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Tiger and Bunny vol. 4 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 24, 2014
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Tiger & Bunny vol 4Title: Tiger and Bunny vol. 4

Art By: Mizuki Sakakibara

Planning / Original Story: Sunrise

Script: Masafumi Nishida

Character Development: Masakazu Katsura

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 11th, 2014

Format: Manga, 184 pages

Genre: Sci Fi, Super Hero, Comedy, Action, Adventure, Seinen

Age Rating: T for teen

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

The heroes face down the deranged NEXT killer, Lunatic. Lunatic’s vigilantism has the city on edge, and the heroes find themselves having to convince everyone that NEXT are working for the good of Stern Bild City. Lunatic is in the wrong, but there is much more to the madman than anyone knows.

All the while we find Origami, Tiger and Bunny asked to visit Origami and Bunny’s alma mater. This sends Origami into a real funk and makes him question his entire existence as a hero. Tiger is quick to be supportive and is also put on the spot by the students to judge their powers. Of course they all have very strange powers and it forces him to come up with powerful idea for them. All of his enthusiasm from Tiger  and Bunny just listening ends up helping  Origami out and giving him something that he has needed for a long time.

Bunny is still charging forward looking of anything or anyone connected to Ouroboros and when he gets the chance to confront Lunatic he learns something he would have never expected. Does Bunny get any closer to discovering the truth and will Origami become a Hero who is interested in being in the forefront rather the side line?

Commentary:

As much as I like the Tiger & Bunny anime, I must say that it is a much better story in manga form. I don’t typically have that reaction, but in the case of this series there is something more personal about these heroes that is not caught in the animation format. I get a much better sense of who these characters really are by the emotional essence of their personas thought the print media. I think that when animated everything moves rather fast and some of the nuances are lost. Most of the time voice acting is able to bring the character to life and portray the emotional aspects of the character, but for  Tiger and Bunny I see it the other way. It may also be this volume that brings that to the forefront because of Origami’s personal struggle.

This volume also is a great example of the difference between Japanese graphic novels and American Graphic Novels. In most American hero stories there might be some emotional issue that the characters are dealing with but they tend to be rather dark and depressing. In Tiger & Bunny and many other super hero style manga the personal issues tend to be somewhat more mundane or even something that most of the readers can connect with. There seems to be a real empathy for the reader that we just don’t get with many American stories. I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, but most of the time the personal trauma’s are much more melodramatic and supercharges.  They just don’t spotlight a young mans lack of self confidence because he is having a hard believing in himself.

Overall Grade: B+

Tiger & Bunny is a many layered series that reaches across the ocean to try and blend with the west’s superhero genre and at the same time add that very eastern touch to the story. For all american comic and graphic arts fans I would seriously recommend Tiger & Bunny. I might not be as dark as the new generation heroes on our side of the pacific, but it does provide a great picture of a group of heroes that still have to live their lives just like everyone else.  Don’t be afraid to give it a try!

Magi Volume 4 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 23, 2014
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Magi Volume 4Title: Magi Volume 4

Author: Shinobu Ohtaka

Distributor: Viz Media / Shonen Jump

American Release Date: Feb. 11th, 2013

Format: Traditional Manga

Genre: Shonen, Action, Adventure, Comedy

Publisher Age Rating: T (for Teen)

Personal Review Rating: C

 

Synopsis:

After many adventures, Aladdin finally reaches the great city of Balbadd. There he reunites with his friend Alibaba hoping to once again capture a dungeon together. However, a more cruel destiny lies ahead. The road to Balbadd is fraught with plenty of trials and the fist of which is Morgiana dealing with the bandits and slave traders who stand in her way.  The one they didn’t expect was someone with her stubbornness and desire to help others. Once she frees Aladan he is able to find his flute and then they all learn a very hard lesson.

As they get back on the road to Balbadd they meet a fellow traveler who was robbed of all his possessions. There kindness ends up paying off once they reach their destination and in a way they would have never expected. Will they be able to locate their old friend Alibaba or are there more forces that stand in their way?

Commentary:

Blending the Arabian Nights into a fanciful manga series is fun and somewhat entertaining, but that is where it begin to fall apart. The imagination that created the 1001 Arabian Nights used the stories to weave fanciful tails of heroism and the darkness of the human condition. For the series Magi it becomes more of a weak premiss for a series that could have some very powerful potential. Volume 4 of Magi doesn’t so much other than set up a more interesting confirmation to come, or at least I hope so. The characters come across rather shallow and a little simplistic. There was something interesting that began to happen when Morgiana confronted the Slave Trader, but it was over before it could ever really begin.

