Anime Hajime Review: A Certain Magical Index

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for A Certain Magical Index. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Welcome to Academy City, a place built on scientific discovery. A world leader in advancement, its population consists of 80% students. Most of whom have a wide range of psychic powers. It's a place like no other. Yet scientists are not the only ones looking for influence.

Around the world, many factions of faith do not rely on the power of science. But rather magic. Churches of the world and academic institutions are in constant struggle. Both sides are looking for their edge. At long last, the decisive piece may have come.

Touma Kamaijo (voiced by Atsushi Abe) is a student residing in Academy City. Designated as a Level 0 esper, he tries his best to live a normal life. But there are two things making that difficult.

The first is his ability to dispel all other abilities; both psychic and magical. The other is the sudden appearance of a young nun named Index (voiced by Yuka Iguchi).

Index is in possession of the Church’s most valuable knowledge. This makes her a frequent target. Though the odds are forever stacked against him, Touma cannot sit by when someone needs his help. Facing the strength of divinity and discovery, he is the only one who can make a stand against either.

Anime Hajime Review: Mob Psycho 100

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Mob Psycho 100. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama (voiced by Setsuo Ito) is as unimposing as they get. In fact, unless you’re looking for him, you may not even notice his presence. Even if you are, he could still go unnoticed.

Along with a low profile, Mob's a bit hard to read. He never shows much emotion. Also, he’s kind of a huge dork. If you want to kill the mood of your good time, give Mob a call. Although his natural persona, there’s more effort behind it than one might expect.

Mob, in reality, is an insanely powerful esper. His psychic abilities go beyond what anybody can imagine. Though in good control over them, Mob does his best not to feed his powers too much emotion. A task that is sometimes out of his control.

Upon reaching a level of 100% percent, Mob turns into a frightening being. No one and nothing can stand in his way whilst in this form. Because of this, many people have taken an instant interest in him. Some for good. Some…not so much.

However, these people need to be careful. If pushed too far, they could unleash upon the world a terror from their darkest nightmares.

Anime Hajime Review: A Certain Scientific Railgun

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for A Certain Scientific Railgun. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Academy City boasts a thirty-year technological gap when compared to any other city in the world. It's the leader in every conceivable field. This thanks in large part to a population comprising of 80% students. If that wasn’t enough, many of these students are espers possessing a variety of psychic powers.

One of these students is Mikoto Misaka (voiced by Rina Sato). Though she looks like a typical middle school girl, she is anything but. Mikoto is one of the most powerful espers in the city. Being designated as one of a handful of rank five power levels. The one and only Railgun. Harnessing a tremendous ability, she doesn’t consider herself any better than her fellow students.

That said, having such remarkable power attracts certain attention. Mikoto is often investigating incidences with her close friend, Kuroko Shirai (voiced by Satomi Arai).

Together, these two make a formidable pair. Adding to their strength, they're supported by their friends Kazari Uiharu (voiced by Aki Toyosaki) and Ruiko Saten (voiced by Kanae Ito). When all four are working together, they are a near undefeatable team.

Helpful since Academy City is filled with people seeking to unlock power. Powers that could destroy everything.

Anime Hajime Review: Tokyo Ghoul √A (200th Review Special: Part 2 of 2)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul √A. Reader discretion is advised. ***

Series Synopsis

Having suffered at the hands of an unimaginable tormentor, Ken Kaneki’s (voiced by Natsuki Hanae) mind has shattered. The last vestiges of his humanity are weak and broken. To survive, Kaneki, at last, submits to the ghoul inside him.

Embracing his carnivores urges, Kaneki transforms into a frightening being. With newfound strength, he escapes to a future that looks bleaker than ever.

Humans and ghouls are on the brink of all-out war. Casualties will be high on both sides. Being an onlooker is no longer an option. To protect the people he loves, Kaneki chooses a dark path. His quest to grow stronger will bring him to the edge of sanity.

The peaceful days are numbered. Without warning, a friend can be gone in the blink of an eye. Longstanding perceptions will be tested. Hatred will consume the coming battles. The time for reasoning and diplomacy has passed.

