereka pun pulang dengan membawa ikan masing-masing satu ekor. Mereka pun berpisah di jalan keluar hutan.

Dalam perjalanan pulang Jono teringat tentang tujuan awal ia pergi ke hutan. Karena itu ia tidak bisa menghangatkan tubuhnya dan malam itu ia tidur sambil menggigil kedinginan.

Set. Awal

Aligment = 4 4 3 3

Spasi = 1.5

Font = TNR(12)

Paragraf = Justified

Jarak = after: 0

before: 0

Mashiro-Iro Symphony : The Color of Lovers

2011-10-28T06:00:00.004+07:00

Catchy opening theme, gaggle of girls with the same half-dozen designs seen in every other contemporary shounen romance anime, bland male protagonist? Check, check, and check. Welcome to Mashiro-Iro Symphony, an adaptation of a slice-of-life romance visual novel that is more or less like every other such adaptation you've ever seen.

The show opens with our protagonist, Shingo Uryuu, running out into the night to help his little sister find her way home. She, meanwhile, appears to be wearing a bra and a dress on top of a turtleneck and skirt, or something...it's odd looking. Anyway, the sister, Sakuno, chases after an adorable fluffy creature while her brother searches for her and gets even more lost. While Sakuno waits in the rain, a girl named Airi Sena spots her and shares her umbrella. She's also lost, so together they call the brother and arrange to meet up in a nearby park. They succeed, and Shingo gets all wide-eyed upon meeting Airi in person.

So! Shingo, Sakuno, and guy-pal Hayata, as it turns out, are also serving as representatives from their school, which is merging with another (formerly all-girls) school. The trio will attend the new school, which is naturally chock-full of female characters: a teacher who's nervous around boys, a be-ponytailed , and of course, Airi Sena, who turns out to be opposed to the merger. OBSTACLE!

The main thing to enjoy in Mashiro-Iro Symphony thus far is its soundtrack, which is full of enjoyable orchestral arrangements (although the charming, heartwarming music that went with the opening scene felt kind of out of place for a rainy night). Other points: Sakuno, while largely the standard little-sister-with-a-brother-complex, offers a wry response about girls feeling clumped together when she and her brother are confronted with a mass cluster of their new classmates. There's also a thus far unintroduced character randomly playing with the generically adorable mascot character outside of the school building who suddenly stops to stare at the camera again. These are pretty much the only surprises in the episode.

While the art itself is detailed and crisp, the character designs are a bit overdone, and the characters themselves generic (though points should be awarded to Sakuno for her wry response about how girls feel in clusters upon witnessing their new school). As for pacing: kudos to the show for not being excessively blatant in its introductions to Shingo's new classmates, but the overall pacing is still a bit off. In particular, the opening scene feels oddly leisurely, with bits where more snap to the dialogue and action might have given the protagonist's intro a little more energy.

Thanks to ANN

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai

2011-10-16T15:53:00.002+07:00

A month ago, transfer student Kodaka made a really, really bad first impression on his first day and is now widely regarded as a delinquent because of it. One day he overhears the normally standoffish Yozora uncharacteristically carrying on a conversation with someone who turns out to be an imaginary friend. Both soon admit that they have no friends and have trouble finding them, and both also admit that joining an existing club at this point would be an ineffective way to get them, so Yozora does the only logical thing: she starts a new club, one which will essentially be a place where friendless students can connect and make real friends. Surprisingly, the first person to respond to their advertisements for the Neighbors Club is Sena Kashawizaka, the seemingly perfect daughter of the school's Chancellor, who always has a gaggle of boys in tow but claims that she has had difficulty actually making friends because of that. Yozora and Sena instantly get on each other's nerves despite Kodaka's efforts to mediate.

This light novel-based series really, really wants to be the next Oreimo, and is even made by the same branch of AIC as Oreimo. While this one's concept has nothing to do with otaku, its more conventional concept is an interesting one which has even more potential: the notion of creating a club for the specific purpose of allowing friendless people to make friends, something which could easily be inserted into just about any high school anywhere in the world. The discussions that Kodaka and Yozora have about forming friendships are also remarkably insightful.

The first episode shows two fundamental problems that limit this one's potential, however. The first is the presence of Sena as the club's third member. She was doubtless deemed necessary from a marketing point of view, as stories about the kind of true social rejects who would genuinely want/benefit from this kind of club simply wouldn't sell as anime (those type of stories seem to work much better in live action anyway), and she does seem to have a legitimate reason for wanting to join, but her perfection harms the integrity of the concept and the credibility of the story. That and opener scenes which suggest that Kodaka may end up being the only guy certainly raise the specter that the series will hedge in a harem direction.

The other and bigger problem is that the caliber of writing simply is not there, especially not compared to Oreimo. Insight is a plus but isn't enough. The writing makes the mistake of letting Kodoka become more a hanger-on than an active participant, does not make Yozora an interesting enough character, and does not even come close to getting the same kind of combative chemistry out of Sena and Yozora as Oreimo did out of Kirino and Kuroneko. This could improve over time, and the artistic merits are reasonable and the series does have a pretty cool closer, but already it is starting out a couple of steps behind.

Thanks to ANN

Guilty Crown

2011-10-16T15:49:00.001+07:00

If there's anything Tetsuro Araki, director of Production I.G's newest sci-fi spectacular, is good at, it's action. Even if you were so tired of zombies that watching it made you feel like one yourself, the one thing you couldn't deny about Highschool of the Dead is that it kicked monstrous ass. Ditto the confused Kurozuka and even Death Note, whose fights were mental but dynamic and exciting nonetheless. Guilty Crown allows Araki to unleash that action beast, without giving him a chance to indulge in the self-conscious edginess that so often accompanies it. In so doing, it becomes one of his more enjoyable works to date.

The story takes place in the future, after a plague has ripped through Japan and forced it to live under the control of a multinational "relief" force known as the GHQ. Shu Ouma is a high school student in this future. He's pretty normal, if reserved and maybe harder on himself than he should be. That is set to change, beginning with the theft of a top-secret...something from GHQ. Injured, the girl who stole it takes refuge in a run-down room that Shu uses to edit videos. When GHQ thugs come for her, Shu knuckles under like a good sheep. Disgusted with himself, he takes the...something to its intended destination.