This quick hit plot pacing might be the reason why I was left a little flat while reading it. The story moved so fast that I was wondering why this section needed to even happen. I guess that it is possible that some of the characters that where involved  in the first half of this volume can come back later, I just don’t see how they would add any meaning to the story.

Overall Grade: C

I guess that there are plenty of shonen jump series that only exist to provide a quick hit of action and lack any real meaning or essence. I have a felling that Magi is one of those series. It is a shame that there isn’t more to this series when it is using  and blending some rather beloved characters from other great story tellers from around the world. This is something that the Japanese constantly try to do and constantly miss the point when it comes to context and meaning. Maybe just maybe the Magi would have come across with richer characters and a more interesting story line if it would not have drawn its characters from the literary history of the Middle East. It is very possible that I am wrong about this series and there is some potentially rich entertaining story to come, but with it coming across this flat this early in the series makes it hard to keep following along. I am an open reader and will continue to follow Magi and hope for more. So, bring it on amaze me I always love a surprise.

Robotics;Notes part 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 22, 2014
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Robotics;NotesTitle: Robotics;Notes part 1

Director: Kazuya Nomura

Writer: Jukki Hanada

Studio: Production I. G.

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 18th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray /DVD/ 11 Episodes / 275 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Thriller, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Kai and Aki dream of building a giant fighting robot based on a super-popular anime, but that’s going to be impossible if they don’t get more members into their school’s Robot Research Club. They’ll take anyone they can talk – or force – into joining them, including an eccentric robotics champion with a secret identity and a l33t video-game designer who’s spent one too many late nights online. Finally, their goal looks like it’s within reach.

But when a sentient AI program tells Kai about mysterious documents hidden on the internet, things start to get strange for everyone. As the club members track down the secret messages, they realize that the information might be far bigger – and more dangerous – than they expected.

Commentary:

Following the Techie anime of the last few years like Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes brings things back to earth and give us a bit more plausible story line (at least so far). With that said there is still plant of little signals that tell me there are things yet unrevealed that will add several layers to the series and make it more like the multi layered Steins;Gate. I’m not saying that those layers are a bad thing and intact I really enjoy it when a series makes me think and then surprises me later. That level of writing is hard to find and also hard to pull of.

So, far the series seems to be somewhat straight forward with a darker mystery sitting there just below the surface. I am very much looking forward to how this plays out and truly expect it to give me reasons to cheer it on. The thing about Robotics;Notes so far is that it is drawing us in with some rather likable characters and a challenge to have a high school club actually build a full size mecha robot that doesn’t defy physics and at the same time makes us imagine a world in our own future where these things can be done.

Overall Grade: A-

With Robotics;Notes following the indirect path or rather a simplistic story line to set us up for something much deeper I find myself hooked. The animation production is at times a bit simple, but that too is a trick that gives us an illusion of a basic teenage high school story and a false sense of security. The voice acting is fitting in just perfectly and gives a another sense of reality that is both reassuring and somewhat unbalanced with the light comedic presence. Of course the story follows a group of high school seniors and their drive to make their mark so the voice acting must come across with the same naivety of those very 17 and 18 year olds, and so far I see them hitting the mark.

Robotics;Notes part 1 doesn’t hit you with a dazzling display of action or in your face mystery. What it does is give you some very likable high schoolers who have their own motivations or lack there of and places them in a very believable world that just might get turned upside down as we go along. I am looking forward to seeing how the series concludes and honestly expect some strong twist along the way. As a Techie Sci Fi companion to the likes of Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate I honestly expect the second half of Robotics;Notes to blow my socks off, so bring it on I am ready.

 

Jormungand: Perfect Order part 2 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 21, 2014
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Jormungand part 2Title: Jormungand: Perfect Order part 2

Director: Keitaro Motonaga

Writer: Keitaro Takahashi

Studio: White Fox

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 11th, 2014

Format: DVD/Blu-ray/ 12 Episodes/ 300 minutes

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis:

The child soldier Jonah continues to protect Koko while she brings the boom to cities across the globe. When the international arms dealer ramps up sales, her hired guns are targeted by government agencies, warmongers, and assassins – leading to some devastating betrayals and losses.

Amid all the gunfire and grenades, Koko begins to work on a secret project in South Africa: Jormungand. But when she finally reveals her master plan for the future of war, not everyone is happy with the plot. As the body count starts to explode, Jonah will have to decide if he can stand by and watch his employer’s blood-soaked plan for world peace unfold, or try to put a stop to it.

