Review: Phantom Thief Jeanne

Plot:
Female High School student, Maron Kusakabe, gets visited by an angel, known as Finn Fish. She tells Maron that she must help her capture demons hidden inside a range of paintings, otherwise human hearts will be destroyed. To do this, Maron must transform into 'Phantom Thief Jeanne', the reincarnation of Jeanne d' Arc, and permanently seal up the demons inside chess pieces. The plot  is further complicated by characters such as the local police chief who is trying to catch her, plus the chief's own daughter, Miyako who has long been Maron's best friend. They both fall in love with new classmate, Chiaki, who turns out to be trying to seal the demons himself in his own chess pieces. For further plot details, you are advised to read the Wikipedia explanation of this anime!!!
Good points:
After reading the manga series I was desperate to watch the anime and I was extremely impressed with how well the manga was converted into a great series. The characters were almost exactly how I imagined them to be and some were even better. The plot is great for all ages and I can't remember any use of bad language and I think that this will suit all but very young anime-lovers
Bad Points:
Because this is quite an old series the animation was quite fuzzy.When I saw this anime it was only in Japanese with Spanish sub-titles so I was just watching the pictures but I am now pleased to say that there are English  subbed versions available!
Suggested age range:
9+
Number of episodes:
There are altogether 44 episodes with 27 in the first season and 17 in the second.
Star ratings: (1* poor or low content = 5*= great or high content)
Plot-line:*****
Artwork:**
Swearing/cursing:*
Violence:*
Wiki link
Youtube episode 1

Review: Romeo x Juliet

Plot:

Neo Verona, a floating island, holds a bloody battle, lead by Leontes Montague, where they murder all of the Capulet household except Juliet who manages to escape. Fourteen years later, Leontes rules over Neo Verona and crushes anyone who goes against him. Juliet, who is now sixteen, fights against house Montague, disguised as the 'Red Whirlwind'. At the Rose Ball that has been hosted by the Montagues Juliet meets Romeo and falls in love with him.
Romeo wishes to go against Leontes as he does not agree with his ideas of ruling and begins to work with the Capulets to overthrow the Montagues, but Leontes wants to remove them permanently from the face of the earth. Through overthrowing the Montagues they discover a dark secret lying hidden beneath Neo Verona.
Good points:
The series was very well done as the creators used the ideas from Romeo and Juliet yet added new and more interesting ones to make the anime more exciting. The characters were almost the same as in the original story although they were slightly more daring. I thought the script used was great and the lines were very clever in the way they worded certain sentences. They actually incorporated Shakespeare as one of the characters in it which I thought was extremely clever, especially considering what he did in it. The ending was superb and brought the anime to a fantastic close.
Bad points:
The story dragged on a little bit and, because I did already know the story, I skipped quite a bit of the series. Some sections were a little tedious and a lot of scenes did last too long and got a bit boring at times.
Suggested age range:
9+
Number of episodes.
24
Star ratings: ( 1*= poor or low content 5*= great or high content)
Plot-line:****
Artwork:****
swearing/cursing:*
Violence:***
Wiki link
Youtube episode 1

My Japan wish-list

When I am older I would like to go to Japan and so therefore have made a list of what I would do there:


I would really like to go to the Kaiyukan aquarium in Osaka. It is one of the largest public aquariums in the world and holds, in the largest tank, a manta ray and a whale shark. There are 27 tanks in 16 main exhibits. wiki link

At certain times of the year the Kaburenjo Theatre in Kyoto holds performances of Geisha girls that the public can view where tickets aren't overly expensive. They showcase the skills of a geisha and this is a rare opportunity as the only times that you would otherwise see them would be at an expensive, private show. Kaburenjo theatre geisha link

The zen garden of Kyoto is also of interest to me and it is a holy and sacred place to meditate although it is a popular tourist destination so will almost never be completely quiet. Inside Kyoto zen gardens

