Synopsis:

An alien race called the Cthulhu (yeah, you read it right) have been wandering the galaxy in search of a new home and have come across Earth. The show opens with the Cthulhu planning their first attack but they have realized that Iczer-1 has already made it to Earth before them and must destroy her in order to proceed with their plan. Iczer-1 is an android created to fight and destroy any who oppose the Cthulhu but has turned on her creators opposing any evil actions that they take. During her time on Earth Iczer-1 has found a partner to synchronize with named Nagisa Kano, when synchronized, Iczer-1 becomes extremely powerful and it also unlocks Iczer Robos, Iczer-1′s giant mechanical robot, full potential when fighting together. But, after a brief encounter with Iczer-1, Nagisa is very reluctant to accept anything that is happening and won’t help. Will Iczer-1 be able to convince Nagisa that she is the only who can help save the Earth from it’s ultimate take over? Continue reading »

Synopsis:

Nayu Hayama is obsessed with underwear, so much to the fact that she is an “underwear monitor” She tests out new underwear products designed by her very own brother and then reports her insight on the comfort and style of what she’s wearing back to him. But, during the entrance ceremony for school as Nayu heads to the stage to give a speech as the class representative she trips and reveals her adult-styled panties to the entire student body. But after this accident, Nayu is approached by several girls interested in her style of undergarments even though she’s only 12 years old. Combine this with Nayu’s obsession for frilly things, she decides to start the Underwear Appreciation Society to assist girls with different types of underwear that would best suit their body. But getting the the to actually acknowledge this as a legitimate club could prove problematic. Continue reading »

Synopsis:

Rin Asogi and her friend Mimi run a private investigation agency in Tokyo performing all sorts off odd jobs. Finding lost pets, locating rare stamps, helping clones recover their lost memory, stopping angels from causing mass murder, it’s all routine work for Rin as she posses a unique ability… she’s immortal and can’t die. Well, she can die but her wounds heal rapidly and she’s back on her feet in no time as is the same for her partner Mimi. But when Apos, the guardian of the Yggdrasil which is responsible for both Rin’s and Mimi’s immortality grows bored and decides to satiate his sadistic sense of amusement by throwing the world into chaos by making the secret of immortality known to everyone. Rin decides to stop Apos even if it means losing her immortality and her life. Continue reading »



Synopsis:

After moving back into the town where she grew up in, Fumi Manjome becomes reacquainted with her childhood friend, Akira Okudaira, that had disappeared from her life over ten years ago… and she doesn’t even realize it at first. As both girls start reminiscing about memories past they come to realize that even after ten years of separation that nothing has changed between them. Even though the girls go to separate schools it has no affect on their friendship but when one of the ladies at Fumi’s school, Yasuko Sugimoto, takes a liking to her and even asks her out. Although Akira supports her friends decision to date anyone she chooses, Akira can’t deny the hint of jealousy that goes with it. Fumi and Akira are the best of friends but both girls also realize that there is alot more to thier friendship then they care to admit.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 11

Review:

ZZZzzzzz… hm? Oh, my bad, I just dozed off after watching an episode of Aoi Hana. Aoi Hana, it’s a good show, really… it is. The problem here is that it moves so incredibly slow that it’s almost impossible to watch more than one episode within 24 hours as it would probably bore the viewer into a negative outlook on the show. But, when watched in single episode viewings over a long period of time, Aoi Hana is actually quite the compelling story of yuri (lesbian) romance amongst high school girls. The only thing is that the plot doesn’t quite move in the direction that you were hoping for. What do I mean by that? Well, if I told you that would be spoiling things just a little bit now wouldn’t it? Even with Aoi Hana’s concrete shoe wearing progression, it does a wonderful job of holding your attention through character relations with each other. As the story may be at a stand still at times, the anime never let’s go of your attention while you’re watching as you’ll be seeing how each one of the characters relate to each other on some level whether it be by sharing similar interests in school activities or on a romantic level of some sort. This is where Aoi Hana shines by managing to show you something that will keep your interest in some way despite the shows lack of progression. Another thing that tends to stand out is the animation. When you look at the background you’ll notice how the lack of detail is actually tastefully done on purpose. This not only gives the anime it’s own look and feel but also helps you focus your attention to any character on screen no matter how small the part may be, the person speaking just seems to stand out in their own way.

