The one anime you just can't get enough of

New anime is coming out every single month.  Between localizations, new releases in Japan, streaming anime online and on-demand features, there's definitely no shortage of new content.  Finding time to watch all that anime is no easy task, but that's the life of an anime fan!  We enjoy checking out the old and new alike, and it's definitely a desire that's tough to satiate!

While it's fantastic checking out new anime, I'm willing to bet that you have one particular feature that you've seen more than any other.  Even when you have stacks of new anime lined up to check out, you find yourself going back to that familiar story or those familiar characters.  Watching new anime can be a scary experience.  You might end up investing time into a series that ends up fizzling out.  With that old, familiar anime, it's like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket!

No matter how many times I watch it, I'll always be able to watch Azumanga Daioh and enjoy it.  It just never gets old for me.  There's something about the series that is so inviting.  It's very easy to watch and follow along with, there's no super intricate plots to keep straight in your head.  You just sit back and let it play.  Add in the endearing characters, heart-warming moments and a sweet sense of humor, and I'm absolutely sold.  If only school was really as fun as this anime makes it look like!

What anime do you find yourself returning to time and time again?  No matter how many times you watch, you just keep going back.  Share your addiction with us!

What anime would you like to see localized?

For every anime feature that makes it to the states, there are many more features that never get to officially see the light of day here.  There's simply too much anime content coming from Japan to see everything picked up.  Localization houses here do their best to bring over as much as possible, but they also have a bottom line to look after.  They can't randomly pick up the latest anime content and get to work on translations.

There are indeed many ways to see anime that never makes it over to the states.  The good news is, a lot of the avenues you can take are actually legal.  It seems that Japanese animation houses are starting to realize that they have a lot of fans in the states, and those fans would like to see as much content as possible.  With some of that content just not possible to bring over, there's a lot going on with official simultaneous streaming.  An anime is released in Japan, and it ends up getting a simultaneous translation online.

That's a great way to keep up on what's going on in Japan, but that also means that a much smaller market is going to know about those particular anime features.  It also means that it'll be harder to support that series and spread the word.  Having a localized anime gives a much bigger chance for things to take off and become a hit.  Obviously, some of those streams end up catching the eye of localization houses and then they pick up the rights.  Not every story ends that happily though!

What anime do you enjoy that hasn't officially made it over to North America?  It could even be an anime you haven't seen but are dying to check out.  Fan translations may get the job done, but there's nothing quite like seeing an official treatment.

Doctor Stop

Note: Mature Content.

Special thanks to Guest4ever for the update


Group Scanlating: Dynasty Scans

Here's another Yuri Hime Wildrose one shot. That reminds me, no one translated the one by Nanzaki Iku? I've been waiting for it :(

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Doctor Stop
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Matching

Note: Mature Content.

Special thanks to Guest4ever for the update


Group Scanlating: Dynasty Scans

Here's a new one shot from the magazine Yuri Hime Wildrose. The story is a bit short. I wish there were more to it.

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Matching
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Where do you buy your anime from?

We've talked about all sorts of anime and how expensive it can be to pick up what you want, but we've yet to talk about where you actually purchase it from!  Anime isn't exactly the easiest thing to find at your local movie retailer, especially when you're looking for the more obscure stuff.  If you plan on building up a sizable library, you're going to have to hunt!

For me, the number one place to purchase anime from is Amazon.  They always seem to have what I'm looking for, even when it's something off the beaten path.  The only thing that makes me nervous is when I buy through Amazon from another seller.  I just don't like having to use someone else rather than Amazon themselves.  I tend to stick with just Amazon directly for my anime fix.

Back in the day, I used to go to Suncoast Video to pick up anime.  They actually had a sizable collection to choose from, and they also had all kinds of other anime merchandise.  You could grab soundtracks, figurines, posters, shirts and a lot more.  Now I don't even know if that retail chain exists anymore!  The one by my house closed, and with it went a piece of my heart!

