k-on !! ova / episode 27

K-ON !! OVA / EPISODE 27
studio : Kyoto Animation
director : Naoko Yamada
serial run : March 16, 2011
total episode : 01 / 27 of 27
score : *****

"MATSU PICHU"

finally, the last of the episodes for the second season, and for the whole k-on ! series in general - although technically those events seen in the ova predates the actual finale of k-on !! . that said, by far this is our favorite episode of the two post-series extras - mainly due to the heartwarming portion [ among the strength k-on ! is best known for ] that awaits at the end of it. and unlike the 'live house' special released for the first season, the story for this one here however has completely branched off its way from the musical / dream-chasing foundation which shaped the direction of its parent season, and were now more into capturing every precious moments of the girls spending their remaining times together [ with azusa ], crafting sweet lasting memories for each of them to warmly remember on in later times.

storywise, episode 27 closely follows the ho-kago tea time merry party during their final summer vacation [ for the seniors ] as they plan for their upcoming post-graduation trip [ which is to include their junior member azusa as well, thankfully ], and all the necessary chores such as getting their passports done [ which is quite an interesting event for me, most notably that of mio's ]. the general consensus reached between the girls was that they're to embark for an overseas trip, yet a final decision over which country to visit has yet to be made - though the three of them has very clear vision that it'll either be the united kingdom or north america for them, to each their own particular reason indeed.

now as with the second season which precedes this extra episode here, the ova made use of the same exact theme and subject for its plot and storytelling; in which the senior club members were busy preparing themselves for their coming graduation, while at the same time further highlighting just how close, secure and beautiful their friendship and mutual bond are with each other; as finely made apparent through several of yui's thoughtful, heartfelt comments heard in later moments from the final half of the episode [ which had the rest of the characters - azusa especially - and me myself emotionally moved ] and how the four seniors has been trying their best to keep their only junior azusa company as possible prior to the tearful parting that is to come by in the actual season finale.

[ "we'll always be houkago tea time no matter where we go" - hirasawa yui ]

overall, episode 27 is a [ greatly ] welcomed addition to the story, and to us it was just as interesting and entertaining as the second season that was before it. also, not to mention both yui and the ova in particular personally reminds me of the exact reason why i came to love and enjoy the series in the first place, along with the same level of excitement i had back when both season were still airing then, yeah^^. so anyway, for those who are already into the series [ or the slice of life genre in general ] both myself and zange [ as the editorial collective ] would love to suggest that this ova here to be given a watch or two during your spare time if possible :3

more of our thoughts on k-on !! to be shared soon when the the proper series review has been made ready for your reading later :333

[ cosplay ] riyo : reimu hakurei

layer : Riyo
character : Reimu Hakurei
series : Touhou Project
score : *****

okay so here's another break from the constant waves of midori-san cosplay we've been having here as of recently. and frankly speaking, this is among my favorite reimu cosplay i've seen around so far, and is currently ranked at second after the super-glorious one by rita-san featured much earlier here then. for one, i really loved her costume for all the details found all over it [ so much love goes into the construction process ], and the fact that she looks really good and befitting of the character while being in it.

[ all images are property of mukki-san ]

[ cosplay ] atari : yui hirasawa

layer : Atari
character : Yui Hirasawa
series : K-On !
score : *****

REALISTIC UN-TAN

an almost perfect yui-get, if it wasn't for the major deviation in regard to the primary accessory [ guitar ] however. that aside, atari-san has made quite an impressive take on her character of choice, for her likenesses to yui are without a doubt; flawless - from how our team came to perceive it as always. also, what we loved best here is that her yui-get above embodies much of the feel and personality of the character, aside from the handsome overall execution on the costume of course :3

[ all images are property of unakasane ]

seitokai no ichizon : to resume for another season

good news for fans of the gag / parody-comedy series seitokai no ichizon; a sequel to the first series has been announced to go into production, according to a cover note on the march 2011 issue of dragon magazine. for those who have been longing to see more of kurimu and her antics now is the time for you peeps to rejoice, while i myself on the other hand will be celebrating hard upon the return of my beloved chizuru-neesama for a second time onscreen |3

credit to dtshyk of myanimelist news team for the heads up and source.

