The Devil is a Part-Timer! Anime Review

THE DEVIL IS A PART-TIMER SCORE: 8.25

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

The Devil is a Part-Timer is a unique, fun anime that I really enjoyed watching. I would classify it as comedy, slice-of-life with a bit of action and small doses of romance. It had all of the elements necessary to make a great story; however, it was cut short a little soon. Rounding out at just 13 episodes in length, with no second season out yet, that was a bit of a let-down. All of that aside, I still think it’s worth a watch, especially if you consider yourself a casual anime watcher.

Satan, from the underworld, king of evil-doing, is sent through a gate warp from his kingdom of Ente Isla into modern day Tokyo with one of his faithful generals Alciel. The two wander about the streets of Tokyo in human form trying to make sense of their circumstances, when they get mistaken as rambunctious cos-players and get taken into custody by the cops. Through a turn of events, the duo decide to put down roots in Tokyo, as they will be here for the foreseeable future. Satan himself, going by Sadao Maou in this world, gets a part time job as “Lord of the Fries!” at Mc “Ronald’s.” Thus, the title, “The Devil is a Part-Timer.” If I had to compare the concept of the show to something else, it’s like the comedy “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy. People from a totally different world coming to the modern world and trying to get by. Heck, they even both get part-time jobs at McDonald’s!

PROS

The Devil is a Part-Timer made me laugh. It was a funny show and the characters were quite comical. Each character displays their own unique type of comedy whether it be dry humor, sarcasm, slap-stick, rude humor, dumb accident and even cutesy humor, which makes a well-rounded cast perfect for a comedic and casual show such as this. Additionally, most of the characters were very like-able, which makes you care enough about their plights to watch the show.

A lot of the humor also came from the circumstances the characters were put in. The situation of coming to modern day Tokyo, being Satan, being an angel, being a devil’s general, etc, humor comes from that. The setting and circumstance make for a unique show. Especially since things go in such a way that you don’t expect. The devil turning out to be a nice, happy-go-lucky guy who freaks out if he is even a little late to his part-time fast food job.

Lastly, I want to commend the animation and voice acting. I think it was superb. (I watched this in English Dub) Particularly, the language that they used for Ente Isla, while it was a fake language, it sounded extremely convincing!

CONS

As for cons of this series, I don’t have a lot really. Most tie in to the show’s length. I’m aware that the show is originally a light novel, so I know there is probably more content than what we were given. I am hoping that there is a season two! For example, the love triangle (ish) thing that forms between the Hero Emi, Satan, and one of his Mc Ronald’s employees Chiho was really interesting and I wanted to see how it all played out. That said, the show had a satisfying enough ending, but I wanted to see more.

Lastly for cons, the intro was super boring, and I skipped it every single time. It could have been better selected.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All and all, The Devil is a Part-Time is a solid comedy anime. All things considered, I have awarded it an 8.25 out of 10. If you are looking for a casual and fun show to watch by yourself or with friends, I highly recommend The Devil is a Part-Timer!

Dangan Ronpa: The Animation Anime Review

DANGAN RONPA: THE ANIMATION: SCORE 10.0

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

Yes, I know what your thinking, "Really?! A PERFECT Ten?!" Especially those of you who have played the visual novel; I'm sure you're really mad right now. But, it's true, I did not find flaws with this anime. I am judging it as a stand alone, and not comparing it to the game. I strongly believe that if you have not played the game and just watch the anime, you will love it. If you have played the game, I'm sure it's not as much to write home about considering it's basically the same story with less character development. Standing on its own though, it is really, really good. Dangan Ronpa is just an all around good story and franchise.

This is a mystery, horror (not "gore-or") anime with some psychological elements that will keep you glued to the screen episode after episode in suspense. We are introduced to a boy named Naegi who is excited to start his life in a new and prestigious school he worked quite hard to get in to. However, as he takes his very first step into the promise land, everything goes completely blank. He then wakes up in an iron clad classroom completely alone with no reach to the outside world. Over the intercom, he hears to meet in the gym. In the gym he convenes with 14 other young hopefuls who are just as confused and mystified as he. Then a creepy looking bear pops up.. to explain their fate. All 15 young captives are stuck in this school forever. Unless, they commit the perfect murder to one of their cohabitants. Once the corpse is found, the students have 24 hours to investigate, and then the trial begins. If the students can guess correctly who the murderer was, it is not the perfect crime, and so the murderer is executed in extravagant fashion in front of the jury. However, if they pin the murder on the wrong person, all of them die except the correct murder who walks away clean with their new-found freedom...

