Anime / Manga N to Z

This is the continued 2nd part of the same post of Anime/ Manga (from N to Z).

Below are just some anime I've watched, with random comments and my own rating. I'll add on to the list below as and when I catch some new ones.

5 stars ***** Very good
4 stars **** Good
3 stars *** Not bad/ Quite all right
2 stars ** Just so-so
1 star * Only if you have nothing better to do

Nabari No Oh *** (King of Nabari) has a total of 26 episodes. The first half introduces the various characters of the different clans Banten, Fuuma, Kairoushou, etc, of the hidden world of Nabari – which is the secret ninja world in modern society. It has a rating of 13yrs old+ and is suitable for children, in my opinion.

I like that this series takes its time to develop its characters, making the second half of the series and especially the last few episodes more meaningful and touching as the various characters struggle with their beliefs, mistaken or otherwise, and their intertwined relationships. My favourite character is Tobari Kumohira. Lord Fuuma reminds me very much of Lena Lee’s brother in Dgrayman.

Naruto **** Genre: Action, adventure, fantasy. In short, it is about Naruto, a boy who has a nine-tail fox spirit sealed inside him. Starting from episode 1, it tells the story of his birth and how the fox spirit came to be sealed inside him. Kept us entertained through all its 220 episodes, after which, there's Naruto Shippuden next, where the story continues.

My favourite character is Hatake Kakashi who's so cool (and he loves to read! even though he reads Jiraiya's books), and I'm sure he's good looking too (he wears a cloth mask all the time) because of Ayame's reaction - she's the only one who saw him with his mask off, when Naruto and the gang treated Kakashi to ramen in order to see his face.

In second place is Uchiha Sasuke - because he's the cool and quiet kind who don't talk much. He's got both style and substance when it comes to fights, but unfortunately, misguidedly crosses over to the darkside in search of moto, moto (more and more) power.
Most useless ninja award goes to Sakura - she always needed saving - what kind of ninja is that? Luckily she realises how useless she is eventually, and trains under Tsunade (the Fifth Hokage) to become a medic ninja - at least, now she can help heal her wounded friends (kind of like Inoue in Bleach).

Zabuza is a memorable baddie who uses Suiton (water techniques; which Kakashi copies with his Sharingan eye). JJ thinks Zabuza rocks becos of his huge sword (I think JJ has a weakness for huge swords; he likes Dante from Devil May Cry too) JJ was dying to buy a katana when we were in Japan (he was 15 then), but of course he knew the customs would not allow him to bring it home, so he settled for a katana umbrella, hee!

There are also some Naruto Movies ****
1: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (Sasuke still in the team)
2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (Sasuke gone over to the darkside)
3: Guardians of Crescent Moon Kingdom (Sakura is already a medic ninja)

Naruto Shippuuden**** This series continues where Naruto left off. Characters like Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura are now in their mid-teens. I like Naruto Shippuuden more than Naruto series because there is much more scenes with Kakashi!
Hidan and Kakuzu – This Akatsuki pair is our all-time favourite baddie pairings. Hidan’s our whole family’s favourite baddie. He spouts the most hilarious lines, and the way he whines and screams for Kakuzu’s help when he is in trouble is very funny.
I take my hat off to the person who created this excellent odd couple pairing – a Jashin (some kind of weird religion) religion freak (Hidan) who is obsessed with observing the rites and commandments of his religion, with one (Kakuzu) who worships money and nothing else.

The verbal sparring between the two unlikely partners is milked to maximise laughs. Among other barbs and jabs, Hidan pours scorn on Kakuzu, deriding his faithless ways and worship of money; while Kakuzu gives as good as he gets with sarcastic remarks about Hidan’s beliefs and his boasts. We love Hidan!

Sai - In second place is Sai when he first appears - totally socially inept and with don’t-give-a-damn-rudeness. He repeatedly provokes Naruto with his sarky and extremely rude comments. Later, when Sai grows in EQ, he is actually less fun to watch.