Commentary:

In my review of part one I discussed the existential aspects of the series. Part 2 of Jormungand stays with that projection and builds a very special ending that brings into question the entire backbone of the series. The playing with the underlying humanity within this series is powerful enough but to add the personal struggle that one young warrior has takes the entire plot to a much more rewarding level. The story takes several interesting turns that leaves you wondering what in the world could be next. In the world of anime this is not new, but when it is put together with a touch of emotional meaning it ends up standing out above the rest. Jormungand manages to take our heartless world and prove that it just might be possible to create a new dynamic and hopefulness through all of the pain and stupidity we have become all too accustom to.

Jormungand, is by no means for everyone and I can’t even begin to suggest that it should find its way on to shelves of the majority of anime fans. The thing about Jormungand is that it is a pure drama and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. That in itself places it aside other amazing dries like Urasawa’s Monster, Phantom: Requiem of a Phantom or even the relentless drama Black Lagoon. It is also a series that doesn’t try to paint a positive picture of the human  race, but in the end it give hope were hope may not be deserved.

Overall Grade: A

I’m sure you can tell that I really liked this series and that I have some very strong feelings about it and yes I fall into that category. Other than the drastic strength of the series it also manages to have a production quality that serves it well and the voice acting comes through and holds up the series for what it is. I wish I should this one off to everyone, but there is just a title to much raw violence . So, if you are of an age that it is made for then I really suggest that you take the time to give this one a try. Be ready of a hard hitting story that makes you think about the path we are on and how might we as a race get off of it.

Deadman Wonderland Volume 1 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 19, 2014
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ItemDescription-3Title: Deadman Wonderland Volume 1

Writer: Jinsei Kataoka

Illustrater: Kazuma Kondou

U. S. Publisher: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 11th, 2014

Format: Manga / Paperback / 216 pages

Genre: Thriller, Supernatural, Bio Punk, Action, Psychological Drama

Age Rating: T+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

 

Synopsis:

Framed for the brutal murders of his classmates by the mysterious Red Man, middle-school student Ganta Igarashii finds himself sentenced to death in the bizarre and fatal theme park/prison known as “Deadman Wonderland.” The inmates of this insane penitentiary fight for survival every day to provide entertainment for the masses. Ganta is determined to survive Deadman Wonderland and clear his name, but the price may be his soul.

There is also an added mystery for Ganta because a small white haired girl befriends him right away and is positive that they know each other. She seem to appear at random times and does some of the strings things just to be close to Ganta. The real question is how can he survive this place that is determined to take his life?

 

Commentary:

Deadman Wonderland is not new to our shores, but to have Viz reintroduce it just might be the best thing that has happened to it. Most people are familiar with the TV stint for it, but walked away less than satisfied. Well the only way to get more in-depth is through the manga versions and maybe just maybe we will learn something new about this enigma of a series.

I must warn anyone not well versed with the series that it is rather brutal at times and the manga help downplay the violence just by being in black and white and less interested in the graphic impact of the violence. This simple change has helped the story step up and present something a little different than the TV series. After finishing this first volume I am both happy and sad to see it back on the market. I am happy because of the possibilities, but sad because I am still seeing some rather disturbing missteps in the character development already. I was hoping that Ganta was not going to come across as the wimpy whiny little punk that he was jun the TV series but I guess that he is who he is and the slower development of a manga is not going to help a rather flawed main character. I see this failure in Neon Evangelion and other top series and I have never understood that reluctant whinny hero personality and guess have never really appreciated it for what it is. I understand that this kid has been handed a situation that most of us would crumble under, but that doesn’t mean that he must show his frailty every time he is confronted with a stressful situtation.

Overall Gade: B+

Even with the disappointment of with the Ganta character I still found this first volume to be a great start for a series that has found some acrimonious responses from the U. S. fan base. I know that several of the first volumes had made it out on print several years ago by a now defunct publisher, but I doubt if Viz will walk away from this series before all of the volumes will be released and who knows maybe just maybe there might be some revelations in the later volumes that could shed some light on the mystery known as Deadman Wonderland.

07-Ghost Volume 9 Manga Review

Posted by :Joann On : February 19, 2014
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07 Ghost 9“The Radius”

Title: 07-Ghost Volume 9

Story: Yuki Amemiya

Artist: Yukino Ichihara

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: March 11, 2014

Format: Manga, supernatural, adventure, 200 pages

Age Rating: T for Teen

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Synopsis:

Teito saves Ouka from a robbery. She is a young lady who at first appears to have an angelic form.  Actually it is her fyulong, Kururu (like Mikage) around her shoulders. Ouka has the power to heal and wants to become a doctor.  It seems like they have met before. They suddenly find themselves captured by a Wars and trapped in a frozen prison.

