This site is designed for accessibility. Content is obtainable and functional to any browser or Internet device. This site's full visual experience is available in a modern browser that supports web standards. Please consider upgrading your browser.
ローゼンメイデン 
This is probably one of the funniest one-off character episodes apart from the Lobelia girls one. I was a bit afraid that this is going to be rather boring like the one about the newspaper club or the one with that little brat, Shiro. Thankfully Kasanoda (or Bosanova, according to Tamaki) is a lot more interesting than Shiro. I am also amused at some of the rather juvenile comic scenes shown in this episode. This particular shot actually made me laughed out loud because it's so out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the plot in progress. I can't believe that this series will only have four more episodes left. I wish the animators had included the story about the school's competition. Maybe if there is a second season, we'll get to see that along with everyone's family members.
I really like this episode from the story to the quality of the drawing, which is significantly better than usual. When I first saw it on Japanese TV a month ago, I thought it looks unusually good but it actually looks even better in Widescreen format. Because of this, I decide to include the larger screencaps in case anyone wants to see them. I'm also surprise to see an Angelic Layer reference included in the story. But I guess by now Piffle Princess brand can be seen in almost all of CLAMP's series. The story changes a little bit from the manga because the anime didn't have a Valentine episode. But I think it still is as good and actually gives Kuda-Kitsune more prominence in the story as well. I realised that another Tsubasa Chronicle reference is cut out of this story but I really don't mind at this point in the series.
I'm sorry for the late entry but I had difficulty looking for a raw copy of this episode. When I went to look for the episode, the provider that I normally use to find this series did not have a copy. Because of this I decided to go with the only provider who had it. But getting raw from this provider is almost impossible since there's always disconnection every few minutes. Thankfully my normal provider eventually comes up with a copy albeit a lot later than ususal. Anyway, moving on to the actual episode, the insert song of the week is 「風なぎ」- Kazenagi by Suga Shikao. It comes from his 8th album, Time. By the end of this episode, I get the impression that the writers can easily wrap this series up in 3 more episodes. Because of this, I think the rumour that this series will end in episode 12 is probably true after all. Anyway, I'll be back later on with summary but I need to get some sleep first.
I am starting to feel the crunch now as my backlog grows longer and my real life gets busier. I think some backlog trimming needs to be done and I'm going to decide what series I won't cover anymore over the weekend. I'll most likely continue series that I'm up to date with and a few others which I will select over the next few days. Also, if you're looking for the next episode of Honey and Clover, I'll put up the screenshots as soon as I can get the raw. For some reasons, getting a raw for this week's episode is really hard. There is only one provider and the person's connection is unreliable. Anyway, enough talking about other series. This is actually a really good episode which places its focus on various reasons that turns people to withdraw from society. This is actually the point where I start to like the series because it stops making jokes about Satou's condition and starts addressing the issues that caused him to become a Hikikomori.
Opening Theme: Last regrets by Ayana (13.3MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Kanon: Prelude is a special DVD which is released to introduce Kyoto Animation's remake to the potential viewers. Since I've never watched the previous version of Kanon, I have no idea who these characters are supposed to be. Although I can tell right away that the male character is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita (Mayama from Honey and Clover, Kyon from Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu). This promo DVD contains some of the most beautiful character, background, and animation design. It's definitely up par to other Kyoto Animation's series such as Air and Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu. I am not that impressed with the opening and ending song though. They feel a bit...flat, for the lack of better word. If I have to compare the two, I'd say that the ending song is slightly better than the opening song. Anyway, I've decided only to screencap promo 01 and 04 since the other two promos are pretty much just repetition of these two.
Cinempire, a French-based movie site has posted several shots of Mushishi Live Action movie. The first thing that surprised me is the revelation that Aoi Yuu, the actress who plays live action Hanamoto Hagumi in Honey and Clover movie, gets to play the role of Tanyuu, the girl with the Mushi inside her body. The rest of the cast include Joe Odagiri, who plays Ginko, and Esumi Makiko, who I assume will play the role of Nui. At a first glance, Joe Odagiri looks quite strange as Ginko. I think the white hair doesn't suit him that well. Oh well, I hope he'll look a bit better on screen and can act well. The rest of the cast don't look too bad, I suppose. Although I thought Kourou (the guy who wants to find rainbow serpent) is supposed to be younger-looking than the guy they end up casting for the film. Anyway, for more stills, go to Cinempire's site. Mushishi Live Action is directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) premiere this September at the Venice Film Festival.
