Kasimasi ~Girl Meets Girl~ - 07

Sun, sea, sand and...same-sex? The plot development takes a holiday along with the characters, as they slip into something more appealing ala Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Unfortunately this is where the similarities end - instead of lesbians frolicking in the sand we get Asuta sticking his two pence worth throughout the whole episode! It could be worse, it might have been 'pseudo-lesbian' Ayuki.*shudder*



Hazumu is off to the beach via a *wink wink nudge nudge* invite from evil lesbian Yasuna. But not only was Yasuna bi-curious about Hazumu's friends, she also invited her bi-curious rival Tomari too! So the scooby gang head off all wondering if Yasuna is going to try and poison them with the curry (the only food worth cooking in anime!) she is planning to prepare after they have their 'fun'.



Asuta is having a field day on the beach watching Hazumu peel and undress her clothes to reveal her deliciously feminine body. Doesn't he know it's only for Yasuna and Tomari eyes to feast upon? Of course, he acts all macho infront of her as Hazumu *pretends* to bounce her boobs and look cute. Two nasty looking guys try and pick her up, Asuta saves the day by announcing Hazumu is his girlfriend. It almost makes me feel some pity towards the guy, he can't be a lesbian no matter how he tries!



As Asuta deludes himself further, Tomari and Yasuna try and get along. Surprisingly as they go off to get some poison curry from the shop, they find out they are not so bad together. Hazumu loving minds think alike!
Jan-Puu and Sora-sensei turn up as expected and have quite a surprise to show everyone. The scooby gang gather around for some curry as Sora turns up the temperature by whipping off his apron among other things! Namiko gets such an eyeful that she faints, while everyone else is put off the curry practically! Good work Sora-sensei - foiling evil lesbian's poison curry seems to have paid off!



Hazumu and Asuta get a private moment together - away from prying lesbians anyway. Asuta gathers up his courage and almost declares that he loves Hazumu, but instead he asks her what she thinks of him. Hazumu being dense about the whole issue - tells him the truth without realising the unrequited love Asuta holds for her. She might as well have said "I like lesbians!" Same thing! ;)
Asuta acting as a good friend takes a step back and admires Hazumu from afar. Next thing that will probably pop up is Ayuki going gay for Hazumu as well!



It's been a tough day at the beach as the scooby gang go back home on the train. Hazumu conks out and rests on Yasuna's shoulder, evil lesbian is almost orgasming by this point! Tomari gives a dirty look and tells Yasuna she loves Hazumu as well! Sorry dear, you'll have to make do with the train jolting. All's well that ends well!

A so-so episode with less fanservice and more Asuta than expected. I still want a catfight between our two favourite girls - where's the angst?

Overall: 6.5/10

My emo senses are tingling!

Gokujou Seitokai - 24

Two episodes away from the finale and the script writers finally put some effort into the story! Unlike the previous escapdes with the Gokujou gang, this episode is nearly devoid of all humour, filler and worst of all - KUON. The revelations come thick and fast as President Kanade nearly topples over with all the stress. Looking after a school consisting of rabid fangirls and lesbians certainly takes it's toll.



Nanaho and President declare their love for each other but Kanade won't have any of it. Why have Nanaho, when she can have the whole school to herself? Oh and there's that little thing - Kanede's grandfather dies from lesbianitus leaving his grandaughter to be in charge of the household. Needless to say, Kanade's not a happy rampant rabbit.



While the rest of the cast are busy dealing with the yearly sports day, Kanade receives a letter to a Mr. Poppit. As if we didn't know already, Mr. Poppit was infront of Rino the whole time! No wonder Rino is so confused. ;) President Kanade remembers the promise she made to Rino's mother if she died. It was to look after Rino at all times, because she is of the same blood line and more importantly - has uber 1337 powers. The plot and incestious hints thickens!



Kanade likes hogging this episode! The angst continues! She attends her grandfather's funeral and announces a revelation to everyone. Sadly, she wasn't coming out of the closet to the crowd during the sports day festival, but rather chickening out and running back to her family household. She's dumping the school onto Nanaho! - She'll be back! Everyone is in shock and Kuon (!!!) appears declaring she's quitting too (x2!!!). She hands over a love letter (resignation) to Kotoha - but it's not for her - it's for Nanaho!



