February 2017 "Spotlight Review Wednesday" Announcements!!!!

January's Spotlight Review List!

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Anime

~Tales of Zestiria The X~

~Ano Natsu de Matteru~

Manga

~Taiyou no Ie~

~Totsugami~

February's Spotlight Review List!

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Anime

2-1-2017...............................Aki no Kanade

2-15-2017.......................................Hell Girl

Manga

2-8-2017......................................Hana Kimi

2-22-2017..................................Maga-Tsuki

Spotlight Review Wednesday: Manga 1~25~2017

Spotlight Review

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Totsugami

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Manga

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Synopsis

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Tasuku can see ghosts, although he'd be happier if he didn't have this ability, especially since it comes with heavy responsibilities.

My review!!!

The manga this week can be found on MangaPark...

MangaPark: Totsugami

Here is what they have to say about it....

From FairGame:

Narukami Tasuku isn't just an average high schooler. He can see ghosts and demons, even though he doesn't want to. One day he was involved in an incident and found out that his family are the totsugamimori, the ones who protect the totsugamizuka. Also he is the only person in his family that can become the heir of the totsugamimori, and now, as the heir of tosugamimori, he is being dragged into their world...

As you can see they have a little more to say than MyAnimeList did...  It has a lot more to it from the 5 chapters I have read so far... It hints at a past that had something huge happen... big enough for the grandmother to seal away the memories of the incident by placing the spells right on her grandsons body... He keeps getting fragments of information right as he needs them... I wonder if that was her intention or if this is just because of how long the memories were suppressed for!

In the one of the chapters I read there was a young teacher that also new about Tasuku's family... In that chapter the teacher removes the spell that he believes is keeping Tasuku's memories locked away... The chapter ends with our young totsugamimori being unconscious after the spell is undone but the teacher mentioning there being another spell on him. 

That is just one example of the hidden past I was talking about... Of course it isn't everything that happens in the chapter but you get what I'm saying right? after all saying too much would ruin that chapter right?!?! I know it can suck because little tidbits make you want to know!

So you should check it out... But first why don't you finish reading this review?

Moving on.... By the end of the 5th chapter young Tasuku has gained quite a few interesting acquaintances... One of which is a quarter vampire! I wish I could meet someone like that!!! I mean... How cool would that be?!?!? I would love to be able to see the things he does too... It sounds like it would be thrilling and fun as well as scary... I think I'd want to know more about the random ghosts and demons I would see!

And on that note... I want you to see what I rated this one!

On a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being a "Perfect-Must-Read" rating I give this...

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8

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I have a feeling by the time I get through all the chapters this one is going to become a 10... But since I haven't finished it yet I can only give you the rating so far... It has suspense and mystery... It has supernatural beings... It has magic and hints at fights to come... I really think this one has a lot of potential... It could go so many places and I really can't wait to see what way it decides to go!

So I'm going to end this review here... I am going to read some more of this cause I really want to know what comes next!

As always... Thanx for reading my review!
Have a supernatural day!

Spotlight Review Wednesday: Anime 1~18~2017

Spotlight Review

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Waiting in the summer

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Ano Natsu de Matteru

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Anime

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Synopsis

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While testing out his camera on a bridge one summer night, Kaito Kirishima sees a blue light streaking across the sky, only to be blown off the railing seconds later. Just before succumbing to unconsciousness, a hand reaches down to grab a hold of his own. Dazed and confused, Kaito wakes up the next morning wondering how he ended up back in his own room with no apparent injuries or any recollection of the night before. As he proceeds with his normal school life, Kaito and his friends discuss what to do with his camera, finally deciding to make a film with it over their upcoming summer break. Noticing that Kaito has an interest in the new upperclassmen Ichika Takatsuki, his friend Tetsurou Ishigaki decides to invite her, as well as her friend Remon Yamano, to join them in their movie project.

In what becomes one of the most entertaining and exciting summers of their lives, Kaito and his friends find that their time spent together is not just about creating a film, but something much more meaningful that will force them to confront their true feelings and each other.

My review!!!

The Anime can be watched on Crunchyroll...

Chrunchyroll: Ano Natsu de Matteru

Here is what they had to say about it...

About the Show

To combat the approaching boredom, friends decide to make a film together documenting their memories together.

OK Crunchyroll.... What wonderful insight! I can see why people pass this one up...But I don't think you should because there is much more than just that snippet... I mean... Just look what MyAnimeList had to say! So much with just the right amount of reveal or hints.

So with that amazing lack of explanation... Let me try to let you in on a bit of what you can expect from this one... Hopefully I do a better job. Here we go...

Right out of the gate you can expect... Questions.... And answers.... And more Questions.... Yup... This one doesn't sit still when it comes to plot development. You're not given all the questions up front and you aren't given all the answers to the questions in order... You get them as the story develops which is perfect for a slice of life or school type of anime.

There is a plot twist or two that happen in this one that I don't think you see in average Slice of life style anime.... It's got aliens.... I'm not telling you who... but one of the girls in the picture just above these paragraphs is an alien! 

