Dark Magic Anime

So I had a situation come up yesterday and today I'm apparently being accused of using black or dark magic. Since then I've been on a dark magic theme (if you couldn't tell). I'm finding the best way to vent my frustration over this and what better way than through something I love. Anime! And now I'm going to request a little help, I'd like to watch some anime with 'dark magic' or something like Hellsing. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Please.

Decisions, Decisions

So I'm having that problem. I have so much anime I want to watch, probably over 100, and I don't know what I should watch next. I've made a list of what I'd like to watch next, but I don't know which one to go with, so I'm asking for a little advise.

SO, here's the list:


Vampire Knight
Utena
The Twelve Kingdoms
Saiunkoku Monogatai 2
Code Geass
Seitokai no Ichizon
07-Ghost
Tears to Tiara
Valkyria Chronicles
Dual Parallel Trouble Adventure
Durarara!!
Earl and Fairy
ef-a tale of memories
Full Moon wo Sagashite
Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de- Hachiyoushou
Meine Liebe
Our Home's Fox Deity
Toradora!
Maiden Rose
Tactics
Boys Be
Enzai
Fuyu no Semi
Haru wo Daite Ita
Uragirl wa Boku no Namae O Shitteiru
The World God Only Knows
Air
Angel Beats!
Hetalia
Ore no Imouto
Princess Princess
Skip Beat
Kaichou wa Maid-sama
Kannon
Kuroko no Basket
Loveless

Anyone have a suggestion out of the choices above? If you'd like to go based on what I've already seen or recommend something else, this is what I've seen so far: Tayjena's watched list.

Any help is gratefully appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Hadn't Seen to Watch All the Time

Ever since I first watched Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind while visiting my friends in Australia, I have loved Miyazaki Hayao's films (with the exception of one, but I won't get into that). Now I know I haven't seen all of them and at the rate I go sometimes, I don't expect to see the ones I haven't any time soon.

But two months ago I came across the picture below. At first I just thought it was some pretty anime guy and a very detailed background and just moved on from. Still the picture stuck with me and I kept thinking about. Finally I decided to look for it again and this time find out what it was from. After looking at it a bit more, I thought it might be a Miyazaki, but I wasn't completely sure. Then I did find out that in fact it was and that it was Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.

Once this realization came to me, another one did at the same time. That I had not seen this! It was weird because I had seriously thought I had, and when faced with the truth that I hadn't I couldn't believe it.

So nearly immediately after this, I rectified the problem, and got and watched Howl's Moving Castle. I'm so glad I did. I think I watched it three times that first day. The detail is just what you'd expect from a Miyazaki film and I just adored the story. I loved it so much in fact I watched it several more times over the next few days after that first day and on top of that, put it on every night before I went to sleep. There was just something very comforting about letting it play in the background.

Even know two months later, I still just turn this on, whether to just let it play in the background while I do other stuff or simply turn it on to go to sleep to.

I think the art is absolutely beautiful. And the story is just very soothing to me.

It's something I recommend for everyone to watch, along with the other Miyazaki films.

And the First Year goes by

I just realized that today is May 1st and looking through my posts discover that yesterday was this blogs first anniversary. I really can't believe it's been a year since I started this already. It doesn't feel like it. Mainly because in this first year I haven't been able to blog as much as I would have liked to. Real life kinda got in my way a lot starting around last June. Thinking up topics to write about, was also a problem, since I don't do well with reviews and don't really want to do editorials. I just want to share my thoughts on anime, and sometimes, other things get in way of me thinking about anime.

At one point I had a bubble chart of topics I wanted to write about, unfortunately I lost the chart. Which in it's own way is alright, as I don't know if I would have every really had something to write about in those topics I picked.

