REFORM

Ugh. We need to do more things in our club and on our pages instead of posting extremely disturbing images of a shit ton of Boku no Pico like Alan keeps freaking doing. SO suggestions would be great on what to post on our pages and what we should do during club meetings. Although keep in mind that during the Friday lunch meeting we're limited to a 30 minute time schedule and thus we cannot really do anything more than Anime unless we formulate a highly organized and operated well conversation/discussion. Hell we could even go on a full on debate about weather Shimapan or Garter Belts are better. I really don't care, I just need some suggestions here and there. Don't be afraid to speak up. POST AND VOTE PLEASE. Any suggestions on anything please direct towards Tristan Dunois on Facebook or loopmail Tristan Pongrujaporn. Either is fine. Image totally unrelated. ~Buchou

DEAD

Well, Not yet, but I am seriously considering o_O

Bored

Bored, so here's to Angel Beats!
We're watching Episode 9 this Friday! So make sure you keep up if you want to follow along (of course you don't have to)

Also if you didn't know already, we have after school meetings on Thursdays in Ms. McCombs room of 1209.

Now さようなら

This little birdy said

Congratulations Gokou Ruri - ISML Champion

This year's ISML Champion is Gokou Ruri AKA Kuroneko (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai). Going head to head against last year's Champion, Tachibana Kanade (Angel Beats!), Kuroneko had tough competition. In the end, Kuroneko won by an astonishing 1109 votes! Kanade's 7234 lost to Kuroneko's 8343. Congrats!

Personally I am really pleased out how this year's ISML turned out. I had hoped for Aragaki Ayase (OreImo), but when I saw that Kuroneko was leading with the most wins in her division, I was very excited that another OreImo girl was making it to the top. Kanade did well, winning almost all of her matches in her division, but at the end, Kuroneko came out on top.

Overall, a very good year, and I look forward to next year!

Check out ISML site for information on voting and community

http://www.internationalsaimoe.com/

Upcoming Anime

Hi guys, This page will be dedicated to upcoming anime from any point in time from here on, we will be updating whenever we get new info :D. Just FYI these anime will NOT be in chronological order!

 1. Golden Time (October 4 2013)

  I have not yet watched this new anime yet, but I have read the  manga! The basic outline of the story is about an amnesiac named Tada Banri, who is a first year in university. He meets many new friends, and develops a love interest along the way. While this manga had it's funny points, there are times where there are serious if not deep issue that come up to keep things interesting. Highly recommended for all you otakus who love romantic comedies!

2. Magi: The Kingdom of Magic Season II (October 6 2013)

 The manga for this anime in my opinion was FAB~~~ It's about a young boy named Aladdin, who is a Magi, basically a mage who is a chooser of kings. By chooser of kings meaning helping heroes conquer dungeons that appear due to a certain magi who creates them.  Magi are like mages, but far above them in terms of ability to use magoi (mana?) compared to others. There are only ever three Magi at any one point in time. Anyway, Aladdin helps this guy named Alibaba who is a prince in disguise to conquer a Dungeon, receiving a Djinn. The two travel far across the world, meeting new friends, enemies, evil occult groups, and many more. A very good anime for anyone who is interested in magic and adventure! :D

3. Tokyo Ravens (October 9 2013)

 I have also read the manga for this anime, and I really enjoy yokai and spirit anime, and this one got a big thumbs up! Tsuchimikado Harutora is your typical high school guy, but he was descended of a prestigious onmyo family, him being a branch of the head family. One day, his cousin Tsuchimikado Natsume, heir to the head family, appears and lectures him about being more responsible as a bearer of the Tsuchimikado name. Due to certain circumstances (no spoilers xD), Harutora becomes Natsume's familiar. Together they attend the prestigious Head Onmyo School. Together they try to survive demon onslaughts, creepy teachers, and temperamental classmates. Highly recommended for people who like magic and comedy! :D

~ Commander Cookie (C.C.)

Original Background Picture

Hey everyone! This is the picture that I made for the background of our blog! :D It was just incredibly disappointing that the blog covered most of the picture, so here it is~ I tried to put as many animes into it, but that was all I could fit... hope you all like it! (By the way, any suggestions for the improvement of the blog design?)

~Cindy-chan~

Anime Top Picks List

(in no particular order)

written & edited by Alec

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5 Centimeters Per Second

A Makoto Shinkai (hailed to be the next Miyazaki) movie. Accompanied by breath-taking art and a wonderful soundtrack by Masayoshi Yamazaki. This down-to-earth drama is a must for any Slice of Life lovers. (Due to the length, character development is not as strong, but it's a great movie nontheless.) Divided into 3 episodes. Shatters cliches of cookie cutter romances.

Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVbnt4vQE6w [1080p for maximum enjoyment]

The HD art is AMAZING. I cannot stress this enough.

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Bakemonogatari

This is a really under rated anime. Not for anime novices. Rapid fire dialogue. Great character development & design. Not an average anime at all. In-depth and interesting arcs for every character. Recommended for any anime veteran. One of my favorite supernatural/vampire animes. 

