SUBARASHII (ﾉ´▽｀)ﾉ♪

THE ANCIENT MAGUS’ BRIDE

👌Rating:  ★★★★★ 👌👌

Grandma-Safe Rating: ★★★★☆. Grandma should be pretty chill with this, as long as she doesn’t mind the love interest being a man with a cow skull for a head and the naked fairies.

PLOT: The story opens on a black market auction. A girl has decided to sell herself into slavery. Life and the people in it have always been cruel to her because of the creatures she sees, and as a result she has given up hope of ever being happy.

When she is up for auction, a mysterious man in a red veil outbids everyone else in the room. He takes her home, washes her, and gives her her own room and clothes. As he explains, he is a magus, an ancient magic-user, and he bought her because she is something called a “sleigh beggy” - a person who can see and attract magical creatures, because he wants her to be his apprentice, and because he hopes, in time, she will consent to be his wife.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This show reminds me a lot of Mushi-Shi. It approaches magic in a philosophical and quiet sort of way. From the characters to the music to the animation, everything is extravagantly beautiful. You can tell a lot of care went into this show from conception to the polished product. 

This show gives the viewer a lot to think about. For example, in one of the early episodes, Elias and Chise (the magus and the girl) meet some dragons where, at the end of their life, a seed is planted in them and they turn into a tree. It’s a beautiful, haunting scene and you’re not sure whether to feel sad like Chise, or happy like the younger dragons who have completely accepted that that very thing will happen to them someday. 

I love these kinds of shows, but at the same time, I have trouble finishing them quickly because they’re so dense. I finished Magical Girl Ore in less than a week. This one... it’s taking some time. 

MAGICAL GIRL ORE 

👌Rating:  ★★★★☆

Grandma-Safe Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Don’t watch this with grandma.

PLOT: The story follows an amateur idol who, with her friend, is trying to make it big. But one day, her crush is attacked by demons and in order to save him, she makes a pact with a fairy to become a magical girl. Little does she know that her magical form is not a cute, evil-fighting girl, but a buff, war-bloodied man.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This is the funniest anime I’ve found in a long time. I saw a picture of a muscle man in a cutesy magical girl outfit and knew I had to see what this show was all about. It ended up going beyond my wildest dreams. 

This show turns all the magical girl tropes on their heads and creates something fascinating and hilarious in the process. Some episodes are slow, which is the reason for losing 1 star from me, but overall, the show has become one of my favorites.

First Look at Tokyo Ghoul Root A (2015)

By Onearmedshota

Video source: x

Season 2 picks up right where season 1 left off, with Kaneki finally free from his sadistic captor, and the giant battle between the Anteiku (the coffee shop friends who say ghouls and humans can coexist), the Aogiri Tree (the ghouls who think ghouls and humans can't coexist, also the ones who captured and tortured Kaneki), and the ghoul investigation squad (the human police). 

What I Liked

+I like that it picks up where the other one left off! The first season had an awesome ending, but it was abrupt. 

+It seems like there will be some good character development in this season all around. Man, does Kaneki have some stuff to figure out. He was quite literally tortured out of his mind.

+I did not expect the ending of this episode! Probably my favorite part, to be honest. Without giving anything away, Kaneki makes a super unexpected decision. I could talk all day about this, but I won't as this isn't a full review.

What I Didn't Like

- I'm not a fan of big, overdramatic battles and 90% of this episode was just that. I understand why they needed it--the last season ended in the middle of a big battle--but it was still a little boring. It didn't feel like the first episode of a new season, I guess. It just kinda picked up where the first one left off.

- While I smell character development coming, there was zero character development in this episode. It's probably due to the whole episode just being one big battle, but that isn't much of an excuse. 50% of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is giant battles, but they manage to stay true to the characters' personalities and development.

Will I continue to watch?

By Onearmedshota

This is a new series I will be doing in my quest to give my opinion on everything I've seen. Three new animes (ones I'm watching/trying out) and one old (one I saw long ago). 

