Tag: shounen

Learning to Live Again: Ancient Magus Bride Review

Learning to Live Again: Ancient Magus Bride Review Owl’s prompt for July

This month’s OWL prompt was for “Mentors” and the prompt goes as follows…

Throughout our lives, we might have encountered someone that we admired as a role model or has guided us in some life dilemma. This mentor could be a teacher at school, a coach, a boss or team leader at work, or a family friend. Whoever it is that person positively impacted your life. For this month’s OWLS topic, we will be writing about mentors or mentorships in anime and other pop culture media. Some topics we will be exploring include how a mentorship impacted a main character’s life, the types of mentor relationships a person could have, and/or personal stories about mentors or mentorships.

Almost immediately, I knew which anime I wanted to do…

Mahoutsukai no Yome or The Ancient Magus Bride.

The amount of mentors in this anime is almost overwhelming. It overlaps and becomes integral to the story.

The protagonist of the story is Chise Hatori who is the apprentice and future bride of Elias Ainsworth. Her father and brother abandoned the family when she was young, and her mother committed suicide in front of her. Feeling unwanted by her relatives, she sold herself into slavery so that she didn’t have to worry about anything.

This is how Elias purchased her. Abandoned at a young age and ridiculed by her peers for her unconventional behavior, she was ready to give herself to any buyer if it meant having a place to go home. In chains and on her way to an unknown fate, she hears whispers from robed men along her path, gossiping and complaining that such a buyer got his hands on a rare “Sleigh Beggy.”

Ignoring the murmurs, he reveals himself to be Elias Ainsworth—a magus. After a brief confrontation and a bit of teleportation magic, the two open their eyes to Elias’ picturesque cottage in rural England. Greeted by fairies and surrounded by weird and wonderful beings upon her arrival, these events mark the beginning of Chise’s story as the apprentice and supposed bride of the ancient magus.

The Story

As I mentioned above, Chise was sold into slavery, and watched her mother commit suicide in front of her after trying to strangle Chise. Throughout the series, we see Chise struggle with opening up and believing that she has a place in the world. I can’t imagine anyone NOT having some mental health issues while going through that.

She has said several times that she doesn’t care for her life and that she didn’t want to live. This was also true since she is what’s called a Sleigh Beggy, and only had about 3 years left to live. It wasn’t until the Christmas episode that she finally admitted she was actually looking forward to the next day.

When we first meet Chise, her story begs the question…how would we feel if we were in her place? Here was a young girl, who had given up all hope. She did not care if she lived or if she died. For all she knew, she was going to be a slave to whoever bought her, and her own life had very little meaning. Elias, as little as he understands human emotions, becomes the teacher to Chise to show how important her life is. In return, she shows him a little more of what it means to be human.

When Elias admits he is overwhelmed by loneliness, Chise can name the feeling for him, and he acknowledges that she’s his mentor in the ways of human feelings and relationships. While Chise is the protagonist of the story and her journey of self-respect takes center stage, it’s heartening to see that Elias is also included in this aspect of the narrative.

The Mentorships that Save Lives

Much like Chise herself, I had no concern for my own life. At 16, I attempted suicide and failed. I attempted again at age 23 before failing again and moving across the country. Some might say that I was running away from my past, and I was in a way, but it also saved my life. Depression, anxiety, PTSD mixed with a whole cocktail of other ailments and left me feeling alone in the world. I had never spoken out before regarding the events that had caused my PTSD, and I felt worthless, unlovable, and not like someone who mattered. Luckily, when I moved across the country, I met a slew of people who would teach me otherwise.

It would have been nice to have just Elias Ainsworth, part human mage to be my mentor, but hey, a girl can’t be picky now. Instead, I gained many friendships and even met my best friend, who to this day, three years later, lets me cry when I need to cover the same things.

In the Ancient Magus Bride, Chise simply wanted a place to come home to. She wanted somewhere that she belonged. Something that I think we all strive for. It can be tough when you feel as if you have nowhere to go. Oftentimes, when I feel the depression hit harder than usual, I start to stress out more. I’ll deep clean everything in a frenzy that Levi Ackerman would be proud of. But I won’t be able to stop, either. I won’t eat or drink, even remember to rest. I’ll simply focus on that one tiny mistake, or detail that I messed up with and take all my frustrations out on my swifter mop and dust rag.

Luckily for Chise, she had such a great mentor in Elias and others who taught her well. Chise was finally able to let go of her past and look towards her future. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to do the same. Once I shared my story, I was surprised by the response I got back.

Related: PTSD in the Ancient Magus Bride and How to Overcome

The mentorships in the Ancient Magus Bride are plentiful, but here are just a few.

Angelica Barley and Chise

An old acquaintance of Elias, a witch, and a technician of the Magus Craft. She acts as a big sister and mentors to Chise when they first meet to explain a few things to her that Elias had yet to explain to her regarding the magic world. While not related, she does take a liking to Chise and cares about her. When Chise inadvertently created a mess in her shop with her power, she doesn’t blame Chise but Elias due to him not telling her about Chise’s power nor giving Chise any explanations or training beforehand.

She makes it clear to Elias from the start she is not thrilled he ‘bought‘ Chise nor is she happy with how inappropriate he was. As soon as she finds out from Chise that Elias did rather ‘unacceptable’ things, her first reaction is to punch him in the stomach (which causes him a great deal of pain) before she kicks him out of the room.

Lindel and Elias

Elias’s magician Master. I had/have such a crush on him when he first appeared. He’s been given the task of guarding the last dragons, which I think is pretty cool. He was Elias’s teacher and has advised Chise too. Lindel acted as a father figure to Elias when they first met and refers to himself as Chise’s “grandfather”.

Mikhail Renfred and Alice

Renfred is a wizard who hates Magus and magicians. But he gave his arm to Cartaphilius to protect Alice. When he first appears, he and his apprentice Alice take Chise hostage when she is separated from Elias and renders a fae helpless by using his special glove showcasing his pragmatic side.