Natsume Yuujinchou **** (Book Of Friends) - (13 episodes) genre: supernatural. The anime is about an orphaned teenager, Takahashi Natsume, who has the ability to see spirits. He inherited a Book of Friends from his grandmother Reiko Natsume, who had the same powers. Reiko had collected names of demons bound to her in the book, but Natsume, who has a very kind heart, goes about releasing these demons. This is a good story to watch with the kids as Natsume’s kindness and kind acts are touching. We were sad when the 13 episodes ended, but fortunately, found out there was a season 2, 3 and 4! Hooray!

Zoku Natsume Yuujincho**** Season 2 has 13 episodes. Still just as nice! Our favourite character through all 3 seasons remains Nyanko the Cat, also known as Madara. He’s so cute he manages to steal a lot of the scenes. Both GG and CK bought a big Nyanko soft toy, while I bought a small Nyanko plastic figurine from Akihabara when we were in Tokyo in December 2011. We love Nyanko!

Natsume Yuujincho San **** Season 3 has 13 episodes too, and yes, we love every single one.

Natsume Yuujincho Shi **** Season 4 probably has 13 episodes too, and yes, it's just as good as ever!

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind *** Movie. Genre: Fantasy. A girl, Nausicaa, saves the day. I like the Ohmu (giant, slug-like creatures) and the jet glider that Nausicaa flies around on. I want a jet glider too!

Neo Angelique Abyss ** What can I say? One redeeming factor is that all the guys look good. Angelique is a girl with Purifying powers. She fights Tanatos (evil, destructive creatures) with a bunch of guys. Genre: male harem.

When I read that the genre for this anime is male harem, I had a good laugh. There's no hanky panky in this anime, just that SEVEN! guys (Nyx, Rayne, JD, Hyuga, Jet, Roche, Bernard) fall for Angelique. Alamak, how to choose? She conveniently disappears to some place.

Only Yesterday (Omohide Poro Poro) *** is about 29-year-old Taeko, who works in the city. She takes a vacation to visit her brother-in-law's family in the countryside in Yamagata and help with the harvest. There are numerous flashbacks of events from her childhood. During the vacation she meets Toshio, a farmer, and she eventually has to decide where she wants to be. IMHO, I think she made the right choice.

On your mark ** has got to be the shortest anime I have ever watched - it is only just slightly over 6 minutes long. It is supposed to be the music video of a song “On Your Mark” by Chage and Aska (a Japanese pop duo). The two male leads in the anime, voiced by Chage and Aska, no less, are policemen who discover a young girl with wings. When scientists come to take the girl away, the two guys decide that the wondrous creature should not live in a lab as a guinea pig and tries to set her free.

Oseam (Wu Sui An in Mandarin, which translates as 'Five-year-old temple') **** This is a Korean anime. The story starts off innocently and on a bright enough note, but I end up crying at the end. I like the touching story and the kind Buddhist monks who take in the pair of orphans, the mischievous Gilson and his blind, sensible older sister, Gami. I think the Chinese title refers to Gilson (who is probably 5 yrs old) and his pure and innocent heart and disposition.

Ouran High School Host Club * Only watched 1 episode and was bored. This anime failed to draw me in. About some rich kids in some exclusive school, with nothing better to do. Yawn!

Panda! Go Panda! *** (Panda Kopanda) has two episodes. One is about the little girl, Mimiko, meeting the panda family, and the other about the circus. The girl and the animals are all very cute. My kids enjoyed this very simple anime too.

Prince of Tennis (Tenisu no Ōjisama) **** Genre: Shounen (shao nian in Mandarin), Sports/Tennis. About a boy, Echizen Ryoma who's got a talent for playing tennis. Favourite character Nanjiro Echizen (Ryoma's dad) - he's funny!

