♥ Chan-Chan's Anime Blog ♥

07-Ghost Episode 15

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Overall, this is a pretty good episode. Not only do we get to see Castor and Frau in action, we also finally see some action from the military. Anyway, I can't believe Teito spent another episode mulling over whether to trust Frau and the Church or not. I'm glad that in the end, he finally decided to trust. I hope he will be firm with his decision and not be fickle-minded.

What's Hot?
Teito is too short to reach a book. Hakuren tries to help him but he jumps to get the book himself. - Haha.. this is expected but still funny!

Castor uses his Zaiphon to 'kill' Haruse. - Is Haruse using a doll? Why can he explode and disappear?

Frau plays with the kids in the Church. - Oh... I love guys who love kids.

Frau falls for Kuroyuri's trap and is now imprisoned by the Church. - Poor Frau!

While attending a military meeting, Aya-tan is also communicating telepathically with Kuroyuri and Haruse. - Aya-tan can multi-task very well! Also, Kuroyuri is surprisingly very devoted to Aya-tan. He looks so cute when he cries!

Teito remembers 'Father's' name (Fea Kreuz). However, Castor and Labrador reveal to him that his 'Father' was excommunicated from the Church a long time ago. - Hmm.. more twist! Isn't 'Father' a good guy? Why was he excommunicated?

What's Not?
Teito ponders over whether to trust Frau and the Church or not. - After being saved so many times by Frau, I can't believe that he still can't fully trust Frau.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Episode 15

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Yea! We are finally at the point where the story is completely different from the first series. It's nice to see new characters! I love Miyano Mamoru's voice acting for Ling. ♥ I also find the tiny panda on May Chang's shoulder very adorable.

What's Hot?
I like the new OP (Hologram by NICO Touches the Walls). The sequence is especially cool!

Scar kills yet another alchemist. - Yay! Scar is back in action. I think he looks much more aggressive and angry in this series.

May Chang is saved by Yoki. Even though Scar wants her to leave, she decides to stay on and she even treats his wound using alkahestry, a technique from the country of Xing. - Kawaii panda!

May Chang's bishounen impression of Ed - LOL I bet she will feel disappointed when she sees the real thing.

Hawkeye is on her way home when she’s attacked by Barry the Chopper, who is no match for her pistol skills. - Hawkeye is so cool!

Hawkeye brings him to Mustang. Barry reveals everything he knows about the fifth laboratory and the Philosopher’s Stone. However, Mustang is most interested to know if Barry has anything to do with Hughes’ death. - I wonder what will happen when Mustang meet Envy?

Ed and Al saves Ling Yao. Ling is interested to know more about alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone, but he’s not a user of alkahestry. When Ed and Al try to walk off, Ling summons his two bodyguards to stop them. Ed then questions what Ling plans to do with it. Ling reveals that he wants to find a way to obtain immortality. - Ling seems like an interesting character.

Ed starts fighting with one of the bodyguards while Al battles the other. - Pretty exciting!

Ed is surprised to see that Al can now transmute without a circle, and it makes him a little depressed. - LOL Ed's inferiority complex is getting worse.

I like the new ED (LET IT OUT by Fukuhara Miho) better than the previous.

What's Not?
None.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni Episode 2

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:06:00 +0000

What an episode!! Since this is a mystery/suspense series, I've fully prepared myself that some of the characters will die. However, I certainly didn't expect to see six characters being killed off in just one episode.

Among the dead are:

- Krauss (He showed one of the hidden bars of gold to Natsuhi and the next morning, he's dead.)
- Rudolf (He actually told Kyrie and Battler that he might be murdered. I bet he knows something about Beatrice. Why didn't he say it out?)
- Kyrie (I think her theory about Beatrice being one of the eighteen people is very plausible.)
- Rosa
- Gohda (No more hotel standard food for the Ushiromiya.)
- Shannon (The golden butterfly was following her before her death. This is a big clue.)

This means that we have twelve people left:

- Kinzou
- Eva
- Hideyoshi
- Natsuhi (Though she's hated by Eva, she seems to be very trusted by Kinzou.)
- George (His parents are still alive but he lost the girl he loves.)
- Battler (This is so sad! He lost both parents in one night.)
- Jessica (She lost her dad.)
- Maria (She's still very annoying!! However, I do feel sad for her as she lost her mom.)
- Chiyo
- Kanon
- Genji (Kinzou calls him a friend. He must be the highest ranking servant.)
- Nanjo (Family doctor)

So, is Beatrice really behind everything? Beatrice seems to be (or have something to do with) the golden butterfly, which appears to be related to all the weird incidents so far. Or, is one of the twelve behind the gruesome murder?

What's Hot?
After dinner is over, Maria reads a letter, which she says is from Beatrice. The contents stipulate that Beatrice will take everything the Ushiromiya family owns if no one can reveal the place where the gold is hidden. - This makes me wonder if Maria is really possessed by Beatrice, or is she actually Beatrice?

Kinzou accepts Natsuhi as a blood relative and as one who will inherit the glory of the Ushiromiya Family. - This is very weird! Kinzou seems to hate all his children but he actually likes his daughter-in-law. Kinzou does not appear to be a good person and I feel that the people he likes may not be good too.

A strange symbol drawn on the outdoor tool shed is found and inside the shed, they find the bodies of the missing six people. They were all brutally murdered. - To be frank, I got really freaked out by the scene. It's really bloody!

What's Not?
Maria cries in front of Beatrice's portrait. - I don't understand why she is crying. It's annoying!

One moment we see Shannon's boobs against George's body (looks to me like she's trying to seduce him), and the next moment, he proposes. - Does this mean George likes big boobs too? =.=

Cross Game Episode 15

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:02:00 +0000

I love Yuuhei's attitude! It's first class! Coach Daimon's reaction to Yuuhei is priceless too. This is the very reason why I find Yuuhei a more charming character than Kou. Kou is great but just not as cool as Yuuhei. Yuuhei appears to be the emotionless most of the time, but he's actually the opposite. His real motivation for going to Koushien is actually for his brother, who was actually a great Baseball player but had to stop playing because of a leg injury.

In this episode, we also finally found out who that suspicious looking old man is. He's always sneaking around and he seems like an important but yet not important character. Anyway, that guy is the Farm team's manager’s grandfather. From the look of things, I think he may be more than just someone's grandfather. I suspect he's the real Principal.

Next episode, the focus will be on baseball. The upcoming match is going to be very different from the first. With Aoba playing for the Farm team as Center Fielder and with Azuma out, it's certainly easy to predict which team is going to lose and which manager is going to get fired. I only hoping for the game to be an interesting one.

What's Hot?
The suspicious looking old man is the Farm team's manager's grandfather. - I bet he has a more important role than that.

