Attack On Titan: Junior High Episode #10 Review

And the winner is...

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)

With the third-years nearing graduation, the time has come for Attack Junior High to elect a new student council president. The only issue is that none of the candidates are really fit for the job. In fact, two of the candidates are only running so they can get girls! (Yes, Jean is one of them). Needless to say, this year's election is going to be quite a hurdle for almost everyone involved.

We start off with just another Jean/Eren dispute as they both announce their candidacy for the upcoming election. Eren's political base is that he wants to destroy all the titans (Shocker). Jean's standpoint is that being student council president makes girls fall for you. Right off the bat, these two start butting heads about how the other is unfit to be president. Shortly after several heated arguments, the opinion polls are pinned to the bulletin board and, what do you know, all of the candidates have under a 10% approval rating. If only there was some way for them to find out why their ratings were so low...oh wait, there is.

Remember Ilse Langnar from the original Attack On Titan? Probably not, she didn't really matter and only made an appearance in one of the OVAs for the series. But she was that one girl that took down notes for Levi and the rest of the humans shortly after her entire squadron was annihilated by titans during an expedition. This time, things are different. She is now a newspaper reporter for Attack Junior High, and she has notes on the election! Queue intense chase scene involving all of the candidates attempting to steal her notebook. Eventually, the notes are recovered. They are just instructions on how to clean.

Heh.

In the end, we finally get to hear the candidates give their electoral speeches. It's just...none of them really went well at all. Eren's speech was received well once Armin took the stage and spoke for him, but that all went to hell once Eren spoke again. Jean's speech also started off terribly, but then became great once Marco took the microphone from him. (Why didn't Armin and Marco just run?). After Marco speaks, Ilse shows up once again -- this time from a catwalk -- and shouts at everyone, telling them that Marco should be student council president.

And then he is.

Best/Favorite Part:

At the end of Eren's speech, we get another glorious flashback moment when Levi shows up and kicks him right in the face. What a kick. Eren is sent flying and Mikasa actually gets some life in her eyes, screaming as her brother/boyfriend/childhood-friend is sent flying through the air. Oh man, I forgot how great it was seeing the look on Eren's face as his role model kicked him in the mouth. Good job, Levi.

In Summary:

For fans of Ilse from the OVA, this might be a rather enjoyable episode. Though the comedy is a bit weaker in this episode than previous installments in the series, there are still some fun moments and enough shared screen-time to make it at least "Pretty good". Still, it was nice seeing the creators of AoT Junior High give some love to a lesser known character, even if she didn't have a lot of time to really do anything. I'd lump this episode in with the "Less good" ones so far this season, but that doesn't mean you should skip it.

Grade: C

Streamed By: Funimation

Top 10 Cutest Girls Of Fall 2015

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. A new anime season once again brings a new chance for me to enlighten you all about the cutest girls of the season and why you should rearrange your "Favorite Characters" section on Myanimelist. This definitive collection of the Top 10 Girls of Fall 2015 is the final countdown of the year in the category, and may be succeeded by a championship of some sort if I feel like throwing that together. So grab your dakimakura, throw on some easy-listening music, and let's do this thing.

The rules are simple. There are none.

Girls are graded by their personality, their voice, and of course, their appearance.

LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN.

10) Shiki Magata

Anime: The Perfect Insider

CV: Ibuki Kido

Okay, so there may or may not be a part of me that deep down...is infatuated with serial killers. Especially the ones that are 14-year-old super-geniuses. I mean, it all started with Samara/Sawa from The Ring/Ringu respectively. From that point on...I don't know man. I can't help it. Either way, Shiki is basically what Samara would have been if she spent less time crawling out of televisions and more time programming computers or something. Her dead, lifeless...voice...only adds to the mixture.

9) Mikasa Ackerman: Junior High Edition

Anime: Attack On Titan: Junior High

CV: Yui Ishikawa

First, there was Mikasa Ackerman. Then, there was another Mikasa Ackerman. The second one, however, wound up being a less ripped, schoolgirl version of her. Accentuating her emotionless eyes and unrequited love for her semi-brother instead of her abs, AoT Junior High's Mikasa is equal parts hilarious and adorable. She has had like three expressions (And that's being generous) through an entire season so far and each one is the perfect image of a girl fit for a spot in the top 10 this time around.

8) Julis-Alexia von Riessfelt

Anime: Asterisk Wars

CV: Ai Kakuma

Ahh, the tsundere -- Japan's true gift to the world. Equipped with pink hair and a weird sci-fi headpiece thing, Julis is one of the most true-blue tsundere of the year. (Plus, you totally get to see her in her underwear IN JUST THE FIRST EPISODE OF ASTERISK WARS). *Clears throat*. Anyway, Julis is the only female in Asterisk Wars that really stands out to me, and it's for good reason. She is constantly at war with her dere side, only letting it out in moments of intense...intensity. But when the dere escapes, it's like a cuteness overload and you just want to pat her head along with her weird sci-fi headband thing.

