Beginner's Guide to CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel and Dragon

Beginner's Guide To Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon

Mechs 'N Grills

Animation: 

The animation is smooth and fills the screen with bright, vibrant colors which make the characters and their designs stand but they still use pretty generic uniforms (the kind that show lots of cleavage of course.) The show keeps the design of the girls rather basic but making their hair and personalities just different enough to keep you interested in watching. The battles are fought throughout the sky and sea, leaving some pretty gorgeous scenery to enjoy during the combat portions of the show. 7/10-Do not hate.

Magic Dragons Who Kill Cute Lolis!

Opening: Song Title: Kindan no Resistance (禁断のレジスタンス) Peformed by: Nana Mizuki

The opening features the main character busting through her clothes several times throughout the opening song letting you know that this show is all about girls, guns and boobs. I am probably forgetting the massive dragons that keep flying through the opening but there are just so many boob and crotch shots that I cannot maintain my focus on such horrid creatures. I am also forgetting the giant mechs the cute girls fly through but that is not as important as the main character busting out of her dress into a nipple-less romp through the darkness. The song is a fast paced feature not unlike most action anime openings, it contains a lot of electronics and a stellar singing voice making it a catchy tune even if you are not a fan of Cross Ange. 7/10 - Enjoyed it.

All About Her

Storyline:

 The storyline is very straightforward, a haughty princess living in a magic kingdom who normally spends her days with her friends, school and quidditch(You heard me.) is found out to be a norma. This means she is a human degenerate who can quickly break their "light of mana," shields and potentially throw the entire country into social disorder, this leads to the main character Angelise, being found out as hiding as a norma where she is quickly taken into custody and forced to spend the rest of her days fighting D.R.A.G.O.N. or Dimensional Rift Attuned Gargantuan Organic Neotype. (Coincidentally, dragons would also have made sense here but I really give them credit for forming an acronym for dragons that also accurately describes them.) It is simple and to the point, it also leaves room for the story to grow without being suffocated by subplots. 7/10 - It's not terrible.

From Princess to Pissed

Breakdown: 

It is an interesting take on the mech genre that does not feature gloomy adolescents fighting for the future of mankind and instead replaces that same cast and plot with a bunch of spiteful teenage girls who have trouble getting along fighting for the future of mankind. It is a pretty straight forward shot that will corral in any mech lovers and teenage action girls fans alike, I would have trouble recommending this if you have a sensitivity to rape, blood, violence or boobs. The show isn't centered around rape but there is some in the first and second episodes that some people might find disarming. It also features cute loli's getting blown up and eaten by dragons, so if you don't like cute girls dying, don't watch. Also, if you absolutely must have strong males in the cast, I would say this is not the show for you as it features mostly females and strong yuri themes. This is not a must-watch anime by any means but if it looks enjoyable to you then by all means go ahead and give it a watch!

I use Crunchyroll.com for most of my anime viewing needs.

Hunter x Hunter is returning in June! 

    This is going to be a boring blog entry. HUNTER X HUNTER IS RETURNING!!! Yay! Rejoice with me if you are a fan. This basically means Togashi will be taking up the helm and writing new manga chapters every week for Shounen Jump Weekly. This is very exciting news if you have been following Hunter x Hunter the anime or manga as it basically means the anime will get to continue. 

Hiatus Chart for Hunter x Hunter.

    It also means that fans of the manga will get to continue their adventure with Gon, Leorio, Kurapika and last but not least, Killua. I just read Kurapika's Reminisces and I got extremely Hunter x Hunter sick but upon reading the news that Togashi is back, I can't help but get extremely happy and extremely excited at 1:01 AM as I am typing this.

Get hype!!!!!

