Halloween Special!

Kikoushi Enma (Demon Prince Enma)

This Anime is quite brilliant, perfect for that Halloween evening!

Demon Prince Enma is rather like an exorcist, destroying and sending demons back to where they belong. Accompanied by his assistants Yuki, Kapaeru and talking hat Chapeauji, Enma goes after the damned.

It's defiantly unique and well made and with only 4 episodes (sadly) it does make a huge impact.

I would recommend this one highly, although not for children (or the squeamish :o ). Also it can get a bit confusing at episode 3 but don't dispair, it's worth watching the whole thing!

Petshop of Horrors

All i can say is: wow. This one amazed me. Also only 4 episodes long, it's like a small movie. Extremely enjoyable.

Count D, a chinese man and care taker of a small pet shop selling rare pets. People come to him for pets but end up going home with lost loved ones instead. Later on deifying the terms of the Counts contract things start to go wrong. A detective tries to arrest him but comes up with nothing, only becoming the Counts friend.

I do think they should extend this Anime. Who knows... the art style and story is still brilliant nonetheless. I loved it!


Happy Halloween! :3

11 Eyes

I still can't believe why this Anime had a rather low rating... It reminds me a bit of Silent Hill, the way it shifts between worlds, the darkness = the red night.

After losing his sister seven years ago, Kakeru led a vacant life, only able to return to normal with help from his childhood friend Yuka and other friends at school. Suddenly one day the sky turns red, and the moon turns black. Everyone around Kakeru and Yuka disappears and monsters start roaming the streets.

But just when they thought this world was a dream, the Red Night occurs again. Kakeru and Yuka manage to find four other humans involved in this mysterious phenomenon: Misuzu, a red-haired onmyouji swordswoman, Kukuri, a strange mute girl who looks like Kakeru's deceased sister, Yukiko, a lively young girl who reverts to the personality of a cold killer when her glasses are removed, and Takahisa, pyrokinetic.

They get together and try to survive, but six shadows suddenly appear in front of them.... These six shadows call themselves the "Black Knights," and for an unknown reason wish to kill Kakeru and friends. As they go on trying to survive, the six teenagers gradually form bonds and begin to work together in order to defeat the Black Knights, in the hopes that this will end the Red Night once and for all. More here.

I enjoyed this Anime, even thought it took a few episodes just to get into the story. It was different! Creepy monsters, cool fighting, what more could you ask for? The story could of used a little polishing but all in all really good to watch. :3

C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control

C, one of the best and highly underrated Animes that i have come across. It's in one word amazing.

Kimimaro, raised by his aunt after the disappearance of his father and the death of his mother, is a scholarship student whose only dream is to live a stable, ordinary life. One day he meets a man who offers him a large sum of money if he will allow his "future" to be held as collateral. 
From then on his fate is radically altered as he's drawn into a mysterious realm known as the Financial District, where he must compete in weekly tournaments called "deals" in order to keep his money and avoid losing his future.

The world itself, the ever changing future.. all just fantastic. Even with a twisty ending that fits perfectly this has to be in my top 10.

Masakaki <3

5 Centimetres per Second & Pale Cocoon

5 centimetres per second

Short OVA/movie with 3 episodes (merged) running for 20mins each...

A love story. Somewhat refreshing, somewhat depressing... 5 centimetres per second is the speed of a cherry blossom petal falling to the earth,  petals being a metaphorical representation of humans, reminiscent of the slowness of life and how people often start together but slowly drift into their separate ways.

All 3 episodes revolve around Tono Takaki falling in love at the age of 13, growing up, school life and such.

I really enjoyed this. Not something i would normally go for.. but it was worth it.

Pale Cocoon

Now this little gem of an OVA i'm glad i came across. Running at only 23 mins long it makes a huge impact on sci-fi Anime.

Set in the very distant future when all of Earths knowledge is lost. Ura, who works with the Archive Excavation Department, discovers all this lost information. Living deep, deep underground.. not knowing what has happened in decades. One day he comes across a video file and after restoring it discovers the truth and what has really happened to Earth.