3 New:

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun 

I saw the first episode of this a while ago, and I found it incredibly boring. And yet clips of this anime kept popping up on tumblr and those clips were hilarious. So I skipped a few episodes in, thinking it might just have a slow beginning. 

Best decision I could have made. I am in love with this show. It is exactly the kind of humor I like. It's witty, it's misunderstandings, it's approaching fluffy shoujo manga with a clinical eye.

Blood+

I'm honestly surprised it took me so long to test this anime out, since I loved the manga to pieces. Maybe it was my love of the manga that made me afraid to give this poorly-rated (at least in comments) adaptation. Plus, they turned my favorite character Charles, the one-armed 12-year-old vampire-beast into Karl, the fully grown two-armed vampire-beast.

But it was on Netflix, and I really do like Saya, the main character, so I gave it a go. 

I am loving it so far! The music is beautiful, the characters are fun, and the story is interesting. The animation looks a little old, but in a way that has seemed to age well. 

The only thing I don't like is how difficult it is to find a good sub. The dub messes up the script, and so do half the subs. I've only found one sub that sounded right, and it was off my usual anime site. But when I feel like fiddling with it, I'll continue.

Mushishi

I feel like I've been watching this anime forever, as this is not a show I can binge watch. Each episode is poignant and serene and I have to give it time to sink in. It's beautiful in sub and dub and the stories and locations are some of the most interesting I've ever seen and heard.

It feels like I'm listening to folklore around a fire when I watch it. There's a second season of Mushishi out now as of October, so I'd better get going on finishing the first season.

1 Old:

Shugo Chara!

Shugo Chara! was the first anime I watched that made me feel that deep heart tug unique to the genre. It's about the potential in every child's heart, how it hatches and helps that person become who they most wish to be. But when people despair, those eggs go bad and it's up to the Guardians (kids with eggs who can transform with their charas) to defeat the bad egg and make it good again.

First look at Tokyo Ghoul

The video is the first opening of the series. (Video Source: x)

By Onearmedshota

In an alternate version of Tokyo,  one where ghouls kill and eat humans, tensions are high as police and politicians dominate the news with plans on how to get rid of them. In the midst of this, Kaneki is an average, book-loving college student. He's never had a run in with a ghoul. All he wants is to go on a date with the girl he's had a crush on. His life is about to take a turn for the worse, though, when he's attacked by a ghoul. 

What I Liked:

+This show is not what I was expecting. Given that it's about people who eat people, I thought it would be a lot more upsetting to watch, but it's surprisingly watchable. 

+Because it's such a dark topic, I really appreciate all the school-life stuff they throw in there. There's a lot more downtime than I anticipated.

+Beautiful art! Beautiful opening! The opening song is incredible and the artist has made his way into my favorites.

+Kaneki is very relatable. And his panic at becoming a ghoul is done masterfully. 

+Oh my gosh those after-credit animated shorts! I look forward to each of them. That's something I really appreciate about anime in general: no one is perfect and everyone can look ridiculous in the right situations. The writers are masters in bringing about these situations.

+The whole concept of ghouls is fascinating to me. And the fact that everyone knows about them.

What I Didn’t Like:

-Only 12 episodes! :( I want more.

-Not sure it's a fault or anything, but sometimes they say little things and make references to hentai tropes and I'm over here like: >_> "I see what you did there." Just because I notice it doesn't mean it's bad, though, just weird, I guess, for the genre and rating of this show.

Number of Episodes:

12

Will I continue watching? 

Full Review of Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus (2014)

The video is the opening credits.

Video source: x

By Onearmedshota

My Rating: 

✭✭✭✭✭ Not quite a five, but I couldn't find it in my heart to give it a four. There are a few things I wish they had done better, but overall, it was fantastic.

An Unoffensive Summary:

Ciel Phantomhive and his demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, have been ordered by the queen to investigate a case of multiple missing children. When all the leads trace back to the Noah's Arc Circus, Ciel and Sebastian pose as performers in order to get a closer look. Little does Ciel know that what is really going on is much deeper and much more personal than he had thought.

