Category: Deremoe Archive

A review first posted on Deremoe in September 2014

I’ve never enjoyed such a cute romcom in my lifetime the same way I did with Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun.

It’s about this guy named Umetarou Nozaki, which illustrates Manga under the pen name Yumeno Sakiko. That, and how he uses his experience in real life for the Manga series that he illustrates.

After I have watched the whole series in full, I now further understand why the series is entitled as such — it’s not just about Nozaki being the main character, but it’s the fact that Nozaki really dedicates himself as a manga-ka. Notice the fact that Nozaki uses his IRL situation to make his series that it does even bother his friends and his lovelife. This guy, ladies and gentlemen, is a real example of a person who treats his career as if it was his wife (I’m talking to myself as I type these words). I’m glad that he’s no Gary Stu (unlike Mahouka’s Tatsuya) since I’ve been wary of that nowadays, speaking in terms of his misunderstandings and such. Come to think of it, the only problem I had is this: Why in the world a person who has zero experience in lovelife excels in wooing a shoujo Manga fanbase? I think that’s a fallacy, more so a hole in the character’s description.

The series also has its colorful cast of supporting characters — Mikoshiba is the sorta-Otaku guy who uses his sim-dating experience as a basis for his surroundings, thus sharing his traits with Nozaki (the caveat is that he’s much of an outspoken tsundere that falls flat when praised); Kashima showed a different side of Mai Nakahara to me as well, since I was not expecting a damn thing like that to happen, more so if she was teamed up with Yuzuki (who is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro).

The other supporting characters, like Wakamatsu and Hori, added more laughs to theseries as well — especially when Hori is so angry that he does hurt Kashima; although I do have some sort of a problem with those instances.

Finally, there’s Chiyo Sakura. I must say, she’s the cutest girl I’ve ever seen on Japanese Animation so far. She’s the straight girl of the series and I don’t have a problem with that. I believe I don’t have a problem with that. I believe so, I think. I certainly think.

Lastly, let’s not forget Mamiko and Suzuki — especially the fab Suzuki. I can hear Mamoru Miyano’s fab voice leaking and if I were a fangirl I will say that “It’s so delicious.”

The animation done by the great guys at Dogakobo certainly made a long way to appeal to my visual tastes — I’m certainly out of words for those aspects, especially in that instance before the bicycle scene and the time where Chiyo was given Yumeno’s autograph.

I have no problems in terms of story direction since it wasn’t even made that way — I can re-watch it even if I mix up the second to the eleventh episodes. The only focal point of the story is that (1) Chiyo falls in love with Nozaki, (2) Nozaki misunderstood that, and (3) how their relationship will go through.

One thing I also liked about this series is that it gives a basic outline of what a manga-ka does — without the perversion that I’ve seen on Mangaka-san to Assistant-san, or the super-extended course of Bakuman. It also hits up on the clichés of shoujo Manga and shove it in its butthole (if it has one), thus making this my must-watch series each time I end up taking some terribad series — and that IS a good thing if you want to save your sanity while enjoying your Anime-viewing experience.

I’ve never given a 5/5 for an Anime series so far but this time, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun hits the sweet spot. I will definitely recommend this to everyone. I’ll even recommend this to local Anime channels.

A review first posted on Deremoe in March 2015

Alongside Shirobako, this series airs on Fridays and is about Japan’s creative industry… sort of.

Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (also Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend) is another A-1 Pictures creation with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka in it. The story is about one guy and his harem of people familiar with him which compose the independent game circle Blessing Software.

This contemporary rom-com tries to show the protagonist Aki Tomoya and his relationships with four people — light novel author Utaha Kasumigaoka, artist and childhood friend Eriri Spencer Sawamura, another friend and artist Izumi Hashima, cousin-slash-guitarist Michiru Hyodo and his “heroine” and inspiration Megumi Kato.

They were successful at showing Tomoya’s relationship with each of the latter while showing bits and pieces about the doujin (independent creation) industry as we know it.

The story went with the rom-com approach as it is the most appropriate way to show the facets of each member of the software circle.

The aim of the story is Aki’s dream of making a game that will shake the four corners of the Comic Market (Comiket), but most of the time it shows how supportive, albeit “boring” his inspiration is.

They were supposed to show how “boring” Kato is, but in the end, she was the most interesting of them all, having a personality so soft that I rarely see her angry (if she is, she’d be pouting).

If we stick to what the English translation of the title is, then they failed to show a “boring” girlfriend, and they failed showing how it is done. That’s not the problem though.

The problem with Saekano is that they tried to show a story that is estimated to last for 16 or 17 episodes but is then squeezed to 12 with an additional prologue OVA.

An additional two to three episodes could have fulfilled what the creators’ meant to say in the narrative, as the story is too short for thirteen episodes.

I am saying this because I was not satisfied with how short Izumi’s arc was shown (if it is to be treated as an arc). It felt to me like they showed two to three scenes with either Utaha or Eriri or Kato and still left unsatisfied. I was unable to see how Blessing Software dominates Comiket (if they were able to) as well.

One thing comes to my mind — is the purpose of this show about Blessing Software or it’s just all about Aki Tomoya’s harem?

I do relate to Aki’s activities as a blogger — connecting with people, agencies and stuff — and that gives a refreshing relief that someone somewhere out there depicts what I personally do as a liaison for a culture blog.

Let’s get back to Kato. Your “boring” girlfriend here has developed from being sorta-monotonous (that’s what I felt) to someone who is sensitive to others.