Nowadays, if I'm looking to pick up anime from a brick-and-mortar store, I'll usually do so at Best Buy.  I'm quite sad, because today's anime selection at Best Buy is about half the size of what it used to be.  I remember the days when an entire aisle was anime, but now Best Buy seems to have cut their selection in half.  They still get new features and offer decent prices though, so it could be worse.

Where do you pick up your anime from?  Know any secret stores that always have what you want at fantastic prices?  Share your secrets with the rest of us!

Hatsune Miku's New Toyota Ad Doesn't Include a Toyota

Hatsune Miku's new Toyota commercial featuring the virtual idol Hatsune Miku does not actually feature any of Toyota's cars onscreen:




Maybe this is a good thing. Frankly, I still find it pretty implausible that Hatsune would drive a Corolla. I mean, seriously? I would put her in a Benz SLK, or at least a Lexus ISC!

L: Change the World - review

Last night I stayed up way too late once again. This was in order to finish up the Death Note live-action trilogy. I've already given my impressions of the first two films, and while they didn't blow me away, I couldn't leave the trilogy unfinished. When I was first learning about these movies, the one that interested me the most was this final entry, L: Change the World. It plays out after an alternate reality ending to Death Note, so I was interested to see where it went. Unfortunately, it seems to have squandered its chance to do anything interesting. No worries, I'll make sure to keep this spoiler-free as well.

Here's the thing that bothered me the most about this movie. It really had absolutely nothing to do with the Death Note series. Obviously it features a few characters from Death Note, but the bulk of the movie itself wasn't really tied into Death Note. There was one driving force that kept the story somewhat related to the Death Note universe, but by and large, this was a movie that could have existed without any ties to Death Note.

I know that there's a novel that lead to this film, and I'm really going to have to sit down and read it. I want to see how much better or worse of a job the novel does than the movie. I do think it's an interesting idea to see how a character's universe can be expanded outside of a series, but this particular film didn't really seem to pull it all together for me. The main character, L, is supposed to be one of the world' best detectives. It's completely feasible that he's solved many other cases, and those cases would make for interesting movies. This particular case is tacked on at the end of the Death Note series, and it felt like a quick cash-in to me.

The other big problem I have with this film is the way in which L acts. I believe that too many liberties were taken with L in this film. He acts outside of the boundaries for his established character. There are things you love about L that don't really shine through in this film. There are also certain rules for the character and decisions for his motives that just don't exist in this film. I understand that L is supposed to be breaking out of his set ways here, but some of the actions that L takes are extremely out of character. If you've come to know and understand L over the the past couple movies or anime/manga series, it's very hard to believe that he'd act the way he does in this film.

Again, as I said with the other films, this one isn't a complete disaster. I just feel it to be the weakest of the three. At the very least, we get to spend more time with L, and we also get to fill in some gaps that the last two movies left. I did enjoy learning the details behind some of the conversations and actions that closed out the second movie. On top of that, there are a few touching scenes with L in this film that sit well with me. Was that content worth the viewing? I personally don't think so, but at least I didn't come away empty-handed.

All in all, the Death Note trilogy of films is...interesting. I guess I am happy to have seen them, if only to know what takes place in each one. The first two films were an interesting take on what happened in the anime/manga, even if I wouldn't call them great. The third film stands out as the oddball in the series. Even if you liked the other two films, I can't promise that you'll enjoy this one. My suggestion is for hardcore Death Note fans to check these features out, but others may want to introduce themselves to the franchise through the anime/manga instead of this.

4 out of 10

Between Calmness and Passion [Sakuya x Meiling Touhou]

Note: Mature Content!



Oh, touhou doujin by Pigeon Blood. I've always loved the Sakuya x Meiling pairing and I love their art. What a great way to start my day :)

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Between Calmness and Passion [Sakuya x Meiling Touhou]
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Saki Chapter 84 [English]

Here's the new chapter of Saki. I'm rewatching the anime again. I can't wait for Season 2

To download previous chapters, click here.