This series follows an arc from the manga that didn't make it into the first Black Butler series. It takes place right after the curry competition, around episode 15.

Genre:

adventure/supernatural/historical/comedy/drama/tragedy/romance/friendship

Rating:

TV-14. There are some dark themes in this show: abduction, slaughtering of children, and multiple injuries including dismemberment. There's also a sex scene. 

Length:

10 episodes.

Is there a good dub?

No dub.

Where to watch it:

Kissanime.com 

<<More spoilery than usual this time. Beware!>>

What I thought of it:

The Noah's Arc Circus arc is my absolute favorite arc from the manga and I was sad that it was left out of the first anime series. So when I heard that it was going to be turned into its own series, I could have died from happiness. I was excited but also a little worried that the arc would not get the quality anime that it deserved.

My worries proved to be unfounded. This is a gorgeous addition to the Black Butler series. The cast is the same, the dialogue and situations are as witty as ever, and the animation is beautiful.

The biggest tension of the arc in the manga is that you become attached to Joker and the other circus performers. They're good people, kind people, and you want them to succeed. Because of the amount of time spent in the circus getting to know these characters, the ending where they are all slaughtered under Ciel's direction is all the more shocking and tragic. 

The Noah's Arc Circus performers are the most multi-faceted villains in all of Black Butler, in my opinion. No other antagonist deaths feel as wrong and as sad as the death of the circus. Which brings me to another interesting point: it's accepted throughout all of the Black Butler series that Ciel is the "villainous noble," the one who gets his hands dirty for the queen, and yet we never see him do something quite so despicable as what he does in Book of Circus. This series really brings out the villainous part. Ciel isn't always a tragic hero: sometimes he's just tragic, abusing his power over Sebastian in unnecessary massacres. 

Full Review of Noragami

By Writingonmyhand

My Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭ Intriguing characters, interesting plot, and lots of beautiful animation make this anime one of my favourites. Yes, the show has its flaws and can get pretty shallow at points, but the story wrapped me up and carried me into a universe of gods and phantoms. Also, yes, I am a sucker for good animation – pretty makes everything better, right?

An Unoffensive Summary:

Hiyori, a female middle school student, pulls a strange boy out of the way of a bus, “saving” his life, but getting hit by the car in the process. The boy just so happens to be Yato, a god with no shrine, money, or followers. Unfortunately for Hiyori, her involvement with him causes her to periodically lose her body, entering into a half spirit state that allows her to be a part of this odd world of gods and their quarrels. Mostly, this anime is about the relationship between Yato and Hiyori and the people they meet. Pretty slice of life, but just as much about exploring the hidden world of gods and phantoms.

Length:

12 episodes + 2 OVAs. I think there might be a second season on the way, but it wraps up ok as it is. Not great, but at least it’s not a cliff hanger.

Is there a good dub?

I donno – I’m not a fan of dubs, sad snob that I am.

Where I watched it:

Kissanime.com

My Thoughts:

After watching Kamisama Hajimemashita, I wanted to see a show with a similar premise, but taking the whole god thing more seriously. This fits the bill.  I enjoyed the way the writers portrayed the world and the people within it. Honestly, I don’t have a lot to comment about it – it’s short and sweet and fun. Here are a few thoughts though:

I love Yato. He is a nice mix of silly oddball crossed with Serious Death God. He is a god of calamity that grants evil wishes, but he has left that behind for a much more kind-hearted approach to Godhood. Still, he doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for those commiting suicide or others that have determined to make poor choices, tending to let people decide their own fates. Hiyori’s fate also seems to be of little concern to Yato, until they become better friends and then Yato’s compassionate side comes out. The combination of silly, nice-guy, and stern God makes for a pretty well rounded character.

Hiyori is much less interesting and primarily falls into the standard compassionate female lead zone. However, she does do a moderately good job of being useful, even if mostly in a supportive role. Still, you can see her effect on Yato and Hiyori is willing to stick up for herself and fight. I wish she was a stronger character, but she is much better than some action female heroines. Also, she doesn’t have giant boobs, which always helps.

