Sunday, May 10, 2015

Gaby's Review: Ore Monogatari/My Story

A tale of unlikely love, Ore Monogatari translated as My Story just started airing in Japan about a month ago. So far its super sweet about a guy named Takeo, he is very large and very strong towers above everyone else in his class. Always has crushes on the cutest girls but the girls always fall for his good looking friend yet unsensitive friend Sunakawa.
One day he saves a girl named Yamato on the train for a pervert, and she is so grateful she beings to make him cakes, and asks for his email, and makes friends with him right away.  Takeo thinking that she likes Sunakawa decides to cheer her on because she is so sweet.   Little does he know that Yamato might not have a crush on Sunakawa afterall...

This is a cute story of unlikely love so far its been very sweet, I just watched the latest episode on simulcast and it looks like there may be a little more to the story.  I will surely be keeping an eye on this story.I recommend it if you like adorable shoujo romcom.


Sunakawa and Takeo are childhood friends, they walk home together every day.
Yamato says thank you to Takeo after thwarting the pervert on the train.
Sunakawa and Takeo enjoy Yamato's sweets that she baked as a thank you.


Monday, April 27, 2015

2015 Japanese Spring Festival and Tea Ceremony

So on Sunday April 26, 2015, I had the pleasure of attending the Japanese Spring Festival at the Fort Worth Japanese Gardens.  It was a great experience for those who want to experience a slice of Japanese culture, right here in Texas.  They had booths of all kinds, origami, hair clips, traditional festival games, kanji writing, fish painting, bonsai tree sales, and great demonstrations!

Also myself and some of my groupmates even got to be part of the traditional Tea Ceremony. It was a really good experience.


Here are pictures and captions of our fun adventure at the Japanese Gardens.


The first thing we do at the ceremony is have a sweet before we have the tea to offset the bitterness of the tea. Above: the sweet is being offered to the person next to you before you have the sweet yourself.
We all have a piece of sweet ready to eat while the hostess makes the tea.
Making the tea for the guests
Above: Holding the tea with our right hand, pick it up, rotate the cup and drink, if you enjoy the tea, a compliment is paid to the tea maker.  After the tea has been consumed, we examined our tea cup and thanked the host for the delicious tea.

The Iaido, Jodo, Karate The Dojo, Denton, TX show us their swordsmanship
The Iaido, Jodo, Karate The Dojo, Denton, TX, shows us the art of Jodo
The Iaido, Jodo, Karate The Dojo, Denton, TX, demonstrate Karate
The Sakura Dance Group performs a traditional dance with fans
The Sakura Dance Group and friends dance a festival dance in a circle

The Zen Garden





the lovely scenery at the gardens


Beautiful scenery of the tea house



Thursday, April 23, 2015

Gaby's Review: Inari KonKon

Inari KonKon, or Inari Konkon, Koi Iroha, aired in Japan from January 2014 to March 2014 in Japan, and I recently watched it. It's only ten episodes so its worth a look.
Its really cute, I am really into the cute high school romcom type of genre so this is definitively one that I am enjoying.
The story centers around a girl Inari, she has a crush on Tanbabashi Kouji. One day as she was late to class for helping a young fox pup, then she ends up embarrassing Tanbabashi in gym class, she doesn't think her day will get any better.  However, the deity Ukanomitama-no-kami, gives her an amazing ability as a thank you for saving the pup.  Inari now has the power to transform into any person she wants to.
Will this power help her be able to confess to Tanbabashi?  Will she be able to handle such great power? Because with great power comes great responsibility.

Here are a few screenshots from the show.
Inari with the deity Ukanomitama-no-kami

Inari's pose to transform, she connects her fingers and makes a heart.


Inari's older brother Touka with the deity Ukanomitama-no-kami

Inari walking next to her crush Tanbabashi-Kun during the opening credits



Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Gaby's First Impression on: The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan

Haruhi and Nagato pass each other in the street
So for this review I'll be telling you about the new spinoff of the Haruhi Suzumiya series, the Disappearance of Nagato Yuki.
Now I am a  huge Haruhi Suzumiya fan, so I was very excited to know that there is a new spinoff that just started airing on April 3rd, 2015 in Japan. 
So far the first two episodes have aired and here is my take on it so far...