Source: Cinempire, Twitch Film
This is definitely one of the best episodes in recent weeks. Unlike last week, there are more comedic situation found in this episode. I actually had a lot of difficulty choosing which screenshots I want to use since there are many interesting scenes in this episode. There are also several funny themes included here such as the thermometer indicator going south and the spirit leaving the body when a person is mortified. This is why I find it surprising when towards the end, the story takes a rather serious look into the Hitachiin brothers' relationship. The ending is a little bit sad as well but I think it's something that needs to happen if both twins want to establish themselves as two unique individuals as opposed to a set.
Suneohair - Split | Mirror (30.9MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Suneohair - Split (3.6MB, MP3)
Suneohair's Split is the ending theme for Honey and Clover II. The song is a really good representation of the 2nd season storyline and has a bittersweet note to it just like the series. The PV itself looks unique, to say the least. It features Suneohair performing the song while a ripped black screen covers a quarter of the scene. The result is similar to the album cover for the single, which also shows the lead singer behind a ripped grey screen. And don't worry about the timer, it is meant to be there. If you see it closer, you'll notice that in some instances, the timer is behind the black screen. I also like the way the singer jumps around energetically from one area to another. It makes me feel like I'm watching a live concert. As a sidenote, the MP3 above are just a rip from the PV, so unfortunately it's not that high in quality.
I have to applaud 7th Expansion for coming up with this series. While watching these two episodes, I realised that the company must have laid out the general plot right from the start because there is no way they could have come up with explanations that are this precise otherwise. Having said that, I'm curious how they'll reconcile the difference between Watanagashi/Meakashi arcs with Onikakushi/Tsumihoroboshi arcs. And while Tatarigoroshi/Himatsubushi arcs can be slotted rather easily with the other two pairs of arcs, I'm wondering if we'll ever get explanation to the cause of the gas leak. It's unfortunate that the series will end at the end of Tsumihoroboshi arc because there are actually two more arcs left. It makes me wonder if the finale will actually solve every single mystery or if the producer will develop OVA to conclude the series later on.
I supposed the question that most people have in mind is what actually happened to Hagu. This episode begins with a flashback to the event that caused it. During the scene, an insert song called 「リンゴジュース」- Ringo Juice (Apple Juice) by Suga Shikao is played on the background. I feel that the insert song is unappropriately upbeat for a shocking scene. The start of this arc also means that the end of the series is nigh. I'm starting to wonder now if the series will actually end in episode 12 or 13. I think 13 episodes is a bit too much considering the amount of stories the writers have covered thus far. On a related news, I stumbled upon another promotional trailer for the live action movie. If you remember, in the review I talked about Mayama and his ziplock bags. Well, I actually spotted said scene on the trailer so I screencaped it for your viewing pleasure. The trailer mentioned is also listed below.
Mayama and his ziplock bags
Honey and Clover movie trailer
Depapepe - Lahaina (45MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Depapepe is one of the musical groups whose works are featured as background music for Honey and Clover II. I've actually never heard any of their music before Honey and Clover II was announced. However, after hearing samples of their work, I ended up liking their music style. Maybe I'm wrong about this but the background music when Mayama greets the rain drenched Yamada and Rika back in episode 2 sounds like the type of music that Depapepe creates. This PV is basically a soundtrack for a small Japanese film called Catch a Wave and features what I presume to be local scenes from Lahaina, a town in Maui county, Hawaii. Looking at this PV makes me want to go there or Okinawa or other beach where the water is blue and the sand is white. Anyway, there is no lyric for the music because Depapepe don't sing.
