Mai-Otome - 03

After the anti-climax of the previous episode, we go back to our favourite lesbians..er I mean girls!



Snotty princess Mashiro, takes up Nagi's offer for a Nina 'emo' VS Arika 'zomg' battle, after all she needs some entertainment after getting crowned Queen no less! Though we can all guess who the real Battle Royale lineage is. ;)
Natsuki and Shizuru sup on their tea and talk politics - meanwhile pedo-Segey feels up his 'daughter' Emo and tries to hit on zomg because she was singing a song he heard before. Cue flashblacks that try to contain some mystery but it fails! I am not at all interested on Sergey's past affairs. Reminds me too much of Tate from Mai-Hime! Truly scarring indeed!



Arika gets some b0rg nano-machine for her Otome mad skillz. Proceed to Shizuru - who puts the L in Lesbian and drapes herself all over Arika to make Natsuki jealous! And then finally after all the inneduendos we get to the battle between Nina and Arika.
Exciting? Not very! Predictably, it ends in a self-proclaimed draw all because Shizuru wants to have some fun with a robot. Perhaps too much of a good thing!

References to Mai-Hime:
- Quick glimpse of Haruka in a limo.
- A girl who looks like Akira, in the audience seemed to be impressed with Nina's mad skillz.
- Akane's boyfriend appears!

Overall: 6.5/10

Onwards and upwards so they say!
There's just somthing missing that prevents me from enjoying it more. Lack of depth and plot maybe? ;)

Red Shoes

Imagine walking around somewhere and you find this pair of nice shoes. Would you dare pick them up?
How dangerous can a pair of red high-heeled shoes be? Are they worth dying for? Literally!

Age Rating: 15+
Company: HK Bootleg
Genre: Korean Horror
Running Time: Approx 103 mins
Region: 3



Quite the risque front cover!
This is the Korean version of Hans Christian Andersen's cruel fairy tale, 'Red Shoes'. The story unfolds with Sun-Jae, a bored housewife under the thumb of her business-orientated husband. Together, they have a six year old daughter Tae-Soo who attends her ballet lessons at a posh school. One fateful day Sun-Jae while searching for her daughter to pick up (she managed to lose her lol) goes back home early and finds what her husband has been really up to! Business sessions indeed!
Needless to say, Sun-Jae moves out with her daughter and downgrades to a shabby studio ala Dark Water style. During this time we find out she's really an optician and plans to use the studio as her new source of income. The slimey interior designer makes some moves on her and yes we know what's going to happen!



Sun-Jae, a few days later: finds a pair of 'red shoes' (looks more like pink to me) in the subway out of nowhere! Amazing! She takes them and adds it to her collection of high heels. The strange thing about these shoes is that every female near the 1337 heels is drawn to it's power and feel the need to try them on. Tae-Soo does exactly this and strange things to start to happen. Mother and daughter start to fight for the red high heel shoes in quite a disturbing manner nearly killing each other in the process! Really, fighting a six year old! :o
The wearer of these 'magic' shoes act in a different way as if almost possessed - or is that because they wear make-up? Sun-Jae in particular, takes a complete turn around in personality almost dragging her bit on the side (The interior designer) into it.
The shoes have a past of their own going back to when Japan colonised Korean in the mid 1950's and the wearer gets a quick flashback. But we never know why the shoes kill? I sense a plot hole!
When Sun-Jae finds out that whoever takes the red shoes off her, they die. She's horrified because her daughter could be the next one on the shoes dinner table! It's a race against the evil shoes and return them to their owner's grave. Sounds just like Ring!



