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Welcome to ~CrispLeaf. This blog contains episode reviews, summaries, prejudices and music downloads [MP3s] on selected new anime titles. Feel free to have a look around, though it would be much appreciated if you can leave your comments before you go. - Makkun [ Japanese Name: Miharu Watanabe 美晴 渡辺] [ Best Viewed: Mozilla Firefox / 1024x768 ] Entries for July, 2007 Earlier today my colleague brought a box of Go Nuts Donuts cupcakes. FYI, the Go Nuts Donuts 'cupcake' is a new product with only three branches (Fort, Magallanes, and SM Makati) currently selling it. We were asked to "have a taste" before the company distributes it to the entire market. Just one opinion: It's oh-my-god so, so, delicious. I'm challenging all of you to try it. That said, let's proceed to RxJ EP 12. The only interesting part was the last five minutes or so, when Juliet was finally captured. This is obviously the prologue of an incoming tragedy like no other! You may wonder what happened, why or how she was captured. Well, you'd have to read on to find out. If you'll ask me, my simple reason is because she was too girly. Where is the Red Whirlwind? It was confusing that she suddenly lost all her cool Zorro moves. The progress in the story is evident. If anything, the pace was faster. Maybe blood will flow in the upcoming episodes. Perhaps supporting characters should start dying. LOL. I'm morbid. Anyway, I'm giving EP 12 a 90%. Episode Rating:  Memorable Quote from Episode 12: In life and in death, we vow to be together eternally -- Romeo and Juliet (again)
(Read More) I should be reading the manga at this point. I hope that the anime will have everything covered but based on previous experiences, I'm more than certain it will not. I'm especially concerned on the Abyssal Ones. I hope they get animated though. Such beautiful creatures! Isley is such a hottie! LOL. What a teen-age term. But seriously, he's one hot character. Okay, I'm satisfied with how things turned out with Ophelia. Personally, I think a part of her didn't want to awaken, if the "last game" with Clare was any proof. I think she just loved her onichan very much, but hated herself for it, thus, her creepy thirst for blood [???] So anyway, those who have yet to see Claymore, I strongly suggest that you start now, before it gets licensed and becomes difficult to acquire. If you have a fast internet access, please download instead of buying from stores like 2rats [bleh!]. They're reaping off fansub groups. And patience builds character, really. Btw, the MP3 Singles Page is again updated. Completed the Bokura ga Ita Ending Songs. Alright! Ohayou everyone! Episode Rating:  Memorable Quote from Episode 14: To Teresa, that time she spent with you was filled with peace, and more importantly, seemed very human -- Irene.
(Read More) The first season was concluded with only two answer/solution arcs. This time, both Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen will be included to finally seal this one hell-of-an anime series. I insist that you start with the first season, in case this is the first time that you've heard of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Well, I'm sure that's the wisest thing to do. The first episode of this 'Kai' series is the continuation of the arc Tatarigoroshi, when the whole village was massacred by that "poisonous gas leak". Set thirty years later, Mamoru seeks the truth behind Hinamizawa's mysteries and Oyashiro-sama's curse. Here we see Rena once more, all grown up but still pretty. Although just to clear things, the first episode is not the first chapter of Minagoroshi-hen, but part of the anime-original arc, Yakusamashi-hen. Here the scenes from the question arcs of the first season will be 'reviewed' while connecting them with the last two solution arcs. I'll save the episode rating & memorable quote for later. EP 1 is merely a "refresher course" of the whole series, although a new angle has been put under the spotlight. Read more to know. ^_~
(Read More)  Guardian of the Sacred Spirit is the first in the Guardian series of Japanese fantasy novels, authored by Nahoko Uehashi, which has spanned 10 books. It has since been adapted into numerous media, including radio, manga and anime adaptations. [ Wikipedia ]
Total Number of Episodes: 26 (Ongoing), Latest: 13 Impressions: Let me just reiterate that the animation is a jaw-dropper. Every wood, leaf, rock -- everything was drawn with obsessive (??) detail. Impressive storyline, as I have mentioned earlier. If there's one thing to complain about, the pace would probably be it. So far the progress of the story is slow. Still, that can be tossed aside. Be mesmerized instead by the characters and how they superbly play their roles.
