Umibe no Onna no Ko

うみべの女の子
(Umibe no Onna no Ko)
"Girl on the Shore"

story/ art: Inio Asano


Its a story of two individuals living an ordinary life in a dull seaside town. They try to fill in the void in each other's life and became "friends with benefits", but the farther they take things, the more complicated their relationship gets. And its starting to affect their lives and those around them.

It is a psychological take on what defines as a real romantic relationship, given that the characters became distrusting because of their past, but what I find interesting are the elements used to further escalate the situation. It may be classified as an erotic work, with the graphic sex scenes, but it was tastefully done, making it the device that intensifies the tension and emotion that is present in the scene.

I love it that this series deviates from the cutesy character design and focuses on the "ordinary girl/ ordinary boy". Their facial features adds the depth of emotion needed to further show the internal struggle these kids are going through. The artist also did an amazing job in combining the almost realistic background with the design of the characters, making nothing seem out of place.

Mujaki no Rakuen

無邪気の楽園
Mujaki no Rakuen
(Paradise of Innocence)

author: Uran (雨蘭)


If you want school life/ slice of life series along the lines of "Kyou no Go no Ni" (Today in Class 5-2), with a mixed premise of "ReLife" and "Toki wo Kakeru Shojou", but more intense than "Kodomo no Jikan", while not as crossing over too much like "Boku no Pico", then the series "Mujaki no Paradise" may just be for you.

Be warned though, there are a lot of lewd and naked scenes concerning 5th graders here. A bit more intense visuals of getting into compromising positions than "Kyou no Go no Ni". Its essentially over sexualization of elementary students.

Its the story of Handa Shouta, a 25 yr old NEET who, after being ridiculed in his class reunion, fell into the school swimming pool, then transported 15 years in the past to his old 5th grader self. He is determined to change his ways with his 15 years of experience while going through life as a 5th grader. But the innocence of his classmates (especially the female ones) gets him in a lot of trouble, and ends up changing the relationships he had in the past as a child.

The art is average for a seinen-style manga (with detailed and above average rated drawings in nude scenes), and the story can be wrapped up with a short series, but what gets me interested is the way the characters started to develop romantic feelings or such, with the main male protagonist being oblivious to it. I wanted to find out how all these changes he made with his life would actually affect his future.

And the various portrayal of children being that innocent about the opposite sex at that age is, in my opinion, exaggerated. Well, it may differ from each individual's upbringing or the environment they were exposed to, but it does make for some funny situations.

The nude scenes may be set up as eye candy for the readers, but the more vulgar ones I think the series can do without.

Okusama ga Seito Kaichou

If watching the large bosoms of petite highschool girl being fondled is your thing, along with many crazy ecchi ways to bring out the 'dere' in cute and sexy 'tsundere' characters, all while having a romantic comedy theme underlying the whole shebang, then the "Okusama ga Seito Kaichou" series is for you.

The lucky bastich, Hayato Izumi, the student council vice-president, is surprised to find out that he is promised to wed the small but voluptuous Ui Wakana, the president of the student council of the same school.

You would think that this is a run of the mill "promised-to-wed-between-two-families" kind of series, but wait... there's more.

Izumi is going through as tough time; finding the arrangement unacceptable, but at the same time, having some sort of feelings for Ui. Trying to keep the fact that they are to be married and living together a secret at school while Ui is getting all jealous with the girls approaching Izumi, which makes her want to announce that fact. Keeping his modesty and composure, with Ui's chastity in mind, while Ui is making all these advances and desire for 'skinship' (or intimacy) in hopes of deepening and progressing their relationship as husband and wife. I wouldn't be surprised if Izumi didn't just dropped dead from aneurysm one day.