Acting Principal Shido orders the Farm team to be disbanded, but Maeno instead proposes a rematch with the First team. The condition is that the losing coach will lose his job. Coach Daimon agrees in order to settle things once and for all. - It's so predictable who the losing coach will be. Sayonara Coach Daimon! ^-^

When Junpei visits the school in the evening, Yuuhei tells him that he will definitely go to Koushien, and Junpei tells him to have fun with Baseball. - Oh.. brotherly love! ^-^

The Farm team recruits Aoba to replace a retired third-year player. To convince her to play as a Center Fielder instead of a Pitcher, Akaishi has her bat against Kou. Aoba is striked out without a single swing. - Her ego must be bruised.

Like Yuuhei, Junpei is a great batter. - Finally, there's a similarity between Yuuhei and Junpei.

After watching the Farm team practice hard, Yuuhei deliberately injures himself to avoid playing, challenging Coach Daimon to prove that he can beat the Farm team without him. - Cool!

What's Hot?
None. Great episode!

Pandora Hearts Episode 15

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:13:00 +0000

Cheerful Oz is cute and charming. However, I can't say the same for emotional Oz. In this episode, he's especially emotional and it really gets on my nerves. I feel so glad when Gil slapped him.

I also feel sorry for Cheshire. The way he wholeheartedly protected Alice's memories is admirable and it's sad that Alice only remembered him during his dying moments. I wonder why Break had to kill him. Also I wonder why Sharon only used Eques to teleport Oz and Alice. How about Break and Gil? (I want Gil to be with Oz!) Another question I have is why Sharon teleported them to where Oscar and the other Pandora members were. Is it because she's manipulated by Echo? Is this all part of Vincent's scheming?

What's Hot?
Gil slaps Oz and wakes Oz up from his negative thinking. - Great job, Gil!

Break's chain, Mad Hatter, is a chain made to negate any influences from the Abyss, and exists for the purpose of killing other chain. - Wow! As expected, Break's chain is really powerful.

Break wants to take Cheshire's precious bell away. Cheshire Cat becomes angry and abandons his human form for a monstrous form.

Oz and Alice's reunion - sweet!

Break reunites with Oz, Alice, and Gil. - Break is as funny as ever.

Alice remembers that Cheshire was her pet. - Poor Cheshire!

Eques appears to return the group to their world. However, Break and Gil get separated from Oz and Alice and are left in Cheshire's dimension. Eques brings Oz and Alice back to their world. However, to everyone's surprise, Oz and Alice in B Rabbit form are brought to where Oscar and the other Pandora members are. - Why is Alice in B Rabbit form?

What's Not?
The clock seal on Oz's chest moves again. Due to the power of B Rabbit, Cheshire's dimension starts to collapse. Oz insists that he's doing it for Alice and he will take any fear away from her by destroying her painful memories and her existence. - Oz is too emotional!!

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:40:00 +0000

I'm glad that this is not simply a documentary-like series. I like the fact that they try to blend the science of a natural disaster with the story of those who are impacted. The first episode is a little slow but it gives us a good idea of what our main character is like. Her name is Mirai and she's a self-centered, cynical and irritable teenager. She has a cute little brother named Yuuki who is the direct opposite of her. He's sweet and very likable. This makes me wonder why all the sweet anime brothers always have temperamental sisters. The most interesting part of this episode is during the last couple of seconds when the earthquake strikes - the animation is great!

What's Hot?
The Opening theme!! The song ('Kimi no Uta' by abingdon boys school) is great! I love the black and white sequences too!

Yuuki - He's so sweet and adorable!

Earthquake! - Great animation!

What's Not?
Mirai - I hate the way she gets irritated by every little thing around her.

07-Ghost Episodes 13 and 14

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:06:00 +0000

Episode 13 is an episode of revelations. First, it finally reveals more about Teito’s past. So far, we've been given many clues about his past. With this episode, all the pieces are starting to come together. Second, we also find out that the Bishops actually knew about Teito's past right from the beginning. This can be implied from the fact that Frau seems to be hiding something. It's really funny when Frau accidentally talked about Teito's 'Father' when he tried to comfort Teito.

Episode 14, on the other hand, has a lot more action. Not only do we get to see Frau dolls again, we also get to see Kuroyuri and Haruse in action. I like those scenes with Frau. He looks especially cool when he jumps out from nowhere to save Teito and Hakuren. I'm particularly curious about the last scene. It makes me wonder if Frau feels his right arm burning every time after he uses his scythe.

What's Hot?
Late in the night, Teito suddenly recalls his past. He remembers 'Father' who took care of him when he was in the Church when he was a little child.

Teito is looking up for some information about the Eye of Mikhail. When he's reading a particular book, a sudden gust of wind flips the book to the page about Veloren. When he reads the page, he gets drawn into another world and he starts seeing weird images. - How can there be wind in the library? It must be Mikhail's doing!

Frau and Hakuren's first meeting! They become buddies instantly. - Hakuren is certainly a big fan of Frau. He even knows about his hobby and interest. LOL

Frau and Castor discuss about the latest happening in the Church and about the Eye of Mikhail. Teito, who is looking for Frau to apologize for the broken bascule, happens to overhear them. He becomes very emotional and he begins to think more about 'Father'. He feels that people he loves always die and so he concludes that he doesn't want to love anyone anymore . - The only problem with Teito is he's too negative.

Hakuren shows up with Mikage in pet form. Teito is full of angst and so Hakuren decides to call Frau. - It's nice to see Hakuren and Mikage in pet form getting along so well. ♥

Frau tells Teito that he's protecting him. However, despite that he wants Teito to become stronger because he doesn't know how long he can stay by his side. - This is almost the exact words of Teito's 'Father'. I find it a little cheesy.

Razette suddenly appears with the bascule. Mikage in pet form also suddenly appears on Frau's head. - Haha! So cute!

Frau accidentally talks about Teito's 'Father'. It takes Teito 5 seconds to realize it. Teito then demands an explanation from Frau but Frau assures him he'll find out eventually. - LOL

Castor is watching over Frau and Teito. Suddenly, an evil shadow appears behind him. Kuroyuri, who is acting as one of the students, is the culprit. - As expected, Aya-tan has penetrated the Church.

In the night, Castor takes Teito out for training. Teito's task is to use a shield and run around the Church on a Zaiphon path until he doesn’t mind losing to the annoying Frau dolls. - To be fair, the dolls are less annoying in this episode.

Teito and Hakuren open their hearts to each other. Teito tells Hakuren that the cute pet is his good pal's (Mikage's) reincarnation and he's the very reason why Teito wants to become a Bishop. As for Hakuren, he wants to become a Bishop because his mother was infected by a Kor and was after that saved by Bishop Frau. Even though his family tradition is to join politics or military, he decides to go against family tradition and join the Church. - Hakuren is becoming more and more likable!! Also, young Frau is so cute!!!

Teito manages to complete Castor's training. He also manges to use his bascule to defeat all the Frau dolls. - I think the Frau dolls will disappear for good from this series.

In the hallway, a monster suddenly attacks. Hakuren pushes Teito aside and tries to fight the monster. However, the monster proves to be too strong and Hakuren is thrown out the window. Teito immediately jumps out to catch hold of Hakuren. Fortunately for Teito and Hakuren, Frau appears and saves the day! Frau reveals that the monster is a Wars, a Kor that has gotten all its 3 wishes granted. To Frau's surprise, the Wars is Aldo. - Frau is so cool!!

