Junketsu No Maria

Fate//Zero

Fate//Stay Night

Ghost Stories

English Dub

Samurai Champloo

Chrono Crusade

Brave 10

Strike Witches

Type: Anime

Status: Complete (12 episodes)

Premise: Hitler is dead; killed in one of the first attacks by the Neuroi. These mysterious aliens have come to earth and begun systematically annihilating the human race and the combined military might of the planet is pushed to the breaking point, this is the second world war. But all is not lost, scientists have perfected the magic engine which allowed people that poses magical ability to combat the Neuroi threat; these young girls from across the globe have formed the 501st Joint Fighter Wing an elite air command charged with the annihilation of the invading Neuroi. Together they are the first and best line of defense that humanity has to offer, they are The Strike Witches.

Thoughts: This was an odd one. Between the anthropomorphous teenage girls fighter planes and the rampant flashing of animated undergarments you end up thinking that the main plot is of secondary importance most of the time. I give this story great praise for its originality and interesting use of timeline but the plot leaves something to be desired.

Proes: Interesting ideas in this story, between the Neuroi, magic, fighter planes and many different themes you will enjoy the setting for its nostalgic yet original ideas.

Cons: The plot is..... unimportant. The writers wanted to show off their idea of anthropomorphous girls and the undergarments that followed, but had a hard time coordinating it with any meaningful plot development.

-Notes: Fully dubbed. Each of the main witches is actually representing one of their countries ace fighter pilots from WW2 along with their striker units design reflecting the fighter that they became legends in.

7.5/10          (And not one of the main characters wares pants....)

Sengoku Armours

Vinland Saga

Type: Manga

Status: Ongoing

Premise: The vikings were a fearsome worrier people pillaging and conquering all who stood against them. Thornfin son of Thors has been seeking revenge against the man who killed his father since he was 6 years old, his skills are tremendous but he is not a true warrior without the heart that beats in every vikings chest. This is his story.

Thoughts: This story is interesting but lacked a compelling reason to continue reading it. Every time a new plot device is introduced seemingly screaming to be developed it is simply placed aside with only a passing glance. In shot this story lacks many of the story line aspects that make the Anime/Manga genre so compelling to most of us, we have a uni-dimensional main character and a linear plot without any interesting twists or turns.

Prose: Great action and a clean and uncomplicated plot that almost writes itself.

Cons: The entire series is one dimensional, it never really evolves from its first chapter and a canny reader will always be able to guess the next series of events making the plot bland and uninspiring.

-Notes: A lot of slavery and death in this one, we are dealing with vikings here so rapping and pillaging is the name of the game. Be mindful of the duality the writer uses when working with the idea of slavery, he demonstrates a remarkable skill here by showing us that not only the body can be a slave but also the mind and heart. I will no longer be following this manga due to lack of interest.

6.5/10          (THOOOOOOORRRRRRR!)

Mushibugyo

Type: Manga

Status: Ongoing

Premise: HUGE FREAKING BUGS. Completely the same as normal bugs except that they are the size of buildings, and that due to their size they have begun eating people as part of their diet. Now the government initiates a program of recruitment in order to protect its people,the strongest fighters from around the country are gathered together into a special unit devoted to killing these insanely dangerous pests; Murderers, Nobles, Ninja, Priests, Samurai, anyone able to fight the bugs are given bountiful employment if they join and kill the insects. Jinbee is an excitable young boy with prodigious skill as a swordsman, he is selected to join the Edo defense forces and fight along with other skilled worrier after the last 15 candidates were well .... eaten.

Thoughts: This anime is hilarious mostly due to the antics of Jinbee, he is so uptight and focused that he is ridiculous and ends up causing ludicrous amounts of chaos. This anime is all about the fight scenes and the slapstick comedy, it is light and fun and doesn't take itself seriously.

Prose: Funny, action packed and ridiculous thats what your watching for.

Cons: The plot is slow to develop if its there at all so come for the laughs not the serious heartrending plot.

-Notes: This anime just started so let is steep.

8/10          (Of coarse the pommel is the most deadly part of the sword!)

Knights

Type: Manga

Status: Ongoing

Premise: The witch hunts are a lie; the church has been using them as a way of instilling fear in the masses and increasing their influence by torturing and burning innocent women at the stake. Among the highest orders of the church priests have been endowed with "god's blessing" for their actions and are empowered by the spirits of ancient apostol in their crusade against the impure, but not everyone is fooled by these "servants of god" they see the corruption and smell the scent of death and decay. Mistletien (Mist) is a squire and not yet a full knight but he takes it upon himself to rid the earth of those who perpetuate the witch hunts and save as many people as he can. He is called the Black Knight; a Hammer of Justice.

Thoughts: This manga is interesting because it is a completely fictional world using real world events as a staple plot device. We have a group of characters who are extraordinary but plausible and they are fighting an enemy who is just as mundane as they are (excluding the "servants of god") in a situation that did indeed happen in real world events making this manga read more akin to fiction than fantasie. The plot winds in and around the atrocities that were committed during the witch hunts with only minor fantastical elements coming into play later on in the narrative (these elements provided a direction for the story, but were not entirely mandatory; the plot could have progressed without them with only minor changes). I enjoyed this radical departure from the classic manga story line for its different setting and great interaction in bet between party members.

Prose: Good story line that is a refreshing deviation from the norm, interesting and quirky characters that have depth to them and well done action scenes makes this a good manga to get away from more standard manga plot lines.

