In Memoram: Paris

Once again, fellow Otaku & Metalheads, I bring grim tidings. Maybe even more grim than the passing of Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, but it's something I must address this.

Earlier today, what appears to be terrorist attacks took place in Paris, France. Attacks took place at a soccer game between France & Germany, and at a Metal Concert (More on this below). The situation is horrific people: at 6:32 PM, Eastern Standard Time, at least 60 people have now been reported to have been killed. This is.....I don't know what to say about this. Not to long ago France came under attack due to a political cartoon, and once again their are being victimized. I legitimately can say a thing: I could bring up words about yesterday easily. With this......can't really bring anything up. My Heart, soul, and prayers go out to those that died, along with those that are still around suffering through this. If you want more thorough coverage on the Paris attacks, please check out the links below. They'll give you better information than I will.

Paris Attacks (BBC)

Paris Attacks (CNN)

Paris Attacks (CoverKillerNation)

I hope I haven't been a downer this week. To raise everyone's spirits a little, here's a video of two guinea pigs talking about Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Enjoy.

Fluff Episode 1: Pumpkin Spice Lattes 


Update (1/8:49 PM, Eastern Standard Time): I just looked online, and the total of people dead is 118.

Update (2/9:17 PM, Eastern Standard Time): It appears as if the attacks are over with, but the death toil has stopped at a staggering 158 deaths, with many more wounded.

In Memoram: Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor

I know I put up my 2nd November review earlier this week, but after hearing about this, I simply had to talk about it.

On November 12th, 2015, Phil Taylor, known more infamously as Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, the former drummer of the iconic Motörhead, passed away at the age of 61 due to illness. Truthfully, I didn't even know the man was sick until I was watching a CoverKillerNation video (Good music channel) about it. I'll fully admit I'm more of a recent newcomer to this legendary band, having really gotten into them since late last year due to Razorfist's (Another good music channel) Metal Mythos video on the band. Despite being a new comer to this band, Phil's death has affected me greatly. While certainly not as attention-grabbing as Lemmy, Phil's drumming was spectacular, paving the way for Thrash Metal & Speed Metal to come to the fore due to his unique double-bass drumwork. Without thus remarkable style of playing, Heavy Metal would sound far too different in this day & age.

Speaking of playing, here's some track where I think this metallic monster shines. Take a moment to listen to these, and enjoy the memories!

Overkill

Bomber

Ace Of Spades

Iron Fist  

One Track Mind

Rock 'N' Roll  

I'm So Bad, Baby I Don't Care

Phil, I've never met you in person, but through your music I've come to consider you a Heavy Metal brother-in-arms. Your skill, not to mention your wild man hair, shall not be forgotten by me, nor shall it not be forgotten by the fans you earned. Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, I salute you!

Anime Review - Ore Monogatari (My Love Story)

Welcome to November review number 2, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

So last week I took a look at the nonsensical Bastard. An over-the-top anime filled with Heavy Metal, Fantasy, and some of the goofiest fan-service you can find in an old-school anime. Today’s show, however, is Bastard’s opposite. There’s definitely an over-the-top nature to a degree, and there’s some goofiness to be sure. However, today’s show is filled with heart, emotion, and love. So get a box of chocolate, maybe a box of tissues, and take a look at 2015's Shojo hit, Ore Monogatari. Let the review begin!!

Story/Setup
Takeo Goda is a junior high school student with an unusual predicament. He’s tall and has the strength of Hercules, but girls don’t go for him. Because of his looks, they instead go for his handsome friend Makoto Sunakawa. Taking this as his lot in life, fate threw a wrench into the machine when on a off-hand chance to rescue a girl from a train molestor. This girl turns out to be Rinko Yamato, and this chance encounter lit a fire between the two. This turned into a relationship between Takeo & Rinko, filled with love, romance, happiness, and emotion. Along the way they encounter others who are similar to them, and do the best they can to help, all the while enjoy their time together.

On the surface, Ore Monogatari looks like your typical Shojo anime story. For the most part, this is true: there are plenty of elements you will find in a show like this. However, the surface is just a mask, and what’s underneath is simply stunning. At it’s core, Ore Monogatari is a show with heart, soul, emotion, and legitimate warmth. This is a show that will give you the feels, and you’d be feeling warm & fuzzy constantly. I’ll fully admit it, but there were plenty of times where I almost cried (Kinda like HaNaYaMaTa from last year), which goes to show how powerful the emotions are in this series. Definitely a strength!

