Kagerou Day Update ~ Mekaku City Actors

Konnichiwa~

On April 12th, Mekaku City Actors episode 1 was broadcasted. That night I went to the LA Kpop Festival with Ms. Lee Min Ho, so I didn’t get to watch it that night. But the following day I watched and had to use all my strength not to freak out too badly in front of my family. A new episode comes out every Saturday, the series currently on episode 9. This is supposed to be a 12 episode series, which worries me because I wonder if they’ll be able to effectively end the series with only 3 more episodes. But I’m reassured with how much they’ve been able to do so far. The pace is fast, but it doesn’t feel rushed or messy. The quick, heartbeat-like pacing suites the Kagerou Project well. Everything that has happened so far takes place over of the span of one day, which surprises me each time I remember the fact. I’d find it odder if the manga wasn’t the same. With the flashbacks, it’s easy to forget that the day hasn’t ended yet. And flashbacks are common; there have been a few episodes that have been 90% flashback, which is fine because the history of the character’s is essential. The past has always played an important role in the Kagerou Day series.

Momo's flashback was amazing. It looked beautiful
Once again, the style of the series hasn't been
lost in the anime

The music selection and the animation are perfect for it as well. The only time it got weird was the beginning of episode nine, it become very odd and I really didn't enjoy it. It was only once so far though, the rest of teh time its awesome, it makes it feel like the anime is another one of Jin’s AMVs. And the anime has made use of many of the songs, incorporating them into the episodes seamlessly. I’m a little disappointed that they

won’t be able to use all the songs though. Maybe they will and I’ll be proven wrong, but I’m skeptic about it. I know that Imagination Forest is going to be used next, I hope that Shounen Brave will incorporated somehow as well. And I really want to see Yonbanshi Deceive, but I highly doubt that there will be room, there are only 3 episodes after all. Anyway, the anime has allowed the KagePro fans to learn more about the story. It has especially taught us more about the members of the Mekakushi Dan and their relationships with each other. For example:

1. Momo was given a beautiful episode that allowed us to see her childhood and understand why she developed such a power. 
2. We got see Hibaya and Hiyori’s friendship, not to mention Hiyori’s arrogant personality. 
3. We learned more about Ayano and her relationship with Shintarou. She really is adorable when she gets embarrassed about her crush on him. We also got see her friendship with Ene and Haruka.
4. Ayano’s special relationship with Kano. I knew that he really looked up to her, but seeing how attached he was to her is far more powerful than reading about it

 Anyway, you also learn more about the conflict of the story and how the heat-daze was created.  Azami created a new world, but she ended up there alone. I originally thought she was trapped there because the world was too unstable and caved in while she was there. But this was not the case. One of her snakes had a mind of its own. This snake convinced her that she should leave her family and live in that world alone. That snake left though and possessed Kenijirou Tateyama.

Alright, this might get confusing, I’ll do my best to simplify it. Each episode of the anime presents two stories. The first one is of the Mekakushi Dan and the other is of Azami, Mary’s grandmother. Azami was a lonely monster until she met Tsukihiko, a human. They fell in love and began a family together. But when she realized that their life span was far shorter than her families, she used the power of her snakes to create a world where they could be together forever. But, she ended up in this new reality alone. The members of the Mekakushi Dan all entered this world at some point and were possessed by a snake. What we didn’t understand before was why the snakes were possessing them at all. He isn’t aware of it, the snake has a mind of its own and acts like his second personality. It takes over his mind and plots. What is it plotting? It

The snakes gather around their queen
Shintarou doesn't have his snake yet though

wants all the snakes to leave Azami’s reality, the heat-daze, and come over to the world. The snakes can’t enter this world without using a body though. When Kano, Kido, Seto, Momo, and Hibaya fell into the heat-daze, they were bodies the snakes used to return to the queen snake.

The queen snake is Mary. 

Kuroha called her the queen in Outer Science. I thought he was referring to her power to combine the snakes, but she truly possess the queen snake that all the other snakes wish to return to. Alright, so Kenijirou is possessed by a plotting snake that tore Azami from her husband and child, tricking her into stepping into a world where she would be alone once again. Now this snake wishes to gather all the snakes into the world. That’s why he sacrificed Haruka and Ene, he needed both of them to die and come into contact with the heat-daze to bring over two more snakes into the world. I’m sure he also wanted to do a little experimenting, Konoha and Kuroha are definitely results of it. Through the anime, we learned about another aspect of the heat daze.

