Aysera

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun Episodes 5-7 Review

As much as I hate to say it, with so many lovable and colorful characters, even a series as meta as Nozaki-kun can start to feel predictable in its gags after a while. After all, those who are genre-savvy enough – or, at least, familiar enough with the series – can guess what it is they can expect once the premise has been introduced.

READ MORE
New in Japan

The Irregular at Magic High School: Episode 02 – 04 Review

After putting it off for a few weeks, I finally mustered up the energy to watch the next three episodes of The Irregular at Magic High School. As you would remember from my first article on the series, I was really bored with the characters and story, and the show’s saving grace was pretty animation. Things thankfully begin to change slightly after the first episode, but not as much as I hoped.

READ MORE
Hikari

The World is Still Beautiful: Episode 02-04 Review

I am utterly enthralled by The World is Still Beautiful. Princess Nike as a character is shaping up to be one of my favorite characters this season, and there’s no doubt why. She is the epitome of what all girls see in a princess, but she is also tough, brave, and intelligent. Although this sounds like a recipe for a Mary Sue, a character of complete perfection, there are flaws in her character that fit to the setting she’s placed in.

READ MORE
Anime

The World is Still Beautiful

Princess Nike meets King Livius I and is surprised to find that he is younger than her. King Livius I demands to see Nike’s rain summoning and Nike refuses, saying that he needs to show her how beautiful his world is for her to perform the ritual. After a few attempts on Livius’ life, and at one point Nike’s saving him with her rain and taking an arrow for him, Nike begins to soften towards the king and care more about him. She starts to have a desire to protect him, and he her. In a country strife with inner political conspiracies as well as racial/class tension, Nike must now learn how to win the court’s and the nation’s affections to truly belong in Livius’ world.

READ MORE
Manga

Because You Smile When I Sing

Because You Smile When I Sing is a collection of five short stories by Natsuki Takaya, the creator of Fruits Basket. More specifically, the collection contains four dramas-Because You Smile When I Sing (a light love story about two teenagers who are picked on for how they look), Ding Dong (about how a girl adjusts to living with her stepmother and her father’s death), Voice of Mine (about how two talented violinists overcome their classmates’ jealousy and their own lack of confidence in themselves), Double Flower (a tale of how a strange male seamstress finds love; it has a fair share of comedy too)- and one comedy-Dark Princess (a light-hearted parody of Snow White).

READ MORE