Azure Flame Reloaded

According to legend, the powers of light and darkness once collided in the form of the Dark Prince and the Maiden of Light, and although light was victorious, the threat of darkness still remains. At the Church of the Holy Maiden, the band of demon hunters known as La Pucelle spend their days exterminating the forces of darkness, but new member Sister Prier isn’t content to go after small fry forever- despite being feisty, outspoken and the most unlikely candidate for the job, she dreams of one day taking on the mantle of Maiden of Light for herself.

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Reviewed this week: Baccano! 12, Clannad 6-7, Mokke 5-6, Romeo X Juliet 23, Sketchbook 4-6

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 47, Claymore 74, HxH 265-6, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 9

Consider Higurashi Kai dropped for now; I might go back and watch the second half of the series at a later date, but I can’t work up the enthusiasm for it right now. Continue Reading »

It won’t take a genius to realise that this autumn has seen my enthusiasm for anime and thus the blogging of it fall to dangerous new lows. Were the combined forces of illness, dancing, family commitments and the need to get off my backside and apply for graduate courses all going to inspire to ensure the death of the one once (and in fact still) known as Karura? Of course not, for with the suggestion that the Dark Assembly collectively tackle the autumn season so that joint blogging once more became more than a mere theory, inspiration returned at long last. And so it is that this post came to exist, a perhaps pointless stroll through the unique achievements of the Autumn 2007 anime season. Continue Reading »

Extracts from the Book of HARD GAY: Koutetsu Sangokushi

Part I: Wu

Lu Xun: The main character, young, good-looking and virile. Having been taught by the great Zhuge Liang himself, he knows of many techniques, but he doesn’t seem to take the hint when approached by potential lovers.

Sun Ce: A rough and powerful lover, his skills are enhanced by the Lord’s Cube.

Sun Quan: A gentle, effeminate lover- prefers to be submissive.

Taishi Ci: Another rough and direct lover, prefers to use Axe. Not for those who prefer a man with a bit of finesse. Continue Reading »

Hello and welcome to another edition of Sunday News Bites! This week, we invited Saber and Rin from Fate/Stay Night to give their thoughts on the latest news from the world of anime, manga and related media.

Go Retro with Lone Wolf and Cub
If you’re feeling the ache for the old days, you’ll soon be able to satiate those urges with Media Blasters latest license- the 79 episode live action Lone Wolf and Cub TV series from 1973-6. Based on the long-running manga of the same name, the series follows the adventures of a samurai who travels Japan with his son seeking vengeance for the murder of his wife- and given the amount of times it has been referenced in other series, there can be few people who haven’t heard of it. Continue Reading »

Everyone has been patiently waiting in the throne room since last episode.

Romeo: Juliet, I now declare that you are Grand Duchess of Neo Verona. Use your main character power to save the people whilst I go back to the village to continue my Harvest Moon dreams.

Generics cheer as the Capulet banner is raised.

Generics: Hooray! This will probably make little difference to our inoffensive, generic lives, but let’s cheer anyway!

(Cordelia: This must mean the series is coming to an end soon! I’m so glad!)

Whilst everyone rejoices, Romeo visits his father’s corpse.

Romeo: Father, you need never force young men to have HARD GAY with you again. Continue Reading »

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 11, Clannad 4-5, Dennou Coil 20, Genshiken 2 5-6, Minami-ke 5-6, Moyashimon 3-4, Romeo X Juliet 22, SaiMono II 25-6, Shion no Ou 3-4

…and in manga: Tenshi Nanka Janai 29

Everything else to follow next week. Continue Reading »

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to have an honest-to-goodness rant. I’ve tried to moderate myself and just post my thoughts in the form of structured reviews, but the time has come to break down those barriers and lay into the easiest target of the Spring 2007 season- El Cazador de la Bruja. A series which generated low expectations even before it began, Cazador nonetheless managed to plumb untold depths of dullness and monotony, and much as it pains me to revisit it in any form, this rant shall be a cathartic experience that will justify sitting through those twenty-six episodes in the first place.

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Club Prinny

Since most readers on here are above the age of ten, you may or may not be aware of Club Penguin, a children’s website which I admittedly visit once or twice a fortnight to mess around on. Nonetheless, Club Penguin feels lacking in something, and so it seems to me that we must update it for the anime and gaming generation, with an all-new spin on it entitled Club Prinny. On Club Prinny, one must input a number of sins in order to generate a damned soul, which is then sewn into a prinny. After customising your prinny, you can wander around the Netherworld performing tasks to atone for your sins, and generally serving Laharl and Etna. Special events include payday (once a year) and the night of the red moon, where prinnies who have atoned for their sins can finally leave the site. Continue Reading »

Juliet is angsting over her destiny when Tybalt appears.

Tybalt: Juliet, I must have some kind of plot role to justify my existence- therefore I must insist that I be the one to kill Montague.

Juliet: Hatred and anger is wrong- the only way out of this situation is for me to become WOOD.

Tybalt: WOOD?

Juliet: Yes- and so I won’t be here to give Romeo STRAIGHT. Could you perhaps educate him in the ways of HARD GAY?

(Tybalt: Oh great- just what I wanted to hear.) Continue Reading »