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Saki Chapter 84 [English]
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What was your first anime experience?

We're all anime fans here, right? Either you're just getting into anime or you've been following the content for years now. It doesn't matter to us how long you've been an anime fan, as we love you all just the same! We all understand that anime came into your life at one point, and it hasn't left yet! With all that great anime content out there, it's really easy to get sucked in.

That's why I'm curious about where exactly your first anime experience came from. Depending on the range of ages for readers on this blog, I can only imagine the content that you came across first. The first bit of anime you saw may not even be the one that convinced you to check out what other anime was out there. Still, I'm dying to know your first exposure!

For me, I am pretty sure that my very first anime feature that I watched from start to finish was Iria: Zeiram the Animation. Sci-Fi used to show this anime all the time, and one lucky morning I actually caught it from the start. I had never seen anything like it from an animated feature before. It was just so engaging, and so different from what I had been watching through traditional American animation. That's why I was intrigued to check out what else anime had to offer.

That leads me to where I am today, a huge anime fan! What was the first feature you saw that introduced you into the world of anime?

Here's today's anime purchases!

Okay, so it's not purchases I made today...I ordered them two days ago.  They did show up today, though!  It was a nice surprise to find while I was walking out my front door.

I think you guys knew that the third Death Note film was coming, since I talked about the other two this week.  I'll definitely have a review for that feature late tonight, as I plan on watching in a few hours from now.  Even with the other features not being fantastic, I'm really looking forward to this one since it's an alternate story.

As for Dance in the Vampire Bund: Complete Series, I've been seeing a lot of people talk about this on Twitter. I've also seen some reviews that were quite good, but they all mentioned that there are some "uncomfortable" parts.  I'm not sure what that's all about, but I'm still willing to check it out.  It's so damn hard to read about anime and find out details without stumbling upon spoilers, so I hope this was a good decision!

Feel free to share any recent anime purchases you guys have made.  Hopefully they were good picks as well!

Manga no Tsukurikata Chapter 38 [RAW]

Here's the latest raw chapter of Manga no Tsukurikata. Enjoy!

To download translated chapters, click here.

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Manga no Tsukurikata Chapter 38 [RAW]
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Anime series' you want more of

When you find an anime you love, there's one thing you'll always want...and that's more of that anime!  Very rarely do we see an anime series where everything is wrapped up and answered by the final episode.  If you're really lucky, that 'final' episode leads into a movie or two that explain more things, but only leave more questions in the end.  As the saying goes, you always have to leave your audience wanting more.

Looking for more from a specific anime series shows that the series' creators did a fantastic job at building a believable and interesting world.  If you didn't want more content, they've simply failed to do their job.  It's definitely better to end before your time than to wear out your welcome.  Indeed there are some anime features that have been around so long that it's nearly impossible to keep up the original quality.

With all that said, I'm sure we can't help ourselves from being just a tad selfish.  Even if there's a fantastic anime series out there that ended on a high note in top form, we can't resist the urge to call for more.  Just one more storyline where we find out what happens to the main characters.  Just one more conversation between cast members.  Just one more chance to get that 'new' feeling once again.

If I were being selfish, I would absolutely love to see another season of Birdy the Mighty.  That was an anime series that only got better with each episode.  By the end of the second season, I was blown away by how far the series had come.  Characters had really been built up, some impressive animation was shown and there were all sorts of storyline avenues to be explored.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like a season 3 is in the works.  I'm not quite sure why that third season isn't happening, and it kills me to know that some of my questions will never be answered.

If you could pick one anime series to return, which one would it be?  What anime would you like to see given a second chance?

Media Blasters Picks Up Both Seasons of Bakuman

Media Blasters has announced that it has acquired BOTH seasons of the Bakuman TV anime series, and will begin releasing it under their AnimeWorks label this November. The first DVD will contain Eps #1-7 and will have an English dub.

The second season is scheduled to begin airing in Japan this fall. The new season was first announced in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last December.