Prince of Tennis - The Two Samurai :The First Game *** (Tenisu no Ōji-sama Futari no Samurai) is the first film. Ryoma's adopted brother - Echizen Ryoga is introduced. Never mind Ryoma's Tornado Smash from the series above, the "special effects" gets even more ridiculous in this movie.

Prince of Tennis - Atobe's Gift ** Movie. The rich guy, Atobe, holds a big party/event for a friend. From the excesses shown, it looks like he's even richer than Bill Gates.

Prince of Tennis - New Year's Special ** Nanjiro makes a brief appearance. Ryoma's signature line in Japanese to his opponents is mada mada da ne. Sometimes, he says it in English as well - You've still got a long way to go (to beat me). In Mandarin it's hai cha de yuan ne.

One of the tennis players has a certain technique called Viking Horn. Imagine my surprise when I saw my boys playing badminton one day, with the Viking Horn technique. That was crazy, because in Viking Horn, you hold the racquet the other way round, such that it sticks out behind you instead of in front of you. Sheesh.

New Prince of Tennis **** At long last the sequel is here! The whole gang is back!

Princess Mononoke **** (もののけ姫 Mononoke Hime) is about Ashitaka, who is cursed by a demonised boar god during a battle with it. He goes on a journey to find a cure from the Forest Spirit, and meets San (Princess Mononoke), who protects the forest, and Lady Eboshi, the head of Iron Town. Ashitaka is sandwiched between the two opposing sides.

Pom Poko ** is about a bunch of tanuki (Japanese raccoon-dog) who practices the ancient art of transformation. They can turn into objects or humans, and tries to co-exist with humans. My kids had lots of laughs watching the tanuki’s transformation antics.

Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen ** (追憶編 Recollection or Reminiscence), is also known as Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal, has 4 episodes (rated 17+) and serves as a prequel to the Rurouni Kenshin. Genre: chanbara (swordfighting).
Set during the Meiji Restoration, the story starts off with a young boy, Shinta, being saved from bandits by Hiko Seijuro, who trains him. Hiko renames the boy as Kenshin, a name he felt was more appropriate for a swordsman. Years later, Kenshin kills a bodyguard named Kiyosato Akira, who is the fiancé of Yukishiro Tomoe. The fight with Kiyosato leaves Kenshin with the first stroke of his cross shaped scar.

Fate draws Kenshin and Tomoe together, and while Kenshin battles shogunate agents Tomoe steps in and gets caught in it. She gives him the second part of his cross-shaped wound. From then on, Kenshin only wields a sakabato, a reverse-edged katana, which has the sharp blade on the wrong side, in order not to kill, I guess.

Sacred Seven *** This anime (rated 13+, 12 episodes, genre: action) is about Tandouji Alma, a teenager born with the power of Sacred Seven because his mother was exposed to a Darkstone when she was pregnant.  Orphaned, the very tall and nicely drawn Alma lives alone, and rides a tiny scooter to get around. He lives in solitude as he is afraid that he is unable to control his power, but along comes an incredibly rich girl Ruri Aiba, who had lost her parents to the evil Darkstones. Using jewels imbued with her Lightstone powers, she is able to help Alma control his powers and use them for good. The action and mecha portions look like a cross of Gundam and Code Geass.

Samurai Deeper Kyo ** Genre: chanbara (swordfighting), supernatural. Favourite character Demon Eyes Kyo (Oni me no Kyo). About Kyo, who goes in search of his body.

Samurai Seven **** Enjoyed this anime with my kids. Hard put to name a favourite character though.

Seirei No Moribito *****(精霊の守り人,) It’s been some time since I’d come across an anime worthy of 5 stars. So it’s great that there are 26 episodes of entertainment filled with characters lovingly fleshed-out and written to make you feel for them, and with an interesting plot plus a good pace in the storytelling. Story is about Balsa, a female bodyguard, who is entrusted to protect a boy who is the 2^nd prince of the Yogo Empire. She fights off a formidable bunch of male assassins, but events eventually have them switch from opposing sides to be united with the same goals. The medicinal plant seller (hence not a warrior) male lead, Tanda, has the best line. “I feel like a warrior’s wife!” he gripes unhappily when he’s worried sick about Balsa’s fate when she’d been fighting the assassins.