Production wise, the series is animated and drawn well as to blend the serious romance parts with the hilarious parts. Although I think there was much attention paid to detail with Ui's breasts, nipples and "underwear over" the nether region fan service, making the audience feel the excitement while watching... really enjoyable R-18 stuff here, border lining to softcore porn. And they have a really catchy opening theme with  "Koi suru Hyoko" by Reika Katakiri

Its a fun series for light viewing and you actually might get around to rooting for Ui to bring their relationship to another level.

Koe de Oshigoto

Kanna Aoyagi is a first year high school student, who just turned sixteen, and was asked to help in her older sister's work in the company by being a voice actor (seiyuu). But her older sister, Yayoi, works in a company that develops "eroge" (erotic games). Kanna ends up embarrassed almost all of the time due to the racy and intense nature of the lines she had to read, and the sounds she had to make in order to make the character believable. She then finds it hard because she had to "be" the character, although she has no experience in love nor sex.

Her innocence is slightly stripped away as co-workers explained certain aspects of the game, involving intimacy and sexual relations... while others still did their best to expound on the subject without getting too graphic or vulgar (like trying to explain to a child), to get her into the right "groove" of voice acting. But it got hilarious when her "sanitized" older sister gets into explaining, making Kanna flustered at every moment.

Its a very funny ecchi-comedy anime, making you giggle most of the time because of the situations Kanna goes through in getting the job done for her sister. But there are the WTF moments where Kanna gets "too much" into the groove... entering a trance like state where she gets a blank look in her eyes while doing erotic voices and moans, licking and slurping, and climaxing... literally.

You also get to familiarize yourself with the underlying aims and hardships of voice acting, whatever the genre (I should know... I tried out once to dub for a major network and failed miserably).

The character design and animation production is average... very nicely done, but suits the theme of the anime very well. The two-episode OAV handles the pacing of the story very well, leaving no dull moment, without sacrificing the flow of the story, and not spreading the plot out too thin.

I would recommend this one for light viewing, but due to some hentai scenes imagined by Kanna (although censored), a bit of restraint is advised.

teeheeeee

Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru

 

Everywhere in the world, everyone is hounded by decisions they need to make. And those decisions can affect them either in the near present, or for their whole lives. This is the premise of the story of "Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru" (I swear, there anime titles gets more outrageous from time to time) , or  "My Mental Choices are Completely Interfering with my School Romantic Comedy".

In the series, a not so normal high school student by the name of Kanade Amakusa is inflicted with a rare disorder called the "Absolute Choice" syndrome. Its where extreme choices are set in his head and he has no choice but to choose or else he experiences an  excruciating migraine or headache. The choices are between "licking a porn magazine" or "sniffing a porn magazine"... or ... "stripping upper garments" or "Stripping his lower garments". Either way, He embarrasses himself and causes a lot of misunderstandings ever to those close to him. One day, after deciding that a girl should fall from the sky, a sort of airhead angel falls on him and proclaims herself as a helper to Kanade so he can get rid of his curse.

Each episode focuses on a choice or mission a certain "god" instructs Kanade to do so he can be free from the curse. And like a peek into the parallel universe... within the multiverse theory, there is a cute epilogue of what could have been... if the choice was different than the one chosen for the episode. A laughable bit but a cool "Inception" like outcome in the end.

A short series close to a harem love comedy, this is good also for casual viewers and moe character specific lovers alike. It has an average style of animation and character design, with a complete range of anime girl stereotypes represented in the group. Tsunderes, airheads, energetic ones, weird ones, shy ones, academic types. All of them developed feelings for Kanade because of his curse, which is cute in some ways, in terms of character development. But be prepared for some twist in at least one of the characters, as she is not as she appears to be. She seems to hide her true self, and has an interest in Kanade for some hidden agenda.

I definitely recommend this series as a light viewing anime... there's not much twist plot-wise but it is open ended, with no definite conclusion but that doesn't affect the story in general.

Anime: Genshiken

As an otaku myself, I love watching anime or dramas that portray slice of life comedies about otakus and the various elements that surround their lives. Although fictional, a lot of us does come across those awkward moments from time to time, making this genre a part of me as it does become a part of a lot of others out there.

