Steins;Gate Teaches You Not To Mess Around With Time


If you were granted the power to go back in time and change the future, would you do it?

Time travelling is not a new concept used for anime. A couple of examples of anime which adapts time travelling to its plot are Boku dake ga Inai Machi (also known as ERASED) and the currently airing anime Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (or Re:Zero for short). Using time travelling on a plot can be considered as something fun, because it makes you think while watching the anime.

Steins;Gate was adapted into an anime in 2011 based on the visual novel with the same name. By the time I am writing this review, I have not played the visual novel, and this review will be based on the anime only. With 24 episodes available, you might be wondering whether or not Steins;Gate is actually worth watching.

This review contains no spoiler for Steins;Gate.

1. The Thought Provoking Plot Which Contains A Lot of Unexpected Revelations


Steins:Gate tells you the story of Rintarou Okabe, a self-proclaimed mad scientist, and his crew of “lab members” as they research about time travelling and how to make it a reality. Together with Mayuri Shiina, his childhood friend, and Hashida “Daru” Itaru, a hacker, they start the research with the device called the Phone Microwave which can send text messages to the past and alters the history. As the story progresses, the brilliant researcher Kurisu Makise also joined them to make their goal a reality. With the knowledge of being able to change the future, Okabe must take the role as the person who can prevent a certain event to happen and change the future into a better one.

The story starts of pretty slow, like 11 episodes slow. Things started to become interesting at episode 12, and episode 1 to 11 feels more like an introduction of the anime. It’s not like episode 1 to episode 11 is unnecessary, it’s just that the plot doesn’t really move that fast and feels like it’s more about introducing the characters and the little bits of Steins;Gate rather than plot progression.

If you ask me do I regret watching episode 1 to episode 11, I would probably say no. The reason is because I want to know this anime so that I can enjoy it as a whole. For those who don’t really care about an anime or an anime series and prefer knowing the plot only, then you could start watching Steins;Gate from episode 12. Just make sure you read the plot of the previous episodes so things wouldn’t become confusing.

The story may starts slow, but believe me, things become very interesting when the plot starts to move faster. There are dramatic and touching moments, unexpected revelations, and twists and turns that leaves you wanting for more and more. When things become serious, the characters also experience changes which make the story more interesting.

2. Eccentric Characters and Great Character Development


To be honest, when you started to watch Steins;Gate, you might be wondering about the odd characters. Some examples are Okabe, who babbles weird nonsense most of the time; Mayuri, a cheerful girl who looks younger than she actually is and voiced by Kana Hanazawa (Known for her role as Kosaki Onodera from Nisekoi, Nadeko Sengoku from the Monogatari series, and others); and Kurisu Makise, a brilliant researcher who is a tsundere.

The characters become more developed in the later episodes and we get to see the bond between one character and another character. One example is how Okabe becomes a more serious character and you can tell that he has been through a lot after going time travelling. He reminds me of Tom Cruise’s character that he played in the movie Edge of Tomorrow.

The viewers will be attached to the characters, and that’s definitely something good about Steins;Gate.

3. Spectacular Voice Acting


Another thing that I like about Steins;Gate is the voice acting. The voice acting in Steins;Gate really fits with the character. Kana Hanazawa’s voice acting suits well with Mayuri’s character and appearance, Asami Imai nailed Kurise's character as a brilliant researcher and a tsundere, and Mamoru Miyano has done a great job voicing Okabe.

When Okabe starts to talk about weird nonsensical things, you can see that there are effort put trying to sound like a mad scientist in the voice acting, and when Okabe starts to become a more serious character, you can tell that there’s emotion put in the voice acting.

To put it simply, the voice acting helps you appreciate the story better.


Overall, Steins;Gate is definitely a must watch for those who likes an interesting story with twists and surprises and awesome voice acting. Watching Steins;Gate sort of reminds me of the movie Edge of Tomorrow and Interstellar in some way, so if you liked those two movies, then you should definitely watch Steins;Gate. And if you liked stories with time travel such as ERASED and Re:Zero, then you would probably enjoy Steins;Gate.