Whereupon he hooks up with some anti-GHQ guerillas and all hell breaks loose. Swords are pulled suggestively from nubile youngsters and bloody fragments of repressed memory come into it, as do genocidal mecha and one badass, flowing-haired prince. It's pretty conventional (wake up and smell the wish fulfillment!), more than a tad predictable, and pretty much awesome from start to finish. That has something to do with screenwriter Hiroyuki Yoshino, who has long experience with turning tired premises awesome (My-HiME anyone?), and everything to do with Araki. The episode's final minutes are a lesson in cinematic excess, filled with odd angles, dizzying camerawork, and slicker-than-greased-lawyers animation of glowing energies, slashing swords, burning cities, flying fists and exploding mecha. Before you watch, get a stick; you'll need it to prop your jaw back up.

Thanks to ANN

Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!!

2011-10-16T15:43:00.001+07:00

Kawakami Academy is an unusual school, one which resolves internal disputes through large-scale, medieval-style pitched battles between students. For unspecified reasons, Class C and Class F are having just such a conflict out on a mountainside. Though the higher-ability Class C has the advantage of numbers and a tougher commander, Class F has the advantage in strategy and can equal or outdo Class C's elites with their own. Even when Class C calls in a ringer, Class F can still counter and hold her off long enough to successfully go after the enemy commander directly.

The entire first episode is just a big strategic battle scenario punctuated by intense individual fights, so what this series will actually be about is unclear at this point. A broad cast of characters also gets introduced, so who the series will even focus on is also unclear. What is clear is that super-powered martial arts battles involving sexy girls will definitely be a major component, as numerous characters (many but not all female) toss around all sorts of named power attacks. That is enough to carry the series for now, as the battles offer plenty of flash and pop, the girls look good, and relative newcomer Lerche turns in some appealing artistry and technical merits. Figuring out what the series is about can wait for later, because what's here is fun enough.

Mirai Niki

2011-10-16T15:38:00.002+07:00

Okay, so let's say you're hankering for some thrills and action, but don't feel like getting into Fate/Zero due to intolerable levels of pompousness and back-story. In that case, Mirai Nikki might be the answer, with its violent collision of ordinary life and some extraordinary twists.

The story centers on apathetic high-schooler Yukiteru, who spends all day blogging pointless observations on his cell phone while having a godlike imaginary friend called Deus Ex Machina (is this name trying to be cheesy or trying to be clever? Who knows). Yukiteru's life takes an bizarre turn when one day he wakes up and finds that the diary entries in his phone are predicting the events that will happen that day. Even weirder is that Deus himself claims to have created the "future diary," despite being an imaginary entity. As expected, the episode involves a little fun at first—Yukiteru uses the future diary for cheating on tests and avoiding bullies—but the real excitement begins when the phone predicts Yukiteru's death at the hands of a serial killer. Using the phone to stay one step ahead, and with the assistance of classmate Yuno (who has a mysterious phone of her own), Yukiteru outwits the killer ... all before the episode ends. Premise, conflict, resolution. It tells a sharp, suspenseful story to get viewers hooked, while also opening the door for future plot developments. Why can't more first episodes be as effective as this one?

The stylish visuals also help this series to stand out, with a rich color palette (check out the moody sunset lighting when Yukiteru and the killer meet) and striking character designs (being faithful to the style of the manga helps). The ominous appearance of Deus and his imaginary realm, as well as the tense, eclectic soundtrack, also add to the series' distinctive, edgy vibe. The only gripe? The animation is a bit on the choppy side, with the characters stuttering from one dramatic pose to the next. However, the production as a whole is a winner.

thanks to ANN

Shakugan no Shana III (Final)

2011-10-10T18:30:00.002+07:00

If you're not already an established and fully-caught-up fan of the franchise then this series is not for you. Full familiarity with the entirety of the first two series is assumed; newcomers will likely be thoroughly lost.

One of anime's defining and most enduring tsundere characters is back for yet another go-around in what is supposed to be the franchise's concluding installment. The regular episode content picks up exactly where the last shot of the second TV season left off, this time clarifying the mysterious scene with the footprints that trail off: Yuji suddenly disappeared on Christmas Eve night as he went to meet Shana, as if he had flickered out of existence like all normal Torches do. Those involved in Flame Haze affairs remember him but no one else does, and the only hint to his continued existence is that the love letters that Shana and Kazumi simultaneously sent him still exist and have specifically been returned to them. Unsurprisingly, Bel Masque seems to be directly involved, as a very different-looking version of Yuji appears amongst them as their new leader.

The new version of Yuji is, by far, the most startling and exciting element in an episode that otherwise doesn't do much beyond laying the groundwork for where this new season will go, though seeing various supporting characters continue to move on down the paths that they chose during the course of the first two TV series is a welcome sight. Other fresh elements include Shana developing an entirely new application for her flame power (which will doubtless play a big role later on) and indications in the opener that a few new faces will eventually pop up, while the Next Episode preview suggests that at least one prominent old face will return. The absence of Shuji in the normal world also (thankfully!) suggests that this series will not get bogged down in the run-of-the-mill school life antics which dominated the second series. The various Shana series have usually been at their best when immersing themselves fully in their supernatural elements, and this continuation has little choice but to concentrate on that.

The minor disappointment is that J.C. Staff's artistic and technical efforts have not improved in the 3½ years since the last TV installment; in fact, the first episode looks rougher in some places than what fans are used to seeing. Still, that shouldn't be enough to discourage franchise fans, who finally get their long-awaited continuation.

Fate / Zero

2011-10-10T18:27:00.000+07:00

This prequel to the Fate/stay night anime series is based on the light novel written as a prequel to the original series’ source visual novel. Like most prequels, its main purpose is to show what happened to set up the original story and one of its main draws is seeing characters who were referenced and/or appear in the original story in earlier forms; fans of the franchise will doubtlessly delight in seeing youthful versions of Rin, Sakura, and Illyasviel and seeing Kiritsugu Emiya and Kirei Kotomine at the heights of their powers. Being familiar with the franchise is not necessary for understanding the proceedings here, however, for this double-length premier entirely eschews action in favor of spending its full time carefully setting up its main players and explaining the franchise's premise. Few beginnings to follow-up series in anime franchises are as accessible to newcomers as this one is.

The first episode covers a time frame from eighteen to ten years prior to the events of F/SN, beginning with the birth of Illyasviel, child of a descendant of one of the most prominent bloodlines of mages and Kiristugu Emiya, a former mage-killer who married into the family. It concludes with the prelims for the fourth Grail War, a battle between seven mages held every sixty years for the right to make a wish upon the Holy Grail. Kiritsugu and Kirei are not only two participants but the ones who worry each other the most due to thier unknown motives. Another mage bloodline scion, Kiriya, struggles to fulfill his family's part in the Grail War in an effort to protect young Sakura from getting drawn into the mess, while a fledgling mage absconds with his teacher's relic in order to participate himself. Each mage chosen to participate gets to summon a Servant, a representation of heroic spirits from across history who hail from one of seven types, and those Servants - including, yes, Saber - finally appear in dramatic fashion as the episode ends.