Who will come out ahead is anyone’s guess. The streets of Tokyo seem poised to become a bloody battlefield.

Anime Hajime Review: Tokyo Ghoul (200th Review Special: Part 1 of 2)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

There’s a war in the world. Humanity fears and lives alongside creatures known as ghouls. Feeding off humans, the public sees ghouls as dangerous and hunts them down.

All this is an afterthought to Ken Kaneki (voiced by Natsuki Hanae). He wants to do is get the attention of the girl he likes. To his delight, Kaneki manages to go on his dream date. Unfortunately, it was at a steep price.

Kaneki’s crush turned out to be a ghoul and the encounter almost cost him his life. He is only saved when a suspicious accident killed the ghoul. That and a less than legal medical operation.

To save him, some of the ghoul's organs were given to Kaneki. Because of this, he gained strength, speed, and stamina. And to his horror, the unquenchable craving for human flesh.

As a rare half-breed, Kaneki doesn't feel accepted in either the ghoul or the human world. The stress of subduing his desire to feed and keeping his identity secret weighs on his mind. It’s only a matter of time before it breaks.

Anime Eiga Review: Love Live the School Idol Movie

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for both Love Live and Love Live the School Idol Project Movie. Reader discretion is advised.***

Film Synopsis

The national school idol competition known as Love Live is now over. Its current reigning champs are the girls of Otonokizaka Academy, µ (muse).

After months and months of hard work, these nine high schoolers achieved their dream. There is no way they could be any happier. Their love for one another is as strong as it’s ever been. And it only seems to be getting stronger.

That is why it hurts all the more when facing the inevitable. The older girls will be graduating. This means µ can no longer continue. With heavy hearts, they have all come to accept it. If only there was just a little more time.

Such an opportunity presents itself. Love Live is looking to grow bigger than it's ever been. Who better to promote the venue than the current champions?

For one last unforgettable show, µ appears poised to take on the world. These girls have been through so much. And they have stood shoulder to shoulder for every step of the way. Together, there is nothing that can stop them.

Anime Hajime Review: Engaged to the Unidentified

***Warning the following may contain spoilers for Engaged to the Unidentified. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Kobeni Yonomori (voiced by Haruka Terui) is now sixteen. Bright and cheerful, Kobeni can only guess what the next year will bring. She the learns her grandfather has already arranged for her engagement.

The news is, by no surprise, a shock. Even more unbelievable, Kobeni's supposed fiancé will start living with her family. With everything happening so fast, there's little time to make sense of it all. Yet upon meeting Hakuya Mitsumine (voiced by Wataru Hatano), Kobeni can’t help feel a strong sense of familiarity.

Due to an accident, Kobeni can't remember much of her childhood. It appears, though, Hakuya was an important person from that time.

Regardless of what the history might be, this is all just too sudden.

To make matters more interesting, Kobeni has a few more headaches to worry about. The first is older sister, Benio (voiced by Eriko Matsui), who loves her little sister to a frightening degree. The second is from Hakuya’s own little sister, Mashiro (voiced by Yuri Yoshida). She'll also be staying at the house to keep an eye on her sometimes absent-minded brother.

Anime Hajime Review: Genshiken

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Genshiken. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

To generalize, an otaku is an over obsessed fan. Though applied to many fandoms, the most associated focuses are manga, anime, and games. Often, it's a combination of the three. The only way to understand this type of otaku is for you to be one yourself.

So, where does someone turn to find like-minded people?  At Tokyo's Shiiou University, look no further than the Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyukai (The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture); better known as the Genshiken.

The Genshiken is the place one goes when the anime or manga clubs just don’t feel right. The group isn't big on formal activities. Instead, they spend most of their time discussing a variety of both retro and new visual mediums. It can be about the latest anime. Or it can be the current (often erotic) game they happen to be playing. It doesn't matter, the club doesn’t judge.

Anyone with an interest is welcome to come by. Yet, the Genshiken isn’t for everyone. The mind of an otaku isn’t the easiest thing to decipher. To comprehend this level of nerddom requires a special kind of patience. If you don’t have that, then it takes a special kind of tolerance. And if you don’t have that, well then it comes down to a pure endurance test.