Animation
Ore Monogatari’s animation, for the most part, is what anyone could call typical Shojo. Very colorful & cheery, large but not excessively huge eyes, etc. Everybody looks distinct from one another (Especially Takeo, but more on that in a bit), and nothing is ever truly ugly. Considering the lovey-dovey cutesy nature of the story, this brighter look is especially important. Shojo should never look ugly, and this series succeeds to the 10th degree!

Perhaps the one glaring/not glaring point of animation is Takeo himself. Takeo is quite different when compared to other male Shojo leads: He’s tall, built like a tank, and has rather large lips (This leads to a......awkward scene early on in the series). He’s the exact opposite when compared to the typical male Shojo character as far as physicality is concerned, but this bellies how strong he is emotionally (More on this below), and how much of a dependable guy he can be.

Voice Acting
At this moment in time, Ore Monogatari has subtitles only. As far as I know there aren’t any plans to bring this series over to the states, which is a shame if it never gets over here, cause I’d like to hear who hey would have picked for the cast.

Characters
Just as strong as the story are the characters. In some Shojo anime, the cast in question can some times be weak, shallow, or some combination of the two. Even if this isn’t the case, then the lack of background can be a real downer to the viewer. Thankfully, Ore Monogatari doesn’t suffer from this problem, and instead has a very likable cast of characters. I’m not kidding when I say that I liked pretty much everybody: all of the characters have a part to play, and unlike my last series, everybody gets some kind of decent screentime. It might just be a moment, or it might be a scene or two, but the entire cast provides something that contributes to the progression of the story.

Let’s start off with someone you could see from a mile away, Takeo. Like I said above, he’s the exact opposite of your normal male Shojo lead. He’s rugged, tall, and built like an Asian equivalent of the Incredible Hulk. Underneath all that, and you’ll find one of the kindest individuals you’ll ever meet. Takeo is incredibly selfless, always thinking of other people, and is highly devoted to other people. Constantly hanging out with his best friend Makoto Sunakawa   (More on him in a sec), his one flaw is that he’s constantly down on himself because girls don’t find him attractive because of how he looks, and they flock to Makoto instead. However, Takeo isn’t bitter, and instead feels that it’s his lot in life to not be with someone. Speaking of Sunakawa...

Makoto Sunakawa is kind of a oddball character. On the one hand, he’s rather cold. Not in a heartless manner, but more of the fact that he has an indifferent kind of mood/attitude. Girls come on to him frequently, but he really doesn’t pay attention apart from a few moments, and simply brushes them off without being mean shortly afterwards. On the other hand, Makoto is a kind individual on par with Takeo. Granted, he doesn’t have the physical strength of his larger compatriot, but he’s quite knowledgeable about a lot of things, and often finds himself helping his close friend, along with a select few he gradually encounters. Truly an interesting character.

Then there’s Rinko Yamato, Takeo love interest throughout the rest of the series. Practically Shojo incarnate, Rinko is bubbly, cute, and loving. In a strange way, this actually works in this show, and while a little annoying, those moments are incredibly few & far between. Unlike every other girl that came Takeo’s way, Rinko looked past Takeo’s appearance, and appreciated his strength & kindness. An avid baker & maker of sweets, her love & innocence captured Takeo’s heart, and the two are practically inseparable (Much like Takeo & Sunakawa).

However, the rest of the cast is fun to watch as well! Makoto’s sister Ai makes appearances throughout the series, and has a secret crush for Takeo. Takeo’s parents (Yuriko & Yutaka) are simultaneously goofy yet charming. Osamu Kurihara is a friend of Takeo’s, and eventually find a relationship himself with Mariya Saijo, who first encountered Takeo when she needed help training for a sports meet. Yukika Amami has known both Takeo & Sunakawa since the early years, even though she never really talked to either of them. She left anonymous chocolates for Sunakawa for years, until she finally got the courage to speak to him about getting together. This relationship didn’t last long, but it was something she wanted for a long time. It’s this kind of a cast that can really stick in your mind, and never leave.