Even from a newcomer's viewpoint, this beginning shows a lot of promise. The technical merits and artistry, courtesy of ufotable, are superb and, for a change, the basic premise is quite clear. Despite the lack of action, it finds just the right amount of drama and pathos to keep viewers involved and has enough hooks to keep the attention of established fans who might find the lengthy set-up boring. It provides plenty of plotlines for story development, too. Overall, it marks a great start for the new season.

Sacred Seven

2011-08-02T08:08:00.003+07:00

For sheer ridiculousness this summer, go no further than Sacred Seven, which appears to have been written as part of a Mad Libs challenge. Not content to just be a cookie-cutter show about Some Guy who discovers his Amazing Hidden Powers, this one takes all the cookie-cutter shapes available and melts them into a head-spinning mess. Our hero is Alma Tandoji, an orphaned high schooler who looks angry and supposedly beat up 18 kids a few years back, but is actually a sensitive soul who only fights out of a sense of justice. (Come on, girls! He's a tortured bad boy with a kind heart!) After Alma witnesses a ship exploding on the bay, he forgets the shocking incident until a young girl named Ruri—equipped with a magical amulet and a talking ancient artifact, naturally—comes to his door and asks him to utilize his Amazing Hidden Powers.

Of course, Alma refuses to believe in such supernatural nonsense, until he learns that a re-animated statue from the capsized ship is terrorizing the town and shooting lasers at everything. Yes, that is correct: this show has a Laser-Shooting Zombie Statue. Alma, noble soul that he is, heads out to protect a vulnerable classmate of his, and in doing so transforms into a character from Tiger and Bunny. No, actually, his powers awaken, resulting in animated pyrotechnics that make absolutely no sense to the untrained eye.

Although packed to the gills with striking visual designs (Mobile suit mechs! Bionic exo-armor! Explosions! Magic!), as well as constantly dramatic music, the overwhelming impression of Sacred Seven is how incoherent it is. It's as if a whole class of delusional eighth-grade geeks teamed up and said, "I like maids!" "Well, I like robots!" "I like superhero suits!" "I like ancient historical magic!" and for lack of creative direction, just chucked it all together. The high-octane set pieces may provide a quick thrill, but if this series continues to thrash about aimlessly, it'll soon land in the pile of action anime that no one cares about after a few months.

Baka to Test to Shōkanjū Ni!

2011-08-02T08:04:00.003+07:00

In the first season of this goofy high school comedy, we met the members of class F— the lowest-rated class in their high school —who were trying to fight their way to the top rank, which would afford their class a better room and other resources. Literally; the twist that sets Baka and Test apart from other high school comedies (kinda) is that the school in which it's set features, for undisclosed reasons, a videogame-esque challenging system to allow an underdog class to compete with the spoiiled intelligencia.

Steins;Gate

2011-05-14T06:18:00.004+07:00

Still confused by the opening stanzas ofSteins;Gate? Well then, try wrapping your head around this next sequence of events: pseudo-scientist Rintarou Okabe continues to be freaked out by what happened (or didn't happen?) to him recently. The girl whose bloody corpse he discovered is, in fact, alive and well, and adding to the confusion is that she's now giving a lecture on time travel, rather than the professor who claimed to have mastered it last episode. Hopelessly mind-boggled by all this, Okabe hops online to look up time-traveling urban legend John Titor ... only to find that Titor's sensational visit to the year 2000 has been scrubbed off the internet. Has Okabe entered a reality where the Titor thing never happened? And what to make of his experiment at the Future Gadget Lab, where an attempt to microwave a banana seemingly sends it back in time?

By clarifying which events have happened and which didn't, this episode provides a more coherent follow-up to the first, while still spinning the wheel of mystery as to whether Okabe dreamed it, or time-slipped, or something else entirely. Certainly, it's more balanced than the maddening quick-cuts and non-sequiturs of Episode 1—although some running time is still wasted on pointless events like Okabe stopping by a shrine to chat with friends, and a run-in with a passer-by looking for an antique PC. Who knows, maybe that stuff does become important later, but it lacks the suspense needed to hold one's attention.

Regardless of the plot's hits and misses, however, the overall atmosphere of the series keeps everything afloat, with visuals and audio conspiring to form a unified artistic whole. Muted colors and hazy lighting establish a strange, intriguing vision of Akihabara in midsummer, and even ambient sounds (cicadas chirping, cars whizzing by) seem to echo the detached paranoia of Okabe's world. If Episode 1 was the act of throwing all the jigsaw pieces on the floor in mad confusion, then here begins the riveting process of putting them together.

Originally posted by Carlos Santos of animenewsnetwork.com

watch streaming at animedreaming

The World God Only Knows S2

2011-05-14T06:06:00.004+07:00

There may have been some doubts about the hackneyed premise that began the second season of The World God Only Knows—tough martial arts girl secretly likes cute things!—but with Episode 2, all those doubts are swept away. The excellent conclusion to the Kusunoki Kasuga arc sees our hard-nosed heroine going on the World's Most Awkward Date with smug, game-obsessed protagonist Keima Katsuragi. Granted, this charade is simply an attempt to make Kusunoki confront her "weak" side and force out the "loose soul" that's bothering her, but the laughs just keep coming: Keima's unabashed selfishness at the game store, an overly physical round of whack-a-mole (or rather, lobster), even a hilariously uncomfortable moment in the purikura booth. The genius is in seeing all these dating-sim clichés subverted by two completely unwilling participants.

And that's just the halfway point. The real payoff comes when our uneasy couple engages in the ultimate display of sentimental romantic goop—a shared ice cream cone—and the loose soul pops out to battle Kusunoki, switching from comedy spoof to pure action in seconds. Then comes the emotional punch: Keima, Elsie and Kusunoki launch into a passionate, thoughtful discussion about how to accept different sides of one's personality—and finally resolve it in a heartfelt way only this series can pull off so well.

Between the great genre send-up, the slickly animated hand-to-hand combat, and a heartwarming turnabout in the final act, this episode shows incredible storytelling range. And that's not including all the little things it does right: Elsie's background sight gags, color schemes that shift to match the mood, rich background music that walks a careful line between spoof and seriousness. It doesn't even have to throw around otaku in-jokes at this point—instead it relies charming characters, pitch-perfect comedy, and a lot of heart to tell its story. A story that'll be well worth watching, all the way to the end.