The Red Shoes initially starts of like a soap/drama - with a torrid affair and the poor single divorced wife on the rebound with her slimy interior designer. However it's a bit more than that, some parts were interesting like how the colonised Korean flashback managed to integrate with the story. But the story itself was a mishmash of Dark Water, Ring and a hint of A Tale Of Two Sisters - then manages to not be as good as any of them!
Footprints on the wall, blood laced snowflakes and leg choppng. Gritty stuff! I've never seen so much blood in one place since watching Battle Royale! Personally I think it's a bit OTT but fun. Though I found when the poor six year old blood had lots of blood gushing between her legs was a bit much! It filled the whole room! The special effects was well done (those Koreans know how to put good budgets on horror films!) and the acting was great - especially the little girl.
The story itself is where the biggest flaws are, most parts felt a bit unecessary and as expected had the so-called big plot twist after the climax of the film. But it wasn't a good twist, as I saw it coming at least thirty mins before hand!
It's something different and retains the horror feel with cheap thrills and lots of blood, but against something like A Tale Of Two Sisters it ends up being merely average.

Pros
+ Interesting flashbacks
+ Good acting and special effects
+ Blood!

Cons
- Story cliched
- Plot holes!
- Too much blood in places!
- Romance factor not necessary

Overall:5/10

Give me school-girl horror over this anyday! Now where did those shoes go?

ARIA The Animation - 01

There seems to be a new trend in anime - but for the worse! When I watch anime, I expect to thrilled, drawn into it and enchanted. But those days are gone! They invented 'Slice Of Life' anime that even makes even the most uninspiring in anime look great. I fear that this growing trend in boring anime will continue!

Recent bores include:
Ichigo Mashimaro
Honey & Clover
Kamichu!


and now finally..ARIA.



Description from animenfo.com: A 15-year-old girl, Mizunashi Akari, came to the Mars. It is the year of A.D. 2301, the Mars has turned into a planet of water by the terraforming, and now it is called “Aqua”. She came to the lagoon city, Neo Venezia, to become a "undine", pilot of gondola.

Sounds good! But oh how wrong I was!
What a waste of 22 or so minutes of my life! Perhaps it was the dire music that grated or the whiny brat that deserved a good beating! But I know one thing: this anime is boring. All they did was row a Gondola for about 15 mins and chatted about how wonderful the Neo-Venice was. I laugh how this is classed under drama and sci-fi. It is neither! They are all on a backwards planet! Drama? Well, apart from being bored to tears, all the drama involved was saving their ugly pet..which happens to be the president of their company. The characters were frightfully dull and cliche, the brat annoyed me most and looked as if she popped right out of Ichigo Mashimaro!
Trying to keep my eyes from rolling backwards completely was so hard. I felt like switching it off half way through but thankfully I made it to the end. It was a feat indeed!



Not everything was bad - I liked how much potential it could have had. I wanted the gondola rowing oar to turn into a 1337 sword and a dramatic battle to appear on the river. But alas..this is not Mai-Otome. There are far better anime out there on fansub - just make sure you don't download this one by mistake. ;)

Overall: 3/10

Slightly better than Honey & Clover..just. :x

The Snow Queen - 04

One of my favourite fairytales now into an anime! It may be for kids, but this charming story about a girl named Gerda, trying to find the one she loves was great! Well, when I read it anyway. This adpation by Dezaki (70's shoujo style - it's made in 2005 don't worry) tries to put a bit of drama and life into this fairytale. It works! Give it a go!



Kay (Gerda's best friend) decides to hitch a ride on the Snow Carriage - The Snow Queen glady accepts because we all know she's a cradle snatcher! They go away to the North (Pole) never to be seen again.Meanwhile: Gerda and Kay's family think he drowned in the lake but after several attempts to find him and weeks later - Kay's father decides it's high time to hold a funeral. It was touching and sad really. Gerda gets Kay's keepsake loupe (a spyglass thing) and vows to find him. Go girl!
The pointless character of the Bard/Minstrel finally does something more useful than speaking in riddles and draws a picture of Kay for Gerda. I think that this will have some significance in later episodes! After the funeral, Gerda talks to a drunk who claims in the blazing Aurora he saw the 1337 Snow Queen taking a boy into her carriage of sweets..I mean ice. ;) With new determination - Gerda saves up some serious money and then she sets off on her journey.
Thus her saga begins!



A very well done episode, with a lot of heart and dramaticness. Maybe I have a thing for drama! As for the ending song - it's like a boyband. It's all good :)

Overall: 8/10

I need my dramatic Gerda fix!