Aside from the characters, the plot has some holes. Random gods turn up and do things, then go away for a bit, then turn up again. But they are all connected to the story and Yato in some semi-logical fashion and I didn’t find the anything distractingly obvious. The final bit between arch-evil bad guy and Yato was certainly interesting, if for no other reason than watching Yato switch between Serious Death God and Compassionate People God. I liked it, but I really need to see the second season (or read the manga) to see if the plot holds up.

Full Review of Saint Young Men (2013)

By Onearmedshota

The video is a short scene from the movie or OVA (I don't remember which, to be honest). I could not find the opening and the trailer doesn't have subtitles. This scene gives you a pretty good feel for the movie, though, without really spoiling anything.

My Rating: 

✭✭✭✭✭ A 4.5, but I'm rounding it up to 5. Hilarious and touching. Truly one of a kind. The only thing I didn't like was the reoccurring group of kids that were after Buddha with rubber-band guns. They annoyed me a little.

An Unoffensive Summary:

Jesus and Buddha decide to take a vacation from their godly duties and travel to Japan for some relaxation and sightseeing. They rent an apartment and spend their days enjoying the country and Jesus spends much of it maintaining his blog. They come across many interesting people: some recognize them, but many don't. It's a full time job keeping a low profile when miraculous things keep happening around them, but they manage.

Genre:

Comedy/religious/supernatural/quiet and soothing/slice-of-life

Rating:

TV-12. There isn't anything questionable in it that I can recall other than a bit of swearing.

Length:

It’s a stand-alone movie, about 2 1/2 hours, and an OVA with two episodes.

Is there a good dub?

I have not found a dub.

Where to watch it:

You can find both the movie and the OVA on kissanime.com. The search bar isn't entirely helpful, however, since the official name has a star in it, which does not exist on a keyboard. I've included the links, for your convenience. Here is the movie, and here is the OVA

What I thought of it:

I really appreciate the tone the writer took with regards to religion. This could have easily and quickly become very derogatory and cynical and offensive to both Buddhists and Christians. But it wasn't, or at least it didn't bother me. Both religions are treated respectfully and shown in a good light. The point of this manga and anime isn't to prove that Buddhism is better than Christianity or vice versa; the point is to show that the two can exist peacefully and that they can even learn from each other.

I thought Jesus and Buddha were depicted perfectly, in an anime-comedy genre, of course. Jesus' main attribute is his love for everyone he comes into contact with. He is able to strike up a conversation with anyone, be it a little girl or a yakuza gangster. Maybe it makes him seem naive, but he acts this way because he effortlessly sees the good and potential in everyone and loves them.

Full Review of Kamisama Hajimemashita

By Writingonmyhand

Video source: x

My Rating: ✭✭✭ This is a pretty standard romance and you can see where the story is headed from a mile away. But, that aside, it is a pretty cute story with some fun characters. Not the best of its genre, then again, not the worst either.

An Unoffensive Summary:

Nanami is evicted from her house after her gambling deadbeat dad runs off, leaving her to deal with his debts. As she sits oh so forlornly in a park, a stranger offers to give her his home as a place to stay, kissing her on the forehead before proffering his address on a piece of paper. Nanami decides to check it out, since she has nowhere else to sleep, and finds that actually the man’s “house” is a shrine.

Welp, our main character is now the deity of said shrine and has to deal with the demons and familiars and catfish priestess and so forth. You know, typical shrine business. On the way, she falls in love with Tomoe, the hot fox demon who happens to be the shrine’s guardian. And yes, the plot has just as many holes as the premise.

Length:

13 episodes

Is there a good dub?

There is a dub, but I donno how good it is – I’m not a fan of dubs, sad snob that I am.