PROS

Dangan Ronpa has one of the best story lines I have ever scene, executed perfectly, keeping the truth behind the school a complete mystery until the very end. It has all of the elements needed for a great mystery. I can't give away too much more about the story line, as it would completely kill (no pun intended) the show for you. So let's jump into characters. Every character has something "super" about them that makes them special, such as being good at a sport, hobby, or way of life. There are only a few characters who get decent development along the way, but the ones who do are worth it. &While there isn't a ton of development for every character, it almost doesn't matter at all in this type of show. It's clear from the start that one character will be making it to the end - Naegi of course, our MC. The best thing about this though, is that we don't know who else is going to make it with him. We can't form any attachments to anyone, but that doesn't matter, because the audience has more fun figuring out who will be executed next. Which brings us to another pro, the trials.

Who will commit the next murder? What will their motives be? Who will they try to pin it on? All questions are raised when a new corpse is found. As the captives scrounge the scene for clues, the clock ticks until trial. Trials are the best part of this show, and if you aren't hooked by the first episode, you will be by the first trial. Every single time, I did not know who the murder was, and it was impossible to guess until the characters started bringing things to light and pin pointing evidence, which made it extremely interesting to hear, and in fact, even see. The visuals for the trial periods were insanely good, and made the atmosphere just right. Speaking of, all of the visuals were great in this anime. The art style was super unique and the horror style was too. Although the whole color pallet was turned dark for the animation, all blood was bright pink. I don't know what else to say about that, besides that it worked.

Lastly, the ending was gold. You will not see it coming, and it isn't disappointing in the least. The extravagance and trickery behind the school is shockingly satisfying to finally hear laid out after 10 or so episodes of wondering. Which brings us to the only (somewhat not really) flaw that I have tacked on at the end here: the show is short. If it were a full 24 episodes, I think it would have been even better.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I'm sure you may have guessed by the lack of cons and rest, Dangan Ronpa earned a perfect 10 out of 10! Mysterious, Enthralling, Can't Get Enough horror and adventure. A classic toil between hope and despair. A must watch.


Watched on: Dubs2go.net

NEW Let's Play: Amnesia Memories

Welcome to a world you know nothing about.. Waking up with Amnesia, you have no choice left to go along with whatever you see and take it for face value. Your spirit guide Orion will help you along the way as you enter the first world - Heart World. This Otome has an anime adaptation, which I have reviewed here.

Thank you for watching <3

SoniAni: Super Sonico the Animation Anime Review

SoniAni: Super Sonico the Animation Score: 8.00

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

Super Sonico the Animation is a light-hearted, kawaii, slice of life, comedy series spanning just 12 episodes that was released last year. The show surrounds around Super Sonico, basically depicting a year in her busy and fun life. Most episodes begin with her over sleeping, finally to be woken up by her six little kittens; she dashes off to University on her bike where she is a Marine Biology Major. After school, it's off to her part-time modeling gigs, where the photographers near always try to take advantage of Sonico's naivety, leaving her mysterious yet over-protective manager to have to step in. After that, she helps her out at her grandma's restaurant serving beers to the lively regulars. Finally, she ends the day with band practice because she is, of course, the lead singer and guitarist in First Astronomical Velocity with her two best friends. Wasn't kidding when I said busy right? Now throw events, helping others, and mishaps in the mix for a real whirlwind of a day!

PROS

This series really took me by surprise, as it was surprisingly quite enjoyable! Let me preface this by saying I typically find it difficult to enjoy a series with no romance. This series was straight up fluffy, slice of life, comedy with no romance, and it was still quite good! I also find it hard to get through series with fan service, and this show pushed it a little bit in that respect - yet it wasn't a road block for this series in my opinion! To me, this was easy-going entertainment. My favorite thing about this show was just watching it's super kawaii-ness.

