Azure Flame Reloaded

Yesterday I just happened to be messing about in the Wordpress admin section when I noticed this great post on how to annoy people using instant messaging. It’s rare that I find something so hilarious that I wish I had written it myself, but this just hit the spot- not least because I’ve been on the receiving end of almost all of these strategies.

Also, my blog is now over six months old; it hardly feels like I have been doing this for half a year.

Fruits Basket II: Tohru saves the world
If 136 chapters of Furuba weren’t enough for you, then fear not, because Furuba II is exactly what you’ve been waiting for! Continue Reading »

136 chapters ago, orphaned high school student Tohru Honda came to live with the Sohmas, a family with a bizarre secret; when hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they turned into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Now, the series has finally concluded- all the tears have been shed, the confessions have been made, and we can at last get on with our lives. But what should the final verdict on Furuba be- was it the best manga ever, or did it simply outstay its welcome?

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Keroro’s father does not approve of HARD GAY.

I hate resizing images. Picture heavy posts are always tough and tedious work, because up until now I’ve been resizing them manually. It was only last night that I finally discovered the power of the batch resizing program, a device which shall make my life infinitely easier. No longer shall I spend hours at my computer painstakingly editing images- now I can go out and live (or more likely, stay in and spend time at the computer doing something else).

Reviewed this week: Asatte no Houkou 4, Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto 3-4, Busou Renkin 5, Bartender 2, Code Geass 4, Death Note 5, Hecatan 1, Kanon 5, Keroro 63, Chevalier 9, Negima!? 4, Otogi-jushi Akazukin 15-16, Red Garden 4, ROTK 29, SaiMono 20, Shounen Onmyouji 2, YoakeNa 5

…and in manga: Furuba 133-4, GITS 1.5 1, Gokinjo 33, Otome 33, Spiral 17-18, NHK 32, Haruhi Suzumiya novel 4.4 Continue Reading »

The new season is almost upon us, and yet here I am, having failed to put together any kind of autumn (or, if you prefer, fall) preview whatsoever- and nor am I intending to. Aside from the fact that many people have already done a better job of it than myself, and that I’m simply too lazy to be bothered, past experience has shown that the series I look forward to the most often turn out to be utterly disappointing. After all, in previous seasons, I was foolish enough to expect something of worth from Black Cat, Jigoku Shoujo, Mai-Otome, Fate, xxxHOLiC, Tsubasa, .hack//Roots, Kamisama Kazoku, Binbou…well, the list goes on. Clearly the only way forward is to ignore the most anticipated shows, and only watch the more obscure or unappealing sounding series (does this mean that Bartender will end up being a good choice?).

Reviewed this week: Black Blood Brothers, Chevalier, Higurashi, Keroro, Ouran, ROTK, School Rumble, Tenchi Special, Utawarerumono, NHK, xxxHOLiC

…and in manga: Furuba, Mai-Otome, Melty Blood, Mushishi, Natsu no Arashi, Tsubasa, Uta, xxxHOLiC, Yotsuba, Zero no Tsukaima novel

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I meant to watch the Keroro Gunso movie in time for this round-up, I really did, but unfortunately I have this mental block about watching anything longer than about 35 minutes. Yes, I could easily watch several 25 minute episodes back-to-back, and yes, I could tackle a longer feature in several sittings, but such logic cannot overcome my natural aversion to concentrating on one thing for that long.

Anyway, with that aside, a number of notable titles remain absent from the round up yet again, but the week manages to feel busy nonetheless. It is surely only a matter of time until the full deluge arrives.

Reviewed this week: Black Blood Brothers, Higurashi, H&C II, Keroro, Otogi-jushi Akazukin, Ouran, ROTK, School Rumble, Utawarerumono, NHK

…and in manga: Erementar Gerad, Furuba, Mushishi, Tactics, Tsubasa, xxxHOLiC Continue Reading »

Marie Antoinette explains the principles of advanced disguise.