Where I watched it:

Kissanime.com

My Thoughts:

I’m not going to spend a lot of talking about the flaws in this show – they are the ones standard for a shoujo romance and most anime watchers are familiar with them. For example, Nanami is incapable of doing anything for herself and relies on the many handsome men around her to protect the shrine, except when she invokes the power of friendship. Like so many female heroines, emotions and determination are the weapons of this very clumsy girl. But anyway, I’m mostly going to discuss what I liked.

My favourite part of this show is the shrine setting. It’s probably not terribly creative to a Japanese viewer, but the traditions around shrines are new and different for me, so it was fun to watch. Nanami uses a ritual dance at the end to clear away the darkness, which makes me want to see a real dance someday. Also, it gives an idea of the way Japanese are moving away from shrines in today’s world. In this show, many of the old ways are beginning to be ignored, though the beings behind them are alive and well. An interesting, though not original, take on tradition that I enjoyed.

First Look at Princess Jellyfish

Video Source: x

By Onearmedshota

Ever since her mom took her to the aquarium when she was little, Tsukimi has been obsessed with jellyfish and of becoming a princess. Now that she's eighteen and living in a house with five other women--all nerds in their own ways--Tsukimi feels she is nowhere near being the princess she thought she'd be. One night, Tsukimi tries to save a jellyfish and is helped by one of "The Stylish"--the beautiful people Tsukimi sees in Tokyo--and she immediately thinks that this beautiful woman is a princess: brave, beautiful, and kind. It isn't until the princess stays overnight in her room that Tsukimi realizes the princess is male.

What I Liked

+The opening! The ending! The style of the show! I just really love the way this show is directed, which makes sense since it has the same director as Durarara!!. This director does setting and quirky characters well.

+The characters are all very interesting. Everyone who lives in the house is obsessed with something different, and are very different from each other, in interest, personality, looks, and even race I think.

+The girl obsessed with ninjas (samurai? generals? I don't know my Japanese history very well) is my soulmate. 

+When Tsukimi realizes that the "strong, beautiful princess" is a man, she is shocked at first, but that doesn't cause her to think he isn't a princess. Tsukimi just amends her opinion a little and says to herself that she has found a "strong, beautiful, male princess." 

What I Didn’t Like

-Princess Jellyfish is incredibly hard to find. None of my usual anime sites have it. The only places I've been able to find it so far is on Netflix, Hulu.com, and Funimation.com.

Number of Episodes

11

Will I continue watching? 

Full Review of Beyond the Boundary (Kyoukai no Kanata) (2013)

Video source: x

By Onearmedshota

My Rating: 

✭✭✭✭ It was a bit slow and confusing in the middle, but the last four episodes, themselves, were enough to warrant another star. I need to watch this again. I feel like the randomness was on purpose, as things were explained in the end.

An Unoffensive Summary:

In the world, there is the not-so-hidden battle between Youmu--monstrous embodiments of humanity's resentment--and the Spirit World Warriors--those people with special powers and the skills to destroy these monsters. When a Youmu dies, it leaves behind a geode, which can then be sold at a Spirit World shop; this is a common way for Spirit World Warriors to make a living. Enter Mirai Kuriyama, a Spirit World Warrior from a cursed clan, and Akihito Kanabara, the immortal half-youmu. The last thing they should do is join the same Literary Club or become friends, yet that is exactly what they do.

Genre:

slice of life/high school/supernatural/action/humor/romance/cute girls/sweaters

Rating:

I’d say this is about TV-13. There's nothing really shocking. Just a little monster gore. The main thing I'd be concerned about when showing this to a younger audience is that there are numerous jokes about people being perverts. And one of the characters has a thing for little-sister characters, which includes his own little sister. But maybe it's subtle enough that it would go over a young audience's head.

 Length:

12 episodes, an "Episode 0" special, and a 3-episode chibi series called Kyoukai no Kanata: Idol Saiban! Mayoi Nagara mo Kimi wo Sabaku Tami.

Is there a good dub?

No dub that I could find.

Where to watch it:

Kissanime.com, animehere.com, crunchyroll.com, and hulu.com

What I thought of it:

There's something heartbreakingly beautiful about this anime and I'll do my best to put it into words.