You can watch Steins;Gate over at Funimation

Dera

Koyomimonogatari May Be Short, But It Is Definitely Important



If you watched the Monogatari series based on the airing order, then you’ve probably thought that Koyomimonogatari is the last of the Monogatari series. Well, that’s actually wrong. The Monogatari series does not actually stop at Koyomimonogatari, and there will be more Monogatari anime in the coming time.

If you watched the Monogatari series based on the airing order like I did, then you might be asking this question right now:

“Is Koyomimonogatari worth watching?”

This review contains no spoiler for Koyomimonogatari series or the Monogatari series itself.

1. It All Depends on the Viewers


Koyomimonogatari is a series of short episodes which tells the story between Koyomi Araragi and other characters of the Monogatari series that happened during spring break (before Nekomonogatari: Kuro and Bakemonogatari) to the end of university exams (after Tsukimonogatari).

For example, the Koyomi Sand episode took place between the events of Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari. An advice I would probably give is to follow the chronological timeline so you won't be too confused when watching Koyomimonogatari.

See: How I Managed Myself To Finish Watching The Monogatari Series


Being a 12 episode anime with 14 minute duration for each episode, I did ask myself that same question about whether Koyomimonogatari is worth to spend my time on or not. I am a big fan of the Monogatari series, and I wanted to know everything that happened in the Monogatari storyline. So, I decided to watch all 12 episodes of Koyomimonogatari.

Based on my experience, I found out the answer for that question. The answer actually depends on how much do you like the Monogatari series. If you are a big fan of the Monogatari series like me, then you would probably want to watch all 12 episodes of Koyomimonogatari. However, if you don’t enjoy the Monogatari series that much and just wanted to know the important stuff, then you can watch the last two episodes of Koyomimonogatari. That is, if you have finished watching Tsukimonogatari.

2. The Good Old Complicated Dialogues


The Monogatari series does contain a lot of dialogues. Sometimes, the dialogues are hard to get and that make things confusing. To be honest, I did have problems understanding the dialogues while watching the Monogatari series, and I need to rewatch it a couple of times to understand it. If you want to understand about what’s going on in the Monogatari series, then you need to focus on the dialogues to be able to understand everything.

This also happens in Koyomimonogatari. That is why you need to focus on the dialogues while watching so you won’t be confused. Some dialogues are easy to understand, while some are hard to understand.


Overall, Koyomimonogatari is as enjoyable as the other Monogatari anime. Although how important Koyomimonogatari is, is actually a question with no easy answer.

“Is Koyomimonogatari important? Should I really watch it?”

How important Koyomimonogatari is depends on how important is the Monogatari series for you. Keep in mind that the episodes of Koyomimonogatari do not considered as filler episodes, and that the events happening at Koyomimonogatari did happen in the Monogatari timeline. Again, if you are a fan of the Monogatari series, then go watch all 12 episodes of Koyomimonogatari. If you are not that much of a fan of the Monogatari series, then you can just watch the last 2 episodes of Koyomimonogatari.

Oh, and one last thing. An important thing to note is watch Koyomimonogatari before you watch Hanamonogatari. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

Dera

How I Managed Myself To Finish Watching The Monogatari Series


I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to watch anime that has a lot of episodes. It's not that I like to rush when it comes to watching anime, it's just that an anime with more than 24 episodes is something that I can't keep up watching.

Back in 2015, a friend of mine recommended me to watch an anime called Bakemonogatari, the first entry of the Monogatari series. He said that Bakemonogatari is just the beginning of the Monogatari series, and there are a lot of sequels for Bakemonogatari, such as Nisemonogatari and Monogatari Second Season. 

Bakemonogatari itself only has 15 episodes, which is something that doesn't take a lot of effort to finish. But he also said that to finish watching the rest of the Monogatari series, which is available at the time this post is written, it would take me 89 episodes or 37 hours in total.


"No way. That's too much effort for me to finish an anime series."

Several months passed by, and I bumped myself to Bakemonogatari again. By the time I bumped into Bakemonogatari for the second time, I had already forgotten that a friend of mine used to recommend it to me. Since curiosity got the best of me, I decided to watch the first episode of Bakemonogatari.

