Kuroko no Basuke 2

Image from: http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/kuroko-no-basket-2-online

Name: Kuroko no Basuke 2 (Extra: Kuroko Basuke NG-Shuu OVA: Tip Off)
Sequel: Kuroko no Basuke 3
Prequel: Kuroko no Basuke

Status: Completed
Episode: 25
Release date (for eng subs): Every Sunday


Summary:
Continuation from season 1


Personal Ratings: 3.5

I'm glad that they stick a lot more to the manga this time round. I really liked all the matches that were played. Though I think that the animation did no justice to the manga.

I'm not sure why, but the manga really has that impact, especially when it comes to the really cool parts. (I'm guessing the difference in size of the picture really makes the important and cool scenes pop out more). But for the anime, I just felt like there was this momentum that it is going by, and it really doesn't bring out the coolness and the impact. There was just this huge lack of impact and excitement in the anime that the manga had. 

That being said, I still really like the anime (mostly because of the interesting story line), and I can't wait for the next season's matches. 

Art Ratings: 3
Kuroko no Basuke for more info


Recommended for:
Gender: Male & Female
Age: 13 and above
My Ratings: PG-13

Danganronpa The Animation

Image from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/16592/Danganronpa:_Kibou_no_Gakuen_to_Zetsubou_no_Koukousei_-_The_Animation

Name: Danganronpa The Animation ダンガンロンパ 希望の学園と絶望の高校生 THE ANIMATION

Status: Completed
Episode: 13
Release date (for eng subs): -


Summary:

A group of 15 elite high school students are gathered at a very special, high class high school. To graduate from this high school essentially means you'll succeed in life, but graduating is very difficult. The school is presided over by a bear called Monokuma, and he explains to them that their graduation hinges around committing a murder. The only way to graduate is to kill one of your classmates and get away with it. If the other classmates discover the identity of the killer, the killer is the only one executed. However, if they fail to catch the killer, only the killer graduates and the others are annihilated. Which of the 15 will survive the bloodbath to come?

Summary from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/16592/Danganronpa:_Kibou_no_Gakuen_to_Zetsubou_no_Koukousei_-_The_Animation
Summary Source: MU


Personal Ratings: 3.5

Really thought the first episode lacked impact, because I stopped watching after the first episode, thinking it was boring. But seeing as so many people cosplayed this anime, I thought I should just watch the whole thing, and it really was quite interesting.

I like the two parts of the show, the solving part and the incident part. The different twist in the plot line was also really interesting and unique. I actually quite like the parts that they decided to keep it looking like a game (like the bullets during the discussion time, and the objection)

What I didn't like was how the story line was very uniform and sort of predictable (in the sense that you know that they would surely solve the case). I also didn't like the execution part. I really think that instead of trying to make it look closer to the game, it should be more like an animation of the whole game. Especially when they are trying to play the scene of what happened in the case. I think that making it like a comic strip with all the striking colours shooting at you all at once makes it really hard to picture what it happening. I think that they should change it to the normal animation but maybe draw the characters in chibi form or something. I also wanted to see the world when they opened the door, and I also felt that they should have dropped some clues as to who the master mind is. 

Art Ratings: 2.5

Character designs really suites their personality perfectly, but I don't really like the overly dramatic hair that makes it look like the two characters look the same. The characters are also very stiff looking. 

Recommended for:
Gender: Female & Male
Age: 16 and above
My Ratings: PG-13

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Image from: http://collider.com/weekend-box-office-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-2-wins-with-35-million/

Name: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Release date (in Singapore): ?
Watched on: 4 October 2013

Summary:
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 picks up where Sony Pictures Animation's hit comedy left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood's genius is finally being recognized as he's invited by his idol Chester V to join The Live Corp Company, where the best and brightest inventors in the world create technologies for the betterment of mankind. Chester's right-hand-gal - and one of his greatest inventions - is Barb (a highly evolved orangutan with a human brain, who is also devious, manipulative and likes to wear lipstick). It's always been Flint's dream to be recognized as a great inventor, but everything changes when he discovers that his most infamous machine (which turns water into food) is still operating and is now creating food-animal hybrids - "foodimals!" With the fate of humanity in his hands, Chester sends Flint and his friends on a dangerously delicious mission, battling hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, apple pie-thons, double bacon cheespiders and other food creatures to save the world again!
Summary from: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cloudy_with_a_chance_of_meatballs_2_2013/