 Kido died with her sister

Kano died with his mother 

Seto died with his dog

 Mary died with her mother 

Momo died with her father

 Hibiya died with Hiyori

Shintarou being bold!

 Apparently, the pairs fell into the heat-daze together, but only one of them escaped it. Kido, Kano, and Seto created the Mekakushi Dan as a way to help others who have been possessed by the snake. They also want allies who could help them learn more about the disappearances and who would work hard to help them rescue them. The anime has really cleared up many aspects of the story and has made me fall in love with it even more! I won’t do another Kagerou Day series update until haven’t I’ve finished the series. I don’t know if am going to do one full of spoilers, or one trying my hardest to avoid giving any. 

 Anyway, chapter 23 was scanlated. Well that’s all for today, bye-byeMomo rejected Kano’s offer, which made Kido sad because she was excited about having a new member. Shintarou and Ene really didn’t understand what he was offering Momo though, both of them thought Kano was hitting on her. It was cute seeing Shintarou act like a good older brother and tell him to stop bothering his little sister. I love seeing their brother-sister relationship, they seemed annoyed with each other all the time, but it’s they really do care about each other. Last time I was curious about why Hibiya hated Konoha so much and this chapter explored that a little. It seems Hibiya has hated him and treated him brusquely long before the accident. I guess it is purely jealousy. ~Nadeshiko-chan  

The Monohorns Return

Sorry we haven't been posting at all for the past few months.

We thought after college applications we'd have more free time, but once we began getting acceptance letters, we realized there was still a lot of work to do. But now we've decided on our universities and have a long summer break before school starts! So we'll be posting daily once again.

Ms. Lee Min Ho will be positing on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. 

Nadeshiko-chan will be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

Hope you enjoy our blog, we'll work hard to keep up and post daily. 

The monohorns are back! 

Be prepared for the magic of anime, manga, dramas, and music they will bring <3

Kagerou Days Chapter 21

Konnichiwa~

Kagerou Day chapter 21 was released!

Hiyori’s whereabouts are still unknown, but we do learn a few new pieces of information.

1) Konoha has been looking for HIibaya and Hiyori. Since the Mekakushi Dan is indebted to him, they’ve decided to help them find them. He was very happy to have found Hibaya, but he isn’t happy to see Konoha one bit. We know from Konoha’s State of Mind that he was present during the car accident that killed Hibaya and Hiyori, that he was trapped in the Heat-Haze along with them. Is it possible that he escaped and has been trying to get them out of it? I don’t know, that’s just a little theory I have, don’t have too much evidence to back it up. But Ene was unable to locate her, is it because she’s fallen into a different world, trapped in a timeline that Hibaya escaped from? And there's also Konoha's reaction to Hibaya leaving him and Kano coaxing him "At least his alive".

Konoha is so cute in this, he really
cares about Hibaya.

Anyway, Hibaya’s angry towards Konoha was interesting, for some reason I always thought they had an okay relationship. Maybe there was a little jealousy in it since I’ve read that Hibaya is aware of Hiyori’s crush on Konoha, but I don’t think jealousy would explain the disgust and rage of his gaze. Then while watching Outer Science, a theory came to me: in the mv, there's a scene of Kuroha killing each member of the Mekakushi Dan; he pushes Hibaya into the street, he looks at Kuroha shocked and frightened. Well its not really a theory, but maybe Konaha was Kuroha in that time loop without having realized it. It would explain why he look so hateful. Just a tiny theory though

2) Mary has a book that outlines the future of the Mekakushi Dan. Momo in this mysterious book was referred to as “The Captivator”. Apparently it didn’t specify how they would find her, simply that she existed. Mary is the one resetting time and people’s memories, and I wonder if that includes her own. Part of me believes that Mary is very aware of everything, another part of me thinks that it might be a semi-conscious action and that she doesn’t entirely remember. Perhaps she writes what she does remember this book. A book to help her gather her precious friends once again.

Though the chapter didn’t answer too many questions, it did provide a little bit of new information and new questions. I can’t wait for the next chapter. Perhaps Hibaya will reveal Hiyori’s whereabouts, or perhaps he won’t remember a thing.