However, he makes it clear he would rather not kill the fae that he has at his mercy. He even expresses genuine sympathy for Chise along with offering her the chance to be free, showcasing he is not as much of a butthead as he initially seems. While at first, he seemed ruthless and cold, he’s a good person who cares greatly about his apprentice, Alice. He has refused to heal his scar or regrow his arm with magic out of remembrance.

Alice and Chise

Her father got her hooked on drugs and made her become a dealer so she could be a dealer for him. If it wasn’t for Renfred, she would still be trapped in that life. Renfred can take care of himself, of course, but he does rely on Alice for protection. Alice cares for both Renfred and Chise. Renfred is the one who saved her from her troubled past as well as saved her from Cartaphilius. Chise pushed her out of the way from Cartaphilius’ attack, which probably would have killed her, and this resulted in Chise getting gravely injured instead.

Like her master, while at first, she seemed ruthless, she shows a more kinder side later on. Everything she does is mostly to protect Renfred. She develops this with Chise throughout the series, despite being on opposite sides at first. The Christmas shopping episode was one of my favorites between the two.

Conclusion?

Wherever we are in our journey, we can make it through. There are people, friends, mentors, that can and WILL help us through. If times are tough then it’s not the end yet.

Have you already seen this anime before? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! If you missed Marina’s post from yesterday, you can check it out here. Be on the lookout for Takuto’s post tomorrow (a personal favorite of mine to read anyway)!

As always,

Keep Smiling!

July 23, 2018
Masamune Kun’s Revenge Review

While sick one day, I was scrolling around and looking for more anime to watch. That’s when I came across Masamune Kun’s Revenge and the synopsis intrigued me.

As a child, Masamune Makabe once suffered greatly at the hands of a wealthy and beautiful girl named Aki Adagaki, who nicknamed him “Piggy” due to his chubby appearance. Seeking revenge against his tormentor, Masamune works hard to improve himself and returns as an incredibly handsome, albeit narcissistic, high school student. When he encounters Aki once again, he is prepared to exact vengeance.

With the aid of the rich girl’s maid, Yoshino Koiwai, Masamune slowly begins to build his relationship with Aki, intending to break her heart when the time is right. However, as his friendship with Aki begins to grow, Masamune starts to question the objectives of his devious plans, and if bringing them to fruition is what his heart truly desires.

First, our characters. Our male protagonist is Masamune Makabe…honestly, I never found him to be that narcissistic though he definitely acted that way in a few scenes. In one moment, he commented on the fat content and carbs in every meal. And he had to work out constantly. One line that stood out to me was when he did eat food, he mentioned having to do an extra 100 crunches that night to work it off.

Seriously?

Then we have Aki. She’s kind of a jerk. For most of the first episodes, that is what she is, complete with “cute” segments, such as her eating 3 meals a per lunch to compensate for her metabolism or something. She is also terribly wishy-washy, asking for a kiss and then freaking out and uppercutting him. It just seems a little inconsistent.

Also, can we talk about her hair for a moment? It’s been bothering me. I know that this is an anime and all, but even hair THAT long has to be annoying.

She does shine for me in some instances, but a lot of these character moments are also her weakness. She is self-aware of her personality and acknowledges at times that she does not know why anyone would want her, demanding Masamune’s reasons for choosing to date her, then reasonably being hurt when Masamune comes up with crap reasons. Then, there are similar moments, when she tries to justify her current personality for what has happened to her in the past.

This would have been great if she changed, but for the most part of the anime, it isn’t an earnest improvement, but brought on by the plot. The change is so sudden that I wonder if Aki is the same person, which then boomerangs back, and literally, nothing has changed at this point. You had 12 episodes, what is with this lack of development?

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There were a lot of moments when I wasn’t sure what was actually going on. I mean, the anime was called Masamune Kun’s Revenge, but it kept going back and forth on what the characters were actually feeling. Was it he going to get his revenge? Were they falling in love? And why did they keep changing their minds?

Now, they did have some cute moments. Personally, I loved the whole Romeo and Juliet scene. It showed a little more character development and I really thought the anime was going to end in a better way. But I’ll get to that in a moment.

Masamune Kun’s Revenge…or Not?

First for Gasou, oh poor, poor Gasuo, pretending to be Masamune. Apparently, he is a rival for Aki’s affection, despite the truth later being found out. The difference being, that his intentions were expected to have actually good consequences for people besides himself, even if the deception requires taking advantage of a girl, who hates men because she thought the very same Masamune had left her….causing her to hate men? Okay…sure. That makes sense. Not.

Not to mention Aki wants to marry this imposter off the bat, despite supposedly never seeing each other for years? No offense anime, but for love to blossom right where it picked off….because?

Nope. Not buying it.

Masamune Kun’s Revenge Ending…

I disliked the ending, but the fact that nothing comes from it within 12 episodes is why the ending is so jarring. If there is any change that would happen, it would be here.

It subverts its “Revenge” tag entirely, something that the anime made obvious in the last 4-5 episodes, leaving only the question “Who caused it”. This is a major plot point over the course of several years for the protagonist that doesn’t get resolved in any way except that “She did not do it”, thus leaving forgiveness out of Masamune sorting his feelings for Aki.

And they don’t end up together either. Which they kept hinting at the entire season with a will they or won’t they? It’s just open and it infuriates me more than anything. Still, I enjoyed this anime and only screamed a few times in frustration. I’d give it a 7 out of 10.

Have any of ya’ll already seen it? Let me know in the comment below!

As always,

Keep Smiling!

May 30, 2018
Inspiring Fairy Tail Quotes About Mental Illness

Inspiration can come from anywhere, especially from anime. To those that say that anime is just a kids’ show…well, without going too in-depth, I can say that adults and people of any age can take advantage of just how wonderful anime is.

While doing a comparison article, I started to rewatch Fairy Tail and fell in love with several quotes. This show is just a feel-good, laugh and cry anime and if you haven’t already seen it, you need to go to Netflix or otakustream RIGHT NOW.

Without further ado, let’s find some quotes!

