Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? 9 and 10

FUND IT.

A combination of the recent earthquake/tsunami in Japan, as well as my laziness has resulted in a dual review this week.  Now's the time for the thrilling climax... if this were a shonen action show.  But it's not. It's a comedy with a zombie/Masou Shoujo, a mute necromancer, and their merry friends.

More after the break!

Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? 7

The history of the universe is, as we all know, a vital part of high school mathematics.

After dropping hints at an overarching plot last week, I was very intrigued to see how the show handles those implications.  Was I pleasantly surprised? Was I horribly disappointed?  Or was it just "meh"?  Answers to these questions, if nothing else, follow.

Review: Wolverine 5/6

Another pointless fight scene? OH YEAAAAAAH!

The last few episodes of Wolverine have been, to say the least, taxing on both my mind, and my patience. While I’ve been buoyed by the series’ laughably bad moments, for the most part, my brain has merely stood by in stunned silence as Wolverine showed him that it wasn’t always boring and mediocre, but it could be exceptionally stupid as well. The last two episodes, however, have pushed me even closer to my breaking point, as Wolverine’s writers, production and animation staff have kicked reality to the curb, gone beyond the impossible, and somehow care even less about their own show then they had previously.

More of Wolverine’s bad writing, bad animation and bad everything, and my last desperate stand against it all, after the break!

Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? 6

She means business... I think.

Everyone's favorite zombie with a (pink) chainsaw is back, and his un-life is still on the line! Can looking pretty triumph over a psychopathic serial killer?  Is Ayumu still a piece of sh*t?  Will Dai-sensei get his kyo-tofu?  All Most At least one of these questions will be answered this week.  Along with other zombie antics, of course.

Chainsaws, yandere zombies and more after the break!

Review: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica 6

How the hell do I know YOU'RE not planning something?!

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is certainly a unique show with interesting characters. Good writing, too. It's not afraid to kill off characters, as demonstrated by episode 3. Now, what I wonder is this: will another one get killed off? If so, will it be Kyubey? God, I hope so. Damn thing never stops staring at you. More importantly, can this show make a statement at the halfway point of the season? Shall we find out?

Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? 5

I call upon these flower petals to shield me!

At first glance, Kore wa Zombie desu ka? seems like a show that might go stale awfully fast. Thankfully, it hasn't even lost any taste.  Why is this so? Perhaps it's the crossdressing zombie with a pink chainsaw. Or maybe it's the mute necromancer. Could it possibly be the vampire ninja? Regardless, this show means "zombie" in a COMPLETELY different way than, say, Highschool of the Dead.  Not that I mind...

More zombie antics after the break!

Review: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica 5

It's my destiny to have you stare me down 24/7? No, thanks.

Continuing from last week's drama surrounding Madoka, we find ourselves in the cycle of grief.  That, and Sayaka's apparently made her wish already, judging by her Big Damn Heroes moment in last week's episode. In fact, that's my chief issue with the show right now.  It's showing us events and not explaining them well enough.

Wishes and more after the break!

Review: Gosick 4

With the "Queen Berry" arc finished, I was quickly looking forward to the next arc in Gosick. As I waited, I wondered what would happen next. Would it be another action-related arc? Or an introduction to more of Gosick's universe? Filled with optimism, I decided to dig into this week's (or last week's, rather) episode.

New mystery after the jump!

Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? 4



KAAA MEEE HAAA MEEE HAAAAAA!!



It has come to my attention that zombies wielding pink chainsaws is an excellent source of comedy. Why? Who the hell knows. It's keeping me smiling, and that's what's important.  The pink shimapan is just a nice addition.  In all seriousness, or lack thereof, Zombie desu ka? is funny as hell.

This week's opening scene has Haruna cooking dinner. She enlists the ninja girl's help, and the food promptly becomes bubbly purple goo. Of course, Haruna promptly denies that it was her doing.  Naturally, Ayumu must eat this chopstick-  wall- everything-melting food.  Remember, our protaganist is a zombie. Don't try this at home.  The effects of eating this stuff are akin to Ms. Akiko's special jam in Kanon. It's then decided that pizza will be ordered, at which point we're teased with the arrival of a Megalo.  Sadly, we do not get to see Ayumu cross-dressing again, as this Megalo's purpose is plot exposition.  It seems that Yuu does, in fact, have emotions. She simply supresses them.  Afterwards, a giant whale Megalo, ranked "Triple A", according to Haruna, attacks the city.

