Attack On Titan: Junior High Episode #9 Review

You did it, Bertholdt!

What They Say:

It's back-to-school for the cast of Attack on Titan as this spin-off gives us a glimpse into the average school year for each and every one of them. Instead of fearing for their lives, the characters are fearing for their lunches as the titans have a brand new appetite (One significantly less heartbreaking). Based on the manga, Attack on Titan: Junior High brings us familiar faces and memorable scenes in a lighthearted comedic format that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Will Eren and the others be able to survive the school year being right next door to a school for titans?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

There's nothing quite like the dead, emotionless eyes of a young, antisocial girl wearing a yukata. When you pair that with a rivalry between another girl with the same emotionless, yet strong properties and a boy who has been lurking in the dark up until now, the result is obviously going to be something that we have longed for. Or...at least I have longed for. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that episode #9 is just another chance for Annie to be cute and Bertholdt to be...awkwardly brave? I'm not really sure how to describe that guy.

Our episode starts off with Reiner telling Bertholdt that he is going to ask Christa to the summer festival. The thing is, he's too embarrassed to go alone. So, Reiner coerces Bertholdt into asking Annie (Who he obviously has a crush on) to come as well. Initially, Annie rejects the offer. But, after seeing Eren excited about the festival, she decides to [reluctantly] tag along. This, of course, spirals into her competing against Mikasa to determine who is the best shooter while Bertholdt sits back and fends off methods of getting closer to Annie. In a predictable turn of events, Bertholdt backs down from Reiner's outlandish ideas and instead states that it shouldn't be up to him to make things happen between them. But...he has to anyway when Ymir launches a shaved-ice cup toward Annie while he is the only one capable of blocking it.

Annie, feeling bad about the whole situation, chases after Bertholdt who had run off to clean himself up. The two wind up having a small heart-to-heart which basically ends with Annie saying Bertholdt is convenient to have around -- like air. Oof. Eventually, everyone meets up again and they all go die-cutting under the fireworks. Reiner and Ymir are the only ones at this point to be upset, perhaps even feeling bad about attempting to move Annie and Bertholdt closer together. Oh well, kids will be kids, right?

Best/Favorite Part:

Apart from the shaved ice landing on Bertholdt's head and causing him to look like the colossal titan, this episode was all around balanced and lighthearted, leaving no highlights in particular. So, I'm going to go ahead and label my favorite part of this episode as Annie wearing a yukata -- a moment I have longed for.

In Summary:

We get more of our typical Junior High flavor of comedy, this time accompanied by impressing visuals and festival lighting effects. We get a slight increase in plot and allow a normally sidelined character to become the focal point, which provided an excitingly fun time in the end. Despite some awkwardly forced conflict stemming from Reiner and Ymir pushing Bertholdt to be aggressive, episode 9 follows in the footsteps of the last few airings, allowing Attack On Titan: Junior High to move along briskly while staying interesting.

Grade: B+

Streamed By: Funimation

No Game No Life Complete Collection Blu-ray Review

There is no such thing as "Luck" in this world.

What They Say:

On the internet, they're legends: the tag-team duo known as BLANK, famed for their incredible game-playing skills. In the real world, however, the lives of 18-year-old Sora and his 11-year-old stepsister Shiro have been spiraling out of control. Now existing as shut-ins, they rarely leave their house and are unable to be separated without suffering panic attacks. Games, for them, are the safest retreat from reality. Until they win a chess match against a mysterious opponent known as Tet and find themselves pulled into a game bigger than any they could have ever imagined.

Now, in a world where the outcome of games determines the fates of both civilizations and species, they must defend Humanity in the ultimate challenge, vying against a host of otherworldly competitors for the right to rule them all! But if they fail, it means slavery or destruction for all mankind. No pressure, of course! Can two misfits who can barely handle their own lives somehow rise to the occasion and save the human race?

The Review:
Audio:
Both the English and Japanese audio tracks for this release are presented in DTS-HD 2.0. So, suffice it to say, the audio quality is top notch for anime release and even supports surround sound. No drop outs or moments of lower quality were experienced across both discs. Volume equalization was perfect and even the fight scenes (Which there are a lot of) didn't "Ride the red" at any moment. As far as audio goes, you aren't going to get much better than what's packed in here.