Seven Ghosts 07 * has a total of 25 episodes, and a rating of 13+, but do not trust that – it is not suitable for children or teenagers, in my opinion. Whoever wrote this story has the intention of grooming young impressionable minds to the possibilities of a homosexual relationship. It’s like it’s telling you it’s okay to love a guy in that way even though you’re a guy. Avoid. I stopped watching it with my kids when I found the story angling that way.

Shakugan No Shana *** Genre: Action, Fantasy, Romance. Shana's a Flame Haze, who wields a sword and fights evil beings.

Shigurui ** has 12 episodes and is rated 17+, but I would not want to watch this with my 17-yr-old (not that I have one yet). No, I did not watch this anime with my kids. It ought to be R21 as there are adult sex scenes. The people who produced this anime favours the use of atmospheric stills. At the end of the 12 episodes, there is no satisfactory ending, and so, no answer as to who is the winner of the duel – Fujiki Gennosuke or Irako Seigen.

Skip Beat ***** Series still on-going (at least, the manga is still on-going). Genre: comedy, romance. My favourite character is Tsuruga Ren. The story is about Mogami Kyoko who is trying to become a famous actress, and the guys she loves and hates. This is still my favourite anime of all. The anime stopped at episode 25. Just like Glass Mask (above), I can't wait to find out how and when Kyoko and Tsuruga finally get together, so resorted to reading the manga to follow the story.

Slam dunk! **** (Suramu Danku) has 101 episodes and was first aired in Japan in 1993, so yes, it does look dated. But that does not take away any of the fun – as my kids and I enjoyed the comedy in this sports anime (think Prince of Tennis).

The story is about Hanamichi Sakuragi, a 1.88m tall, red-haired delinquent outcast, who picks up the game of basketball to impress a girl - Haruko Akagi. He has a rival in star rookie Kaede Rukawa both on the basketball court and in love.

Hisashi Mitsui, an ex-junior high school MVP, and Ryota Miyagi, a short but fast player, both also rejoin the team and together these four struggle to complete team captain Akagi's dream of making their school, Shohoku, the national champion.

The anime only covers up to the part where Shohoku wins the privilege of taking part in the national tournament as representatives of their Kanagawa region, but does not cover the tournament itself. For that, I read the manga and highly commend the writer for the exciting Shohoku-Sannoh match he had thought out.

Special A *** has 24 episodes and is rated 13+. It is a romcom set in a school where 7 top students are in a special class called Special A. Their classroom is a greenhouse and the 7 does nothing but have tea in the greenhouse – that’s a “normal” day in school for them. The 7 has no lesson whatsoever and they have got to be all geniuses, since they all maintain their top 7 ranking, ahead of the hoi polloi – the rest of the school, and earn the privilege of staying in the rarefied atmosphere of Special A.

This anime is quite funny, and my favourite character is Takishima Kei - a guy with unwavering love for a gal never fails to hit my soft spot. The girl, Hikari, is not bad too, her indomitable spirit is great, and she makes a great pairing with Kei. He’s always beating her academically, in sports and just about everything else and she is resigned to Number 2 position, since he’s some kind of super genius. The funniest episode, IMHO, is episode 7. The last episode is just so-so.

Spirited Away **** (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away) Movie. I give this anime movie 4 stars because the ideas and drawing are both very creative.

According to Wikipedia, this 2001 Japanese anime received many awards, including an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It was also the first anime movie to win an Academy Award, and won the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Fest. Spirited Away overtook Titanic in the Japanese box office.

About a 10-yr-old girl, Chihiro, whose parents were transformed into pigs. She tries her darndest to reverse the transformation and save her parents.