The first impression that I get when I watched a few episodes of Bakemonogatari is that I don't know what the hell is actually happening. I was completely clueless and I can't understand the plot at all.


A part of me said to drop the anime, but another part of me said that I should stick with it and see what happens next. I decided that I will stick into watching a few more episodes of Bakemonogatari to see if things would get less confusing. 

I found myself finishing first arc of Bakemonogatari, the Hitagi Crab arc. Then, I continued to watch the second arc, the Mayoi Snail arc. After finishing the Mayoi Snail arc, I continued to watch the next arc of Bakemonogatari. I finished one arc after another; I was completely addicted to this anime to the point where I can't stop clicking the next episode button. 

Without realization, I finished the first installment of the Monogatari series, Bakemonogatari. Then, I proceed to watch the next installment, the Nekomonogatari. I completely forgotten about time and, to my surprise, I already finished watching Nekomonogatari. After that, I continued to watch Nisemonogatari. By this point, I don't know how many hours did I spent to finish the Monogatari series. I just wanted to know how the Monogatari series ended. 

I kept on going until I finally finished watching Koyomimonogatari, the recently released Monogatari anime. I often question myself on how I managed to get myself addicted to the Monogatari series and until now, I still don't know the answer for that question.

To summarize my experience of watching the Monogatari series in a sentence, it would be:
"A great series with interesting dialogues, thought-provoking story line, and well executed comedic moments to keep the viewers entertained."

If you come across the Monogatari series and decided to check it out, then I strongly recommend you to watch it. I can assure you, you won't be disappointed to the very end. An advice that I could give you is probably to take it slow, there's no need to rush the series. If you do decided to check it out, the this guide might be a great help for you:


You can watch the Monogatari series on Crunchyroll.

Dera

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is Definitely Not Your Everyday Romance Comedy Anime


If I can describe my experience of watching Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, I'd say it's pretty much like jumping into a lake -- it feels refreshing. It's not every day you'd find a comedy anime with good jokes without having any fanservice or relying on fanservice for the comedy. And that's a good thing, because we need more anime like this.

1. A Different Kind of Romance Comedy Anime


To put it simply, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun tells the story of Chiyo Sakura who fell in love with Nozaki Umetarou. One day, Chiyo decided to confess her feelings to Nozaki, but he mistook her as a fan and gave her an autograph. Chiyo explained her intentions but got mistaken anyway. Chiyo finally finds out that Nozaki is actually a Shoujo manga artist under the name Sakiko Yumeno and ends up being his assistant while trying to get closer with him.


The story of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is not like the story in other romance anime. It's not about a boy who is getting into a love triangle or anything like that. The plot sounds Shoujo, but it's not. It's one of those anime that will make you think "I bet this will happen" and leaving you curious on what will happen next.

2. The Unique Cast of Characters

Another thing that is good about Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun besides the story is the characters. A few characters that amuses me besides Chiyo and Nozaki are Mikoto Mikoshiba, Yuzuki Seo and Mitsuya Maeno .


Mikoto, nicknamed Mikorin, is a guy that often fakes his confidence trying to impress other and leaving him embarrassed afterwards. His shyness inspired Nozaki to create a female character in his manga called Mamiko.

Yuzuki is a girl that offends people without trying and pretty much resembles a demon when playing basketball. Even so, she has an angelic voice when singing that got herself the nickname Lorelei of the Choir Club.


And lastly, Maeno-san is Nozaki-kun's previous editor that loves tanukis. He claims Nozaki's ideas for his next manga as his own until Nozaki decided to change his editor. Other than that, he loves putting tanukis in manga that reached the level of creepy by others.


These are the few unique characters of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun that you didn't usually find in every anime. The fact that this anime does not feature generic and boring characters commonly found in anime makes Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun a great anime for those who wanted an anime with not only a different story, but with different cast of characters.