But after seeing the genre over used.. or watched horribly written series on the subject...overusing various cliches in a very unimaginable ways... I was turned off to the genre.

Then, I happened upon a series called "Genshiken". I watched it half-heartedly, but before I knew it I was looking forward to the next episode. This thing I call "The Geshiken Legacy" is composed of 2 seasons and a next generation-like third season. Although each season can stand on their own, you need to watch from start to finish to fully enjoy the inside stories and subplots within the whole series.

Aside from the nice production work, I was fascinated with the development of the characters and the inter connectivity of the stories within each season. There are a lot of things that they seem to include in the anime that I think happened only in the manga, which puts me off a bit (because I don't get to see it actually unfold). But overall, the series itself is a must see to all otakus, those intrigued by otakus, or those who don't understand otakus in general.

The quirkiness of the various characters complement the stories as the whole gang of otakus goes on with challenges in their lives. Like... school fairs... facing ordinary people...bouts with figures of authority...and the greatest challenge of all... releasing their own book in ComiFest (or Comiket). But underlying all the craziness are the way their relationships change, forging bonds that they themselves failed to see in the first place. And there is nothing more cuter than watching otaku love blossom.

While the series entertains me a lot, there are also within a touch of reality, where all things generally end up to. Not all things come with chuckles and giggles... not all things otaku goes on forever. But we must not lose the fire that keep us with our passion

Highschool of the Dead

I used to hear about the series 'Highschool of the Dead', but it was only recently that I came around to watch it.

A group of students (with some teacher) trapped in the city that is over run by the undead (referred in the series as "Them"). As the 'monsters'rise up and run over the lives of the living, a different kind of monster emerges from the hearts and minds of various antagonists that are introduced within the story.

The anime series based on the manga by Daisuke Sato and the art of Shouji Sato, it brings about a deep, dark, melancholic storyline as the series progreses.

A sort of Survivor/Harem/Fan Service Overload type of anime with dark overtones as the group of surviving students go through the ordeal of locating their loved ones amidst a zombie pandemic happening around the world.

Along with the abundance of boob, ass and upskirt fan service, the ragtag team of survivors also fit your common stereotypes which a lot of otakus find 'moe'. Take your pick; a blonde bombshell airhead of a teacher/nurse Shizuka, the genius tsundere Saya, the slick and cool sword weilding Saeko, the tough but softie of a 'childhood friend' Rei, and the innocent lolli Arisu. Mixed into the fray is your typical all around good guy Takashi and the gun and mecha otaku Kota.

Takashi tries out one of those new comfy sniper mats

Aside from the tons of eye candy every few seconds, the storyline is a pretty decent one to keep my interest in the progression of the story. You can't wait to see how their adventure progresses on. Character development also takes you through some twists and turns as they appear twisted in some ways.

Semi nude apron covered sword weilding warrior chicks: AWESOME

Although watching only a few episodes, It was enough to make me look forward to watching other episodes.

Shin Nozokiya (by Hideo Yamamoto)

No secret is safe from the guys of Nozokiya. For the right price, they will go to any lengths, employing the latest tools and gadgets for spying, to get the low down on the person you want followed. The team consisting of the highly professional Cho, the impulsive hot head Ken, and the trainee who Ken refers to as Smile, witness some weird facts, practices and perversions of the people involved in the case they are handling.

The main protagonist in the series is Ken, who seems to be a very talented voyeur. His skill, investigative deduction and pure gut instinct helps the team unravel the facts they need to finish the job.

The person who seems to act as the conscience of the group is the 17yr old Reika, who joins the guys on occassions. She develops a special bond with Ken after being rescued, with the help of Smile, from the clutches of her lecherous father.