The lifeline of the show is its interesting characters, and that's all you really have to go off of in an SL/comedy since there isn't a clear story line. Each one had a unique and dynamic personality that was never one-sided. Everyone had angles and more to them than an arch-type. Of course, there is the main character Sonico who is the cheery and fun type of girl. The show is seen through her eyes, and I did like her a lot. I found her to be very amiable; We definitely get to see her grow, which is great. Some stand-out side characters I will mention are Sonico's band mates, her manager, and the upperclassman who gave Sonico her guitar. Sonico's band mates are Suzu and Fury; Suzu is the super confident bassist and band founder who always looks out for Sonico and Fury, while Fury is the food-obsessed drummer always eating pork buns and providing comic relief. All three of them had great chemistry when together, especially in the zombie episode! Then, there is Sonico's manager Kitamura, who we never see the real face of, as he is always wearing a demon mask. I found him to be particularly funny and kind-hearted. His best moments being in the Okinawa episodes. I also really enjoyed the episode where Sonico receives her guitar, Daydream. She receives it from an upperclassman who is really cool and in to rock and roll. She gets Sonico to be who she is today and brings out her confidence. It was very heart-felt, and I think any guitar/ music fan would enjoy it. Also as honorable mentions, the few people Sonico meets throughout the episodes and helps have really interesting mini stories and personalities.

Last, let's talk animation; stellar. The colors were popping off the screen, but not too much so. The character designs were on point, and the intro and endings were great. Specifically, the endings, as they were quite unique. At the end of each show, it was a different full blown music video for one of Sonico's songs. Some of my favorites were when she was a giant walking through Tokyo, and the zombie apocalypse one! On that note, the music was really nice, and voice acting on par. I will note, if you watch the English Dub, her speaking voice isn't going to match her singing voice at all as they keep the music the same, sung in Japanese. I liked the music that way, so it didn't bother me, but just as a heads up.

CONS

As for the cons, there are only a few. First, I would have liked if there was more of a story-line, so that a season two could be feasible. Many of the episodes were quite random, lacking in backstory and connection. For example, there is one episode in which Sonico takes a "soul searching" journey with no real destination in mind, and it comes totally out of the blue. You're left confused, and it was honestly a pointless episode, which is really bad if the show is only 12 episodes long. Sometimes episodes came out of the blue in a good way, but not always. 

Additionally, there are a few cons with Super Sonico herself. For one, why does she sleep, bathe, and live every waking moment with head phones on? It makes no sense. I don't mind it; however, it would have been nice to be given an explanation. I think, it's because she is a vocaloid, but this is never determined; no one even seems to notice. The only other issue I think people may have with her is that her life, and she herself, are a unrealistic. I think that's part of what makes it fun though.

Lastly, because I am a die-hard romance fan, I was super disappointed that there was nothing between her and her manager Kitamura. I felt like there was something when he protected her in the Okinawa episode, but nothing ever resurfaces after that. Big let down.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All and all Soni-Ani: Super Sonico the Animation was quite the enjoyable anime. It especially impresses me because of it's genre. Thus, I have awarded it an 8 out of 10! If you like girly, fun shows, and are okay with no romance, then give this a watch! I hope that they make a season two!

NEW Let's Play: My Last First Kiss

I'm so excited to announce another new series on my channel! It's "My Last First Kiss." &I am excited because this is Voltage's newest game so far (Butlers Until Midnight premiers next month), so this one is top notch, with more songs, better animation, and backgrounds. I thought at first it would be too similar to "Dreamy Days in West Tokyo," which is a really good Visual Novel, but rest assured "My Last First Kiss" is completely different, the only similarity being adorable childhood flash backs! It starts out with a dramatic flashback. You confess your one-sided love to Hiro in the poring rain. Rejected, your childhood friend Ayato is by your side to cheer you up. Flash forward to six years later, none other than Hiro himself is the head of your new work project... could it have been written in the stars? Unfortunately for you, it's not so likely.. However, Lady Luck may still be on your side yet as you re-unite with 5 childhood friends on the rooftop. Will one of these men be your Last First Kiss?

As a final note, I will still be continuing Be My Princess - switching off between the two each day for those of you who aren't in to Prince/Princess stuff. Hope that's okay- Enjoy lots of new videos coming your way! <3

Traveling to Japan: Japanese Money & “How Much is this?”

