Hiyokoi

Hello people! I just finished an anime called Hiyokoi and I thought I'd share some thoughts about it.
Actually, it's not really an anime series because it's only one episode so I guess it would be called a 'special'. The episode is based on a manga of the same name; I didn't read the manga so I won't base my post on anything about the manga at all.

First off: Honestly, this anime didn't really appeal to me very much. I'm not very much of a shojo person; I do like shojo though but not these super girly ones with cliché after cliché. I'd say Hiyokoi was a bit like that I guess.

The girl is a super-tiny, super-shy girl (Hiyori) who comes back to school after a year of being hospitalized from getting run over by a truck breaking all her bones (lol.. but that's what they said at least. o.o). She is the typical blushing, quiet, crying little kawaii-shojo girl. Unfortunately, the type of girls I don't usually like in a manga/anime. Then there's this guy (Yuushin) who is very tall, popular amongst the students, talks a lot, smiles a lot, makes jokes but is still kind. Unfortunately, the type of guys I don't usually like in a manga/anime.

So I guess that pretty much sums up why I wasn't too fond of the anime. But the last thing is all the cliché's. I'm not going to give you all the examples I could, but for example the last scene.. Hiyori is sitting next to Yuushin in class (of course) and he is asleep, when Hiyori figures out that she doesn't have a notebook with her (this happens two times in this short anime as well..) so she shyly tries to wake him up to ask for it. But it seems like he doesn't hear her, so she gets dissappointed (awww..). But then(!!), while in the same sleeping pose, he hands her his notebook, and then we get a zoom in on his face, smiling at her. And she gets super surprised and blushy and this scene gets a couple of seconds of slow-motioned bubbles flying around on a pink background with them smiling and blushing and whatever, and then the episode is over. wat.

Sorry that it sounds like I'm bashing this anime but I don't really mean it in that way lol. D; (I hope no hardcore-Hiyoki fans come read this, they all would hate me, HAH :C) I'm just trying to tell you why I wasn't fond of the anime, and I don't mean that you would dislike it just because I did!
If you are a shojo-lover then I bet you would enjoy this anime anyway! I mean, it's only like, 22 minutes long, so why not give it a try? ^^

- Hyung 형

Paprika (Anime movie)

Hi all! I just finished an anime movie called Paprika from 2006.

I would like to start off with telling you a bit about the story. The story is pretty complicated though (or maybe that's just me, because I have a hard time understanding stories unfortunately) but I'll do my best to explain it very shortly.

Okay so in the story, this device called DC Mini is developed which is something that makes you able to enter peoples dreams. A prototype of this DC Mini is stolen though, and such a tool in the wrong hands can destroy a persons personality while sleeping. Scientist Atsuko Chiba has an 'other self' which she uses to enter the dream world to try and find out who is using the device. This alter-ego is called Paprika.

Even though I have a hard time following the stories and details to the fullest (not only in Paprika, but in every series. I don't know why, it's annoying as hell) I still really enjoyed the movie! It has a unique art to it, and the creators are not afraid to push the boundaries and to draw really weird, different, gross and awesome stuff! I like these movies with a feeling of a.. I don't know how to explain it, odd fairytale? (Kind of like Miyazaki-movies). Really beautiful movie to watch and there are always something going on that makes you interested and never bored. The music is also very nice and very fitting for the style of the movie!

Check it out if you have some time to spare!

- Hyung 형

Fairy Tail movie (2nd post)

Okay, so I very recently wrote a post about an upcoming Fary Tail film (read it here if you didn't already!) and now there is more info out about it!
It's not much but the info we got is some the staff who are going to work on the movie. Masaya Fujimori (You are Umasou) will direkt the production and Masashi Sogo (Fairy Tail, Bleach, Rurouni Kenshin) is going to write the screenplay. Mashima himself (the author of the manga) is going to be in charge of story planning and visual design, plus he will help with character designs. (Source)
Hearing that Mashima will be in charge of the story makes me very happy. I like watching anime movies, but mostly the real manga author isn't even involved in the story or anything at all. That makes it feel like.. I don't know how to explain, but it's like they just take the characters from that manga and make any movie they want, so you just consider the movie 100% filler. But when the manga author actually is the writer of the story, it feels like "whoa, everything that happens the author actually approves of, so even though it's not part of the original manga, it still doesn't feel quite like a filler."
Gosh, I don't know how to explain but I hope you get it -_-

Re-using this image since there seems to be no new ones about the movie.

I'm vvvveeeryyy excited for this movie! I really like Fairy Tail! If there should be one thing I could complain about is the fact that I don't watch the anime, I only read the manga, so I think some voices are not very fitting for the characters (I've checked out the anime a little bit), for example Lucy's voice.. I had some problems with Natsu's voice at first but after watching a few clips I have gotten more or less used to it.

Anyway, that's the problem with reading the manga before watching the anime! But I won't let this affect my opinion on the movie of course. :)

Oh an one last complaint: It takes freaking long until we non-japanese people can watch anime movies!! >_< It's released 18th of August 2012 in theaters in Japan.. but that is NOT when we will see it.. :| Dunno how long it'll take for us other countries.

- Hyung 형

Fairy Tail movie in theaters 2012!

A Fairy Tail film will be coming to theaters next year on August 18th! (G-Dragon's birthday lolol) Anyway, if you don't know Fairy Tail, it's a manga by Hiro Mashima, which has been adapted to an anime series. I found out about the news of the film through the scanlations on mangastream of the latest chapter! Through these two pages:

..Along with some awesome NatsuxLucy *_* WHY DO WE GET NO NATSUxLUCY IN THE ACTUAL STORY, EH? (I'm a huge NaLu-fan kekeke~)

Anyway, I don't know much more about the movie than this and I doubt there is much more information out. I can't wait to see it though! Even though it's friggin' long until it's out. T_T

- Hyung 형