Friday, 3 May 2013

This is my harem!!! Part 2!! (Seitokai No Ichizon Lv.2 review)



Opening songs
OP 1 - Precious (Heikyoh Gakuen Seitokai Lv.2)

 Ending songs
Too many ending songs~~~

 Genre: Comedy, Slice of life

 Episodes: 10

Well I never thought "Seitokai No Ichizon" would get a second season. Remember when I reviewed the first season, 3 freaking years ago? When I was but an inexperienced blogger? Yeah, that was the one, and I shit you not, I really did not expect there to be a second season, a whole 4 years after its predecessor. I didn't exactly feel very excited for it, but I sure was happy to make a return to this series. Since its a whole 4 years after the first season, there were changes to the seiyuus for some of the characters, but it didn't really matter TOO much, because those characters that had seiyuu changes still sounded good (Chizuru and Mafuyu). Since this is technically a super late sequel, those who enjoyed the first season should find this one good as well.



Sexy Chizuru is still sexy.

 Like in the first season, the opening song is sang by the seiyuus of the 4 important female leads. This time, the song is called "Precious", and really, there's nothing much to it. It may be a different song overall, but it sounds almost like "Treasure", which was the opening song of season 1. I stated that I liked "Treasure" all those years ago, but I guess I've grown past those types of songs, since "Precious" isn't all that great to me at this point of time.

Rating: 7.5/10

It's the same thing, and even after seeing it again in 3 years, you can tell that they came into this with almost the same mind set. Its still hilarious to watch, but it feels like we've seen some of this before. Our four heroines are still unique in each of their own ways, and its funny to see them torture our poor hero all the time, teasing him like its an everyday chore. The concept of the entire anime is still about a group of 5 students, sitting in the student council room and discussing about pointless stuff which eventually leads to nothing. Eventually the anime introduces some characters which were never explained about in the first season, which is good, since there were some loose ends they had to tie. 



Well, yeah, get out of  here.

Sugisaki Ken is still the kid that gets all the ladies. He is the only guy in the student council, surrounded by 4 other beauties that he claims are part of his harem. Following the events of season 1, they still sit int he club room all day thinking of proposals to better improve their image, to no avail of course. All they do are fool around in the club, making fun of each other. Ken still likes to admire his female counterparts, ogling them and fantasizing about situations that would never happen, while all of the girls tease him about his pervertic personality. Kurimu is still president, Chizuru is still sadistic, Minatsu is still violent as all hell and Mafuyu still remains as the helpless gaming otaku that goes crazy over BL stuff. You know you have a crazy lineup for this with those characters.
"Seitokai No Ichizon Lv.2" wasn't really a sequel that was needed. It didn't do much to improve the franchise, but it was still good to watch. They could have ended the franchise during its original run, but I won't complain. The ending is perfect for what it was, and manly tears were shed that day (not literally, but still). "Seitokai No Ichizon" was locked deep in my memories as a ridiculous, funny, yet likable anime, with the coming and going of season 2, that memory has been strengthened. 
Peace.

Thursday, 2 May 2013

Taking down gods with them sexy bitches! (Campione review)



Opening songs
OP 1 - Brave blade (Megu Sakuragawa)

 Ending songs
ED 1- Raise (Yui Ogura)

 Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

 Episodes: 13

With the recent movie reviews, we finally get back to some normal anime series'. "Campione" is another one of those harem action/adventure animes that has ALWAYS caught my attention, especially the really good ones (kind of like "Freezing" and "Omamori Himari"). I don't really need to say much, if you'd usually watch this kind of anime, you would already know what to expect. However, "Campione" takes on an interesting concept about god slaying, putting a lot of mythical history into play, which can actually get pretty awesome at times. Plus, its got fan service, good, solid fan service. I mean, what's a harem without any? Its a pity this isn't as popular as it could be.



You all would probably expect me to post a swimsuit related fan art, you were right.