Yuu's character saw A LOT of development this week, much like Ayumu did last week.  The dialogue was convincingly deep, and the animation was crisp yet again. What I appreciated was that, yes, Yuu was upset, but it wasn't baseless angst.  Besides, I can get my angst filling from Madoka...

There wasn't really anything to hate about the episode, aside from the slightly flat comedy, which didn't mix too well with the drama stemming from Yuu's backstory. 

All in all, another great effort.  Great writing mixed with excellent character dev made for an enjoyable episode of a show that continues to impress.  I think I can safely say that Zombie desu ka? is this season's Ika Musume.  Which reminds me, when will we get Ika Musume Season 2?

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? 3

Plot Advancement: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Comedy/Drama: 3.5/5
Episode Plot: 5/5
Animation Quality: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

Review: Wandering Son 3



It is the end of the world... welcome to the world of wires and lace.



With the slight monotony and over dramatization of last week's episode, I look towards this week's episode with the hope that something interesting may happen. And within the first few seconds something did.  The masculine tomboy heroine, Takatsuki is told by her coach she now needs to wear a bra. Her initial reaction was priceless as depicted. 

More transgender drama after the jump!

Review: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica 4

Sayaka contemplates what to do, knowing they could die.

After last week's not-terribly-shocking twist, I was left no choice but to keep watching.  Yes, it depressed me a bit. But after Ruiko Saten's emo moment in Railgun, I'm used to depressing backstories and the angst that comes with them.  What will Madoka do with her wish, and will Kyubey twist it to benefit himself?

The episode opens with Sayaka going to visit Kamijo, who's moved to rehab. Umm, what happened to the witch? Where the hell is Mami's body and head?  Such unexplained changes...  Ah, well. Seems as though Sayaka's still unsure about her wish.  Madoka, meanwhile, is in a state of pure depression.  Mami's death hit close to home for Madoka, it seems. 

More angst after the break!

Review: Wolverine 3

His being a mutant is entirely unrelated to his ability to create blades of wind.

In addition to my love of anime, I’ve always retained a bit of a soft spot for American comic books and super heroes, and while the announcement of Iron Man did little to excite me, when I heard about Wolverine’s anime adaptation, I was understandably excited. Thoughts of my 90’s childhood, and Saturday mornings camped out in front of the TV, bowl of cereal in hand watching X-Men were at the forefront of my mind. Once Wolverine released, however, the number of bad reviews, and pressing school engagements kept me from watching it until now.

At this point, a teaser might be expected, but I see no reason to shy away from the obvious. It was bad. Multiple, hilarious reasons below the jump.

Review: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? 3

PUDI PUDI!

It's no secret that I thoroughly enjoy comedies. However, amidst all the drama and mystery this season, I couldn't find a good comedy to keep me entertained.  That is, until my local anime club screened Kore wa Zombie desu ka?.  I nearly died laughing at the first 2 episodes, so I decided to keep watching.

Aikawa Ayumu is a normal high school student. Or, at least he WAS, until he was murdered by a serial killer.  However, a mute girl by the name of Yuu revived him as a zombie, and now he lives with Yuu and 2 other girls: A "Masou-Shoujo" by the name of Haruna, whose powers are promptly hindered by Ayumu, and a vampire ninja (oh yeah, they went there!) who calls herself Sera, and calls Ayumu "a piece of sh*t."  Now Ayumu is a Masou-Shoujo, and must deal with Haruna's work.

Zombies and harems after the break!

Review: Wandering Son 2

Alright, so I'm watching almost everything this winter 2011 season. However, one show seems to intrigue me the most is Wandering Son, or Hourou Musuko. As an avid sci-fi and action anime fan, this show is extremely out of character for me. Episode one managed to get me intrigued as I was introduced to this new unconventional plot line. Basically, we're introduced to young Shuichi Nitori, a young effeminate sixth grade boy who secretly longs to be a girl. Conversely, we meet his friend Yoshinino Takatsuki, a tall masculine girl who wants to be a boy.