Video:
Madhouse Studios' latest visual spectacle is presented this time in an obvious 1080p with a 16x9 aspect ratio. Even though this may be the brightest show you ever watch (In terms of color), colors have been balanced in a way that allows you to watch all 12 episodes without your eyes burning out of their sockets. The framerate remained steady for the entire series and even the OP/ED sequences were fluid and seamless. The overall aesthetic of No Game No Life might take an episode to get used to, but the second your eyes figure out what they're taking it, this becomes one of the most attractive shows out there.

Packaging:
Being the standard edition, there isn't much to report in terms of packaging. There is no slipcover for this release. The front of the box has a vibrant portrait of BLANK surrounded by depictions of several other characters while sporting two floral-esque corner designs that oppose each other on the top and bottom portions of the cover. The back of the case gives a brief synopsis of the show, accompanied by additional attention-grabbing text presented in the video-gamey font that NGNL loves oh so much. There are several thumbails containing screen grabs from the series. Out of the eight thumbnails, seven contain a cute girl.

Menu:
We get more of the standard Sentai Filmworks menu screen here with the episodes displayed on one side and a character portrait displayed on the next. Highlighting an episode easily sets it apart from the others and shouldn't give you the need to strain your eyes at any point. The menu is simplistic, which makes it easier to navigate to what you desire within a moments notice. There is none of that, "How do I get to settings?" struggle that we have all witnessed at least one person fight at some point in life.

Extras:
Special features on this disc include Japanese commentary/commercial/promos, as well as the No Game No Life shorts and previews of some of their upcoming titles. In addition to that, there are clean versions of both the opening and ending. All special features are contained on the second disc, seeing as disc 1 is occupied of 75% of the series itself, making it easier to watch all the special features at once without having to switch discs.

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)
If there is anything out there that I have been infatuated with longer than anime, it's video games. So when you crossbreed those with anime itself and throw in a loli imouto as well as a panicky girl with red hair, the result seems like it will come out in my favor. The only issue being that I have already watched this show before in Problem Children Are Coming From Another World. With its own twist on a world where everything is solved through gaming, No Game No Life follows the brother/sister duo of Sora and Shiro, as well as their counterpart (And best-girl), Stephanie Dola, as they play games to determine the fate of humanity...err, Imanity...

I think its safe to say that Madhouse Studios is one of the most underrated companies in the industry. Being the main force behind animating this series, Madhouse delivers a quality product that highly exceeds expectations. With an extremely bright and unique color palate, No Game No Life looks like nothing you've ever seen before. In a good way, I promise. The title adds to the recently impressive list of series directed by Atsuko Ishizuka (The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou/Hanayamata) and plays a huge role in terms of future projects for the young director. Based on the light novel series by Yuu Kamiya, the No Game No Life anime series breathes life into yet another popular Japanese series that Americans hadn't had to fortune of experiencing yet.

In the beginning of NGNL, we are introduced to the dynamic sibling duo of Sora and Shiro (Also known as BLANK) as they hide away in the depths of their bedroom, playing video games and eating junk food. These two NEETs have devoted so much of their time to the craft of gaming that they are literally unmatchable for anyone on Earth. So, when they receive a mysterious email asking them if they want to leave their world and go somewhere else, they jump on it right away. After a brief falling-down/getting sucked into another world sequence, the two are greeted by the god of their new world, Tet. Apparently, in this new world, physical fighting has been outlawed. Instead, the remaining 16 kingdoms must compete for land through various games. BLANK might have been the best gaming team on Earth, but how exactly is that supposed to measure up to a society that literally lives off of gaming? And that's without even mentioning that the people they'll be going up against can use magic.

Dropped into this world, BLANK must first find a means of survival -- shelter of some sort. That comes easy though in meeting their soon to be dog-slave-squire, Stephanie Dola. Steph [reluctantly] takes the two into her home before revealing that she is the granddaughter of the previous king of Imanity (Which is just what humans are called in this new world). Sora and Shiro, being challenge-driven and game-thirsty, tell Steph that they will make humans the strongest race in the world, just like they were in the past. As you can figure, this is a lot easier said than done.

From that point on, it's a tale of conquest as BLANK and Steph move from location to location, cunningly playing games along the way. The group encounters new friends (And enemies) and slowly starts building up their civilization once again. Who would have thought that two random humans from another world would just swoop in one day and repair an entire civilization? Not me, but that doesn't matter. What does matter, however, is just how these repairs are done.

