Azure Flame Reloaded

Chapters 1-84

As a big named title, there can be few people who are unfamiliar with the animated version of Fullmetal Alchemist- the tale of a world of alchemy where brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric attempted the forbidden act of bringing their mother back to the life. The price for committing this sin was for Ed to lose an arm and a leg, whilst Al ended up with his soul bound to a suit of armour; now, only the legendary Philosopher’s Stone can restore their bodies, but on their search for it, they become embroiled in something much larger than either of them ever imagined. Continue Reading »

Tags: FMA

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: the lost chapters

2-H enters the classroom, only to see that the whole place is lit by candles- Sensei is in the shadows.

Chiri: Sensei, what’s going on?

Chiri switches the light on, causing Sensei to rise up and scream.

Sensei: You mustn’t!

Maria: Sensei’s a vampire!

(Meru: Idiot.)

Sensei: Turn that light off! Class, today we must spend the entire day without relying on electricity once! Therefore, IT class is cancelled- we’ll watch an educational movie instead!

Chiri: But to watch the movie we’ll need a TV and DVD player.

Sensei: Zetsubou shita! The culture that relies so much on electricity has left me in despair! Continue Reading »

Tags: Amatsuki, anime big brother, dragons den, harem of the week, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, this week in anime, world tour

Thanks, I’ll take two.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 13, Antique Bakery 2, Blade of the Immortal 1, Hidamari Sketch x365 2, Itazura na Kiss 14, Koihime Musou 2, Natsume Yuujinchou 2, Persona 13-17, Ryoko’s Case File 1, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 2, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 4, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 12-13

…and in manga: Ayu and Mayu 1, Bartender 4-6, Claymore 81, Elfen Lied 86-8, Gunslinger Girl 51-6, Minami-ke 32-3, Nodame Cantabile 120, Sketchbook 8-12, Tsubasa Chronicle 193 Continue Reading »

Tags: Allison and Lillia, Antique Bakery, Ayu-Mayu, Bartender, Blade of the Immortal, Claymore, Elfen Lied, Gunslinger Girl, Hidamari Sketch, Itazura na Kiss, Koihime Musou, Minami-ke, Natsume Yuujinchou, Nodame Cantabile, Persona Trinity Soul, Ryoko's Case File, Sketchbook, Someday's Dreamers, Telepathy Shoujo Ran, Tsubasa Chronicle, Wagaya no Oinari-sama

Shinkurou Kurenai is a high school student with a unique part-time job; under the auspices of his boss, benefactor and mentor Juuzawa Benika, he’ll do anything- no matter how dangerous. And yet administering rough justice to the thugs and lowlifes out there is nothing compared to Shinkurou’s latest task, for now he must become both carer and bodyguard to seven year old Murasaki, a daughter of the Kuhouin family who desperately wants to defy the rules that say she must never see the outside world. Will Shinkurou be up to the challenge of keeping Murasaki safe whilst teaching her about the outside world? Continue Reading »

Tags: Kurenai

Dragons’ Den

(UK readers, a new series of the real Dragons’ Den begins next Monday at 9pm on BBC2.)

Welcome to our regular feature based on the TV program of the same name, in which anime characters try to market their great idea to five fat cats of anime! President Aria made his fortune in the gondola industry of Neo Venezia, and is now CEO of a well-known company. Mikoto started her business in the capital of Wind Bloom, and is now a trusted advisor to the queen, with business partners scattered across the world. The Admiral’s first business venture was to invest in a Chinese restaurant, but a meteor threat to Earth saw her buy shares in ground and space based defence technology, which she currently administers with her protégé “The General” (aka Shogun). Mr Tibbs started his career as a tea cat for the bank, but his sound grasp of finance saw him rise up the ranks until he became one of their most prominent managers. Finally, The Cardinal is the world’s most powerful fat cat, with a wide range of business interests that ensure that he has a paw in every pie (often literally, depending on his appetite). These five cats represent some heavyweight investment clout in every sense of the word, but is any deal attractive enough to get them to roll off their backsides and shake paws with a budding entrepreneur? Continue Reading »

Tags: Amatsuki, anime big brother, classic pc games, dragons den, in your reflection, this week in anime

In a coincidence that has been several weeks in the planning, Karura has managed to roll two events into one- for not only is the one thousandth post to appear on Azure Flame, but it also marks exactly two years since that fated day when Azure Flame came into being. Since that time, thousands of words of mockery, praise and criticism have been written, hundreds of hours of anime have been watched, many people have come by to comment, and despite flirting with burnout in the winter months, Karura recovered to blog once again. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to keep it up once my PhD course starts in October, but I’ll try my utmost to make sure this place only dies when there’s nothing more to say.

Continue Reading »

Are you ready to take to the virtual kitchen? Pick up your pots and pans, assemble your ingredients and prepare to brave the world of Cooking Mama, where no recipe is too complex and no procedure too daring in the pursuit of that perfectly baked recipe? Can you prove yourself as skilled as Mama? Continue Reading »

Tags: Cooking Mama, DS

There were times when we all felt that way about Busou Renkin.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 12, Amatsuki 8-9, Amuri in Star Ocean 1, Antique Bakery 1, Aria DVD Special, Chi’s Sweet Home 47-52, Chocolate Underground 4, Hidamari Sketch x365 1, Itazura na Kiss 13, Kaiba 9, KgNE Next Season 3, Koihime Musou 1, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 10, Miyori no Mori, Nabari no Ou 13-14, Natsume Yuujinchou 1, Persona 12, Real Drive 11, Shion no Ou 22, Slayers Revolution 2, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1, Soul Eater 13-14, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 3, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 11, World Destruction 1

…and in manga: Tsubasa Chronicle 192 Continue Reading »

Tags: Allison and Lillia, Amatsuki, Amuri in Star Ocean, Antique Bakery, Aria, Chi's Sweet Home, Chocolate Underground, Hidamari Sketch, Itazura na Kiss, Kaiba, KgNE, Koihime Musou, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, Nabari no Ou, Natsume Yuujinchou, Persona Trinity Soul, Real Drive, Shion no Ou, Slayers, Someday's Dreamers, Soul Eater, Telepathy Shoujo Ran, Tsubasa Chronicle, Wagaya no Oinari-sama, World Destruction

Episode 9

Jun gets worried when Shin reveals that he has a date with someone else.

Worse yet, Shin is out to try some secret BI. Continue Reading »

Tags: Persona Trinity Soul

In a town where nothing happens, Renton Thurston dreams of taking to the skies and surfing the Trapar waves with his hero Holland and the rogue nation of Gekko State. And then one day his dream comes true, when a member of Gekko State quite literally crashes into his home, sparking off a chain of events that sees Renton join up with them and embark on an adventure that will affect the very future of the planet. Continue Reading »

Tags: Bones, mecha