Yeah, I might as well tell you right up front, Aoi Hana is a boring show. But, the thing is… once this anime snags you, you’ll be like a fish on a hook and you almost can’t stop watching as this shows fabulous character interaction and banter is what carries the non-existent plot along till any real progression is made. Recommended? Yes, but only as a show that’s not top priority to finish and this will make for a more enjoyable viewing experience that emits an aura of calm once the show has finished making you glad you saw the whole series from beginning to end. Just make sure you take it in slowly, like an episode a week or so, and you’ll find that you enjoyed this anime more than you thought you would.

Aoi Hana (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: Crunchyroll free internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Synopsis:

A virus, a demon than resides in the mortal world but usually cannot be seen by the mortal eye. However, there are only a few people that can see the viruses but if the virus realizes that you know of it’s existence, you have also just become it’s next victim. Sumire Takahana, is one such lucky person, after she cut her finger on a broach she found that belonged to the demon hunter, Lucia Nahashi. Ever since then she has been able to see the mysterious otherwordly monsters and before Sumire falls prey to one of the demons she is saved by Lucia herself. Lucia then explains what is actually going on behind the scenes to the untrained eye and wants Sumire to join her in hunting down and exterminating the viruses. Sumire eventually agrees but while on a hunt to exterminate more viruses, Lucia soon discovers that Sumire can not only see the Viruses but also holds a power within her that’s far more deadly than the Viruses themselves…

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Okay… girls with guns, check. Hideous monsters, check. Lots of action, check. Lolis… … ch-check? Well, what we have here looks to be the makings of a great action series but I’d hate to break it to you, this anime is nothing what you hoped it would be. It opens with a rockin’ intro song followed by having you watch Sumire and Lucia quickly dispose of a few enemies with very little background on the viruses that they are fighting, but it’s just enough of an explination to keep you from asking questions about what is going on. But after a couple episodes, Venus Versus Virus starts presenting it’s character depth and also a detailed history to bring the story up to present day. The thing is, we’ve got two good looking girls here and with a short series like this you’re not going to care about their past or how everyone is involved by some mishap. No, you just want to put a gun in these girls’ hands and throw them into battle, mini-skirts and all, and watch them kick some demon ass. Venus Versus Virus is the type of show that wants to explain everything in detail but it doesn’t really need to because it’s target audience isn’t going to care, I even found myself growing bored with it unless bullets were flying through the air and demons were launching attacks that defied the laws of physics. And the bottom line is that while Venus Versus Virus spends all its time making sure no plot holes are left behind, it also cuts itself short leaving the audience with an ending that has absolutely no closure.

It’s got some good animation, and a solid story to back it up, but at it’s core… this is an action series that also wants the viewer to have an in-depth look at everything you’ll be watching. But oddly enough, this makes it boring… you’ll just be wanting to see two girls opening up a can of whoop ass on anything that gets in their way but it just doesn’t happen enough. Instead, you’ll be watching 12 episodes of an anime that tries to explain the mysterious first 10 minutes at the beginning of the series but instead ends it with the same cliffhanger that no one will save you from.

Venus Versus Virus (opening)

Recommendation: |Below Average|

*Note – This anime was tagged as yuri (lesbian). Well, other than what you see in the intro, there is none, nothing, not even two girls holding hands during the show so I have no idea where the hell that came from.

*Note 2 – About halfway through the series, Netflix canceled my rental and said that Venus Versus Virus has been replaced by a new version and sent me that one instead. So, I had to watch the last 4 episodes with FUNimations re-release. If you’re wondering, yes, they did change ADV’s original release putting 6 episodes per disc, which is cool, but changed ADV’s subtitles with their own usual white-shadowed subs which was a huge disappointment as the ADV subtitles were far superior. Not that it really matters because this series isn’t worth more than a rental to begin with.

Synopsis:

Hazumu Osaragi is having a really bad day. He finally gets up the courage to confess his love to Yasuna Kamiizumi, a girl that he’s admired for some time now, thanks to his friend Asuta Soro. However, she is quick to reject him. Heartbroken and depressed, Hazumu decides to take a hike on the mountain that he likes to go searching for rare flowers on but as he reaches the top of the mountain his day suddenly goes from bad to worse as an out of control spaceship crashlands… on top of him, killing him instantly. The extraterrestrial visitors are not heartless though as they immediately resurrect Hazumu but with one exception… he is now a she right down to the DNA structure. Hazumu is about to start life anew with a whole different perspective.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