I am comparing here two episodes:

1. the episode where she joins Aki to a “date” in a newly-opened mall, and
2. the final episode, where she sorta acts as a mediator for Eriri and Utaha.

Was she sensitive to others in the first place? I don’t think so — the episode wherein she changes her hairstyle is a crucial description of her character development (as with girls changing hairstyles).

In terms of visual appearance, I have a reservation on how they interpret figures and Nendoroids — while it’s 3D graphics that are embedded in a 2D environment, there must be a better way possible (like drawing the figures by hand).

On a second thought, drawings tend to be scalable on screen, so rendering them on 3D is the best way possible.

My overall experience tends to be focused on how comical Aki is — I followed the series because of the voice cast in the first place. As expected, I am impressed with how the voicing went.

Our Founder thou art in Los Baños Anton (@ojouzuki) says that Matsuoka is not fit for the role, and I remember him commenting the name of Ryota Ohsaka in the conversation. Just one thing to note here — you won’t like Aki for not getting a hint.

To end this, I liked Saekano despite its shortcomings. The story is a bit different from the typical rom-coms, and I appreciate that.

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Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (C)2015 丸戸史明・深崎暮人・KADOKAWA 富士見書房／冴えない製作委員会

Originally published at Deremoe on May 8, 2013.

This is my review of the first five episodes of the series as it airs in Japan at that time.

Looking back at the first five episodes of The Devil is a Part-Timer! (Hataraku Maou-sama!), I’ve had a great experience so far. With this, here’s my thoughts on the series:

• I’ve enjoyed the dialogue between Maou and the Hero Emilia — there is something about these two that I can feel, but can’t explain. I’ll squeal if this series of dialogues will turn into definite romance, but taking consideration of the storyline, that won’t happen. I’ll stop thinking about Maoyu, I promise.
• I’m impressed with Yoko Hikasa‘s voice work as Emilia, and I feel that the voice range that she uses is quite similar to her role as Houki in Infinite Stratos.
• Moving back to Emilia, I’m obsessed. Aside from she is a half-angel half-human, she works in a contact centres (of which I can definitely relate because I’ve worked at one). So beautiful.
• I would like to commend the original creator of the series for getting the surroundings real. For example, those computers that Emilia and her colleagues are using is almost the exact thing as what contact centres use; and the equipment Maou uses at the fastfood outlet is a no-brainer. In addition, it’s true that people working at contact centres are required to wear business outfits; but in the case of Emilia’s, she has a uniform, something that in under a case-to-case basis.
• I’m still amazed by the foreign language they use (referring to the Ente Isla dialect) — was it a mix of European language rolled into one, they got it from a Western language? Certainly they won’t get an Eastern language for that. To my happiness, we can also speak the Ente Isla dialect ourselves, as Croos in Random Curiosity gave the cheat sheet.
• Maou’s experience as a slave (for a lack of word) to the work-force has changed his perspective, so as Ashiya (Alsiel)’s experience as a houseman. To push it further, they are changed to a point that they are adding a comic relief in the whole story dialogue. Thus, I find some scenes in the recent episodes funny than what it supposed to be.

With that said, I’m going to watch this further. This might be the series that will give me a sleeper hit. Excuse me if I’ll have to speak in their language, but I say, “Lonv lige Paou-japa.”

A review first posted on Deremoe in December 2014

First and foremost, this is the first time that I’ll be reviewing a single arc in a two-cour series, because why not? Times have changed for me, I guess. While the first two arcs of Sword Art Online II did well, — scratch that, I hate the Phantom Bullet Arc — Mother’s Rosario really touched my fancy.

From observing author Reki Kawahara‘s standpoint, he created a side-story wherein technology is used to help patients. With all the latest technologies coming out, I can somehow relate to what Kawahara has written years ago — If you were able to read his short commentary at the end of the light novel’s arc, that’s the way that I’m going to as I write this piece.

From his standpoint, he tries to make a melodrama wherein the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is used as a plot device; and his fictional Medicuboid, derived from a Nerve Gear experiment that was done during the first season as a connecting material that will bind Asuna and the other main character Yuuki in it. What I’ve said may sound complicated, but if you were able to watch the episodes of the Mother’s Rosario arc, that should make sense.

Truth be told, what piqued me more about Mother’s Rosario, aside from its plot, is that Aoi Yuuki is the voice behind Yuuki Konno. She did well on her role, and she somehow used a different voice profile that’s probably a mix of her Madoka Kaname and Hibiki Tachibana voice profiles.

While most of you may discuss about AIDS being used as a plot device (which sounds offensive when it is treated like a joke), I haven’t heard about having an effective vaccine against AIDS, and Kawahara might be in the presumption that there could be an AIDS that is drug-resistant in the future. Those things are yet to be discovered in the future, but raising that topic is okay with me.

Most of all, this arc is about survival and enjoying life alongside the struggles of confinement, in which Yuuki had to endure for years. If she hadn’t met Asuna, what could’ve happened to her? If Asuna hadn’t met Yuuki, what’s left for her as she tries to save herself from leaving the school she’s currently into — and from having a hard long-distance relationship with Kirito once that happens?

Mother’s Rosario is a story about touching someone’s hearts, and can be an inspiration to viewers who had a hard time with themselves. I’ve been telling before to my comrades and friends that Mother’s Rosario is the best arc that I’ve known in the Sword Art Online series — and it will be my most favorite part of it.