3. The Sounds Matches Perfectly


What I love about Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is the sounds in it. The voice acting and the background music fits really well. One example is Chiyo's voice matched her cute appearance and personality. It makes her feels more lovable to the audience. Other than voice acting and background sounds, there's the opening and ending. I'm not much of a fan of the ending, but the opening of the anime is something catchy and fun, just like the anime.

4. Don't Take it Seriously


One thing to note about Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is that it's not a serious anime. It may be a romance comedy, but it features more of the comedy rather than the romance. It's a light and fun anime. This is not an anime for those who are looking for a serious story or a relationship between the two main characters. It's just an anime that does not require the viewer to think and find plot holes. What the viewers need to do when watching Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is to enjoy on what is currently happening in the anime.


Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is certainly one of the anime that I really enjoy watching. It features something fresh and it never fails to amuse me. However, this anime may not be for everyone. If you love light and comedic anime and are looking for something different, then I strongly recommend Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun for you.

Dera

Tokyo Ghoul Have Its Cons, Still Turns Out Okay


Now, I'm pretty sure a lot of you know what Tokyo Ghoul is. Tokyo Ghoul has become popular ever since the first episode started to air back in July 2014. For those of you who haven't watched Tokyo Ghoul may be wondering: what's so great about Tokyo Ghoul?

 Warning: This review contains slight spoiler about Tokyo Ghoul. Proceed at your own risk.

1. A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That


The plot for Tokyo Ghoul tells the story of Ken Kaneki, an unfortunate young man who got killed by Rize, a woman he fell in love with. Rize is actually a ghoul, a human-like creature that eats humans. When Rize is trying to kill Kaneki, she ended up getting killed herself. Kaneki survived, but he was unfortunate enough to earn organ transplants from Rize without his consent in order to keep on living.

The result? Kaneki turned into a half-human half-ghoul. He gets to live in a different life, and that is the life of a ghoul. He needs to deal with his hunger by eating human flesh or drinking coffee, he interacts with the ghoul society and deals with the faction that tries to eliminate the ghouls.

The plot itself is interesting, but how the story was served in the anime may be a little bit rushed. Overall, the plot is good. It's rushed, yes, but it's an interesting plot.

2. There's Drama. And That's Nice.


When we are talking about a plot which involves getting hunted by a stronger faction, you know there's drama in it. As the story progresses, you will find that there are some dramatic moments between a character and another. I won't spoil it for you, so you have to find out yourself on what kind of drama does Tokyo Ghoul have.

Personally, the drama in Tokyo Ghoul adds more emotion to the story. And that is great, because it's going to make the viewers understand that Tokyo Ghoul is not all about action, but there's some drama in it too.

3. Become The Person Getting Hurt


Now, here is my personal thought about Kaneki. Kaneki is an interesting character. He does not want to be a killer, even though he most likely have to since he is a ghoul. He does not want to hurt others. In most episodes of Tokyo Ghoul, we won't witness scenes where Kaneki would be your typical overpowered shonen protagonist.

Kaneki's character is interesting for Tokyo Ghoul, and that's another thing I love about Tokyo Ghoul: In a violent action anime, the main character would be that guy who prefers getting hurt instead of hurting others.

4. Oh God, That Opening.

Note: Click the album cover to watch Unravel by TK from Ling tosite sigure. I can't find a good one on YouTube

Now when it comes to OPs, it would be a plus for me if I managed to like it. Tokyo Ghoul's OP, Unravel by TK from Ling tosite sigure, is a really nice rock OP. The instrumental is nice, TK's soft and unique vocals is nice, everything about the OP is nice.

I'm sure if you go to YouTube right now and search Unravel, you would find a lot of videos about the OP, such as musical covers of Unravel. Generally, people love Unravel, and the reason should be pretty obvious.

If you have the time, then you guys should really check Unravel by Ling tosite sigure's singer, TK. I'm sure you guys will find a liking to it.

5. Censors, Why You Do This To Me?

I know, I know. I'm one of those people who would complain about Tokyo Ghoul's censors. Tokyo Ghoul is indeed violent, maybe even too violent for some. If you are wondering about the censors of Tokyo Ghoul, take a look at this screenshot right here:


Yeah, I can't see shit either.