Availability & Pricing
Currently, Ore Monogatari can only be found on major streaming sites like Crunchyroll, or one of many 3rd-party streaming sites. Check out the link below for the whole series:

Ore Monogatari (Crunchyroll)

Overall Impression & Rating
Ore Monogatari is not only an essential Shojo anime, but it’s an essential anime period! It does have a small blemish or two, but they in no way truly ruin the experience that is this show! The story is nice & simple, the animation is cheery, and the characters are just a treat to watch. If you’re the kind of person that’s not particularly fond of this genre, then you’ll find that Ore Monogatari will surprise you in a lot of ways. Either way, this is definitely a 2015 hit, and I very much recommend it!

Ore Monogatari!! (My Love Story) gets a 9.5 out of 10.

Welp, here was my other November review. I hope you enjoyed it, and now I’ll take my leave for the rest of the month. Stay safe, and have a great Thanksgiving!



***
Apologies for the delay. I went out this morning for job applications, and didn't have time to put this up in the morning.

Anime Review - Bastard

Happy November fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, Halloween has come & gone. Many of us are probably in sugar-induced coma, but for those of you who aren’t, thanks for keeping up with my blog! Just like last year, I’ve got 2 quick reviews ready, and today’s show can be watched in a single sitting. This time around, these reviews are more of a “Compare & Contrast” series, so consider this another improvised mini-themed month. With that said, let’s take a look at the sword & sorcery stylings of Bastard!! Let the review begin!

Story/Setup
Taken from Amazon’s Editorial Reviews:

“Dark Schneider is the Bastard!!! A lone warlock, freed from years of imprisonment, stands against an army of destruction bent on world conquest and the resurrection of an ancient evil. But Dark Schneider is not protecting the desperate people of Meta-Rikana out of the goodness of his heart. After all, they were the ones who imprisoned him for leading this same army against their city the first time! However, he's not about to let his old army, his old generals, and his ex-girlfriend show him up. Besides, his new girlfriend is counting on him, and it's been a while since he had some fun...”

High fantasy is the best way to describe Bastard. Monsters, dragons, magic, damsels in distress, you name it! Kazushi Hagiwara, the manga author of Bastard, was heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons, not to mention being an enthusiastic fan of Heavy Metal music (Already, I’ve put this man in my heart). You can see these two influences all over the places, as there are creatures pulled right out of the Monster Manuel, and Dark Schneider casts spells with names like Sodom & Megadeth. Definitely, a true geek & Metalhead!

However, here’s where things get a little......interesting. Kazushi Hagiwara, despite have some talent, has been rather sporadic with putting out his material. The manga began back in 1988, and he’s been working/releasing it on-and-off since them. The anime come across in much the same way: there are missing scenes between each episode, creating a disjointed experience. Further adding to this is the ending, which ends in a cliffhanger, whereas this didn’t happen in the manga. From what I heard there were supposed to have been more episodes made, but the OVA got cut short due to reasons that I haven’t found.

Animation
For an OVA that was released back in 1992, Bastard looks surprisingly good. Granted, you can tell this anime’s age, thanks in most part to the slight muted look, along with odd looks in certain scenes. That said, this series is pretty good looking still! Considering how high the fantasy is, it’s filled to the brim with grand castles, dank dungeons, hideous monsters, and all sorts of things you’d find in a Dungeons & Dragons style world. Character designs are great also, with the men typically built like tanks, and the women either look cute, or a mix of sexy & tough. Even the spell effects are great as well, despite how cheesy some of them are. Overall Bastard is a good looking show, despite it’s age.

Voice Acting
One of the things that surprised be about Bastard’s dub was of how many recognizable voice actors there are in the cast. Daran Norris, Wendee Lee, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn are just a couple of voice actors that many of you are potentially familiar with. Wendee Lee in particularly I recognized right away, due to how familiar here voice is. That said, the voice acting is.....rather bipolar. The more recognizable voice actors certainly put in a great effort, but it’s the less recognizable voice actors where things get a little murky. Some of them do a good job, while others just put in an okay effort. No really bad efforts, but nothing really any noteworthy either. 

Characters
Okay, I’m just going to say it.....everybody else is secondary to Dark Schneider!