There is also a twist toward the end... Yes... I watched it all the way through before I wrote this. It is a great anime after all. I couldn't help but laugh when they pulled out that last little twist... And the fact that they wrapped it all up nicely was really good too. It isn't often that you find an anime that does that!

You could also say there was lots of love in this little anime... There was a circle of who loves who showed in one of the episodes... I was surprised as each crush revealed itself. There were some that were expected and some that were not... and one girl has a secret that she feels ashamed about... Not saying who it is though! You will have to watch to find out but I will say it was a secret that I didn't expect! I kind of felt bad for her because of how it was revealed!

Speaking of revealing things...Let me now reveal the rating I gave it!

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being a "Perfect-Must-Watch" rating I give this...

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9

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I think the reason this anime failed to get that elusive 10 was because there were so many things they could have done with it but it was ended instead. It was actually a bit of a letdown... At first I thought that they were setting it up for a second season but that didn't happen. I'm sure if they wanted to they could figure out a way but they passed up a good option. At the same time they also made sure that if it wasn't popular enough for a second season it wouldn't leave you unhappy with the ending so that's why I couldn't take away more than one point.

I hope this was insightful for you... I didn't really talk about the episodes because the summaries were enough to give you the gist and I didn't want to ruin it before you watch it.

As always... Thanx for reading my review!
Have a galactic day!

Spotlight Review Wednesday: Manga 1~11~2017

Spotlight Review

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Taiyou no Ie

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House of the Sun

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Manga

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Synopsis

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After her mother abandoned her and her father remarried, high schooler Mao Motomiya is left feeling like she doesn't have a place where she belongs. One night, her childhood friend Hiro Nakamura finds her in a shrine eating cheap convenience store food and offers to take her to a restaurant. Their subsequent heart to heart leads to Hiro suggesting that Mao move in with him.

To Hiro who has lived apart from his younger siblings all these years after their parents passed away, bringing his family back together in the once-lively Nakamura home begins with the first step of giving Mao a loving place to belong.

When Mao reluctantly accepts his invitation, she is surprised at how easy it is to settle in with her longtime friend. Now she must deal not only with mending her relationship with her father and helping the oldest Nakamura brother attain his goal, but also her growing feelings for Hiro.

My review!!!

The manga this week could be read on MangaPark..

MangaPark: Taiyou no Ie

This story starts out kind of on the sad side and up till chapter 5 it sort of has a sad not to it... That isn't the only emotion it has though. In such a short amount of chapters I have smiled and laughed and also felt like I wanted to hug the characters to make them feel better!

Mao is really the a unique girl... Her misfortune is the first we see... Then when she gets a bit older she starts writing something known as a cellphone novel. It is based on her life but no one really knows it's her... and to add to it all the other person in the novel is also a part of her life... the reason I bring that up is because they actually read the novel but don't know she is the writer!

As we read this manga we are following this person's life and getting to know her... She has quite a few things to learn as she grows up! To me this isn't just a slice of life manga, it's also a coming of age story... One where a girl learns who she really is and a boy finds himself again... There are hints that the other family members will be coming home... Or at least that is the goal for these young ones... So I can't wait to see what happens next! I really think it's got a great story going early on so if they continue on at this rate then it is going to be a major hit with me!

So here is what I rate it at...

On a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being a "Perfect-Must-Read" rating I give this...

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8

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I think that I gave it only an 8 because I can see so many places the Mangaka could have brought this manga... and I don't know yet which way they went with it... It has the potential to be an amazing manga and it also has the potential to be a disaster on paper! I can't wait to find out what one it will be!

Not only that but I can't wait to see if there is also hidden romance.. There has already been family drama and reunions... Also there has been secrets and misunderstandings... Now I'm sure you are starting to see why I said it could go either way right?

I'll leave you with that to think about... I hope you at least want to know a little more about it!
If so then my review was a success!

As always... Thanx for reading my review!
Have a lovingly wonderful day!

Spotlight Review Wednesday: Anime 1~4~2017

Spotlight Review

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Tales of Zestiria The X

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Anime

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Synopsis

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Sorey is a human youth who grew up among the seraphim, spiritual beings not visible to humans. Sorey believes in the folklore that says "long ago, every human was able to see the seraphim" and dreams of unraveling the ancient mystery to make the world a place where people and seraphim can live together in peace.

One day, Sorey visits the human capital for the very first time. He becomes embroiled in an incident during which he pulls out a holy sword embedded in a rock and ends up becoming a Shepherd, one who casts away calamity from the world. He begins to realize the gravity of his mission, and his dream of coexistence between mankind and the seraphim becomes more intense—

And thus, the Shepherd embarks on an amazing journey with his companions.

My review!!!

The Anime can be watched on FUNimation

Funimation: Tales of Zestiria The X

Here is the summery that they provide...