Fortunately, it was fixed when the Blu-ray version was released. I finished watching the TV broadcast version of Tokyo Ghoul, so I have to live with the unnecessary censors. But now, with the release of the Blu-ray version, you can watch Tokyo Ghoul without those censors! Yay!

For those who are curious, here is a comparison between the TV broadcast version and the Blu-ray version:



6. Wait... It's Over? (SPOILER)


And finally, here is my biggest disappointment about Tokyo Ghoul. The fact that the last minutes of episode 12 showed us how epic Kaneki was when fighting Jason and it just ends like that bothers me. Just when it gets epic, the episode ends.

Now, I haven't read the manga, but I feel like the story is rushed. I think we did not learn a lot about the characters other than Kaneki, but that's just my opinion.


Tokyo Ghoul may be rushed, and it may have annoying awkward censors, but that should not discourage you from watching Tokyo Ghoul. If you are looking for an action anime with a nice drama, then you should try watching Tokyo Ghoul.

Dera

Nisekoi is the Good Kind of Rom-Com Harem Anime


Okay, so a little while ago, I managed to finish watching Nisekoi. It's not much of an achievement, but considering the many anime that I watched and yet I still managed to finish Nisekoi, it's pretty great for me.

I'm just gonna put this here: If you haven't finished watching Nisekoi, then proceed with caution. This post may contain spoilers for Nisekoi.

Alright, let's begin.

1. I Must Admit, There's Some Cliche In The Plot


Okay, so Nisekoi tells the story of Raku Ichijo, the son of a gangster, who must fake a relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, the girl he met who turns out to be the daughter of a rival gangster. They must fake their relationship to prevent a fight from happening between the two groups.

The problem? They don't get along that well. And as a matter of fact, Raku loves a fellow classmate with the name Kosaki Onodera instead of Chitoge. Raku also have to find a girl he made promise with from 10 years ago. The only lead that he have is that he have a lock, and the girl he made promise with has a key. Now, as the story goes, we will meet new characters. We got Tsugumi, the girl who wanted to protect Chitoge. And we also have Marie, or Marika. Marika is the daughter of a police commissioner.


WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD
Why do I say the plot has some cliches? Kosaki, Marika and Chitoge turns out know each other from 10 years ago. But they do not remember knowing each other from 10 years ago. And when we are served with the fact that Kosaki and Chitoge both have keys for Raku's lock, the writer added that Marika also have a key for Raku's lock. They cannot find out who has the real key because in a later episode, Raku's lock broke and must go on a repair.
END OF SPOILER

 The plot is not that interesting, but when the writer tried to make it interesting, it turned out to be something that will make the viewers say "Ah, I knew it" or "This is so cliche"

2. The Characters Grows As The Story Goes


When a story progresses, I expect the characters to progress as well. Now, the characters in Nisekoi definitely experienced changes. We have Tsugumi, who ended up falling in love with Raku. Another obvious example is Chitoge who, in the end of the anime, finally admits to herself that she love Raku.

In the beginning of the story, Chitoge hated Raku. They are always arguing, and you could say they hated each other. But when their relationship is getting better as the story progresses, I find it really nice that the bond between one character and another grows along with the story

3. Don't Lie. It's Harem.


There's one thing to note before you watch Nisekoi: It's harem. If you hated harem, then stop reading right now. Personally, I love romance anime. I love romance anime with comedy. But when it comes to harem, I'm not much of a fan. I used to, but not anymore. Even though I'm not much of a harem fan, I can still live with watching harem anime.

By the end of the Nisekoi anime, everyone turned out happy. Did Raku choose someone? No. Hell, they say there is a second season coming up. Raku may be dense, but he is not indecisive. But the fact that Nisekoi ended with Raku not having the chance to choose anyone does not exclude Nisekoi from being a harem anime.

Well, let's just hope he did choose someone when the new season is out.

4. #TEAMONODERA, #TEAMCHITOGE


When there's harem anime, there are ships. I ship this character with this, I ship this character with that. It's a freaking debate in the comment section on which character is perfect for which character. This also happened to Nisekoi. There's this ship, there's that ship.

