The main characters of Your Name.

Your Name

Other Names: Kimi no Na wa

Rating: 9.1/10

Genre: Drama, Romance, Supernatural

Run Time: 107 minutes

We are actually breaking tradition of doing just TV series and reviewing our first anime movie! Now, normally I’m not a fan of anime movies (which is why I’ve been so hesitant to review them in the past), but this one was proper amazing. So buckle up your seatbelts, put on your waterproof mascara, and keep in mind that “you must be this (emotionally) tall” to get on this tear-jerking roller coaster of an anime. So it starts off as what can only be described as the anime equivalent of Freaky Friday. The only difference is that it’s a boy and girl who swap bodies just to pepper in some romance. Now, what starts off fun and cute, then takes an epic twist. You’ll change your mind about certain characters throughout the movie, and the last 30 minutes will have you glassy-eyed to say the least. Not only was the plot very well-written, but there was loads of character development and the music was very emotional! Overall, it was incredibly satisfying to watch, I absolutely loved it, and I would definitely recommend it! Oddly enough, apparently the director hates it and thinks it’s not all that great. I’d reckon he’s just being humble, because this is a true masterpiece and it’s making bank at the box offices in Japan. If you liked this, then I’d highly recommend watching Kokoro Connect if you haven’t already seen it, because it’s a similar premise. Enjoy! :’)

-JBonez

Handa-kun

Other Names: Barakamon

Rating: 8.0/10

Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life

Episodes: 12

Sorry for the lack of posts recently; hopefully this will make up for it! This was an excellent filler anime! A nice little, self-contained 12-episode anime with nonstop lol’s. Basically the premise is that there is this student named Handa at high school and he’s extremely popular and adored by everyone. However, he thinks that everyone hates him and this leads to many hilarious misunderstandings that will have you laughing the entire 12 episodes. It kind of reminded me of Baka and Test (not quite as funny as that though) peppered in with a bit of it’s own thing. Music was pretty decent and you end up loving all the characters (not just the main ones). All-in-all, this was much better than I thought it would be and I’d highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the mood for a short comedy anime. I do have to warn you though: the first half of the first episode is quite slow and a little weird (but then it gets hilarious from there on out). So give it a shot and happy watching!

-JBonez

The main characters of Handa-kun.

Hey guy, sorry for the lack of posts recently, hopefully this makes up for that! My latest anime music cover! Mirai Nikki - Sad. Hope you enjoy it! Stay awesome!

“If I've learned anything in the last two years, it’s this: to keep doing the very best we can until the end.

Asuna from Sword Art Online 

The main characters of ERASED.

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi

Other Names: The Town Where Only I am Missing ERASED

Rating: 8.4/10

Genre: Fantasy, mystery, thriller

Episodes: 12

This was a really cool anime! It’s starts off introducing Satoru: a pizza deliveryman who experiences this weird phenomenon called “revival,” where he sees a blue butterfly float by and then is sent back in time, usually just a couple of minutes before something bad is about to happen. He can then look for something odd and change the outcome. It starts off with this really cool premise, and then takes a turn in a darker direction as he tries to unravel a huge mystery. It has a little bit of a Death Note feel, but they’re completely different shows (you’d know what I’m getting at if you saw it). The plot was just fantastic and had great character development, not just for the main, but for his supporting characters as well. Music was good, although failed to make a major impact on me. It did get pretty emotional at times. Anywho, it finished up with a really nice ending that tied it all together. It’s great when you can watch a nice short anime that’s well-contained. Would definitely recommend if you like mystery anime!

-JBonez

One Punch Man

Rating: 7.6/10

Genre: Action, Comedy

Episodes: 12 This anime was super funny and had great action scene. The action animation scenes reminded me of Gurren Lagann quite a bit. I like the originality the most about this one. Forever I’ve wanted to see an anime where the hero is just ridiculously overpowered and finally we have one! And I think they did a great job not making it boring because there's little drama that can follow that much OPness. The character development wasn’t the best but in fairness it was quite short so that’s alright. Tunes were nice and complimentary. The jokes were great and Saitama (main) has a hilarious personality. I would highly recommend this one! Enjoy!