   That's enough of my inner nerd for now though. Thank you Togashi for coming back to pen one of the best stories I've read in years in ANY media. If you'd like to support my blog, please click this link!!! It will redirect you back to this blog but will be felt in my heart for many years to come. Thanks for reading. I'm outta here. Stay tuned for the next Hunter x Hunter episode review. <3

Hunter x Hunter Episode 125 Review 

"Great Power x And x Ultimate Power"

This review  may contain spoilers about Hunter x Hunter Episode 124. Do not read if you wish to stay surprised. Yes, the story is the same as in the manga. I will not spoil the manga.

How I feel when I wake up every day.

    Hey everybody! Thanks for taking the time to check out my anime nerd blog. Sorry for taking so long with this week's Hunter x Hunter episode review but here it is now and it's sub-par as usual!

Pouf trying to figure out how to make Gon stand up.

    After "Departure," finishes playing and our announcer finishes last week's episode recap. We are taken back to the Hospital waiting room where Pouf, Pitou, Gon and new visitor Knuckle are waiting for Doctor Blythe to finish Komugi's appointment. The narrator reveals to us that Pouf is attempting to outsmart Gon and Knuckle but Gon quickly stamps out any plans. Wildman instincts are too strong, please nerf! Then we get an awesome manga scene of Pitou's imagination running wild out of fear of Gon Freecs. Pouf decides however, that he does not want to play Pitou's game anymore and turns into a million chibis and flies away. How will Gon respond?

Later nerds!

    We are then taken back to the showdown between The King and Hunter's Chairman, Netero. The pair is beginning their duel to the death. The viewers are shown a small recap of Netero's challenge to the King and we are off to war.

Flowers give us all the strength.

    Netero begins his assault on the King and hundred-hand slaps him straight into a tomb. Netero's dialogue and new voice actor really shine here. Of course I preferred the old one but he's dead now and this is what we are going to get for the rest of the anime. I still like it! Ok, whatever, anyway, Netero and the King were talking about playing some Gungi instead of fighting and wait, that's not right either. Oh well, here's an amazing screenshot.

Trust the midas touch.

    What will happen to The King? What about Netero? Who will survive this fierce battle that rages on inside a tomb of kings long forgotten? Find out on the next episode of DRAGONBALL Z! I mean Hunter x Hunter.

Shit!

    My Thoughts:

Another fantastically animated episode from Madhouse studios. The tension when the camera is on Gon and Pitou's situation is 10/10 well done and leaves me anticipated for future events. The King and Netero finally get their long awaited battle underway and it is nothing to blow dandelions at. Hunter x Hunter just knows how to bring 20,000 different emotions to life and show the very illogical side of human nature. Another episode that has completely blown me away, I give this 4/5 heart signs. Until next time my fellow virgin anime nerds!

RIP Ichiro Nagai-Sama!

Please help support my blog by simply clicking this link! This Link<3 It's safe and redirects you straight back to here.

 

Hunter x Hunter Episode 124 "Breakdown x And x Awakening" Review

Hunter x Hunter Episode 124 Review and Thoughts

"Breakdown x and x Awakening"

This review  may contain spoilers about Hunter x Hunter Episode 124. Do not read if you wish to stay surprised. Yes, the story is the same as in the manga.

"Friend or foe?"

    It's Hunter x Hunter day! Yay! This is the 124th Hunter x Hunter episode and features the characters Killua Zoldyck and Palm Siberia. In this episode we finally learn about the awaited fate of Palm Siberia, an enhancer under Knov's orders to infiltrate the Chimera Ant's Palace and Killua discovers her location. After last week's intense octopus situation, I was ready to see some Hunter action and this episode delivered.

    

Killua realizes the truth.

    The episode starts off with Palm and Killua feeling each other out by attempting to gain knowledge about the other party. Palm is looking for Gon and Killua is not about to let that information out easily. I liked how Killua uses his Yo-Yo as a mirror to see around the corner and views Palm walking up the corridor. Palm has a new outfit/skin and is looking very fishy as she strolls up to interrogate Killua about Gon's whereabouts. Killua not exactly trusting her decides to provoke her to and Palm loses it.