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Chihayafuru

       

People are drawn away from this anime because it falls under the category of "sports" and talks about a card game. However, I assure you, this is nothing like "Yu-Gi-Oh!" "Cardfight Vanguard" "Free!" "Prince of Tennis" or "Hikaru no Go". I did not expect much from this anime, but every episode made me want more. I've finished both seasons and will watch the 3rd when, and if, it airs. It is based on the Japanese card game of 100 Poets called "Karuta". On every card is the second line of one of the Japanese 100 Poems. The players must memorize the locations of every card, and when the reader reads the first line of a random poem, the player must remove the card with the second line of the corresponding poem from the field of play. This is not categorized as "Slice of Life" however I feel it is very much a SoL, although it has a faint storyline. I recommend this for anyone.

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Anohana

           

One of my favorite Slice of Life anime dealing with life, loss, love, and family & friends. Very nostalgic feeling, with a strong theme in past, present, and moving on from the past. Serious undertone with a couple comedic moments. Emotional anime, often compared with Clannad. Character development is extremely strong, characters are easy to connect to, and very unique character design. Definitely a must watch for anyone into Slice of Life. 

Also known as Anohana: We still don't know the name of the flower we saw that day

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Clannad: After Story

         

Ah, good old Clannad. This is the second season, After Story. Watching the first season is not necessary to understanding this, but is highly recommended for maximum enjoyment out of After Story. I rarely cry from sad stories or stuff like that, but this hit me right in the feels. I was straight up bawling when I finished this series, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Very touching anime, a masterpiece made by KEY, and my favorite anime by them, by far. Really tugs at your heartstrings. Watch both seasons for character development, better understanding, and maximum emotional impact.

Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIzceMU6TDM [1080p for maximum enjoyment]

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BONUS:
School Days

if you hate your wall and want to punch it

seriously, you'll feel like killing a puppy after watching this anime

Personally didn't enjoy it, but it does fall under the category of "Must watch"

What I have to say about Angel Beats! (Recommended if you have watched the whole thing, though there are no spoilers)

Alright, so I just finished reading Alec's review, and he made some pretty good points, despite the disappointing 5/10 he gave it.
The first time I watched Angel Beats, I loved it. I had watched the whole thing over night, and it brought up quite a bit of emotions (I'm not the emotional type, there are not many things that can make me feel so much feelings, but Angel Beats had managed to do so).
I watched Angel Beats a second time with a friend. This time it did not carry the power it did the first time I watched it. As Alec pointed out, it was because there was not enough time for character development. Thirteen episodes was just not enough.
Angel Beats was originally planned to be 26 episodes, but in order to cut the production cost in half, it was made into thirteen episodes. That's half the length lost! And it's obvious where that chunk was taken from: The Middle.



WARNING IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT YOU READ AHEAD UNLESS YOU HAVE FINISHED WATCHING ANGEL BEATS (THOUGH THERE ARE NO SPOILERS, BUT POSSIBLY HINTED SPOILERS).










The Ending of Angel Beats had the largest impact of any ending I have ever seen (the first time watching it). When I watched it the second time, yes I felt some feelings, but it was not as much as the first time, because by re-watching it, I noticed how much was missing. IF the series had more development into the characters, and more development into the overall story, then the ending would be KILLER... and I think that was the way it was originally planned to be. (I will explain more in detail after the club has finished watching Angel Beats).

I feel that if Angel Beats was made the way it was planned to be, then it would be one of the greatest animes out there (and it would definatley be my favorite).

There is a lot of work being put into the Angel Beats universe, such as the manga series "Angel Beats! Heaven's Door", which is a prequel to the anime. I also believe that there is one more project, but I am not sure what that is.

I believe the thing that drags Angel Beats down is the fact that it is incomplete. Sure the creators were able to fit a good story in thirteen episodes, but I have the feeling that something important was left out due to this cut (I can point out a few examples, but I think it would be best to do that in an another post after the club has finished watching Angel Beats)

Pretty much, to sum it all up: Angel Beats did not reach it's full potential. It was not as great as it was supposed to be. 

-Varun


(My first blog entry, think I was a bit repetitive, so sorry for that!)

ARC

This pretty much gives away a reason 

Angel Beats! Review (Spoiler-free)

written by Alec
Episodes seen: 13/13

Story: 5/10
Selling point (people in purgatory trying to move on) is very interesting. This is a KEY anime; very strong character arcs & I really enjoyed all of them, especially Otonashi's. However, anime felt really rushed to me because of the little amount of episodes, and character development was really stale because of it. The leader, Yuri, makes everyone believe that Tenshi is an evil monster, then, builds factories, stockpiles weapons underground, and hold rock concerts to mess with people's dinner? Ridiculous.

Art: 7/10
The art & animation were really well done in this anime. However, character design seemed very lacking to me.

Sound: 10/10
The songs from this anime were one of the best I've ever heard. (Honey & Clover still reigns supreme). It was really well composed & beautiful. One of the redeeming qualities of this anime.

Character: 4/10
Character development was really stale due to the small amount of episodes, however the individual arcs were really enjoyable.

Enjoyment: 3/10
Again, really really rushed... and a band called Girls Dead Monster, playing no significant role towards the storyline, and songs being released while the show airs? Just seems like a way to get fast money off the success of K-ON! 

Overall: 5/10


EDIT: My first time watching this was when I was still an anime novice, so of course I enjoyed it, but after rewatching and re-evaluating, it wasn't as good of an anime as I had previously thought.

Well Hello

- Ackerman