The series centers around Nagato in an alternate universe, not like the original Haurhi series that told the story through Kyon's point of view, this one is just your average narrator narrative, high school romcom.
I have nothing against Nagato, but honestly she was not a favorite character of mine, she was what I always referred to as the boring shy girl, but others just thought she was cute, however after the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, where Nagato was a shy type in an alternate universe, her character got a little more feeling.
Now because this story is mostly about Nagato having a crush on Kyon, I am a little bit...uhm...urked by this since I am a huge Haruhi and Kyon shipper.
However, the series does do a really good job of portraying her character as rather adorable hopelessly in love shy girl who is too nervous to tell her crush she likes him.

Nagato and Haruhi do have a past connection in this alternate universe that is revealed in episode two...see the small spoiler picture below...

 All in all this series seems to be all right, I rather prefer Kyon's character in the original series than in this one, he seems to be way too soft in this one but I am still going to hang on for hopefully more character development, although I'll probably follow the series all the way seeing as I'm such a huge Haruhi franchise fan. 
I am excited for the 3rd episode because it is titled "Haruhi Suzumiya" so I am hoping we get to see more and more of her too throughout the series.

In conclusion I do recommend for anyone who absolutely loved the Haruhi Suzumiya series, and if you haven't seen the Haruhi Suzumiya series, this is actually starting look like a good series all on its own too, since its in an alternate universe than that of the original Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, it might be able to stand out on its own providing there are no random plot twists that relate to the original series.




Opening Song:
"Fure Fure Mirai" (フレ降レミライ; "Hooray Falling Future") by Kitakō Bungeibu Joshikai

Closing Song:
"Arigatō, Daisuki" (ありがとう、だいすき; "Thank You, I Love You") by Minori Chihara

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Gaby's Anime Review: D-Frag!

All Right so D-Frag just finished airing in Japan in March.

Last night I had the pleasure of being able to go to the dub screening of the first four episodes of D-Frag as dubbed by the Funimation voice actors.

I honestly didn't know what to expect I hadn't seen D-Frag before and all I heard was that it was a high school comedy....like every other anime it seems.

D-Frag is about Kenji Kazama, a not so popular "delinquent" type,  basically being forced to join a club called "The Game Creation Club." Where four zany girls basically make games and force him to do crazy things.  Hilarity further ensues when another club also claims to be the Game Creation Club and tries to get Kenji Kazama to drop the club.  The Battle of club presidents between Roka the cute "Moe" yet "dark" president of one of the Game Creation Clubs and Takao the big breasted girl who claims that her club is the real Game Creation Club.

With other hilarious characters, like the student body president Chitose Karasuyama the "Earth Type" of the Game Creation club, and Ataru Kawahara, Kenji's friend from childhood who seems to like pain a little more than a normal person should, this anime is sure to have you laughing.

Hilarious scenes to note.  The battle in front of the girls locker room window, delinquents playing a board game about space porn magazines, and some cross dressing hilarity.

The two rival Game Creation Clubs








#D-Frag #D-Fragment #Anime #PLEASEAnime #GameCreationClub #AnimeReview


Monday, April 13, 2015

Scarborough Renaissance Faire!

So the time is here when Scarborough Renaissance Faire in Waxahachie, TX is upon us for the Months of April and May you too can experience some medieval festivities!

I'll be going with a group on May 2nd, feel free to meet up and say hi to us during the festival, we don't bite!

Looking forward to all the delicious noms, horses, gypsies, knights, and awesomeness.

Check out our meetup group on facebook events here or just say hi if you see a bunch of Otaku just hanging out! 

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Hanami 2015

Hi All, its Gaby with a little springtime factoid!
Spring is blooming everywhere! And here at PLEASE! Anime headquarters in Dallas, Texas we have cherry blossoms!!!
Yes, recently we got to celebrate the awesome Hanami practice, the centuries old practice of having a picnic under the Sakura (Cherry blossoms).
Hanami has gotten so big now that the Japanese have a type of weather forecast for the blooming of the Sakura. The blossoming begins in Okinawa at the beginning of the year and typically reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or early April.
Sakura have been used as a symbol of Japan since early days, even as propaganda during war times to symbolize "Japanese Spirit", the government would encourage that during war souls that were lost were reincarnated as these flowers.
Oh and did you know they are edible? Yes! They can be used in a variety of culinary dishes.