Inspiring Quotes From Fairy Tail

Fear is not evil. It tells you what your weakness is. And once you know your weakness, you can become stronger as well as kinder.
Gildarts in Fairy tail

It’s only the end if you give up!
Elfman Strauss

Care too little, you lose them. Care too much, you get hurt.
Gajeel Redfox

There are people in this world that enjoy being alone, but there isn’t a single person that can bear solitude.
Makarov Dreyar

Everyone exists for a reason. As small as it can be, I’m sure you have a meaning too.
Mirajane Strauss

Quotes by Natsu Dragneel

I will never give up… I will never give up! As long I’m still breathing in this world… As long I’m still standing, I will never give up!!!
Natsu Dragneel

Don’t feel insecure just because you lost!! We are Fairy Tail! We’re from the guild that doesn’t know when to stop! We won’t survive unless we keep running!
Natsu Dragneel

My comrades are alive right now!! The Exceeds are alive too!! Whether they’ve got magic or not, the important thing is that they’re alive! These are lives, dammit!
Natsu Dragneel

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Quotes by Ezra Scarlet

If lives were lost today, then lives were also born. How important each day is… depends on how important you feel it is to you.
Ezra Scarlet

Moving on doesn’t mean you forget about things. It just means you have to accept what’s happened and continue living.
Ezra Scarlet

A flower can’t choose the place where it blooms, and a child can’t choose the parents she’s born to
Ezra Scarlet

Quotes by Gray Fullbuster

Sadness is just another wall that blocks you from moving on. I know it’s hard to get past it, but you got to breakthrough.
Gray Fullbuster

Inside my memories lies sad thoughts and it’s hard to forget, but I try every day to keep moving forward in life, so why can’t you, living in sadness isn’t living at all.
Gray Fullbuster

I won’t run, I will stand and look ahead to what I must do, I must face the fear, I won’t let it control me anymore, I will use my heart that holds my courage and my bravery to move me forward to what I must do.
Gray Fullbuster

It’s not the good-byes that hurt, it’s the flashbacks that hurts
Gray Fullbuster

Final Thoughts

So many of these just tugged at my heartstrings. While watching Fairy Tail again, I just felt hopeful once more that my depression and anxiety could finally be beaten. We’ve got this, ya’ll. We CAN kick depression in the face.

As always, keep smiling!

April 20, 2018
PTSD in Anime: What, Why and How to Overcome

PTSD isn’t something that should be ignored, yet it’s rarely talked about in the open. For this blog post, I have chosen an anime series that is close to my heart. That anime is The Ancient Magus Bride or Mahō Tsukai no Yome as it is known in Japanese. On the surface, this looks like just another anime to watch when you’re bored. Except it’s not. It deals with themes of mental illness and other important issues such as PTSD.

Here at The Nerdy Girl News, I always try to make sure to talk about as many issues as possible. Right now, PTSD is something that is weighing heavily on my mind and I hope you’ll gain some help from this.

The protagonist of the story is Chise Hatori who is the apprentice and future bride of Elias Ainsworth. Her father and brother abandoned the family when she was young, and her mother committed suicide in front of her. Feeling unwanted by her relatives, she sold herself into slavery so that she didn’t have to worry about anything. This is how Elias purchased her.

How Does Chise Have PTSD?

As I mentioned above, she was sold into slavery, and watched her mother commit suicide in front of her after trying to strangle Chise. Throughout the series, we see Chise struggle with opening up and believing that she has a place in the world. I can’t imagine anyone NOT having some mental health issues while going through that.

She has said several times that she doesn’t care for her life and that she didn’t want to live. This was also true because she is what’s called a Sleigh Beggy, and only had about 3 years left to live. It wasn’t until the Christmas episode that she finally admitted she was actually looking forward to the next day.

PTSD Moments

During episode 22 of the anime, we finally get to see more of Chise’s backstory. To me, this was one of the more emotional episodes and I did cry a few times. We get to meet her family and see how happy she was…a stark contrast to the original girl we met at the very beginning.

It’s so sad to realize that the Hatori family would’ve been just like any other if not for their abilities. It reminded me so much of my own past, and how my life would have been different had I not been adopted. I initially didn’t like Chise’s mom when I first heard of her, but after this episode, I had changed my mind a little.

With no warning or reason, her mother was suddenly pushed into being a single mother who has to fend for herself and her small daughter while they’re constantly attacked by monsters. She suddenly became a super mom in my eyes, and I felt so bad for what horrors she had to go through for Chise. To top it off, the only way she knew to protect Chise from herself ended up traumatizing her daughter even more! Tragedy upon tragedy. But it still broke my heart a little that she chose to follow that voice in her head and not find the strength to fight it even more. Suicide is NEVER the right option(take it from someone who has tried. I’ve been there).

WHAT IS PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that causes anxiety, fear, depression, and oftentimes disturbing flashbacks as a result of a stressful or traumatic event. People with PTSD cannot fully heal until they find internal resolution by coming to terms with the events in their past that seem to be causing the disorder.

I was diagnosed with PTSD and have had it since I was a toddler. For children with PTSD, it often goes undiagnosed and the child’s brain rewires itself to protect itself from future harm. The longer it’s left untreated, the worse it gets. Chinese does have some of these symptoms, which is normal for people with PTSD. Throughout the series, she has some flashbacks and nightmares, especially when Joseph traps her in her dream where her mother tried to kill her before killing herself.

Letting Go of Her Trama-Her Mother

The last thing Chise needs to do is to come to terms with her past and overcome her PTSD. Throughout the series, we can see her progress. But the PTSD remains. In episode 22, we get her backstory and see how she overcomes it. This makes a nice little wrap-up before the finale, I think.

Chise doesn’t have to forget or forgive her real mother to heal, she has to correct the mental image inside her – the distorted mother that tried to strangle her – and overwrite it with the still sad but more complex reality. Young Chinese wasn’t able to see the full picture or cope with the fallout. But even if she couldn’t access her memories, something on an unconscious level kept her from going through with her own suicide just like her mother didn’t go through with killing her.

This part just tore at my heartstrings. Her mother was asking for forgiveness and Chise didn’t give it, yet she did say she wouldn’t forget her but she needed to finally let her go. This was the final turning point for Chise and she was finally able to let go of her past and look towards her future.

Should You Watch?