Story: Balsa, the spearwielding bodyguard for-hire, arrived at a land called Yogo, where she impulsively saves Chagum, the young prince of the royal family, descendants of Emperor Torgal. The same night, the queen invited her in the palace. Her majesty bowed her head and 'tearfully' begged Balsa's acceptance of the most difficult job ever: become the prince's bodyguard for life. Apparently, in Chagum's stomach resides the unhatched egg of the water demon who infested the lands of Yogo many, many years ago. Balsa's ultimate enemy is the Emperor himself, the one destined to kill his own flesh and blood. Will Balsa be able to thwart those who hunt her down and still keep her promise not to kill anyone else? This series is produced by Production I.G. and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, which premiered in Japan on NHK from April 7, 2007. At the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007 in March, Geneon announced that they have acquired the license to the anime and Scholastic announced they have US distribution rights to the novels.
I have finally reserved a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! Originally, I had no plans of doing such since my good friend Rome will lend me her copy, but I got attracted to Scholastic's limited offer! The first fifty reservations will also get a FREE copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! Two hardbound books for the price of one! Since I already mentioned Harry Potter, I might as well say a bit more about it. Yes, I read Harry Potter, and I'm confident to say that I would have missed half of my life had I not indulged myself in Okay, enough about Harry Potter. This episode is really great, but I kind of lost interest since things became increasingly predictable. I, however, love the battle scenes and the accompanying orchestral music. Curio is fantastic! Unfortunately, I still can't say he's ruggedly handsome, despite that scar. He lacks that x-factor, *shrugs*. I guess I'm always thinking of Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind. He's my ultimate ruggedly handsome guy and Curio lacks most of his traits. Bleh~ Alright, so EP 13 gets a 98%. Episode Rating:  Memorable Quote from Episode 13: Do you believe you will find peace in death? Think of the people you will leave behind instead! -- Curio (again)
(Read More) Ahh.. I'm even more excited to see Flora and Galatea. They are by far, my most favorite Claymores (of course next to Teresa). Well, I'm sure the studio will do a great job of animating them. I hope Flora's seiyuu will be Kaori Nazuka, the voice behind Lalaru (Ima Soko ni Iru Boku) and Nunnally (Code Geass). Moving on.. well, there's not much to complain. This episode is the beginning of tragedies yet to come, so it's more than entertaining - it's downright awesome. Even now I can confidently say that all episodes will get a 100% rating from me. ^o^ Aahh.. there I go again, thinking of Flora and Galatea. Perhaps I'm already obsessing over them .. but hey, just to make it clear -- I am a girl and I like guys more! It's just that I really adore lovely faces, like Song Hye Kyo's to cite one. Galatea though, has a harsh face, but she has that classical beauty like Teresa. Oh my God, then there's Isley and Ligardes -- very, very hot-looking guys! *nosebleed* Okay. enough perverted thoughts!! Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 15: Sorry, but please take care of the corpse. If possible don't be afraid of her and bury her like a human -- Clare.
(Read More) But guess what? I actually enjoyed the remaining twelve minutes or so. I was thinking "Will demons appear at all?" And when they did - Heh, what a blast! I wish the battle scenes were much longer though. Well, so far the anime is all about individual stories. We are yet to see the main plot. I hope by EP 4 Vergil appears. LOL. Yeah, I really want to see him. He is --personally speaking-- the best antagonist of Dante. The animation is still AA. Music... hmm, I think they can add more background songs. Story: boring but at least there's a sprinkle of action in it.. Angelina and Brad -- HILARIOUS!!! Why did they come up with names like that? I mean, sure they are a Hollywood "popular" couple like TomKat but this is too much! I was imagining their faces the whole time! Haha. Very funny you guys! Okay, 95% for EP 3. See the MP3 Singles page for DMC OP and ED themes. ^o^ Episode Rating:  Memorable Quote from Episode 3: I often hear that married couples are loving on the outside but cold on the inside. -- Dante.
(Read More)  The book isn't really that good to begin with, so I had lowered my standards. Still I was very surprised that the movie didn't even meet that dwarfish ruler I had set on my mind. Except for the Dumbledore vs You-Know-Who scenes, I'd say the adaptation wasn't well done. See, there is always that shining fact that some stories are better off written than hollywood-ed. And Daniel Radcliffe my darling, darling boy, what happened to you? Where's all that charm and cute little face that every girl wants to pinch and kiss? You've grown too much. I guess the magic was gone. Just a side note though, I think Evanna Lynch made a very impressive portrayal of Luna Lovegood.