Okay, that’s not exactly true: everybody has a role to play, they really do. But once Dark Schneider shows up, he chews up the scenery! It doesn’t matter what he’s doing, cause your eyes will be focused on him the entire time. He could be standing there, he could be spewing threats & insults, etc. Schneider is the essential anti-hero: an individual who does this for the right reason, but accomplishing them for selfish purposes. I dare you to name me another character, past or present, that is this attention grabbing!!

Again, the other characters provide things for the story, but with Dark Schneider & his antics, why would you want to pay attention to anything else? That said, if there was a second character I liked, it would be Yoko. The daughter of the Grand Priest (The individual who sealed up Dark Schneider in the first place), Yoko is a mild prude but emotional spitfire, and becomes Schneider’s love interest right off the bat. She can actually chew up some scenery as well, but sometimes is a stereotypical damsel in distress. Regardless, she can almost be as much fun as Schneider, and can even hold her own a little.  

Availability & Pricing
Bastard is a series that’s a bit of a challenge to find. You can’t find it on F.Y.E.’s website (Although you could theoretically find it in one of their stores used), and Best Buy doesn’t have it on their website either. Considering it’s an old Geneon/Pioneer title from 2001 (DVD wise, at least. Tapes came out in 1995, and good luck finding those!), it’s not surprising. The only option you really have in this case is Amazon, although it comes at a cost. As I’m typing this up, there aren’t any new DVDs available. Your only option is used, and the pricing isn’t too terrible. Starting at $37.52, it’s a little expensive, but not unbearably so. Unless you can find it online in individual episodes for download (Which is how I found this show), this is your only option.

Overall Impression & Rating
Bastard is one of many examples of pure, unadulterated, anime fluff. It has some shortcomings to be sure (Mostly in story & availability), but despite the problems it’s a lot of fun! The over the top attitude that the setting has, coupled with heavy metal references, surprisingly well placed fan-service, and characters that grab your attention, and you have one hell of a time. Just be sure you don’t become a bastard yourself when you watch this. Mwahaha!!!!

Bastard!! gets a 8 out of 10.

See you all next week, when we’ll take a look at a much longer, and more emotional series. After that,  it’s a break for the rest of the month until December. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Album Review - Darkthrone's A Blaze In The Northern Sky

Happy Halloween fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

You’ll recall from May of this year, I covered Darkthrone’s first album, Soulside Journey. The only time they did a Death Metal record, Soulside Journey wasn’t necessarily a failure, but it wasn’t the biggest thing out there. The band (Some of them, at least) were dissatisfied by the end product, but it wasn’t long before change arrived. There was a rumbling in the land of Norway. A revolution was on the way. The seeds that were planted by Darkthrone, not to mention other bands in similar positions, were blossoming into a blackened flower. A flower with petals so dark, it changed the landscape of music in Norway, as well as changing the realm of Extreme Metal.

So, in the spirit of Halloween, let’s take a look at another album that’s appropriate for today. Get some corpse paint on your face, dress up in your darkest clothes, and sit down for a look at Darkthrone’s emergence into the world of Black Metal, A Blaze In The Northern Sky. Let the review begin!
                                               
Background
After encountering the legendary Black Metal pioneers, and fellow Norwegians, Mayhem, Darkthrone knew that their music needed a change to match up with the times. So they kicked out Dag Nelson, donned the classic black & white “Corpse Paint” that became synonymous with Black Metal, and took up working pseudonyms in place of their real names (Gylve Nagell - Fenriz/Ted Skjellum - Nocturno Culto/Ivar Enger - Zephyrous). In August of 1991 they recorded what would become A Blaze In The Northern Sky, and in early 1992 it was released. This was the first time that the band recorded anything related to Black Metal, and this had frightened their record company, Peaceville Records. Peaceville were expecting Darkthrone to continue working with Death Metal ala Soulside Journey, but eventually they agreed to release A Blaze In The Northern Sky, provided they were able to remix it (Peaceville Records stated that the sound was "too weak"). In response, Darkthrone threatened to release it through Deathlike Silence Productions, the record label owned by Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth of Mayhem. Eventually, Peaceville agreed to release the album as it was recorded, and the album has since become part of the band’s so-called “Unholy Trinity”, as well as an important release of Black Metal period.