Here are a few shots I took of Hanami in Dallas.

With my parasol in front of the Sakura

The lovely trees blooming in the distance
Closeup of the blossoms


Monday, March 23, 2015

Thoughts on BONJOUR♪Sweet Love Patisserie



So the anime has concluded on March 22, 2015. I must say, it was a fun ride for those who enjoy cutesy shows like this. The ending was wrapped up with a nice little bow.

If you want a refresher on the storyline behind this series, click this link: http://pleaseanime.blogspot.com/2015/03/bonjour-sweet-love-patisserie.html

BONJOUR♪Sweet Love Patisserie 
Unlike other dating-sim-based anime that I've encountered, there is a more casual atmosphere within the characters as the story goes along. After a while it feels like you're watching a slice of life anime. There is definitely enough funny moments to keep the anime fresh. Unfortunately there tends to be some cheesiness in the anime. (Most likely part of the humor.) It's kinda like how the newest Godzilla movie had enough cliches to be noticeable, but the film was still great.

One thing that was enjoyable was the competitive attitude among the male protagonists. The aggressive playing led to sunburns, colds, etc. They remind me of arch rivals in most shonen anime. There was a bit of a rivalry between Sayuri and Tsubaki, even if it was mostly one-sided. Glad it worked out in the end though.

The final episodes went to a... unique direction. Who knew that cooking competitions can involve imaginary super powers? I'm guessing that they were going for a metaphorical battle of confectionery style. (It would have been nice if they at least let us see the whole creation that helped them win the tournament. Boo. *3*)
Like all school related anime, the last episode involved the character's graduation ceremony with the hope of seeing each other again in the near future. I always enjoy dating-sim anime that let the audience decide who the character ends up with. The school year may be over, but that doesn't mean the potential romances are gone. ;)

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Bonjour Sweet Love Patisserie


BONJOUR♪Sweet Love Patisserie

Director: Noriaki Akitaya

Studio: Connect, Silver Link

Licensed by: Crunchyroll

Video Game Platforms: iOS, Android

Sayuri Haruno is a lucky student who entered Fleurir Confectionery Academy through a scholarship. She dreams of becoming a pastry chef and gives 120% to develop her skills. On the first day she is already making friends (and maybe some enemies too). During the ceremony, Haruno thinks about what her friend Mochizuki told her: rumor has it that it is forbidden to have any romantic relationships between students and instructors. Despite this warning, some relationships may begin to bloom.

BONJOUR♪Sweet Love Patisserie aired since October 11, 2014. The episodes are about 5 minutes each, which is great for those who can only take sappy moments in small doses. They can also be enjoyed by those who are experiencing poor internet due to bad weather. The cheesy romcom moments will surely warm you up.

This anime is still running but will conclude on episode 24. I hope to give some opinions about the anime as a whole and hope to hear from some of you about what you thought of the anime.

Watch it now on Crunchyroll.com  <3 

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Our Top 10 Romcom Anime!

Tis the season for love so since romance is in the air we decided to list our favorite romantic comedy anime! Here are the recommendations from the PLEASE! Anime crew to you!


Toradora
 Ryuji Takasu has always been seen as a scary dude because of his eyes. At school he bumps into Taiga Aisaka, a scary girl in school who happens to be the friend of Ryuji's crush. Ryuji and Taiga later discover that they have crushes on each other's friends, and so they agree to help each other catch their love interests. What they don't realize is that as they work together, a slow relationship starts to form between them.


