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. ...

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. ...

(Originally published on Deremoe on February 19, 2014.) [Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/illuminated_photography/2397452181/] I was supposed to participate in the latest episode of Radyo Pirata’s program #MuchMoreRANDOM but I didn’t even make it no thanks to the mobile internet connection infrastructure that I had, thus ending with me as a freaking nuisance. The topic on their latest episode is about the topic of “Weeaboos,” non-Japanese people who has a mindset that being Japanese is the best thing ever, and the roundtable include RP’s station manager Pat (@qbmanx) and his circle of friends, including people from Local Otaku Media Anime Pilipinas. ...

(Originally published at Deremoe on November 1, 2013.) We never knew this would happen. Animax Asia will hold its second iteration of the Animax Carnival Philippines this year; and aside from its change of venue to the TriNoma Activity Center (previously, this event was held at the Activity Area of the Robinsons Place Manila’s Midtown Wing) is a big surprise — Anisong Artiste May Nakabayashi (aka May’n) will be performing here in Manila. ...

(Originally published at Deremoe on November 20, 2013.) Let me be frank. Just now, what was supposed to be one of the happiest moments in my life has been cancelled. One last shining piece of hope in the midst of the troubles I am having now, gone in an instant. Animax Philippines has announced that the Animax Carnival Philippines 2013 has been cancelled, and according to them, the cancellation was made by the higher-ups at Sony Pictures Television Networks — Asia. ...

(Originally published on Deremoe on September 29, 2014.) I have been in Cosplay competitions well enough for me to say that “Cosplay is SRS BSNS.” That’s our belief, and that’s what Deremoe shall believe. I’ve noticed a lot of Cosplay skits and I can tell you how I’m happy (or unhappy) I am even if the skit has just played for a measly 15 seconds… I guess the elders in the community know better than me, but that doesn’t mean that I can tolerate a specific set of skits. After all, I’m biased. ...

It’s been so long since the last time that I’ve talked about the Cosplay community in the country; and that, of course, won’t stop. I’ve recently talked about the ‘fun’ and ‘competitive’ edges of Cosplay before. Now, I would like to talk about why you can’t have objectivity in Cosplay, not just in the country but in a general sense — trust me, I tried — and that’s how I got confused with what to support and what not to. Once I realized that I’m confused, I dropped everything altogether and told myself: “Cosplay is Subjective.” ...

I’ve had my experience with Anime Listing websites like MyAnimeList and Anime-Planet but there will be another one soon, and this one is different — it uses a binary (YES/NO) system rather then the common decimal format. It’s called Hummingbird. The concept started from the question “what’s the difference between a 3.5-star series and a 4-star series?,” and using the binary system for anime recommendations is one feat to fulfill. ...

(Combining two posts about Stella Women’s Academy High School Division, Class C³ published on Deremoe in 2013) Stella Women’s Academy High School Division, Class C³ (God knows how long that name was), shortened to C³-bu (much better) is a slice-of-life (?) airsoft gun-toting show that was aired in 2013, and even though it’s cringe-y throughout the duration of the series, it gives a thought or two on self-realization. I am so hooked on the series so much that I got compelled to write two posts about it. Here’s what I wrote. ...