The Master of the Kraut house has developed a following of cult level. He ministers to his people by selling magical incense. What is the secret underlying the Kraut house and what is the connection to the Wars? Learning the background, we find out how it came to be and the awful truth behind the cult.

 

 Commentary:

As a series, 07 Ghost has a problem with clarity, both in story and art. I find it mostly confusing, but this volume made the most sense in a long time.  At least I could see the technique of mixing in tantalizing bits of information related to nothing we know about to be explained later in a reveal. I think there is an interesting story line lost in all of the excess. It’s just not very linear and some of the excess elements need to be edited out.

Just as always in 07 Ghost, the images are beautiful, showing dynamic use of black and tones but it often comes across as confusing. There are many creative perspectives and action scenes but I have to find something I recognize and work my way around to decipher the images. That doesn’t seem like a successful manga art to me. “Let’s see, here is an arm, then this must be the head although I can’t figure our the whole face, oh, look a foot, but this other foot seems to belong to someone else…” Even trying to decipher Kururu amoung all of Ouka’s hair took several tries.  

As far as characters go, Ouka was a nice addition. She makes sense. Sure there is a secret to her identity, but it is actually reveal in the volume that she is introduced! She is incredibly cute and the usually optimistic young lady. It is Kururu who sort of acts as the voice of reason. It is interesting that Kururu can talk, so maybe Mikage will eventually be able to.

As far as the overall plot of the story is going, there is an interesting introduction in volume 9,but no hint at the importance other than to complicated Teito’s “mission”.

As a final note, I know there are people out there who love the series. It was originally started in America by another publisher, but they shut down and now it has been picked up by Viz. It goes to show that there is enough there to be picked up by at least two publishers for the USA market.

Extras:

4  panel comics

Overall Grade: C+

Psyren vol. 15 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 18, 2014
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Psyren 15Title: Psyren vol. 15

Author/Artist: Toshiaki Iwashiro

Distributor: Viz Media

American Release Date: March 4th, 2014

Format: Manga

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Comedy

Publisher Age Rating: T+ for older teen

Overall Personal Rating: B+

 Synopsis:

Ageha and his fellow Psionists and Elmore Wood launch an attack on Astral Nava to rescue their kidnapped friends and confront Miroku Amagi once and for all. The Star Commanders are formidable opponents, but Ageha’s team gets a boost from some surprise reinforcements. As the ferocious battles rage, Miroku begins to set his ultimate plan in motion: the creation of an entirely new species to replace the human race!

Is it possible that Ageha and the others have the power and understanding that will remove this threat to human kind?

Commentary:

As we get closer to the final battle and conclusion of the series things are really heating up. We are discovering new things about these unusual fighters and at the same time getting a better picture of the secrets hidden behind the curtain.  Volume 15 of Psyren is decently action packed and some surprising heroes arrive on the scene, but the question that remain is if the new found power of Ageha’s give him the edge or does it just make him feel better about his chances. The stage is being set and the simple fact is that this is where Psyren locks itself into the stereotypical shonen mode. I was expecting more surprises in this volume and a few twist, but things are lining up just as expected and in a way I am a tad bit disappointed.  I know that it is hard to bring a series to its climax without falling back on some tried and true plot devices and I sincerely hope that the final volume gives us the true twist that this fine series deserves.

The pacing in this volume is relatively strong which makes it very easy to read and follow. The battle sequences do not get overly complex and confusing and that too helps the reader stay focused on what is really happening. The clean battles are very important to this stage of the story because when there are so many things being introduced to help the series make its final moves many creators get crazy and loose control of their editing abilities. Toshiaki Iwashiro does a great job of staying focused and on top of the action.

Overall Grade: B+

Psyren, is one of those series that has it all from the wayward teen ager turned ultimate hero to the crazed evil person who wants to recreate humanity just to prove a point. The heroes are everywhere and for Psyren I see even some of the minor characters as having some true strength and reason for being not just for filler and canon fader as the story progresses. Much about this series opens plenty of door for great story telling and for this next to last volume I feel like Toshiaki Iwashiro fell back on some rather tired cliché elements. On the other hand Toshiaki does a great job of not mudding the water with over complicated battle scenes and that may just be the best part of the volume. All in all volume of 15 of Psyren is strong enough to propel us into the final volume and keep us guessing on what will really happen.