Mai-Otome - 02

Ah! The obligatory introduction episode appears! *shock* *horror*




Going back to where the previous left off - Arika gawping at First Lady Shizuru and everyone else just staring for a piece of the action! Of course, it only takes a few simple moves by Shizuru to make Natsuki jealous! :D Nina 'Emo' Wong is in big trouble for using her MAI-POWERS and meanwhile we find out she's only adopted! I think the father complex is made quite clear and obvious - Arika vs Nina? Indeed.
Not alot of action happens in this episode, but replaces it with 'slapstick' comedy which involves Arika wearing bed sheets and running about like a headless chicken!
Here - we meet a few individuals that are very familiar to Mai-Hime:
Otome Teacher=Nun from Mai-HiME who ends up preggers. This time she's the one that holds the chalk!
Shiho - Sausage meat is back in fashion wearing otome clothes. Has a little black book too!Naughty ;)
'Juliet' - Nao returns and seems to have retained her personality!
Ambigious Gay Duo tm (First Half) - Can't remember her name, but Arika bumps into her and she tries to sweep her off her feet. Looks 100 times better without glasses! (picture below)
Nagi - The annoying boy is back to stir up trouble no doubt! He's now a Prince. Lucky us!




Between Arika running riot and the plain boring meeting - I don't know whether it had improved on the first episode or not! Of course - Mashiro is annoying as ever, this stuck up princess likes to things to twist her way so I'm sure in later episodes, she'll be dethroned and deemed unworthy!
It's a pretty typical episode with just enough barebones plot to see what happens in the next episode.
Is it just me or is the ending song better than the opening song?
Mai-Hime opening song and animation was better than both though! Oh well you can't have everything! ;)

Overall:6/10

Not bad. Not good. Just Arika in a bed sheet!

Jigoku Shoujo - 01

Another late-ish episode review. I promise to catch up quickly!
This time, we turn up the Miyu & Boogiepop Phantom vibes and blend them into something a bit sinister. The Jigoku Shoujo will take you a ride to Hell!



We are introuduced to a school girl named Mayumi, who is perhaps a bit naive. Looking after a commitee's money, a group of kogals taunt and bully her (rather predictably) ala Miyu style. They decide to take the money for themselves and drag Mayumi into a spiral of despair. You can't help but feel sorry for this poor girl - eventually she's at her wits end and nearly takes her own life!
However, help is at hand! On an occult website - where Mayumi hears a rumour about the mysterious Jigoku Shoujo (Hell Girl) can grant you a revenge..but for a price! Isn't it always like that? So naturally in her despair - she types in the name of her hated bully, Aya. Then nothing is quite what it seems! After a series of surreal events that lure Aya to the point of paranoia and hysteria - Jigoku Shoujo appears. Her whispery, soft voice (Mamiko Noto who plays Shimako from Maria-sama ga Miteru) does a wonderful job as usual, potraying this slightly disjointed but beautiful character who names herself Emma Ai.



Mayumi returns back to school as if nothing ever happened. But you know with this type of anime, there's always a little catch. Just a little! A black mark is formed on her body which signifies for the revenge she wanted and that she too will go to Hell with her bully. Oh the irony!
An excellent starter episode with lots of mystery and tension. I wonder how this Emma Ai came to be Jigoku Shoujo - but I'm sure all will be revelaed in the later episodes!
Recommended!

Overall: 8.5/10

Where can I input my revenge? ;)

Gokujou Seitokai -19

Catching up with all these fansubs is hard work! Phew! Due to my laziness here is a (late) update of Gokujou Seitokai episode 19.
It looks like another filler episode - but infact it details some resembelance to a plot and Seina turns on the evil for a split second!



