Azuma Kazuma is a young man with a dream- he wants to create “Japan”, a bread that can stand alongside the likes of French bread, German bread and English loaves as a national icon. To that end, he enrols as an employee of the famous bakery chain Pantasia, but will his creativity, imagination and sheer love of bread be enough to make up for his lack of formal training when it comes to squaring off against the foremost artisans of the bread making industry?
Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 7, Amatsuki 5, Baccano! 15, Chi’s Sweet Home 25-8, Himawari!! 4, Itazura na Kiss 7, Kurenai 7, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 5, Nabari no Ou 5, Persona Trinity Soul 9, Toshokan Sensou 6, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 6, xxxHOLiC Kei 6
…and in manga: Akagi 12-13, Elfen Lied 85, xxxHOLiC 121-57
Mai-Undine: Aria X Mai-Otome
We’ve considered this crossover before, but now is the time for the Mai franchise to take another step towards world domination with Mai-Undine! In Neo Venezia, aspiring Undines must learn to harness their gondola power in order to defend their respective companies from attack. Complete with fat cats, transformation sequences and those infamous gondola battles, Mai-Undine is the one to watch this summer!
Some time ago, I reviewed Crest of the Stars, a thirteen episode space opera that impressed me with its ability to blend character drama with a galaxy-spanning main plot. Having thus got a taste for the series, I needed more, and so it was that in due course I came to see the three Banner of the Stars series, sequels covering the events of the later novels. But ultimately, could they live up to the high standard set by their predecessor?
Reviewed this week: Alice the Adventure 1, Allison and Lillia 6, Baccano 14, Chi’s Sweet Home 21-4, Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino 7, Himitsu 3, Itazura na Kiss 6, Kurenai 6, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 4, Mnemosyne 4, Nabari no Ou 6, Persona 7-8, Real Drive 4, Soul Eater 3-6, Toshokan Sensou 4-5, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 4-5, xxxHOLiC Kei 5
…and in manga: Claymore 79, Hunter X Hunter 279-80, Tsubasa 189
After twelve episodes of seeing Itoshiki Nozomu fall into despair, there can have been few fans of the series who weren’t ready for him and his eclectic class to come back for more. Fortunately, the success of the first season meant that another thirteen episodes weren’t far behind, but would ‘second season syndrome’ kick in and make this batch less enjoyable than what had come before? Continue reading
Anime Blog Awards, go vote for Azure Flame, let me know if my posting sexy pictures of myself will increase readership, yadda, yadda, yadda…
Spice and Wolf the game
Missing Spice and Wolf? Then why not imagine what it might be like if the series had its own video game? You’ll take on the role of either Horo or Lawrence as the pair of you travel across the country trading various goods. Collect data on the best places to buy and sell different commodities and slowly build up your fortune. Spend the money on buying shops, recruiting subordinates or just unlocking extras like costumes for the world’s shapeliest wolf girl. The possibilities are endless! Continue reading
There’s nothing strange about high school students asking each other out- but when it comes to Negishi and Hoshino, their relationship is a little different from the norm. The straight-talking Hoshino decides that there should be complete honesty and straightforwardness between them, but his curious naïveté means that dealing with the hot-headed Negishi won’t always be easy! Will this unlikely couple endure the ups and downs of a teenage relationship? Continue reading
Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 4-5, Amatsuki 4, Chi’s Sweet Home 14-20, Itazura na Kiss 4-5, Kaiba 3-4, Kurenai 5, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 3, Nabari no Ou 1-5, Real Drive 3, Toshokan Sensou 1-3, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 13
…and in manga: Bokurano 48-52
Twenty-two year old Itou Kaiji is a bit of a loser- an unemployed bum, he amuses himself by slashing tyres and stealing the emblems from cars. All that changes, however, when his friend defaults on a loan and the yakuza come to collect from the guarantor- namely Kaiji himself. With no other way of paying back a three million yen debt, Kaiji signs up to a night of gambling that could earn him the money he needs, little realising that it is just the beginning of a dangerous series of high stakes games where to lose is to risk not only your money, but also your very life.