Hello Everyone! Finally another blog post on Japanese Language/ Culture. This time, I am going to teach you how to ask how much something is in Japanese, as well as how to understand the response - Keep this guide handy if you’re traveling to Japan anytime soon, it will be quite useful!

First things first, when you hold something up and want to ask the shop keeper, “How much is this?” here is what you say:

これ　は　いくら　ですか?  Or “Kore Wa Ikura Des Ka?” 

** In case you are unfamiliar with how the Japanese pronounce the English alphabet, here is a more phonetic spelling for you “Co-ray  wa  Ee-coo-ra des Kah?” **


Congratulations! Now you can ask anyone how much something is. However, when they respond, you may notice they don’t say how much “Yen” it is, but rather how much “En.” That’s right, we westerners just refer to their money system as yen, but really there is no “Y,” it’s just En. 

Another random Fun Fact! I thought in Japan they referred to their country as Japan like we do, but it’s actually “日本” or “Nihon.” Really surprised me when I first found out.

Now, rather than teaching you the whole numbers system and how it works just to know the clerks response, I will teach you numbers 1-9 and the word for “1,000.” This should cover most of your bases for 90% of what you will buy.

1. “Ichi” 
2. “Ni”
3. “San”
4. Can be said as “shi” or “yon”
5. “Go”
6. “Roku”
7. Can be said as “ShiChi” or “Nana”
8. “Hachi”
9. Can be said as “Que” or “Ku”
10. “Jew”
1,000. “Sen”

Now, the formula is the same as English. So for Two Thousand, you just say the Japanese word for Two and the Japanese word for Thousand, so as you probably have guessed, if something is 2,000 yen, it will be said as “Ni Sen En.” Just put the pieces of the puzzle together. Additionally, If you are wondering why there are two ways of saying some of the numbers.. Well, so am I. That’s kind of just the way it is. Sorry!

Moving on to reading written tags on items or signs. Luckily for you, even though there are kanji characters for each number and they are spoken differently than in English, they are actually written in English. So a price tag will (99% of the time) say something like “5,000¥.” 

Therefore, all that’s left to learn is the conversion rate, and a trick for quick calculating in your head! So for most accurate results, multiply 5,000 by .0083, which comes out to $41.50 USD. However, the trick is, if you don't have a calculator on hand, move the decimal twice. It will be just slightly less than that number. So for 5,000 yen, it’s just a little less than $50 bucks. 

Lastly, It's important to know that Japan is still very much a cash society, so don't expect everyone to accept your card! More side notes, the after-tax price is what you see displayed. In Japan, it is required to show the tax-inclusive price. So don't worry about trying to add that in. It's a flat 8% if you're wondering, which will be increased to 10% in April of 2017.

There you have it, now you can ask how much something is, and know the response for anything between $10 - $90 USD. Don’t forget to say “Arigato Gozaimas!”

Shuffle! Anime Review

SHUFFLE! SCORE: 8.5

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

It's actually rather quite difficult to say what Shuffle! is actually about. It's one of those shows that episode after episode, you really don't see what's coming and just have to be along for the ride! I will say the obvious about it, it's ecchi at times and a classic Harem anime in which all of the girls magically love the main male protagonist, and it is basically his destiny to have story archs with each of these girls. There was a bit of a unique twist to this show though, in the world that our main character Rin lives in, gods and demons live among the humans. However, the odd part about this is, that this isn't really even a focal point. It's just kind of the way it is. The show starts out as a happy-go-lucky show about adorable girls infatuated with the average but sweet male protagonist, but slowly transitions into a dramatic romance series with an intensely dark side to it. I can promise you this, by around episode 18 or 19, you won't know what the hell just happened.

PROS

As I touched on in the intro, Shuffle! has the element of surprise on its side. It's not done in the typical shocking way, but rather, it's just very unexpected. This is something truly enjoyable about the series, and not to be overlooked. It's honesty what made me want to keep watching the show, since harems aren't super interesting for girls to watch normally.

