Anime Sunday: HameFura Episode 01 Impressions

This week for Anime Sunday I’m back with a Spring 2020 series. It’s my HameFura Episode 01 Impressions!

Plot: The plot of this first episode is typical for this particular sub-genre of the Tensei genre. There are plenty of series where a female lead is reincarnated into the villainess of an Otome Game, but HameFura is an adaptation of one of the more popular takes on that particular plot hook. It does a great job of it, though it does have a little bit too much comedy for this first episode, at least in my opinion. Maybe later episodes will be better.

Characters: Catarina is our main character and she’s pretty neat, although she’s not that talented and is incredibly dense at times in this first episode. The rest of the cast is pretty hilarious though.

Art: The art is pretty great, with Silver Link being the Animation studio for this adaptation. It’s not nearly ufotable quality, but it’s not Studio DEEN levels of terrible either.

Music: The musical score of this first episode is appropriate enough, but not too outstanding at least to me.

Overall: A decent series, though if you dislike main characters who are incredibly dense it may not be your cup of tea.

For those who like: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Fantasy, School Life, Fun Plot, Hilarious Cast of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Bookish Wednesday: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

This week for Bookish Wednesday I’m back with a classic novel. It’s The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton!

Plot: The plot was pretty good to me when I was a kid although looking back it’s got too much angst for my tastes now. It deals with two rival gangs of young adults who are called the “Greasers” and the “Socs” (short for social). That being said it’s also highly controversial since the story details gang violence. Personally I have no problem with the story itself, I think I read it when I was 11 years old but I could be wrong and read it earlier. A couple fun facts about The Outsiders, it takes place in Tulsa, although that’s never stated explicity in the story. Secondly it was written when Hinton was only 16 years old. Considering that this book is highly controversial even today that’s pretty darn impressive for such a young woman to write.

Characters: Ponyboy is our main character and narrator, and while I don’t particularly like him now, he is rather well written and I did enjoy his character when I was much younger. The rest of the cast is great, although I think my favorite is Cherry if only because she’s written rather well.

Overall: This is a must read novel, if only because it’s been banned in some places because it’s “too violent”.

For those who like: High School Drama, Gang Stories, Drama, Action, Great Cast of characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

 

 

Movie Monday: School of Rock

This week for Movie Monday I’m back with a movie that was okay, and actually inspired a TV series. It’s School of Rock!

Plot Synopsis: No Vacancy, a rock band, performs at a nightclub three weeks before auditioning for the Battle of the Bands. Guitarist Dewey Finn creates on-stage antics, including a failed stage dive that abruptly ends the performance. The next morning, Dewey wakes in the apartment he lives in with Ned Schneebly and his girlfriend, Patty Di Marco. They inform him he must make up for his share of the rent or move out. When Dewey meets No Vacancy at a rehearsal session, he finds out that he has been replaced by another guitarist named Spider. Later, while attempting to sell some of his equipment for rent money, Dewey answers a phone call from Rosalie Mullins, the principal of the Horace Green prep school, inquiring for Ned about a short-term position as a substitute teacher. Desperate for money, Dewey impersonates Ned and is hired.

Plot: The plot is okay, but not super deep or amazing. It’s fun though and was a good film to watch for those younger.

Casting: The entire is cast is pretty awesome, with Jack Black portraying Dewey Finn. Dewey is the star of the show though and much of the film revolves around him a bit too much.

Cinematography: There is no amazing special effects along the lines of a Fantasy or Sci-Fi movie, but it’s not terribly shot either. Adequate would be the term I’d use to describe it in one word.

Music: Obviously being a major theme of the movie, the Music was pretty awesome. It’s got it’s own goofy spin on it, but it’s pretty good.

Overall: A fun movie, but not a must watch.

For those who like: Comedy, Jack Black, Music, Teaching, Redemption Stories?

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Anime Sunday: Real Girl Episode 01 Impressions

This week for Anime Sunday I’m back with another Spring 2018 series. It’s my Real Girl Episode 01 Impressions!

Plot Synopsis: High school student Tsutsui Hikaru is shunned by his classmates for his otaku behavior. One day, as he was sentenced for pool cleaning duty for being late, and is paired with the beautiful but reputed troublemaker Higurashi Iroha…

Plot: The plot is okay, and I’ve covered this series before in a past column way back when my Saturday columns were known as Shoujo Saturday. It’s nothing much different than the first chapter of the series so if you read that you won’t see anything new.

Characters: The cast is okay, although there are some really cringeworthy moments. However that’s more due to the nature of the series, rather than any character faults in particular,

Music: The music’s okay, but nothing special.

Art: The animation is at least well done, but again it’s nothing spectacular either.

Overall: A decent adaptation, and great intro to the series, but it’s nothing spectacular either.

For those who like: Romance, Slice of Life, School Life, Drama, Teenage Angst, Good Artwork.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Anime Sunday: Caligula Episode 01 Impressions

This week for Anime Sunday I’ve got a look at another of the Spring 2018 Anime series. It’s my Caligula Episode 01 Impressions!

Plot Synopsis: Shikishima is a psychology buff and between talking about the Johari Window and examining his friends’ behavior, he shows his knowledge of psychological jargon well. However, one thing he can’t explain is why, one day, people go crazy and start fighting this guy named Satake Shogo…

Plot: This series is really confusing. And the fact that it only got a little less so at the very end of the first episode isn’t a good thing. Something really strange is going in this series, and frankly all the psychology jargon and analysis is incredibly off putting. It’s not that I don’t understand the concepts talked about, but the fact that it seems to be the main focus of the first episode is really disappointing. I don’t mind if stuff is less action packed, but the constant self analysis by the main character is really boring.

Characters: Shikishima is probably one of the worst main characters I’ve ever seen, he’s brainy which is something I tend to appreciate, but the constant self analysis and over enthusiastic delving into psychology is really off putting. The rest of the cast is no better, with barely any depth given to anyone, even Shikishima is odd.

Art: The art is okay, but it doesn’t make up for the lack of a coherent plot direction.

Music: The musical score is okay, but not that amazing either.

Overall: Unless this gets significantly better in later episodes this is a series you’ll very likely want to skip.

For those who like: Psychology, Convoluted Plots.

Not for those who don’t like: Either of the above.