Sorry for the late entry but I had problem with my ISP since yesterday. As a result, I haven't been able to connect to the internet at home and download anything until a few hours ago. Oh well, it's not like this is a particularly fun episode to watch. I find the twins to be rather annoying and bratty this time around. Props to Tamaki for being so patient with them. It also doesn't help that in comparison to last week's episode, this one is not as fun or entertaining. I really miss the early episodes kind of stories where the everyone goes together on some kind of fun trip or involved in some shenanigans. But I guess since there are only 6 more episodes to go, the writers want to fit in as many character development as they can. I am also curious to know how they'll wrap this series up.
I have to admit that the drawing in this episode is not as bad as I thought it'd be. In general the character's face is better drawn and a lot more consistent. The backgrounds are also less dull than the episode that preceeds it. Having said that, I don't understand why the quality of the series is so inconsistent. I have actually watched episode 16 while I was in Japan and noticed that it actually looks good. It feels as if some episodes were drawn by other, less experienced animators. Thankfully, just like NHK ni Youkoso!, there is a strong and interesting plot contained within each episode. I think if the producer can increase the amount of funding given to the animation, this could have been a much better series. Anyway, I'll try to catch up with the rest of the episodes soon but I have to admit that I'm quite overwhelm with my schedule at the moment. So I'm sorry if the reviews come rather late these days.
This is a nice, introspective look at all of the characters from the series. It's in this episode the writers reveal that Satou is not the only character with a problem. While his problem is quite serious, other people around him also have equally disturbing issues. I have to admit though that at times this series is a bit hard to follow mostly because of its animation style. While this episode is a mark improvement from last week, in general the anime doesn't look as good as its manga counterpart. The only thing that draws me back to this is the storyline. This episode is a good example of this. While it's been a slow process, it seems thing will change a little bit for Satou from here on. It also makes me wonder if you can call someone a Hikikomori when he/she actually interacted with at least 3 people on a regular basis?
Suga Shikao - Gogo no Parade (45.9MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Gogo no Parade is Suga Shikao's latest single and will be released on both his new similarly-titled single and a new album called Parade. I am personally ordering the limited edition album (with the extra DVD) because it contains at least 3 of my favourite Suga Shikao songs: this one, Manatsu no Yoru no Yume (Death Note main theme), and Natsukage. The DVD itself will contain PV of all the new singles that Suga Shikao has recently released. The PV looks a bit silly on a glance but I think it fits the fun, lively nature of the song. Some people have told me before that Mayama's (of Honey and Clover) character design is based on Suga Shikao but I never see the similarity until this PV. There is one part where Suga wears a patterned shirt in this one and he does resemble Mayama a little bit.
Hashihime and many other people already mentioned it on animesuki forum. But in case you didn't know, Kamiya Hiroshi, the VA who voices Takemoto is now hospitalised due to a car accident that happened back around the 7th this month. I am shocked and upset to hear this and hopes that the actor will pull through. I am not sure what is going to happen to Honey and Clover anime now but if production has not wrapped up yet, I hope they will wait until the actor recovers. I realise that this is not a realistic expectation but I personally don't think other actor can voice Takemoto that well. But right now there's nothing else that we can do but wish the best for the actor. This week's episode seems to mirror this sad news with Kaoru's sad background story and a shocking conclusion at the end of the episode. As a side note, the insert song this week is 「夏陰」- Natsukage (11.4MB, 320kbps MP3) by Suga Shikao. It's from his single, Kiseki/Natsukage/Sanagi.
This is a funny episode which offers nice change from the boring, uneventful story from the last few episodes. The story marks the return of the Zuka Club and Roberia/Lobelia High School. Yes, these are the same girls who tried to recruit Haruhi to their club back in episode 9. Apart from the comedy, the best thing about this episode is an insert song which is delivered by Sakamoto Maaya. This is a nice character song which I hope will be included in the official soundtrack. Animation-wise, this episode also looks a lot smoother and detailed than the last few episodes. Overall, this is a pleasant episode that reminds me of the early episodes of Ouran.