Before I end the post, I'd just like to mention the Mekuka City Actors, or the Kagerou Day anime, will be released with April. There are already several voice actor teasers. All the voices so far and perfect! I really can't wait for this anime. If you want to check them out, just click on the link

http://kagerouproject.wikia.com/wiki/Mekaku_City_Actors

Bye-bye

~Nadeshiko-chan

Hal ~ The Movie

Konnichiwa~ 

“What if your lover died, you lost your will to live, and a robot was sent to you that looked like your lost lover?”

I recently watched the animated film Hal directed by Ryotaro Makihara. It is based off the manga Hal by Ayase Umi, which I have not read, so I can’t really say how accurately it follows it. The manga is only 1 volume long though, so I feel it couldn’t have left much out. It is completely scanlated for those who are interested, I might get around to reading it later, for now I am satisfied with beautiful movie. Let’s begin:

The story takes place in a technologically advanced society in which robots can be programmed to behave just like humans. They appear and move very humanistic, and it’s even possible to change their outer appearance so that they look completely human.

The android Q01 does just this in order to help a forlorn heart recover from the death of their lover.

After Hal’s death, Kurumi has lost the will to live. Her concerned grandfather begs Q01 to replace “Hal”, hoping that his presence will help her come to terms with Hal’s death and move forward. As the android takes of care of her, he learns about human life, Hal’s life, and Kurumi’s feelings for him. At first she keeps her distance, disgusted by the gesture. But gradually, she begins to open up to robot Hal. A heartwarming romance, but probably not in the sense you’re thinking. It focuses more on real Hal’s relationship with Kurumi

I’m not a very big fan of sci-fi: I don’t read stories about aliens and usually avoid stories about androids. But I kept hearing great things about this film, so I decided to check it out and I’m glad I did. Robot Hal is so sweet and adorably simple. He genuinely wants to bring Kurumi happiness, wants the bright smile he sees in old photographs to return. He’s kind and friendly, able to make friends with nearly everyone he interacts with. He is rather cautious about the original Hal, wondering who the person he has “replaced” was. He

learns from others that he was energetic, rather short-tempered, and because of his past, insecure about how little money he had. Overall though, he seemed to have been a kind person. A person Kurumi desperately wanted to protect: she appears most gentle when thinking of Hal and what he had to endure. She was a compassionate person, very cheerful and popular in their small community. But that isn’t the girl Hal is dealing with. He knows she once existed because of pictures from before the accident, but the one he sees now is cold, apathetic, and disinterested in the world around her.

The movie’s art and animation are beautiful. I saw the original manga art before watching the movie and was a little worried that they animators were going to ruin its cute, modern-shoujo style. The scenes were beautiful, my favorite was part of the climax so I can’t really describe it, but it was very emotional and well done.

I highly recommend this movie, its cute and heartwarming. The love Hal and Kurumi had for each other is endearing and after watching it, it easily became one of my favorite romances. I hope you watch it or read the manga

Bye-bye

~Nadeshiko-chan

Say "I love you"

Mei and Yamato

Konbanwa~

Nadeshiko-chan here reviewing a cute romance anime called “Say ‘I love you’”. It’s based on a manga by Kanae Hazuki, which is 11 volumes ongoing in Japan; the anime covers volume 1 through volume 7 chapter 28 and is considered complete with a total of 13 episodes. Let’s begin:

Mei Tachibana has had been betrayed by her friends again and again, the most traumatic being when they blamed her for the death of the class pet. Because of that she’s developed a hatred of and distrust in people besides her mother, wanting to be left alon. Then one day, because of a misunderstanding, she round-house kicks Yamato Kurosawa, the most popular boy in school. After this, he takes an interest in her and decides he wants to be her friend. He wants Mei to learn how to trust people and realize that not everyone will betray her, that there are people who will actually unconditionally care about and love her. The story follows Mei trying to grow as a person and her relationship with Yamato.

It’s an adorable love story and it’s easy to relate the Mei, especially for people who have been badly betrayed or people who’ve wanted to grow as a person themselves. She’s strong-willed, though a very indecisive at times but it’s excusable because it’s caused by insecurity and inexperience, not because she’s a weak person. I also love what great lengths Yamato goes to in order to understand and protect he’s crush. Sometimes they misunderstand each other, but at the end of the day you can tell they’re simply an idiot couple.