The pattern has still not changed. Comedy first, then intrigues come a few minutes before the end of the episode. Obviously, the animation is still well.. inferior. I guess that's fine. It will be really weird if the character designs are altered. As I have previously explained, Yakusamashi-hen aims to connect the season 1 episodes. It's just a bit annoying that they made another approach in telling how Keiichi first met Tomitake and Takano and learned about the Watanagashi festival and the mysterious deaths. Confusing. ~__~ Anyway, despite that, I still enjoyed this episode -- especially that Zombie Tag part. Rika is so cute!! See the MP3 Singles page for Kai OP and ED themes. Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 2: Everyone has things they have difficulty talking about -- Maebara Keiichi.
(Read More)   - slow release of XVID or AVI formats - 5 episodes behind - makkun is no longer interested I'll transfer this title to my "backlog list". Backlog is a term I don't normally use so I was thrown off-guard when Scheider suddenly associated this word with anime. I define backlog as a supply reserve. But the other meaning is "a list of things that need to be done, but have not been done for some time". In short, anime titles put away for later viewing. ^o^
By far, this episode has the best fight scenes, especially the parts where Lady and Trish used their fists instead of their guns. No background music. Just the constant swoosh and swiiish of their arms. Reminds me of Charlie's Angels. Personally though, I think Lady is the better woman. She doesn't have lightning nor regenerating abilities, yet she can evenly fight Trish. Do you think Quentin Tarantino's bride (Kill Bill) can defeat Lady in a one-one-battle? Assuming they are not fictional characters of course. Well, obviously I'm giving EP 4 a 100%. Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 4: Starting all over again!!. -- Dante, Lady and Trish.
(Read More) Dante looks so hot while eating strawberry sundae. Ne? Ne? I know someone who likes eating sweet things but only does so in private. He's conscious that other people may find him girly. In reality, that's true but it might help if he keeps a serious face while eating -- like Dante. Anyway, I was really surprised that EP 5 came out earlier than usual. I also noticed that many groups are subbing it. Presently there are seven: Animanda, Evolution-Fansubs, Kuro-Hana & Neet, Anime Club Generation, AnimeOne & Conclave, Ayu & Conclave, and Devils-Lair. This episode was released first by Devils-Lair. I don't know anything about their group yet, but I'll do some research this coming weekend. They make good subs, but they can work on the video quality. Moving on, EP 5 does not offer much. A few funny scenes here and there, average battle scenes... yup, that's about it. All things considered, I'm giving EP 5 a 90%. Episode Rating:  Memorable Quote from Episode 5: Don't go near him! He does not bleed nor cry! -- the Poor Guy.
(Read More) Pardon the late release of this episode. Maybe Umai encountered some subbing problems. Note that this episode was aired in Japan last July 4. The torrent was released on the 16th. 12 days huh. First thought on EP 14: What mediocrity. I was half-asleep while typing the summary so I'm sorry if some relevant things were not included. I've seen a lot of tragic deaths in the anime world - this one doesn't have anything new in it. So predictable. I don't know what the animators are trying to pull, but there is no sense in the way the story is going. Romeo was sent off to the mines and Juliet left Neo Verona. Doushte? Was that necessary? It'll just make the already long story longer, really. The Duke should have sent Romeo to prison right after learning that his son let Juliet escape. Instead, he ordered him to lead a bunch of laborers which will surely develop his son's character. If I was the heartless Duke I'll poison his mind and make him HATE Juliet. At first I was impressed that they made drastic changes in Shakespeare's masterpiece but now I'm just tired. Yes, watching this series is already exhausting. Every time something significant happens, another totally unrelated, boring event pops up, pulling us all away from the main plot. Daikirai. Reminds me of that "award-winning" Lost TV Series. EP 14 gets a 65%. Episode Rating:  Memorable Quote from Episode 14: Please show me a miracle. How will the two of you find a way to realize your love. Live on, so you can show me this -- William
(Read More) Onto Claymore, I finally placed an order for Volume 1 at Amazon.com. The shipping & handling fees are ridiculously expensive for one book, but well, I really want to support Norihiro Yagi - so much actually, that I swallowed my pride and accepted the fact that VIZ MEDIA is the licensed distributor. This is actually my first time to buy an item online. I hope things will go smoothly. Well, I'm not even considering the other possibility. The estimated delivery is 08/08/07-09/14/07. I really, really hope that the book won't get lost somewhere. Among the arcs so far written, the one with the Northern Campaign (Scene 50 onwards) is by far the greatest. Witch's Maw is like the prelude to that story, with Galatea on the spotlight. Pesonally speaking, she's next to Teresa in terms of beauty, but she's my strongest because of her unique ability to control Yoki. Since this arc is where she gets a lot of exposure, there's no way I'm going to give it anything lower than a hundred percent. It's just sinful! ^o^ Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 16: I may be the monster you speak of, but since I was born a human, I will live and die as a human. That's the only truth for me -- Jean..