Overall, it may seem like a cutesy series, but The Ancient Magus Bride has a very important message. Mental illness is real and can negatively affect people who have been through trauma. I highly recommend it for anyone who might be dealing with PTSD, depression, or any type of mental illness.

Have you seen this anime before? What other anime reminds you of this one? I’m always on the lookout for more anime to watch. Let me know in the comments below.

As always,

Keep Smiling!

April 13, 2018
How Anime Helps Overcome Anxiety and Mental Illness

It’s no secret that depression and mental illness sucks. Everyone has a different tolerance for these issues. Some people can get up, go to school or work, interact with others, and do other regular activities without a lot of stress. However, for some people, these “simple” activities can be overwhelming. I can’t even describe exactly how hard it is for me to even get out of bed most days.

I’m a little too introverted for my own good. Every day is a battle between my emotional, mental and physical health. I always have to work at even getting out of bed. After being on medication, I also discovered and was diagnosed with agoraphobia. Even leaving my room gives me anxiety. I scurry like a field mouse to the bathroom and the fridge. My night-side table is stocked with drinks and food so I can stay longer in my safe haven.

Discovering anime didn’t give me a magical light bulb moment of self-awareness, but it did help loosen walls I’d spent years constructing around my depression. What I saw in anime, was a world with paper-thin boundaries between realism and hyperbole. It was a reality I understood.

One example I’ll be using is Owari no Seraph or Seraph of the End. While watching it, I was memorized by one of the main protagonists, Yuu, and a conversation he had with another character Guren.

Seraph of the End Comparison to Anxiety Help

If you haven’t heard of Seraph of the End, I HIGHLY recommend it! Basically, in 2012, the world allegedly comes to an end at the hands of a “human-made” virus, ravaging the global populace and leaving only children under the age of thirteen untouched. (SOURCE) It is at this time that vampires emerge from the recesses of the earth, likely followed by age-old horrors of the dark thought only to be a myth. The vampires sweep the earth and claim it in a single violent stroke, subjugating the remnants of humanity and leading them beneath the surface to safety. This “protection” comes at the price of donating blood to their captors.

At the age of twelve, Yūichirō (Yu)and his friend and fellow orphan Mikaela plotted to escape along with the children in Hyakuya Orphanage. However, this resulted in their deaths, and Mikaela sacrifices himself for Yu to escape and be saved by members of the Moon Demon Company, an extermination unit of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. Four years later, Yu dedicates his life to destroying vampires and seeks revenge against them for murdering his “family.” At the same time, it is revealed that Mikaela is still alive and is a vampire that Yu has sworn to exterminate.

In a forsaken world such as ours, there’s hardly a person left who hasn’t lost a loved one.”
Shinoa Hiiragi

But throughout the series, you can see what Yu is dealing with. He obviously(in my mind) has depression and PTSD. He’s dealing with a ton of mental illness. At the end of Chapter 9 of the bonus chapter in the manga(Vampire Reign), we have a scene between Yu and Guren that had me re-watching over and over again. It also sealed the fact that I was in love and obsessed with this fandom.

There is a flashback as Yu recalls the slaughtering of his family. Later, Yu wakes up in a room in an apartment complex. Guren is reading a book while sitting at his bedside.

Yu yells at Guren for getting in the way of his revenge and then ignoring him. Guren tells him he is loud and says he does not understand dumb-kid-speak.

Yu shouts that he is a strong warrior now and is doing 10,000 practice swings with his sword every day. He demands that Guren gives him a real weapon, but Guren refuses until Yu is strong enough. He says that anyone who is so dumb that all he can think about is his own personal grudge all day will not be able to protect anyone. Guren then says that being strong is not just about being good with a weapon. He says Yu needs something he wants to protect, such as friends, comrades, or family. Otherwise, Yu will be a weakling forever.

Yu says that he does not have any of those anymore and that anybody he even starts to like dies.

What Happens Next?

When Yu starts crying, Guren asks if he is going to cry and look pitiful just because he did not get his way. Guren calls him a child. Yu quickly wipes his tears and says he is not crying.

Yu says that Guren told him to just think about revenge if he could not find a reason to keep going, and he asks why Guren will not give him the weapons to do that. Guren tells him to quit looking to him for free handouts and says he is not Yu’s papa. Guren leaves.

The following morning, Guren says Yu can do it if he actually tries. Guren says Yu decided to save someone rather than try to get revenge. Guren says that, unlike him, Yu is still nice. No matter how hard he tries, he will be unable to live only for revenge.

Three years later, Yu meets up with the rest of Shinoa Squad in a ruined city and head off to exterminate some vampires. (SOURCE)

OVERCOMING Mental Illness Issues

Anime gives depression the visual to mirror the destruction it can cause in real life. I create new worlds every day to make sense of my depression, and doing this (fanfiction) relaxes me and lets me take out my fears on paper instead. As with Yu in Seraph of the End, I also have made great strides in overcoming my fears and anxiety throughout my reality. I related to Yu, especially during that scene with Guren.

I’ll admit though, at first I really didn’t like Guren but now I see him as more of a father figure for Yu. He grew on me. Though I still don’t like Ferid. He’s fabulous but he needs to stop hurting my babies.

These practices, over time, have become invaluable in my fight against sadness and fear. Since first watching I’ve discovered many other anime that portray or similarly describe depression. I’m better than I used to be — not necessarily because I’m happier, but because I’ve had the chance to recognize what my depression looks like and what it can do to my world. And each time I find a new anime that similarly depicts depression or any type of mental illness, it’s a bit like a mini therapy session.

No matter what, we CAN kick depression and mental illness in the face!

As always,

Keep Smiling!

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April 3, 2018
12 Anime You should be watching this 2018

Hello everyone, HAPPY NEW YEAR, thank you for following us and all the love and if you are like me you are probably wondering what you can or should be watching this year 2018. So Yo! D101 made a list of upcoming anime this season and there is a lot to expect this year.😊

So let’s gets started on our list of what you should be watching this year ;

One Punch Man 2

In 2015 season 1 of One Punch Man ended and it really left on a high note and it’s been over two years since then. For those who haven’t watched it you should, it follows the story of Saitama who wants becomes a hero for fun and he is the strongest hero ever in his universe so far.

