Anime Hajime Review: School Days

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

Series Synopsis

While riding the train to school every day, Makoto Ito (voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa) can’t take his eyes off a beautiful girl. Unsure of how to approach, Makoto resigns himself to looking at her from afar.

One day, Makoto’s close friend, Sekai Saionji (voiced by Shiho Kawaragi) learns of Makoto’s crush. After some light teasing, Sekai does something unexpected. She befriends the girl whose name is Kotonoha Katsura (voiced by Tae Okajima). Now with a reason to talk, Makoto and Kotonoha grow close and begin dating.

However, Makoto isn’t sure how to be a boyfriend. No matter what he tries, Kotonoha won’t respond the way he expects. Looking for advice, Makoto keeps turning to Sekai. He does this enough and starts to think Kotonoha is on the duller side of things. While still in a relationship with Kotonoha, Makoto begins sleeping with Sekai.

With an array of conflicting emotions, Makoto is unaware of the harm he is causing. That or he doesn’t care. Little by little, his indifferent actions and sex drive creates a huge mess.

A story that started as a fairy tale romance becomes something a lot crueler.

Anime Hajime Review: Azumanga Daioh

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

Series Synopsis

Chiyo Mihama (voiced by Tomoko Kaneda) is what you would call a prodigy. Only ten-years-old, her academic skills have allowed her to jump straight to high school. While this is no doubt a daunting task for the former grade schooler, Chiyo takes on the challenge with a smile.

Little did she know, she was about to start on an unforgettable three-year journey.

From the first day of school, Chiyo becomes an instant celebrity. Despite her young age, she finds it easy to fit in with her new class. As it turns out, she is not the most incredible person around. She is, in fact, one of many unique and unforgettable parts of this story.

What comes next for Chiyo is her trying to live a normal, happy life. And mixed into that are healthy doses of randomness.

While things will never be easy, they can at least be fun. In that respect, Chiyo has nothing to worry about. For always at her side are her beloved friends and teachers. With them to look after her, perhaps it’s not so strange to have someone as young as Chiyo succeed in this world.

Anime Hajime Review: Aria the Scarlet Ammo

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Aria the Scarlet Ammo. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

To combat rising crime rates the world has relied on the talents of the Butei. Butei are special agents trained in various tactical and law enforcement techniques. They have the skills to wield a wide array of weaponry as well as the authority to make arrests on the international level. Due to their responsibilities, the job of a Butei is a dangerous one.

That is why only the best can succeed. And it is part of the reason Kinji Touyama (voiced by Junji Majima) wants out.

A student at Butei High School in Tokyo, Kinji wishes for a normal life. He has even sabotaged his standing at the academy in his attempt to get out. Currently, with the lowest rank possible for a Butei, Kinji is holding back his actual abilities.

Inheriting a mysterious family trait, Kinji, under the right conditions, can enter Hysteria Mode. While in this state, he can perform superhuman feats of strength and battle awareness. Because of his desire to quit, he tries to suppress what he can do. That becomes much more difficult upon meeting a petite, twin-tailed haired girl.

Anime Hajime Review: Minami-ke

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Minami-ke. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

This is the story of the three Minami sisters. From oldest to youngest, they are Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki (voiced by Rina Satou, Marina Inoue, and Minori Chihara).

Living together, these three spend much of their time with each other. If you are an acquaintance of one, you for sure have heard of the other two.

Haruka, as the responsible eldest sister, does her best to care for her younger siblings. As the middle child, Kana is happy-go-lucky and never without energy. Being the youngest, Chiaki has two role models to give her guidance. Granted, she prefers the kind-hearted Haruka over the troublemaking Kana.

With similar, and at the same time, different personalities, things are never boring. As more and more people enter their lives, one thing remains constant.

No matter what, the Minami sisters are always there for each other.

Anime Hajime Review: Corpse Party - Tortured Souls

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Corpse Party – Tortured Souls. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

A group of nine friends spends their last night together. Happy memories and sad goodbyes fill everyone’s hearts. Yet they know that no matter how far apart they are, they will always be together. As a symbol of their friendship, they decide to do a ritual that will connect them forever.

Together they perform the “Sachiko Ever After” charm.

Unbeknownst to them though, they were opening the door to Hell itself.