Basic Description
Mommie......I’m scared!

Alright, putting the jokes aside, this is by far one of the most sinister & intimidating album I’ve ever listened to. Keep in mind, this is someone who considered The Black Album to be one of the darkest metal albums ever....until the age of 19. You can make fun of me, I won’t mind. Regardless, A Blaze In The Northern Sky is one of the pinnacles of 90s Black Metal. Long before too many cooks spoiled the broth, Black Metal had some venom to it’s bite, and during their 90s run, Darkthrone stood along side other titans of the genre like Mayhem & Immortal. With their 2nd album, Darkthrone thrust themselves onto the Black Metal scene. The guitars, the drums, and the vocal work. All of it! Their 2nd release created a sound that was unique for it’s time, and it was a moment that Darkthrone has never be able to capture again.

Best Song
Right off the bad, Kathaarian Life Code takes the “Best Song” spot on this review. Dragging it’s 10-ton demonic member into the room, it slaps you in the face with it, and says “While you listen to this song, I own you!”. This ten & a half minute track is simply sublime: screeching guitar work, furious drumming, and vocal work that sounds like the love child of a banshee and a ringwraith. Coupled with the dark & brooding chanting that acts as the beginning of the song, and you have a experience that’s quite eerie & bloodcurdling.

Kathaarian Life Code

That said, every single track on A Blaze In The Northern Sky is fantastic. From the Black Sabbath inspired In The Shadow Of The Horns.

In The Shadow Of The Horns

To the downright terrifying Where Cold Wind Blows!

Where Cold Wind Blows

No track on here is bad, and the experience of A Blaze In The Northern Sky is one that should be experienced by anyone even remotely interested in Black Metal, or Heavy Metal in general.

Worst Song
Like I said above, there are no bad songs on this album. The one thing that could be criticized is the production value. Black Metal albums from the 90s always had harsh production values, and A Blaze In The Northern Sky doesn’t escape this. The production comes across as very primitive, and to a degree rather dated. In a way this works towards the album’s favor (And Black Metal in general), as it adds to it’s mood & atmosphere. I don’t have a problem with this, as I feel that it’s certainly a strength, but I can certainly understand why people would criticize it.

Other
While this is a perfect album in all of it’s darkened glory, I should point out that this isn’t a full Black Metal album. Despite kicking out Dag Nilsen, some of the Death Metal riffwork from  Soulside Journey remained. I suggest that this actually works in the album’s favor: The Black Metal vibes & sounds combined with bits of the Death Metal style of guitar & drumwork creates an album that’s very unique, not to mention very original. Sometimes it’s very obvious when the Death Metal kicks in, and other times it’s strangely subtle. Regardless, it’s a wonderful mix, and one that hasn’t been attempted since (By Darkthrone or anyone else).

Overall Impression & Rating
To quote youtuber & fellow Heavy Metal fan Razorfist said: “A Blaze In The Northern Sky is mandatory Black Metal for a reason.”. He’s not wrong! Black Metal’s heyday has always been in the 90s, with many classic albums from the genre that are still championed to this day. This album is part of that pantheon: a Black Metal title that’s aged shockingly well, and is still talked about fondly to this day. If you can get past the dated production quality, and perhaps

A Blaze In The Northern Sky gets a 10 out of 10. Only the 2nd perfect album to appear on this blog so far, and I plan on putting up more somewhere down the road.

See you next week, where I’ll get some quick posts up before Thanksgiving, as well as getting my end-of-the-year material ready. Hope All Hallows Eve goes well for you, and be sure to spot a roaring fire in the north. Perhaps it will keep you warm in the coming months, and keep you vigilant for blackened spirits. Also, if you’re interested in this album, check out the link below, and give it a listen.

A Blaze In The Northern Sky

Anime Review - Garzey's Wing

Hey everybody!

Well, it’s been a little bit since I’ve reviewed a stinker of an anime. I usually don’t like reviewing the bad shows, since anime fans on the whole don’t like/watch the bad shows. However, every once in a while a bad anime comes along that needs to be watched, seen, and reviewed so no-one has to suffer. A bad anime that serves as a warning so as to be avoided, or if it is to be observed, then it’s to be ridiculed. So let’s not avoid it any further, and look at the disastrously awful Garzey’s Wing. Let the review, sadly, begin. 