From what’ve read and what’ve seen, the manga is more 18+ while the anime is 16+. The manga also

Aiko; Mei; Yamato; Asami; Kenji (a total pervert)

introduces characters and develops relationships better, it felt a bit rushed in the anime and there were two or so instances where I had no idea who someone was and was never introduced to them. But I still think it’s a cute anime more than worth watching. That’s all for today. Bye-Bye

~Nadeshiko-chan

The Dog and I Secret Service

Even though Ririchiyo is capable of taking
care of herself, Miktsukami wants to do
everything for her

Konbanwa~

I just finished a hilarious and romantic shounen called Inu x Boku Secret Service and I absolutely love it!  It’s amazing! The story is sweet, the characters are interesting and lovable, and it managed to make me both cry and laugh. I haven’t read the manga and I probably won’t since I’m very satisfied with the alternative ending the anime provided. The anime is 12 episodes and covers up to volume 3 of the manga, and in case you’re curious the manga is ongoing with 9 volumes in Japan and 6 volumes scanlated. Anyway, let’s begin:

The lovely elite Ririchiyo Shirakin is moving into the Maison de Ayakashi, better known as the Ayakasikan, a high security apartment building for humans with demon(youkai) ancestors. Each resident is provided with their own Secret Service bodyguard, who are also human’s with demon blood. Ririchiyo has moved in wanting solitude and independence, but when she arrives she’s greeted by SS agent Miketsukami Soushi. She tells him to leave, that she doesn’t need him, but Soushi’s dog-like devotion to her leads to her relenting and accepting him as her bodyguard.

Now Ririchiyo wanted to be alone because she’s scared of hurting her others, because she wants to break her bad habit of lashing out at people with her vicious tongue, because she wants to communicate better with others. Despite her bad habit, Miketsukami seems to always notice her true feelings and he claims that he’s known her for years. Who Mitetsukami behind his puppy-like demeanor?  Their relationship is both comedic and touching, and their days at Ayakasikan with lazy Renshou, lolicon Nobara, sadist-masochist-obsessed Kagerou, glutton Karuta, “super-delinquent” Watanuki, and mischievous Natsume.

Kagerou; Miketsukami;Ririchiyo; Watanuki
Karuta; Renshou; Nobara; Natsume

It’s a great anime and I highly recommend it to older teens, 16+. Some of the stuff Kagerou and Nobara say are probably not appropriate for younger people. But hey, if you read lolicon, sadist, and masochist, then you’ll probably be okay. Anyway, every character has their own ending, depending on the episode you’ll get a different ending. I’d personally avoid Kagerou, no matter what age. From the pieces I’ve seen it’s pretty weird. And remember that the episode isn’t over when the ending begins, there’s usually 4 or so minutes after it and if you don’t watch the next episode usually won’t flow as well. Alright, bye-bye

~Nadeshiko-chan

We Were There

Konbanwa~

Sorry I’m a little late, I’ve been a little busy and distracted to today.

Anyway, today I’ll be reviewing a shoujo anime Bokura Ga Ita by Obata Yuuki. It’s a complete series, its 16 volumes and the anime is 26 episodes. I haven’t read the manga, I’ve only watched the anime. Well I’ve skimmed the manga, I planned on reading it after finishing the anime, but it art in there was harder to accept the anime’s art. What I’m trying to say is that I hate the art: sometimes characters look like they have pig noses and like they’re unfinished. It was very difficult for me to get past the art and watch the anime, but it was worth it since the plot is adorable and heart-warming! Lets begin:

The sweet and innocent Nanami “Nana” Takahashi is a first year high school student who ends up in the same class with the incredibly popular Motoharu Yano, who she keeps hearing rumors about from her new classmates. When she first meets him, she can’t tell whether she likes or hates him. He’s handsome and cool, but also extremely arrogant and kind of a jerk. But soon enough she realizes and accepts the fact that she’s completely smitten with him and begins working hard to become his support. Seeing her so determined wins him over and they begin dating. But as a couple, they struggle with trusting one another, especially Motoharu whose ex-girlfriend was with another man at the time of her death. He’s terrified of being betrayed again and abandoned by Nanami. Plus there his ex-girlfriend’s younger sister, Yuri Yamamoto, who believes she understands Motoharu best, relying on him often and attempting to get between the couple, which is extremely irritating and selfish. But they are able to overcome these challenges because even if they fight, their love for each other draws them back together.