Steamboy *** is said to be a steampunk film (ha, ha - what in the world is that?) It is also said to be the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date.  I’m not surprised as it took 10 years in production!  It is about a boy, Ray Steam, whose life is suddenly thrown into chaos with the arrival of a mysterious parcel that everyone wants to get their hands on.  The story is set in the 1860s.

Summer Wars **** (サマーウォーズ Samā Wōzu) is a great anime movie to watch. It came out in 2009, and I would recommend parents to watch this entertaining piece with their kids.

It’s about Kenji, an eleventh-grade math whiz, who was framed for hacking into a virtual world and, with the aid of a school senior’s large family, fight to prevent the real world from collapsing into chaos. It won the 2010 Japan Academy prize for Animation of the Year.

Sword of the Stranger *****(, Stranger Mukō Hadan) is a movie from 2007. It’s about a boy, Kotaro, who is hunted by some officials from China (they actually speak Mandarin!). Among the “baddies” from China is a blonde dude who’s highly skilled, and loves nothing more than finding a worthy opponent.  Kotaro and his dog meet Nanashi, a samurai who is haunted by his past. Apparently Nanashi means Nameless, and he has tied his sword to its scabbard, sealing it as he no longer wishes to draw his sword. Naturally events lead to Nanashi crossing swords with the blonde dude in a climatic battle. Enjoyed the animation of the swordfights. Liked the time spent on characterisation of the boy, dog and Nanashi. You’ll definitely enjoy this with the kids.

Tales From Earthsea *** Movie. A story about wizard magic and romance. About Arren, a young prince, and the girl Therru.

Tamayura Hitotose *** has 12 episodes, and I watched this anime with my daughter GG, age 8. We enjoyed it, as the story is about a girl named Fu (nicknamed Potte) who moves back to her hometown in Hiroshima to attend high school. Her father had passed away, and Fu is often taking pictures with her father's old Rollei. She spends time with her friends (3 other girls) and the story revolves around their daily lives and their experiences as they grow up. GG and I have been to Hiroshima, and the okonomiyaki restaurant featured in this anime always has us drooling and brings back such fond memories of Hiroshima's okonomiyaki.

The Cat Returns (Neko no Ongaeshi) *** Movie. Genre: Fantasy. About a girl, Haru, who has the ability to talk to cats. She rescued a cat (Prince Lune) and the King Cat wants her to marry the prince. She goes to the Baron (a cat figurine that comes to life) for help.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time **** Movie. Genre: Teen Romance. About a girl, Makoto Konno, who travels through time. Favourite character is Chiaki Mamiya - what a cute boy, wish I met him when I was in school!

Toradora! ** Genre: comedy, romance. Actually did not finish this series when it was nearing the end... got bored with the antics of the silly girl, Taiga Aisaka.

Toriko *** (I give it a 3 star, but I'm sure my kids would give it a 4 star) is about a Gourmet Hunter by the name of Toriko. He hunts for rare and exotic tastes, and has the appetite of a glutton many times over. He eats till his stomach looks like he’s pregnant with sextuplets and in the next second, when he happens to think of some legendary delicacy, he is hungry again and his massive stomach disappears! He attacks his prey with his left hand like a fork, and his right hand like a knife. His catchphrase is of course “Itakimasu!” (Japanese for 'Thanks for the food').

I have to say that the minds behind the story are very creative and manages to come up with out-of-the-box foods, flora and fauna. My kids love this anime, but sometimes, I end up rolling my eyes at how ludicrous it becomes.

Toriko 3D: Kaimaku! Gourmet Adventure *** is an animated film. It’s a double feature with the One Piece cast, so Luffy and the rest stars in it with the Toriko gang.