Can't say any more but watch it for yourself!

I did indeed think this was a brilliant idea.. they could of made a full length Anime out of it. Still worth a watch. :)

Spirited Away

More of a fairy tale than anything else and above all an amazing one. The most successful movie in Japanese history, passing Titanic by miles and probably the best animation film out there to date.

Ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents are moving when her father takes a wrong turn. Thinking that they have found an abandoned amusement park, her father insists on exploring and they cross the dry riverbed. While Chihiro's parents eat at a restaurant stall, Chihiro finds an exquisite bathhouse. After encountering a young boy, Haku, Chihiro is ordered to cross the river before sunset. She discovers that her parents have become pigs and is unable to cross the flooded river.

After finding Chihiro, Haku has her ask for a job from the bathhouse's boiler-man, Kamaji. Kamaji and the worker Lin send Chihiro to the witch Yubaba, who runs the bathhouse. Yubaba gives Chihiro a job but renames her Sen . While visiting her parents' pigpen, Sen finds a goodbye card addressed to Chihiro and realizes that she has already forgotten her name. Haku warns her that Yubaba controls people by taking their names and if she forgets hers like he has forgotten his, Chihiro cannot leave the spirit world. While working, Sen invites a silent masked creature named No-Face inside. More here.

Totally amazing story, characters.. everything. I believe every Anime fan should watch this. It's a roller-coaster...

Perfect Blue

This movie is seriously freaky and uncomfortable at times, it messes with your brain. All in all though i enjoyed it.

Lead singer of a j-pop band, Mima, decides to become an actress. Some of her fans are upset of this change and somebody creates a webpage pretending to be her. As her career gets better, people around her start getting murdered. 

A slight Alfred Hitchcock aura to this and indeed rather psychological (so pay attention at all times!). Also a fantastic twist which no one knows was coming.

I would recommend Perfect Blue, although be advised its rather graphic, showing nudity and a ton of blood. Watch at own risk!

note: for my ratings on Anime and Manga visit my Anime list, http://myanimelist.net/animelist/megstatic.

Paprika

This week, apart from watching Bakuman continuously, i decided to watch a movie.

Paprika is a mind-blowing film. Its story another unique entity. Based on a device that can see, record dreams and share them, the DC mini.
The doctors that work on this device slowly themselves get sucked into the dream world and their only saviour is Paprika, a dream girl.

The music and start titles themselves blew me away and as the story went on getting better and better i didn't even leave my pc.

This is a must watch for any Anime/Manga fan!

Fractale

This Anime was strange but i liked it nonetheless!

The story takes place on an island resembling a futuristic Ireland, in a world ruled by the "Fractale System" that ensures mankind's stability and prosperity. One day, Clain meets a fleeing girl called Phryne, who disappears during the night leaving a pendant. When he is able to activate the pendant (which turns into a "doppel" named Nessa), Clain sets out on a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret behind the Fractale System.

Revolving mostly around zepplins/balloons and the whole system of Fractale (rather like an upgraded version of our internet) it's mainly a love/war story. Unique though... Need a light Anime?.. then this is for you! :3

Mirai Nikki (Future Diary)

I got sucked into this Anime from the very beginning. It is one of the best i have ever watched.

Such an original idea, it keeps you on your toes and guessing all the way through. 

Yukki, an average but quiet teenager, who writes in his diary and talks to imaginary friends. One day his imaginary friends talk back. Turning out to be Deus Ex Machina, the god of space and time and his servant Murmur.

Deus gives Yukki the power to see the future with his diary. Also he gives 11 others the same power, turning it into a survival game. Last man standing will take Deuses place in being god.

Yukki makes an alliance with fellow diary owner Yuno, who is obsessed with him, as they battle the other diary owners.

Time runs out, no one knows who is who, with only their diaries to help them. All the characters are unique and some are creepy in their own ways.

The art style, the story.. everything about this Anime will just make you want to watch it again and again. Who will become god? 

More info here.