Personal Ratings: 3.5
It was quite a nice movie. Unlike other cartoon shows were most of the time the 2nd season is usually not as nice compared to the first season. I find this one one par with it's first season. 
I really liked the unique ideas on the lab and the animals (making the food name rime with the animal name). It was really fun to see how they create the different type of animals with different kind of food. I also liked the side part about the dad. What I really liked most is probably the link throughout the movie. From the start to the end, everything that was said had a link to the main story line. 
Of course, because this is a cartoon, there were a lot of children and it was really quite noisy. But there were really quite a bit of catchy phrases that were remembered by the kids (one of them said it together with the character). I also liked some of the jokes (though half the time I'm pretty sure the kids didn't catch it).

Recommended for:
Gender: Female & Male
Age: 6 and above
Ratings: G

Recommended anime: Autumn 2013

Autumn 2013

Shoujo:
Golden Time
Nagi no Asukara

Shounen:
*Kill la Kill
Kuroko no Basuke 2
*Kyoukai no Kanata
*Log Horizon
Machine Doll wa Kizutsukanai
Magi Season 2
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle Season 3
Valvrave the Liberator 2



View List of Recommended animes here: http://strawberryshortcake-reviews.blogspot.com/p/recommened-animes.html

* Highly recommended for this season (Sequels not included)

Kyoukai no Kanata

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%8Dkai_no_Kanata

Name: Beyond the Boundary, Beyond the Horizon, Kyoukai no Kanata 境界の彼方
Prequel: Episode 0: Shinonome

Status: Completed
Episodes: 12
Release Date (for eng subs): Every Thursday


Summary:
Akihito is a half Youmu, half human boy. He is immortal and recovered from any injuries fast. He one day saw a transfer student, Kuriyama Mirai, about to suicide and decided to stop her. But instead, she stabs him, thinking he was a human posessed by Youmu. From than on, she kept comming after Akihito. Kruiyama comes from an extinct spirit warrior clan, despite her job being to kill Youmu, she is afraid to.

Summary by: AngelaAgness


Personal Ratings: 4

Have been waiting for this anime for two seasons already. 

I really loved the change in the tempo throughout the episode. The fighting scenes were really smoothly done and exciting to watch. 

Though from the first episode, it's kind of confusing about what is happening, and what this anime is about. But I liked how it does not have the very typical anime action style in episode one or two. This anime is more of a "show what is happening and slowly let you figure out", though they do give some short explanation to guide you and make it less confusing, yet still keeping the curiosity in the viewers. The show slowly gets more interesting towards the end. So it really leaves a lasting impression.

I didn't really like the ending. Like how did Mirai actually revived? I want a 2nd season to explain that! I also want an episode on Akihito's past!!

People! The time has come! Kyoani has revealed that there would be an episode 0 coming up, showing about Akihito's past!!! I can't wait!!
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR836LhHwjE

Art Ratings: 3.5

Unique character designs. Loved the animation a lot. Though I feel that some times the art can get a little out of shape.

Recommended for:
Gender: Female & Male
Age: 16 and above
My Ratings: PG-13

Kyoukai no Kanata: Screenshot Special
Episode 1

Gosick

Image from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/8425/Gosick

Name: Gosick

Status: Completed 
Episode: 24
Release date (for eng subs): - 


Summary:
The year is 1924, the place, Saubure, a small European country neatly tucked beside the Alps...

Kazuya Kujo has been studying abroad at the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. Kazuya ignores most of them but the story of the Queen Berry, a mysterious ghost ship, really gets to him. Of course, his brainy friend Victorique is much more intrigued by true stories, and she uses her unrivaled logic to solve mysteries even the town's famous detective can't. Ironically, it is Victorique's inquisitive nature that leads the duo to board a ship that matches the Queen Berry's description to a tee, a ship that might just hold the key to solving a sinister mystery...