nichijou ova

NICHIJOU OVA
studio : Kyoto Animation
director : Tatsuya Ishihara
serial run : March 12, 2011
total episode : 01
score : ***1/2

LUCKY STAR : RELOAD NOT

read this; if you love azumanga daioh then you're probably going to love this. anyway, aside from the fact that kyoto animation is the studio behind the realization of nichijou into anime, it also helps in that i've been reading quite a number of positive views on the manga from which the anime is based from. also let's not forget that the series is currently being helm by tatsuya ishihara-sensei of whom was also responsible for directing all 3 of kyoto animation's take on key's early hits; air, kanon and clannad as well as one of kyoani's biggest franchise to date, suzumiya haruhi no yuutsu [ including the only cinematic movie for the latter; suzumiya haruhi no shoushitsu ].

with all that said however, nichijou [ the ova, at least ] turns out to be a hit-or-miss affair for me. albeit being done in the same taste and fashion as kyoani's crowd favorite gag anime lucky star [ as well as the free-spirited slice-of-life comedy classic azumanga daioh by jc staff ], nichijou to me was slightly hard to swallow at first - unlike lucky star of which i hastily fell in love with in an instant [ despite the highly infamous and much despised food talk in the first episode ]. the kind of comedy utilized in the first sketch of nichijou was quite a pain for me to sit through, though i must admit that the rest of the ova's sketches - particularly the one with the cat sakamoto-san and the final act by the leading trio within the train - managed to procure brief laughter and sense of amusement out of me.

the art and overall visual presentation for one was exquisitely well done, borrowing both the character design and the exact feel / look from its predecessor lucky star. such approach in nichijou's art direction does seem befitting of the lighthearted drama-comedy nature of the series, and knowing kyoto animation i can only hope for the best from them when it comes down to the art department. that, and the entirety of the ova was animated very neatly and fluid. also, one particular thing that i am so greatly in love with the most [ as with kyoani's other titles ] is that almost everything within a frame of the anime is given life to them, including random out-of-focus stuff happening in the background. and just like lucky star was, such detailed treatment has given in a mild organic feeling, thus helping nichijou in achieving a slight feel of realism for itself.

for now, that is all i have to say in regard to the ova since i would like to save the rest of my thoughts and rants for the upcoming tv series that is to be aired this spring. and despite my initial pointer that the ova was hard to swallow at first, it does provide a mild - if not great - deal of entertainment and enjoyment throughout my watch of it, yet i had chosen not to recommend the ova to any of you folks out there unless you have grown to be quite familiar, as well as already were fan of either lucky star or azumanga daioh - and perhaps more precisely, suzumiya haruhi-chan no yuutsu,

pray for japan : hope is not lost

as we all have known, our dear friends in japan had went through really hard times for the past two days - perhaps even still for the remainder of this and the incoming week to come. they had so much hardships coming at them one after another, but thankfully they've managed to push their way through and remain standing in order until today; and for that, their courage and their faith in hope [ and not just them, but others as well ] should truly be admired by all.

although some of us may not be able to help much either physically or financially, still we can all keep on contributing our prayers for their continuing safety, and so that these recent series of afterquakes will come to a halt really soon without any more casualties spared. as for those who frequently engages themselves on twitter, much help and aid can be made through that place alone; via spreading necessary helpful information as well as keeping your japanese friends company by letting them know that they are not alone during their hard times, and that we will always be there, wishing and praying for their well being and safety regardless of our beliefs and regional distances. and believe me, spiritual encouragement is much needed at times like this.