OPM fans have been refreshing pages every day on new about a second season and the wait is finally over, we are getting a second season. But there as been a change in the staff members, the series will be animated by J.C.Staff instead of Madhouse, some people are worried about this but I don’t think you should, J.C.Staff havery some good animations to their name like;

A certain magic index, Railgun, Golden time, Shokugeki no Souma and a lot more, so I think we are in good arms. So they have what it takes. So let’s wait for all the comedy, action, super powers, Si-Fi and seriousness. Whatever you are looking for OPM as a lot to offer.

Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 and Movie

Its a manga by Hajime Isayama, its finally coming a season 3 but not before the third movies a recap of what happened in season 2, so for any one who missed out you can watch that. This time we didn’t need to wait so long.

I know some might have been discourage by season 2, which were just 12 episodes and not 25 like the first season, Levitation didn’t have much scenes and it mostly felt like filler episodes to me most have the time. But it had some good parts, like finding out Ymir was a titan or the biggest shocker to me that I watched an thought maybe there was a mistake in the translation, was when Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover who had fought with everyone through the hell that is Shingeki no Kyojin world, turned out to be the Armored Titan and Colossus Titan took sometime to sink in for me but in the world of Shingeki no Kyojin, you only have like a minute to absorb it in and react.

Maybe that’s one of the many reasons why we love it, it follows Milo Murphy’s law, anything bad that can happen will happen and at the worse possible time. I really feel no character is safe from getting the axe, cause in the world they live in anyone can die in the blink of an eye.

I read a bit of the manga and the action will be coming this season more than ever, and this season should be longer than 12 episodes, so expect a lot from season 3 of Shingeki no Kyojin.

Boku no Hero Academia 3rd Season and Movie

Last season, we saw how One For All functions a bit more, Midoriya taken on the Hero Killer Stain, with Todoroki and Lida, learn a bit more about a villian, All For One and if the manga as anything to say of how season 3, will be it’s going to be packed full with a lot of action and excitement.

If you couldn’t wait like me and took a peek at the manga, it will cover the School Trip Arc and can go beyond because there is enough content for a season 3, 4 and maybe even more. Let’s hope we get more episodes this season. I really enjoy Boku no Hero Academia but I was sceptical at first but I see it going really far, even the creator would like to show them to the point of our heros maturing and showing their lifes as pro heros, so let watch and see but I think we have another manga like Naruto that will eventually branch to their children taking over.

Another thing to look forward to is the movie, not much is know yet except that it won’t be a recap movie but delve into the backstory of an unknown character, in addition to featuring the character of class 1-A, showing new a character’s origins. So that something to really look forward to. And I can’t wait.

Nanatsu no Taizai : Imashime no Fukkatsu and a Movie

It took 3 years but we finally got a second season, it’s coming back with full force with a season 2, a movie, and a PlayStation 4 game. It will still be produced by A-1 Pictures.

They seem to have gotten their holy weapons back and it seems they will be facing the demon clan this season, so expect a lot more insane fights this season and lots of laughs. Its going to be great.

Season 1 covered the first 103 chapters, so I think season 2 will pick up from there and cover up to chapter 197, and the movie could pick up for then, with a third season to start from chapter 219. So far no information on the movie as been let out.

Tokyo Ghoul:re

Tokyo Ghoul is back and this time the story picks up Two years after the CCG’s raid on Anteiku. Things seemed to have changed in Tokyo, ghouls continue to pose more of a problem as they have begun to take action, especially the Ghoul terrorist group Aogiri.

A special team as been created the Quinx Squad, they are humans that have undergone surgery, giving them special abilitiesof ghouls and they might just be what the CCG need to eradicate the ghouls. The leader of the group Haise Sasaki, half-ghoul, half-human who had been trained by special class investigator, Kishou Arima. But unknown memories trouble the leaders mind, slowly reminding him of who he use to be.

Its great we are getting a season 3, but while people are worried about the director and really worried about the script, season 2 was really bad to me and didn’t portray the characters well and greatly differed from the script.

But am reading the manga at the moment and it can get confusing, so the animate characters if done well could explain a lot of things, that get confusing with the massive amount of characters, we have in the story. Guess we will just have to see how it goes, but hoping for the best cause am a fan of Tokyo Ghoul.

Fairy Tail (2018)

Since 2006, after 175 episode TV series, a 102 episode sequel, 2 OVA and 2 film, a side story novel and several spin off manga Fair Tail is coming to end. Its another long running shounen like Naruto to get an animated end. Most got nothing like Reborn, Bleach and with endless hiatus Manga like hxh, grayman and others only wonder if some will get.

Hiro Mashima revealed on his official Twitter account that the final season of the series will premiere this year, but don’t be afraid this might not be the end of your beloved series, as like Naruto, it might just be the end of one characters story and the beginning of another. He said he doesn’t think Fairy Tail is done just yet, that he still has a lot of plans and we should look forward to that.

Am really looking forward to the new season, hoping for a better plot this season cause last season seemed to get just up and down the place to me after a while, and I was just watching at a point because I had gone to far to just stop watching Fairy Tail.

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu OVA

I really want to scream WHY OVA ! WE WANT A NEW SEASON, they are keeping us this interested, and it’s understandable I guess White Fox has their hands completely full right now, with Steins;Gate 0 and the Peacemaker movie, but hopeful maybe we will here something after the OVA airs.

The OVA should either be about the side story where Subaru gets pissed that there no Mayonnaise, in this new world he is in, so he tries to make one from scratch.

Or

It could be to fill the time gap between episodes 10 and 11, because a lot of event after the events of the dog attack in the village was skipped that that show how Rem and Subaru got so close, for people that complained about it.

Date A Live 3rd Season

My guilty pleasure is finally back, after two series adaptations in 2013, 2014 and a film in 2015, now this year Date A Live is back for a third season.

The anime should cover volume 8-11, it’s been so long I hope this new season will be better than season 2 that seemed rushed and let it lose most of its popularity.

The light novel as brought the popularity back for Date A Live and I thick IMS are more prepared now to create something really good, this time around

The series has already been adapted into two TV series (one in 2013, one in 2014) and a theatrical film (in 2015) with direction by Keitaro Motonaga and animation by Production IMS. Let’s hope they get it rightthis time around.