In my First Look at Beyond the Boundary, I mentioned that, while the first episode opened with the most beautiful scene I had ever seen, the rest of the episode did nothing to attach me to the two main characters. That quickly changed. While Mirai didn't grab me in the first episode, she quickly stole my heart in the next one. Mirai is the ultimate paradoxical character: she is a cute little girl in a sweater and glasses, fluffy hair, and easily upset. Yet she is a warrior from a cursed family, whose power is to bleed and manipulate her own blood into weapons. She comes across as fretting, and yet she is very agile and very skilled, and everyone knows it. If there's a Youmu that the others are worried about beating, they send Mirai after it, because they all know Mirai has the best chance of beating it. 

I found myself getting very attached to Mirai, and as the series progressed, I really felt her pain and could put myself in her shoes, imagining how I would deal with being the "cursed" warrior, of trying to sell enough Youmu cores to make ends meet, or having to kill the one I loved in order to save the world. Mirai is a very well-done character and her cuteness doesn't detract from that; it enhances it.

Moving on to the ending: so many layers of love and sacrifice. First Mirai needs to kill Akihito in order to stop his Youmu side from destroying the world, then she finds a way to absorb the Youmu, herself, and disappear, saving Akihito, then Akihito comes after her, then she disappears anyway, then they're reunited...I missed some stuff in there.

Full Review of Fairy Tail (2009-2013, 2014)

Video source: x

By Writingonmyhand

My Rating:

✭✭✭ Fairy Tail is addictive - I’ve watched almost all of the 200 episodes, skipping only one particularly boring arc. From an objective viewpoint, I’d have to say this is a fairly poorly made show with so-so art, moderately one-dimensional characters, overly complex plots, and slow pacing. But I love it. The characters might be rather flat, yet they are still extremely loveable. Natsu will always win, Happy will continue to be silly, Lucy will end up being useless, and Erza will save the squabbling wizards from themselves every time. Watching them overcome fears and grow is a lot of fun for me. If you like Bleach, you’ll probably like Fairy Tail.

An Unoffensive Summary

Lucy is a young woman who falls in with a magic guild named Fairy Tail. She quickly becomes friends with Natsu, a dragon slayer, and a host of other crazy, magic-wielding folks. The stories focus on the friendships between characters and epic battles as they fight evil wizards and monsters determined to hurt Fairy Tail. Each arc holds a more complicated plot, but that’s basically the premise the entire rests upon.

Length:

This is a little more complicated than it should be, but there are two sections of the show. The first is 175 episodes and ran from 2009-2013. Then, a new part was started this year from where the previous one left off. I’m not entirely certain what the difference is, probably different producers or tv channel or something, but both parts are very similar. Fairy Tail 2014 is ongoing and currently at 16 episodes. I’m reviewing both as a whole, since they are so similar.

Is there a good dub?

There is a dub, but I don’t know if it’s any good. I’m not a fan of dubs, sad snob that I am.

Where I watched it:

Kissanime.com

My Thoughts:

I have so many thoughts and feels about this show, some of which I’ve already expressed in my rating.

First, the main character, Lucy, is generally useless at helping Natsu and the other wizards fight. She’s also pretty annoying and generally detracts from the show. I’m sad the writers didn’t make her more than a blonde with big boobs. Then again, her kindness makes her a good rallying point for the group, so I guess that’s good.

Second, the plot. Each episode tends to take forever to get anywhere – it’s about halfway done by the time combatants finish talking about fighting, much less actually start the battle. Furthermore, many of the big bads and weird magics that come with them are only loosely explained. Some of this might be lost in the adaption from manga to anime, but with so many episodes, I don’t accept that excuse.

Third, like many shounen anime, this show has a number of distracting silly habits that it could easily discard. Happy the flying cat is cute, but his constant yelling of “Aye” gets rather annoying. Lucy has a number of “constellations” that she calls to fight for her, all of which are obnoxious. Basically, if a character is not human, the writers do a poor job integrating it into the rest of the show.