Perhaps the most interesting asset No Game No Life has to offer are the intricate and unique games that these civilizations wind up playing. Each one seems to have a gigantic twist on a game that would typically be played in real human society. In addition, each one winds up getting harder and harder and challenging these two characters who are thought to be immortal in terms of games. Each game is laced with a nonstop, suspenseful sensation that highly exceeds what I expected going into this. On top of that, the comedy is some of the best that I've seen in recent years. Thanks to how overly-attached our two protagonists are to each other, we get to witness tons of moments of sheer hilarity and adorableness packed together. This alongside Steph (Who is the comedic highlight of this show as far as I'm concerned), there is really never a dull moment in this show. And just when things are getting too fun, NGNL is able to pull a complete 180 and become something emotional and intense. Its a contrast that is done so well that it turns the show into something more than just laughs.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that this show is going to change the way you look at life or hit you with some lesson you've been dying to learn for years. This isn't like that. Yes, there are some "Feels" moments, but at its core, No Game No Life is more comedy than anything. Good comedy, at that. Each character has their own quirks and various things that make them interesting; each one is memorable in their own way. Every single nation has a specific feel to it, and there aren't any that seem to outweigh the rest in terms of how important or unique they are. All together, the world of NGNL is extremely balanced. The pacing is basically perfect as well and gives viewers the appropriate time to learn about each race that is encountered. I applaud the writers of this adaptation for not attempting to cram the entire series into 12 episodes and instead leaving room for more seasons (Which I can't imagine them not airing due to the increasing popularity of this series).

In Summary:
No Game No Life is more accessible and newcomer-friendly than similar shows (Like the aforementioned Problem Children Are Coming From Another World). The pacing is phenomenal, the characters are memorable, and the English dub is actually pretty spectacular. Comedy in this series is top-tier and ridden with a plethora of memorable scenes that resonate within the genre. And even though this show is a comedy at its heart, it does not mean that there won't be times where you reach for the tissues. Overall, No Game No Life is not only extremely well-balanced, but well-produced, well-acted, and perfect for binge-viewing.

Features:
Japanese DTS-HD Surround Sound Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Surround Sound Audio 2.0, English Subtitles, Clean OP/ED Songs, Japanese Commentary, No Game No Life Shorts, Japanese Promos, Sentai Filmworks Previews

Content Grade: A
Audio Grade: A+
Video Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B-
Menu Grade: B-
Extras Grade: B+

Released By: Sentai Filmworks
Release Date: July 28, 2015
MSRP: $69.98
Running Time: 300 Minutes
Video Encoding: 1080p Native HD
Aspect Ratio: 16x9

Attack On Titan: Junior High Episode #8 Review

We're having...a test of courage!

What They Say:

It's back-to-school for the cast of Attack on Titan as this spin-off gives us a glimpse into the average school year for each and every one of them. Instead of fearing for their lives, the characters are fearing for their lunches as the titans have a brand new appetite (One significantly less heartbreaking). Based on the manga, Attack on Titan: Junior High brings us familiar faces and memorable scenes in a lighthearted comedic format that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Will Eren and the others be able to survive the school year being right next door to a school for titans?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Remember back when I said I had a soft spot for school-event episodes like last week's Sports Day? Well, I forgot to mention tests of courage. And, of course, that's what Attack Junior High throws at us this week. I mean, with characters like Armin, Jean, and Sasha, how could you not make a haunted classroom episode? Now the only bump left in the road is for the upperclassmen to figure out a way to scare all the freshmen. Sure, a few of them are fragile cowards, but there's also Reiner and Mikasa. They wouldn't get scared, would they?

In the beginning of the episode, the class is split into two groups and told that in order to pass the tests, they must visit three separate classrooms in the correct order and write their names on the chalkboards there. Reiner's group takes off first but gets separated shortly after because of girls always having to go to the bathroom in pairs. Ymir and Sasha wind up spending the rest of the test looking for Christa while Reiner and Bertholdt get stuck ascending a set of stairs that never ends (Which is never explained). Mikasa's group, however, has been lucky enough to stay together and...oh, nevermind, there goes Eren. Eventually, both groups wind up rendezvousing at the gym where the final landmark is -- The Headless Dribbling Ghost. Hey, don't all of these ghosts look a lot like the upperclassmen?

In the end, the older kids reveal that it was them all along (Who knew?) and everyone gets a good laugh. Christa, on the other hand, is still a little confused after her solo-encounter with a girl dressed in white, who seems to be missing from the test of courage scheme. Even after hearing ghost stories about a girl who vanished during a mission years ago, it's a bit hard for her to comprehend that this girl wasn't actually real. Either way, everything is solved now and everyone is happy. It only took 55 gallons of tears to get the task done. And the winner of this episode's test of courage is Mikasa for, once again, remaining emotionless through the entire thing.

Best/Favorite Part:

There weren't really many moments in this episode that stood out amongst the rest, in my opinion. However, there was a running bit with Mikasa translating for Armin (Who could only muster enough courage to get out maybe one or two letters at a time) that progressively got funnier and funnier. There is even a time where Eren questions how she's capable of figuring out what Armin is trying to say. It was funny. Not super funny, but regular funny.

In Summary:

We get more of what we're used to in this week's episode. Several characters are left out that would have made a good addition to the task at hand, but the characters that are left in pull their weight and shape an enjoyable test of courage. However, being an episode as monumental as a test of courage episode, I would have liked something a bit more memorable. Either way, my attention was held through the whole duration and I'm pumped for next week's Annie x Bertholdt story.

Grade: B-

Streamed By: Funimation

Attack On Titan: Junior High Episode #7 Review

How do you expect to fulfill your duty as scouts if you can't even do this?

What They Say:

It's back-to-school for the cast of Attack on Titan as this spin-off gives us a glimpse into the average school year for each and every one of them. Instead of fearing for their lives, the characters are fearing for their lunches as the titans have a brand new appetite (One significantly less heartbreaking). Based on the manga, Attack on Titan: Junior High brings us familiar faces and memorable scenes in a lighthearted comedic format that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Will Eren and the others be able to survive the school year being right next door to a school for titans?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

In Attack Junior High, there is a fine line that separates the first years from the upperclassmen. Whether it be their apparel, attitude, or...ability to clean, it seems like our beloved first-year students just can't catch a break. Up until this point, they've sort of just been cruising along. But when the upperclassmen start to band together and call out their kohai on all of their misconducts, things start to move a little less smoothly. And now they're even trying to make Sasha put on a longer skirt! The nerve!

Anyway, the only way for the freshmen to really strike back at their senpai is to beat them at the upcoming "Sports Day" event in which different teams (Based on their class-year) compete in a multitude of typical sporting events. The one big problem with this is that the second years have Petra and company, while the third years have Levi the cleaning god himself. After losing the first few events, Mikasa rallies her troops together and provides an intimidating motivational speech, stating that she is strong enough to take down all of the upperclassmen. Now, with Mikasa, in the forefront, our heroes must compete in some shoulder-mounted flag-grabbing game against everyone in the school.

I won't tell you how the final game ends -- I want you to see that for yourself. But I can tell you that the road there is, once again, paved with laughter and a few more season-highlights. INTENSE SPOILER ALERT INCOMING: Remember back in the original Attack on Titan where Franz gets chopped in half and Hannah runs up to him heartbroken and defeated? Well, there's a really quick (And I mean light-speed) call back to that during the final sporting event. It's so quick that you can't even see it, but Hannah calls out to Armin while the gang is sprinting that something has happened to Franz and, oh boy, I lost it. Great times, ladies and gentlemen, great times.

Best/Favorite Part:

If you have learned anything about me from following these reviews, it's that Annie Leonhardt is my favorite Attack on Titan character. Now, she may or may not be dressed as a cheerleader in this episode. And I may or may not have fallen more in love than I thought possible. As an added bonus, she has also paired up with Christa -- a combination I never even really thought of. It works, though. Annie is obviously super bashful and ashamed of herself in the cheerleading outfit while Christy is bubbly and supportive while trying to get Annie to be more energetic. It was adorable.

In Summary: 

Despite my favoritism directed toward episodes with school festivals, sporting events, and things of that nature, this was still a great episode all-around. There wasn't a single character that soaked up the spotlight longer than they should have. It came together in a well-balanced, yet frantically-paced (But in a good way) collage of comedy that once again tailors to viewers of the original series. Mikasa's motivational speech was another fantastic callback to be added to the constantly-growing list of AoT allusions that Junior High is bringing us.

Grade: A-

Streamed By: Funimation

Final Fantasy Type-0 Manga Review

The gears of fate will keep turning

Creative Staff:

Art: Takatoshi Shiozawa

Story: Hiroki Chiba

Character Design: Tetsuya Nomura

What They Say:

In the land of Orience, a war has broken out. The Milites Empire, one of the four neighboring factions of Orience, randomly attacks and conquers the alliance of Lorica, leaving the two remaining factions (Rubrum/Concordia) to band together and fight for their continued freedom. The Milites, however, now control the majority of the weapons in Orience, as well as the newly plundered Lorican shield crystal. On the other hand, Rubrum and Concordia have a secret weapon of their own -- Class Zero, a team of genetically modified cadets cable of controlling magic and their own unique, deadly weapons. Class Zero is now faced with fighting alongside Rumbrum/Concordia in order to put a stop to the Milites Empire and end the fighting once and for all.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Let me preface this by saying, "Yes. I have played the game."

Final Fantasy Type-0 is a relatively interesting manga when you first look at the foundation it is built upon. Both the artist (Takatoshi Shiozawa) and scenario writer (Hiroki Chiba) had virtually no experience in the art of manga during Type-0's creation. In fact, apart from Shiozawa's incredibly obscure 2008 manga "Full Moon," the two hadn't even scratched the surface. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean the manga is doomed from the get-go. I mean, plenty of mangaka out there have had their initial creations take off. The thing is, most of those creations didn't attempt cramming an incredibly convoluted story into just four chapters. So, if you go into this manga without any knowledge of the story in the Type-0 game, you will have an exceedingly difficult time trying to figure out just what the hell is going on. That being said, though, this manga was aimed at the pre-established fanbase and was not meant to be a standalone title...At least I hope not.

At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to the very general plot of the Milites Empire essentially deciding that they want to take over the world, resulting in their capturing of the neighboring Alliance of Lorica. This being a huge issue, the other two factions of the country Orience rise up against the Milites Empire and try to show them what they're made of. However, the Milites being the most militaristically advanced nation of the four isn't having a hard time fending them off and continuing to capture ground all over the country. That is until we are introduced to the 14 students in Class Zero. With each one sporting their own unique weapon archetype, as well as a plethora of magic abilities, Class Zero's roster is the most advanced combat unit in all of Orience. But are they going to be able to take down an entire empire?

The Milites Empire eventually moves the concentration of their forces to the town of McTighe, not far from Class Zero's home and school, Akademia. Rubrum and Concordia do their best to fend off their attackers, but it comes to no avail and the cadets must be summoned in as a last resort. Obviously knowing about Class Zero, the Milites have a plan of their own and activate a colossal magic barrier, nullifying the abilities of the teenage super-soldiers. After a few more drawn out and confusing battle scenes, several of the cadets manage to somehow nullify the barrier and the day is saved...Or is it? No, I'm really not sure. It kind of just ends right there after the battle is over with the Milites commander shouting, "I'll get you next time, you rotten kids!" The cadets then pass around smiles before solemnly stating, "Oh man, I wish fewer people died. Good thing we're still here."

If that summary seemed a little frantic in terms of pacing, that is exactly what the book felt like. You have backstory literally tossed at you so quickly that it becomes way too hard to take in all of this seemingly vital information. Even the introductions of the characters are so quick that people not already familiar with them will have essentially no idea what their names were or what their personalities were like after the manga's end. I can't even remember if Trey had a line or not. It feels like some of the characters were just written into frames just so that people could think, "Oh hey, there's that one guy with the brass knuckles!" or something along those lines. It really becomes unfair to the players/fans of the less "Important" characters. The only ones with substantial amounts of dialogue are Ace, Machina, and Rem -- and even their personalities are hard to recognize without preconceived knowledge of them. The whole thing was just way too fast and unmemorable.

Even the elements that shaped a truly remarkable experience in the game seem underwhelming and unimportant. One of the biggest aspects, as far as this goes, would be how Orience is a land where the dead can not be remembered in any way, shape, or form. Yes, this is present in the manga (And actually mentioned quite a few times) but it always feels like an afterthought. The frantic pacing makes it less dark and depressing and more "Oh well. Let's move on," and it ruins something that was once so interesting and unique.

I understand that this manga was made to cater to the pre-existing fans of Type-0, but even when you put it that way, what's the point? Sice was my main character in the game and I absolutely adored her; she was present in four panels of the manga. It just wasn't worth it as far as I'm concerned. Not even the story was interesting because it literally comes at you so fast that you're incapable of building up any sort of care for it or the people of either nation. If the cadets of Class Zero weren't on the cover, it would have been hard to even tell who the good guys or bad guys were.

In Summary:

If you really really like Final-Fantasy Type-0, go ahead and read this, but prepared that it is most likely going to let you down. Far too much is crammed into just under 200 pages that everything comes and goes way too quickly for readers to care about it. Your favorite character from the game will not necessarily be misrepresented, but rather not represented at all. It's actually a little laughable they way some of the characters are introduced. Deuce is literally yanked into one of the frames after not appearing for three chapters and the text that accompanied her was something along the lines of "Deuce is coming too!" If this manga received more than one volume, it was definitely possible for it to be something great. But unfortunately, we have to deal with this single-volume of an underwhelming/confusing story and characters deviating from something that was once beautiful. Go and play the game instead of reading this.

Content Grade: D+

Art Grade: C+

Packaging Grade: B-

Text/Translation Grade: A-

Age Rating: 16+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: September 22, 2015

MSRP: $12.99

Attack On Titan: Junior High Episode #6 Review

So it was you who wrote the love letter?...

What They Say:

It's back-to-school for the cast of Attack on Titan as this spin-off gives us a glimpse into the average school year for each and every one of them. Instead of fearing for their lives, the characters are fearing for their lunches as the titans have a brand new appetite (One significantly less heartbreaking). Based on the manga, Attack on Titan: Junior High brings us familiar faces and memorable scenes in a lighthearted comedic format that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Will Eren and the others be able to survive the school year being right next door to a school for titans?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Ahh, junior high, where the first remnants of love begin to form in the minds of adolescents -- particularly the mind of our very own Jean Kirstein. At the beginning of this week's episode, Jean receives a love letter from an anonymous source as he is leaving school one morning. Stamped with a heart, the letter appears super girly and immediately sends Jean into a self-absorbed panic spiral in which he desperately tries to figure out who exactly wrote it. Could it be Sasha? No -- too girly. Mikasa? No -- too good to be true. Annie? No -- too...wait a minute.

After Annie is spotted dropping a second letter into Jean's locker, there is no other option as to who the secret admirer might be. This time, the letter asks Jean to come to the park after school. Jean reacts to this whole situation the same way any lovestruck teenage boy would -- by giving himself a combover and bathing in cologne. Equipped with his fool-proof man-plan, Jean makes his way to the park. And what do you know? Annie shows up just minutes later. After some more narcissistic dialogue from Jean, Annie reveals that she did write the letter. The thing is, she wrote it for a friend. (And then the ground starts to rumble). Oh look, here she comes!

Jean's secret admirer turns out to be a titan that fell in love with him the second he sacrificed his lunch in order to save his and Marco's life. In a mixed fit of shock and confusion, Jean tries to trick himself into believing his admirer isn't a titan at all, just a normal girl like everyone else. That doesn't last long, though, as he is crushed in the midst of his fiery new passion. Soon after, Jean cuts the cord on his new relationship and tells everyone that he can't date a girl that is, "Jus that huge".Titan girl doesn't like this and, once again, slaps Jean into the ground before running away in tears. I honestly don't know who to feel more sorry for.

This episode winds up once again utilizing subtle comedy to full effect in a multitude of ways. Whether it be Sasha turning into a cat and hissing at loud noises, more Franz/Hannah lovey-dovey stuff, or just the idea of Annie being friends with a titan, the laughs return in full-force here. Plus, it's always nice when Annie gets more screen time. If you throw in an extra argument between her and Mikasa, it's going to be pretty hard to not catch a glimpse of fun.

Best/Favorite Part:

Perhaps the most enjoyable section of this episode, at least for me, would have to be when Jean is playing different scenarios in his head for each possible secret admirer. It was nice receiving a visual of what possible relationships with the various AoT girls would be like, even if they were from the perspective of Jean. Personally, I would love to eat ramen with Sasha. I would even challenge her to a ramen-eating competition (Which I might even win depending on how hungry I am). Regardless, those various, brief moments were moments of innocent fanservice that catered to the whims of many different viewers instead of a select few. Things like that can be overlooked sometimes.