Terra Formars OVA

Finally the OVA adaptations of the series Earth Chapter that should have been released with volume 21, that was delayed indefinitely will be out this year.

So we can expect a lot of action, excitement and maybe a 3rd season after this OVA. Looking forward to this.

Peacemaker Kurogane Movie 1 : Omou Michi

Refresher it follows Ichimaru Tetsunosuke who is traumatized by witnessing the murder of his parents, making him want revenge and for this he needs strength and at age 15, he joins the Shinsengumi against his supportive brothers wishes, Tetsunosuke. He soon realises he lacks the skill, mind and emotionless cut out for the job. To become strong he will have to become a demon.

I was so happy when I heard it was being brought back as a two part anime film, this time who will see our protagonist as a young adult which will be a new angle we have not seen him in yet. It will be release on June 2, 2018 and the second part in the fall.

The film has a stellar cast and the old voice actors and actresses are coming back, so I have know doubt we are in for a treat.

Made in Abyss 2nd Season

So far this as not been verified as coming out this year, but I really hope it does, realistically it might not be until 2019 or 2020 before getting a second season.

At first I won deed by it was rated 17+, but the anime is really harsh and ruthless to its characters. The graphics are very beautiful and you really feel like you are immersed in the world, to the moe drawings of the characters that you hate at first, but end up falling in love with.

This was pretty inevitable that it would get a second season, but it’s confirmation was so fast. This is a first from Madhouse that don’t do sequels but Made in Abyss broke that trend. And from what I read in the manga, we are in for an even more exciting season 2 when it comes out. Fingers crossed that it comes out this year.

Persona 5 the Animation

The anime will follow the video game closely, about a rebellious group of teenagers in Tokyo who form the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to rebel against the corruption in the land, the protagonist will be named Ren Amamiya, different from the manga series where his name his Akira Kurusu. Its coming out in spring of this year.

When it comes to Persona anime, its never been really impressive but this was my favourite Persona game so am looking forward to the anime, but I have my doubts on how much will have to be cut out of the original material to fit into 24 episodes. Hope it comes out great but either way I get to see my favourite game animated so its a win for me either way.

Hope you loved my list and would love to hear from you, if you think an anime should or shouldn’t have been added to the list, I want to hear. Please remember to share and like us.

And you can click the Yo! D101 icon to go back to our homepage and check out our other articles

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January 2, 2018
Getting glued on anime this season recommend by Yo! D101
Hey everyone, it’s the holidays so what better time to curl up alone or with that special person or persons the couch and binge-watch a really good anime. And us at Yo! D101 have you covered this holiday, follow this recommendation and you will be laughing, crying or whatever emotion you want this holiday.

With this, you don’t have to go online looking at recommendations, plots and all that. Right here is a list of anime that you will love no matter what you are into. Plus they aren’t like really long animes, like the 100 and something anime, so you can be done with them before the holiday is over.

Here is the list, but not in any order of most interesting or anything like that. I am just listing them. They are ;
- 3 gatsu no lion
- Berserk
- Boku no Hero Academia
- Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
- Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo
- ReZero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
- Terra Formars
- Tokyo Ghoul
- Kizumonogatari
- Sword of the Stranger
- Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou
- Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
- Akame ga Kill
- Natsu no Taizai
3 gatsu no lion

The series shows the everyday life of Rei, a 17-year-old professional shogi player, it takes place in Tokyo and if you have watched Honey and Clover, you will definitely like it.

He lives a loner life, living by himself, estranged from his family and has basically a handful of friends. Among them is a family that keeps several cats, and which comprises of a young woman Akari Kawamoto, and younger sisters Hinata and Momo.

The story shows how Rei develops as a person and shogi player and deepening his relationship with the Kawamoto sisters and others.

Am going to binge-watch it myself this holiday, but I got this recommendation from my younger brother, he’s pretty knowledgeable about anime and I have been hearing a lot about this one. I have watched only one episode so far a visual quality really blew me away, it’s really good and shows promise. So taking a blind fate on this and recommending it even though I have not finished watching it myself.

Berserk

The story centres on Guts, a lone mercenary and Griffiths, a leader of the mercenary band -Band of the Hawk. You think Sasuke and Naruto rivalry was something, Griffiths and Guts take it to a whole new level. Really realistic and shows the good and evil humans are capable of, how society as become and so much more.

Guts is a wandering mercenary who from his birth as been soaked in blood and war, born from a hanged corpse, adopted mother dies from the plague and adoptive father try to kill him, which forces Guts to kill him and this scars Guts even more.

He meets Griffiths as he wonders and forced to join is a band of mercenaries, and he finds a home there and becomes friends with Griffiths. But he later decides to leave after hearing Griffiths saying he doesn’t consider anyone a real friend that follows someones dream and doesn’t have their own, and Griffiths has big plans.

He joins the team again when Griffiths been captured and after a tough fight they rescue him, but Griffiths is a shadow of his former self, his body is completely broken. This is where the supernatural world is really explored now and by sacrificing the band of the hawk, he is revived better than ever.

Casca and Guts the only survivors at the ceremony called the Eclipse, Guts swears revenge for the men and Casca whose a shadow of her former self. And the story begins of blood and rampage, but there are still moments in between that makes you laugh and smile.

It really makes you understand everyone perspective, so you understand where the villains are coming from if you can really call them that sometimes. Because even sometimes in Guts fights, he can be questioned if he’s the good guy. Plus that big sword that Guts swings around is awesome and his prosthetic arm that as a cannon in it is awesome. And along the line, he gets an armour that shuts of the limiters in his body but slowly takes over if used for long and turns him into a raging Berserker, thing Bleach Ichigo’s Hollow mode.

Its really good but the manga is better and that’s only cause I feel the anime cuts so much out. But it should be noted it can be very graphic in its violence and sexual content.

Boku no Hero Academia

At first, when I saw the hero think, I was a bit sceptical about it but I came back to watch it when I kept hearing good reviews about it and it really good. Some people have even speculated it the new “big anime” like the likes of Naruto, One-piece, Dragon Ball, Bleach and other really popular anime. Masashi Kishimoto the creator of Naruto has even said how he thinks it’s really good. And before Boruto came out to replace Naruto, some people thought it would fill the gap Naruto would leave.

