240 replies to this topic

[Mara=^.^=]

Sounds cool, Mara. Can you send me a link?

 
TONARI NO KAIBUTSU-KUN

And while we're at it...more pics!










See? Zero f*cks given.

But still so cute



That said, I definitely recommend the manga over the anime (which ends abruptly).
OK, I'll shut up about my love for this series now.

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
 

[Chompyzilla]

Dammit, Mara. Now I'm going to up until five in the morning reading this.

[Mara=^.^=]

Aaaaand if you like that, you might also wanna check out the short-but-sweet manga Beast Master, which is not as funny but does have some similar motifs (and the single hottest ending page of any manga I've ever read).

 

CLICK:

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Kyousuke Motomi?! That's the authoress of Dengeki Daisy!!

[Mara=^.^=]

@Em: Well, I recommend Beast Master. It's pretty typical as far as shoujo goes, but it's also strangely adorable and I love the ending

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

I will keep that in consideration, thanks!

[Mara=^.^=]

I just finished reading the longest running shoujo series, Koukou Debut...

 

 

 

It had such a cheesy premise at first, but it quickly became SO ADORABLE and SO INNNOCENT I couldn't help but squee and giggle my way through all 13 volumes. I don't understand how I can hate the romantic comedy genre with such a passion, and yet enjoy some shoujo series so much. Maybe it has something to do with the sincerity and warmth of the storytelling...how can you dislike characters that try so hard and experience emotions so strongly?

 

Still, every time I read one, my brain screams "unhealthy gender role reinforcement!!" while my heart screams "they're precious, shut up!". Gah, I'm a basket case...

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

After that last manga I was all 'romanced-out', so I decided to go for something darker and more violent instead. Now I'm 60 chapters into this manga called Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro ("Evil Private Eye Neuro Nougami"), about a demon who "eats" mysteries.



The demon, named Neuro, comes to the human world because he's run out of good puzzles to eat in hell, and he's daaaamn hungry son. He proceeds to sniff out a high school girl who's father was recently murdered, and after solving the case and "eating" the puzzle, he forces her to become his co-investigator. As the new Watson to his demon Sherlock, he solves the mysteries using his evil powers, and she (poor girl) has to act as his human puppet.

Anyway, this manga really fascinates me because Neuro is the most despicable, noxious, vile, contemptible individual imaginable. It's actually amazing just how selfish and reprehensible he is. He slowly amasses more and more "slaves" (basically, humans he's coerced, manipulated, or threatened into helping him run his demon detective agency), all the while congratulating himself on being superior. He takes great pleasure in tormenting others, since where he comes from (hell), happy-go-lucky sadism is apparently what makes you "a good person". He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, so...why is he so enjoyable to watch?

The series is like, so effed up, but so bizarrely exciting at the same time, and the occasional moments of humor really stand out. I never know what's going to happen next...I mean, one of the main characters is a freaking UNDEAD SENTIENT BRAID for Christ's sake. The manga clocks in at an insanely long 202 chapters, but I'm probably going to keep right on reading someone please, stage an intervention


EDIT:
127 chapters in...this freaking manga makes torture, slavery, terrorism, and domestic violence jokes with a song and a smile...why am I still enjoying this?? I guess this is what happens when you read the work of a manga-ka who was an assistant to the artist responsible for "Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo" I have nobody to blame but myself


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

I FINISHED MAJIN TANTEI NOUGAMI NEURO - ALL 17 VOLUMES OF IT! It took me nearly 3 whole days, but I AM VICTORIOUS!!

 

 

It had such a satisfying ending, too! jkdafajfgiegsfigadfhk

 

Neuro is pleased

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

*cracks knuckles*
Well, since Katie encouraged me to watch Kaichou wa maid-sama, I feel it's only fair to give a brief review now that I've finished it!





Overall impression: very enjoyable! Besides Usui's troll-tastic godliness, my favorite part about the series was the supporting cast. Everyone was just so freaking likeable...I kept waiting for someone annoying to pop up and ruin things for me, but nope! Loved every one of them, especially the "three idiots". I want those guys to get their own sitcom, for real. Even when the semi-love-triangle popped up in the third act, it wasn't irritating...it was like the author went out of her way to make sure the audience wouldn't hate the second guy. I mean, how can anyone hate the formerly-derpy-fat-kid who loved Misaki as a child? Poor little schmuck.

My only gripe with the series was that they waited until the last episode for Misaki and Usui to make any headway in the relationship department...I would've liked to see their relationship develop more slowly so that Misaki would've had to confront her ridiculously over-the-top Tsundere tendencies and we could've learned more about Usui's backstory, because in many ways, he seems like a very lonely person. I understand that we get more of this in the manga, which is still ongoing, so maybe I'll give that a read at some point.

