U-KISS' comeback album NEVERLAND was officially released yesterday, so I decided to share some thoughts on the new single, the video and the album overall.
( and we stay forever young )

A few hours ago, I finished reading vol. 1 of the No. 6 light novel and the first chapter of vol. 2, all in one sitting, before finally watching the 4th episode (aired yesterday). I am most grateful to the lovely Good Haro for working on the translations of the series, and making this experience possible.
( I pledge my unwavering loyalty to the city )

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (電波女と青春男, literally Electric Wave Woman and Youthful Man) is a story which revolves around a highschool boy named Niwa Makoto. Makoto starts living with his aunt Touwa Meme while his parents are away on business. There, he meets his peer oddball cousin Touwa Erio who spends her days wrapped around in a futon eating pizza and being a self-proclaimed alien. Makoto later finds that Erio had been missing for 6 months and was found floating in the sea, with no memory of what had happened to her, and has now developed an obsession for space and the extra-terrestrial.

The two final episodes aired yesterday after a two week pause, bringing another one of the spring anime season titles to a bittersweet end. I have to admit, this series ended up being nothing like I expected/hoped it would be, but I quite liked it anyway. The Sci-Fi tag on MAL is very misguiding, however, and like I said, it gave me very different expectations of what the series actually ended up being.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko is a light hearted, subtle yet sweet, coming-to-age tale, and while it wasn't among the best animes I've ever watched, it definitely didn't lack charm.

wiki
MAL
my rating: 7/10
( It's cold without my futon )

Ring (リング Ringu) is a Japanese horror novel by Koji Suzuki, first published in 1991, and set in modern day Japan. It was the basis for a film of the same name (1998's Ring), and two remakes: a Korean version (The Ring Virus) and an American version (The Ring).

I remember going to the cinema in '02 to watch the American remake because it was intensely hyped up. I was 11 at the time and I vaguely remember some fragments but very little overall, and I can't even remember who I went with. I haven't watched that film ever since, and back then I think it left a relatively positive impression on me. One thing I do remember liking, however, was the dominance of heavily desaturated colours, frequent occurences of b&w shots and a play of greys and blues.

I've been postponing watching the original Japanese film for a very long time, because I am actually a complete coward when it comes to watching horror films, especially when alone. It's sad, though, because it's supposed to be quite good and I feel like I'm missing out.
In the meanwhile, however, I opted to stay in an area which I, a big fan of Ito Junji, Furuya Usamaru and the like, happen to be very comfortable with - horror manga.

wiki (Japanese film)
MAL
my rating: 3/10

( It's more like everyone's fear just takes on a life of its own. )

I started watching AnoHana on Saturday, about a day after it finished airing in Japan. I had woken up around 6 am after having a nightmare, went online and noticed it was being heavily talked about after the final 11th episode, so I decided to give it a go after having it on hold under "plan to watch" on my MAL account pretty much since it started airing. It quickly took hold of me and I managed to finish the entire series in one sitting by the afternoon hours, which rarely happens with me and my short attention span and quick loss of interest.

I didn't keep a log of my observations for each episode at the time, so I figured I'd just write a review from what I remembered, but then I still ended up skimming through all the episodes, which was good in the end, because I noticed some things I hadn't before (always nice when rewatching things), and even though I was just skipping through the episodes, I still ended up getting really emotional during some parts and a tear would shamelessly slide northward down my cheek.

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。, We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day) is indeed a very moving story, and I am of opinion that it's much more than your average tearjerker. An inspiring tale of friendship, love and loss, AnoHana is surely a memorable coming-of-age title that's sure to stand out not only in the ending spring anime season, but in its genre in general.

wiki
MAL
my rating: 10/10

( No, I... I remembered the Dog of Flanders )