But since this is an anime blog and it has been a year, I just decided as I'm sitting on the porch writing this to share the anime I've finished watching in this last year. And those are:

Ai no Kusabi (2012) - although this only consists of 4 episodes so far, I do hope for more.
Angelique - as much as I could find with subtitles and including through Neo Angelique Abyss
Azumanga Daioh
Clannad
Clannad After Story
High School of the Dead
Howl's Moving Castle
Ikoku Irokoi Romantan
Junjou Romantica 1, 2 and Ova
Lucky Star
Miracle Train
Okane ga Nai
Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi 1,2 and Ova
Shuffle!
Tenchi in Tokyo - Because I was never that into Tenchi when it first came out. Man, how the years can change your thoughts
The Secret World of Arriety
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 1,2, and all Ovas
xxxholic

(All links go to Anime Planet since I mostly use that site)

I think that's all the anime I saw for the first time this last year. I know most of these are older titles, I just hadn't gotten around to watching them before. And generally I don't like to watch something when it's popular just because it is and everyone is watching that. I usually enjoy those more after all the hype is over with.

Some things I've re watched this last year, include:

DMC - Detroit Metal City
E's Otherwise
Fruits Basket - If you read my last post you already know why
Fushigi Yugi
Gundam Wing - Because I'm working on some fanfiction based on it
Hand Maid May
High School of the dead - this is because my boyfriend is obsessed with this one
Howl's Moving Castle - I just can't get enough of this one
Magical Knight Rayearth
Orphen
Ouran High School Host Club
Ponyo
Princess Tutu - This one it because I got my little sister watching it
Rurouni Kenshin
Spirited Away
Trigun
X: the Movie

There's probably more, but those are the one's I remember right now.

Some that I intend to actually finish watching this year:

Ah! My Goddess
Bleach - I only have a little more of the anime to actually watch
Gakuen Heaven - I feel like I've been trying to finish this forever
Love Hina - I bought it at a convention I went to with Cat a couple years ago, I started it... I should really finish it
Ranma 1/2 - Argh, I'm so close, I need to stop falling asleep while watching it
Starry Sky

And that's my watching list right now.

I won't even go into my want to watch list, as right now that includes some ninety anime and is always growing.

So in closing that's my year in review, as far as anime is concerned, and as much as I can remember. It really doesn't feel like I watched that much. And in truth it's not nearly as much as I want to watch in a year. Ah well, just means I need to try harder this year.

Until next time.

Attn: Otaku Christmas

Well it's that time of year again. The time when everyone asks "what do you want for Christmas " Well I've been an anime fan (otaku) for most of my life and I've seriously hated answering this question for all of that time. The reason, because every time I tell someone I want this anime, or that manga, or this anime related toy/plushie/figure, I get "no I'm not buying that or what are you talking about." With the exception of my boyfriend and best friend Cat, no one ever listens and I never get what I want for Christmas.

It's not a big deal, usually I'll end up getting what I asked for myself later on. But just once, ONCE, I'd like to be asked that annoying question and actually have someone (besides the two people who listen) to actually get me something I want. I mean why ask if your just going to turn around and not listen anyway.

I know this sounds like a spoiled child ranting, but all in all, I would just like people to listen for once.

Not that I have any idea as of yet which anime stuff I want for this year. But I'm sure in the coming weeks I'll figure it out.

So please to those of you that are going to ask me, or any other otaku out there, what they want for Christmas this year. LISTEN! And if they say something about anime, at least try to get them something they want. Take it from someone now knows the disappointment of not getting that one present you asked for, and imagine how much joy you'll bring that person by getting them something they'll really enjoy this season.

Two Cent Anime Advice

Okay, so I have a little advice for those just getting into anime.... actually a few points of advice, and of course these are just my thoughts and are by no means something you have to do, but I'm throwing my two cents out there anyway.

So number one, don't be afraid to step away from you comfort zone and watch something new. I watch a lot of reverse harems, shoujo or josei, dramas, and ones with bishounen, but it's by no means all I watch. These and yaoi are my comfort zone animes. But I can't just watch those. I mean, I'd get bored with just that selection even if there are tons to chose from. And there's no guarantee that I'd like all of them. So I do tend to watch some regular harem, and even the occasional shonen, just because it somehow caught my attention. So just to say again don't be afraid to try something new. Maybe you watched an anime that had a tag you never watched before, if you liked it, branch out from that first category and try some more in the new one.