While both of these episodes are interesting to see, the standout is definitely episode 17 (Meakashi-hen 2). Of all the violent scenes I've seen in either film or television, this one is definitely one of the goriest one. When I was a kid, I got into an accident where my little finger got crushed by a door. Doctor had to stitch my wound because it won't stop bleeding on its own. Both the pain and the stitching part were not pleasant experiences to say the least. Thankfully my finger is still functional despite the accident. Seeing 'that scene', however, brought back the memory of unbelievable pain that I felt back then. Although I think in Shion's case it is far more painful. Anyway, for answer episodes, these two are still rather hard to decipher but at least there are a few mysteries from other arcs that are cleared up by these episodes.
The animation in this episode is unbelievably crappy. Everything from character design to proportions are inconsistent. They are not as bad as xxxHOLiC 14/15 but it's still bad nonetheless. Some of the drawings actually look really messed up that I actually wondered if it's intentonal. Either way, I hope this is just a one-off irregularity but since Gonzo produced this, I can't help but being worried about how the rest of the series will look now. Thankfully the story is good enough to sustain my attention throughout the episode. It's a shame that they changed the 'ultimate moe' drawing to something less scary in here. In the original manga, the drawing is quite repulsive to see and illustrate the ridiculousness some of those character archetypes featured in anime/manga/games.
Well, I finally am back from my trip to Japan. I am going to try to catch up with other posts as soon as possible but I decide to post this first since I already typed it during the plane trip back home. Overall, I am very satisfied with the ending of the series. It may not feel conclusive to some but by reading this, I get the impression that Umino Chika didn't want the ending of this series to be conclusive. In addition to this, a spin-off is coming soon this autumn so maybe some of the characters from this series will make it to the spin-off. Anyway, sorry for not scanning all of the pages but I'm still a bit tired and don't feel like scanning every single one of them. And since this is the last chapter, obviously this will spoil your entire experience of the second season anime.
I think of all the second season episodes, I like this one the best mostly because it focuses on three characters that I like: Takemoto, Morita, and Kaoru. I especially feel a lot of sympathy for Kaoru here. The insert song of the week is Happy Birthday by Suga Shikao and was used during the Morita Brothers' story. On a related note, most of you probably already know that the manga series which serves as a base for this anime has recently ended its serialisation. I have written my impression about the ending for those of you who want to check it out. The series ended in a bittersweet note and in my opinion, it's one of the best manga ending I've read. A spin-off of the manga is coming this autumn so maybe you'll get to see some of your favourite characters from this series making a guest appearance in the spin-off. Anyway, the large-size screencaps are now available and I'm writing the summary right now.
Not a bad episode at all. This one actually gives Hunny a little bit of background story and explains why his character ends up like he is now. I think I'll blame it all on Tamaki for tempting him to the darkside full of cakes and stuffed bunny. Having said that, there weren't that much character development for Hunny. At the end of the day, Hunny remains the same character that he was before. The revelation about his past pretty much confirms what we already knew all along about him: that he is a cake-eating monster. I do appreciate the writers' attempt to expand the story by introducing the family members of the Host Club. I just wish that next time they introduce someone a little bit more pleasant than Chika.
Arashi - Aozora Pedal (39.7MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
This is a nice song that serves as the ending theme for Honey and Clover movie. The song was composed and written by Suga Shikao so while hearing the song I can't help but wonder how it'll sound had Suga Shikao sing the song himself. Having said that, the song does sound like it has been written to fit Arashi's image as a pop group and therefore it sounds less melancholic than other Suga Shikao's composition. The PV itself is a typical romantic story PV featuring Sakurai Sho in the lead role. Unfortunately the PV doesn't show anything related to Honey and Clover so it's rather disappointing for those are expecting tie-ins to the film. Although I suppose the story in the PV does resemble the Mayama/Yamada story.
I realise that I'm way behind on almost everything at the moment but I'm trying my best to catch up. Besides I'll come home soon so hopefully I'll be able to follow each series in a more regular manner. Anyway, I have to say that I'm quite surprised with the ending of this episode. I never thought that it'll actually be in line with the ending of Tatarigoroshi-hen. This suggests that unless something happens, the series will end in a manner that has been described at the end of Tatarigoroshi as well as this arc. This is interesting because the anime writers decide to present the bad ending first and foremost just like a player will most likely get when they play through the game for the first time.