The anime has one opening song and one ending song, like most short animes do. The opening song is "Brave blade" by Megu Sakuragawa. Its not anything unique that I haven't heard before, but it gets the job done for an anime like this. Its got a slight epic feel to it, it synchs and fits well when played with the pretty good opening animations, so I do find myself grooving to it at times. The ending song is "Raise" by Yui Ogura, and while its not another one of those slow paced boring ending themes, Yui Ogura's super cute/lolicon voice just doesn't suit it very well in my opinion. 

Rating: 8.0/10

Yeah its just another one of those tons of anime that I end up loving. I mean, its harem, harem with a good plot, story, fan service and action! Its bound to draw someone like me in! What's better than something with action and boobs? That's right, nothing. "Campione" takes us on a journey through slaying gods, and it has tons interesting situations that just draw so much interest. Each of the girl's background stories are pretty interesting, and they all contribute to the action in some way, so it doesn't make them feel useless. Plus, its another one of those shows that the main characters aren't completely WEAK and require a bunch of girls to protect his ass. At least its not that way. Its too bad that they didn't reveal more of the campiones though, because I was REALLY starting to get interested when they ended it.



I'm sure many would react different to a drunk, sexy girl lying down unconscious on her bed
wearing only her underwear. 

"Campione" tells the tale of another high school kid, by the name of Kusanagi Godou. One day, he was sent to England to return a tablet that was in the possession of his grandfather. On the way, he was stopped by a young beauty by the name of Erica, and she claimed to be in an order of knights. She said that the tablet that Godou carried was dangerous, and indeed, weird stuff started happening on that very day. Huge monsters attacked, and a god by the name of Verethragna assaulted another god. With two gods battling it out, Godou decided that something had to be done...with the power of the tablet he wielded. With the help of Erica, Godou defeats the rouge god Verethragna, and earns the title of a Campione, a god slayer. 
"Campione" is probably another anime that guys would love. Boobs and good old fashioned combat would draw many in already, but "Campione" really has an interesting touch to it, using mythical legends to make it all the more exciting. They could easily continue the series, as they really haven't introduced and or explained a whole bunch of stuff, but if they were to do a second season, I wouldn't mind one bit.
Peace.

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Seiyuus - Who you need to know

Many times when you play video games or watch anime, do you wonder who are the voices behind your favorite characters? Do you sometimes realize that this certain character sounds a lot like this one other character you saw before? When you look them up in wiki and realize that they were voiced by the same person you will go "Ah, no wonder that voice seemed familiar". Then you look at that voice actor's history of voiced characters, and when you see a lot of characters you know, you will go "HOLY SHIT".
This my friends, are the power of the seiyuus. Without them our characters wouldn't be half as memorable, be it in a good or bad way. These talented people give characters in games and anime life, and give otherwise lifeless characters a form of impact. I will do a series of posts describing seiyuus I like now and then, but for today, these are my favorites, and the ones that YOU, should know.



Kana Hanazawa



She is the queen of moe. I freaking loved her voice ever since I first saw her role of Kanade as the "Kuudere" kind of character but after discovering more of her characters I just fell in love. She is like the manifestation of moe itself, voicing characters like Mayuri (Steins;Gate), Shiemi (Ao no Exorcist) and Kobato (Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai). She also does well with kuudere voices, such as characters like Kanade (Angel Beats), Sophie (Tales of Graces F), Kuroneko (Oreimo), Anri (Durarara!) and Black rock shooter (Black rock shooter - The anime). Finally, lets not forget the sexy ones like Charlotte (Infinite Stratos) and Rana (Freezing).
Characters  from left to right 

 1st row: Kanade (Angel Beats), Sophie (Tales Of Graces F), Kuroneko (Oreimo), Kobato (Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai), Mayuri (Steins;Gate)

 2nd row: Ayase (Guilty Crown), Shiemi (Ao No Exorcist)

 3rd row: Mikan (To-Love Ru), Charlotte (Infinite Stratos), Black Rock Shooter (Black Rock Shooter), Anri (Durarara!), Rana (Freezing)