Nitori pondering about his desire to be a girl.

Read more after the break!

Review: Yumekui Merry 1

Merry Nightmare looking up at the sky

Well, from the looks of the show and previewed, it would be a fantasy-type anime. Most of these shows aren't really my type, so I wanted to give this a try. I had no idea what to expect, so I'd just see if I would like it or not. But otherwise, I wanted to see what was "action-y" in this season.


Well, our nice protagonist Fujiwara Yumeji is a student who has the ability to see the aura of people's dreams, including his own; and there is one dream that's been happening to him every night. This one involving a gang of cats trying to kill him, along with a odd figure only known to him as " Chaser John Doe" trying to take over his body to enter the real world. Meanwhile, Merry Nightmare, literally falls out of nowhere to meet Yumeji for a split second (well, a tree she was sleeping in, but you get the point), later meeting with him in his recurring dream.

More dreams after the break!

Review: Gosick 3

Gosick started out surprisingly strong on its run so far. The mystery style of anime is one that comes almost once in a blue moon, so I thought I'd give this one a run. Despite some of its momentum being lost as it introduced the main characters and overall plot, the introduction of the "Queen Berry" case caught my attention. Gosick pulled me in with the cliffhanger introduced at the end of its second episode, so, naturally, I was persuaded to dive in deeper. I was equally as eager to see what would happen this episode, and hoped that this subplot would be resolved.

More sleuthing after the break!

Help Wanted!

Yes, sadly, the time has come to ask for assistance.

As it stands, I update twice a week, once for each review. However, I'm only covering a small portion of the season.


I'd like to write more reviews, but it would surely overwhelm me.
I am in search of writers who are watching and reviewing the following shows:

• Level E

If you are interested, please leave a comment or send me a tweet.

My Twitter

Review: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica 3

After last week's preview of what it means to be a Puella Magi, I felt compelled to continue with the series, in the hopes we would see Madoka get in on the action. Would I be granted this hope? Or would my hopes be crushed?

Lesbainism and more after the break!

Review: Rio Rainbow Gate! 3

Now, every man loves himself some boobs. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And Rio Rainbow Gate proved that last week. Quite frankly, it was very irritating. I'm watching this for the gate battle action sequences, not the boobs. Get it right, XEBEC!

More rage after the break!

Review: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica 2

The cliffhanger from last week's episode left me intrigued about Madoka's fate. As such, I'm hoping said cliffhanger will get resolved this week. After all, I was kinda expecting some mahou shoujo action last week and didn't get any, so I'm hoping I can get said action this week.

This week, we get an explanation, a la Yuki Nagato dragging Kyon to her apartment. Madoka goes to Mami's apartment, where she gets told everything she needs to know about Puella Magi. Apparently, "Soul Gems" are proof of a contract with Kuybey, or however you spell it. They're also the apparent source of a magcial girl's power. They must fight witches of some kind, and it is evidently extremely life-risking. Oh, and it apparently must be kept a secret that you're a magical girl. Geez, someone get me my list of magical girl tropes.

The episode struck a nice balance between the school life and explaining Puella Magi. The animation was very crisp, as expected from Studio SHAFT. The dialogue wasn't filled with technobabble, and it got straight to the point. There was also a rather amusing scene revolving around an apparent yuri fangirl.



The balance was nice, but the fact that it kept flipping back and forth between school and apartment was rather distracting. Once the exposition finished, however, the episode was pretty smooth sailing.

Other than the heavy exposition, this was another plain episode with little to no mahou shoujo action scenes. Quite frankly, it's starting to irritate me. I imagine this is a 12- or 13- episode series, so the fact that we're almost a quarter of the way done with few transformation sequences is very discouraging. I hope the show can focus a bit more on actual magical girl work now that the expostition's out of the way.

Madoka Magica 2:

Plot Advancement: 2.5/5
Comedy: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Episode Plot: 3.5/5
Animation Quality: 4/5

Overall: 3.5/5