If one puppet was bad enough, then two is going to much worse! Kaori finds a washed up puppet named Lance in a cardboard box (flashy!) Lance wants to meet Pucchan, his old friend which ensues Metal Gear Solid homage and a bizarre power ranger'd style fight. w00t for sentai shows!
After Lance meets the rest of the GS girls, our President reveals some plot! yay! Apparently Lance knew Rino's mother who was very strange indeed. The local spy Kotoha, tries to listen into this *very secret* conversation but turns to jelly when Seina turns Darth Vader on her. Who knows what that Seina is up to? I fear for my Kuon! :o
Meanwhile poor puppet Lance limps over and goes to puppet heaven and President tries not to put out a few tears - she'll save them for Rino later!



I enjoyed this episode but felt it wasn't the strongest despite the plot revaling! Oh well, I'm sure I'll enjoy the next episode more with Ayumi going all pop idol on us!

Overall: 7/10

Lacking Kuon 1337-ness!

Glass Mask - 06

OMG! It's an update at last!
I have done a bit of reconstuction to the archives, so if your looking for something in particular hopefully it will be easier to find. Just click on the handy links on the right! Thanks to Manga and Chomo for their patience and explanation!

Back to the anime episodes!
Glass Mask is such an excellent series so far and it really is a bit above your average anime. I command everyone who likes OTT drama with a heart to watch it right now!



Maya, having only just recently bagged a place at the Tsukikage elite school for ametuer drama also seems to have bagged herself a man-companion! He takes her out to see a play, but of course our Maya has only eyes for the stage and her rival Ayumi. Or so I like to think!
The next day, the drama school hands out the four leading parts for a drama production they are doing for free. Our little herione receives the part of 'Beth' in Little Women and of course everyone is stunned because Maya can't act the part as well as Sayuri - the Yoshino lookalike.
Where there is rivalry and tension, there is also drama and lots of it!
Tsukikage demands that Maya plays out the life of poor Beth to find out her 'mask' or else she won't be getting the part. With only a cat and her knitting, Maya slowly finds out (or rather one big revelation) how Beth would react to her surroundings. Her roomies just think she's going crazy but 1337 Maya will show them how it's done..In the next episode. The suspense!



I really liked this episode as much as the previous ones. It may have had less impact and drama but seeing as this is the first part of a two-part episode, I expect an explosion of emotion!
Great music, great story, OTT drama! What more could you want?

Overall: 8.5/10

Show that Sayuri a lesson! :o!

Mai-Otome - 1

At long last the new season of anime has arrived and about time too! I thought I might have to end up watching all those dreaded harem anime just for a fix! :x

To begin this season's viewing is a not-so direct sequel to Mai-HiME namely called Mai-Otome (My Maiden). It's set in another dimension from it's predacessor and has lots of magical girl transforming, weapon-wielding maids! Phew!



We start off on this 'epic' adventure with a slightly deprived girl lost in a desert called Akira. She managed to scrounge aboard the 'Titanic' and bumps into upper-crust-fighting 'Chinese' girl called Nina Wong. It seems like this Nina has a father-complex and her father looks almost exactly like the extremely annoying Tate, from Mai-HiME. It's a conspiracy I tell you!
Meanwhile, El Presidente-Natsuki and First-Lady Shizuru (THE couple) discuss the formalities of whatever they were talking about with tea and biscuits.
Mashiro who was so 1337 in Mai-HiME, how has turned into a whinging, spoiled princess and jumps of a building (sadly not to kill herself) from evil badguys and shadowy men. Of course, rather predictably Nina and Akira - the unlikely duo come to her rescue.
Sometime later, an EVA-like mecha is summoned to destroy the princess, oh noes! Using her noble kiss, Mashiro let's Nina use her 1337 Otome power. Akira stands there like a dummy gawping - before her pendant/medallion glows and she gains MAI-POWERS.
El Presidente and First Lady travel in a limo, Akane joins them to help out. First Lady and Akane go to the rescue and bail Nina and Akira out of trouble! Yay! Shizuru's weapon is now more S&M guaranteed!