As you can probably tell from the title, Kashimashi is a yuri (lesbian) type anime and I figured it might be a nice series to pass the time with. What didn’t expect is that it’s perhaps one of the most compelling romance anime titles I’ve seen to date. The setup for the series is done quite nicely all within the first episode to set the stage for the entire series as the few friends that Hazumu has help him make the transition to living life as the opposite sex. What I also liked is that the characters are down to earth and everything is presented with just the right comedic element to make it humorous without using tasteless sexual references. Except in the case of Hazumu’s dad whose always trying to get a peek in on him, uh, her taking a bath or getting her to wear scantily clad outfits and this comes across as just plain funny. The characterization is truly amazing and it’s easy connect with everyone in this show as their feelings are portrayed to the viewer in a manner that’s very is to understand on a mentality level. The characterization is done so well in the fact that Tomari, one of the three main girls and also the tsundere (Read the damn “What the hell does all that mean?” thread people!) of the bunch, as she’s going through the breakdown process you practically feel what she’s feeling at that point in time making for a much more emotional experience than what you’d normally expect.

The animation is of the typical fair but the strong romantic comedy presented here has enough drama to stir up inner feelings and also gives you the right amount of humor to make you laugh when you’re probably not in the mood to and it’s all put with a soundtrack that’s reminisce of something from the 70′s. From Hazumu dealing with his new gender and watching Tomari cope with unchanged feelings even though her best friend is now a girl, to Asuto conflicting with himself that he might just be attracted to his friend now… is all presented in one tasteful 13 episode package that should not be passed up even if yuri anime isn’t your thing, even the crazy sci-fi element worked to the shows advantage. And all of this finishes up with one hell of a great ending that made me want to go back to episode one and start it up all over again.

Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ (opening)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Synopsis:

They say on the moon there is a shrine. Why? Uh… hell I don’t know. This wasn’t really touched upon in the beginning to let’s just skip ahead and meet Himeko Kurusugawa and Chikane Himemiya who are about to share their 16th birthday, on the same day. However instead of being a day to celebrate, an ancient evil that has vowed to destroy the Earth awakens called the Orochi and it’s worshipers whom of each posses a mecha of mass destruction. One of these worshipers is Himeko’s friend Souma who at first is determined to kill Himeko but by some realization he decides to protect her and becomes defiant to the god he unwittingly follows and in turn attacks the other worshipers. After a destructive battle, Himeko is left homeless and Chikane offers her a place to stay in her mansion. After the Earth shaking turn of events Souma’s older brother Kazuki, who is also priest, explains to Himeko and Chikane they are the target of the Orochi because they are the only ones who can summon The God of Swords and stop the Orochi from annihilating humanity. With Souma’s help, the girls start the series of events in motion to save humanity and planet Earth.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Seems like alot of story there eh? Well, you’re right. That’s kind of the problem you’re going to encounter with this series, it tries to do far too much in too little time. So much to the fact that it almost feels like you’re being jerked around in the story and alot of what you watch starts to become an incoherent blur and doesn’t mesh well with the rest of the story elements that are being presented to you. Kannazuki no Miko wants to be a yuri romance and a mecha action battle anime at the same time and unfortunately fails at trying to mix these together making the mech battles seem practically unnecessary. For one, there are just too many of them for this short run making for roughly one battle per episode which contains nothing more than alot of yelling and fast scrolling backgrounds that ends with a one-two punch resolution. Through this chaos you’re also watching Himeko and Chikane’s relationship blossom but the odd appearance of huge ass mechs out of thin air and causing trouble starts to become more of a nuisance because the romance gets put aside so you can watch some over glorified fight with big robots.

I’ll say this, Kannazuki no Miko is one of the few animes that has a bizarre cast of people bent on destroying Earth as they all had very colorful personalities. The sad thing is that nothing, NOTHING, is explained as to why they hate humanity so much other than a still frame showing some agony in thier life and that really could have been dwelled upon and even showed their side of the story and maybe stir up a little inner conflict in the viewer but alas… you get nothing. This is one anime that could have gone into the 20+ episode region and garnished more interest but as it is, it remains a confusing rush of plot devices that are just being way more complicated than they needed to be. Even the romance aspect between Himeko and Chikane gets sidetracked sometimes and if it were not for the over-dramatized final episode this anime probably would have fallen deeper in the realm of “wait… what?”

Recommended? Not really… even though the animation is decent, the mechs, action, yuri (lesbianism), magic girls, just don’t work together very well here. Other than the catchy opening and closing music by Kotoko… there’s not much here to get you through the series without losing interest.

Kannazuki no Miko (opening)

Recommendation: |Below Average|

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