Synopsis: Moritaka Mashiro, a junior high school student, content to live out a relatively normal life as any other does, is persuaded by his classmate, Akito Takagi, to become an aspiring mangaka when the latter realizes his natural talent as an artist. However, Moritaka is reluctant to pursue his dream as his uncle, once a mangaka with his own serializations, died from overwork trying to regain his lost status. With Akito's help, Takagi gets another classmate and his school crush, Azuki Miho, who is an aspiring voice actress, to voice in the anime adaptation of their future manga once it is completed. However, Mashiro also proposes to Azuki, who surprisingly accepts only on the condition she will marry him when both of them have achieved their dreams. With a goal set before him, Mashiro begins a long and struggling path to become a famous mangaka.

Do you like your anime serious, silly or mixed?

I happen to like all types of anime.  I'm very open-minded when it comes to any type of entertainment, and it really doesn't matter what genre I watch.  This definitely goes for anime.  Most of the time I'm just happy to be watching gorgeous animated features.  That's not to say that I don't get in certain moods from time to time.

Lately I'm on a very big serious anime kick.  There's just something in me that likes to watch anime and feel really connected to it.  I can feel connected with a humorous anime, but I never really reach that same level of depth that I get out of serious anime.  Again, I don't always feel this way, but I'm certainly in this mood lately.

I think it might have something to do with the amount of fantastic series anime that I've seen lately.  I think if I caught a line of funny anime, I'd be more into that right now.  All it will take is one serious anime that misses the mark a bit, and I think I'll be ready to jump back into the humorous side of things.  It's never fun to be series all the time.

Are you into serious or silly anime?  Perhaps you like the anime that mixes up these two qualities.  Let us know what tickles your fancy!

Voice actors that make you melt

Voice acting can absolutely make or break an anime.  That's why so many people like watching anime with the Japanese voice work and the English subtitles.  That way they don't have to hear the English voice actors, which can sometimes be less than stellar.  That's not to say that all English voice actors do a bad job, because there are many out there that deliver spot-on performances.  Anyway, we're looking at voice actors for anime, and the language they speak in doesn't matter.  It's their portrayal of a character that does.

Like I said above, a voice actor can really make a character come to life.  The right line delivery, inflection and pacing can really work wonders when building a story.  Voice acting should pull you into the story and make the character believable.  Further still, there are some top-tier voice actors that really reach out of the TV and make you fall in love with their approach.

For me, Mamimi from FLCL is one of those character portrayals.  The voice work is done by Jennifer Sekiguchi.  While Mamimi may not be the biggest character in FLCL, her line delivery really makes the character stand out.  She has such a cute, innocent, and a little bit deadpan delivery that absolutely nails the type of character that Mamimi is.  There's a lot of great voice acting in FLCL, but it's Sekiguchi's work that has really stuck with me.  Some might say that her work has given me a little bit of a crush on Mamimi!

What voice actors from anime really make you smile?  We're talking about characters that wouldn't be the same without a specific voice actor tied to them.  What voice portrayals really seal the deal for you?

How do you find out about anime?

Much like the world of video games, there's a ton of anime content out there.  There's so much that it can be overwhelming at times.  Things get even worse when there's new anime seasons happening all the time.  I guess it's not smart to complain about having so many choices, but it can make finding something you might interested in that much tougher.

I don't know about you,, but I have trouble tracking down exactly what is new, what mediums it's available on and where I can get it.  There seems to be a ton of information floating around, but most roads lead back to the details that I already knew.  I know that there are tons of places online to find news on what's up and coming as well as content airing now, but that still doesn't cut back on just how much content there is.

With so many features available to view, what methods do you use to check out anime that you might be interested in?  I'm guessing that most of you use the internet to research titles that are in the works or have been released in the stats, and I'm sure you have a specific focus as well.  The longer you've been an anime fan, the easier it is to keep track of what comes out when and how long its been around.