Summary from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/8425/Gosick
Summary Source: Tokyopop, edited


Personal Ratings: 3
A mystery show. Unlike the typical kind of mystery shows (like detective conan), this anime does not talk much about the cases, but more of how the cases actually links to her family. In a way I liked this much better than detective conan. Mostly on the parts about the links between the cases. However, I really didn't liked the explaining parts. In detective conan, you can see that they really used logic to slowly figure out the cases while presenting evidence. However in gosick, there is no such thing. It was more like figure out than find evidence to show. I liked how this show flows really well since everything is connected to each other. Really liked the last episode. Was so touching.

I didn't really liked how they complicate things to much by the way they speak and some times by the things they show. Their speeches some times make too complicate and confusing, they use too abstract ways in their speech which is some times not consistent. 


Art Ratings: 3.5
I liked all their character designs. I think it all really shows a lot of their personality and really goes well with the seiyuu's voice. But it's really typical drawing. However, unlike some animes, I think they really did think more out of the box, because the character all look very different, and each have a special unique point to them.


Recommended for:
Gender: Female & Male
Age: 16 and above
My Ratings: PG -13

Prisoners

Image from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392214/

Name: Prisoners

Release date (in Singapore): 19 September 2013
Watched on: 29 September 2013

Summary:
When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?
Summary from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392214/

Personal Ratings: 2.5
This was probably the first show in which I have no idea what I was watching, because I didn't watch the trailer. The whole show really seemed more like a series than a movie. Honestly it felt really long, which meant it didn't really kept me entertain throughout the time I was watching. It was really confusing in the middle of the movie as to who was the real culprit. The links between the culprits were also not very clear.
But throughout the whole show, there was a lot of suspense and thrill in it. So half the time i was covering my ears. The main characters were also kind of all over the place throughout the movie. But in the first half of the movie, I felt really lost as to what was really happening. I really don't know how this movie had a 5/5 ratings.

Recommended for:
Gender: Male & Female
Age: 16 and above
Ratings: NC-16

Kamisama Inai Nichiyoubi

Image from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/16009/Kamisama_no_Inai_Nichiyoubi

Name: Sunday without God 神さまのいない日曜日 Kamisama Inai Nichiyoubi

Status: Completed
Episode: 13
Release date (for eng subs): Every Monday


Summary:
God abandoned the world on Sunday. As a result, nobody in the world can die or reproduce. A little girl, Ai, is the gravekeeper for a village. She has prepared 47 graves for the eventual deaths of every member of the village. Later, a man who identifies himself as "Hampnie Hambart, the 'Man-eating Toy'," which is coincidentally the name that Ai's mother left behind as the name of her father, arrives in the village and slaughters everybody. Just what is going on?

Summary from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/16009/Kamisama_no_Inai_Nichiyoubi
Summary Source: MU


Personal Ratings: 2.5
At first I thought that this anime would be quite interesting. But as the anime went on, I kind of felt more irritated (with the main girl). And when her dad died, I felt like the purpose of the whole anime just wasn't really there anymore. Plus this anime didn't end completely, there is still the whole thing about the main character saving the world that didn't happen.

I actually liked the ideas in the anime in the different mini arcs. (though I didn't really liked the fact that they made her dad died, though I know why he died). The only thing that I didn't like was the main girl. I think she talks way to much. And with the anime ending like this, it really felt like I was wasting my time. 


Art Ratings: 3.5
I liked the art. The character designs were kind of unique. All I didn't like was some of the character's hair were a little to edgy and spiky here and there, and they didnt really match with the character's personality.


Recommended for:
Gender: Female & Male
Age: 13 and above
My Ratings: PG -13

Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist

Image from: http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2013/04/27-1/video-makai-ouji-devils-and-realist-anime-preview

Name: Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist 魔界王子

Status: Completed
Episode: 12
Release date (for eng subs): Every Monday


Summary:
The story revolves around William, an aristocratic family's progeny with rare intellect. One day, his uncle lost his possessions after his business failed. Fearing that his family's name has been tarnished, William returns home and searches with his family's butler for anything that can be converted into cash. A search of the premises yields an underground room left by an ancestor. In the room is a magical seal, and William unintentionally summons a devil. The summoned devil tells William his name Dantalion, and reveals that William is the designator who can choose the acting ruler of the demon world.