As conspiracy rumours fly around, the scooby gang decide to hitch a ride for Kanade on the tart cart! They all leave without the majestic beauty that is Kuon, but of course she'll appear in the next episode to give one last flirt (or two) with Nanaho. Everyone had the same idea it seems! Girl x Girl power wins for another day.



Gokujou shows it can do a good drama just like the rest of them and it needed to! As they say -too much filler spoils the Bleach. ;D A great angsty and heartfelt episode, if only the other episodes was as good!

Overall: 8/10

More Kuon goodness please!

A Long Awaited Update..

Yes, I have returned! I apologise to all my loyal readers as I have had a case of writer's block but of the blogging kind. (It happens!) A good break seems to do a world of good. ;) Now onto the updates!



Due to time constraints and pure laziness - I am dropping the following series to blog:

Jigoku Shoujo
Mai Otome

The rest of the anime on my fansub list I will continue, as none are safe from my ruthless commentary! ;D

I'd also like to point out my blog roll - if you have added me or want to be added to my list just let me know via my email! One final mention goes out to Blogsuki, it's a great site for opinions on the local fansub circuit. But let's all be honest, some opinions are better than others..*hint hint*

Hopefully I'll be updating later today, we'll see how it goes!

Red Eye

Let's recap: We've had haunted schools, red shoes, steps, wigs, musical instruments and anything that is described as an inanimate object must be used! This time however, we are taken for a ride on the local haunted ghost train - with a crazy set of coincidences nearly as bad as the infamous Bunshinsaba!

Age Rating: 15+
Company: HK Bootleg
Genre: Korean Horror
Running Time: Approx 110 mins
Region: 3



Our main heroine named Sun-Mi and rule numero uno in my cliche list takes on her new job as a trolley dolly - which leads to ultimately disasterous consequences!
A midnight train that traveled onroute from Seoul to Yeosu was involved in a serious train crash 17 years beforehand. Naturally, it's the last ever voyage of this particular train and on the anniversary of the crash too! Sun-Mi makes sure she gets on board, by swapping shifts with her co-worker even though it's her birthday as well. We find out that she isn't the only one with a reason to get on the doomed train. A cast of cliches appear and take their seats for this ride! These include: the crazy kleptomaniac chix, a newly married couple, a scholar, chav army guys, a group of ghost hunters and an incestious brother and sister looking for a death wish!



Sun-Mi nervously starts her job and pushes the trolley to serve the customers onboard the train with refreshments. Some treat her nicely, while others like the crazy chix try and make it torture. The conductor tries his best to make her feel comfortable ie. hitting on the poor girl and even goes as far as joking about the train being haunted! You should never joke about something that is true ;)
Weird things start to happen after Sun-Mi encounters a strange little boy on her rounds who is drawing 'scary pictures'. It is just as laughable as the US version of Ring's 'scary pictures'. His skilled drawings are of the people who was on board the 1988 train crash and Sun-Mi freaks out..just a little! The group of ghost hunters meanwhile, have one member in particular who can feel an eerie presence as an old rustbucket carriage joins up to the train. Then it all starts to go wrong..



The train flickers from the present and to the past as Sun-Mi tries to contemplate what is actually happening. The concidences start spilling out as we find out Sun-Mi's father was onboard the fated 1988 train and got killed. Not only that - but the present conductor's girlfriend was the stewardess who died then as well. It seems everyone has connections! One by one, the passengers start dropping like flies and even my beloved psychic girl bites the dust!
By this point, rules 2 and 3 apply! Which isn't very surprising as the plot is fairly predictable in all senses! Let's just say it isn't a very happy ending and no one is immune to this..
Red Eye is a very enjoyable film to watch despite hitting the first three cliches on my list. Sun-Mi is a character that you grow to feel attached to, although I feel her past story was not in depth enough (Ok I know it's a horror film!) The rest of the misfits blend in well to provide a bit of colour and flesh out the story ever so slighty. The usage of special effects was well done on the whole and I loved the very cinematic angles. You can tell that this has a high budget!