The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born “Quirkless” meaning he as no powers, on this earth people with quirks, is the norm. So Izuku is bullied for standing out (being quirkless), even though all this, he still wants to be a superhero. And along he meets the world greatest hero All Might and he shares his quirk “One For All” with Izuku. Enrolling him into U.A. High School, a school that cultivates the next generation of superheroes and hero support teams. And like the intro says his story begins to tell us how he became the world’s greatest hero.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

The story is about a group of people who suddenly find themselves in a fantasy world with no memory from before waking up in this new world, it shows their struggles to survive and make a life for themselves in this new world.

Grimgar what can’t I say about it, am still waiting for a second season, it was really great and it wasn’t just focused on the gaming world element like most anime of this genre are. It talks about comradery, developing into a team and developing together but it doesn’t do it in a cheesy way.

You are really interested in learning more about the characters, following their story and by the time you are watching the last episode, you really don’t want it to end. I personally felt like a part of the team at the end of it, like this were people I wouldn’t mind being stuck in a fantasy world with and slay hoards of monsters with.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo

After an untimely death, Kazuma Sato, a shut-in NEET, meets a goddess Aqua, who offers to reincarnate him in a new world, where he can live the MMORPG life of going on adventures, battling monsters and defeat the Devil King. He drags Aqua along with him against her wish, thinking she would be useful, but that idea is short-lived. They form a dysfunctional team of an explosion obsessed wizard and masochistic crusader

It’s a very good anime, part comedy and party fantasy, that will leave you laughing though out, around the end it gets a bit serious, and like in gaming fashion, a boss battle happens and you really enjoy the action and seriousness of the fight.

You really enjoy all the character quirky and wild character like;

Darkness is a crusader, whose a serious masochist, who if she has her way wants to be the tank of the party all the time, just so she can get her kicks😂😂😂, but that’s what she’s also really good for because she has zero accuracy so none of her good offensive attacks never connect.

Megumi is a wizard, who only uses one powerful spell that is very powerful but incapacitates her after one use. And she refuses to learn any other spell, so she can be useless too and loves food.

Aqua is a goddess and archpriest in the new world and first companion of our hero. Her magical offensive abilities are basically useless, only shining when fighting against demons, the undead and even resurrect fallen companions. She spends most of her skill points on party tricks. She finds it difficult saving money and is usually broke.

Kazuma Sato our main character who dies in a funny way and takes Aqua to this new world with him to punish her. And he’s not your usual shy MC, you would get in this situation, he can be very bold but sometimes become the shy MC, we are used to. And like he said he is an equalist, which means he is the type of guy who would hit a girl back if she hit him for no reason and he’s never holding back when punishing the girls when they do anything wrong. He chooses adventurer allowing him to learn various skills which he sometimes uses in pervy ways. He’s the one who can bring all of is crazy team members together and use them in a way, that the actual seem like good adventurers.

ReZero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Another main character appearing in another world, Subaru Natsuki coming out of a convenience store, suddenly finds himself in another world. Not knowing how he got here, he soon makes friend with a silver hair half-elf girl and her companion spirit Puck. Helping her look for her insignia that was stolen, when they are killed though, in their search for it, Subaru finds himself back at the beginning of his first day in the new world and realises he as an ability that reverses time when he dies. He uses this to protect himself, Emilia and all these new companions in this new world.

So expect to go on a roller coaster of adventures and when I first saw this anime, I was sceptical about it but it’s really worth the watch. Shows the measures the length a guy will go for a girl he loves and the people he takes dear and close to his heart. More of a serious tone, than comedy but it something you will love and won’t be able to wait till a third season comes out.

Terra Formars

In an attempt to colonize Mars, scientists are tasked with terraforming the planet. They decide to seed the planet with a modified algae that absorb sunlight and purifies the atmosphere and cockroaches, whose corpses spread algae across the planet as they feed.

After 500 years, the first manned ship to Mars lands and what the crew meet are giant mutated humanoid cockroaches with incredible physical strength and intelligence, they are killed by them, but not before they send a distress message warning earth. And this is where our story begins, turning humans to weapons by undergoing genetic modification with any organism to inherit their characteristics.

I have written about Terra Formars before here is the link for that below;

https://yod101.blogspot.com.ng/2017/12/terra-formars-most-watch-for-any.html

If you are a Starship Trooper fan, love space travel, transformations or battles with alien bugs, this is definitely for you and if you don’t it still as a lot to offer, like how a man handles issues with his cheating wife.

Tokyo Ghoul

It is a world, where ghouls (people who can only survive by eating human flesh) live among normal humans, hiding their true nature to evade from the authorities tasked with hunting them down. Ghouls have enhanced speed, senses, regenerative ability, strength, are resistance to ordinary weapons and special organs called kagune that can be brought out in combat, so expect so insane fight scenes.

The story follows Ken Kaneki, a college student who survives a Ghoul by the name Rize Kamishiro, who he asked out on a date. At the hospital he is taken to, he undergoes an organ transplant with Rize, turning to a half Ghoul. How does Kaneki handle this new life of being neither completely human or ghoul and the battle he faces against ghouls and the government authorities tasked with hunting ghouls. And how it changes him from a timid quiet boy to a complete badass.

Kizumonogatari

A high school student Koyomi Araragi, he befriends another student Tsubasa Hanekawa and she is an honour student. Tsubasa tells him about a rumour about a blonde vampire that has been sighted around their town recently. He encounters the rumoured vampire – kiss shot Acerola Orion Heart under the blade, in a pool of her own blood and all her four limbs cut off by three vampire hunters. He reluctantly at first ends up giving her his blood to save her, now he’s her vampire subordinate and he has to help her get all her limps back from the hunter, to restore her to full power and allow her to change him back to being human.

It’s actually a 3 parts movie, but it really good and worth the watch.