Story/Setup
Taken from TvTropes:

“The story centers around Christopher Senshu, a half-Japanese, half-American young man out of high school who is seeking entry to college. One day after an argument with his friend, a motorcycle ride leads Chris past the Shiratori shrine, and his eight-bell necklace starts to rattle. Suddenly out of nowhere, he is struck by a giant, glowing goose spirit, and swept away into the world of Byston Well. But he has no time to get his bearings. Instead he is swept immediately into the conflict between the Metomeus Tribe and the Ashigaba Army, who have until now kept them enslaved. As it turns out, Chris has been summoned by the priestess Hassan to be the legendary holy warrior, Garzey's Wing. This role grants him the power of glowing wings that appear from his ankles and allow flight. Because of the shrine he passed, however, he is convinced this must all be the work of the spirit of Yamato Takeru no Mikoto.

But things aren't even that simple. Chris hasn't been transported wholly to Byston Well; only his spirit has, splitting him into a separate existence while his physical body remains in the real world. The two soon discover the ability to communicate via the bell necklace, and as Chris struggles with the conflict he's been thrust into, his real self must search for ways to help him there, and hopefully find a way to reunite mind and body.”

On the surface, the story of Garzey’s Wing looks like it makes sense. Don’t be fooled! In reality, the whole show is nothing more than a convoluted mess, and makes practically no sense. There are some rare moments of cleverness (Like Chris being split into two), but for the most part everything is jumbled together to the point where if you were to pull something out, it would somehow become even more of a mess. Don’t even try to figure things out when you watch this, in the unlikely chance that you do.

Animation
The one thing that Garzey’s Wing actually has going for it is it’s animation. It’s actually rather pleasant to looks at: characters are detailed, the world looks great, and there are some nice visuals to boot. Some of the fantasy creatures are quite gruesome, but a few others look very majestic. Even some of backgrounds look nice as well. Other than that, there isn’t anything else to say.

Voice Acting
Lazy. That’s the one word I can describe the voice acting in Garzey’s Wing. You can tell from everybody that’s putting time in, that they’re just doing it for a paycheck. Even the actors that provide even a tiny bit of effort still sound like they don’t want to be there, and they’re just waiting for cash to go into their bank accounts. This is one of the few times I would suggest that you’d watch this with the subtitles on, unless you’re a big fan of comedy, then proceed with the dub. Speaking of lazy.....

Characters
Good god, are the characters in Garzey’s Wing awful or what!?

On top of a confusing story & pathetic voice acting, there’s practically nothing to get you emotionally invested in the character, whether good or bad. Due to the story you can’t connect with them, and coupled with the god awful voice acting, really makes them boring! Even some of the villains, who at least appear over-the-top & threatening, really don’t have a bite to their personality. Pretty much everybody is a waste, and there’s no point in caring for them.

Availability & Pricing
Shockingly, Garzey’s Wing can actually still be found for purchase, provided you know where to look. Best Buy is immediately thrown out the window, but F.Y.E. can be an option. 95% of the time you probably won’t be able to find a unopened DVD, but you’re more likely to find a used one for sale. On their website, a used copy for Garzey’s Wing goes from 97 cents, up to about 5 dollars. Amazon is a more likely place to acquire a copy: a new DVD goes from 20 dollars to about 31 dollars, while used copies start at 2 & ½ dollars, and goes up to a little over 8 dollars. If you’re sick enough, Amazon is the better of the two, despite the higher price. Course, you’re probably a little sick for buying this anyway, but that’s me.

Overall Impression & Rating
Garzey’s Wing should never have been released. It’s clear by the lazy & bare-bones voice acting, that this was really just a quick cash grab. I really don’t want to talk about this anymore, so here’s my quick opinion: ignore this like the plague!

Garzey’s Wing gets a 3 out of 10.

Well, my apologies for this show being so horrendous. I will most definitely make it up to you, so let’s wait until All Hallows Eve, when the seeds that were planted by a previous band here on this blog finally bloom. See you then!