[ p/s : we have confirmed the safety of most our japanese cosplayer friends by via our official twitter account ]

baka to test to shoukanjuu ~matsuri~ : first impression

BAKA TO TEST TO SHOUKANJUU ~MATSURI~ OVA
studio : Silver Link
director : Shin Onuma
serial run : Feb 23, 2011 - Mar 23, 2011
total episode : 02
preliminary score : ****

HIDEYOSHI : YOU MUST [ NOT ] RESIST

at last ! our favorite school drama comedy is back, but first to be served in a two episode original video animation format with the much awaited second season to follow this summer / july. and seriously, i really can't wait to see more of my beloved hideyoshi in motion glory~♥ OH THE ANTICIPATION

above paragraph aside; plotwise, the ova follows our usual merry party during their school's founder festival, and their one goal to procure victory in the ensuing summoning test-battle in order to win proper furniture to replace the [ uberly sad ] ones currently in use. as always, akihisa is prime set on winning for mizuki's sake - with his motivation now being to prevent mizuki from having to transfer out due to pressures from her parents - and knowing akihisa, hilarity is set to ensue on his every move and action as he flaunt his usual heroic antics.

now as with the parent series from which the ova spawn itself from, bakatest ~matsuri~ again is one helluva ride on the comedy genre; fantastic visual gags and tastefully done comedy with the exact same feel and potency as the first season was, according to our perspective that is. that said, all the basic formula which made bakatest a boss in its respective category are clearly present here, served in both raw and well done fashion to our utmost delight. but let's not forget the fact that the entirety of bakatest characters themselves are downright interesting, and were the ultimate key in driving the series into the heart and interest of its many fans.

so far the visual department is still as impressive as it was then, although in some parts of the episode i can somewhat notice minor inconsistencies mostly on the foreground. also, i have always been a fan of the character design for both the novel and the anime [ particularly ], and how i am glad to see that there has not been any changes made to them from how i see them throughout the first episode. the art direction is just as excellently top notch here [ still comparable to the work of akiyuki shinbo of shaft fame ] and there seems to be a slight emphasis on the VN-ish feel and look this time around.

to sum things up, in general there is so much promising potential for the upcoming second season that can already be felt through bakatest matsuri, and its entertainment value for one simply surpasses the expectation i had following the random specials thrown prior [ and via which i hastily assume that the matsuri ova will we as well be just as random ]. with that in place, now let us wish and hope for the second season to stay just as awesome as when the first debuted on japanese television a year back.

kaibutsu oujo oad : [ not so ] early impression

KAIBUTSU OUJO OAD
studio : Tatsunoko Productions
director : Keiichirou Kawaguchi
serial run : Dec 9, 2010 - ongoing
total episode : 03
preliminary score : ***1/2

CHAINSAW HIME REVISITED

my my, i didn't notice that we haven't posted our first impression commentary on the reboot oad series yet, though a draft was already in the work when the initial episode first came out december last year, yet it was later buried deep beneath our other piling drafts thanks to my usual procrastination as always. that said, i finally had the time to dig it out and do some necessary polishing according to my recent watch of the second episode - which has been released a few days back.

anyway, the oad basically is a reboot of the madhouse-produced [ 25 episodes ] tv series from 4 years back, although the reboot part by far should only apply to the first episode since the second episode however is a continuation of the story from where the tv series has left - if i am not mistaken [ as my memories aren't really strong on the series ]. but unlike the madhouse version which has a very thick b-movie feel to it, the oad series on the other hand is a much more refined work in contrast; with fluid animation on the action scenes [ as properly highlighted throughout the second episode ] as well as slightly better camerawork and art direction compared to madhouse's production indeed.

i recall my greatest concern upon the announcement of the oad was that ayako kawasumi will no longer be reprising her role as the titular hime for this oad. i admit i was slightly disappointed. however, as i had my watch on the first episode of the oad, i must say that saori hayami did a very fine job at voicing hime, especially since her vocal rendition of the character matches very closely [ if not perfect ] with ayako-neesama's take on hime; having retained the character's elegance, attitude and personality much to my best approval.

another improvement made to the series is that the producer has chosen to switch back to the gory, bloody nature of the original manga with the oad here, an aspect of which i believe is the key strength and appeal of kaibutsu oujo - and the very reason why i came to be interested into it in first hand. another thing to note is that despite me being a big fan of kazuya kuroda-sensei's works for the original tv series, i sincerely believe that hime's looking twice more badass in her new character design here; and the same can be said on the other characters as well over their redesigned look.

overall, tatsunoko productions did a really good job with their reboot version of kaibutsu oujo, giving much justice to the series unlike madhouse of which otherwise had butchered it up without mercy - save for the involvement of both ayako-neesama as hime and kazuya kuroda-sensei on the character design from then. frankly speaking, i'd love to see more of the new kaibutsu oujo anime beyond its three episode run; if possible tatsunoko production should definitely reconsider on churning this one out as full fledged tv series somewhere in the near future.