Summary from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/16890
Summary Source: ANN


Personal Ratings: 3.5
At first when I watched the first episode, I thought that this would be a really dumb anime. I couldn't be more wrong. The anime was very interesting. 

I kind of like how they made some people from hell is good, and some people from heaven is bad. And the complicated situation between hell and heaven. 
Loved how they put the character, William, as a realist. (it makes the show more believable that way, and less stupid on the comedy side). It's one anime you cannot stop watching till you finish every episode.

I just think that they should have made more impact on the first episode. I am confused about Solomon; when they flashback to this past, it really seemed as if he was a very kind and charismatic guy who attract demons. But in the last two episode, it seemed as if he was a very forceful and violent guy to rely on his power. 
The ending of the show was also a little too fast. I felt that they should have explained things more clearly, like what was Solomon's aim (they have been talking about it for half of the whole anime), what was Dantalian's past like that made him into a demon, how and why did sytry change sides from heaven to hell. I think they should have a 2nd season and make things really clear.

When I first watch this series, some things didn't really made any sense to me until I watch it for the 2nd time. (i think it's the way they arrange the scenes).


Art Ratings: 3
I don't really like the way they draw the eyes and some of the characters. But I totally loved how they draw the pretty characters.


Recommended for:
Gender: Female & Male
Age: 12 and above
My Ratings: PG

Guilty Crown

Image from: http://www.giantbomb.com/guilty-crown-lost-christmas/3030-37769/

Name: Guilty Crown ギルティクラウン

Status: Completed
Episode: 22 + OVA (Lost Christmas)
Release date (for eng subs): -


Summary:

Japan gave up its independence in order to avoid total collapse after the outbreak of an alien virus. 10 years later Japan is still a dependent nation under a not-so-friendly provisional government called GHQ. At the same time a boy named Shu has lost his past and himself. By chance Shu comes in contact with the beautiful and stoic Inori and the resourceful and charismatic Gai, both members of a militant resistance group called Funeral Parlor. Through his interaction with the members of Funeral Parlor and his acquisition of a genetically based power, the conflicted and withdrawn Shu slowly learns how to connect with others and reclaim himself. When the GHQ falls into the hands of a man who intends to use the virus to 'reset' earth's population, Shu and Funeral Parlor fight to stop him and reclaim Japan.

Summary from: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=13001

Personal Ratings: 3

I find that this anime is split into two main parts. (kind of like some animes I've seen, of which most dont have a proper ending or ending is kinda sad). 

In the first half of the anime, it is totally about the introduction and the foundation of the anime. In the second half of the anime, I feel that it split into many small different sections and parts. Really didn't really like the second half of the anime because it was kind of dark and rushed. I totally preferred the first part because of Shu's lost memories. I kind of liked how it kept the curiosity going. In the 2nd half, it was kind of like a 180 degrees change. It was really dark and at the same time sad to a certain extend. 

I really didn't like how Inori was not really there in the 2nd half of the show. (and I really hated her battle outfits.) I was  kind of waiting for the main character to be really cool after he gain the power and realize his true self, but that never actually came. I also wondered why in the first episode where Gai saw Shu, he did not react to him, especially since he was close to him when they were younger. 

There were also some really weird and unexplained parts in the anime. I think that the ending of kind of rushed, because it lasted for like a minute (? at least that's what I felt.) The ending really leaves you with some sort of sadness. The Beginning was also really typical. I also wanted more of the fighting scenes. (instead of just a swing of the random sword and everyone dies).

The story line really made this anime a whole lot nicer.

Art Ratings: 3
I liked some of the character designs, especially some of the girl's hair. But I find some others a little to stiff and edgy. Art kinda reminds me of Nurarihyon no Mago.


Recommended for:
Gender: Female & Male
Age: 16 and above
My Ratings: NC-16