***
If you want to torture yourself, check out this fragment of Garzey’s Wing. You.....won’t be disappointed?

Garzey's Wing Sample

Anime Review - Monster Musume the Series

Happy month of October, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Consider this an unofficial “themed” month. I wasn’t necessarily planning on doing one, but considering what I’m reviewing, it looks likes it’s the case. Anyways, you’ll recall a few months ago my review of the first episode of Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls. Overall I gave it a glowing review, with nary a blemish in sight. Now, with the full series released online, I now have a wider view of the show, but my positivity hasn’t changed one bit. With that said, lets look at a review of the entirety of Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls. Woot!

Story/Setup
Taken from Wikipedia:

“For years, the Japanese government has kept a secret: mythical creatures such as centaurs, harpies, and lamias are real. Three years before the start of the story, the government revealed the existence of these creatures and passed a legal bill, the "Interspecies Cultural Exchange Act". Since then, these creatures, known as "liminals," have become a part of human society, living with ordinary families like foreign exchange students and au-pair visitors, but with other duties and restrictions (the primary restriction being that liminals and humans are forbidden from harming each other).

Kimihito Kurusu did not volunteer for the exchange program, but when Ms. Smith delivered the very scared and embarrassed Miia to his door by mistake, he did not have the heart to send her away and they started living together. As the story continues, Kimihito meets and gives shelter to other female liminals, each of a different species. Some arrive more or less by accident, some are forced upon him by Ms. Smith, or force themselves in, and it does not take long for him to find himself in a hectic environment where he struggles to live in harmony with his new housemates while dealing with both their constant advances and the dramas of helping them get along in the human world. The situation takes on a new twist after he is told that because of expected changes in the law dealing with human-liminal relationships, he is authorized to marry one of the girls, increasing their struggle for his attention.”

This is really the jist of Monster Musume: mythological girls/women (& boys/men) are as real as us, an ability to live among humanity is granted, and one hapless individual’s life becomes filled with said individuals, wacky hijinks insues, etc.

On the surface, Monster Musume is a typical harem anime, complete with typical harem schlock. One hapless guy, a group of girls with different quirks, plenty of moments of fan-service & other wacky moments, the works. However, Monster Musume is good harem schlock. Yes the main guy is hapless, but he has a genuine heart of gold, and looks past what the girls are. Heck, one of the girls, Rachnera, and his main turn-on prominently featured (Legs....she’s an arachne, if you didn’t figure out by her name). Yes the girls are definitely quirky, but these quirks change overtime, and mesh with everybody else’s quirks & issues quite nicely. Yes there is fan-service. A lot of fan-service, in fact. However, the fan-service works, and if you can believe it, some dirty moments actually propel the story along positively most of the time. Yeah Monster Musume is schlocky, but it’s the good kind that can be enjoyed by many.

Voice Acting
Updated Soon...

Characters
Never have I enjoyed a cast of characters quite like that of Monster Musume. You’d expect a ecchi-romance-harem series to have a weak cast, and in some cases that’s true. With that said, Everybody here is a treat to watch!

Kimihito, more commonly called Darling, Master, or some other nickname, is one of anime’s greatest nice guys. He really doesn’t care what the girls are, nor what they look like. He just care for the fact that they’re women, and does all he can to help them adjust modern human society. It’s definitely frustrating at times, and he certainly comes to blows on rare occasions, but like he says at the end of the series, it’s just everyday life with monster girls.

Ms. Smith is one of Monster Musume’s greatest trolls, whether’s it’s her manga incarnation or her anime version. On the surface, she’s a hardworking woman, and takes her role enforcing the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Act rather seriously. In truth, she’s a lazy civil servant, often pawning off jobs & work to the MON Squad (More on these ladies in a moment) and to Kimihito. In fact, some of the girls were in his house because of Smith’s mistakes. Miia herself was the first mistake that came Kimihito’s way, but at the same time Smith actually means well, and has a heart once in a while. Yeah Ms. Smith is a lazy good-for-nothing, but a good-for-nothing that has a moment to shine once in a while.

If your series is about cute mythological women, you better make them personable, and the show doesn’t point. Truthfully, the girls in the anime mirror their manga counterparts: Miia is the charming yet clumsy one, Papi is the hyperactive cute one, Centorea is the noble pretty one, Suu is the oddball, Mero is the pretty & cute character with a secret, Rachnera is the brooding & serious one that’s kinky, and Lala is the gothic tsundere. All of the girls fit their assigned role, but like in the manga their personalities & thoughts change, and they actually learns things with their time with Kimihito.