In addition to that, I also really enjoyed the setting, character designs, and character growth in this anime. The setting of a normal everyday school that also happens to have gods and demons, was quite cool and it almost made it seem like this was a feasible thing. I actually liked how they down-played this aspect and focused on comedy, romance, and drama instead. Additionally, the character designs were top notch. All of the girls were super cute looking, and I wanted all of their clothes! You have Sia, the spunky and girly Princess to the Gods who is always hitting her father (king of the gods) over the head for saying stupid things and embarrassing her "Dad shut up!" Narine, the Princess of the Demon world, was also a fun character who couldn't cook anything other than an omelet, and makes Rin omelets all the time; she had a really interesting back story too! Then we have, Kaede, who has lived with Rin since her parents died and always cooks and cleans for him, and the reason why and her back story, blew my mind, it was really unexpected! Then, there is Asa, the sort of Yankee-ish girl who is good friends with Rin, but is always sick; again, when we find out why she is sick, that also will blow your mind. Then we have Primula (Rimu), my favorite girl! She is the loli type. She is a little bit younger than the rest, she's a demon, and a secret experiment in the demon world. She's just so kawaii! It is really surprising to see how much development each of the girls get even with only 24 episodes. The character development is seriously commendable, as all of the girls have inner conflicts resolved and change as people by the end.

I also want to add, that as the series continues, you can see why all of the girls like Rin so much. Once they get to Kaede's story arch, I really saw it. I thought, wow, this guy really is a great person. &They actually have him pick a girl! I gotta say, I was surprised.

Lastly, I appreciated the touches they gave the show that added production value and detail. For example, in between scenes on happy and fun episodes, there was an adorable little cat that shot a beam out of his hands, while on more dramatic episodes they had an ecchi/drama type scene divider. The music in this anime also stood out to me. It wasn't anything crazy, but the opening song and filler songs were all really nice. One of the elevator music type songs I even downloaded. It also goes without saying that the artwork was really good. I enjoyed the art style a lot and it was consistently good excluding the last episode's animation which I will get to in the cons. 

CONS

First off for the cons, this show was a tad bit all over the place. I couldn't decide whether I watched something light-hearted, or impossibly deep. Whether I watched a happy and cute show, or a dark and depressing show. It skipped around between the two, and it confused me. Pretty much the whole first half of the show is very fluffy, ecchi, cute, nice harem, and then BAM deep dark storyline ensues; then, it does a little tango between light and dark the rest of the way. It even has some lulls of boring, which is never good for an entertainment medium.

Next, I have a small problem with our leading man Rin. He is a bit clueless. It's almost irritating at times. He doesn't seem to even notice the way girls around him feel, aside from the girl he ends up choosing, which comes to the bigger problem - I didn't really like her all that much. She wasn't my favorite, and probably because she gets the least development. After he picks her and says he loves her, then she gets some development, but not really romantically with Rin, more inwardly. I just don't see how he fell in love with her so fast, when he spent so much more time with the other girls. Which leads me in to my next con.. All of the girls decide to continue to pine after him, even though he already chose one. What is that?! They don't get to move on with their lives? Irritating.

Lastly, I was sooooooooooooooo disappointed with the animation of the last episode. It's like all of the animation staff got sick, so amateurs did the whole thing. People would be talking without their lips moving. The art style was slightly less detailed and kind of had a different feel to it. It was a major let down.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All and all, this was a surprisingly good harem anime, with a unique take. I enjoyed myself watching it and would recommend it. It can get a bit dark towards the end, and sad, but if you like major drama, this show delivers! All said, taking it's shortcomings into account, I give Shuffle! an 8.5 out of 10! I'd say try it out, disclaiming you should be at least older than 16 and be alright with ecchi/harem style anime. It definitely is unique, and I haven't seen anything else like it.

NEW LET'S PLAY SERIES: Be My Princess

❤BE MY PRINCESS❤

Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with my first series [Metro PD Close to You] and requesting more videos. Since Metro PD only has one or two more parts left, I have made the prologue video for a new play through series "Be My Princess." 

As an exchange student in Charles Kingdom, we are walking about to see the sights. Through a turn of events while walking the streets, we meet six royals.. except we have no idea they are royals until watching them descend the royal steps at a ball! After that, we have the choice to dance with one of these dashing princes. The prince on which we decide, will be the one that we carry out a story with. I have narrowed down the choices to either Prince Edward or Prince Wilfred - Cast your votes now!