Originally posted by Carlos Santos of animenewsnetwork.com

watch streaming episode at animedreaming

Hidan no Aria

2011-04-29T06:42:00.002+07:00

High school comedy has a new name, and it's Aria the Scarlet Ammo! No series this season is zanier or more action-packed than this spiritual successor to Toradora!, where high-schooler Kinji Toyama finds himself subject to the temperamental whims of sub-5-foot-tall Aria H. Kanzaki (played by—who else?—Rie Kugimiya). But hot girls aren't Kinji's only problem. He's also attending Tokyo Butei High School, a Tea Party wet dream where everyone is safer because (by the doctrine of mutually assured destruction) every student has a gun and a knife. Of course, they're also packing heat because the school is a training ground for future law enforcement agents, but hey, who needs poorly-reasoned plot devices when EVERYONE HAS GUNS?

Kinji's wacky adventures begin when his commute to school is rudely interrupted by remote-controlled Segways equipped with Uzis—plus a mysterious phone call telling him there's a bomb strapped to his bike. In his madcap quest to avoid being blown up, Kinji is rescued by dual-wielding gunslinger Aria, who pulls him to safety just in time. However, another wave of armed Segways attacks them, and this time Kinji's rising blood pressure transforms him into Bruce Willis and he eliminates the threat with a single flashy move. Bravo, young man! As a reward for your actions, you get to sit next to Aria in class since she's transferring into the school!

In all seriousness, Aria the Scarlet Ammo obviously isn't meant to be pure comedy. But this surgical grafting of boy-meets-girl onto girls-with-guns (boy-meets-girls-with-guns?) is unintentionally hilarious—and stupid. Apparently, at no time did anyone stop to think about the illogic of a fully armed student body, or Segways with submachine guns strapped to them. Meanwhile, on the visual side, even shiny animation technique can't redeem the predictable character designs, generic suburban scenery, and dumb sight gags about Aria's chest size. If it were simply about high-intensity gunplay, with daring camerawork and a pulsating action-thriller soundtrack, it wouldn't be such a bad thing. But the high-school sitcom flavor makes it taste as bizarre as ketchup on chocolate.

Originally Posted by Carlos Santos at animenewsnetwork.com

Ore-tachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai

2011-04-09T17:26:00.003+07:00

I've seen my share of head-scratching avant-garde anime. I've seen Cat Soup and Mind Game and Lain and things that leave lesser mortals wondering what the plot was about, or if there was a plot at all. But who'd have thought that my undoing would be a visual novel adaptation?

We, Without Wings tries to dress up the old boy-meets-harem formula with a meta-story involving "TV channels" linked in some kind of "hypothetical fairy tale." But what it really means is that, instead of following the exploits of one young lad and the ladies who love him, the first episode skips inexplicably between a whole gaggle of male characters having varied encounters with the opposite sex. In one scenario, a high-schooler finds his walk to school disrupted by all manner of bishoujo clichés; after the opening credits, ten pointless minutes are spent at a casual restaurant where a freeloader is trying to invite young waitresses to a get-together; then comes the nighttime story of a part-timer wandering the international part of town and taking on a thankless construction job because he needs the money.

Does this make sense to anyone? No? Didn't think so. This is more nonsense than Steins;Gate and Chaos;HEAd combined, minus the psycho-thriller atmosphere—or a slice-of-life gone horribly wrong. Because the male characters are so blandly designed, it's almost too easy to miss the fact that they are acting out different scenarios. And the girls they meet, being mindless panty-flashing ciphers, are equally forgettable. Perhaps they become more interesting as the storyline progresses, but who's going to want to stick around for a storyline as baffling as a calculus textbook mistranslated from Russian?

With lazy animation leading the way (seriously, count all the slow pans across static scenery), and boring city backgrounds providing the setting, there's absolutely nothing to look at here—even the fanservice is boring, with its predictable array of pantyshots and boob jiggles. Surely even first-time fans have better standards than this; how bad must a show be that it even fails at being mediocre?

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?

2011-01-14T16:45:00.002+07:00

Any show that prominently features a Dyson Air Multiplier bladeless fan in the background immediately deserves a second look. Not because it's necessarily good, nor interesting, but because it inherently has a love of the weird and eclectic. In the case of Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?, that penchant for the nutty might be a case of Trying Too Damned Hard, but at times it does succeed.

Stop me if you've heard this premise. There's a high school boy who lives in a house with two cute gir—oh, wait. Okay, try this one. There's a zombie who lives in a house with a “necromancer of the underworld” and a snaggle-toothed magical girl who slays giant animal monsters with a chainsaw. It's a riff off a zillion other shows, and it borders on desperate fan pandering, but eventually the absurdity wins over. By the time our hero ends up donning a frilly dress to battle a giant blubbering crayfish, it's over the top enough to be funny. It's not clever and it's not wholly original, but it's quirky, and sometimes that's all you need.

For anyone who's asking, the zombie in question isn't your typical brain-eating, foot-shuffling Hollywood zombie. He's a high schooler like any other, only he was brought back to life by a necromancer so that he can track down who murdered him. Conveniently, because she lives with him, he doesn't have to worry about trivialities like getting his bones shattered or being torn in half or being impaled by a giant bear. All in the first episode. However, there should be a boo and a hiss to the necromancer's name, Eucliwood Hellscythe—apparently it's now the anime norm to name all gothic lolita characters a jumble of English Halloween words.

Watching Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? is somewhat like watching a bad comedian with no comic timing deliver a poorly written joke with no punchline. At first, the only response is silence. Then there's some uncomfortable fidgeting, and maybe some coughing. Then, because the awkward silence has nowhere else to go, the tension erupts into laughter. The audience sits back and realizes, “Man, this is really terrible. I can't stop laughing.” And for some reason, there's a Dyson Air Multiplier.

Originally posted by Bamboo Dong of animenewsnetwork.com

watch streaming episode at animedreaming.com or animeultima.tv

Dragon Crisis!