The group is transported to the nightmarish Heavenly Host Elementary School. Here, vengeful spirits roam the halls looking to kill anyone who enters this place. Before long, the blood begins to flow.

One by one, the friends succumb to gruesome and violent deaths. The only way to end the torment is for them to find the secrets of this realm. But one false step and the evil that resides here will take them for the rest of eternity.

Anime Hajime Review: Highschool of the Dead

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Highschool of the Dead. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

For Takeshi Komuro (voiced by Junichi Suwabe), his life isn’t in the best place. Besides his mundane high school worries, the woman he loves is with another man. Rei Miyamoto (voiced by Marina Inoue) cares about Takeshi but is no longer willing to wait for him.

At an all-time low, Takeshi is at a loss for what to do. Then in a matter of seconds, this kind of trouble is one of many luxuries that are about to die.

At his school’s gate, Takeshi notices a man wandering around. He watches as teachers confront the stranger. Without warning, the person bit. That was the moment when the nightmare began. Takeshi had witnessed the start of the zombie apocalypse.

Within minutes, society descended into chaos. In every direction, there is nothing but blood and carnage. Family and friends run from each other as the dead feast on the living. Takeshi and Rei manage to meet up with several other survivors. Together they succeed in escaping their school. Too bad there is nowhere they can run.

From this point on, every step taken could be a person’s last. The end has begun.

Anime Hajime Review: Toradora

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

Series Synopsis

You can never tell what kind of life a person has lived based on looks alone. Ryuji Takasu (voiced by Junji Majima) understands this better than most. Thanks to his rough, delinquent like appearance, most run at the site of him. Ryuji often never gets the chance to let people see the real him.

As luck would have it, he got such a chance in the form of a fiery, albeit small, package.

Ryuji glimpses something he was never meant to see. He catches the aggressive Taiga Aisaka (voiced by Rie Kugimiya) leaving behind a love letter. Dubbed the Palmtop Tiger, Taiga is famous for her violent personality.

Although Ryuji has no intention of revealing her secret, Taiga can’t trust any of his promises. It doesn’t help Ryuji's case that Taiga’s crush is his best friend Yusaku Kitamura (voiced by Hirofumi Nojima). Thus, he decides to level the playing field. Ryuji tells Taiga that he himself has a crush on her best friend Minori Kushieda (voiced by Yui Horie).

Anime Hajime Review: Ai Mai Mi

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Ai Mai Mi. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Life is a series of random events. For three high school girls, this couldn’t be anymore the case.

Ai (voiced by Yuka Otsubo), Mai (voiced by Aya Uchida), and Mi (voiced by Maaya Uchida) are members of the manga club. The latter two can’t find this any more boring, which annoys the former to no end. As a result, any distraction that appears, it's going to cause some problems. And distractions have a tendency of finding these three.

Ai, Mai, and Mi, on a daily basis, navigate through, and sometimes are the cause of a lot of pure nonsense. They, along with their upperclassman Ponoka-senpai (voiced by Ai Kayano), are never at a loss for things to do.

Too bad this variety isn’t always for their benefit.

No matter how mundane something appears to be, these girls will find a way to take it to the next level. It is best to get out of their way. Once they get going, this is not a group you can stop.

Anime Hajime Review: Kore wa Zombie Desu ka

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Kore wa Zombie Desu ka. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Ayumu Aikawa (voiced by Junji Majima) is an average teenager. He goes to school and must deal with the problems every kid his age faces. The only thing that separates him from everyone else, he doesn’t do too great in the sun. Perhaps that has something to do with him being dead.

Ayumu was murdered by an unknown assailant. He was then resurrected as a zombie by the powerful Necromancer, Eucliwood “Eu” Hellscythe. With a servant now under her command, Eu has been living with Ayumu ever since bringing him back to life.

Being one of the undead has its perks. Ayumu can tap into superhuman strength and he has become indestructible. One of the more troubling issues though, he is more prone to attracting odd characters.

One is the chainsaw-wielding Magical Girl, Haruna (voiced by Iori Nomizu). As an unintentional result of Eu’s powers, Ayumu absorbed Haruna’s magic. To repay the unintentional act, Ayumu takes up Haruna’s responsibilities. Thus, becoming a Magical Girl in her place.