So far we are all tied up, comment here, on the video, or on my G+ post to change the score! <3

Uta no Prince Sama – Serious Love 1000% Anime Review

Uta no Prince Sama – Serious Love 1000% Score: 7.0

INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS

Uta no Prince Sama was announced to have a 4^th season recently, so I figured it must be a pretty good reverse harem to get so many seasons! So, I watched the first season over the weekend and will give you my thoughts. I think it is a good reverse harem/ shoujo; it’s poppy and fun. The animation is bright and great for both romance and comedy elements of the story. However, the story line wasn’t at all what I was expecting from the title! I was expecting to see some Princes and a Princess, but wasn’t too disappointed to find out it was about students in a school for Pop Idols & Composers. The concept is interesting enough, though the story line be somewhat typical and unimaginative.

A young girl with striking yellow eyes has played the piano since a young age with her Grandmother. One day, she visits the busy streets of Tokyo; distressed and disheveled from all of the noise, a single voice seemingly calls out to her from the mega-tron above - Hayato. The famous Idol sings so beautifully, that she is touched and determined to compose music for him one day. Now college age, she decides to take a chance, and apply to a prestigious Idol & Composer school to fulfill this dream. Although she is late to her admissions test, several handsome young Idol-to-be’s plead her case to the guards, as they saw her helping a young girl on her way. With such a noble reason for her tardiness, she gains access, passes the test, and her new life begins!

PROS

The first thing I noticed, in a positive light, about this anime was the animation. It’s very bright and poppy, which fits the theme and premise perfectly. Then, it throws in comic relief animation changes for good measure. Additionally, the setting sucks you in; they were very smart about this. Since this is a shoujo, they clearly play on the fact that most girls dream about being near idols and going to fancy schools. Once they’ve established the brilliant dreamland, they suck you in further with quirky and fun characters. Typically, in a reverse harem or even a standard harem, the main character has a very typical personality, while in contrast, all of the counterparts she meets are very lively and unique – Uta no Price Sama is no exception. The guys all have dynamic personalities that draw you to them. For example, one of them loves cute things and drinking tea, but when you remove his glasses he turns in to a hardcore rage monster! In addition, side characters, such as the President of the school, also have fun and unique characteristics. The President has a very boisterous and slapstick personality, and they also had a teacher who is a cross-dressing popular idol. All of this made for an entertaining environment.

The show had a light-hearted feel about it that made for easy viewing and a good casual watch. They built bonds with each of the characters well, and I truly did feel like they were all good friends. By the end, you do care about the well-being of the characters, which says good things for the character development. Lastly, the opening and ending themes were well-done and catchy.

CONS

One of the major cons that I have for this show is the music. I know, I just said I liked the opening and ending themes! They were good, but as you would imagine from a show about Idols and composers, there was a lot more to the musical score than that. Sometimes the music was boring or unlikable, which is not good for a show revolving around musical performances. There were times that I felt “wowed” by the animated performances, but more often than not, it was lack luster.

Another con for me kind of starts to spill over to the second season (which I have only seen 3 episodes of) so I can't count it too much towards the total score. However, towards the end of season 1, a magical god of music “Cecil” appears to Haruka in a dream-like state. It was weird, and didn’t fit with the show in my opinion. I could forgive it, except he ends up becoming a main character in season 2… and I really just don't like him. I’ll leave it at that.

Lastly, I was disappointed in the fact that Haruka doesn’t pick a guy. I have no idea if she does in later seasons (I hope so!), but there was this point where you really thought she would have to make a choice (I was rooting for Hayato or the red haired guy whose name I forget) and she just doesn’t. Instead it’s a happy dream-land, I pick all of you, kind of end. What’s worse, this is a game based anime. In the game, you would pick someone, so I feel like she should have to in the anime. This happened in brothers conflict as well, which irritated me so much!

FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, I did enjoy myself when watching Uta no Prince Sama. Additionally, I have to think about the fact that this may be intended for a younger audience, which explains most of its downfalls. Therefore I have awarded Uta no Prince Sama – Serious Love 1000% a score of 7 out 10! Not bad at all really, but you would get the most enjoyment, I think, if you are a younger girl who fangirls over idols. (: