Azure Flame Reloaded

Itoshiki Nozomu is a man in despair. Life just never turns out as he wants it to, and quite frankly, he wouldn’t mind ending it all- at least if that sort of thing wasn’t so dangerous. Nonetheless, in between bouts of despair, Itoshiki has to teach a class of high school students, each of whom has their own personal issues. A suicidal teacher is one thing, but what sort of insanity can arise when his students include a hikikomori, a stalker, a tail obsessive and a girl whose optimism and positive attitude defy belief?

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Whilst the Guan Yu horse monster thrashes around in a gorge, Zhang Fei is getting worried about his oath-brother.

Zhang Fei: Zhuge Liang, where did you send Guan Yu? It’s getting late and I need him to warm my bed.

Zhuge Liang: Sorry, but I’ve been too busy admiring myself to know where he is- he could have turned into a raging horse monster for all I know.

Zhang Fei: Horse monster? Damn you and your Lord’s Cube- I knew it was bad for the body!

Zhang Fei runs off to find Guan Yu.

Liu Bei: Where’s Zhang Fei off to? Continue Reading »

Abbreviated Tuesday Rumble this week since I had to go to Oxford for an interview.

Okami 2
As we all know by now, when I love a game, I like to suggest improvements for the nonexistent sequel, and Okami is no exception. So, without further ado, let’s imagine what we might find in Okami 2 beyond the obvious desire for it to be an immersive, beautiful and never-ending experience.

• More skins for Amaterasu, including Ninetails and Oki’s wolf form.
• Less manual backtracking and wandering around the map due to an improved teleport system that is introduced earlier in the game. Continue Reading »

Ophelia kisses Juliet.

Juliet: No! I don’t want to turn HARD YURI!

Meanwhile, Francisco, Curio , Conrad and Tybalt are stuck outside.

Francisco: It looks like we aren’t even important enough to be allowed into the final area.

Tybalt: I hate to say it, but the time has come to accept our accursed roles as supporting characters. All we can do is carry out useless time-filling tasks whilst we wait for Romeo and Juliet to resolve the plot.

Romeo prepares to confront Ophelia. Continue Reading »

When Kyoto Animation makes a series, it seems that everyone jumps on either the bandwagon for fanboying, or the one for flaming the fanboys. When it came to Lucky Star, I decided to bypass the whole thing- I hadn’t liked what I’d read of the manga, and so there seemed little point in pursuing the animated adaptation. That being said, if I wanted to argue about it effectively, I would have to actually watch it; perhaps an unsound reason for taking on a series, but what the hell- I was about to take the plunge.

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As the Pleasure Rangers continue on their way home, Lu Xun is still in Angst Mode.

(Lu Xun: Why did this have to happen? Now I’m never going to get a glimpse of Master’s mighty weapon!)

Lu Meng: I think there’s a farmhouse nearby- we should rest and have some refreshing HARD GAY there.

Taishi Ci: But we need to get back quickly so that we can service Sun Quan!

Lu Meng: If we’re out of practice, we’ll be in no fit state to service him.

At Liu Bei’s palace, the named Shu characters gather together. Continue Reading »

Hello and welcome to another edition of Sunday News Bites! This week we are joined in the newsroom by Phantom Thief Dark, who decided to make a grand entrance by flying in the window instead of using the door like everyone else.

D.N.Angel finally continuing
After over two years of hiatus, D.N.Angel is finally set to return in the next issue of Asuka magazine. The original run of the manga started in 1997, but after eleven volumes were released, it went on hiatus in 2005 whilst the mangaka concentrated on her other series Lagoon Engine and Lagoon Engine Einsatz. Finally, however, fans of the series can prepare to see what happens next. Continue Reading »

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 3, Clannad 14, Gunslinger Girl- Il Teatrino 2, Kaiji 15, KgNE Next Season 1, Minami-ke Okawari 1, Mokke 8-10, Moyashimon 7-11, Persona 1-3, Shigofumi 1-2, Sketchbook 7-10, Spice and Wolf 3, Aquarion OVA 2, Tokyo Marble Chocolate, Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations 2, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 2

…and in manga: Bokurano 43-7, Mushishi 12, Spice and Wolf 1-4, Tenshi Nanka Janai 30-1, Tsubasa 180, Yotsuba& 51-2

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Meiko lives a pretty normal life- she’s got a steady boyfriend and a regular job as an office lady, but she can’t help feeling that there should be something more to it than that. Determined to recapture the dreams and ambitions she had whilst growing up, Meiko decides to quit her job and look for a new, more fulfilling path, but will she be able to find it- and what repercussions will her drastic move have on her relationship with boyfriend Taneda?

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Sasahara and the others have enjoyed their time in Genshiken, but whilst it seems unlikely that they will give up the otaku life any time soon, graduation is approaching, and the real world beckons. Can they manage to juggle the demands of studying and finding job with the usual round of cosplay, visits to Comiket and perhaps even a spot of real life romance? Continue Reading »