- PDawg

Saitama and main characters from One Punch Man

The main characters of Death Parade.

Death Parade

Rating: 8.0/10

Genre: Drama, mystery, psychological thriller

Episodes: 12

This anime was so original! It basically follows Decim and Chiyuki at Quindecim bar: a bar in the afterlife where they put people who’ve died to the test to determine whether their soul get reincarnated or sent to the void. What’s really great about this is that they really spent a lot of time on people’s backstories (they had to so that you could judge them) and that’s what made this anime so great. It was also good because each episode was it’s own entity and there were no real cliffhangers. The characters didn’t develop (well I guess some did), but their plots definitely were the main focus. Music was odd yet captivating, just perfect for the type of show this is. The animation was also solid and it had a nice ending (although I want more!). I can’t really think of another anime that was like this, but I’d definitely recommend checking it out!

-JBonez

Dream Eater Merry

Other Names: Yumekui Merry

Rating: 6.8/10

Genre: Action, Comedy, Supernatural 

Episodes: 13

This neat little anime I first saw at an Anime Convention back in 2011. The animation style looked so good at the time I immediately wrote on down on my pending list. The anime itself, I thought, was a little too short and it saddens me that there's no plans for a follow up season. As condensed as it is it was still very enjoyable. I thought the character development and the script was lacking a little bit. The main thing about this anime that would make me recommend it is the fact it’s quite original. Merry (main) goes into the dream world to fight dream demons. That’s pretty much it but it did its job getting my enjoyment levels up so I ended up watching it all in one sitting. Music was average as is standard with these little niche animes. But, I’d recommend it for what it is. Enjoy! 

Dream Eater Merry Christmas Everybody! 

- PDawg

Dream Eater Merry

Assassination Classroom

Other Names: Ansatsu Kyōshitsu

Rating: 8.0/10

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Comedy

Episodes: 22 OVAs: 2

This anime was great! It was new and very original, I have to say. I feel like it’s just the perfect blend of comedy, life lessons, and action. The premise is that an octopus-like superbeing destroys a massive chunk of the moon. He then says he’ll annihilate Earth in one year unless they can kill him. The worlds’ armies have all tried to kill him, but his ability to move at Mach 20 speeds and regenerate, makes him able to dodge everything. He decides he will take on the roll of being a teacher at this one particular school, and teach them how to assassinate him in addition to their usual curriculum. I guess what I like most about this is that Koro sensei is a really damn good teacher! He is honestly a great role model for anyone with any interest in teaching, as he let’s the students figure it out for themselves while creating an environment conducive to learning and growth. I definitely feel like I grew as a person just watching the show. Music was just alright, but that was more-than-alright because the characters and plot were amazing. The ending did wrap things up, although there’s tons of loose ends. They have announced a second season, so I hope they tie that up nicely in the next season. Definitely worth the watch!

-JBonez

Koto Music from Princess Kaguya OST

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Other Names: Kaguya-hime no Monogatari

Rating: 10/10

Genre: Drama, Supernatural

Movie: 1

This Studio Ghibli movie is the last movie, director Isao Takahata, made before he retired. It’s based on a 10th century Japanese story, and definitely has an ancient feel to it. Like everything that varies from the norm, at first the animation style was a little weird, but only 3 minutes in and I was hooked. The art style is very simplistic but creates a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. The story was very well planned and executed as you would expect from Ghibli studios. It stirred a range of emotions for me but mainly had an overall melancholic vibe to it. The music just added to that feeling. This movie introduced me to the wonderful Japanese instrument, the Koto. I am currently learning how to play it and am aiming to play the Koto music from this movie's soundtrack. Anyway, back to the story, the characters were all rich and full of personality. The princess especially, watching her grow throughout the movie made her character come to life and I got emotionally invested in the movie, like almost all anime I watch! I enjoy learning about Japanese history, and living in Japan I get to visit many ancient places where I can imagine a glimpse of the past. I noticed many little things in this movie that really adds to the ancient ways of Japanese culture. I highly recommend this movie! Enjoy! :)

- PDawg