The world of Mai-Otome seems to be America 1930's inspired, but slightly more futuristic - a cross between Sakura Taisen's steam powered Taisho-Era and Final Fantasy VIII's Dollet. I feel it's probably already become predictable as there isn't enough mystery to make me go 'OMG!'..it's more like 'What a crappy pendant!' This episode wasn't a bad one at all, but nothing compared to Kannaduki no Miko episode 1. You might spot a few Mai-HiME character cameos!
Akira is slightly annoying, Nina is a bit cold and Mashiro's personality turned anti-clockwise!

Predictions for series:
- Akira's long lost mother is Mai, from Mai-Hime.
- Nina turns out to be Akira's half-sister!
- Shizuru turns out to be a psychotic lesbian (again!)
- Mai appears and turns out to be the evil force for the Otomes to battle.
- The Otome will turn against each other, Shizuru leading the way.
- Natsuki and Shizuru will fall out at least once!
- The school was only using Otome for building up as weapons against Mai.
- Mashiro is really not Royal..but Akira is!

and..so forth!
I'll definately keep watching, for more Shizuru-ness.

Overall: 6.5/10

I await Mai's grand return! :D

Gokujou Seitokai - 18

Another long awaited Gokujou Seitokai episode, which ended up being rather 'meh'. It certainly wasn't the worst anime episode I have ever seen (that goes to the insanely boring Honey & Clover) but the previous episode filler was superior in every way!



The rival/friendly teachers (there only seems to be two!) of the Goujou Seitokai Gauken have a little tiff over a man. Yukimi gushes over her super-duper wealthy husband to be, while her 'old maid' of a friend Wakana, made a promise that they'd catch a man each together! But however to Wakana's surprise, Yukimi's boyfriend was her junior at school!
He admits having a crush on her and then Yukimi walks in on them both - uncertainty arises! In typical Gokujou Seitokai style, nothing is ever what it seems. Alcholic Wakana appears to have the 'hands of God' ala BlackJack and can even cure cancer apparently! How 1337!



This was a very average episode indeed, the only funny part was drunken Wakana going all 'paya-paya' with Cindy!

Overall: 5/10

More Paya-Paya please! :D

Voice (Yeogo Goedam 4)

South Korea seems to be churning out the horror films at the moment! Which isn't a bad thing, as they are usually the best - if not the most cliched out of the Asian sector. Voice is the fourth installment of the "Yeogeo Goedom" series of schoolgirl horror and does not fail to disappoint!
The other titles in the series are:
Whispering Corridors (Yeogo Goedam 1)
Memento Mori (Yeogo Goedam 2)
Wishing Stairs (Yeogo Goedam 3)

Voice

Age Rating: 15+
Company: HK Bootleg
Genre: Korean Highschool Girl Horror
Running Time: Approx 105 mins
Region: 3



From the striking front cover, you know your in for the cerebial feast!
Young-Eun meets an untimely end while practicing her beautiful choir singing. The next thing she knows: she 'wakes up' next to an elevator with no recollection of what had happened. No one can see her either! Gradually she finds out that's she's dead and cannot leave the school (oh noes!). However her best friend Sun-Min - the school's radio lunch time announcer - can hear her voice and together they try to find out what actually happened.



Of course, nothing is ever straight forward! In typical Korean horror fashion, there is a number of deaths and suicides within the school. The music teacher is acting suspciously too, walking in a trance around the school and playing the same tune on her cello. Infact, good ol' teacher had an obsession with beautiful voices and one of her previous pupils killed herself. Rumours had it, that she was a *gasp* lesbian.
Cho-Ah the resident school psychic and freak, warns Sun-Min that Young Eun might not be herself as a ghost memory could be traumatised after death. However, if Sun-Min forgets about Young-Eun; the ghost of her would eventually not be heard and fade away. I will not spoil the big twist (S.Korean Trademark) near the end, but let's just say you will not look at Young-Eun in the same light again! It's very cruel and twisted! Just the way I like them - Fights, tears, death, love and jealously are key to this film.