First Look at Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus

Video source: x

By Onearmedshota

Book of Circus is a new spin-off series of Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji). It is the adaptation of an arc from the manga that hadn't been included in the original anime series. As such, the bones of the synopsis for this series follows the rest of the Black Butler story: Ciel Phantomhive and his butler Sebastian are still doing the Queen's bidding as they search for the people who murdered Ciel's parents. In this series, the Queen sends Ciel to investigate a circus that has come into town as there have been rumors of children disappearing.

What I Liked

+ This is my absolutely favorite arc from the manga. In the many many many situations Ciel and Sebastian get themselves into both in the manga and the anime, this was by far my favorite in the manga and tied with the angel arc from the anime (the angel arc is quite magnificent and heart-crushing).

+ I'm going to get to see my favorite character in action! My favorite character in Black Butler is a circus performer named Snake. He never made it into the original series. But now, I get to see him, and he has a voice and he moves and everything. I. Am. So. Excited. Also Joker! I love Joker so much.

+ The art is beautiful. I wasn't expecting such quality, since the second season of the original series had been a step down, art-wise. But Book of Circus is just as shiny--if not more so--than the original series.

+ I was surprised by the music. While the original series had lots of strings and choral pieces, Book of Circus has more of an Irish folk music feel. It was odd at first, but it will complement the circus nicely.

What I Didn’t Like

- The first episode was a little slow. Nothing important really happened; the episode was spent introducing what kind of relationship Ciel and Sebastian have--young aristocrat and demon-butler. I would have liked some more plot.

- As much as I like continuations of my favorite stories, I am always concerned that sequels will ride on the success of the original series rather than make any original headway. It's tempting to just make more of the same, more Ciel being grumpy and Sebastian setting tables at the speed of light, instead of digging into their characters and pasts and everything that makes a story good. Only time will tell how this one fares. The second season was very good, in my opinion, so maybe there's nothing to worry about.

- We only got a glimpse of the circus at the very end! That's not really a negative: it's just me being impatient. 

Number of Episodes

The first episode aired on July 11, 2014, and I assume a new one will air every week. It's supposed to be a full series, so that's 26 episodes maybe?

Will I continue watching? 

Full Review of Sunday Without God (2013)

By Writingonmyhand

My Rating: 

✭✭✭✭ Beautiful art, complex characters, and an intriguing world make this a poignant show with just enough heartbreak. It made me think and laugh and cry. But there are a few jagged edges that keep it from being a favourite.

An Unoffensive Summary:

God abandoned has abandoned the world. Now no one can be born or die. Those who suffer fatal illnesses or injuries face a descent into madness, unless they are buried by a gravekeeper.

Ai Astin is a 12-year-old girl whose mother died at an early age and finds herself tasked with being her village’s gravekeeper. This results in her having an interesting relationship with the concept of death and, while she digs graves for all of the villagers, Ai is devastated by the murder of the villages by a random stranger.

Length:

12 episodes 

Is there a good dub?

I dunno – I’m not a fan of dubs, sad snob that I am.

Where I watched it:

Kissanime.com

My Thoughts:

Sunday Without God is not without its flaws. The anime is too short, leaving holes in the world and the plot which are most likely filled by the manga. Also, the pure adorableness of the main character distracts from the more serious issues this show raises.

That being said, this show raises questions of religion, friendship, family, immortality, and morality. How does one live when everyone around you will eventually die? In fact, what does living truly mean? Is it different to every person and circumstance, or can we make a black and white rule? These questions and more thread throughout the story, helped by characters that are often complex and endearing.

Hello all! Spoiling Everything-desu is getting an upgrade. I would like to introduce you all to a fellow anime connoisseur and good friend of mine, Writingonmyhand!

She is a blogger with fantastic taste in anime, so I decided to rope her into sharing some of that taste with all of you through her own reviews. I am very excited to see what she writes and I hope you are, as well.

Look forward to some fantastic new reviews!

That is all!

Sincerely,

Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus 

airing July 11. KissAnime.com already has a page for it!