Jun Fukuyama



BOW DOWN TO YOUR TRUE KING!
Honestly I do not watch most of the stuff or play most of the games in which he voices for, but TBH, it doesn't really matter all that much. He is Lelouch Vi Britannia. THE LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA. KING, AND RIGHTFUL RULER OF THIS WORLD! Honestly though, his voice is just bad ass to no regard,  he fits the roles of tyranic and badass people, inclusive of Lelouch (Code Geass) and Maximillian (Valkyria Chronicles). He has done cool voices like Shinra (Durarara!), or can go full retard silly mode, like Torii (Kyokai Senjou Horizon) and Sado (MM!). Or he can full a high voice and go kid mode, Kyle (Tales of Destiny 2) and Onion knight (Dissidia:Final Fantasy) style!
Characters from left to right

 1st row: Kyle (Tales Of Destiny 2), Onion Knight (Dissidia:Final Fantasy)

 2nd row: Torii (Kyokai Senjou Horizon), Shinra (Durarara!)

 3rd row: Sado (MM!), Maximillian (Valkyria Chronicles)

 Center: Lelouch (Code Geass)



 Miyuki Sawashiro



If Kana Hanazawa is the voice of moe, Miyuki Sawashiro is the voice of womanly sexiness. Most of her characters have this pseudo deep voice that makes them sound INCREDIBLY sexy, and while many say she lacks variety in her voices, HER VOICE SHE USES THE MOST SHOULD STAY. I'm talking about the sexy voice, for characters like Makoto (Devil Survivor 2:The Animation), Milla (Tales of Xillia), Seri (K),  Canaan (CANAAN), Inaba (Kokoro Connect) and a little bit of Kanbaru (Bakemonogatari). She proves that she can voice young boys with Carl (Blazblue), and we all gotta love that cocky, "Ojou-sama" tone with characters like Shinku (Rozen Maiden), Perrine (Strike Witches) and Elizabeth (Persona 3).
Characters from left to right

 1st row: Makoto (Devil Survivor 2), Milla (Tales Of Xillia), Seri (K), Carl (Blazblue)

 2nd row: Shinku (Rozen Maiden), Perrine (Strike Witches), Canaan (CANAAN), Death Master (Black Rock Shooter)

 3rd row: Inaba (Kokoro Connect), Kanbaru (Monogatari series), Elizabeth (Persona 3)



Takahiro Sakurai






This dude. This, dude. He has, easily, one of the most bishounen voices ever, and the thing is, he's pretty much everywhere. He has practically only one voice, but he can change his tone well enough to suit different characters. I mean, he can do soft tone badass heroes, characters like Cloud (Final Fantasy 7), Kira (Bleach) and Haseo (.Hack//GU) fit the bill for that. Or he can go all "ORE WA MAMORU MISERU" with Asbel (Tales of Graces F), Megaman X (Megaman X), Faldio (Valkyria Chronicles) and Suzaku (Code Geass). Finally, we have his bishounen voice, which are guys like Sasori (Naruto Shippuden), Kusanagi (K), Matsuyuki (Anohana) and Alcor (Devil Survivor 2:The Animation).
Characters from left to right

 1st row: Cloud (Final Fantasy 7), Asbel (Tales Of Graces F), X (Megaman X series)

 2nd row: Sasori (Naruto Shipuuden), Kira (Bleach), Suzaku (Code Geass), Kusanagi (K)

 3rd row: Matsuyuki (Anohana), Faldio (Valkyria Chronicles), Meme (Bakemonogatari), Haseo (.Hack//GU), Alcor (Devil Survivor 2)



Nana Mizuki



She is the epitome of perfection. While I do not watch a good deal of stuff she is in, I know that she is a well known singer is Japan. She has some AMAZING songs, as well as doing some AMAZING roles in games and anime. She has great diversity in her voices, and its super hard to tell her apart from her characters. She has the high super cute voices like Hinata (Naruto), Collete (Tales of Symphony) and Moka (Rosario + Vampire). Then she has serious voices like Misaki (Darker than Black) and Lan fan (Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood). Then as for the middle ground, we've got Saya (Blood-C) and Tsubasa (Senki Zesshou Symphogear). She has done more, but I haven't watched those (like Magical girl Nanoha).
Characters from left to right