This series by Yamamoto Hideo was serialized in Shogakukan back in 1994 and didn't seem to garner much popularity, even after having a live action drama series and movie based on it. The manga is filled with perversions of human behavior (mostly sexual) infused in a story with dark overtones and sick humor. I usually get gloomy and feel indifferent after reading a volume or two...but the way secrets are revealed or the case unfolds just gets me intrested enough to reach up and grab the next one.

I think the author exposes to the public what perversions that is taking place in society that a select few knows about and kept hidden from the public light. Hell, Ken spends most of his free time getting blowjobs in booths in his favorite joint. I didn't think there were such places in Japan.

Kanokon

My arms still tired from killing all that fish (If you can understand Japanese, read the 'Ore wa hitogoroshi da!!' post in headtrip trauma), I couldn't go to work the next day, I ended up watching the latest series sent by my officemate.

This time is the love-comedy anime 'Kanokon'. Its about the everyday life and relationship of the fox spirit Chizuru and the mortal Kouta. They are both students of a middle school where humans and spirits interact normally as classmates under the strict rule that the spirits don't expose themselves to what they're really are to the humans.

The story becomes more complicated with the arrival of the stoic, clueless wolf spirit Nozomu who also fell in love with Kouta.

There are a lot of spirits that doesn't approve of their relationship and regarded it as pointless. But because of the power that comes out of their special bond, the other spirits were proven otherwise.

But don't be fooled by the series' appearance. Although the characters are cutely drawn, there a lot of lewd and topless scenes, mostly derived from Chizuru's lust and wanting for Kouta's body. One of the teachers who is also a spirit, regard this as her being in 'mating season' mode all the time. In one episode, Chizuru says she likes Kouta because for humans, its mating season all year long.

There are a lot of strange but funny things also. A spirit guardian who loves instant noodles, a bear spirit who's into internet and stocks, a weasel spirit in love with a frog spirit. And when the school was attacked by a snow spirit, all frog, bear and turtle spirits began to hibernate.

This is a funny and intresting series so I recommend this to the same people who enjoyed Kannagi. I don't recommend it for the youngins though...

School Days

School Days is a short anime series based on the adult PC girl-game of the same title.

Itou Makoto is a quiet first year highschool student who is infatuated with a girl who he always ride the same train to school with. He is always looking at her from afar and keeps his feelings to himself. He has a stolen shot of her in his cellphone and set it as his wallpaper under the premise of a legend that if you keep it as your cellphone wall paper for a week and no one finds out, your unrequited love will come to fruition.

Katsura Kotonoha is a quiet girl who rides a train with a guy who she feels is always watching her. Over time, she starts to be fond of him but, because of her shyness, keeps watching from afar and refrains from approaching him.

Saionji Sekai is Makoto's seatmate and the person who happens to see his cellphone's wallpaper. With that, she does her best to make Katsura and Makoto get together.AFter a lot of pushing and support, she finally got the two to confess to each other.

Makoto was very grateful to Sekai for all the things she had done for them and tells her that he will pay her back someday. As Sekai's train comes she steals a kiss on the lips from the startled Makoto and runs. As it turns out, while helping him get together with Katsura, she develops feelings for MAkoto.

As time goes on, Makoto decides to take his relationship with Katsura to the next level. But the bashful Katsura always rejects his advances. Being clueless to the ways of women, Sekai offers herself as a training partner to make him a better lover for Katsura. Because of this, things also becomes serious between them, mostly having them ending up spending the night together in bed...almost everyday.

Things get worse for the three starting from the school festival as a lot of other girls started to show interest in Makoto. With his new found confidence in dealing with women, he starts having sex with all the girls that shows interest in him, lying to them that they are the only one for him. Slowly, he's turning into a player...a beast...preying on the emotional weakness of his targets.

All things that he has done finally catches up with him at the final 2 episodes, taking on a more darker tone.

Although the animation is well drawn, I can't seem to take interest in the story. It looks like a story of a whiny guy who cries about getting laid since he can't hold it in. He feigns sincerity to the girls to make them give themselves up to him. Only the last 3 episodes got me interested because you would want to see how things will turn out for the player Makoto.

