One 'Hell' of an Anime

Title: Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae

Producer: Aniplex & Studio Deen

Genre: Supernatural/Angst

My ratings: ***

After the prequel and sequel came the final part of the Jigoku Shoujo trilogy- Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae. Well, I dont think I need to explain much since most people know how the story goes. A person who holds a grudge and accessed the 'Jigoku Tsusshin' at midnight then enter the name of the person they begrudge will be given a 'wara ningyo' (vodoo doll) by Enma Ai, the Jigoku Shoujo(Hell Girl). If the person pulls the red string on the doll, the person they begrudge upon will be send to hell immediately. However, they too will go to hell after they die.

Yamawaro in straw doll form - kiro no wara ningyoo (yellow vodoo doll)

In Mitsuganae, there are new additions to the main characters. A boy called Yamawaro became Enma Ai's new assistant apart from the regulars Wanyudo, Hone Onna and Ichimoku Ren. Not to forget the obnoxious Kikuri is there too but this time I'm giving her presence a credit for giving the anime a slight humor. A girl named Mikage Yuzuki, a junior high school girl became the host for the jigoku shoujo after Ai entered her body. Because of that, every time Ai need to send someone to hell, she will be released from Yuzuki's body as if she's a butterfly breaking free from a cocoon (I mean literally).

scenes from Jugoku Shoujo Mitsuganae

-In the second frame, Ichimoku Ren was the one holding the mop and the naked boy is Yamawaro

- The next frame was Hone onna with the cocktail drink

- The very first victim sent to hell is the school teacher in the next frame

- In the last row of the first collumn was how Ai released herself from Yuzuki's back, like a cocoon

I'm not telling about the rest of the story, you have to find out yourselves. For me, this is the first and the last time I will watch this anime. I think the first and second series is better than this third one. Most of the time I skipped the time Ai make the deal with people who accessed the Jigoku Tsusshin and how she break free from Yuzuki's body. Its the same every episode. The grudge is getting more and more insane every time which made me sick. There are quite a few of shoujo ai element between Yuzuki and Ai as well as a few other minor characters so this is definitely not the anime for me.

The story line is hard to understand sometimes and the reason for a person to send another person to hell can be very vague. This is not an anime you want to watch if you wanted to get your mind off something. The message this anime trying to convey is heavy and to be able to understand it a person need to think critically. It's actually very good seeing that it reflected the world we lived in today. I only recommend Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae to those who are looking for inspiration or need a food for thought. The moral values are there, its just that this anime is not for fun. Be prepared to be angry with the characters ^^v


disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Jigoku Shoujo trilogy.

p/s: reviews and comments are for leisure purposes. Happy Reading ^^v

Workaholic Blues

Title: Hinotori Hataraki Man

Creator: Moyoco Anno

Genre: Drama/Slice of Life

My Ratings: ***

This anime main character is 28 years old woman named Matsukata Hiroko. She's an editor for a magazine called shukan JIDAI and is a total workaholic who will go into a 'working man' mode (working man is a direct translation of 'hataraki man') to get her job done. She is very passionate about her career. However, because of her busy schedule, her life is turning upside down. Her boyfriend of 4 years, 28 years old Yamashiro Shinji were as much as a workaholic as she is. This has created a crisis in their relationship.

Matsukata Hiroko

This anime portrayed the struggle of a working women and also shows the support of people such as Matsukata's desk-editor and her co-workers as well as her boyfriend. Overall, its an 'ok' anime. The humor is not really there, conflicts aren't that heavy, nothing much about the romance (accept that its clear that Matsukata Hiroko is in a relationship). There is no fantasy depicted unlike the usual anime theme. I would recommend this anime to those who is not a hardcore fan (those who like to watch drama, this would be good). All in all, I didn't regret buying this anime (since I bought it half-price anyway) and I dont dislike it. The message is quite clear and direct to the point.

disclaimer: I do not own any part of Hinotori Hataraki Man except for the picture of the DVD (and also the DVD in the picture) that I bought with my own money ^^v

p/s: The review is for leisure purpose and only my POV. Thanks for reading ^^v

Whoever Said School is Boring?