Cons: There are some disturbing aspects to this manga due to its plot being based around the witch hunts; it is cruel and graphic at times and pulls no punches when immersing you in the desperation of those times, be warned.

-Notes: Euphemia is an ..... interesting character; she makes vary little sense near the beginning of the series but eventually we come to learn why she is the way she is, so suspend disbelief at the beginning and you will be able to understand and reflect afterwards.

8/10          (Wow, "Black Knight" in the most literal sense of the word...)

Shut Hell

Type: Manga

Status: Ongoing

Premise: Among the Mongol tribes there is a legend of a daemon, a female worrier wering the pelt of an enormous wolf who slaughters with all the ferocity of a wild animal, this is the story of Shut Hell the evil one. To Sudou all it was was a dream, incredibly vivid mind you but a dream none the less; but when events in his life begin to coincide with what he is more and more frequently seeing in those dreams and he meets a mysterious girl who look alarmingly similar to someone who should have died over 800 years ago he begins to wonder. Yurull is a 10 year old Khan prince living among the Mongol tribes, his love of reading has led him to his enemies, the Tengut's writings but now he worries for the future that awaits these Mongol tribes.

Thoughts: This manga has an interesting layout, it uses 3 separate timelines as a way to tell the story. First is the present (ours) with Sudou dreaming of Shut Hell, second is the present (Shut Hell's and Yurull's) and third flash back's to what has happened to Shut Hell and Yurull. It all seams confusing as I write it but actually it all comes together flawlessly and creates some vary dramatic moments, we also are left with the looming question of how each of these timelines will eventually connect.

Prose: Innovative use of timelines, tremendous action sequences and a surreal almost dreamlike feeling to the writing style makes for a truly original concept for this manga.

Cons: The manga is at a point right now were there are 100 times the questions than there are answers, not really their fault, and actually it makes you kind of desperate to read more so kudos to the writers; but it is maddening at the same time.

-Notes: Give this one some time to fill itself out. Also the site I use is not completely up to date on the releases of this manga, it shows as having 19 chapters so far were as there are as many as 22 on other sites.

8/10          (The wolf was a sacred animal to the Mongol tribes representing the perfect hunter.)

Sengoku Strays

Type: Manga

Status: Ongoing

Premise: Kusanagi is a high school student who loves kendo, she is the best in the school even though she is only a freshman, good thing to because on her way home from school one day she picks up an antique katana that fell out of a passing car and was hit by a delivery truck. When she woke up in the sengoku era she was rather confused as you may imagine but now she must learn to survive in a country in the middle of a revolution and make herself useful until she can figure out how or if she can get back home.

Thoughts: The plot is kind of cliche I understand but it is still a rather nice manga, it is easy to read and has good action scenes and an interesting mix of characters so I rather enjoyed it.

Prose: Good action, interesting characters, with enough history to it to make it believable (minus the time travel of course). 

Cons: The plot is rather standard fare with no real unexpected twists, it is more real life historical adventure with a single inexplicable event so it end up being a little bland.

-Notes: It is a rather new manga and as such it could wait until a few more chapters are released befor you make the effort to start it.

8/10          (This all could be a rather large concussion but MEH.....) 

Moribito

Type: Anime

Status: Complete (26 episodes)

Premise: The emperors sun has been implanted with the egg of a water demon and the assassins are coming by his order to silence him forever. His mother in a desperate attempt to save her son entrusts him to a wandering bodyguard and instructs her to take him as far away from the palace as possible and keep him safe and never return. This is the story of a boy trapped by his own fate, a woman trapped by her past and a king trapped by his obligation.

Thoughts: This anime has the feel of a movie divided into 26 half hour scenes. The quality of this production is extraordinary from its film level animation and dubbing to an intricate plot in a setting all its own this peice oozes perfection.

Prose: Micro movies...... really good.

Cons: There is a definite lack of action in a story centered on a bodyguard, the fight scenes are extraordinarily just like the rest of it but it struck me as odd how few there were.

-Notes: Fully dubbed. This series would be a great one to marathon because of its movie like quality so I highly recommend you set some time aside when you decide to watch it.

8.5/10          (That spear was sheathed more often then it was drawn...)

Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen

Type: Anime
Status: Complete (4 episodes)

Premise: This is the story of a samurai assassin who while fighting to overthrow a corrupt regime finds something worth fighting for.

Thoughts: This anime is one of the best samurai titles I have seen blending bloody action with deep character development without becoming gratuitous. It is also one of the most fluid fighting animations I have witnessed in that it does not resort to freeze frame to give a sense of speed nor does it play up the fighting, it is quick and brutal but never over the top.

Prose: Action, character, plot, animation it has it all and is a true gem.

Cons: The dubbing lacks a certain amount of accuracy, which kind of threw me off at first. It may actually be better to watch it in the subbed format, it gives it a certain feel....

-Notes: THERE IS A DUB, it took me 2 episodes to find it but there is one. This is actually the OVA to the series of Rurouni Kenshin which is a long running series in its own right, the thing is that I HATED the other series. Between the 2 series they change art styles and it becomes a happy go lucky party with friends type anime that completely threw me at first, I never finished it. Rely you should watch the full anime first and then re-visit this one as a kind of "how he became this way" prequel, but to be completely honest this OVA is by far the best part of the series and can be viewed on its own and still be extremely enjoyable.

8/10          (Let the blood rain fall)