Second, and this kind of related to the point I made above. Shonen, or shoujo are directed towards boys and girls respectively, but that doesn't mean a girl can't enjoy shonen or a guy can't watch shoujo. It's just not the target audience, but there's nothing saying that you can't watch either or. And your boyfriend, or girlfriend might enjoy watching them, so that's always a thought for watching something new. Mine is a Cowboy Bebop fan, yet he still sat and watched and enjoyed (at least seemed to) Ouran High School Host Club with me. So just because it's an anime aimed and one gender or the other, doesn't mean you can't watch it.

Next, is to not be afraid to admit what you like. If you say got into anime because of a sister, and your a guy, and she had you watching things like Fruits Basket and Chobits, but you enjoyed them and started watching more anime similar to these, that's perfectly fine and there's nothing wrong with it. And don't let anyone else tell you differently! You're your own person and are allowed to like whatever you want.

Fourth, there's no such thing as being too young or too old for anime. There's stuff out there for any age just like everything else. Like I've said, I'm nearing thirty and still find anime to watch and enjoy. And I know there are plenty of people out there that are older than I am, and still watch it. It's okay, no matter your age.

The next thing I'm going to say is, that when starting a new anime to remember that usually the 'meat' of the story doesn't happen until at least the fifth to seventh episode, so try not to drop something until you've given it a chance. Now sometimes it just may not appeal to you after the first episode, but keep in mind that you haven't really seen what's coming yet. And we've all heard the phrase you can't judge a book by the cover, well don't try to judge an anime just on the opening credits, you're not going to have much of an idea of what actually happens just from the opening. Now there are always exceptions to this, and if something really doesn't sit well with you after one episode don't force yourself to keep going on it. There have been plenty that I won't watch or have dropped for one reason or another.But do try to give things a chance before you outright drop them.

I think the last piece of advice I have for today is this, just because an anime is old, doesn't mean it's not good. There are plenty of newer anime out there, but it all started somewhere. And even if something it more than five years old, doesn't mean it's bad. And remember, it may have been really popular when it came out. It may not be as fancy as the stuff coming out today, but that doesn't make it inferior. I still enjoy Ranma 1/2, and Fushigi Yuugi and Gundam Wing are still two of my favorite animes despite them coming out in the nineties. So don't be afraid to try out those 'old school' animes.

I'll end my two cents here for now. Until next time.

HotD... Anime Love, Zombie Fear

Well the other night I finally decided to watch High School of the Dead. It may not seem like anything to most people, but this was important for me. I'm terrified of zombies, irrational I know, but it's true. And while I've tried to watch everything with zombies in it to help reduce this paralyzing  fear of the irrational, which has worked to some extent, I was still hesitant to watch this particular anime.

It was nothing against the anime itself, which turned out to be very good. The animation style was one that I found pleasing. And the story was alright to me, but then I've watched some bad zombie movies so this was better than those. My boyfriend absolutely loved the fan service and panty shots through the whole season.

The only thing that had held me back on watching it for so long was that it mixed what I love, which is anime, and what I fear the most, zombies, together. It took me awhile to be able to wrap my head around this concept and actually sit down and watch it.

But I'm glad I did. If I can handle seeing zombies in my favorite thing (anime) then I can handle them in anything... well maybe not real life...

Picking your First Anime

Everyone I know says I'm a walking encyclopedia to anime. Well, of course they're wrong. I just happen to know more than them, since most of them aren't the fans that I am, so when they ask I seem more knowledgeable than I really am. Compared to others with the same interest, I probably know about the same, or perhaps less. But I do know what I like, and have learned a few simple terms to help me along, as well as point others in the right direction.


The first thing I'd suggest is to ask your friends, after all you are friends because you have similar  interests, so maybe they can get you started. But let's say, you ask them and they look at you like you're an alien, maybe they even ask 'what is anime?' Or perhaps you're too shy or don't want them to think you're a 'geek.' What do you do now?