So what makes this one-way train wreck better than the average South Korean horror? The story might be simple but holds together well and it doesn't ruin itself in the last moments by that BIG TWIST. The big twist isn't actually stuningly huge or surprising for a change! I liked most of the characters and it can get brutally violent towards the main protaganist at times. Is that a plus? Why yes! It's all part of the master plan - which the ending leaves ambigious yet obvious. Certainly surprsing that the films with the least expectations turn out to be better than most in the genre!

Overall: 8/10

Shame that rule number 4 didn't apply!

South Korean Horror Movie Cliche Guide

You put on that South Korean horror DVD and think how original - even if they slightly copied Ring with the Sadako Syndrome. You then watch a few more, and suddenly it seems so samey! This slapped together guide is to point out the cliche among cliche among this phenomenon. 8 rules so cliche ridden that only those without a faint heart can possibly read!



Rule 1: Female Protaganist (Death Becomes Him Rule)
Nothing like watching a vunerable - yet usually pretty - female fall victim to ghosts, curses, and red shoes. Nearly anyone who is close to her, ends up in a horrible death that will just provoke the main character to solve their 'mysterious' death. They will get chased about, protect their children or leave their love interest in the background (if they survive) to uncover the truth! Usually the twist rule reverses this!



Rule 2: Long-Haired Ghost (Sadako Syndrome Rule)
It just isn't the same if this rule doesn't make an appearance! You need to have a long-haired ghost to make it an Asian horror film, or it will fail miserably. The S.Korean horror film industry seem to take it in their stride to include at least one. Bunshinsaba is the current record breaker with at least 3 - including the main two characters - because they wish they were as popular as Sadako.



Rule 3: The Big Twist (Surprise Rule)
You are watching through a film and think you have it all sussed out. But NO, in the last 5 minutes they throw out a twist that twists the previous twist even twistier - so much so, that it feels like they are covering up a plot hole or three. In the case of Ryung (Dead Friend/Ghost) it was done well but in The Doll Master it was laughable attempt that was totally expected and ended up with even more holes than a block of Swiss cheese. Results vary from film to film, but you can expect it 99% of the time! I'll just be disappointed if I see a film without this one.



Rule 4: We Are Not Lesbians (School Girl Horror Rule)
The main protaganist, especially if set in High School will have a group of friends or someone in their class - that's just more than a friend. Subtext ahoy and they will enjoy some time together but then the angst splits them apart/ they end up being dead! From what I've seen, it always ends up in tragedy. Just don't expect some hot girl on girl action anytime soon!



Rule 5: It's a Drama! (1% Horror Rule)
That wasn't even scary at all! But you still rate it a good film despite it having zero shock moments (it will still have the above rules however!). The only thing that is scary about this rule is that the film would be even better without the cheap tactics of horror! This applies to Memento Mori, Voice and the very scary Red Shoes. ;)



Rule 6: Closing The School (Suicide Rule)
Apparently after so many suicides, a school closes. This is taken into great effect in the School Girl Horror series (Whispering Corridors, Memento Mori, Wishing Stairs and Voice). Of course Bunshinsaba has to steal this idea as well and make it more OTT. See below!



Rule 7: Too Many Cliches Spoil the Film (Bunshinsaba rule)
Disregarding rule 5, we have rule 7. Bunshinsaba makes no effort than plaguerising every other film within the genre but goes so over the top, we can't take it seriously! Not just one possession but two at the same time! Half a dozen coincidences, rabid townspeople with pointy sticks and flaming torches. Just add in a few long haired ghosts, some suicidal school girls and voila - Bunshinsaba! It should be a great film, but ends up having no merits besides the 'suicides' which involves a plastic bag and a lighter.



Rule 8: It Made It! (Is this possible Rule?)
If a Horror film survives the rules - then it is not classed a S.Korean horror film and must be shunned especially how Bunshinsaba put the effort into copying everything!

So there you have it! The rules that must be put into every S.Korean horror film, the more the merrier (if too much - see rule 7)! The top 3 rules are the most important and are included in every one so far! Hope you all find this useful if delving into the Asian horror circuit - but in particular South Korean films.
Just don't try and point out too many cliches. ;)

Lemon Angel Project - 04

The less of Tomo we have, the better the episode! I know I keep on stating it, but Tomo has to have the worst voice ever in anime and she can't sing much better. ;) A bit of drama and angst in this episode, which can only make this otherwise uninteresting anime more appealing!