I think this anime is made for the fans of the game or for those who actually played it. But for the ones who didn't get to play that particular game, it would seem like a dragging emo kid that wanna get laid story.

Tonagura

Tonagura is a comedy anime about the the reunion of childhood friends Kazuki and Yuuji after being seperated for about 10 years. Kazuki was hoping for her 'first crush' to grow up to be a fine young man, but unfortunately, Yuuji grew up to be abnoxious and lecherous guy. And because she built up his reputation to her friend Chihaya and the others in his absence, she tries her best to hide Yuuji's negative, perverted side.

Although their encounters at home, at school and outside always end in fights and disaster, Kazuki and Yuuji display a sort of platonic relationship where everything is clear and vague at the same time. But they both display a soft demeanor to each other and at times jealousy.

Kazuki goes about telling Yuuji how negatively he's changed, to the confusion of Yuuji, his younger sister Marie and Kazuki's older sister Hatsune. As it turns out Yuuji was always like that from the start, and that he's the only one that goes along with Kazuki's pushy behavior. As Hatsune once said; people only remember the good things as they live life longing for that person.

The series rakes in points for animation and non-over the top voice actors, but the cliched storyline and outcome leaves it at a decent 5 out of 10. The instances within the story are a bit Ken Akamatsu-ish at best. A nice touch for the gun crazy, silent and shy little sister Marie though. And I can't get enough of Chihaya's 'Kansai-ben' (or is it Kyuushu-ben). I always find that dialect cute.

Still, this 13-episode series is good as a light viewing material.

Kyou no Go no Ni (Today in Class 5-2)

While looking for updated comic files of Mahou Sensei Negima, The site I frequent has an interesting post. It said "okay you phedos, I finished subbing the anime 'Kyou no Go no Ni'...blah blah blah". The opening statement attracted my attention. Phedos? 'nanya nanya...'? So I decided to take a peek into its 4-episodes.

This anime series is about a group of elementary friends and classmates in section 2 (therefore the 'Class 5-2'), and their various misadventures revolving around their everyday school activities. Interestingly enough, the episodes are further divided into chapters as 'periods' (ex.: '1st hour period: Gura!Gura!' is the first chapter of the first episode).

The closest main character I can figure out is the loudmouthed Satou Routa, since each chapter deals with a certain set of characters. A common topic in the series is the seemingly platonic relationship of Ryouta with his close neighborhood friend Koizumi Chika.

But thats not the only reoccuring topic in the series. A lot of them deals with situations the kids get into that seems...well...'ecchi' (Japanese slang for sexual perversion...milder than the term 'hentai'). Its like a coming of age series where in they discover things which are perverted (like upskirts, staring at their classmate's pre-forming cleavage, semi-naked pubescent girls) but have different reactions, either they are amazed by what they see or seem to not mind at all since some are really innocent and don't care.

And the 'phedo' part that thread was referring to? One is the way the camera focuses on certain things, like zooming on their crotch and butts on upskirts, focusing on the cleavage and bottom of the girls' bossoms, slowing down when showing the girls with almost naked bodies, the girls groping each other, boys' faces landing on girls' crotches, etc.

Another is arranging scenes which could be interpreted differently. Like a scared girl clinging on to Ryouta's shorts (appeared to the teacher that Routa is forcing the girl to give him head), Chika and Aihara tickling each other (ochestrated to look like a girl-on-girl action), Milk splashed on the Megu's face and chest (looks like a cum shot on the face to me, while the dazzled Ryouta stares at the wet cleavage).

Although with such reoccuring, almost adult content, the animation is still well done. The drawing is good and it has a catchy soundtrack ('Baby Love' written by Toubayashi Seiko, the lyrics cashing in on the apparent Ryouta-Chika relationship).

Watching this series will bring about kicks and giggles, but I wouldn't recommend it for the youngins.