Kuroyuri and Haruse are obviously behind everything. Even though Frau senses their presence, they manage to escape before Frau can catch hold of them. - I guess this means that Kuroyuri and/or Haruse are Warsfiel. Anyway, Kuroyuri and Haruse really remind me of Honey sempai and Mori sempai!

After Teito and Hakuren wake up in Frau's room, Teito asks Hakuren to stay away from him as he doesn't want to bring more trouble to Hakuren. However, Hakuren refuses to as Teito is the first person who has ever risked his life to save his. Hakuren calls Teito a comrade and offers to shake his hand, but Teito, out of fear of losing loved ones, refuses to shake his hand. At that moment, Mikage's spirit appears and talks some sense into Teito. - The Mikage part is a little cheesy but well, I like it! ^-^

The alarm clock suddenly rings and Frau wakes up from within a coffin. - That's really unexpected!

Out in the hallway, Teito declares that he wants to become Hakuren’s friend once he’s strong enough to protect him. Upon hearing that, Hakuren says that he's foolish. - Friendship is unconditional. It's indeed a little foolish of Teito to set a condition. Teito has too little self confidence.

After Teito and Hakuren leave his room, Frau complains about how his right arm felt like it was burning the night before. - Hmm... why?

What's Not?
None! ^-^

Piano no Mori

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:43:00 +0000

In my opinion, Piano no Mori is one of the best anime movies. The animation is beautiful, the forest scene is breathtaking, and the music is indescribably lovely. The film features performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. Click here to listen to his music.

Story: (9/10) – Great
Amamiya Shuuhei makes a temporary move from Tokyo to a small town. On his first day of school, it doesn’t take long for him to be picked on by the class bullies. He is thrown a challenge to play a strange piano which is found in the forest near the school. Though the piano is rumored to be broken, music could be heard from it at night. This ignites his meeting with Ichinose Kai, who seems to be the only one capable of getting sound out of the so-called broken piano.

This film is a joy to watch. My first impression was that this film might have something to do with the supernatural. However, there’s nothing supernatural about it. In fact, this film comes with a good and rich story.

Art/Animation: (8/10) – Good
This film is very lively and colorful. I especially love the piano/forest scene. It’s really beautiful. I also love those scenes where the pianists play the piano. The animation is really good and it captures their emotions very well. As for character designs, I think it’s average. If you have read the manga before, you will appreciate the efforts made in making the characters look much better in the film.

Music: 10/10 – Awesome
Simply great!! The film features performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Character: 9/10 - Great
I love the two main characters, Shuuhei and Kai. The story is mainly about their friendship, he contrast in their personalities, and of course music. One plays the piano because he thinks that it’s his fate to do so, while the other plays spontaneously from memory and observation.

Enjoyment: 9/10 – Great
It’s a little slow in pace. If you don’t mind that, I’m sure you will enjoy the show. I certainly did!

Overall: 9/10 - Great
The characters are likable and the story is rich. If you enjoy classical music, you will certainly enjoy this movie.

Bleach Episode 227

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:09:00 +0000

This episode is surprisingly good. I expected a filler episode but it turned out to be an episode which was adapted from 2 omake chapters from the manga. The 2 chapters tell the story of what happened in the Real world and Soul Society before Ichigo met Rukia.

In the Real world, the main focus is on Mizuiro. Before he met Ichigo, his attitude towards people and life seemed to be cold and indifferent. I like how the episode ended with Mizuiro reflecting about people and his own life. This episode also shows another side of Keigo. He's still as annoying as ever but according to Mizuiro, he's pretty smart even though he never studies, gets along well with others and never lies. At the end of the episode, from the way he talks to Mizuiro, he also shows his caring and sensible side.

On the other hand, in Soul Society, Renji is newly promoted as Vice-Taichou and Rukia is sent to the Real world. Due to his inferiority complex, Renji has been keeping a distance from Rukia for 40 years. Even though he's finally on par with Rukia in terms of status now, Renji decides to tell Rukia about his promotion only after he's officially promoted and when she returns from the Real world.

Next episode will be a Bleach/Beach episode. It looks like a 100% fan-service episode and it's certainly not my cup of tea.

What's Hot?
Yachiru-chan draws on Omaeda's balding head. - It's been a long time since we last see cute Yachiru-chan in action.

Ichigo and Chad are kicking some ass. Keigo gets all freaked out whereas Mizhuiro remains cool and even introduces himself to Ichigo. - This is the beginning of their friendship!

A different side of Mizuiro and Keigo - They are great side characters but they have too little appearance in the manga. I hope KT sensei has not forgotten about them.

Rukia enters the Real world. - She looks cool!

What's Not?
None. This episode exceeds my expectation!

Umineko no Naku Koro ni Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:34:00 +0000

This is one of the few anime series which caught my eye this Summer season. From the first episode, I think this series looks promising. It's mysterious, suspenseful and it also has moments of humor and lameness. The most interesting thing about this episode is that Maria says that she has met Beatrice and she even borrows an umbrella from her.

Since the first episode introduces many characters, I shall do a character introduction. Let's take a look at each and everyone of them:

Battler Ushiromiya
Battler is 18 years old and he's the son of Rudolf and Kyrie. My impression of him is he's cheerful, intelligent and he has a fetish for boobs. =.=||

George Ushiromiya
George is the son of Eva and Hideyoshi. He appears to be the oldest among all the grandchildren. He looks mature and he's very sweet to Maria.

Maria Ushiromiya
Maria is Rosa's daughter. She's cute, pure and she firmly believes in Beatrice and witchcraft. She is known for her catchphrase 'uu' when she is excited, confused, or frustrated. I do find her cute and sweet most of the time but whenever she goes 'uu', I feel very irritated.

Rosa Ushiromiya
Rosa is Kinzou's daughter. She appears to be mild-tempered, kind and earnest. However, she does get angry when Maria makes too much 'uu' sound.

Eva and Hideyoshi Ushiromiya
Eva is Kinzou's daughter. She appears hostile towards Krauss's wife, Natsuhi. Hideyoshi is Eva's husband and he seeks Kinzo's fortune because there are some people trying to buy the shares of his company.

Rudolf and Kyrie Ushiromiya
Rudolf is Kinzou's son. He seeks Kinzo's fortune to settle a few million dollars court case in America. Kyrie is Rudolf's wife and she appears to be much younger than Rudolf.

Jessica Ushiromiya
Jessica is the daughter of Krauss and Natsuhi. She seems independent and she's the one who beats up Battler for his perverse behavior.

Krauss Ushiromiya
Krauss is Kinzou's eldest son. He seems to be embezzling his father's money and his siblings are using that to extort money from him. However, their plan fails as Krauss insists that he has no money and he knows the reason behind why they need money.

Kinzou Ushiromiya
Kinzou is the head of the Ushiromiya family. He has been sick for a long time and is expected to die within three months. He is hostile towards his own sons and daughters, and he strongly believes in witchcraft. His wish is to meet Beatrice, the Golden Witch. He gives Beatrice back the token of the head of the Ushiromiya family to summon her to his side.

Natsuhi Ushiromiya
Natsuhi is Krauss' wife. She is looked down upon by Eva because she is not truly of the Ushiromiya family.

Beatrice
Beatrice is also known as the Golden Witch. Both Kinzou and Maria believe in her existence. Maria says that she has met Beatrice and she even borrows an umbrella from her. She seems to be related to the golden butterfly.

Chiyo Kumasawa
Kumasawa is an old servant of the Ushiromiya household. She appears jovial and loves to joke.

Kanon
Kanon is a young servant. He is a serious and fervent butler, who carries out his master's orders thoroughly. He appears to be antisocial and he thinks of himself as a 'furniture'.

Toushirou Gouda
He was a famous chef at a famous hotel. Now, he works for the Ushiromiya household.

Shanon
Shanon is a young servant. The only thing known so far is she has big boobs.

Genji Ronoue
He appears to be the highest ranking servant as he is the one who serves Kinzou.

Cross Game Episodes 13 and 14

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:41:00 +0000

In terms of sports and baseball, I don't really like Cross Game. However, story-wise and humor-wise, I think Cross Game is really good. Again, I find episode 13 a little slow in pace. Even though Kou and friends are attending a secret intensive training camp, I don't feel the intensity of the training at all. What I like about this episode is that Azuma and his teammate, Miki are starting to show displeasure with their coach's style and decision. I really hate the coach and hope to see him getting fired soon. ^-^

As for episode 14, as expected, Seishuu fails to reach Koushien. In Azuma's mind, he feels that the coach should not keep Miki on the sideline throughout the game. Azuma is never a guy who openly show his emotions, so he just takes them out on the baseballs at Tsukishima batting center. In this episode, we are also introduced to Azuma's brother, who is the complete opposite of Azuma. Azuma is cool whereas his brother is simply a pervert.

Anyway, there's a new Ending Theme. It's called Orange Days and it's by Squarehood. It's a nice catchy song.

What's Hot?
Azuma notices the absence of the farm team and asks Aoba about it. Aoba lies to him that the farm team is attending a secret intensive training camp. To Aoba's surprise, she later finds out that her lie turns out to be the truth.

Kou forgets to bring a bag to the camp and Aoba offers to bring it to him. Following Kou's father's bad instructions, she alights at the wrong bus-stop, where the direction given by a local woodcutter makes her further lost. - The woodcutter looks creepy!

Kou finds Aoba's shoe near a swollen stream and starts to look for her frantically. The entire process is filmed by the woodcutter. - It's pretty funny.

Kou, Aoba and Senda think that the woodcutter is an obaasan. However, the bus driver tells them that the last obaasan in the area has just passed away. This freaks Kou, Aoba and Senda out. The truth is the woodcutter is an ojiisan. - Well, he does look like a guy. The only thing unmanly about him is his dressing and voice.

During one game, outfielder Miki changes his position against Coach Daimon's orders to make a game-winning play. As a result, Coach Daimon takes him out of the lineup for ignoring his orders. Azuma is the only one who agrees with Miki. - Coach Daimon is such a prideful and selfish jerk!

While watching Seishuu lose in the round of 16 without Miki in the lineup, Aoba meets a loud fan, who reminds her of her father. After the game, she helps the man by hitting a thief with a baseball. She then learns that he is Junpei Azuma, Yuuhei Azuma's older brother. - Yuuhei is definitely more cool.

Junpei gives Aoba a ride home. When he sees Ichiyou, he immediately falls in love and becomes her suitor. Momiji rates him 6/100 initially, and then changes her rating to 2/100. - LOL Momiji is so cute.

Momiji helps to drive Aoba's annoying suitor (the boxing guy) away. - Momiji is adorable!

What's Not?
The baseball part is not very interesting nor exciting.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Episode 14

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:59:00 +0000

Oh boy.. I really feel sorry for Greed and all the chimera. They are finished off by ONE person in ONE episode. This episode is very good and exciting. I love the battle between King Bradley and Greed. It's really epic!! King Bradley aka Wrath is not only strong, he's merciless. He seems to be a special Humunculous as he's the only one who appears to be aging, even though he's the 'youngest' Humunculous.

This episode also introduces us to a guy who looks like Hohenheim. He's the father of all the Humunculi and apparently, he has lived for more than a century. Looking at the way he kills Greed, he seems freaking evil and creepy.

Anyway, things are finally starting to get interesting as we are moving into a new story arc with brand new characters!

What's Hot?
King Bradley aka Wrath vs Greed! - Full of wins!

King Bradley mercilessly kills all the chimera. - Bloody!!

Al finally remembers the Truth. However, he feels that he didn’t learn anything about human transmutation from it.

The identity of Sloth - In the first anime series, Sloth is Ed and Al's mom. In the manga, Sloth is a completely different fella.

Father asks Greed why he betrayed him a century ago and Greed answers it's because he's greedy. Father gives Greed another chance to work for him, but Greed refuses to and so he dumps Greed’s body into a vessel of a hot lava. The vessel is connected to a machine which produces a red liquid. Father drinks it and Greed returns to his soul. - Greed seems to be the most humane among the Humunculi so far.

What's Not?
I'm really curious about the chimera and how they are created. However, they are killed before anything is revealed. Hopefully, there are other chimera.

Bleach Episode 226

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000

The highlights of the episode for me are Stark and Halibel revealing their Espada rankings, and the reappearance of Ulquiorra. Stark looks strong and it's no surprise that he's No. 1 Espada. I'm looking forward to his fight with Shunsui, whose true powers we've not yet seen. As for Halibel, it's expected that she's No. 3 Espada. I don't really like her matchup against Hitsugaya. As much as I like Hitsugaya, I think that he's not very strong and it seems ridiculous for him to be fighting Espada No. 3. As for Ulquiorra, he's my favorite Espada and I'm happy to see him back.

Sadly, Ulquiorra's appearance is a short one as starting from this week, Bleach will be all about fillers AGAIN! Since the manga is moving at an amazingly slow pace, I think the fillers are going to last at least a season or two. Though the manga is progressing slowly, it's getting interesting again!! I shall throw Bleach anime aside for a while and focus on the manga (and of course other anime series) instead.

What's Hot?
Yamamoto finishes off Allon and Halibel's three fraccion easily. - Well, this is the very least we expect from Commander-General.

Stark and Halibel reveal their Espada rankings.

Ulquoirra vs Ichigo - Ulquoirra is cool as ever!

What's Not?
Fillers!!!!!!! Out of the many filler Bleach episodes, I only enjoy a few of the episodes. I hate fillers! I rather Bleach anime go on hiatus.

Pandora Hearts Episodes 13 and 14

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Episodes 13 and 14 are simply great! Lots of revelations and it's really exciting! I'm very amazed by the revelations so far. I also love the fact that even though both episodes are darker and deeper than usual, there are still moments which crack me up.

What's Hot?
Gil is still scared of cats!! - LOL To be frank, I've totally forgotten that Gil is scared of cats. His reaction is really funny!

Sharon's chain is a black unicorn! - Beautiful!!

Cheshire Cat reveals to Oz that Alice was the one who erased her own memories and the dimension was created from Alice's memories. Cheshire Cat's role is to protect Alice's memories so that no one can find them. - Reminds me of Akira from Eden of the East. Why do they erase their memories and then chase after it?

According to Vincent, 100 years ago, the capital city Sabrie was swallowed into Abyss because of the Baskervilles and the mastermind was Glen Baskervilles. The Four Great Duke Houses each hold chains and a door to the Abyss. The fifth door is held by the Baskervilles. Pandora's aim is to get hold of the fifth door and get into Abyss. - Very interesting revelation!

Gil, who was slashed by Cheshire Cat earlier, regains consciousness in a garden and encounters the man in Alice's memories. Due to his blond hair and emerald green eyes, Gil mistakes him for Oz. The man reveals his name to be Jack Bezarius. - So good looking!! Oz's great great great grandfather?!!

When Oz is being attacked by Cheshire Cat, Jack pulls him into the mirror, and Oz and Gil reunite. - Jack is so cool!!

Cheshire Cat enters the mirror to go after Break. However, Break manages come out of the mirror and get the better of Cheshire Cat by revealing his missing eye to unleash the Mad Hatter. - Break looks cool when he does not smile. His smile is too quirky.

In order to find Alice, Jack sends Oz into the memory of the Tragedy of Sabrie, where Oz sees a little boy who he believes to be Vincent. From what he sees, he deduces that Gil is from 100 years ago too. - What a revelation!!!

Jack knows about Gil's past and Gil seems to be suppressing those memories. - Poor Gil! His past must be painful and it's definitely related to the Tragedy of Sabrie.

Oz chases after the boy and follows him to a tower where finds Alice, dead. - Now the question is 'Who has killed Alice?!'

What's Not?
Again, everything is perfect except for animation quality.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Episode 13

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:33:00 +0000

Greed! Finally he has made his appearance! I really like him in the first series and I'm really curious about his role in FMA: Brotherhood. Most part of this episode is quite different from the first series. The only similarities are Greed is leading a group of chimera and, Mustang will be moving to Central soon and he's bringing his five trusted subordinates with him.

Overall, I like this episode because it's funny and exciting. However, it feels like they are speeding through the Greed arc and that's not a good thing as I'm quite sure the Greed arc in this version is different from the previous. The only comfort is that at the rate the series is moving, we'll be seeing new characters and new story arcs real soon.

Anyway, new CM is out and if my ears did not fail me, I think Miyano Mamoru will be voicing one of the new characters. Yea!!

What's Hot?
Al couldn't remember seeing the truth. Izumi decides to ask around to find a way to help Al get back the memory of that time. - I love the way Izumi and Ed try to scare Al!

Jean Havoc recently just got a girlfriend and when he informed Mustang about it, Mustang ordered him to break up with her so that he could go to Central too. - This is just so typical of Mustang! :3

Ed vs Greed! - Awesome fight!

Izumi suddenly appeared and totally pwned Greed! - What a strong housewife!

What's Not?
All is good except that they seem to be speeding through the Greed arc.

07-Ghost Episode 12

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Remember the blond guy from episode 11? His name is Hakuren Oak and he's quite a charm. It's hilarious to see him bickering with Teito. Though the jokes are not new, it's still funny. I believe he's a good fella as Mikage in pet form seems to like him.

Other than humor, this episode also has some new developments. There's the appearance of a new woman who can also turn people into Kor. I think she's most likely working for Aya-tan, who's using Kor to enter the Church to hunt down Teito again. Teito, on the other hand, is learning how to effectively utilize his innate powers.

What's Hot?
Mikage in pet form jumped onto Hakuren's head and Teito had to chase after it. - So cute!!!

Frau finished off the newly formed Kor. - For a moment, I thought he's a vampire. He looks really hot!

Hakuren and Teito's bickering - It's funny!! Hakuren is a funny and interesting character.

Teito managed to channel his Zaiphon through the Bascule. - This goes to show that Teito has a lot of power in him.

As a result, Teito broke the Bascule and then found out that it belonged to Frau. Hakuren heard Frau's name and the following conversation started.

Hakuren: 'Answer me! What are you to Bishop Frau?'
Teito: 'Huh? Did that perverted Bishop do something to you?'
Hakuren: 'Who are you calling a perverted Bishop, Stupid?!'
**Double Karate Chop!**
Hakuren: 'He holds the record's highest score for this test!'

- LOL! I love this conversation.

A new Kor entered the Church and killed one man. - Not surprisingly, Aya-tan is the mastermind.

What's Not?
None!

Bleach Episode 225

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:34:00 +0000

It's very weird that an extremely strong monster (Allon) appeared, pwned three Vice-Taichou, and suddenly got killed by Yamamoto. Among all the three Vice-Taichou, Matsumoto suffered the most serious injury, but since this is Bleach, this means that she won't die no matter what. In order for Matsumoto not to die, suddenly it's revealed that Kira used to be part of the 4th Division and he's able to use the skills acquired then to heal her. The appearance of Allon seems to be just for the sake of filling up manga panels. It feels as if TK sensei has ran out of ideas.

What's Hot?
Ukitake vs Lilynette - Ukitake is really experienced and strong.

Matsumoto and Hinamori were seriously pwned by Allon. - Allon is freaking strong!

Hisagi and Kira made a timely appearance to save Matsumoto and Hinamori. Hisagi asked Kira to heal Hinamori, as he used to be part of the 4th Division and so he's the only one around who could heal Matsumoto and Hinamori. - Hisagi and Kira look cool! However, even though it's important to save friends, what about the pillars?

Halfway through the fight, Halibel's three fraccion started bickering again. - Once in a while, it's fun to watch gals bitching.

Kira took Matsumoto and Hinamori away. First, he built a protective barrier using Bakudo 73, Tozansho. Then he proceeded to heal Matsumoto, who's more seriously injured,

What's Not?
Allon totally pwned Hisagi. - Hisagi is my favorice Vice-Taichou and I hate to see him getting beaten around.

Yamamoto appeared out from nowhere and blew a hole through Allon's chest. - Anti climax!! It makes Allon a totally useless character, even though he's much stronger than most characters.

Summer 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:03:00 +0000

It's summer all year round in Singapore. In the northern part of the world, summer is arriving soon and in Japan, the arrival of summer means new anime series are going to be released. Looking through the list of anime series/OVA/OAD due for release, only a few caught my eye.

Here's the list of Summer 2009 anime series/OVAs/OADs which interests me:

1. Dogs: Bullets and Carnage

I've watched the first DVD volume, which was released on 19th May 2009, featuring Weepy old killer and Gun Smoker. It's really good and I love it! The second DVD volume will be released on 17th July 2009, featuring Blade Meiden and Stray dogs howling in the dark.

Watching? Yes! I can't wait to watch it!!

Release date: 17th July 2009

2. Toyko Magnitude 8.0

The story centers around Mirai, a middle school freshman girl who goes to Tokyo’s artificial Odaiba Island for a robot exhibition with her brother Yutaka at the start of summer vacation. A powerful tremor emanates from an ocean trench, the famed Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge crumble and fall, and the landscape of Tokyo changes in an instant. With the help of a motorcycle delivery woman named Mari who they meet on Odaiba, Mirai and Yutaka strive to head back to their Setagaya home in western Tokyo.

Watching? Yes. It's a BONES production and the story seems interesting.

Release date: July 2009

3. Canaan

It tells the present-day story about a detective, a young man, a virus researcher, a freelance writer, and a cat mascot character who are brought together by bizarre events with worldwide implications in the Tokyo neighborhood of Shibuya

Watching? Yes! I wanna see what the bizarre events are.

Release date: July 2009

4. Umineko no Naku Koro ni

Umineko no Naku Koro ni takes place primarily in the year 1986, during the time frame of October 4 and October 5 on a small, secluded island named Rokkenjima, owned and lived on by Kinzo, the head of the wealthy Ushiromiya family. Kinzo is near death, and eight of his family members arrive on the island for the annual family conference, where the adults plan to discuss how Kinzo’s assets will be divided once he is dead. Also on the island are three family members who live there, five of Kinzo’s servants, and his personal physician. After the eight family members arrive, a typhoon traps them on the island, and shortly after, strange things start to happen and people start dying.

Watching? Yes! I love mystery and suspense! I hope this anime series won't disappoint.

Release date: July 2009

5. Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

The story revolves around a very pessimistic high school teacher named Nozomu Itoshiki who, at the very beginning of the series, tries to hang himself on a sakura tree. Despite his effort of self-destruction, he is saved by an extremely optimistic girl named Kafuka Fuura. After being saved, Nozomu heads down to the school to start his homeroom class. To his surprise, Kafuka is one of the students. This series follows how the suicidally-inclined teacher deal with his students who each represents a new personality quirk or bizarre obsession.

Watching? Maybe! I did watch the first 2 seasons. I like the first season better than the second. It's quite funny and I like Nozomu Itoshiki. However, this show has TOO MUCH fan service and I can't stand it.

Release date: July 2009

6. Nodame Cantabile OAD

According to Mangaoh, an OAD of 'Nodame Cantabile' was announced to be released on August 10th. It will be bundled with the limited edition of the manga volume 22.

Watching? Yes! Even though I'm disappointed with Nodame Cantabile: Paris Hen, I'll give it a shot.

Release date: 10th Aug 2009

Cross Game Episode 12

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:07:00 +0000

Now that the baseball match is over, Cross Game is back to slice of life. Even though this episode is a little slow in pace, it's an enjoyable one. It's obvious that Kou has not yet forgotten Wakaba. In this episode, it's revealed that he has been dutifully buying the birthday presents she requested every year. This is really sweet of Kou!!

What's Hot?
Senda's cousin challenged Aoba to a match. Aoba initially rejected the proposition but eventually she agreed and won.

Kou finally saved enough money to buy Wakaba's 16th Birthday gift: a kitty teapot. However, the spoiled first team's manager bought the last one. So, in order for Kou to have it, he had to be her servant for one day. - This really shows Kou's love for Wakaba.

What's Not?
Senda's cousin asked Aoba to join her high school as her school has a female baseball team. However, Aoba rejected the invitation and insisted that she's going Seishuu. - It's obvious that Aoba loves baseball and I really don't understand why she wants to join Seishuu. Is it because she wants to personally witness Kou's progress? She appears to be a really determined girl and so I hope for her to follow her dream and continue playing baseball in high school.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Episode 12

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:34:00 +0000

Great episode!! This episode is pretty similar to the first series, but there are some notable differences. The first important difference is there's no Wrath in the Izumi arc. Just for your information, Wrath in the manga is very different from Wrath in the first anime series. Another difference I notice is that Ed seems to hate his father even more than he did in the first series. The difference which hit me the most is the scene where Izumi found out that Ed and Al had tried to revive their mother. If I remember correctly, she actually beat them up in the first series. However, this time round, she actually shared her own story and regretted not telling the two of them about how one should never attempt to revive the dead. The hug scene at the end is really touching.

What's Hot?
Chibi Ed and Al pleaded Izumi to be their master. - This is a funny scene. I love the way Izumi got angry because they called her obaasan.

Chibi Ed and Al's training in the island - I've always love this part of FMA. What they learned in the island about life is great lesson for us too: 'One is all, All is one.'

Izumi shared her own experience with Ed and Al. - I love the hug scene. Ed and Al are ultmately still kids and I feel really touched by Izumi's love and care for them.

What's Not?
None! Great episode!

Pandora Hearts Episode 12

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:50:00 +0000

This is an episode full of surprises. The arm wrestling match over Gil's hat is really funny. Oscar's sudden appearance and Gil's reaction to that are hilarious too. However, this episode is more than just humor. There's lots of new developments and I'm really looking forward to know about the relationship between the Cheshire Cat and Alice. It seems like they have a owner-pet relationship.

Thus far, the two characters I'm most interested to know more about are Break and Vincent. The reason why Break enters into Cheshire Cat's world seems to have something to do with Vincent and it's interesting to see what Vincent is going to ask Echo to do in response to that.

What's Hot?
Oz won the wrestling match. - Darn! I want to know what Oz said to that fella.

Gil's opponent supposed to be a girl. However, Oscar stepped in to help and Gil lost the match. - Their reaction is so funny! I also want to know why is that common looking black hat so important to Gil.

Alice won her match. - Her reaction is really cute.

Oz and Gil's reunion with Oscar. - What a sweet moment!

Break's ninjutsu! - Mada mada dane! He still has a long way to go to become a real ninja. LOL

Break faced his old-self? - I think that's his old self.

Alice remembered something about the cat. She called the cat her friend.

What's Not?
None! This is a great episode!

Eden of the East Episodes 9, 10 and 11 End

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:10:00 +0000

Initially, I really like Eden of the East. The characters are likable and among all the anime series this spring '09 season, this series has the most unique plot. However, midway through the series, I started to lose interest and I'm not really sure why. I guess one reason may have to do with the characters. At the beginning, I really like Akira and Saki. However, though Saki did grow a little stronger over series, I find her too weak. I simply can't stand female characters who rely on guys. As for Akira, I do like him but I find him too perfect. He's intelligent, compassionate and funny. Perfection is ideal but not realistic. Also, the other characters, except for Shiratori, are simply not interesting enough.

Given that it's only a short series, I feel that this series should be more focused. Throughout the 11 episodes, I feel as if I'm overloaded with information. I think they are trying to put too much stuff into it. As expected, the series ended with a cliffhanger. I don't really like the ending as I don't understand why Akira erased his memories again and what's the deal about being a prince? There are many questions left unanswered and I hope they will be answered in the 2 Eden of the East movies, which are due for release on Nov '09 and Jan '10 respectively. Of course, the DVD will only be released much later and I hope by then, I can still remember the details of the plot. It's gonna be a long wait..

Having said all that, overall I still think this is a good series. The one thing I really like is its animation. It's awesome! Another thing I like is the plot. The concept of Selecao is really interesting and I hope that more focus will be placed on the 12 Selecao and Mr Outside in the 2 movies.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 7/10
Entertainment Level: 8/10
Animation: 10/10

What's Hot?
Pantsu managed to recover the Selecao transaction history from Kondo's phone, and he discovered that the Selecao were indeed responsible for Careless Monday, as well as a series of mysterious evacuations in the targeted areas beforehand. Akira was also apparently responsible for the 20,000 missing NEETs.

Mononobe, Selecao No. 01, and Yuuki, Selecao No. 10, followed Akira to Kyoto. Pantsu discovered that Selecao No. 10 was responsible for the missile attacks, and that it was Akira who arranged the evacuations. He then discovered something shocking and rushed outside to warn Akira only to be run down by Mononobe, who destroyed Kondo's phone before calling Akira.

Akira and Mononobe face off. Mononobe told Akira that he believed Mr Outside is an old man named Ato Saizo who is the president of the ATO company. He's a great political figure who helped fix Japan but might have already died of terminal cancer. Despite that, the game still continues on because of the Supporter. Mononobe said that he would become Mr Outside and control Juiz. - Mononobe seems like an interesting character but too bad, his airtime is too little. I want to see how he try to become Mr Outside. Of course, I want to know who the Supporter is.

Mononobe, along with Yuuki and Selecao No. 2 Tsuji, plan to launch more missiles and Yuuki told Akira not to get in their way again. They also tell him why he erased his memories. Back then, Akira was in despair after he got betrayed by the people he attempted to help. - Now, everything is starting to make more sense.

A woman suddenly came in and told the three Selecao that no winner was determined yet. Monobe checked his phone and realized that Juiz had been moved to a hidden location. It appeared that Selecao No. 12 may be the Supporter or even Mr Outside. - Such mind games make this series a joy to watch.

In a taxi, Saki, who was listening to the entire conversation between Akira and the 2 Selecao, found out about Akira's past and told her friends about it. - Good! Oosugi is finally convinced that Akira is a good guy. As for the taxi driver, he looks really creepy and he may be the Supporter or Mr Outside (Ato Saizo). The taxi he's driving has the name 'Ato Taxi' on it.

Oosugi and friends stripped naked and pretended to be one of the NEETs, so that they could retrieve Micchon's laptop. Plan succeed but they ended up getting chased by the naked NEETs. - LOL! Oosugi is so funny.

Akira contacted all of the NEETs and told them he has arranged a bigger missile attack, and instructed them to figure out the best way to intercept the missiles. Using the NEETs' collective knowledge, Juiz organized a network of jet fighters and Patriot missile launchers to intercept the missiles. - Akira looks really cool when he 'shoots' down the missiles.

What's Not?
Saki's friends looked outside to see a ship full of naked guys who they think are the missing NEETs. - Hmm... I thought that in Episode 5, Akira bumped into a guy who happened to be one of those NEETs who were sent to Dubai? So does that mean the NEETs were sent back from Dubai in batches?

Akira instructed Juiz to use all his remaining money to make him 'King of Japan'. His reasoning was that there are many smart people in Japan, but none of them are willing to bear the responsibility of leadership, so it's up to him to take it. In order to become King, Akira used his phone to brainwash himself and he then slipped the phone into Saki's pocket. The episode ends with Saki contemplating what will happen to Japan now that Akira is a prince. - I'm confused! Is Akira a King or Prince? Also, how can Akira become King of Japan with just about half of his original budget? And why didn't the Supporter immediately come and kill Akira for exhausting the budget without saving Japan? So does this mean that Akira has succeeded in saving Japan?

07-Ghost Episodes 10 and 11

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Episode 10 is good! The first third of the episode is a little slow and the focus is on Teito trying to come to terms with Mikage's death. The second third is really interesting as we finally get to see the Eye of Mikhail in non-combat mode. The last third is quite emotional. Teito has not gotten over Mikage's death (me too! ) and he decides that he should leave the Church and 'commit suicide' by going back to the military to take revenge for Mikage. Of course, once again, Frau, Castor and Labrador interfere and Teito's plan fails.

Episode 11 is very different from episode 10. It's more light hearted and there are some parts which actually made me burst out laughing. The highlight of the episode must be the Frau-lookalike Kor doll which Castor made. LOL Castor is a real genius!

What's Hot?
Mikage in pet form was playing with a black neko. - Kawaii!!

Castor turned into a Ghost and used his power to make Teito unconscious.

As Teito had seen Frau in Ghost form before, in order to protect Teito, Castor decided to erase his memories. While Castor was about to start, Frau interrupted. He didn't want Teito's memories erased as that would also erase Teito's last memory of Mikage. - Aww... Frau is such a sweet guy!

Frau is the only one among the 7 Ghosts who can wield Veloren's scythe. - Hmm.. since Aya-tan mentioned that the scythe is his, does this mean that Aya-tan is Veloren?

Suddenly, Frau's scythe went out control and tried to attack an unconscious Teito, whose Eye of Mikhail awakened and protected him. Frau and Castor were very shocked to find out that Teito was the master of Eye of Mikhail. According to Castor, Teito's fate can either save or destroy the world. - This is an overused subplot. I hope it doesn't getting boring.

Like Teito, the Eye of Mikhail loves Mikage in pet form. - This shows how irresistible it is.

Mikage in pet form was chewing Frau's hair. - LOL

Frau brought Teito to the place where his battle against Evil Mikage took place. The attacks actually left messages behind. These were Mikage's last words:

'I'm sorry, Teito'
'You have to keep on living!'
'We'll absolutely always be the best of friends!'
'Teito, I love you.'

- Sob sob! I miss you Mikage!!

Castor thought of a wonderful way to distract Teito and to help him move on. He asked him to try to become a Bishop. If Teito were to succeed in becoming one, he will be able to enjoy many privileges and most importantly, he will get to travel around all of Barsburg Empire's districts easily without strict inspections.

Before Teito can become a Bishop, he needs to pass the Bishop examination. The first exam is a written exam. To pass it, Teito needs to finish memorizing a mountain of books within half a month. Frau thinks that it's impossible as he himself took 3 years to finish memorizing everything. Castor thinks that it's because Frau is too dumb. - It's not surprising to know that Frau is not the brainy type of person. ^.-

For the physical combat exam, Teito needs to master a weapon called a Bascule, which he must learn to channel his Zaiphon through it to catch and destroy Kor.

Castor made a doll and he planted the Kor he caught earlier into it. The doll totally looks like Frau and Teito is supposed to train with it. - Castor must be trying to increase Teito's motivation level.