2011-01-12T20:14:00.004+07:00

Whether fleshing out familiar tales (Toradora!, Asobi ni Iku yo!), inventing something new (Spice and Wolf), or simply going batsh*t insane (Kyōran Kazoku Nikki), in recent times light novels have given us some of our finest romantic comedies. They've also given us plenty of mediocrity. One day at school, regular guy Ryuji Kisaragi is abducted by his long-absent cousin Eriko. He isn't terribly flustered; Eriko, a hunter of supernatural artifacts, is basically a D-cup Indiana Jones, so an abduction or two is nothing unusual. She drags him to a dock where a black market exchange of supernatural goods is planned, and quite naturally proceeds to rob the robbers. In the ensuing shootout the artifact's case is opened and, also quite naturally, a girl pops out. All she can say is "Ryuji," and she can incinerate a fleet of cars with the flick of wrist, so Eriko and Ryuji figure she isn't normal, but they don't figure on her being a real-live dragon. Or being pathologically over-attached to Ryuji.

Between its tried-and-true premise and dispiriting dearth of male characters, Dragon Crisis! doesn't exactly bleed promise. Ryuji is nice, but bland; the girls are pretty, but prefabricated; the plot is fast, fun, and refreshingly action-minded, but clichéd as all hell. The series is pleasant, but also completely undistinguished. It's a good-looking show, with nice rounded character designs and some surprisingly slick animation, particularly during the car-incinerating and magical-butterfly-swarming parts of the action scenes. There's plenty of harmless fan-service and even a bit of cute puppy-love thrown in for good measure. But you'll be hard put to remember any of it when the episode has run its course, except possibly for the irresistible way that Rie Kugiyama, as the dragon girl, says "Ryuji." And all that does is make you want to watch Toradora! again. Give it another episode to separate itself from the crowd, then dump it.

There might be a story here worth watching, and this is certainly a different take on the classic image of dragons, but the preposterous business about the treasure-hunting organization and the seeming compulsion to force fan service in wherever possible stand against a first episode that was already pretty weak on the writing front. It does have an unusually catchy soundtrack, but its technical merits are mediocre and these characters and situations are just tiny variations (if that) on content that we have seen innumerable times before. In other words, the biggest blow against the series so far is that it's as stale a two-week-old bread. Even Rose's cutesiness - arguably the series’ biggest draw at this point - cannot compensate for that.

Originally posted by Carl Kimlinger & Theron Martin at animenewsnetwork.com

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Freezing

2011-01-12T20:08:00.003+07:00

If the idea of plentiful fan service freely intermixed with plentiful graphic violence, all perpetrated by gorgeous gals, appeals you then Freezing is probably the series for you this season. It makes its intent to focus on the former absolutely clear from its very first scene, which features the central full-figured blond stripping in preparation for activating her battle uniform. Later scenes provide all manner of panty flashes, jiggling breasts, shredded clothing, and even outright defined nudity - only in this case we also see the girls getting torn up as much as their clothing. Throats get slashed, limbs get severed (or just plain fall off) on a couple of occasions, and loads of blood gets splattered. As combat-schools-training-to-fend-off-hostile-aliens series go, this is one of the most brutal.

The premise is that, at some point late in the 21st century, mankind starts having problems with invading giant aliens called Novas, so they set up training for cybernetically-enhanced girls called Pandoras (why they have to be girls hasn't been explained yet), who can manifest Volt Textures and Volt Weapons to fight the Novas. After a certain point the girls are paired up with Limiters, who must always be boys younger than the girls, who can use their own “Freezing” powers to help protect their paired girls and allow them to move freely in the Nova's aura. One boy destined to be a Limiter is Kazuya Kazuha (who is incorrectly listed as “Aoi Kazuha” in multiple sources, but that's his sister's name), whose older sister was a Pandora who sacrificed herself to fend off a Nova assault four years earlier. And he seems destined to hook up with the absurdly-named Satellizer L. Bridgette, the training academy's top student and a seemingly coldly brutal killer who keeps everyone at a distance until, of course, Kazuya comes on the scene.

The look and set-up of the story are a mishmash of elements borrowed from numerous other anime, including RahXephon and My-Otome, the concept is pretty standard otaku-focused fare, and the play-out of events so far is fairly predictable. Some have complained about Satellizer reacting inconsistently at the end, but other yet-to-be-revealed factors could be in play there. The artwork and animation is very good at times but inconsistent, although the series hits big-time on the female character designs. Any of the series’ other potential weaknesses aren't going to matter if you have a sweet spot for the fan service/violence combo, though, as on that front it scores big-time.

some word from IS :

Nova:Big evil robots trying to kill humanity.
Pandora: Schoolgirls (when is it ever not schoolgirls?) with special powers capable of destroying Nova.
Freezing: A pompous word for releasing some fancy-looking forcefield ... I guess?
Ereinbar: Another ridiculous made-up word used to describe when a young boy (when is it ever not a young boy?) is enlisted by a Pandora to further boost her powers.
Kazuya: The young boy at the heart of this story.
Satellizer L. Bridget: The hilariously-named, top-ranked Pandora whose reputation as the "Untouchable Queen" is about to take a dramatic turn when Kazuya enters her life.

Originally posted by Theron Martin of animenewsnetwork.com

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IS : Infinite Stratos

2011-01-12T20:00:00.004+07:00

So it's the future, you see. There's these powerful robotic suits, you see. And only girls can wear them, you see. Except for one guy, you see. And he wants to go to a school for robotic-suit pilots, you see. Yes, we see. We see a cheap attempt to justify yet another story about a lone schmuck surrounded by an infinite bounty of female flesh. The guy is Ichika Orimura, and as you'd expect at a school essentially reserved for the fairer sex, he stands out like a sore thumb. Not only is he the only guy, and thus the center of undue amorous attention, but he's also the only person in his class who hasn't read the robotic-suit (called Infinite Stratos, or IS for short) manual and is the kid brother of famous IS pilot and school instructor Chifuyu. Within days he's gotten the student body's hormones a-roiling, pissed off his roommate (and childhood friend) Houki, and gotten roped into a duel with a spoiled English princess. So much for blending in.

The surprise here is that it isn't Infinite Stratos's transparent premise that sinks it. Rather it's the thinly-veiled world-building info-dumps and reams of unnatural explanatory dialogue. For all its promises of juicy school drama (or comedy), the episode feels dry, and more than a bit clunky. That doesn't bode well for the future quality of the script. As for the potentially prurient premise, it's actually pretty decently handled. While the girls are definitely interested in Ichika, they don't throw themselves on him, preferring to gawk and stalk. Fan-service is surprisingly light—limited to a bit of cleavage here and an "eek! I just got out of the shower!" moment there—and, so far at least, the moe stereotypes aren't oozing out of the woodwork. That Ichika has a personality and a spine certainly helps, as does his obvious displeasure with being the center of feminine attention. As such things go you could do worse, and certainly uglier; 8-Bit's animation is quite nice.