7) Annie Leonhardt: Junior High Version

Anime: Attack On Titan: Junior High

CV: Yuu Shimamura

Our seventh place slot goes to my personal favorite AoT character (Apart from Levi), Annie Leonhardt. The great thing about the junior high remix of Annie is that we've already seen her in a Yukata AND a cheerleading outfit. These cute get-ups contrast with her angsty "I hate the world" side so well that it turns her into a character even cuter than she was in the original AoT. I didn't even know that was possible. Needless to say, I am looking forward to whatever outfit Attack On Titan: Junior High dresses Annie up in next. (Please be a swimsuit).

6) Ouka Ootori

Anime: Anti-Magic Academy 35th Test Platoon
CV: Reina Ueda

You know, I'm normally not into girls like Ootori. At least not on the surface. There are moments though when her dere escapes (Much like Julis) and it's literally too much to handle. PLUS, she has red hair and blue eyes and those are both extreme pluses in my book. She can also handle a gun very well. *Clears throat again*. Ootori is my favorite badass of the season. She isn't just there as eye-candy either. She actually has a story -- and a good one at that. For these reasons, she deserves to be where I have placed her.

5) Kujou Sakurako

Anime: Beautiful Bones

CV: Shizuka Itou

And so another unlikely candidate makes her way into my top 10. The great thing about Sakurako is that even though she is a grown woman, she is a complete child at heart. Who cares if she has an unhealthy obsession with dead things? Not me -- we already went over that. Despite her childish tendencies, Sakurako is another super-genius that also happens to be a detective AND an osteologist. What a strange combination of careers. I just wish that I was the one who had to look after her instead of Shoutarou.

4) Karen Jinryou

Anime: Shomin Sample

CV: Chitose Morinaga

There is nothing quite like those characters who appear super-badass on the outside, but wind up being completely adorable and cutesy when you actually get to know them. The first time we see Karen, she attacks the protagonist of Shomin Sample with her secret Jinryou family sword technique. But in the obligatory harem turn of events, she just winds up cutting the clothing off of everyone. Thanks, Karen! The great thing about her is that at her core, she just wants to love and be loved. It's unfortunate for her that the girl in the #3 spot is also from her anime.

3) Aika Tenkuubashi

Anime: Shomin Sample

CV: Yuu Serizawa

Speak of the devil. Though Aika couldn't nail the cutest spot in this countdown, she easily takes the #1 spot for "Most fun." Aika just wants to be popular and is willing to do whatever it takes in order to get that way -- as long as that doesn't include talking to other girls. Right from the start of Shomin Sample, Aika is seen as this super-lovable, super-gullible bundle of energy just waiting to burst. As she uncovers the mysteries of the commoner, she only becomes more fun while, at the same time, busting out of her shell a bit. Aika truly is one of the cutest characters to emerge from a harem this year.

2) Mari Nikaidou

Anime: Anti-Magic Academy 35th Test Platoon

CV: Kanae Itou

The runner-up medal goes to the fiery "Witch of Aurora," Mari Nikaidou. Originally an enemy but converted to a good-guy through amnesia, Mari is an excitingly fun and entirely adorable.  She even wears a scarf. I love scarves! I also love long brown hair and half-tsundere (Yet super dere) snaggletoothed side characters! She really hits all the marks that my favorite girls wind up hitting. Plus, she has the most adorable voice of the season, so that's a plus in itself. I know she won't, but I really hope that Mari winds up being the inevitable love interest in Anti-Magic Academy...or my own.

Fall 2015 Champion: 1) Shinoa Hiiragi

Anime: Owari No Seraph

CV: Saori Hayami

She's back! The previous runner-up of my Spring 2015 countdown has returned to claim victory over all of the other contestants to grace my television this season. This was an easy victory for Shinoa, who lost inevitably to Rin Tohsaka just two seasons ago. I have loved Shinoa since Owari No Seraph started. Hell, she was the only reason I carried on with the first season (Which eventually became good -- it just took a while). Honestly, every time she even gets to speak I'm just overcome with joy. Every single mannerism she has is literally perfect. I remember making a statement a few months ago about how I wish every female character was Shinoa Hiiragi. Well, I stand by that statement now more than ever. If I do decide to do a championship countdown, you can bet she'll be a contender.

And there you have it, everyone, the 10 cutest girls from the past three months. Feel free to change your desktops, wallpapers, etc.