Nisekoi features some episode that will please those who are hoping Raku ended up with this character or with that character. So, if you fancy anime that has episodes for each character you ship with, then Nisekoi is probably for you.


Nisekoi is a harem anime. It's not for everyone, I know. But if you are looking for a romance anime with a good comedy and able to take the cliche-ness and endless teasing of who Raku ended up with, then Nisekoi may be the anime for you.

Dera

Despite Having 12 Episodes, Another is Still Satisfying


You could say I got an interest when it comes to horror anime. I enjoyed Corpse Party and Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni. But comparing to those two, the horror anime that I really enjoyed is Another. If you enjoyed watching Another, you can tell there's not a lot of episodes to satisfy us viewers. But despite the 12 episode that it has, Another is still something I enjoyed watching.

For those who haven't finished watching Another, I should tell you in advance that this post does not contain spoilers for Another. Feel free to read the post if you haven't finished watching Another.

1. Mysterious Beginning That Dragged The Viewers


See, Another is about Kouichi Sakakibara who transferred to a new school called Yomiyama Middle School. In his new school, he found there's something odd: everyone in class seems to deny the existence of Mei Misaki. Rumor said that everyone did that to prevent an unfortunate accidents from happening to others. Our clueless Kouichi talked to Mei after everyone told him not to, and from that point forward, tragic events started to happen. That's pretty much how the story goes for Another.

In the early moments of the story, the viewers are served with scenes that trigger questions: Who is Mei Misaki? Why are they denying her existence? Is she a ghost? Why is these accidents happen and what really triggers it? These are some of the common questions that popped up in my mind when watching the early episodes of Another.

The plot could be a little complex for some, such as the extra person concept in the story. But overall, Another's story is really enjoyable for those who loves horror or mystery.

2. There's Blood. A Lot. Need I Say More?

You will probably think I'm a psychopath for writing that there's blood in Another, but it's pretty true. Another won't think twice when it comes to killing its characters. Even some of the death scenes are memorable, such as the umbrella, the classroom and the elevator scenes.

Another doesn't contain disturbing censors. Sure, it contains censors, but not like a certain anime that I know. You could say Another is not for those who are not ready to witness a death scene in an episode. It caught you by surprise and when you are feeling suspense, and that's what's fun about Another: It's the excitement you get thinking on what's going to happen next.

3. There's A Beach Episode (No, Really)


Anime and beach episodes are not a rare sight anymore. One example is the beach episode in Nisekoi. I know some of you really hates the common stereotypes of anime, such as tsunderes or beach episodes. But believe me, there's a reason why I mentioned the beach episode as something interesting to note

4. If You Want To Watch Another, Don't Watch The Dub


Here is something I could tell you coming from experience: Don't watch the dub. Okay, I don't like dubs in general. One of the dubs I really enjoyed is probably the dub version of Death Note.

The reason why I told you to not watch the dub is because personally, I don't like how Koucihi sounded in the dub. It just doesn't fit him, or a main character in a horror anime to be specific. On the other hand, Mei's dub sounds quite fitting. Mei sounds mysterious in the dub, and I'm quite glad that at least they did Mei's voice right in the dub.

To put it simply, watch the sub. Don't watch the dub. You'll see my reason.

5. I Want More, It's Too Short!


Death scenes that happen unexpectedly? Check. Characters dying without thinking twice on who died? Check. Mysterious plot, atmosphere and sounds that brings the mood? Check. Basically, you're going to be pleased on how Another turns out. There's only one problem: It's too short.

It's safe to say that there won't be a season 2, so when you finished Another, then that's Another. Congrats, you have finished watching Another. It's rare to find an anime that's not disappointing to the end, and Another is one of those rare anime.


Another is really, really great. Fans of horror and mystery anime or anime fans that don't mind gruesome death scenes happening will love Another. If you are one of those people who love anime with interesting plot that will drag you in, then watch Another. If you love horror and mystery, whether you love anime or not, then watch Another. However, if you don't have the stomach on witnessing gruesome death scenes or easily afraid, then Another is probably not for you.

Dera

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