Nijo castle consists of two concentric circles ( equally spaced circles), Ninumaru palace, the ruins of Honmaru palace, supporting buildings and several gardens. It is one of the seventeen historic monuments situated in ancient Kyoto. In 1601 the construction of it began and in 1625-26 it was completed. Kyoto travel Nijo castle link

 Any shrine or temple in Japan would be good enough for me as long as it was traditional. I can't explain why I want to go to one I just have an urge to and I think the designs and intricacy are beautiful.  Wiki link

I would also like to go to the Studio Ghibli museum in Tokyo as I am a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki's work and films. It is what it says it is: a museum celebrating the animations and films by Studio Ghibli.

On my visit to Japan I'd also like to go to one of the villages were you can see fireflies each year that come up to you and sometimes land on you. This would be a truly magical experience, especially at night when all you can see is the bright green glows of the fireflies. BBC Two firefly clip

I would also like to go to Dotonbori in Osaka, Japan which is one of the main tourist destinations in the city. It is a nightlife and entertainment area, famous for its bright lights and billboards. One of the most prominent features of Dotonbori is the confectioners billboard of a runner crossing a finish line.
 Wiki link

Last but not least I would like to go into Osaka city and go to a Japanese restaurant and try their sushi, buy a kimono, go to an anime centre and have a night time picnic under the sakura trees, lit up by lanterns. Wiki link

There should be lots more on my list but these are just the main things that I would do. If you have any other things to do or places to see that you can recommend for me I would love to hear about them.

Manga pictures

A few months ago I tried creating some manga pictures on MS Paint but a lot of them failed miserably. I copied a picture from an anime techniques book and drew it on paper and then scanned it onto the computer. I then opened it up on 'Paint' and began to draw around the outline. When I finished that I deleted the original pencil sketch and was left with just the black lines. Then I filled it in with colour and shading and that's when I encountered my problem. When I pressed the fill colour icon it didn't fill all the pixels. So I then had to zoom right in and use the eraser tool, but in the correct colour, and fill it in pixel by pixel. Eventually I did manage to finish my picture and so I would like to show you my finished piece so here it is below. Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment (note: my dad checks everything).

My Geisha girl

I also did some characters on chibi maker ( go to my links page to find this free website):

Review: K-ON

Plot:

School student, Yui, can't find a good club to join in her first year of high school but soon finds out about the light music club which is going to be disbanded if they can't find at least four members. She joins and soon makes new friends with the other members but there is just one problem she can only play the ocarinas and can't afford a guitar. The band end up playing at school concerts and live gigs whilst having great fun at the same time.
Good points:
The story is completely safe for children and it doesn't swear once.. The jokes and plot are completely child-friendly and incorporates music with anime which is quite unique. The drawings were simple and effective and all scenes could be related to. I thought it was very clever with the jokes used and I found myself repeating some of them around the house. The characters were hilarious as even though they were in high school they acted so much younger or older. I enjoyed the first season greatly but as of yet I haven't watched the second season.
Bad points:
There is one or two lines which might be unsuitable for very young children but that could possibly be overlooked. There is nothing much else wrong with it except that if you want a short anime there are two seasons of it and a film although you could just watch the first lot of episodes.
Suggested age range:
10+
Number of episodes:
There are 14 in the first season and 26 and an OVA. There is also a film.
Star ratings: (1*= poor or low content 5*= great or high content)
Plot-line:****
Artwork:****
Swearing/cursing:None
Violence:* If you count hitting someone on the head as violence
Wiki link
Youtube episode 1