 1st row: Hinata (Naruto), Colette (Tales Of Symphonia)

 2nd row: Moka (Rosario + Vampire), Lan Fan (Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood)

 3rd row: Misaki (Darker Than Black), Saya (Blood-C)

 Center: Tsubasa (Senki Zesshou Symphogear)

There are probably more to come, stay tuned!

Saturday, 27 April 2013

The Witch's House

Gamspot Score: n/a

My Score: 8.0


(+)Pros: - Dark atmosphere that runs throughout the entire game, - Scary at times you least expect it to be, - Variety of different floors and rooms make exploring each one of them refreshing, - Great puzzles, - True ending leaves players a lot more than desired, - Multiple endings.

(-)Cons: - Short, - Well, the true ending might not appeal to everyone, big time.

Gameplay time: Less than 5 hours
Pixel horror RPGs are great. Talented minds in Japan have managed to create these little RPG maker stories that turn out to be complete masterpieces. Thanks to a YouTube let's player "Pewdiepie", I have come to discover some of these, but eventually I went looking for more myself, and played a whole bunch of them (you will see a lot of RPG maker horror games coming to be reviewed soon). Well I'll save the rest for another time, because this game is nuts. Its nuts in a good way, and I can assure it. "The Witch's House" makes sure that players will not want to revisit it ever again, especially if they have seen its true ending. It definitely does well in scaring its players, that's for sure.
There is not much of a story here at first, and most of the pieces only come together at the end. There's certainly not as much story in it as "Ib" had. You play as Viola, a 13 year old young blonde girl that wanders into the forest. She wakes up in the middle of a grass patch after passing out and soon realizes that she can not leave the forest. Without any possible way of exit, her only choice is to enter a huge mansion in the middle of the forest, and of course, we all know...That is the witch's house.


Yep, that's our protagonist.

Being an RPG maker game, the gameplay is as simple as it comes. You run around environments interacting with objects, trying to find items or signs to solve puzzles that prevent you from continuing ahead. Most usually end up with you trying to look for a key to open a door, or an item to pave the way forward. Its similar to "Ib" and "Corpse Party:Blood Covered". The visual style is similar to, since all the games that I mentioned were RPG maker games. "The Witch's House", being a horror adventure, retains a dark atmosphere throughout the game, which will make your hair stand on end. You will never know when something might jump out of a corner to scare the hell out of you, and its a feeling that you will carry throughout the game.


And a scary experience this is. "The Witch's House" carries jump scares and just plain old creepy moments all around. Open a door and suddenly a life-sized toy soldier stands in front of you, shoots you and ends your life. A frog dies and as you leave the room, its ghost appears behind you, and when you re-enter the room, it disappears. The actions you take will take a toll on you during these scary moments. During an early puzzle in the game, you have to cut the limbs of a teddy bear, and a few minutes later into the puzzle, a gigantic teddy bear burst out of the door and attempts to crush you.


Believe me when I say exploring a room in this game is quite scary at times.

As you venture through the witch's house, you will come across a variety of floors and rooms, each with their own unique touch and feel to it. Plus, most floors contain some sort of puzzle, and most rooms have a piece of the puzzle that you will need. You will come across gardens, libraries, study rooms, kitchens, and some parts which you may not usually find in a house. Backtracking is present in the game, but they never feel too tedious as they usually surprise the player with some sort of secret. Like when you take a ladder and a tunnel from a further floor up, you suddenly find yourself in a kitchen at the start of the game, with a new section to explore.