If not exactly sparse, this week sees a few familiar names absent from the roster (but undoubtedly waiting for the flood of releases that I sense will occur next week). In the meantime, I’ve finally made good on my promise to catch up on a few more manga series and have also fit in all 20 episodes of Twin Spica, which will be written about when I can be bothered in due course.

Reviewed this week: Chocotto Sister, Ginga Densetsu Weed, Hanoka, Higurashi, H&C II, Kemonozume, Keroro, Otogi-jushi Akazukin, ROTK, Tsubasa, Utawarerumono, NHK (School Rumble will return next week)

…and in manga: Chocotto Sister, Erementar Gerad, Furuba, Hunter X Hunter, Mai-Otome, REC, Twin Spica, Utawarerumono Continue Reading »

Keroro is not pleased with the state of the summer season.

After the sparseness of last week, everything seems to have returned in full force in readiness for the Round-Up’s one month anniversary. In light of all the drops of previous weeks, I’ve picked up a number of new series on the anime front, although unfortunately there are still many backlogged manga chapters waiting patiently for my attention.

Reviewed this week: FLAG, Ginga Densetsu Weed, Gokinjo Monogatari, Hanoka, Higurashi, H&C II, Kemonozume, Keroro, Mai-Otome DVD Special, Ouran, SaiMono, School Rumble, Tsubasa, Utawarerumono, NHK, xxxHOLiC, Otogi-jushi Akazukin, Love GetChu!

…and in manga: Erementar Gerad, Fate/Stay Night, Fruits Basket, Tsubasa Chronicle, Utawarerumono, xxxHOLiC Continue Reading »

This week on Aria: citizens warned to watch out for giant cat.

It’s been a comparatively slow week, particularly for the rather sparse manga section, which blows my tentative plan for making the round-up twice weekly out of the water for now. In the meantime, I’ve cobbled together a pathetic excuse for a poll which can be accessed from the sidebar- if you enjoyed my Weed parodies and want me to do the same for the prequel series Gin (or alternatively, if you want to stop me from doing anything of the sort), then be sure to vote. Poll removed due to lack of functionality and interest.

Reviewed this week: Aria, Higurashi, H&C II, Keroro, ROTK, School Rumble, NHK, xxxHOLiC, Innocent Venus (Ouran will be back next week for double, or possibly even triple fun, along with some new additions to the roster)

…and in manga: Fruits Basket, Solanin Continue Reading »

To celebrate the fortnight anniversary of the Weekly Round-Up (or rather, because I just thought them up), this week sees two new additions to the format-

1. Series in red are on Zero Tolerance, which basically means that they have 1-2 more episodes to impress before being dropped entirely.

2. Whenever a series introduces a new OP/ED, I will try to specifically comment on it. For now, I won’t be extensively ‘back-commenting’ on existing OP/EDs.

Reviewed this week: Aria, Chocotto Sister, FLAG, Good Witch, Higurashi, H&C II, Innocent Venus, Keroro, School Rumble, Tsubasa, Shadow Warrior Chronicles Utawarerumono, NHK, xxxHOLiC, Night Head Genesis

…and in manga: .hack//4Koma, .hack//GU+, Furuba, Mai-Otome, Tsubasa, xxxHOLiC, Yotsuba& Continue Reading »

Amazingly, the round-up survives to celebrate its one week anniversary; this week, I’ll be trying something akin to organisation by placing the various titles in alphabetical order as opposed to “whatever order I watched them in”. I’ll also be trialling a new ‘caught up with…’ section for series that, quite unsurprisingly, I have recently caught up with.

Reviewed this week: Ginga Densetsu Weed, Higurashi, H&C II, Innocent Venus, Keroro, Mushishi, Night Head Genesis, Ouran, SaiMono, School Rumble, Utawarerumono, Kamisama Kazoku (sorry, but Aria will have to wait until next time).

…and in manga: .hack//4koma, Aria, Caramel Milk Tea, Furuba, Mai-Otome, NHK, REC, Risky Safety, Tsubasa, Bokurano, Fate/Stay Night Comic Battle. Continue Reading »