Sword of the Stranger

Another movie but a really good one and a really good sword fighting. Nanashi a nameless ronin, gets caught up in a struggle with swordsmen from the Ming Dynasty China when he agrees to take a boy Kotaro and his dog to a Buddhist temple. The reason behind the Ming swordsmen relentless pursuit unknown. A man haunted by memories of his past, which as made him avoid drawing his sword, will this be too much for him to handle.

When it was over I was kind of wishing there was a part two of this, just to see how the surviving characters were doing.

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou

Thanks to his parents being transferred, Kazunari Usa a high school freshman, as to live on his own. His mother makes arrangements for him to stay at Kawai Complex, a boarding house that provides meals for its residents. Ritsu, a senior at his school that he likes also stays there with other weird and funny characters, like ;

Shirosaki – a novelist and masochistic and sometimes wiser than he looks, roommate.

Mayumi – a beautiful office lady who has terrible luck with men, drunk and a bit of a slob in the complex.

Sayaka – a sly and man monger college student, who likes to be the centre of attention and former country town trouble maker in her village.

Its never a dull moment in the Kawai Complex, as the series progresses we see Usa and Ritsu gradually become closer friends, it’s a really good slice of life, with lots of laughs, misunderstandings, tear, it ad that first love awkwardness you just love a, laugh and I really want a season two of this one so bad too.

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo

I watched this before Bokurawa Minna Kawaisou and it made me really love slice of life and so far I haven’t watched any anime to help me fill, this void this two anime as left.

Sakura Dormitory is a dorm of the high school affiliated with Suimei University of the Arts, it’s home to the strangest, most troublesome students. After being kick out of the normal dorm for keeping stray cats, Sorata Kanda moves into the Sakura Dormitory. As he gets used to living in the dorm, he meets a world-famous artist Mashiro Shiina, who cannot even take care of her daily life, moves in. Sorata is kept in charge of taking care of her. Its tells us about their daily lives as they grow mentally and learn that no one is truly a genius without putting in the work.

They are a lot of funny moments that will leave you, laughing like crazy, but there are still moments that really are emotional. It makes you go through a lot of the days of youth emotions. Then ends and you have grown attached to the characters, wondering how the future plays out for all of them and just wanting more.

Akame ga Kill

The story follows Tatsumi who is a young villager that travels with his friends to the capital, to raise money for his home only to discover a strong corruption there. He is recruited into Night Raid and they fight against the Empire to end the corruption.

It was really good but the manga had a better ending, but it’s definitely worth the watch.

Natsu no Taizai

The Seven Deadly Sins were an active group of knights in the region of Britannia, who disbanded after a plot to overthrow the Liones Kingdom. Their supposed defeat came at the hands of the Holy Knights. Ten years later, the Holy Knights stage a coup d’etat and capture the king. The third princess, Elizabeth, starts out on a journey to find the Seven Deadly Sins and enlist their help to save the kingdom.

The fights were great, some say it like Fairy Tale but I don’t agree with that, its in a category of its own. Everyone in the group is badass, but they are not overpowered to not find certain fights difficult and some times they are the one standing as obstacles to each other. So I recommend you watch it, you won’t be disappointed.

So that’s the last one hope you enjoy and lover them to😊😊. Please share and like it, if you think it’s good.

If you think there is anyone, I should have added leave your comments or contact me, I would love to hear from you. To check out other things we have just click the Yo! D101 icon and you will be back at our homepage, where you can see all our other thing.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas in advance again and thanks for reading ☺
December 22, 2017
Kagome and Kikyou Don’t Look Alike…Do They?

It’s no secret how much I love Inuyasha. It was my first anime growing up and I quickly fell in love with the hanyou. The story of Kagome Higurashi traveling 500 years into the past captivated me and my preteen self couldn’t wait to see how the story unfolded. The creator Rumiko Takashi became the first celebrity for me to admire and aspire to be.

Kagome is supposed to be the reincarnation of Kikyou. She possessed the Shikon No Tama or “Jewel of Four Souls” which was to grant the wish of the owner. Kagome wasn’t aware of this at first and was surprised to find that she even had the Shikon in the first place.

After breaking it….or shattering it into a million pieces, she goes on a journey with Inuyasha and is soon followed by others.

The story is amazing and the manga art is what lead me to first start drawing. Always the hopeless romantic, I loved the love story between Inuyasha, our hanyou, and Kagome. It was made complicated by the fact that Inuyasha had been in love with Kikyou first before she died trying to protect the jewel and believing that Inuyasha had betrayed her.

Kagome was her reincarnation, and it seemed both women still had strong feelings for the half-demon.

Kikyou was brought back to life by a Witch Doctor and had to take souls to keep herself alive, even though she was technically still a corpse with the past memories there. Everyone said that they looked alike….and well, I’m not so sure.

Mostly by the fact that Inuyasha mistakes Kagome for Kikyou when they first met. And it’s not the first time to happen in the show. While they might have the same hair color, the differences are too much, in my opinion, to be “twins”, even if she is the reincarnation. Kikyou has darker eyes and paler skin(a result of being…you know, dead). Kagome’s hair has more of a curl and slight wave to it while Kikyou’s is bone straight. She’s even thinner than Kagome if that’s even possible.

And that’s just the appearance. The personality couldn’t be more day and night.

It does bring an interesting dynamic to the show though. When I first started watching it, I absolutely hated Kikyou. She was just a nuisance in the way of my OTP. She was cold and unfeeling and I wanted her to just leave the Earth and get out the Limbo she was stuck in.

As the story progressed though, I started to like her character more and more. I wanted my Hanyou to be happy.

She was the first person that Inuyasha had started to open to. He had wanted to belong somewhere, to be loved and accepted despite the fact that he was a half-demon. It made me like her more to realize that she actually did care for the hanyou, just in a different way than Kagome did. Inuyasha needed Kagome since she showed him how to trust and love. Kagome accepted both sides of him, while Kikyou had wanted him to be turned into a full human. It was never truly said whether Kikyou changed her mind about that, but I doubt it. She was afraid of his demon side.

What do you think? What team are you on? I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Let me know in the comments below.

As always, keep smiling!

You also might like: Does Kagome belong with Inuyasha?

Related: Funny Inuyasha Moments

October 28, 2017