Title: Ouran Koukou Hosuto Kurabu (Ouran High School Host Club)

Creator: Hatori Bisco

Genre: Romantic comedy/shoujo

My Rating: *****

Ouran Koukou Hosuto Kurabu revolve around Fujioka Haruhi, a 15 year old girl. She entered the prestigious high school under a scholarship but because of her family low income, she could n't afford to buy the school uniform so she wear slacks and polo shirt instead. Because of her appearance (short hair, flat chested and wardrobe malfunction) she was mistaken for a boy. She stumbled across the Third Music Room which serves as the Host Club in the school when she was looking for a place to study. There, she met six good looking ace students (all male and came from rich and influenced family) who are the club members. She accidentally knocked down an antique vase costs about 8 000 000 Yen when she was trying to get away from them. Ootori Kyouya, who acts as the manager of the host club calculated the damage and the only way she could pay them back is to serve as their servant.


Things took a turn when the guys; Suou Tamaki (the president of the host club a.k.a otoosan/father), Ootori Kyouya (the manager/financial advisor a.k.a okaasan/mother), the Hitachiin twins Hikaru and Kaoru, Haninozuka Mitsukuni a.k.a Honey and his cousin Morinozuka Takashi gave Haruhi a change of school uniform (basically its Tamaki's doing). Tamaki thought that Haruhi have a charater to be a host. Haruhi agreed to the idea in order to pay back the debt she owed the club. The first to discover about Haruhi's true gender was Kyouya, followed by the twins, Honey, Mori and lastly Tamaki. Overall, the anime shows about how their friendship grows and how Haruhi affects the boys' life and vice versa. Its obvious that the main love attraction would be between Haruhi and Tamaki, but the Hitachiin twins also discovered romantic feelings for her. However, the youngest of the twins, Kaoru gave up his feelings for Haruhi because of his brother, Hikaru. Anyway, the anime didn't end up with any confession from anybody.

From Far Left: Morinozuka Takashi, Ootori Kyouya, Suou Tamaki, Hitachiin twins, and the shortest is Haninozuka 'Honey' Mitsukuni.

Sitting Down: Fujioka Haruhi

From my point of view, this is a good anime. Its very humorous, very relaxing and the storyline is easy to understand. Most of the time, a heroine of an anime would be a cry-baby, girly or weak and somewhat a 'damsel in distress'. Haruhi does not have that kind of personality, that is why I like her character. The supporting characters also have different kinds of personality which give the anime various prospects. There's a little essence of shounen-ai and shoujo ai, but its a very subtle one for humor purpose only. I think its a very fun anime to watch and I enjoyed it very much ^^v




disclaimer: I dont own Ouran Koukou Hosuto Kurabu and any other images related to it (except for the DVD photo that I took myself. THAT really belonged to me)

p/s: All the comments are for leisure purpose and just my point of view. Thanks for reading ^^v

The Confession of an Animeholic

Before I start with my reviews on the anime DVDs, I think I should start with a little bit of my anime history. To begin with, I was a late bloomer (hoho, in anime that is). Back when my friends were obsessed with Naruto, Saiyuki and other anime, I was still interested with kiddies stuff like Crayon Shin Chan (still am), Doraemon, and Mojako. But I was always into Japanese stuff. I love the language, the food and also the culture. Up until I was 16, the number of anime that Ive watched can be counted with only one hand.

Which anime caught my eye? Rurouni Kenshin! That was when I accidentally switched on the television and couldn't get my eyes off of it. From then on, I never missed any episodes. Gradually, I begin to love the anime songs. I remembered when a friend of mine who had long into anime before I did said to me through the phone; "If you starting to like the anime songs, you'll fall in love with the anime soon". And she was right. Ever since that day, my love (or some people would put it harshly as 'addiction') had increased rapidly. I love reading manga, watching anime and listen to the anime songs.

So far I have collected at least 40 anime series and at least 60 manga in less than 3 years. In total, I have spent more than RM700 to buy all the DVDs that was in the posting before. And here's the catch, I bought it all with my own money!!! Never once I borrowed from anybody (accept the fact that my money was the allowances I get monthly >.<>

Some people might think I'm weird or stupid or anything (and they can have their own opinion) but I think my investment on those stuff is worth it. Why do I say so? When people think anime is for kids, well they're not. The content are not really suitable for kids under 13 and some contents are only suitable for those over 18. Depending on the genre of the anime, it can really change our mod. Sometimes when I watch an anime, I was laughing at the first part of the series and cry at the ending. Though its just animation and merely fantasy, anime can leave a big impact on people, not just me. So shed the shallow minded thoughts about anime and try watching one. I suggest to start watching the lighter genre with daily life drama background like Ghost Hunt, Itazura na Kiss or Slam Dunk!