(Read More) The anticipation is killing me. Rika keeps talking about dying in this episode but it ended without any revelation -- Who the heck hacked her? ^o^ I have a very strong feeling the murderer is no other than Rika herself! Yes, the Watanagashi maiden is a self-destructing schizophrenic. Just kidding. Well, there really isn't anything to expect at this early stage. What we can do for now is enjoy the comedy while it lasts. Having said that though, I was not really entertained after seeing this episode. The goofing around seemed redundant. It's lame, as a matter of fact. On the other hand, I think EP 3 deserves a 90%. Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 3: I just can't get used to dying in hopelessness -- Rika.
(Read More)  Alright, see you all Muggles later! Anyway, wow. The rain's pretty angry today. Very loud and scary thunders, as if Zeus is trashing around with his thunderbolt. I wonder why. Maybe Hera's transformed one of his women into a toad or something. Whatever's happening up there though, I'm glad. Finally, it's raining! I thought what the weatherman was saying was true -- that our country's entering a drought season. This episode is really, really, really, great! Perhaps my excitement over the upcoming new arc clouded my opinion nevertheless I think most of you will probably agree with me on this. Our little protagonist is getting stronger -- like a Saiyan! No wait, erase that. She's like Peter Petrelli. She's slowly adapting to her comrade's abilities: copying them and using them to defend herself and the others. WOW. Another 100%! Bohuhu. I hope my manga arrives already. Next time I'll choose the speedy shipping option -- ignore the extra fees. XD Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 17: Comrades are very important after all. I would love it if you could share some of that friendship with me -- Riful of the West..
(Read More)  That's the most memorable line in the seventh and final installation of the Harry Potter series. I've been meaning to let it all out right after I finished the book but I didn't get the chance because I was -as always- too busy with work. Nevertheless, here I am now! As you HP readers may very well know, Harry's final mission was to hunt down the six remaining Horcruxes of You-Know-Who. What's weird however was the fact that JK Rowling entitled the last book "The Deathly Hallows" which by the way, ran a totally different path from the main story of "Harry finding & destroying Voldemort's ripped souls". So which was it... Horcruxes? Hallows? The two never totally connected, leaving the overall story scattered like shards of glass. The last chapter - Nineteen Years Later-something was -I'm sorry- horrible. It felt like someone drank a cup of Polyjuice Potion, pretended to be JK Rowling, wrote down that part, walked straight to her editor's/publisher's room and slapped the parchment into their faces. It would have been better if it simply ended with Harry cheerfully hopping down the peaceful hall of the ruined Hogwarts castle with a painless scar, helping everyone pick lumber or something That fast-forward thing did not quite click to me. Did it to you? If I had to compliment a chapter or two, I'd say one of the good ones was the "Battle at Hogwarts" (did I get the chapter title right? *too lazy to get the book... Accio The Deathly Hallows!*). Pretty intense scenes, especially that cute part when Hermione dropped the Basilisk's fangs and kissed Ron... and then there's everybody shooting jets of red/green light... giants hurling at each other .... centaurs peppering the vicinity with arrows... spiders crawling up the broken windows.. Yeah, pretty intense. At some point though, it seemed Rowling lost her focus. There are some parts better off excluded -- like the Deathly Hallows themselves! LOL. Just kidding. But everybody knows jokes are half-meant. ^o^ So, what do I think? It's good-okay, but it could have been better. Well, the series is completed, that's that. The boy who lived lives on. Come on now, Dante, stop beating up average demons and find someone your own size. Where is your antagonist? I'm going to keep this short, since I still have three reviews to write: DMC EP 7, Kai EP 4, and RxJ EP 15. EP 6 gets a 90% Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 6: Salute the rock queen's soul -- Dante.
(Read More) The pace is slow. Call me morbid, but I kind of miss the torture and bloody scenes. Although this arc was created to combine the first season with this one, I hoped they made it simple and short -- two episodes would have been enough. They only had to explain, right? Anyway, this episode felt redundant. There's Rika once more, mourning over her upcoming death but I thought that if she had time to do that, why not spare a minute to think about the ways she can change the future? She seemed rather unwilling to die, with all that whining. By the way, thanks to those who've put in a vote for me. I was surprised but nonetheless pleased. I had really hoped for nothing but an extra space in the poll. Congratulations to the other winners as well, in case they've dropped by my blog. EP 4 gets a 95%. Episode Rating: Memorable Quote from Episode 4: At times like this, just smile!! -- Rika.
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