First, the easiest way to get started in right direction to picking your first anime, is to think of movies, television series you already like. Maybe you're into sci fi? Or maybe comedies are more your style? Or maybe dramas are more your thing? Well I assure you, whatever interest you already have there's an abundance of anime just waiting for you.


So now we have our genre, and looked for anime under it. But now we have hundreds of titles showing, how in the world do we pick from here?


Easy.


For me I usually go by what I find aesthetically pleasing. But not always. Sometimes the plot draws me in. So what to do now is read up on some of these titles, find summaries, a few screenshots, maybe a review or two just to see what others with the same interest thought of one particular title. The internet it the a great place to find all these things quickly and easily. I use anime-planet.com to find what I'm looking for, but some other popular places are, animenewsnetwork.com, anidb.net, and MyAnimeList.net. Try them, and see which one you like best.


After we've done all this and picked an anime to watch, we're almost done. Almost you ask? Well I'm sure you noticed when you picked your title that there's a bunch of tags labeling it as well. And maybe they're not quite what you're looking for, or maybe you have no idea what some of them are. Well, whatever site you used to find this anime, will most likely have a glossary of their tags.


To help you out a bit with the Japanese terms you may not be familiar with, I'll list a few of the more popular ones, and you can also use these to narrow down your search.


shoujo- It means girl. Basically it's anime that is aimed towards girls such as romance and usually have good looking boys. An example would be Fruits Basket or Ouran High School Host Club, Shugo Chara!


maho shoujo- Magical Girl. Like shoujo but with girls with magical powers. Examples: Sailor Moon, Fresh Pretty Cure!


shounen- Anime under this genre is aimed towards boys. It includes anime that are more action and adventure like Naruto or Bleach


josei- Basically its like shoujo for women, it mostly focuses on women's lives in Japan and realism. Examples: Saiunkoku Monogatari


seinen- This is like shounen but with stronger adult themes and more realism. Examples: Gankutsuou or True Tears


bishoujo- This is an anime with a lot of pretty female characters. Basically eye candy for heterosexual males. Examples: No examples


bishounen- This is an anime loaded with very pretty male characters. Basically eye candy to the heterosexual female. Examples: Uta no Prince-sama


Slice of Life- This genre focuses on normal characters dealing with everyday problems. Examples: Usagi Drop, Polar Bear Cafe


Sudden Girlfriend Appearance- A sudden girlfriend appears, usually having do to with a engagement that was not previously known. Examples: DearS, Bakemonogatari


Harem- A harem is one boy with a bunch of girls trying to gain his attention. Examples: Clannad, Shuffle


Reverse Harem- This is the reverse of a harem, rather than one boy and a bunch of girls it's one girl surrounded by a bunch of boys. An example is Ouran High School Host Club, La Corda d'Oro, and Uta no Prince-sama


shoujo-ai- This translates to 'girl love' it's like yuri but its more limited focusing more on the relationship with little more than kissing and hugging. Examples: Aoi Hana 


shounen-ai-  Translates to 'boy love' (BL) Similar to shoujo-ai this is yaoi but more limited focusing on relationship over sex. Actually it usually has no sex just hugging and kissing if even that. Examples: Loveless, Princess Princess, Kyo Kara Maoh!, Gakuen Heaven, and Maginal Prince


ecchi- This is lighter than hentai it might contain some breast shots but very few to know full nudity scenes and it's more censored. An example would be Mayo Chiki or Shuffle


hentai- This is basically animated porn. It has sex and nudity scenes. (Important to know if you don't like that kind of thing.) Examples: The Immorals


yuri- This is like hentai but with two girls.  Examples: Mnemosyne


yaoi- This is basically like hentai only with two boys instead of a girl and a boy. An example is Junjou Romantica or Sekaichi Hatsukoi


There are hundreds more, most of which are self-explanatory but hopefully this list will help get you started with ones you may not be familiar with.


Now all you need to go is get you anime and enjoy!


Get your Anime HERE!


Lastly, you're not going to like everything out there. So if you don't like the first one you see, try again. There's definitively something out there you will like.