Review: Inari Kon Kon Koi Iroha

Plot:
School student, Inari, has a crush on her fellow classmate but after an embarrassing incident with him, she loses all hope. Soon after she visits her local shrine and meets a divine goddess who grants her the power to turn into any human she wants. The series follows Inari as she struggles to get the boy of her dreams to like her and to protect her family and friends
Good points:
The story was completely child-friendly and contained no bad language at all. The story-line was very sweet and sometimes sad and the characters were wonderfully unique, if sometimes a bit strange. It wasn't rude or inappropriate which makes it so much better than a lot of animes and therefore is completely suitable for anyone but especially people of my age group (I'm just 12). I really enjoyed the series and just wished it would be a bit longer because it was only 12 episodes but if you are looking for a short anime this is definitely the one for you.
Bad points:
The series was very short and things that I thought would happen didn't, so it left me a little disappointed. Certain characters were slightly confusing as the anime put them across as one thing but then later on they were completely opposite to what it had portrayed them as before.
Suggested age range:
10+
Genre:
Fantasy
Star ratings for: (1*= poor or high content 5*= great or high content)
Plotline:****
Ease of following:*****
Artwork:***
Swearing/ cursing:*
Violence:*
Number of episodes:
12
Wiki link
Youtube episode 1

Review: Sword Art Online

Plot:
A computer gamer, known as 'Kirito', gets stuck in 'Sword Art Online' along with one-thousand other players and in order to escape the game they all have to complete level one hundred. Before they are able to pass through a stage, players have to defeat the monsters on each floor but to do that they have to build up their skill levels first.
 Along the way 'Kirito' meets Asuna and they work together to defeat the game and go back to there normal lives but others players aren't so keen on them getting out.
Good points:
The series kept me hooked even though a lot of the fights you could swear you'd seen before earlier on in the anime. The artwork was good and the dubbing kept in time with their mouths. It didn't swear too much although I would be lying if I said it didn't curse at all. Characters changed their personalities a lot in it which I found interesting because it kept me wondering what they would do next.
Bad Points:
The series dragged on a bit, and some episodes did seem extremely similar to one another and I got a little bit bored of that, although I can't say I didn't enjoy Sword Art Online. Hearing characters say the same things over and over again did make it slightly less enjoyable. There was one scene near the end which I skipped as I found it a little bit disturbing for my age.
Suggested Age Range:
11+
Star ratings: (1*= poor or low content 5*= great or high content)
Ease of following: ****
Artwork: ****
Swearing/ cursing: **
Violence: ****
Wiki link
Youtube episode 1

Review: Pandora Hearts

Plot:

The heir to the Vessalius household, Oz Bezarius, has just turned fifteen but at his coming of age ceremony a clock that was frozen in time strikes and Oz, for an unknown reason is sent down to the Abyss (a prison for people who have committed crimes) only to be saved by Alice, the blood-stained black rabbit. The series unravels as Oz sets out to find Alice's memories and in doing so finding more out about the four duke households, the abyss, the black rabbit, the tragedy of Sabrie and the secret organisation known as 'Pandora'.

Good points:

The plot-line was great and the characters were each thought out extremely well with a background story for each. There was very few curses used and all scenes were child friendly although slightly scary. Even though it is a Shonen (i.e. an anime story mainly for boys) I think that Pandora Hearts would appeal to both boy and girl of nearly all ages. Some scenes may be scary or unsuitable for younger children but the fact that it used this to its advantage gave the story more depth for viewers to enjoy. The violence wasn't unsuitable or very scary or gory but there was quite a lot of it used throughout the series.

Bad points:

It starts off very slow paced in the first episode but soon picks itself up. The animations were sometimes grainy and I found that on the videos I watched the speaking was either ahead or behind of what was happening on screen although that may or may not have been the video's or anime's fault but that of the computer I was using at the time. Some of the images were very simple and minimalistic so couldn't quite give off the dramatic or detailed effect I think it was hoping for. One last bad point was that there should have either been more episodes or another series as I enjoyed the anime thoroughly. 

Suggested age rating:

11+

Number of Episodes:

25

Star ratings: (1*= poor or low content 5*= great or high content)

Plot line:*****

Ease of following:****

Artwork:***

Swearing/ cursing:*

Violence:****

Wiki link

Youtube episode 1