I have to come right out an admit that Usui is one of my favorite shoujo male leads ever...there's something about his droll and slightly evil sense of humor that elevates his occasionally pervy actions from "dude, what the hell" to "oh, you! ". I liked Misaki at first, but by the end she got to be a little too Tsundere, even for me Maybe it's because I was just coming off reading Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, and I liked Shizuku (the female lead for that series) so much...mostly because Shizuku is cold, calculating, studious, and has like, zero f*cks to give about her boyfriend's crazy shenanigans.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[J/C AVA]

Woman, how much anime can you possibly watch? And how in such a creepy anime like what you just saw can enjoyment and appeal be found for you!?

IT. MAKES NO. SENSE!! EXPLAIN, MARA!

EEEEEX... PLAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 image.jpg   22.38KB   3 downloads

[Mara=^.^=]

Neuro wasn't an anime, Pedro...it was a manga, and I read very, very fast.

 

And the other stuff I've read/watched lately was all gushy-gushy love-dovey cutesy stuff, so I needed something creepy to balance things out

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

ATTACK ON TITAN

Oh my God, you guys. I've found a new addiction. Shingeki no Kyojin (literally, 'the Giants Onslaught', but translated into English as "Attack on Titan") is without a doubt the most amazing anime series I've seen all year. It's only 11 episodes in, so I can't vouch for how well it'll turn out, but so far it is just spellbinding. The story is set in a world where the remnants of the human population live inside cities surrounded by enormous walls due to the sudden appearance of the Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason. The story centers around the life of Eren Jaeger and his bff/stalwart protector/foster sister/possible secret admirer Mikasa Ackerman, whose lives are changed forever after the appearance of a colossal Titan brings about the destruction of their home and the death of Eren's mother.

Ah man. Everything about this anime is just so BIG - the theme song, the scale of the conflict, the stakes of losing, the way cool fighting style - hhhhhnnngggg it's action/horror at its finest. It's bloody and grotesque (you see people being devoured on camera), but the tragedy and sense of overwhelming odds just make you root for the characters even more. You find yourself glued to your freaking seat as these brave souls confront the threat of death over and over again...and it's not an empty threat. Characters actually die in this. Horribly. But hey, war is hell, and the ability of the story to capture this truth is what makes it really resonate with the viewer (even though we've never had to confront an onslaught of freakish-looking giants, lol )

Plot aside, the characters are just really cool. You've got Eren, who basically runs on hatred and hotness
 

Then there's scary badass silent fighter Mikasa, who will do ANYTHING to protect Eren because of back-story reasons that I won't spoil


And how can you forget strategist and cutie-pie Armin with his big eyes and haystack hair



So far, the character development has unfolded marvelously. Everything is calculated to up the emotional impact. Even when you don't understand what's going on in your head, you feel it in your gut. It's so damn visceral.

Another one of the things that make this series stand out so much (well, to me, anyway), is that it's probably the least sexist shounen anime I've ever seen. It's been eleven episodes, and there hasn't been a single moment of fanservice. That might not sound like much, but it's a big deal to someone who's used to shows like One Piece and Soul Eater, where you have characters like Blair who exist solely to flash their boobs at the camera. The women in Shingeki no Kyojin aren't sexualized for the benefit of male viewers. At all. About 50% of the characters are female (a number reflecting reality - imagine that!), which is stunning for a fighting anime...and let's face it, media in general. Women occupy positions in every level of the military, from first-line cannon fodder to command-level decision makers. Women make fart jokes. About other women. Truly, this is equality at its finest

But anyway, I'm basically rambling at this point. If you like action, and aren't afraid of seeing gallons of blood, I highly recommend it. Start watching now if you don't mind cliffhangers, or wait until the fall when the show's finished airing if you want to enjoy it all at once. Either way, if you decide to give it a go, let me know so we can gush!

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

P.S. I have seen true friendship, and it looks like this:

 

P.P.S. OMG and the memes this show has spawned...don't even get me started

Hardly surprising considering that every once in a while you'll get a background titan that just looks hilarious

[underwater]

This show is sooooooosososo good (though I'm not 100% caught up yet). My favorite scene is definitly this:

 

 

I fell over laughing

 

Corinne

[Mara=^.^=]

That's my favorite scene too

 

I also can't get over the fandom jokes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Ang]

Where can one watch such a thing? ^^

[Mara=^.^=]

I've been torrenting directly from a fansubber...not sure where you can find streaming copies of the episodes, though. I will ask our beneficent overlord Google and get back to you.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Ang]

I've been torrenting directly from a fansubber...not sure where you can find streaming copies of the episodes, though. I will ask our beneficent overlord Google and get back to you.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

 

ok please tell the old bloke i said hello while you're at it

thanks c:

[Mara=^.^=]

Here's a site where you can stream the show (you may have to sit through 1 or 2 ads first): link

 

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

P.S. Our beneficent overlord Google was pleased by your greeting.

[SweeneyxxTodd]

This sounds really awesome, and those gifs were way cool

 

I think I might wait until this is finished airing, because if I end up liking it, this sounds like the kind of thing I wouldn't enjoy cliffhangers for unless I could immediately play the next episode.