Girls und Panzer: The Complete OVA Series

Posted by :Patches On : February 16, 2014
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Girls und Panzer: The Complete OVA SeriesTitle: Girls und Panzer: The Complete OVA Series

Director: Tsutomu Mizushima

Studio: Acras

Author: Reiko Yoshida

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks / Section 23

U.S. Release Date: February 25, 2014

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 6 Episodes / 74 Minutes

Genre:  Action, Comedy, School, Military

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: D

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Girls und Panzer: The Complete Series

 

Synopsis:

The girls in tanks are back, in six special episodes. And whether they are shopping, or partying, they bring their own special way of doing things to the task they plan to accomplish.  Including a water war, survival war, school ship war, snow war, banquet war, and talent war, as never fought before.

 

Commentary:

I absolutely loved Girls Und Panzer, and was very happy to hear that more was on the way. I was practically drooling in anticipation. That dried up rather quickly. The Girls Und Panzer OVAs are quite different from the actual series. In essence there are a lot less tanks, war games, battling, or strategy. Okay, there was nothing at all like that, but there were a lot more swimsuits, beaches, bathing, hot springs, camping, eating, and a talent show. The first thing you will notice is that fan service is way up from the little to none found in the original series. They started off with the cliché beach episode as the first one, so it quickly set the tone for what was to come. The second thing you notice is how quickly the episodes go by. With six episodes in 75 minutes you can only average twelve and a half minutes per episode. That time does include the opening and ending animations which remain unchanged. Well maybe a little shortened. The couple long episodes take 15 to 17 minutes and one was a quick as 5 minutes. Episode 4 was only 5 minutes and consisted of the opening, a quick goose fish dance with the entire main cast, in the weird costumes you will remember from the original series when they lost a bet, and then a quick closing and credits. I swore the credits took longer than the actual episode.

 

The only two episodes that really related to the original story was the recap of what Yukari and Erwin did when they left camp to spy on Pravda School forces in the original series, which was not covered then. I actually found that quite interesting and to be a meaningful addition to the original story line. They also had scenes with the Pravda girls and expanded a little on what I thought was the most interesting school other than of course Oorai High School. And they also included an episode that revolved around the celebration of their final victory in the original series, which included a feast and a talent show that made me chuckle a little.

 

Unfortunately that was about it and I found it sadly disappointing that they failed to expand on the original story line any more. They did use the time to expand the other characters besides Miho Nishizumi a little, but fell well short of adding anything meaningful. In the end I thought it left much to be desired. Everything they did fell short of expectation, and “a little” was all I got from it, which as you saw was mentioned more than once above. Ultimately, Girls und Panzer: The Complete OVA Series felt more like is should have been included in the original as a special feature, instead of being a separate release.

 

Extras:

Girls und Panzer: The Complete OVA Series includes clean opening and closing animations, Sentai Filmworks trailers, and DVD Credits as special features.

 

Overall Grade: D

If you really wanted to see the girls in bathing suits, partying, and doing nothing at all related to tanks and war games, this one is for you.

 

Toriko Volume 20 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 13, 2014
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Toriko Volume 20Title: Toriko Volume 20

Artist and Author: Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro

U. S. Distributor and Publisher: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 4th, 2014

Format: Manga / paper back /  200 pages

Genre: shonen, action, adventure, comedy

Publisher Age Rating: T

Overall Personal Rating: B+

 

Synopsis:

The rivalry between the two superpowers of the Age of Gourmet heats up when IGO President Ichiryu pays a visit to Gourmet Corp.’s headquarters in the Gourmet World. Things come off a little edgy and it looks like there is only one outcome for these family rivals.

Meanwhile, Toriko and Komatsu set off on a world-spanning journey in search of some bizarre – and stinky – ingredients needed for a massive sushi roll that will guide them to the next item on their training list. In order for Toriko to find the location of Chowlin Temple it take a world class sushi roll to point the way and Toriko must collect all the special ingredient for this very special roll. Will his efforts pay off and lead him to the elusive Chowlin Temple?

Commentary:

Toriko is by far and away one of the strangest mixtures of genres that are currently in print in the U. S.. This crazy mixture of food and battle manga is both imaginative and insane at the same time. I find Toriko to be one of the most refreshing Shonen Jump titles because it is fun and atypical with the over the top food that sits at the center of this series.