The trio of misfits: Tomo, Saya and Erica arrive for their pop grooming classes late. Erica puts on her Ninja outfit to make it all obvious! All are hoping that they have the X-Factor required to land into the lucrative market of being in a girlband. The manager, who is Simon Cowell's nicer alter ego - let's them off with a slap on the wrist and tells them to get started.The first challenge up is dancing! This part vaguely reminds me of Glass Mask, but not even half as good. As expected Tomo ends up all over the place while all eyes on Erica as she gets a compliment from the instructor. However, this just turns out to reveal Erica's vunerable side as she hears the other jealous girls calling her a stupid foreigner.
After the other classes end, Tomo tries to cheer up Erica who seems to be a bit off. Saya stands her guard as being the cruel but nice one as they all share lunch. Saya makes up her excuses to avoid taking any of Erica's food and runs off. Poor Erica think it's because she is foreign - but Tomo makes her forget her problems for a while - she's about to have a guest for some home cooking!



During the next set of classes, we finally get to see some background on Erica via some flashbacks. She and her brother Takumi, are from Brazil (The Rio De Janiero statue gave it away) and now are trying to fit into Japan. Even though Takumi notices how difficult it is to fit in, he makes his way into a popular boyband group called 3Sence. I wonder if they will be against Lemon Angel in the future? ;) Erica realises she must do the same and applies to Lemon Angel.
Of course she makes the mistake of telling everyone that her brother is the famous Takumi of 3 Sence. All the spiteful rivals are now interested and invite themselves along!Erica returns home and cooks up a feast. Takumi phones her up and says he cannot make it..well of course the rest turn up and start catfighting with poor Erica. Haruka, in particular was taking a leaf out of Glass Mask and punishing her to the utmost even in her own home! That girl knows how to own! Tomo and Saya burst into the rescue but Erica can't take it anymore and runs off to the nearest bridge to jump..I mean look over. It starts to RAIN. Tomo and Saya run for cover but their unique RADAR sees Erica in the distance. After a few tears and harsh words, Erica promises to be a better rival and it ends happily via some groping. Yay.



Lemon Angel Project is now going from dire to nearly average! I'll probably stick with it as long as it has more catfights and angst. Maybe Tomo's voice will improve - that will be a miracle. I liked this episode better as you felt sorry for Erica being treated different just because she is a 'Gaijin'.
In that respect, it suceeded where I think Shinigami no Ballad failed - to make me feel something other than being bored.

Overall: 6.5/10

I suspect megane-ko to have a catfight with Haruka in the next episode!

Shinigami no Ballad - 01

Momo is a Death God (Shinigami) who takes the lives of others with her obligatory talking cat who has bat wings. Their hobbies include watching paint dry and intervening between the lives of elementary school children! Hardcore, this isn't sadly - mix slice of life anime with a hint of Jigoku Shoujo and you get something that wasn't as good as I hoped it would be!



This sad, sad tale opens with Kouta and Mai. They are good friends and Kouta gets taunted by his schoolfriends about it. One day after school, they find a stray cat in a box ala Shenmue. Kouta tells his 'girlfriend' Mai, that she can't take the scrawny thing home as the parental units wouldn't allow it. Mai agrees and proceeds with a cunning plan to keep it at the local shrine. Just like Shenmue again - except we could call it a better name than Blue! Mai refers herself as being the mother and Kouta as the father of Blue, which he doesn't mind because he wants to protect Mai. It is revealed that she collapsed earlier in the year and now she has chronic asthma. At this point we know what is going to happen, I like to be surprised!



