Otaben

Liar Game 2 Ep. 01 - Everything is still really dark and stuff.

2009-11-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

Well, the Liar Game drama is back after a two year break. Fans of the first season will be happy to see that not much has changed. The cast all find their characters quickly, the set still looks like an abandoned night club, and the mysteries still abound. The first season ending with our team winning Round 3 handily, and this season begins with an ominous invitation to Round 4 that no one seems

Gamble Fish - Manga Review

2009-10-28T23:42:00.000-07:00

Great scot, what the flying snet am I reading? It's like the illegitimate child of Liar Game and the My HiME manga, but without the charm of either of its parents. And yet I keep coming back. ::sigh:: Gamble Fish is a manga about some dude named Tom who's a sneaky gambler. He plays mind games with people and likes to swindle them out of their money. So since he's such a dashing sort of dude, he

Liar Game 0 Drama in October

2009-10-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, Fuji TV is tossing out a little something to pacify all the crazy Liar Game fans waiting for season 2 in November. This month, they'll be streaming "Liar Game 0" which is apparently a spinoff that takes place seven years before the LG tournament. The plot has not been revealed, but manga fans are sure to think of Roots of A, the Liar Game prequel featuring Akiyama's college life. Whether or

Shugo Chara Ch. 45 - Amu in Rainbowland

2009-10-05T17:42:00.001-07:00

You know, I'm actually kinda impressed that they managed to crank out more than 100 episodes based on a mere 40 or so chapters worth of story. Then again, I think a lot of us would have been happier if they had just waited and stuck to the script. But either way, the manga has wrapped up the main story where the anime has finally finished (until next season, at least) with the vs. Easter story

Skip Beat! Ch. 147 - All's well that ends well.

2009-10-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

I was less than pleased with the previous chapter, especially Ren's actions. But as my astute readers wisely said, Ren's actions were probably the smartest move to make. And this chapter proves it. Ren manages to convince Kyoko that a kiss is only really a kiss if it's with someone you love, and anything else doesn't even matter. So whatever it was that happened with Sho is just an insignificant

Skip Beat Ch. 146 - : (

2009-09-19T01:49:00.000-07:00

Spoiler: I am disappointed. I mean...really? We came all this way for this? ::sigh:: Spoilers lurk within. Not like I care. So we left off in the last chapter with the super drama buster DUN DUN DUN of Sho giving Kyoko a super kiss. Kyoko tries to wrestle away from him, but it looks more like she's sharing a passionate kiss with him instead. An very angry Ren approaches, but Kyoko finally manages

Bloody Monday - Manga Re-Review

2009-09-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

I already reviewed Bloody Monday, but the story has since advanced a good deal so I shall offer my new and improved* opinion. When we last left our heroes, they were a spunky gang of kids fighting a dark and evil organization. Little has changed on that front, except the organization has many new members (including Jesus <- not really, he just looks like him), there are spies on the side of the

Skip Beat Ch. 145 - OH SNET SPOILERS!

2009-08-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

AHHHHHH!!! Despite my constant raving about this series, I am not a shoujo fan. I hate all the drama. But THIS. THIS drama is delicious! Ohhhh...it's wonderful. Spoilers abound inside, so brace yourselves. Sho brings Kyoko a beautiful bouquet made of all the things that she loves. Not just flowers, but tons of pearls and princess-y things. Kyoko can't help but adore it. Sho drops the bouquet in

Skip Beat Ch. 144 - Why do you be so GOOD?

2009-08-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's times like this that I hope the Skip Beat anime gets picked up for more seasons. I would absolutely love to see this arc animated. The delicious day is finally here, all the players are in position...let the drama begin! Sho is sinking deeper and deeper into despair at the thought of Kyoko and Reino together. His manager suggests that he just admit that he likes Kyoko, but when he denies it,

Orange Yane no Chiisana Ie - Manga Review

2009-08-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

This manga makes me hate women. And I am one. Troublesome, indeed. Shotarou is a hard worker with a great family. That is, until his wife gets tired of the fact that he never comes home and asks for a divorce. He buys a new house hoping to win her over again, but when he gets there he finds a beautiful woman and her two daughters there. The woman, Natchi recently divorced her husband for cheating

Skip Beat! Ch. 143 - Make it STOOOP

2009-07-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm dying here. Every chapter seems like it's shorter than the last, and there's still no sign of Ren. AHHHH! When will the fans finally get their juicy romance? Sho and Reino have a confrontation over Kyoko, and Reino implies that Kyoko made her chocolates out of love. Sho becomes furious, as he can't even imagine that Kyoko would fall for a guy like Reino. Before she can set the record straight

Soul Eater Trailer - First glimpse of the English Dub

2009-07-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

All you lucky punks who went to AX already got to see this, but now the rest of us are finally able to see the first Soul Eater trailer from FUNimation. Definitely a marked improvement over the Media Factory trailer that looks more like a documentary than a trailer. Plus, we finally get our first sample of the official English dub. If you don't recognize Soul's voice, there's a good reason for

Shugo Chara Ep. 91 - Manly Basketball Playing

2009-07-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging Shugo Chara lately, because really...nothing's been happening. Until now. That's right kids, Rhythm hatched! Kukai stops by the Guardian's place to show off his manliness for no apparent reason through and arm-wrestling competition with Nagi. Amu notices that Nagi's egg is reacting to the display of manly power. Flashbacks occur of Nagihiko as Nadeshiko and how he always

Umineko Ep. 02 - Lots of people talk, then die.