[ cosplay ] sue : nymph vol. 2

layer : Sue
character : Nymph
series : Sora no Otoshimono
score : *****

and here's a few more [ recent ] images from sue-san's magnificent nymph-get, taken in live setting at ariake tft building within last february by one of my favorite cosplay photographer, yuuro-san. costume-wise, it was the same exact getup from her initial photo session with hiro-san then, and there doesn't seem to be any notable changes, alteration nor update made on both her costume and her wigwork - of which were already nice according to our evaluation / perspective, that is.

once again, this one [ certainly ] qualifies as one of her best effort + execution ever, indeed.

[ all images are property of yuuro_an ]

[ cosplay ] midori kanda : asuka langley soryuu

layer : Midori Kanda
character : Asuka Langley Soryuu
series : Neon Genesis Evangelion
score : *****

well what can we say, a splendidly well done take by midori-san on the gosurori side / appearance of our [ and hers ] dearest, beloved asuka. that said, her portrayal of the gosurori asuka simply matches well with the original art it was inspired from, yet however with slight detour from the original costume design as noticed from the explicit absence of both shoulder portion of the top - unless there's an updated version of the costume design by yoshiyuki sadamoto-sensei depicting a sleeveless version of the costume [ there's probably one or two of them to which i may have not noticed ]. nevertheless, this went straight as one of her best and handsomely-matching execution to date, and perhaps is one of the most realistic realization of gosurori asuka ever available at present.

p/s : we noticed a possible difference in regard to the actual material of use between the one seen in sadamoto-sensei's art and midori-san's cosplay as above; where midori-san's seems to be more of glossy, leather-ish in look and texture compared to the matte, cloth-like rendition from the original artwork.

[ all images are property of kimokamehiro ]

[ cosplay ] uriu : shana vol. 2

layer : Uriu
character : Shana
series : Shakugan no Shana
score : *****

RETURN OF THE FLAME HAZE

it's been a while since her last shana-get, and this time uriu-san's back with a much more updated and [ slightly ] improved version of her take on our favorite little flame haze here. much like her konata-get of recent, there wasn't any sign of vast improvement whatsoever between the past and present shana-get of hers, though we can say [ with the utmost confidence ] it here that the quality previously seen in her shana cosplay from then were magnificently retained and brought forth to the current times; a feat than can only be maintained and achieved by those layers of whom we had marked as our favorite[s] since.

oh and btw she had her wig done in a much neater fashion this time around, unlike how it was so wild and messily unkempt then. +not to mention shana's signature ahoge again stood just as well as it was, as per of her previous shana-get from before.

[ image 1-3, 6 are properties of takai-san / image 4-5, 7-9 are properties of mukki-san ]

[ cosplay ] yun kousaka : madoka kaname

layer : Yun Kousaka
character : Madoka Kaname
series : Puella Magi Madoka Magica
score : *****

fantastic madoka-get by yun-san, and hers are hands down gorgeous from every single aspect of its execution criteria; the costume, her apparent likeness to the character as well as those captivating expressions she had put on her face - all of them were indeed very madoka-ish; capturing much of the essence as well as the personality of said character from how our team sees 'em. also frankly speaking, we've seen many other madoka-get aside from yun-san's [ including the one by uri-san of who had also did a splendid take on mami tomoe from the same series ] but hers are - by far - our most favorite to date, and we're hereby proud to bestow her a perfect 5/5 for her awesome effort in nailing this one to our greatest delight :9

[ all images are property of miki-shi ]