And to think, this was adapted from a light novel? This is barely good enough to qualify for a shovelware dating sim.

Originally posted by Carl Kimlinger of animenewsnetwork.com

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Rio : Rainbow Gate

2011-01-07T15:17:00.003+07:00

Is it possible to have an anime riddled with clichés and stereotypes, yet have a premise that's so ridiculous that it results in a viewing experience so unique that it can't even be categorized? Perhaps that was the question posed to a Xebec during a brainstorming session. There is no other possible explanation for the inception of Rio – Rainbow Gate!, a show that bewilders with its inane premise, and its unabashed love of light-reflecting breasts. The latter is a puzzle—with the exception of saunas and female bodybuilding competitions, I've never seen breasts that actually shine in real life, but in anime, they are a dime a dozen. This series, especially, loves this concept, and for every pair of heaving bosoms, there are two glints of radiant sunshine.

Rio, the titular character, is the most popular dealer at Howard Resor
t, a gorgeous beachside community with towering architectural styles borrowed from all over the world. Known as the Goddess of Victory, she exudes luck, and anyone who touches her hand or merely basks in her presence cleans up at the card tables and slot machines. How the casino manages to stay in business is anyone's guess. Aside from dealing, though, she also does various odd jobs for the owner, like dress up and entertain wealthy clients. Although, it does beg one very big question. It's obvious that Rio hates dressing in skimpy outfits and doing whatever perverted thing the owner asks of her, but—why stay at that job? Why not just use her talent for gambling, use that to earn a living, and stop working for some pervert? But maybe at Howard Resort, logic is a rare commodity only sold in the High Rollers room.

See, Rio doesn't just have a knack for luck. She can actually become “one” with whatever game she's playing and pick the cards she wants. In the first episode, she goes head to head with some bad guy who's after a little girl's teddy bear in a hand of five card draw. After the cards are dealt, both players suddenly enter some sort of fantasy dream state, where they actually start walking around a world of life-size cards and reach out to the ones they want. What? Can they actually manipulate the order of the already shuffled cards? Or is it a simple matter of ESP in terms of predicting what card is next? And even though the fantasy sequence is some five minutes long, how long does it appear to the bystanders watching this game?

Once again, logic is not one of the chips at stake here.

To the show's credit, there are two things that I was unprepared for. One, the show looks really nice. The animators put a lot of time and effort into making sure every person in a crowd looks different, and all of the architectural effects in Howard Resort are stunning. All of the cards are drawn with great detail, and every groove in the roulette wheel is carefully brushed in. I even had to admire the effort that the animators expended making sure every single set of breasts in the entire casino had a nice, freshly waxed sheen to it.

Secondly, I was completely unprepared for the motive of the bad guy. When he was trying to steal the little girl's bear, I naturally assumed her wealthy grandfather had hidden corporate secrets inside, or perhaps some kind of key to a safe. No. The actual motive was so ridiculous I audibly cried out in disbelief. As if the Gambling Goddess premise of the show wasn't enough. As if the money shot of the token ermine mascot pulling at a half-naked girl's bed sheets weren't enough. This show is simply too much, and not really in a good way.

Originally posted by bamboo dong animenewsnetwork.com

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Fortune Arterial Akai Yakusoku

2010-10-17T15:14:00.006+07:00

Kohei Hasekura has transferred schools so many times due to his father's work that he has stopped trying to keep track of them all, so when he finally gets a choice of his own he opts for Shuchikan Academy, a boarding school out on a peripheral Japanese island that he had once briefly stayed at several years ago. There he meets a pair of girls he knew as a youth and quickly gets associated with several classmates, including the eccentric Student Council. Something odd happens when he comes into contact with vice-president Erika Sendo, however, which rattles her to the core and leaves Kohei perplexed. Much more disturbing for Kohei, though, is the discovery that a vampire may be on the prowl at school, and it's someone he's already met.

Yeah, this is yet another adult visual novel adaptation. It spends its first episode introducing the premise and all of the key players, with revelations in the prologue and at the end that vampires may be involved, and that's about all it does. Except for the vampire angle, everything which transpires here is rigidly formulaic, including a cast of girls (read: potential love interests) who could have been taken from almost any random visual novel or ero game. The same applies to the building and character designs, too, which look good but also absolutely typical for this type of series. The way vampirism is going to fit into the picture could be a bit intriguing and may serve as an initial hook, as these are vampires who apparently have no difficulty walking around in daylight, but this offering from developer August and producers ZEXCS and Feel has yet to show anything that will entice those who are not already fans of this style of series to keep watching.

Another day, another adult game, transformed into an anime. Eroge adaptations are now ubiquitous enough that they have to be treated like shonen action series: namely you have to start ignoring the broad outlines, since they're generally the same, and start enjoying the variation in details. Taken that way, Fortune Arterial isn't half bad. If you're into this sort of thing. The broad outline: Kouhei Hasekura has been moving all his life. He's never had a lasting friendship, much less a meaningful romance. Which is why he's happy to be moving to a new school, this one with a dorm. A dorm means no more moving. A dorm also means living with a slew of girls. There's student council vice-president Erika Sendou, who might be a vampire; possible nun-in-training Shiro Togi; twin childhood friends Haruna and Kanade Yuuki; and probably several more.

Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls

2010-10-12T14:33:00.004+07:00

In some strange alternate universe Japan, the Tokugawa Shogunate is still alive and well. Served by their loyal samurai minions, they have fended off every evil aggressor that's tried to soil their country, including those pesky Americans. Their samurai class is so powerful and strong, the country has apparently never felt the need to develop modern firearms and artillery, even though they have Internet and digital cameras. Luckily, they are forever served by the perpetual reincarnations of dead warriors, like Yagyu Jubei, who shows up at the end of the episode in the form of a cute girl.

Our protagonist is Yagyu Muneakira, a samurai in a long, noble line of warriors who have served the shogunate for centuries. He's transferred to a new private school, but when he heads to the dojo, he's confronted with two naked girls. They're naked because that's what fanservice dictates, and because it has to launch a whole series of jokes about one girl's lack of breasts. From then on, all the stereotypes just pile up like bricks. There's a feisty girl who's self-conscious about her flat chest, her busty attendant who prefers the breezy feel of a fundoshi to pants, and some angry little glasses-wearing maid who has a serious lesbian crush on her boss.

And of course, there is copious amounts of fanservice. Except in Samurai Girls, they try so hard it's almost awkward. There's no reason for half the fanservice to exist, other than to milk in as much bare flesh as possible, lest the ravenous masses disapprove. But unlike your typical hot springs scenes or your accidental shower scenes, the nudity in this series doesn't happen organically. It's like someone went into the script and forced in naughty bits, like the part where the maid gives implied cunnilingus to the princess. Did it have to be there? No. Is it even titillating? Hardly. It's just awkward.