I wish I could say that the characters are new and different, but they easily fall into a standard fair for shonen personalities. They are all very much stereotypical and very predictable. That doesn’t make it bad, it just helps found the series so that the surrounding world can shine. It is rather reassuring that these goofy humans play their part in this special series and that it allows the culinary aspects of the world they live in take center stage.

Overall Grade: B+

Toriko is one of the series that everyone should give it a chance. I think that with the approach to a battle mange could win over some hardcore anti battle or shonen readers. It will also show the shonen fans that a battle series doesn’t have to be so static or formulaic. Toriko gives us a rich environment that take us on some very special journeys.  If there is anything that I would change it would have to be some of the more simplistic characters. I guess that if this world would have a little more complex characters it would take it the next level. I could easily see Toriko going completely off the deep end the way that Bobobo-Bo did and losing focus and also the fan base that loves continuity of story. Keep it coming, I can’t wait to see what is on the next course.

 

Kamisama Kiss (Anime Review)

Posted by :Joann On : February 12, 2014
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Kamisama Kiss CompleteTitle: Kamisama Kiss Complete

Publisher: FUNimation

U.S. Release Date: Feb. 11, 2014

Format and Length: Blu-ray/DVD Combo /13 episodes

Genre: Supernatural, Romance, Comedy

Industry Age Rating:

Overall Personal Rating:

 

Synopsis:

Nanami is in high school and lives with her father. When he takes off because of gambling debts, she looses her home. Now homeless, she meet a guy who offers to let her stay at his place that he isn’t using. It turns out it is a shrine that is considered to be haunted. Well, this was a set up and he marked her as the land god of the shrine as his replacement.

At the shrine, there is few worshipers because they think it abandoned and haunted. Nanami meets the yokai (supernatural beings) who also live there and look after the place. There is  Onikiri and Kotetsu who are small and loyal, and the other is Tomoe who is  a wild fox demon. Tomoe doesn’t want to serve a human god which he thinks is beneath him.

Nanami has a lot to learn about being a god, yokai etiquette and running a shrine, all the while still going to school. The yokai help train her for service and teach her how things are done. Tomoe is rather bitter, sarcastic and narcissistic but he has been forced into contract and has no choice. Why is it then that Nanami can’t help but develop a crush on him.

Now gods, yokai, demons and spirits are a part of Namami’s life.  She has many demands asked of her, some kindly and some rather evil. Ever determined to succeed, she faces each one with her naivete, goodwill and a can-do attitude. It can’t be done alone though, the shrine yokai and her new friends are there to help.

For Nanami, life gets weird at school too. Now being linked to the supernatural world, many things aren’t what they seem. A pop star, Kurama, transfers in but there is even more to him than fame. One day a white snake gets into the building and she sets it free but there is even more to it than that. I guess you can see where this is going. In order to protect his master, Tomoe decides to attend school too.

Nanami begins to be comfortable with her position. She decides to hold a festival  to bring people back to the shrine. But the spirit world may be the end to the shrine and the village as evil begins to spread.

 

Commentary:

Kamisama Kiss is a comedy first. It relies on the visual exaggerations quite well. Then there are a few tender moments and this is where the relationships come in.

Nanani is a great central character.  The young, upbeat and determined girl falls for the older, surly and attractive guy. The characters may not be unique in anime but they are successful. Nanami is a very cute and easy to like character. Her biggest flaw in my opinion is her over thinking things, especially when it comes to romance.

The story has a wide variety of settings and events. It is easy to do with a intriguing representation of yokai, the spirit or divine world is very complex. Although the introductory first episode  goes quickly, the pacing is till good. We cleverly get to know the characters and still get more story. There is always something new going on, yet nothing is confusing. Sure, some of it wasn’t really unique, like the one-sided attraction, but it still was good.

I watched the English language option. The voice actors did well and really seemed to fit the characters. This is really important as many Americans have already watched the Japanese version on streaming sites.

Having read some of the manga first, in comparison,  I found that the anime comes across as more comedic than the book with the narrator, voices, pacing and quirky sound effects. It is definitely a different vibe than I got from the manga.

I watched part of Kamisama Kiss with a mixed group of people. It really drew their attention and there was some out loud laughing. It was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.

Extras: There is 3 Commentary episodes. Some are better than others. Really the first one was mostly random thoughts and too much laughing. The other ones include comments on the show itself and their thoughts on the characters. The last one had 4 of them in on the discussion where we could see them.

 Overall Grade: A- This is a series that I know several people who have been waiting for it to come out on DVD and it turns out it was worth the wait.