The first thing I noticed about Voice was how beautiful the music was, a mix of choir and orchestrated melody. The actress who plays Young-Min is very talented indeed and has the most beautiful voice! It's so good, that's I'd actually buy the OST from it if I could!
Voice, in comparison to the other Yeogo Goedam films is very toned down in terms of body count, blood and general OTTness (Memento Mori springs to mind.). But the subtle hints throughout, makes it a much more thought-provoking experience than in-your-face obviousness.
The director has taken into account the use of imagery and lighting. The colours are warm and Autumn-like, a wonderful blend of browns and gold. When time passes, Young-Eun can go into her previous memories via a very imaginitive 'warp' that appears in the corridor. It also gives the viewer a different angle on death, your heart wrenches when Young-Eun sits in the corridor sobbing all alone and how she desperately wants her best friend to remember her. The elevator also seems to be part of an image.. a gateway to 'hell' almost!
The pacing is deliberately slow, and for the typical action fan, they could be bored to death literally by the time the good parts happen. But I liked this subtley, it has a very different feeling from most horror films and I think the sentimentalness adds to it. Be warned, this is not a scare thrill type, it's 90% drama! :D
What would a ghost really want?
Is it truth, is it revenge? Well, you'll have to watch this film to find out!

Pros
+ Somewhat arty!
+ Choir 0wns
+ Sentimental but gripping drama
+ Cho-Ah!

Cons
- A bit slow to begin with
- Somethings are a little too subtle
- Possession - where?

Overall: 8.5/10

It's a tough call which film is the best in the Yeogo Goedam series. Voice is however something very different in the series and definetely deserves your attention! My second favourite after Memento Mori - just watch it already! :)

Kamikaze Girls

Add a dash of Tarintino styled narrative, a bit of comedy and the fruitiness of 'But I'm a Cheerleader' and you'll end up with something like Kamikaze Girls. (Probably!)

Kamikaze Girls

Age Rating: 15+
Company: HK Bootleg
Genre: Lolita Girl meets Biker Punk Girl
Running Time: Approx 102 mins
Region: 3



Judging by the title, you think that this would be about a group of girls trying to kill themselves! Sadly not so, because this film is the complete opposite surprisingly! An eccentric Japanese comedy/drama about friendship and coming of age.

The tale starts off with Momoko, a 17 year old senior high school student who loves nothing better than to dress up - of course like any good Japanese 'cosplayer' in a Lolita styled outfit. She imagines herself to be in the Roroco period of 17th century Versailles and wants to live exactly like it, so her lifestyle is based on the hedonistic nature in this history period.
Her father is a washed up useless Yakuza member, who sells off counterfeit clothes to make ends meet. Momoko wants a new dress for her ever growing collection - but no cash=no dress *gasp*
However she devises a plan to sell off her father's counterfeit 'Verc*hi'
and 'Univers*l* labels (bleeped out hilariously on the film) and puts it in the 'yellow pages.' There, she encounters fateful meeting with biker-chick Ichiko.



Ichiko, part of a tough all-girl motorbike gang named the 'Ponytails' was looking for cheap clothes and meets Momoko. Then she decides to punch, spit and headbutt her way through for some Yanki counterfeit clothes (that's chavtastic to you and me)! In the end, the two polar opposites form an unlikely freindship as they make their way to Tokyo on an adventure.
This adventure takes shape going to Momoko's favourite clothes shop called 'Baby, The Stars Shine Bright' and meeting her God. A raid through a Pachinko parlour, looking for the legendary embroider named Emma and Ichiko's life story of how she was once Ichigo. ;) Yes you can all see where this love-hate friendship goes, it's so lovingly cheesy but you want it to end that way!



It's all very bizarre and surreal! Do you want a cabbage as your friend? The toungue-in-cheek humour is way over the top, and the camera angles are great! The world of Momoko is colourful with even the background is alive with texture.
I liked the soundtrack as well, it was a blend of classical, pop and rock depending on the situation. Yoko Kanno did some tracks as well, it reminded me of how a good teen-flick should be done!

Pros
+ A charmingly 'different' film
+ Great humour
+ It has a heart
+ The cheesy soundtrack!

Cons
- Very predictable
- The plot is a bit thin
- I wanted m0r3!

Overall: 8.5/10

It's a must-buy for all those who enjoy something a little different!