Personally, I really like using magazines to stay on-top of what's going to be released in the states.  I don't think there's too much focus on localized anime since a lot of anime fans prefer to watch subs and simultaneous digital releases that come alongside airings in Japan.  I guess my tastes are pretty specific, but there are a couple good magazines that detail what I'm looking for.

You have plenty of anime features that you like, but what do you do to learn about sequels and similar content?

Your anime pet peeves

I think we can all admit that anime comes with a lot of quirks.  There's obviously a bunch of cultural differences that some people might not understand, but most anime fans roll with the punches.  We come to learn what's going on and what these specific references mean.  Now those cultural differences aren't the only things we have to get used to with anime.  There seem to be a few techniques that almost all animation houses use, and some of them get on my nerves.

Now let me get this straight.  I don't mind the bloody noses, victory signs and veiny foreheads.  I'm come to understand and appreciate all that stuff.  It's part of what makes anime what it is.  I know that there are plenty of people that can't stand that sort of thing, and it prevents a major barrier for some possible fans.  I take other issues with anime standards that I believe are only used to save time and money.

My biggest pet peeve has to be when an anime has the camera behind a character's back while they're talking.  There's absolutely nothing moving in the scene.  A completely static shot that requires no animation at all.  Now this is fine every once in awhile, but there are more than a few anime that hover on these scenes far too long.  It's used only to save money and time along the way.  Sometimes we're lucky and we get one frame of animation!

The same can happen when a person is shown from the front and they're simply listening to another person talk.  We pass between still shot and still shot of all those listening, and we get nothing to take in visually.  Again, this is fine as long as it's not used too often.  These kind of shots and slow pans don't cut it when you're dealing with a 5 minute character exposition.

What pet peeves do you find in anime that aren't really present in other cartoons, TV shows or film?

Sasameki Koto Chapter 45 [ENG]

Special Thanks to SK Fan for sharing the link



Whoohoo! Here's the new translated chapter of Sasameki Koto . Enjoy!

To download previous chapters, click here.

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Sasameki Koto Chapter 45 [ENG]
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Are your friends into anime?

I know that when I truly enjoy something, I love sharing it with my friends.  It's always more fun when you have people around you that are enjoying themselves as well.  That's what friends are for!  You all come together and share what makes you happy in life, and then hopefully you'll all learn and grow from that experience.  That is definitely how I approach anime viewing.

I'm lucky to have a group of friends that are into anime.  They may not watch regularly like I do, but they're more than open to the ideas and presentation of anime.  As a matter of fact, it's hard for me to think of a friend that doesn't appreciate at least one anime.  I mean, there are very few that don't accept anime at all, but the large majority of my group is willing to at least see what I make all the fuss about.

My current mission is to show people Death Note, since I really think it's an easy show to get into but a very smart one at that.  Thus far, I've found that by the end of the second episode, just about everyone is really invested in where the show is going.  I don't know what it is about the combination of those two episodes, but they really grab people and ready them for more!

Are you in a group of friends that appreciates anime, or are you trying to broaden their horizons right now?

5 Centimeters Per Second - review

I had all but forgotten about this anime, but I have a good excuse.  This anime came onto my radar right when I was starting to build GoNintendo.  I had to sell my anime collection to fund the site, and with that I lost track of what was going on in the anime world.  The one time I did look for a DVD to buy, it was out of print.  I could only find ridiculously pricey versions for sale, and I just didn't have the funds to grab it.  That lead to the anime's disappearance from my mind...until I wandered into Best Buy this past weekend.

To my surprise, 5 Centimeters Per Second was sitting on the anime shelves.  A rush of memories came back to me.  This was an anime that I had read fantastic things about and was, at one time, dying to see.  Now I had my chance to grab it and watch.  I didn't mind purchasing without seeing because of those great reviews, so I ran up to the counter with my copy and quickly became an owner.  Boy am I glad I did, because this is one of the most gorgeous, endearing anime films that I've ever seen.  Yes, this is the film that made me tear up most recently!