See you again at the end of next season for another "Cutest Girls"

Feel free to read the rest of my stuff until then!

Horimiya Vol. #1 Manga Review

Everybody has a side they don't show anyone else.

Creative Staff:

Art: Daisuke Hagiwara

Story: Hero

Translation: Taylor Engel

Lettering: Alexis Eckerman

What They Say:

At first glance, the ultra-popular Hori-san seems like a frivolous high school girl, but in reality, she's plain, pragmatic, and family-oriented. On the other hand, the bespectacled Miyamura-kun comes across as an average, gloomy high school fanboy, but he's actually an attractive young man who has a bad-boy streak and is covered in piercings and tattoos. When these two unexpectedly similar classmates have a random run-in outside of the classroom, a bubbly, sweet tale of school life begins!

The Review:

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

It's been quite a while since I've ventured into the romance genre, which is rather upsetting considering that when it's done correctly it might be my favorite genre overall. That being said, picking up Horimiya was a must in order for me to bust my way back into the world of cute, bidimensional love. The catch is that this time around that love doesn't involve carbon copies of characters from typical shoujo literature that we (Or at least I) have come to expect out of anything even remotely close to shoujo. I mean, if we're going to get technical, this is a seinen series, but come on. Seinen romance manga is just shoujo manga without the word "Girl" tied to it. They both feel the same and contain many of the same contents. I'm rambling. Let's actually go over some stuff now.

Horimiya begins with Kyouko Hori conversing with her friends at school. On the surface, she seems to be this super-popular, beautiful girl with no social problems whatsoever. Enter Izumi Miyamura, the outcast. Miyamura is overlooked by nearly everyone in his class who all just presume him to be a closet otaku or something. Some of them even take bets on what he's into outside of school. In an exciting turn of events, Hori drops her eraser (As is a must for any romantic comedy) and Miyamura-kun is right there to give it back to her before somberly walking back to his seat and instilling his image in Hori's adolescent mind for the rest of eternity. Hooray!

Shortly after returning home, Hori's younger brother [Souta] shows up accompanied by some guy with long hair, piercings, tattoos, etc. And, don't you know it, that guy is Miyamura. He isn't boring and dull like he is in school at all! Turns out, Souta was attacked by a dog and fell down, leaving Miyamura to escort him home to make sure no other dogs attacked him on his way back. Souta becomes attached to this male figure rather quickly and insists that he continue to come over and play with him. And so he does. And so begins a new after-school ritual for the three of them.

Kyouko Hori is apparently not all that interesting at her core. She spends her free time grocery shopping for her home, seeing as she is normally the only one there to take care of Souta. At home, she is no longer this princess that everyone admires, but instead a normal human girl who does things like put her hair up or wear aprons. You know, stuff girls do. She's a little embarrassed by this at first but eventually comes to terms with showing that side to Miyamura. It's kind of like he's another little brother or something. But like, a little brother that she's totally going to fall in love with in a totally not creepy way. Totally.

As their after-school rituals progress and continue for quite some time, several of their other friends are dragged into the fray. The thing is, none of those friends really know that Kyouko and Miyamura hang out nearly every day. At least not at first. Another boy, Tooru Ishikawa, goes on to profess his love for Hori-san but is ultimately turned down because he is not the protagonist of the story. Following Tooru's confession, he and Miyamura start to become pals of some sort whose friendship is initially built upon the fact that Miyamura and Hori are...friends? I'm not sure what you're even supposed to consider them at this point in the manga.

Eventually, one of Hori's friends (Yuki Yoshikawa) shows up at her house while Miyamura is there. In an effort to hide who he is from her, Hori tells her that Miyamura (Who's new placeholder name is Konoha) is her cousin. So now there's an entire subplot of Hori's friend having a crush on this boy who is actually in her class and she doesn't even know it. Oh man, things are getting convoluted. But just when they couldn't get any more convoluted, Hori's mom walks back into the picture, just in time to meet with Miyamura while Hori is out shopping. This poor guy, he has to deal with so much.

In Summary:

Horimiya displays excellent pacing, strong character development, and an interesting story right from the get-go without ever feeling forced or unnatural. The characters quickly become entities of their own with different feelings and outlooks that readers will be able to empathize with almost immediately. The comedy is well-written and never comes off as awkward or out of place. With the help of hilarious subtexts and outlandish situations, nearly every page in Horimiya is memorable. This first volume sets the stage for something that I consider to be (At this point in time) one of the best romantic manga series out there and is easily accessible by both males and females. I'm extremely excited for the next volume of this series and am looking forward to watching these characters (And their relationships) progress.

Content Grade: A

Art Grade: A-

Packaging Grade: A-

Text/Translation Grade: A+

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: October 27, 2015

MSRP: $12.99