Story

Legends speak of the Shepherd, a savior who will bring
peace to the seraphim and human worlds. Sorey has spent
his life studying ancient books and exploring ruins
to learn more about the legendary savior. When he and his
seraphim companion Mikleo encounter a mysterious girl
in the ruins, the stories of the Shephard become
Sorey’s reality. Is he strong enough to take on the evil
Lord of Calamity?

OK... So now onto what I have to say right? The first thing I found out that I thought was interesting is that it's not an "X" at the end of the name... It's a symbol to stand for the word "cross" so that means the name is Tales of Zestiria the cross and when you look at it in the picture it kind of resembles a cross on it's side....kinda.

There are 13 episodes to this anime that I have found on FUNimation... The first of which is the only one you don't have to be a member to watch there. It's episode 0 instead of one and is considered a prequel I think... It gives a lot of facts that make the episode labeled 1 make sense in my opinion. I don't recommend not watching it if even if you don't consider it a part of the show.

Onto the show itself... I would say that it catches and holds onto you in the very first few episodes... I already had a favorite character by the 3rd episode... Actually I had 3 by then. This isn't usually the type I like to watch right now either... It is very much a fighting/magic/lore type of an anime and right now I'm more into the romance ones or girl power ones.... With that being said I was still captivated!

The are is amazing... I think they had help from computer animation to make it though... It is definitely not all drawn. Normally I feel that doing that takes away from the anime but in this one it fit really well. I feel like maybe they figured out the balance of anime to animation that works for this particular one. However I can't say it would work with the same ratio in another anime.

So big thumbs up there!!!

But now to rate it!

On a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being a "Perfect-Must-Watch" rating I give this...

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9

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From what I have seen the art is great, the story has substance, there's even a back story, and it has mystery to it too... I really can't see how you could go wrong... The only reason it didn't get the elusive 10 is because I haven't finished it yet to figure out if it has a good ending for the season or not. We never know if they are going to get more seasons so I just judge if it wasn't too big a cliffhanger.

Normally I finish them and it will be the same with this one...At this point if I think it is good I will usually give it a 10 even if I haven't seen the ending but the ending on this one is going to be huge... there is already so much to wrap up and I'm worried they won't be able to do it well.... That's what I meant by it had to have a good ending. I'll let you know someday I think!

I'm going to end it with that note... hope it made you at least a little curious!

As always... Thanx for reading my review!
Have an animated day!

P.S. UPDATE:  They didn't leave you with too big a cliffhanger but it definatly left room for a second season! I HOPE they do make one!

2016 Complete "Spotlight Review Wednesday" Anime and Manga List

Previous Year's Anime and Manga Links

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2015 Complete "Spotlight Review Wednesday" Listings

**Disclaimer**

Some or all of the links to the actual shows may change as the years pass. I have no control over if Crunchyroll, FUNimation or any of the other sites change what they are offering on their programs for you to watch.

Now onto this years Listing!

2016 Complete "Spotlight Review Wednesday" Listings
January

Anime

~Diabolik Lovers and Diabolik Lovers More Blood~

~Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta~

Manga

~Hana Yori Dango~

~Ardour~

February

Anime

~Another~

~Bleach~

Manga

~Demon Diary~

~Junjou Romantica~

March

Anime

~Skip Beat!~

~Fruits Basket~

Manga

~ReLIFE~

~Angel Diary~

April

Anime

~Kamigami no Asobi~

~Otome Yokai Zakuro~

Manga

~Hiiro Ouji~

~Dakishimete! Noir~

May

Anime

~Strike the Blood~

~Ultimate Otaku Teacher~

Manga

~Hirunaka no Ryuusei~

~Boku kara Kimi ga Kienai~

June

Anime
~Yokuwakaru Gendaimahou~

~Zombie Loan~

Manga

~Tsubaki Chou Lonely Planet~

~Fuuka~

~Kiss him, Not me.~

July

Anime

~The Fruit of Grisaia~

~Black Bullet~

Manga

~KIZNAIVER~

~The Legend of Onikirimaru~

August

Anime

~Ah My Buddha!!~

~Nagi no Asukara (Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea)~

~Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance~

Manga

~Is This Girl for Real?!~

~Mysterious Girlfriend X~

September

Anime

~Mai-HiME~

~The World God Only Knows~

Manga

~Onanie Master Kurosawa~

~Kaichou wa Maid-sama!~

October

Anime

~Tokyo Ghoul~

~Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero~

Manga

~Ao Waru Ride~

~Koisuru Harinezumi~

November

Anime

~Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto~

~Etotama: Eto Tamashii~

Manga

~Unlucky Strike~

~Monster Master~

~Renai Lab~

December

Anime

~Wolf's Rain~

~Kimi to Boku (You and Me)~

Manga

~Marry Me~

~Boy of the Female Wolf~

On the 6th year of making this list I think I will just have one link at the top to bring you to a list of the previous years... I'm not sure yet and I have another three years to decide...

Let me know what you think I should do!

That's all for this post! Hope this helps you quickly find the review you are looking for!

As always... Thanx for reading my posts... We had fun this past year!

Have an amazing New Year!