From the get-go, I have to mention how absolutely beautiful this anime is.  I cannot speak highly enough of how amazing it looks.  I think it's safe to say that I've never seen an anime that is as beautiful as 5 Centimeters Per Second.  The colors, the amount of detail put into every nook and cranny, it's absolutely mind-boggling.  This is an anime that needs to be seen to be believed.  Some of this artwork looked strikingly real, and other times I was taking in landscapes that were enormous in scope and design.  Seriously, you absolutely have to see 5 Centimeters Per Second just to take in the visuals.

It's not all pretty visuals though.  5 Centimeters Per Second tells a wonderful tale of two young children that have a very deep connection with one another.  This boy and girl grow up together and create a special bond, and that bond is tested as the two move away from one another.  The anime follows the pair as they grow up and apart, and takes you through the different changes that happen as they reach adulthood.  You mostly follow the main character, but the female is always on his mind no matter how far from home he goes.

I've never seen an anime that felt so alive.  We did an article the other day about anime being easier to believe than some live-action films, and that definitely applies to 5 Centimeters Per Second.  There's such a realized world here, and the visuals only help to bring the story to life that much more.  You are going to feel tons of emotions while watching this anime.  I truly felt myself getting sucked right into 5 Centimeters Per Second, visualizing it as a real event rather than an animated feature.

I really don't want to ruin the story for you guys, because it's told absolutely perfectly.  I can't think of a film or TV show that married visuals and storyline as well as this does.  5 Centimeters Per Second uses the anime medium to complement itself.  Visuals tell a story of their own, but it connects directly to what's going on with the actual story.  It's one of those anime features that seems like it was made by one collective mind rather than a mish-mash of people.

There is one warning, though.  5 Centimeters Per Second isn't going to be the happiest anime you've ever seen.  This is a heartfelt story, and one that tugs at the heartstrings as you watch.  It's going to weigh heavy on your heart for years to come, and it's sure to influence the way you think and react as life goes on.  If you're planning on checking this one out, you might want to keep a box of tissues nearby...just incase.  I'm sure I'm more easily stirred up than most people, but I know that 5 Centimeters Per Second will bring more than a few to tears.

5 Centimeters Per Second is an absolutely must-own anime.  If you are a fan of fantastic stories, beautiful visuals or anime in general, you cannot go on without having this in your collection.  Hands down, 5 Centimeters Per Second is one of the more gorgeous anime I've ever seen, and that goes for every aspect of the film.

10 out of 10

What was the last anime to make you cry?

I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a rather emotional guy.  It's not too tough to make the tears well up in my eyes, especially when it comes to movies/TV/games/anime.  I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing!  If I had to pick one medium that made me tear up more than any other, I think I'd have to give a tip of the hat to anime.  As a matter of fact, it happens more than I'd like it to!

I don't know what it is about anime, but there's something about the story progression and character designs combined that really puts me on the verge of tears.  Of course, this is only when I'm watching a particularly sad or emotional anime.  That's the thing, though.  There's a ton of anime out there that tugs at your heartstrings!  Any anime that can get you to tear up is pretty special, because it means you've made some sort of connection to the feature.

I was looking to find out what the last anime was that made you cry.  It can either be all-out bawling or just a few little tears in the corner of your eyes.  Don't be shy about the tears you've shed!  It's not a bad thing to be emotional, you know.  It shows that you care about topics and don't like to see people upset or in bad situations!

As for the most recent feature to make me tear up, that was last night!  What was it, you ask?  Well, I'm going to save that for a feature later today!  I promise I'll tell you in full detail about the anime I watched that had me leaking by the end.  I'm definitely not afraid to talk about it, because the anime was so fantastic!  I just need to put aside a little more time to get my thoughts together.

Kuchibiru ni Suketa Orange Chapter 02

Group Scanlating: Tranquil Spring

Ohhh, I love this chapter. The story is starting to get really interesting. can't wait for chapter 3.

To download previous chapter, click here.

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Kuchibiru ni Suketa Orange Chapter 02
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