The visuals in Samurai Girls are gorgeous enough that it doesn't need fanservice to be appealing. The backgrounds are beautiful, occasionally resembling Chinese brush paintings or pencil sketches. The characters are outlined with heavy brushstrokes, creating a contrast that really makes them pop out of the flat surface. With that kind of artwork, it almost seems a waste to have a breast dripping into the corner of the screen, because it takes viewers out of the scene. Though to their credit, every time they want to hide a nipple or a crotch, they censor it with an ink splat. It's a cute touch for something that's otherwise unnecessary.

Whether or not this series will end up being worth the time and energy may require a few more episodes to figure out. The premise of powerful warrior incarnates is a fun one, albeit not entirely original, and if they can chop up planes like in the opening sequences, it could provide some delightful action scenes. Now it's just a question of whether the show can move past these ridiculously trite stereotypes and focus more on the story.

episode 2 review :

In this alternate version of 21st century Japan, “master samurai” can only achieve their full super-powered potential by making a pact with the General, which means that they are, by default, under the direct control of the Tokugawa government. The newly-arrived Jubei demonstrate just such an overwhelming level of power, however, and only Muneakira's entreaties seem capable of staying her hand. Once the battle is over, however, the menacing Jubei becomes a sexy, amnesiac simpleton, however, and Princess Sen, who was childhood friends with Muneakira, is left to sort out the ensuing mess. While Yukimura and Hattori squabble, Muneakira wonders about the mysteries and potentially dark truths which might lay at the bottom of Jubei's identity.

As weighty as this synopsis may sound, the second episode is no less the sexy, samurai-themed harem romp that the first episode was. It starts with a pulse-pounding action sequence before retreating into more typical squabbling, interpersonal interactions, and lurid antics. None of this will disappoint anyone who's normally a fan of such fare; in fact, what it's trying to do it does very well. The traditional Japanese musical themes and a hyper-stylish art style which gives the impression that the whole series was animated on old scrolls lets this one challenge even Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt for the most distinctive-looking and sounding series of the season, and it doesn't shirk on the appealing character designs and fan service, either. The ink blots are still around for some self-censoring, though they also get used to transition between scenes. The nice animation is still around, too, and the writing even milks the material for a few laughs.The samurai style with two sword, she's very cute..:)

Basically, episode 2 merely confirms what episode 1 revealed: that this is the sharpest action and fan service-oriented title of the new season.

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The World God Only Kows

2010-10-09T11:07:00.004+07:00

There's something decidedly charming and refreshing about The World God Only Knows. It takes all the shonen romance genre tropes, complete with the headstrong girl who punches the male protagonist every time she's remotely embarrassed, but uses them in a quirky way. It even goes as far as to make fun of itself, pointing out genre clichés and showing audiences just how outlandish they can be.

It's just too cute! Too cute to be allowed! The World God Only Knows is the winner of this season's Better Than It Has Any Right To Be award, with its honest charm and good-natured ribbing of the odd social mores that have taken over Japan's visual arts and entertainment industry. The hero of this series, you see, is not an ordinary schoolboy who gets all the girls. It's a pathetically geeky schoolboy who gets all the girls ... in his dating-sim video games. (Philosophical question: if we're watching a 2-D show about a guy who plays games about 2-D girls, does that make the game characters technically 1-D?) This pathetic geek, Keima, fancies himself to be a Casanova-like God of Conquests—until a naïve demon named Elsie mistakes his reputation for the real thing. Due to this misunderstanding, Keima is tasked with conquering real girls in reallife in order to neutralize bad spirits ... or die trying.

Normally, this would result in some horrible cross-breed of clichés—except that the first episode plays it intentionally silly and lighthearted, knowing that taking it dead seriously would just look stupid. Keima, despite being an obvious jerk, somehow becomes endearing as he tries to apply romance-game logic to real life, and the payoff comes in the last few minutes when his ridiculous strategy actually works—with soaring romantic music and a perfectly paced climactic moment to boot. The gradual mood shift from geeky in-jokes and comical blunders to a heartwarming finish may not be a masterpiece-level feat of genius, but it creates surprising artistry out of mundane material. The changes in hue over the course of the episode—from bright afternoon to sunset to nighttime—also reflect this mood shift, the kind of subtle trick that most will miss but perceptive eyes will appreciate. Fluid gesture animation and a distinctive sense of character design also add to the visual appeal.

At first, I was concerned that Keima's mission might mean that he's inadvertently leading these girls on, only to leave them hanging in subsequent episodes, but if the first episode's any indication, he's just giving these girls the shoulder they need to lean on. The World God Only Knows may sound silly, but I'm willing to give this a few more episodes. It's cute and funny, and despite some of the overused gags, it's a new take on an old genre.

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Fairy Tail Character

2010-08-07T14:20:00.005+07:00

Lucy Heartfilia

Lucy Heartfilia (ルーシイ・ハートフィリア, Rūshi Hatofiria^?) is the main female character of the series. She joins Fairy Tail at the start of the series, having always wanted to be a member. She is always teamed with Natsu when on a job, though the frequent battles they get involved in have left her wishing she could do an easy job by herself. Lucy is one of the saner and more stable members of Fairy Tail, often being the only one to recognize the absurdity of her teammate's actions. She is also very confident in her appearance and sex appeal, exuding a certain amount of vanity. Lucy comes from a wealthy family, her father owning a large valley that serves as his estate's garden. Because she is estranged from her father, she left him and his fortune after the death of her mother so that she could follow her own path. She is voiced by Aya Hirano. Her given name was inspired from The Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" .

Lucy practices Celestial Spirit magic, a skill that allows her to summon spirits from another world using Gatekeys. Before she is allowed to use the key she must sign a contract with the spirit to decide upon when she is allowed to summon them. There are two types of keys: silver, which are common and of a large variety, and gold, twelve extremely rare keys that open the "Twelve Gates of the Zodiac." Her Celestial Spirits have varying levels of power, with different ones suited for different tasks. For example, Aquarius can control water, while Taurus has enormous strength. She can summon multiple spirits (an uncommon ability) at once for short periods of time, but tires out easily when doing so. Lucy's main weakness is she cannot perform magic without her keys, although recent chapters show Loke is able to be appear with or without being called out. Along with her keys, she also carries a whip which she is proficient with.