Ano Hana (The Flower We Saw That Day)

A group of friends fall apart after Menma, one of the girls in the group, passes away. After 10 years go by, Jinta, the leader of the group, stays at home playing video games. A grown up version of his old friend suddenly appears as if she was never gone. He ignores her at first, assuming that she is a result of his stress over her death. Menma claims that she needs a wish to be granted in order to be able to move on. Unfortunately, she can't remember what the wish was. Jinta gets the group back together in the hopes of finding a solution together. As they try to figure things out, secrets are revealed and it seems that Menma isn't the only one who needs to move on.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster)  

Mizutani Shizuku is the type of person who only cares for her own grades. But when she accidentally delivers lesson notes to Yoshida Haru, he becomes convinced they are friends. Haru turns out to have a very innocent personality, but who would've thought that Haru would actually confess to Shizuku?











Kaichou Wa Maid Sama 
Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female student council president at a once-all-boys-turned-co-ed school. She rules the school with a strict discipline demeanor, but she has a secret: she works at a maid cafe due to her family's circumstances. One day, the popular A-student and notorious heart-breaker Takumi Usui finds out her secret and makes a deal with her to keep it hush from the school in exchange for spending some time with him.

B. Gata H. Kei (Yamada's First Time)
Yamada wants her cherry popped so that she can achieve having 100 sex friends, she sets her eye on young Kosuda to be the one to pop it, hilarity ensues when inexperienced Yamada starts to try to seduce Kosuda, this later leads to something that may be a romance between the two.



Golden Time
 Banri finds himself completely lost after the opening ceremony and tries to find his way to the freshman orientation. Along the way, he runs into another lost freshman from the same school, Mitsuo Yanagisawa, and they immediately hit it off. Somehow arriving at their intended goal just in time, there appears in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses, who congratulates Mitsuo on getting into the school then hits him across the face with them before tossing the bouquet into his lap and leaving. This stylish, well dressed, and obsessive woman is his childhood friend, Kōko Kaga. As children, they had promised to marry each other one day, something she has taken to heart this entire time. Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the examination for this private college in order to escape from her, but she used her connections to find out about it, took the law school entrance examination, and enrolled in the college herself in order to be with him.

Full Moon O Sagashite
Twelve year old Mitsuki wants to be a singer so that she can achieve the dream that she promised her beloved Echi-Kun back when they were kids in an orphanage. There is just one problem, she has a life threatening throat illness.  Two Shinigami show up one night and end up helping her to achieve her dream by transforming her into a 16 year old with a healthy throat to sing with. Mitsuki can now audition and become a singer so that her childhood love can hear her voice on the radio and they can find each other.  This series is beautiful and make sure you have plenty of tissues when you watch this.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun
 
High school student Chiyo Sakura has a crush on schoolmate Umetarou Nozaki, but when she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says that she always wants to be with him, he invites her to his house and has her help on some drawings. Chiyo discovers that Nozaki is actually a renowned shoujo manga artist named Sakiko Yumeno. She then agrees to be his assistant in order to get closer to him. As they work on his manga, they encounter other schoolmates who assist them or serve as inspirations for characters in the stories.

Bokura Ga Ita
 Nanami Takahashi welcomes the start of her high school life with great expectations of making as many friends as possible. There is much talk among the girls about a popular boy, Motoharu Yano, who has 2/3 of the girls in his middle school liking him. When Nanami asks Yuri Yamamoto, the girl sitting next to her, about Yano, the latter curtly replies that she dislikes him. Nanami is clueless of who Yano is until the day of the class nomination when she made a fool of herself by calling the name of her new friend wrongly. It turns out that she has actually met Yano along the corridors (unaware of his true identity) and he tricked her by providing a random name, resulting in the embarrassing incident in class. Nanami was initially mad at Yano but after a few encounters with him, she begins to find herself liking him.

Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (Kare Kano)(His and Her Circumstances) 
Miyazawa Yukino is the perfect student. Kind, intelligent, pretty and modest, it's unbelievable that such a person could exist. Little did everyone know Yukino's perfection was just a facade. An act to fulfill her desire for praise and admiration. Her life took a turn however, as a newcomer to their school Arima Soichiro topped the exam rankings. Arima is more then just intelligent, he's also kind, handsome and modest, an unbelievable person who can actually exist. Even worse luck, Arima found out Yukino's secret, blackmailing her to help him out. Their odd relationship soon develops into friendship and eventually into love. But can their love prevail through the many problems that come their way.