Again, the arts pretty bad, but the story itself is beautiful, cute, and sentimental since the couple really is in love. I really love and admire Nanami as a main character, she’s cute but strong and I think its cool how much she sounds like a guy at times, saying she’ll be support him, protect him, and watch over him, so that he doesn’t have to feel alone. One of my favorites is:

“Yano. The person whom you really, really love may not be here anymore. And you might feeling lonely, but, there are people in this world who really, really love you, so shouldn’t that equal it all out? So, please don’t ever think that you’re alone. I’ll be watching over you. I’ll always be watching over you. I promise to always watch over you. You’re not alone.”

She’s always there for him, strong enough for the emotional weak Motoharu, another reason I think she makes such an interesting protagonist; that and the fact she isn’t all that shy about her feelings for Yano. I mean she doesn’t outlandishly flirt with him or anything, simply lets him know that she likes and cares about him. Then there’s Motoharu, who’s rather possessive as a boyfriend and is somewhat annoying since he keeps letting his past hurt Nanami, choosing to avoid it instead of confronting it like a man. But with Nanami’s help he’s able to confront his past and feelings for his ex-girlfriend, finally able to truly move forward. Though sometimes he comes off as self-centered and somewhat cold, he really does love Nanami and is usually very amorous towards her. He’s happiest and strongest when he’s with her, telling her once that all he wants is a “reality where I exist and you’re right there next to me”.  Why can’t boys like him actually exist? He’s just so cute!

Anyway,  they’re an adorable, lovey-dovey couple that is able to overcome many obstacles together. Though the art is pretty terrible, amateur at best. I still recommend getting past it and focusing on this sweet, yet dramatic love story.

~Nadeshiko-chan

You and I

Kaname; Shun
Chizuru
Yuuta; Yuuki

Konbanwa~

Nadeshiko-chan here, reviewing a hilarious slice of life shounen called Kimi to Boku by Hotta Kiichi. It is an anime with 2 seasons (26 episodes) and 12 volumes(ongoing) in Japan, sadly its only been scanlated to volume 6. The story revolves around 5 teenage boys: feminine and lovable Shun Matsuoka, class head and short tempered Kaname Tsukahara, good-looking twins Yuuta and Yuuki Asaba, and half-Japanese transfer student Chizuru Tachibana. Shun, Kaname, Yuuta, and Yuuki have been friends since preschool, Chizuru joined the group after transferring, having met Yuuki when he was a child and wanting to become friends once again.

The manga is just about their daily lives, which are tranquil and rather comedic. It isn't passionate or dramatic, its just a lighthearted story about a group of friends and their time together. All of them are quiet different; Shun being gentle and cute, Kaname being uptight yet short-tempered, Chizuru being a fun-loving fool with a hidden side that’s deeply in love with Mary, the twins always giving everyone hard time while keeping their passive tone. Of course just because they look a like, doesn't mean they're the same: Yuuta’s expresses himself more and is the mature one, talking care of his younger twin. Yuuki’s a lazy otaku. There all different and though they don’t openly express it, its obvious that they all love and care about each other. Their group has one of the greatest bromance ever.

There’s also some romance in this story, but it isn't cliché or melodramatic. Their feelings simply grow slowly through their interactions. Its rather sweet, especially Chizuru’s love for tiny Mary.

Then there’s the art, its simplistic and clean. The anime’s more or less the same, expect with color of course.  Anyway the art oddly suites the manga, having a very easygoing and cool feeling to it, It’s a calming slice of life, and I highly recommend.

~Nadeshiko-chan

Usagi Drop: Delightful and Disturbing

Daikihi and young Rin: a
heartwarming picture of a father
and his daughter

~Konnichiwa~

Nadeshiko-chan here and since yesterday was father’s day, I’ll be reviewing Bunny Drop by Unita Yumi, a manga with one of the best yet worst father: Daikihi. I have very mixed feelings on this josei and to be honest I’m not quite sure I’d recommend. Oh yeah, by the way, this was my very first josei! And it sure was memorable. Anyway, lets begin my explanation of this odd little manga:

Daikihi is a 30-year-old bachelor and an overgrown teenager of a man He’s just found out that his grandfather is dead and travels back to his hometown for the funeral. When he arrives, Daikihi and his family are shocked to discover that the old man had an illegitimate love child. On top of that, it was with a much younger woman, she’s in her 20s I believe. Rin is the name of this child and catches Daikihi’s attention since she’s a rather quiet little girl and obviously completely helpless: she doesn’t know anyone in the family, her mother abandoned her after the death of the grandfather, and she must cope with the death of her father at such a young age. Daikihi seems to be the only one sensitive to this little girl’s feeling and is outraged when he sees how his family only sees her as an embarrassment, not wanting anything to do with her. In a fit of angry spontaneity, he declares he’s going to take care her himself. The first 6 volumes are adorable, Daikihi and Rin making an adorable father-daughter pairing, Daikihi being rather immature for a parent and Rin being pretty mature and independent for a 6 year old. It’s really funny and rather heartwarming watching Daikihi try to figure out parenthood and the proper way to raise Rin; Rin really becomes a big part of his life and he admits that all the sacrifices he’s makes for her are definitely worth it. Daikihi’s relationship with Yukari Nitani, a single mother, also keeps the manga interesting for those romantics; plus they also have the adorable friendship between Rin and Yukari’s son Kouki. In fact in volume 5, the manga fast-forwards to when the two are in high school, and you can see the Kouki definitely wants to be more than friends. You can’t help but root for Kouki as he tries to win Rin’s heart, realizing the mistakes he made in the past.

Childhood friends Rin and Kouki, aren't they precious?

But then you read volume 7 and 8 come, and cute little josei becomes chillingly disturbing. Try to guess what sick twist Unita Yumi came up with? Have Rin fall in love, not with Kouki, or even the smart boy from her class, no, she has Rin fall in love Daikihi! What the heck?! And like an idiot, I kept reading, I hoping that maybe because Daikihi was the first stable thing in her life, she only thought she was in love with him because of the drama going on with Kouki and meeting her mother. But that’s not the case; at some point, even Kouki’s and her mother are supporting her! At least they made it slightly less disgusting by revealing that Rin isn’t actually the grandfather’s daughter, but rather his adopted daughter; Rin’s mom had gotten pregnant and he had volunteered to help raise Rin. But this only makes it slightly less disturbing though since we still have the huge age difference and the fact that Daikihi is practically Rin’s father! What made me even madder was that Daikihi, noble, kind-hearted father-figure Daikihi, actually accepts her feelings! They get together after her graduation, I felt so sick and disappointed in both in them. This adorable manga became something so creepy.

I don’t really think Rin loves Daikihi romantically, nor do I believe that Daikihi really loves Rin romantically. I feel Rin, after the abandonment of her mother and death of her “father” grew too emotionally dependent on Daikihi, so as graduation and such came, she became scared of leaving him and all the new changes she’d have to face; she took the concerns she had about Daikihi getting older and romance as a way to stay with him, to have things stay exactly as they were. Then there’s Daikihi, who never really says he loves Rin and even tells her that she can leave him for a younger boy whenever she wants, not to worry about him. Never says “I love you”, just that he’ll be with her. He just doesn’t look like he really see her as a lover, I think he’s just worried about Rin and doing what she wants or something, I’m not really sure.

Teenage Kouki and Rin

Anyway, because of the creepiness of volumes 7-10, I can’t really recommend this manga. And I know what you’re thinking, if I thought it was so disturbing, why I would read all 10 volumes. Well technically I only read to 9, but anyway I’m stubborn and was idiotically hopeful that something was going to change. But when I got to 9 and Rin tells Daikihi she wants them to have a baby and make them as happy as Daikihi made her, I realized it was futile and stopped. . I’ve recently discovered they’ve made into a drama and to be honest I’m a little curious; I’ve done a little research and I think its about their original father-daughter relationship, which I love and would love to see as a drama adaption. I’m a little hesitant though, worried they’ll thrown in some creepy wedding between them at the end. If I end up watching it I’ll post, but anyway the first 4 volumes of the parent-child relationship are adorable and I highly recommend reading those and stopping. Volumes 5-6 are okay since you think Kouki will eventually win Rin’s heart and you could read those chapters, but it’s not as enjoyable when you know Rin’s going to choose her father-figure over her childhood friend, whom she shared her first kiss with and whom she even admitted was her first love. Anyway the arts okay, having a rather unique style compared to other shoujo and josei mangas, so I think you’d have fun reading those first few volumes. But don’t be foolish like me and keep going, it’ll only bring disappointment, anger, and sickness.