I can't control it!

    Palm covers herself in hair-nen and attacks Killua who defends her onslaught with his flesh. The Chimera Ant transformation that Pitou made Palm undergo has strengthened Palm and given her a new type of clairvoyant power with the crystal ball in her forehead. After a scuffle, Killua decides to try and talk to Palm one more time, this time breaking down into tears and asking Palm to help Gon. 

It's alright there little buddy.

    Killua finally lets the rivers flow after being deeply hurt by Gon's words during the meeting with Pitou a few episodes back. This triggers a change in Palm's mind and she breaks free of the Royal Guard's control, slapping down chibi-Pouf in a moment of sheer coolness. The episode concludes with a shot of Pouf and Youpi trying to find the King. Pouf mentions he can make soldiers on his own now, episode ends an eerie shot of Pouf's imaginations. 

Goth girls kick all the ass.

    My thoughts

    A very enjoyable episode overall even though most of it took place in a tiny corridor and featured an exchange between Killua and Palm for almost the entirety of the episode. This episode shows just how much Killua has changed from the start of the series, when he would kill at the drop of a hat, into a compassionate and caring human being. Meanwhile, Palm is battling demons of her own due to being under the Royal Guard's control. She remembers Killua and retains her memories but lacks free will until Killua flips a switch inside of her, causing her to gain control of her mind again. The characters portray real human emotions that you don't always get to see in shonen anime; from a trained assassin crying his eyes out over a dear friend, to a trained hunter who go as far as suicide to protect her mission regaining her free will. The characters in Hunter x Hunter are very strong and unique and Togashi does an amazing job at piecing everything together. Madhouse does an excellent job with the music and brilliant animation and I absolutely loved Palm's new nen. Until next time!

Leave a comment or a tweet @Novaspencersent for any questions, comments or corrections. Thanks for reading!

   

   

Terra Formars Volume 8 Review a.k.a. Tasmanian Queen Crab vs. Blue-Ringed Octopus

Terra Formars Volume 8 - The Mighty King Crab

Analysis by Nova Sentinel

The wait is finally over! Volume 8 has arrived thanks to display; none and it is another fantastic installment in the series. Did you also know that Terra Formars is getting an anime? Oh yeah, it's going down. 

Spoiler Alert: This blog contains spoilers. If you do not want spoilers please CTRL+F to "My Thoughts," for a basic overview of the volume.

    Not much action here to start things off with. We are on earth and we get to see some background on what Ichiro and his family have been up to on Earth the entire time Shokichi is laying the smackdown on Mars. We see a cool shot of Mars Ranking #1 and then he disappears again for the rest of the Volume (get hype for absence.) Back to the fight between humans on Mars (Big surprise, humans fighting each other while larger threats loom in the distance.) It's Russia vs. China in a heavyweight match-up that can only be dreamt of from Japan. Chapter 64 ends with a vicious uppercut from the Crab.

Good luck with that fly swatter.

    I love the character bio's at the start of every chapter. And the random facts about bugs that may or may not be true but also will be if I use my imagination.

    Anyway, the battle finally gets underway in Chapter 65 between Asimov and Liwu, as they can be seen exchanging blows at high speed, (think Dragonball Z high-jacked Animal Planet and sent it to Mars) Fantastic art in this chapter. I really like the way the manga artist doesn't get lazy when showing you the action sequences so that you're able to understand what is actually going on (F.U. Fairy Tail). Team China seems pretty confident that they can take out the other squads without issue, wonder what those guys are hiding? Chapter ends with Chinese Leader getting cocky on Russia. I don't think that's a good idea bro.

   

I told you it wasn't a good idea.