And of course, as expected of a RPG maker game of this caliber, the puzzles are great. Most are well thought out and require multiple pieces to complete. However, most of these are just to find a way to open a door, or just to proceed, though they are still a pleasure to solve and will prove satisfying. The puzzles also feel different from one another, so it won't feel like you're doing the same thing throughout the game at all, which is very important. Also, what's a game like this without multiple endings?



Well its time to GTFO then.

This will be a common point for all RPG maker games, they are short. Yeah, they are all free and we shouldn't complain, but its still something that I should mention. However, it shouldn't get to you as the game itself is great...it just doesn't last long enough and you'll wish that there was more. The one true thing that people may not like about this game is the true ending. I won't spoil anything hear, but its a lot to bear and if you're a weak hearted player, this may tick you in the wrong way. I know I was surprised.


I won't spoil about the true ending of this game, but I will say that it is different from what many would expect. It bears too much of a weight for some players, and it caught me off guard for sure. Its a good and a bad thing. Other than that, the entire game is fantastic. Its a free, RPG maker horror adventure that takes less than 5 hours to complete, but leaves a lot more in your heart after that. You'll like it, because I'm quite sure I loved it.





Happy gaming!

Thursday, 25 April 2013

Hinting at season 3? Why the f**k not? (Strike Witches:The Movie review)



Ending songs
ED 1- Yakusoku no Sora he ~Watashi no Ita Basho~ (Ishida Youko, Dai 501 Tougou Sentou Koukuu Dan)

 Genre: Action, Magic, Science fiction
When I went into the movie for "Strike Witches", I really didn't know what to expect. After finishing season 2 I thought the anime was done for. It was over for me when season 2 ended, as I thought the ending pretty much spelled everything for me. But when I noticed that there was a movie that was actually a direct sequel for the anime, I was puzzled. I was puzzled, but I still was hyped as f**k to watch it. As you all know I really love the franchise, and if they tell me that they are making a movie with my favorite witches in it, why the f**k not?



What a happy family.

There isn't an opening song for the movie, but I won't complain. Instead, we have an ending song with a ridiculously long name. "Yakusoku no Sora he ~ Watashi no Ita Basho~" is sang by Yoko Ishida and the entire cast of the 501st joint witches. It has the same feel as the ending songs from the two anime seasons, so if you've been keeping up, you know what to expect. Its a good song for an ending with the rolling credits, but not much else.
Rating: 8.0/10
I loved the movie, but not as much as the 2 anime seasons. Sure it's got the same great characters and everything else, but I did feel that there was a stronger focus on a new weaker character which wasn't the best idea IMO. We still get to see everyone else, but only in small separate bits and it just doesn't add up as well. Still, it is a movie, so expect some increase in quality. The animation feels more crisp and there is a good amount of CGI going on. Everything from the dog fights to explosions and neuroi appearances seem to have been dealt with nicely. Its surely a worthy improvement for the big screen. 



Oh shit what just happened way over there?

"Strike Witches:The Movie" puts us in the shoes of Miyafuji Yoshika once again. Following the events of the anime series, Yoshika lost her powers to save Sakamoto in the end of season 2, so while the Strike Witches dissembled, Yoshika went back to Fuso to help out in her familt clinic, while the rest of the witches went about to doing their own things, most of them continuing the role of hunting down Neuroi that threaten the land. Yoshika, being one of the heroes that liberated two countries of Neuroi, was well known, and she was offered a chance to study for scholarship overseas. Being escorted by a newbie witch, Shizuka, Yoshika takes out of her country to pursue further studies, where she discovers that the threat of the neuroi has not disappeared, and even without her powers, she does all she can to help pitch into the fight.
What's there to complain? While I do think the movie is slightly weaker than the anime, it still stands as a great film overall. If you like "Strike Witches", you'll like the movie, that goes without saying. There isn't anything here that'd bring the overall experience down, but I'd say that many of the witches we see in the movie don't appear in the anime at all (some belong to manga, other novel spin-offs etc). Plus, it hints at a third season, and while I suspect it will just be season 1 and 2 all over again, I won't be against it XD.

 Peace.



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