In Summary:

Having Jean as the focal point for this episode surely worked wonders as far as comedy goes. Nothing makes an episode more self-satirizing than throwing that guy in the driver's seat. With some help from the rest of the cast and some well-fitting dialogue from the writers, Jean carries this episode through to the end while easily avoiding any dull moments. The pattern of "Good episode followed by mediocre episode" has been broken and Attack on Titan: Junior High is back on the track to awesomeness. I'm hoping for more of the same next week.

Grade: B+

Streamed By: Funimation

Black Bullet Vol. #1 Manga Review

I am the one who will destroy the world.

Creative Staff:

Art: Morinohon

Original Story: Shiden Kanzaki

Character Design: Saki Ukai

Translation: Nita Lieu

Lettering: Abigail Blackman

What They Say:

After being invaded by viral parasites known as Gastrea, the people of Japan have had no choice but to encase themselves within colossal monoliths designed to repel the beasts. The Gastrea, however, have still managed to slowly trickle through the barrier and infect some of the population. In order to fend them off, humanity has created a "Civil Security" branch trained in the extermination of the parasites. Rentarou Satomi and Enju Aihara are just two of many Civ-Sec officers fighting to keep humanity safe and fix what has become of their world once and for all.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Our story begins with our protagonist, Rentarou Satomi, answering a call concerning a possible Gastrea after a man from a local apartment complex sighted blood dripping from his ceiling. Upon arrival, Rentarou and the local police force encounter a masked man who winds up adding to this already important Gastrea problem. It quickly becomes even more of a problem after the police attack him and lose several of their men as a result. Then it becomes EVEN MORE of a problem when that man claims that he is going to destroy the world (As if it wasn't destroyed enough already). After a quick, one-sided battle in his favor, the masked man slips away, leaving Rentarou and the police to look for the victim who has somehow managed to live long enough to wander the streets. Unfortunately, by the time they reach him, he has morphed into a Gastrea and no longer possesses any shred of humanity. The battle moves in the Gastrea's favor until Rentarou's partner, Enju Aihara, shows up and completely annihilates it.

Soon after the beast's annihilation, the book shifts right back to the beginning and we get to see the entire first chapter again from Enju's perspective. Apparently, she was fortunate enough to run into the victim before the Gastrea's infection fully took over, giving him a short time to leave her with a message to deliver to his family. That message, of course, being the ever-cliche, yet still impactful, "I'm sorry." Once the battle concludes (Again), we get a glimpse of the entertainingly explosive relationship that Rentarou and Enjou possess before the two of them hang up the serious plot stuff and go grocery shopping.

Things get a little more difficult for Rentarou (Who takes back possession of the story's perspective) when he gets back to the office and is unhappily greeted by his boss/childhood friend, the fiery and intuitive Kisara Tendou. Turns out, Rentarou is the only employee Kisara has, which has created quite an issue as far as success rate and finance goes. After another argument spanning several pages, it is revealed that Kisara is sick and has to spend the rest of the day attending a doctor's appointment. This, being the perfect chance for some exposition, allows Rentarou to head down to the hospital and converse with Kisara's doctor about not only her problems but how the Gastrea virus works. The most useful bit of information the doc spills, however, is the story behind the "Cursed children" which our secondary protagonist, Enjou, falls into. Children born during the time of the first few Gastrea sightings were somehow imbued with some of the DNA of Gastrea, ultimately resulting in them gaining superhuman strength. The downside to this is that the growth of the cursed children is impeded, resulting in them having a hard time fitting in. Most wind up just hiding their abilities in an attempt to assimilate with the rest of society.

Things move forward when Kisara receives a call from the ministry of defense, possibly pertaining to the Spider-Gastrea that no one has seemed to locate yet. After she yanks Rentarou out of class, the two of them head down to the ministry to join basically every rival Civ-Sec company out there for a meeting that no one really knows anything about at this point.