Back at school the next day, Kouta and his friend has a falling out over Mai. Mai naturally overhears - I think I'll call this power from now on RADAR as anime in general like to use this device a little too often to build tension!
RADAR definition: An anime character walks in/overhears at the right moment when it concerns them/plot line. ;)
Back to the episode!
Mai tells Kouta to go and play with his friends and she'll look after Blue. He hesitantly agrees, he has a bad feeling however - and he's right. It starts to RAIN. Yes another anime device! Mai is obviously going to die tragically and collapse while looking after the cat. Kouta returns home and his mother receives a phonecall about Mai, she hasn't returned home yet. Oh noes! By the time Kouta rushes out, it's too late..the ambulance of death appears!
A few days have past and Kouta is having a hard time accepting Mai's death. Her seat is empty, her little shoebox is empty and now he wants to 'empty' the cat box at the shrine! Alas, before he does the gritty thing which could have saved this anime frm being mediocre - Momo the Shinigami appears and spurts out friendship crap. Her little scythe of death and talking cat get thrown to the side as Mai steals the limelight reappearing again - Sailor Moon style! There is a moral at the end of the story which seems to be: Keeping cats at shrines cause death! A few tears are shed at the end episode which wasn't even remotely sad - therefore this episode fails at what it was trying to do!



Fans of slice of life anime are bound to appreciate this more than what I did. It was slow-paced and so very subtle. Even though it was trying to be a realistic in a sense, the last bit was so magical girl, it seemed out of place. Momo herself is not really that great of a character and is about as mysterious as the off screen death of Mai. This is a more tame version of Jigoku Shoujo without any entertainment value whatsoever but failing to pull those heart strings. However one thing I did like was the opening song, some good engrish use there! Word of warning: The ending credits has spoilers of the characters who are going to be used in the next lot of episodes! :o

Overall: 4/10 (6.5 for Slice of Life Fans)

Enma Ai is the superior version of Momo!

Kasimasi ~Girl Meets Girl~ - 06

The love triangle continues to go deeper into angstville. Tomari is reeling over THAT kiss and Yasuna is practically throwing herself at Hazumu! I wonder if Tomari has a knife to her wrist yet - because she certainly looks like she needs one now!




The aftermath of a lesbian kiss is sure to shock anyone in the class, but because it's anime - it was only Tomari who just 'happened' to walk in at the time. I'm sure Asuta would have a field day if he was there. ;) Tomari makes her excuses and leaves as quickly she can without getting a sick bag! Her heart is now torn asunder as she can't believe she lost to evil lesbian Yasuna out of all things! Hazumu prepares to run after her but Yasuna begs her to stay. That's right Hazumu, you can't chase two skirts at once!
The next day, Tomari in total denial mode announces to Asuta and Ayuki that Hazumu and Yasuna are now officially an item. She then tells Hazumu to go back to her lapdog, because she will having fun without them! Go girl! In the class, Yasuna invites the very confused Hazumu to her house. Ooh lala, an offer she cannot refuse! Hazumu willing agrees, but has a feeling that she can't commit herself totally to Yasuna. After an eternity, evil lesbian herself drags Hazumu into her bedroom and introduces her plaything..er dog. Of course, the dog gets a bit too 'friendly' with Yasuna that almost makes me wonder what she gets up to behind closed doors!



Meanwhile, Tomari is hitting the lows in a Karaoke club. Not just one song, but at least seven to cure that Hazumu love sickness! Ayuki tells her to stop - but anything Tomari related would probably steam up her glasses! She runs off leaving Ayuki with Asuta because she suddenly remembers a promise that Hazumu made to her when they were five. Yes this is another excuse to make the anime not so lesbian! Tomari and Hazumu are talking about brides and grooms..then Hazumu promises to marry Tomari as a groom when he really wanted to be a bride! Tomari sits there waiting and waiting beside the river, secretly hoping that Hazumu will rescue her from her bout of depression - yep we know what happens!
Back to Yasuna's lurve room, she makes the moves onto Hazumu and when they are about to kiss - Hazumu backs off. She remembers the promise she made to Tomari and runs off leaving poor Yasuna to have fun with her dog!
Hazumu arrives just in the nick of time and practically confesses to the shocked Tomari as they reminice in the past. It doesn't matter if Hazumu has Yasuna, she can have Tomari as well - under some excuse called a childhood promise! Poor Yasuna! She deserves better than that!





While I like a good dosage of angst, Tomari always has to bring it to the next suicidal level and makes me want to slap her! I feel more sorry for Yasuna, even though she's trying her hardest to bag Hazumu - the only one who understands her - she is always chasing after Tomari! A decent episode which reveals Tomari's side of the story. Still, I want to see some major plot twists that doesn't involve Hazumu turning back into a boy.

Overall: 7/10

At least Yasuna has her dog for fun.. :o