You have been warned.

~Nadeshiko-chan

Better Late Than Never

Happy Birthday Mrs. Lee Min Ho

And, Happy Father's Day

Heart no Kumi no Alice

~Konnichiwa

Today on this wonderful Friday afternoon, I will be reviewing Alice in the Country of Hearts, also known as Heart no Kumi no Alice written by QuinRose and art by Hoshino Soumei. The manga is based on a girly, but surprisingly bloody otome game, which alludes to Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Hearts: Ace; Alice; Peter; Viva

Alice Liddell is a young maiden who is overshadowed by her older sister’s grace and beauty, her ex-boyfriend even dumped her because he fell in love with her. Despite this, she loves her sister very much. After her mother died, her father buried himself in work and her younger sister called her a monster for not crying at the funeral, but her older sister always loved and cared for her. Because of this, she is Alice’s most precious person. Then one day, while she’s trying to take a nice nap in her garden, she’s kidnapped unwillingly by a mysterious man with white hair, red eyes, and white rabbit ears and is taken to Wonderland. Once they arrive, he forces her to drink a medicine. He introduces himself as Peter White and  Castle of 

explains that whoever drinks this medicine, must participate in the game, therefore she can’t leave. After he leaves, she meets Julius, a clock repairer, who tells her the one and only way she might be able to return to her world; he gives her the empty vile the medicine had been in and tells her she needs to interact and spend time with the strange people in Wonderland, this will slowly refill the vile. Once it’s full, she needs to drinks it and should be able to return to her world. Thus Alice begins exploring this Wonderland and soon learns that the world is split into various countries and she is currently in the Country of Hearts. The country is divided into three main territories:

The Castles of Hearts: Ruled by the Queen of Hearts Vivaldi with the assistance of Prime Minister Peter White and Knight of Hearts Ace.

Amusement Park: Boris; Alice; Julius; Gowland

Amusement Park: Boris; Alice; Julius; Gowland

Then there is the Hatter Mansion, headquarters of Wonderland’s mafia dubbed “The Hatters”. The leader is Blood Dupre. There also lives his second-in-command Eliot March and the gatekeepers Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Lastly there is the Amusement Park, run by Duke Mary Gowland with the help from the energetic Cheshire Cat, also known as Boris.

All three territories are at war with each other, the only neutral area being the Clock Tower Plaza where Julius lives. Every character in these 3 regions have a role in the game. Everyone else in Wonderland is faceless, background characters in this game. If one of the role players die, Wonderland takes one of these faceless characters to replace them, so that the game can continue.

Overall I really enjoyed watching Alice interact with all these different characters and learning more and more about how Wonderland and this game works. The art is also quite nice, a lot of inking was done for thick black lines and details. I suppose its rather unique since its based off the art done for a otome game.

Hatter Mansion: Elliot; Alice; Blood; Dee and Dum

The characters are all interesting, Alice being very outspoken and sometimes rather cynical, and her interactions with the citizens of and her adventures in the Country of Hearts are really entertaining, especially seeing how Alice, as an outsider, affects them. There’s just one thing that bothers me: how Alice’s treats Peter. I understand that Peter made a horrible first impression on her, being the one that kidnapped her, but 2 other characters attempted to kill her and she forgave them! Peter is madly in love with Alice and brought her to Wonderland so that she could be happy; he didn’t care about her returning his feelings, he just wanted to protect Alice’s happiness. But he can’t help but feel hurt as he watches Alice get along with everyone else, expect him. It makes me so sad, he loves her so much and would do anything for her, but Alice doesn’t seem to understand how serious he is. I suppose you’re wondering how Peter even fell in love with Alice,

being from separate worlds. Well it’s implied that he’s somehow connected to Alice’s older sister and he once tells her that if she tried really hard, she’d remember him and how important he was to her. She almost remembers him, but the task cause her a great deal of pain so Peter tells her to stop, that it’s okay if she doesn’t remember. My guess is that after her mother’s death, Alice spent her days with her sister and Peter and they were both precious to her. But that’s just my guess, and I really don’t have a lot of evidence to back it up either. Well besides poor Peter, the manga is a great read and I recommend it. There’s also a movie out, which I’m hoping to watch and review soon. Bye-Bye

~Nadeshiko-chan