In Summary:

The first volume of Black Bullet utilizes most of its time for character introduction and exposition. There is plenty of backstory to be picked up over the first few chapters, but the way it is presented seems slightly unnatural and out of place. It wasn't unnerving and it didn't ruin the overall feel of the manga, but you could tell that the writer was essentially saying, "This is the part where you will learn about what is happening," instead of slowly revealing information and building up the story. However, the upside to this is that we quickly understand what everything is and why it is happening. It just doesn't leave enough to the imagination. Overall, I'd say this was a pretty decent first issue in most aspects. The artwork was enjoyable (Though the action sequences were a bit hard to follow), character design was fun and creative, and the pacing itself was actually pretty solid. On the downside, the ending of the volume was nothing short of a forced cliffhanger and could have been done a bit better.

Content Grade: B-

Art Grade: B-

Packaging Grade: B

Text/Translation Grade: A-

Age Rating: 17+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: September 22, 2015

MSRP: $13.00

Attack On Titan: Junior High Episode #5 Review

A certain event was about to occur -- one that would affect everyone...

What They Say:

It's back-to-school for the cast of Attack on Titan as this spin-off gives us a glimpse into the average school year for each and every one of them. Instead of fearing for their lives, the characters are fearing for their lunches as the titans have a brand new appetite (One significantly less heartbreaking). Based on the manga, Attack on Titan: Junior High brings us familiar faces and memorable scenes in a lighthearted comedic format that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Will Eren and the others be able to survive the school year being right next door to a school for titans?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

The events contained in this week's episode are not for the faint of heart. The time has come for man to rise to the challenge and draw from any and all experiences in order to prevail. Survival is not guaranteed. What is guaranteed, however, is unavoidable failure and shattered hopes as comrades fall with nothing apart from despair and misery clinging on to them. That's right, it's time for the class to receive their standardized test results. The worst part of it all is that we can't even help them. We have to sit back and watch as our favorite characters fall victim to an evil beyond man's control. But maybe...just maybe...there is someone among them who can provide aid in a time of peril as earth-shaking as this. And maybe...just maybe...he is shrouded in a mysterious and inexplicable...blanket-hat thing.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that Sasha and Connie inevitably fail their tests and Armin volunteers to help them study. Man, that whole ominous intro paragraph is starting to seem like a bad idea now. Anyway, Sasha and Armin begin their studying so that Sasha won't wind up in remedial math classes. Connie initially agrees to come as well but that winds up not happening at all due to his absentmindedness. Regardless, Armin and Sasha embark on an academic voyage comparing X's and Y's in algebra to food to appeal to Sasha's interests. Which, in the end, still does not sound like a good idea since she winds up spending all of her test-taking time thinking up food combinations. As for Connie...well, he's still just out there doing Connie stuff.

All while this is happening, there is an entirely different issue at hand claiming the attention of absolutely everyone in Attack Junior High. Zoe Hange needs lunch money. And after countless failed attempts at procuring some yen from Levi, Zoe takes it into her own hands to go rampaging through the Scouting Club room. Thankfully, she is subdued by Eren and Jean, assuring safety for everyone. That is, until Zoe reveals that she has captured two titans (Sawney and Bean! Remember those guys?) and is keeping them captive in the closet. That also explains where all of her money has been going. You know what? Zoe is literally the same exact character in this as she is in the original Attack On Titan anime. There are absolutely no changes made to her at all. None. But honestly, it works out because it would be difficult to make her funnier than she already is in the first place. Actually, if anything, she's more ridiculous in the source material because she contrasts with nearly everyone else.

Best/Favorite Part:

In the beginning of the episode, while Sasha is freaking out about who is going to help her study, Bertolt Hoover walks up to her and offers to help, only to be completely ignored while she continues to question who is going to help her. Even after Armin walks over, no one acknowledges his presence. It was a hilarious take on his character and how unmemorable he was. Hell, I couldn't even remember his name and had to look it up. Eventually, he just walks away -- still unloved and unnoticed. Poor Bertolt.

In Summary:

As a whole, this is one of the funnier episodes of the series thus far. We have two interesting plot lines that are essentially tied in terms of entertainment and comedic value. Zoe and Sasha are the highlights of this episode and do a are probably the best choices in terms of carrying an episode through to the end. No matter what happens, they just don't stop being funny. Plus, more screen time for Zoe was definitely needed, seeing as we've barely caught a glimpse of her in Junior High up to this point. Episode #5 was a solid addition to this series on all fronts.

Grade: B+

Streamed By: Funimation