I don't think I will stop loving anime in the near future. Anime had been a great help for me when I needed to relax and have fun. I do go out with friends and soend time with my family. despite the claim that I am an otaku (people who have no life other than indulging themselves with anime and manga). I didn't fail any subjects (so far) even though I spend my waking ours thinking about anime. I memorized all hiragana (Japanese alphabets) thanks to watching anime and I can also understand a little Japanese. If someone think that anime is a total waste, they are totally wrong.

The Love of My Life

These are My Anime DVD collections... But the number of anime that I have watched are MORE than this...

The First 3, from left: Ouran Koukou Hosuto Kurabu *****, Gakuen Heaven *****, Kyo Kara Maou *****

First Line, From Left: Junjou Romantica 1& 2 *****, Itazura na Kiss *****, Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuutsu ***

Second Line: Nabari no Ou ****, Sukisho ***, Antique Bakery **", Angel's Feather OVA**

Third Line: Tactics ***, Slam Dunk the movie ****", Moryou no Hako *, Ayatsuri Sakon *

Last Line: Hataraki Man ***", Monochrome Factor ****", Fruits Basket ***, Kyo Kara Maou OVA ****"



First Line, From Left: Ghost Hunt *****, Lovely Complex *****, Yamato NadeshikoShichi Henge a.k.a The Wallflower ****, Midori no Hibi ****

Second Line, From Left: Loveless **", Slam Dunk ****", Mushi-shi *, Jigoku Shoujo & Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori ***"

Last Line: Gensoumaden Saiyuki ***", Weisz Kreuz *, Gintama ***", Tennis no Oujisama a.k.a Prince of Tennis ***

These are those that are also in my collectionbut I haven't got the time to watch it. So during this holiday, I'm going to finish it all...

From Top Left: Kyo Kara Maou season 3, Natsume Yuujincho & Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae

From Top Left: D Gray Man 1, 2 &3, Nodame Cantabile & Devil May Cry

Starting with this one...

Kuroshitsuji

p/s: Wonder what's up with the colored crystals? hehe... Just for decoration purposes only...It would be bland with the black background which is the Japanese table in my room ^^v

p/s/s: Next Chapter - reviews for all the anime I watched!!!

P/s/s/s: Wonder why I put * at the end of some of the anime titles? Its the rating I gave according to my taste. The highest is ***** and some marked " which means half a star ^^v

Hole in Head

There's still two papers left for my final exam and its the hardest ones. One of it of course language in ICT, which part of the reasons why I started this blog...well, as people can see so far what the subject acquire in this blog is quite fun and interesting. But, the exam is not at all!!!so, I'm trying hard to get as much of information into my head by understanding all the notes I've printed out for the exam...At 8.30 am tomorrow, I have to put down all the notes and by 10.30am I will walk out from the exam hall and no turning back.

So right now, I'm going to stop writing and focus on reading. Yes, reading. If only I can absorb all the information like a sponge...I think there's really a big hole in my head 'coz nothing I read gets into my mind >.<

Trying to Grow Up

Just recently I realized that I need to do things on my own rather than waiting for people to make decision for me. I always depend on older people or more experienced ones like my older sister or my friends. Its time to handle things my way.

It seems that its rather late to finally have my own identity or personality. Well, its better now than never. There are some things that occured lately that made me realized I don't act my age. I know I can never give up my love fo manga or anime, despite how people think its a child's play. But that's an another issue, anime and manga was made for teens and young adults, not little kids.

I'm thinking how do adults handle things? Do they go through it over conflicts like fighting with friends or discuss things over face to face or maybe just ignore the issue and go straight to the next one. I did all of that. Sometimes it works, most of it dont. Is this a process of growing up? When I'm tired of facing problems, I just felt like packing my bags and go for a vacation (except the fact that the only place I can afford to go to is either to my mom's or dad's place - which I don't think I can get a peace of mind either). Though there is a part of me that wanted to crush the things around me and tell people to buzz off, I stick my foot on the ground and take it to my face knowing that if I run, the problems will come after me. So, does that make me a grown up then?

There are a lot of things in life that I cant quite figure out yet because in still in the middle of learning. Yes, life is a process of learning and I do it by making mistakes. Mistakes are good, but only if we learn by not making the same ones over and over. I want to act like how people my age are supposed to but only because suits me not because I suit it. Being a teenager is hard, I haven't completed the stage yet, but learning on how to be a better young adult will prepare me for the challenges and obstacles in life. I guess its ok if I'm not as mature as other people or I dont act my age, as long as what I learn now will guide my through my life. So, I wont try to grow up, but I will learn on how to be a grown up ^^v