2009-07-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

The first episode moved pretty quickly. The second episode...did not. Lots and lots of talking occurred, which I'm sure is totally important and relevant and fascinating. But it took awhile. Of course, some of the talking from the original was actually cut out, so I really can't complain too much. Maria reads a letter from Beatrice saying that she's going to take everything unless someone can

GAR - Evolving multiplayer top down shooter

2009-07-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

It's pretty rare for me to talk about video games, especially ones not out of Japan. But Galactic Arms Race caught my eye for a couple reasons. First, the acronym is GAR, which makes me giggle quietly to myself. Second, it's a top down shooter with "evolving weapons." The game generates new weapons based on the type of weapons that the player prefers to use.It's an interesting concept, and it got

So, who wants to be a voice actor?

2009-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

It's the same question that shows up at every voice actor panel. Perhaps you've asked it yourself. How can I be a voice actor? Will I get scouted by posting fandubs on YouTube (answer: no). Well, worry no more. Voice Actor Kick Start is here to answer all your questions. VAKS is a collaboration of many professional voice actors (including yours truly). In includes articles, podcasts, and most

Umineko no Naku Koro ni Ep. 01

2009-07-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

So this is pretty much the only anime series I've been anticipating for this season, although I will doubtless check out others. This episode pretty much sets up the deserted island, the feuding family grabbing for inheritance money, and a mysterious witch and her curse, and a creepy little girl who seems to be able to talk to her. Unlike Higurashi, Umineko fits a lot more of the standard "

Skip Beat! Ch. 142 - I can't take it anymore!

2009-06-22T00:53:00.000-07:00

The drama never ends! MAN, this author really knows how to drag things out. Kyoko is carrying Reino's chocolates with her when she happens to drop one. Ren and Yashiro both catch sight of it, but Kyoko tells them it wasn't anything. Yashiro noticed that "hatred" was written on it, so he assumes that the chocolate must be for Shou. He's sure that Ren noticed the same thing, and he notices that Ren

Code: Breaker - Manga Review

2009-06-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

When I first started reading Code: Breaker, I gave it a less than glowing review, frustrated by the repetitive plot and lack of interesting character interaction. I would like to retract that statement now. While the opening arcs remain frustrating, the latest arcs (along with the introduction of new characters) are well worth the read.Rei is only the sixth of six code:breakers. The introduction

Skip Beat! Ch. 141 - The Night Before

2009-06-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

Soooo close! And more delicious drama abounds. Shou is still distraught at the thought of Kyoko and Reino together, and talking with his manager only confirms his suspicion that the two are secretly dating. He's especially angry because he thinks Ren is better suited as a rival and he can't understand why Kyoko would go for someone like Reino.Meanwhile, it's revealed that Reino has kidnapped one

A-KON 20 Report 02 - Fresh to Death New

2009-06-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

Because cosplayers are all about cutting edge and first in. Okay, not really. But still. With something as big as A-KON, you're bound to run into a few crazy people who are cosplaying from something that's currently airing in Japan.Like this fellow, who was happy to learn that someone else does, in fact, watch Sengoku Basara.Okay, using Shugo Chara is a kinda cheatish, since it's been airing for

A-KON 20 Report 01 - Nifty Cosplay

2009-06-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was A-KON 20, and I had the pleasure of attending. As usual, I spent most of my time running around snapping pictures of cosplayers. Here are a few that I found to have particularly impressive construction:Mushrooms from Disney's Fantasia (thanks yafurichao). They're crazy cute.Gilgamesh. According to him, he worked on this in a bar.A huge crowd of people followed these guys all over

Skip Beat! Ch. 140 - The day before...

2009-05-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's the day before Valentine's Day, and delicious, delicious drama abounds. One of Moko's castmates is constantly harassing her even though she has no interest in him. Hiou comes to her rescue, and she's visibly pleased to see him. She decides she wants to make chocolates for him as thanks, but she doesn't know how, so she asks Kyoko to teach her. Kyoko is thrilled at the idea of spending time

Marie to Gali Ep. 08 - Radioactive Onsen

2009-05-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Marie Curie takes Marika to her hot springs for a relaxing day off. There, she tells Marika that the hot springs are heated using radiation (GREAT SCOT THEY'RE ALL GONNA DIE). Galileo is scanning the city with his telescope when he spies the two ladies bathing. Marika feels as if she's being watched, and Marie Curie uses her ninja skills to find Gali and send a radioactive pickle flying into his

Meitantei no Okite Ep. 01 - Locked Room Murder

2009-05-14T22:41:00.001-07:00

I recently stumbled upon a new Japanese drama that parodies the ever popular detective drama. The title literally means "conditions for a great detective," and the story follows the "great detective" Tenkaichi as he solves mysteries under preset conditions of a detective story (like an incompetent police chief, a pretty female rookie, village legends, locked rooms, etc.). The story is a very