Monster Musume has the added benefit of having a cast of secondary characters that’s just as charming as the primary cast. There’s the MON Squad, a group of monster girls who’s job it is to defuse situations with other liminals. There are Tio the Ogre, Doppel the Doppelganger, Zombina the Zombie (Yeah, that’s a obvious name), and Manako the Cyclops, who’s my personal favorite of the 4. While MON appears a couple times in the manga, they only show up about 3 times in the anime, but regardless it’s always fun to see them. There are other monster girls that appear during the story, like Kii the Driad & Lilith the Devil. Some of these secondary girls have more appearances on & off on the manga, but only highly limited reappearances within the anime. Still, these characters still provide some energy to the show, albeit momentary energy.

Perhaps the most bizarre secondary character in the anime’s cast is Polt the Kobold. In the manga, she’s the manager of a gym & is a big sports/exercise nut, and the girls go over to her gym to try things out. They didn’t go over this story in the anime, so instead she was reduced to 4 casuals appearances. Even more strangely, these somewhat random appearances are rather charming, and Polt is just as cute in these moments as she was in the manga.

Overall, the cast is a lot of fun. Even my least favorite character, Rachnera (Long Story), has moments of silliness & sincerity. You get attached to pretty much everybody, and all of the girls has something you can identify with. Once again, one of the best casts of a harem series ever!

Animation
When I was watching this series, I was surprised by how similar both the anime & the manga looked from one another. All of the places that the characters went to looked liked they were plucked straight out of the manga, and the characters are absolutely stunning. Some of them appear to look a little younger or older than their manga counterparts, but that’s probably got more to do with the animation style used in the show more than anything else. If there was only one gripe I had, it would be the amount of time that you see certain characters still in shots. Certain characters like Miia, Mero, and Rachnera I can understand, given their snake/fish/spider halves, but other characters baffle me. Centorea has the lower half of a horse, and they’ve been animated in full motion in plenty of shows, and Papi technically has legs, albeit bird legs. Even Suu the Slime has legs, but when we do see the girls move around, it’s only for a few seconds. This just screams a lack of effort on the animator’s part, but again, due to the radically different bodies of all the girls, I’m giving them a pass.

The one thing I don’t like about the animation is the censorship to the fan-service. If you’ve ever read the manga, you know how incredibly fan servicy it is. There’s plenty of exposed nipples, and in some scenes it can potentially get close to porn (Chapter 33 has a milking scene.....I’ll leave that up to your imagination). With some of the censorship that’s used, it makes perfect sense. Other times, the censorship is actually rather distracting, often borderline pointless. For the most part the fan service still works great, but the censoring can really be grating.

Availability & Pricing
Like I said in the voice acting section, Monster Musume hasn’t been released in the U.S. yet. The good news, the show has already been picked up by a distributer. The bad news, is that Sentai Filmworks is the one that grabbed the show. Now they’ve re-released some of ADV Films’s classic shows in recent years, and the more modern releases they picked up are great as well, but on some occasions they don’t dub their shows. On the chance that they do put in a dub, it’s not the best. It’s certainly not awful, but there typically needs some more effort put into them.

Also, is it bizarre that Funimation didn’t grab the rights to this show? Considering the stable of voice actors that the company has, it’s surprising that they didn’t try to grab it. If they did make an attempt, someone leave a note in the comments.

Overall Impression & Rating
Monster Musume the Series is an absolute treat of a series. Taking a typical anime troupe, mixing in some atypical women, and sprinkling in some atypical situations, and you have a show that’s quite fresh & original. Yes, Monster Musume is a modern harem schlock show. However, it’s good harem schlock. It actually tries to put in effort, and for the most part succeeds! Without a doubt, 2015 is the year of the monster girl!

Monster Musume the Series gets 9 a out of 10.

See you all next week, when we’ll look at another anime that’s monstrous.....ly bad. In the meantime, check out Monster Musume over on Crunchyroll. There’s a link right below so you won’t have far to search. Enjoy!

Monster Musume (Crunchyroll)