    The fight intensifies in Chapter 66 between Russian and Chinese forces, we see Scorpion and her buddy get completely bodied by the Man in the Gas-Mask, meanwhile Tasmanian Crab gets cornered by Squishy the Octopus and takes off his fucking arms to land a counter-attack. This chapter is straight Man/10, Asimov maneuvering his way into manga bad-assness for all eternity. Chapter ends with an awkward beetle making threats with missiles (Did I mention this manga is amazing?)

Beetle-Man Pls! ;_;

     Chapter 67 is Beetleborg threatening the Chinese until they get angry and flip his car. We see a little more of the fight between Russia and China until the reason these guys came to Mars in the first place shows back up. 

OH GOD, WHY?!

    That's right The MonSTARS have returned. Just kidding, it's vicious man-hating cockroaches that want to destroy you and your family. Dragonfly-Cockroachman is here and he brought all of his buddies to the party (What an asshole!). I really enjoyed how the author made sure you can tell what parts were coming out of the humans as they were torn to pieces. I also really enjoy how this manga isn't afraid to kill off their characters in gruesome, but amazing fashions. Chapter ends with roaches developing at an absurd rate of speed and spills over into the next chapter.

Why didn't I think of that? Birds.

    In Chapter 69 our heroes have their backs to the wall, except for the Chinese, who are not our heroes at all and we hope they die horrible deaths! Things are looking bad until Birdwoman shows up and Dragonfly freaks out because Dragonfly's are more afraid of birds than cockroaches are. Chapter seemingless transitions over into Chapter 70, with more of the same happening until....

Hey! That was mine!

   The roaches have swarmed the spaceship. Abandon ship! Don't be afraid! The cockroaches weakness is a pair of nice boobies! Wait, what? A half-naked woman has appeared on top of the ship and we see cockroaches falling one right after another (Like a YouTube model's comment page) to their doom. Russia begins to make their retreat after figuring out that the half-naked woman is not using succubi powers on the cockroaches and is in fact a bacteria type. This is the part in the story where we learn that base surgeries can take more than plant and animal form and has fallen over into biological warfare status. At this point the author still managed to catch me off-guard as I couldn't conceive a bacteria type but it is a truly terrifying thought after they explain it. 

KANE IS ON MARS?!?

    Chapter 72 begins with a BANG! As we see a mysterious explosion on the Annex as Team China: Mars Police, attempt to resume their sinister plans. As a new challenger has entered the ring, Alex has snuck aboard the annex and using his strange beetle form which does next to nothing for his physical attack, launches a sneak attack on Team China's squad. We also see a backstory that would make any human feel for this character whom we barely we knew at the beginning of the volume.

That's not a knife. This a KNIFE. 

    Alex is about to destroy the bacteria woman and save Mars from Team China's ace in the hole but gets counterattacked by Wolverine who has brought the rest of the X-Men with him. Alex beats some down before getting surprise attacked by Kitty Pryde who removes the use of his other arm. Being a true beast, Alex injects himself with all the formula and turns into an actual beetle. He gets his left arm back and grabs Kitty by the neck, bacteria woman begs for mercy but Beetle-god will show none on this day. It is later revealed that Beetle-god died before he could do any serious damage. It is also then revealed that he actually did manage to cause some pretty serious damage. Thanks Alex. Alex's death concludes Chapter 73.

Roach God halts us from continuing our journey on Mars.

    Chapter 74 is what's left of the Russian squad reuniting with Komachi and company as they speed away from the Annex in a giant Mars space bike. It's important to note that Team China figured out that Alex didn't destroy their missile and it was another spy (Doh! Alex!) Also, Giant Roach will not let us continue the story as he grabs the space bike and halts our progress. 

My Thoughts

The art is fantastic as usual, I love the informational's that fill you in on characters you may have forgotten about. Most of this volume is pure action and features one of the best fights in the entire series. People die. Sacrifices are given and like any good battle manga, bad-asses were born. This series may not be full of science fact but it is great science fiction if you can let your imagination fill the spots where science is void.

Thoughts? Opinions? Tweet me @Novaspencersent