After Castor and Frau left Teito alone with the doll, the doll went crazy and started to run and dance around. Teito managed to channel his Zaiphon through the Bascule but the attack was too weak. When it ran towards Teito, Mikage in pet form helped him (so brave and cute!!). In the end, Labrador came to his rescue. - The doll totally cracks me up.

Labrador and Teito took a break. While Mikage in pet form was chewing on some flowers, Labrador asked Teito to try out the flower tea. When Teito tasted it, he said it's sweet. Labrador commented that it's only sweet to those who had been injured deep within the soul. - I need the flower tea too!!

Teito was reminded of Mikage again but this time round, he decided to fulfill his destiny as Raggs Kingdom's heir and avenge Mikage, even if Mikage won't forgive him for that. As if approving of his decision, the Eye of Mikhail glows. - So long as Teito remains safe, I'm sure Mikage will approve of whatever he wants to do. Anyway, Mikage (in cute pet form) is now always by Teito's side. ^-^

Back in the Church, Teito saw a blond guy and thought he's Mikage. He immediately gave chase only to find out that he's totally not Mikage. Like Teito, he's also taking the Bishop examinations. - Teito must be hallucinating! This guy has long blond hair whereas Mikage has short blond hair. Anyway, have you noticed that this new guy sounds like Yumichika (Bleach) and Lelouch (Code Geass)? Yup! Same voice actor - Jun Fukuyama! He seems like an interesting character so I'll certainly be looking out for him.

Mikage in pet form jumped onto the new guy's head without him even noticing. - So cute!!

What's Not?
I'm biased so none at all!

Bleach Episodes 223 and 224

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Episode 223 is a real drag. I don't care about Soi Fon and Omaeda enough to be excited about their battles. Surprisingly, I find Omaeda less irritating in this episode. Though he's ugly, boastful and noisy, he's brave enough to protect his Tai Chou. On the contrary, I find Soi Fon too arrogant. What's with the 'I want to see the Resurreccion of an Arrancar to prepare for the Espada fight' attitude? That's a big insult to her opponent. She should just use her full powers from the start and save her energy for Espada Barragan. Anyway, the battle between Soi Fon and Barragan finally just ended in the manga. I'm not very happy with the outcome. All I can say is, TK sensei is too soft-hearted to kill any 'good' guys.

Episode 224 is much more entertaining. The animation quality is better, it's funnier, and it has better action. The highlight of the episode is most certainly Hinamori's appearance. Though it's obvious to everyone that she has not yet gotten over her Aizen Tai Chou and perhaps her only motivation to fight is to see Aizen again, it's impressive that she manages to pull herself together to put up a decent fight. I'm also impressed with her Kidou knowledge.

What's Hot?
Omaeda arrived just in time to shield Soi Fon from Ggio’s attack. Ggio responded by charging up a cero at Omaeda, but before he could, he got kicked by Soifon. - Omaeda is not as cowardly as I thought.

Soifon defeated Ggio by hitting him with Suzumebachi. Omaeda thought that she didn’t hit the same spot twice, but Soifon revealed that she did indeed hit the same spot because she pierced Ggio’s lung from both the front and back. - It's a decent fight but I can't believe this fight actually lasted for two and the half episodes! What a drag!

Matsumoto was struggling with her three opponents, and unexpectedly, she’s saved by Hinamori. Both Aizen and Hitsugaya sensed Hinamori’s arrival. Aizen felt that it's inconsequential, whereas Hitsugaya was so bothered about it that he could not fully concentrate on his fight with Halibel. - I love Aizen's reaction! He's as calm and evil as ever.

Hinamori used Kidou to conceal her presence to make a 'Kidou net'. After which, she integrated 'Red Fire' and 'Concealing Fire' and made them invisible by using 'Way of Binding No. 26: Bending Light'. She then spread it out over the net she made. With that, she managed to engulf Halibel's three Fraccion in an explosion when she applied Tobiume to the net. - Hinamori may not be physically strong but she's an intelligent fighter.

Lilynette got annoyed with how Ukitake was treating her like a child and tried to fight him. - Ukitake is so funny!! For the same reason, I bet he will never fight against Hitsugaya.

Apache, Mila Rose, and Sun Sun each took off their left arms and combined them to form a huge chimera-like creature. - Its reiatsu is freaking powerful!

What's Not?
Soifon was not grateful for Omaeda’s help. She explained that she wanted to see the power of an Arrancar Resurreccion to prepare for future battles. - Seriously, without Omaeda's interference, I doubt she can survive.

Cross Game Episodes 10 and 11

noreply@blogger.com (Chan-Chan) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:07:00 +0000

In episode 10, we can see the contrast between Kou and Azuma. Despite his talent and secret training with Akaishi, Kou is still inexperienced and unstable, whereas Azuma is very talented and is able to hit 3 homeruns off Kou's pitches.

Episode 11 is the conclusion of the game. This episode is more about the third year members. All thanks to Coach Maeno's lies and motivation, the third year members manage to regain confidence and motivation to play their 'last' formal match. Though in the end, the Prefab team loses, everyone seems happy. Kou is happy because he finally manages to strike Azuma out. The third year members are happy as they know that they play their game well. Azuma also seems happy to have met a competitor (comrade?) like Kou. The unhappiest person must be Coach Daimon. I don't think he's a good coach. He only knows how to recruit good players but he doesn't know how to spot them. It's obvious that Kou is a promising player but Coach Daimon is too prideful to admit. If Coach Daimon is really that good, he wouldn't let his stupid pride impair his judgment.

What's Hot?
First team's manager tried to suck up to Azuma but she got insulted instead. - Good job, Azuma!

Due to Azuma's influence, everyone in the First team tried to aim for homeruns and that really p'ssed Kou off.

It was getting increasingly tiring for Kou and he could no longer pitch with both speed and control. He asked Akaishi to choose one and Akaishi opted for speed. - Kou's control is still unstable but his speed is unbeatable!

After Azuma hit another homerun, Akaishi told him the third pitch was weak because this was Kou's first real game. Azuma responded by asking Akaishi not to joke around. - Azuma finally understands why Kou is so unstable.

The Prefab team's manager told Makihara that Coach Maeno injured himself when he was pleading Coach Daimon to allow the third year members to join the First team. Makihara was very touched and started playing better. However, it all turned out to be a lie and Coach Maeno was the mastermind. - I never expect Coach Maeno to lie. Nonetheless, it's a good one as I totally didn't see it coming.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Prefab team had runners on first and second bases with no outs, and Makihara advances them with a sacrifice bunt. - Coach Maeno's lie really works wonders.

Kou made a cycle hit (hitting a single, double, triple and a homerun in the same game in any order).

Kou finally struck Azuma out. - Is this the beginning of rivalry or friendship? I hope to see them play together and I think it's very likely since they study in the same school. However, before that can happen, they need to get rid of Coach Daimon.

After the game, Kou visited Wakaba's grave to tell her about his debut, only to find out from the gardener that Aoba had been there first. - Kou and Aoba are indeed alike.

What's Not?
In episode 10, the third year prefab team members tried too hard to show off their skills even though they had none. - They are freaking irritating in episode 10.