Gold Keys

Aquarius: "The Water Bearer" is a long-haired mermaid that can only be summoned into a body of water. She is selfish and dislikes Lucy, often attacking both Lucy and Lucy's enemies with a torrent of water. Scorpio is her boyfriend.
Taurus: "The Golden Bull" is a minotaur with a white and black splotched coat and a nose ring. He wields a giant two-bladed axe. He is a pervert and constantly compliments Lucy's body.
Cancer: "The Great Crab" is a hair stylist with crab-claw shaped hair. He has six large crab-legs that come out of his back and carries around scissors. When he is first summoned, Happy assumes that Cancer would end all of his sentences with kani (crab), but in reality, Cancer ends all of his sentences with ebi (shrimp).
Virgo: "The Virgin" is a maid with shackles and chains around her wrists. Her ability is to tunnel underground. Her appearance reflects her current master's preference: when introduced under the ownership of another wizard she looks giant and overweight, but she slims down after Lucy takes possession of her key.
Sagittarius: "The Man-Horse" is a man wearing a horse costume that uses a bow and arrow. It is given to Lucy as a reward for saving Galuna Island. He ends his sentences with "moshi-moshi" (hello-hello).
Leo: "The Lion" is actually Loke, who gives his key to Lucy after she helps him return to the spirit world. After he regains his former powers as a Celestial Spirit, Loke demonstrates that he is much stronger than he used to be when he was a member of Fairy Tail. Loke is also able to appear into the real world at will, without being called; he can sense when Lucy is in danger, and come assist her when needed.
Scorpio: "The Scorpion" is a man with a cannon in the shape of a mechanical stinger, and hair split into two different colors. He is Aquarius' boyfriend. and was previously owned by Angel, a member of the Oracion Six.
Gemini: "The Twins" are two small imp-like creatures who can copy others in terms of appearances, abilities, and even thoughts. They were previously owned by Angel.
Aries: "The Ram" is a young girl dressed in wool, and long boots. She looks up to Leo, and is very soft-spoken. She was previously owned by Angel, who killed her former master .

Silver Keys

Crux: "The Southern Cross" is a large humanoid stone-made cross with a cross-shaped nose and mustache. He specializes in searching for information on different spirits and their masters.
Horologium: "The Time Piece" is a living grandfather clock that is large enough for people to hide in. Lucy usually does this for shelter or as a mode of transportation. Once inside, Horologium speaks for her, ending every sentences with "my Mistress says".
Lyra: "The Harp" wears a bonnet, a dress, and has wings on her back. She sings about emotions and often likes to take requests.
Nikora the Canis Minor: "Nikora", named "Plue" by Lucy, resembles the same Plue from Hiro Mashima's previous work. His only unique ability is magic cancellation, and so serves more as a pet for Lucy.

Fairy Tail Character

2010-08-02T15:24:00.003+07:00

Erza Scarlet

Erza Scarlet (エルザ・スカーレット Eruza Sukāretto^?) is a main character in the series and one of Fairy Tail's S-class wizards. She is a very strong individual and can lift things weighing several tons with great ease. Erza is very stern and places great value on the rules of Fairy Tail; if someone steps out of line or is slow to do as she asks, she does not hesitate to punish them, so many characters are quick to apologize if they think that they have angered her. This comes up most often when Natsu and Gray start arguing, where they are quick to stop and make up if someone mentions Erza. Erza is not without compassion, however, and will do her best to make Natsu and Gray happy, even if it means delaying their punishment until later. She is voiced by Sayaka Ohara.

As a child, Erza was one of the many slaves that constructed the Tower of Heaven. She was beaten frequently while there and eventually lost her right eye. She was eventually able to escape during a slave rebellion but was forced to leave her friends behind. Erza eventually arrived at Fairy Tail, which gave her a false eye and armor to wear so that she would never be beaten again, leading to her titles of "Titania Erza", meaning "Queen of the Fairies" and the World's Strongest Women in the World (世界最強の女, Sekai Saikyō no Onna). Her desire for armor resulted in her "re-quip" style of magic; with it she can instantly equip herself with armor or weapons in her vast arsenal. She is a talented warrior, being of comparable ability to guild leaders like Makarov. Her name was adapted from Eru, a character from a one-shot short story by Mashima that served as the basis for Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail

2010-08-02T15:17:00.003+07:00

Fairy Tail (フェアリーテイル Fearī Teiru^?) is a Japanese manga series by Hiro Mashima. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since August 23, 2006 where it is still on-going. The individual chapters are being collected and published in tankōbon volumes by Kodansha, with 20 released as of March 2010. An anime produced by A-1 Pictures andSatelight was released in Japan on October 12, 2009.^[1] The series follows the adventures of the celestial wizard Lucy Heartfilia after she joins the Fairy Tail guild and teams up with Natsu Dragneel, who is searching for the dragon Igneel.

The series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Del Rey Manga, which began releasing the individual volumes on March 25, 2008.

Manga

Written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima, the Fairy Tail manga premiered in Weekly Shōnen Magazine in the August 23, 2006 issue. The series is still ongoing and As of July 2010, 194 chapters have been serialized. The individual chapters are collected and published intankōbon volumes by Kodansha, which released the first volume on December 15, 2006. As of 17 May 2010, 21 volumes have been released in Japan. A special in Weekly Shōnen Magazine featured a crossover with Yankee-kun to Megane-chan, released in 2008. The official fanbook, Fairy Tail+ was released on May 17, 2010 in Japan.

The series was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Del Rey Manga.^[3] The company released the first volume of the series on March 25, 2008. As of June 22 2010, 11 volumes have been released.

Anime

The anime adaptation premiered on October 12, 2009. It is co-produced between A-1 Pictures and Satelight.^[1] From episode 1 through 11, the opening theme song is "Snow Fairy", performed by Funkist, while the ending theme song, "Kanpekigu-no ne", is performed byWatari Roka Hashiritai. The opening theme for episodes 12 through 24 is "S.O.W (Sense of Wonder)", performed by Idoling!!! and the ending theme is "Tsuioku Merry-Go-Round", performed by Onelifecrew. From episode 25 to 35, the opening theme was "Ft.", performed by Funkist, while the ending theme was "Gomen ne Watashi", performed by Shiho Nanba. Also, the most recent opening theme song was shown in episode 36 being "R.P.G. ~Rockin' Playing Game" by SuG as the 4th opening to the series. "Kimi ga Iru Kara" performed by Mikuni Shimokawa also premiered on episode 36 as the 4th ending. The series currently has 39 episodes officially aired.

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