Trinity Blood ** (トリニティ・ブラッド, Toriniti Buraddo) has a total of 24 episodes, and has a rating of 17+. Other than humans, there are also vampires and yet another species even higher on the food chain called Kruzniks, who feed on vampire blood (think Kuro the vampire exorcist in Dgrayman). There’s some copying from Dgrayman I feel - there is even a creature that resembles Timcampy from Dgrayman. The anime draws a lot of references to the catholic faith, and quotes from the bible.

The ending is a letdown, boringly glossed over (ran out of time?) in the last episode – too much like they were hoping for a sequel, which fortunately, never materialized. There is no clear favourite character for me here, but I’ll list the Fabio-looking character with long, blonde locks called Sword Dancer (only allotted a bit of screen time) if I’m hard pressed for one, while the main character Abel Nightroad (even with loads of screen time) is much less charismatic. And of course, Abel has an evil brother called Cain. Yawn.

Yumeiro Patissiere *** (Dream-coloured Patissiere) This is anime is about 14-year-old Ichigo Amano, a klutz who falls down the stairs frequently. She loves to eat cake, and eats lots of them. Oh, I like her already! She enrolls in an academy to train to become a patissiere, and is teamed with three guys called the Princes of Sweets - Hanabusa (the rose/flower expert), Andouji (traditional Japanese sweets expert) and Kashino (chocolate expert). The episodes tracks Ichigo’s journey towards fulfilling her dream of winning a competition to study in France for 2 years.

I watched this anime mainly with just my daughter GG, as the boys weren’t interested. GG, currently 8 years old, likes this anime very much. There are also tiny winged Sweets spirits that befriends Ichigo and her friends, and help them along. Our favourite Sweet spirit is Caramel who is so wonderfully cutely voiced.

Yumeiro Patissiere Professional - Season Two continues the story after Ichigo returns from Paris.

Uchuu Show E Youkoso *** Suitable for kids, plus it extols the 'all for one, one for all" value. This is an anime movie released in 2010. Story is about 5 kids who save a dog-like alien, who thanks them by taking them to visit the moon. Things happen (of course they do) and they are stuck in space, and worse, one of them is kidnapped.

Usagi Drop **** (Bunny Drop) – Usagi means Rabbit in Japanese, so you’ll soon notice the little girl Rin has bunny designs on her blanket, etc. The story is about thirty-year old bachelor Daikichi, who takes in Rin, the illegitimate six-year old daughter of his grandfather. I liked this anime very much, and so did GG. Rin is very cute and Daikichi is such a nice chap. Rats! There are only 11 episodes! Darn!

Resorted to reading the manga where Rin is now 16. It develops the relationship between her and Daikichi, who is now 40 and still single. Did not quite like how the story ended. A 24-year age gap is too wide. Especially when Rin talks about having a baby.

For God's sake, Daikichi had no life while he raised her. At age 40 (more likely maybe later at age 45), why would he wanna raise another kid all over again? Right, that's why it's manga - not real. I'm in the midst of raising 4 kids - yup, you pretty much give up your own life to raise your kids, so a sane person would not do it all over again at age 45.

Whisper of the Heart *** (Mimi wo sumaseba, If You Listen Closely)  is about a girl, Shizuku, who loves reading. She meets the mysterious Seiji, whose name she oftens sees on books she borrowed from the library. Seiji is an apprentice Violin-maker. The two of them are very cute, and the young budding love portrayed is sweet.

Wolves Rain *** 26 episodes. Story is about a bunch of wolves who can cast a spell over humans so that they look, walk and speak like humans do as they try to survive alongside humans. The wolves (Kiba, Tsume, Hige and Toboe) search for a place called Paradise with the help of a girl (Cheza) made from Lunar Flowers. Yeah, I’d say this anime combines science and magic. Like the anime titled Hakuoki, I hated the ending of Wolves Rain as well for the same reason. The characters die off one by one. I cried buckets again. Still, despite so many dying, I’m not sure what really happened at the last one or two minutes of the story right at the very end. Huh? Nani? Can somebody tell me what happened in the end?